Arthur Brown Commits to the U

Arthur Brown, ESPN's #1 rated outside LB prospect and #6 overall prospect, has chosen to attend the University of Miami (Fl). The U is getting a player that will undoubtedly make a big impact as true freshman next fall. This is the scouting report on him:

Brown possesses a great blend of size and speed, but it his explosiveness in the short-area that is rare and a component of his game that you just can't coach. When this fast-twitched athlete zeroes in on a ball carrier, he generates velocity so quickly that he hits with the power of a 230-pound 'backer. That rare ability allows him to blow up plays at the point of attack with strength or burst through the small, backside run crease underneath the cutoff block for five-yard losses. Not many spots between the white lines that Brown can't make plays from; he can attack downhill between the tackles, chase sideline-to-sideline with great range or make an athletic play in coverage with the hips and fluidity of an elite skill player.

Brown will be graduating early from his high school in Kansas, and plans to enroll at Miami this upcoming Spring. Here's the excerpt on his decision from ESPN Insider:

Outside linebacker Arthur Brown committed to Miami-FL over USC, LSU, North Carolina, and Florida Monday night on a televised news conference, ESPN affiliate InsideTheU.com reports.

"Really, in the beginning, I said that it would come down to how I feel and that is why I chose the University of Miami. My visit was great and I met with a lot of the players, coaches, and we really had a good connection."

This is another major blow to USC's recruiting class, as it appears that the Trojans have also lost the services of the nation's #1 CB prospect Patrick Johnson (as reported in my previous post). All the recruiting efforts and focus will probably now shift to ESPN's #2 rated CB prospect T.J. Bryant, who, like Johnson, is also from the state of Florida.

Fight On!

Is Patrick Johnson No Longer Considering USC?

ESPN's Recruiting Insider has an update on USC's Most Wanted recruit Patrick Johnson, the #1 rated CB prospect in this year's recruiting class. Apparently, Johnson has narrowed his list down to 4 finalists, and USC isn't one of them. Here's the excerpt:

Patrick Johnson's father, Patrick Peterson, said that Miami (Fla.), Flordia, Georgia, and LSU are the finalists in the rollercoaster-ride pursuit of 2008's top cornerback, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

When it comes to recruiting, you really have to take everything you hear in the press with a grain of salt. With that being said, if this is true, than it will be a devastating blow to USC's 2008 recruiting class. Yes, Coach Carroll is stockpiling talent offensively with all of those offensive linemen, but it is a relatively thin class on the defensive side of the ball. Again, nothing is for certain until Johnson signs that Letter of Intent, but if the Trojans miss out on him, there will be added pressure to sign Arthur Brown, the nation's top outside LB recruit. Brown will make his decision later today, and USC is very much in the running for him.

Check back later updates on these two big time recruits.

Fight On!

Patrick Johnson Update

Confusion surrounds the recruitment of the nations #1 ranked cornerback prospect, Patrick Johnson. The 6’1” 193lb senior from Ely High School in Pompano, FL has been adamant that he is unwavering on his verbal commitment to The U. CaneSport.com recently quoted Johnson sending out this message in response to message board rumors that he had decommitted from Miami…

"Just stay tuned. You'll find out when I start (school) Jan. 7 at the University of Miami."

While reaffirming his verbal commitment to Miami, Johnson also praises LSU, which he officially visited a couple weeks ago, and maintains that he is very interested in the Trojans. Johnson has made plans to officially visit USC in 3 weeks when the Trojans unleash hell on the lowly bruins in the Coliseum. This will be Johnson's second visit to SC, as he unofficially visited during the summer when he participated dominated USC's Rising Star camp.

Rivals.com had this to say about Johnson after his performance during the Rising Star camp...

Johnson's recovery speed also makes him special. In fact, he's so good in this area that it almost seems like he tricks the quarterback and receiver into thinking they have an open play, but then closes on the ball so fast that an incompletion or turnover occurs.

A defensive back that creates turnovers? Now there's a concept.

A commitment form Patrick Johnson would be a huge steal for the Trojans. Carroll and his assistant coaches are going to have to put on there game faces and put on a show for Johnson if they wish to steal him form the Canes.

Fight On!

Target 2008: T.J. Bryant

Here is the first installment of our series, Target 2008, which profiles USC recruiting targets for 2008. We kick it off with T.J. Bryant, a 6'1" corner from Tallahassee, FL. A relatively good sized defensive back with 4.4 forty time is exactly what Pete Carroll has been looking for. Bryant doesn't shy away from contact by any means, but more importantly has shown the athleticism to be a lock-down corner in college football. Its no secret that Pete Carroll covets cornerbacks, or defensive players for that matter, from the South. While the SEC dominates the recruiting landscape in the South, Pete Carroll has shown the nation that he will not only bone your wife and kick you in the nuts, but take the best players as well (see Keith Rivers, ROJO, Joe McKnight, Everson Griffen, and Mike Williams). This is critical since T.J. Bryant is in Florida, Florida State, and Miami's neck of the woods. According to Rivals.com, Bryant has the entire SEC on his list, but USC is one that he is very much looking forward to visiting. My guess is that PC rolls out the red carpet.

While USC is stacked at the skill positions, such as quarterback and running back, this 2008 class is one where the USC staff seems to be targeting defensive backs, offensive linemen, and athletes who are versatile. While the state of Florida has loads of talent, USC will be hunting them down one by one, and no doubt T.J. Bryant is one who Carroll not only wants to have, but needs to have. USC is already close to stealing defensive back Patrick Johnson, a Miami commit, who is now a bit shaky in his commitment to the Canes. Elite defensive backs are rare and getting Bryant to commit is the first step to keeping our defense one of the best in the country.