The Bleacher Report 2013 Highly Touted Commitment Tracker
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We're going to start a new and ongoing series here at Bleacher Report. This series will be solely for quick examinations of significant commitments that take place for the 2013 recruiting season.
Many big-name recruits have already made up their minds, but several highly touted prospects still lie uncommitted on the board. This series will be dedicated to them for when they do make their announcements, meaning in-depth analysis and breakdowns right here at Bleacher Report.
Keep it here for blog-style updates added as soon as news breaks.
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The recruitment for Peach State DT prospect Kelsey Griffin has been a bit of a head scratcher as of recently. He told people he was committed to Georgia a few weeks ago, but only a few hours later changed his mind and backed off of that statement.
Today, Scout.com is reporting that Girffin has made his decision and the Bulldogs are not the school he will attend. Griffin committed to South Carolina to this morning, becoming Steve Spurrier's 21st commitment for 2013 recruiting.
A 6'2", 300 pound interior defensive lineman, Griffin fits best as a nose tackle/zero-technique player. He has great strength and can stack blocks, anchor and man up two gaps for a defense.
He will be a great run stuffer in Columbia and could get into the 320 pound range before he leaves. Excellent pick up for the Gamecocks as they continue to load up on defensive studs this year such as Matt Rolin, Larenz Bryant, Brendan Langley and Griffin.
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Ranked as the nation's No. 50 prospect per ESPNU, Torii Hunter Jr. has always been in the spotlight. His father is a Major League Baseball All-Star and Gold Glove winner and Hunter Jr. is one of the best football players in the America.
This past weekend Hunter took a visit to Notre Dame and fell in love with the place, becoming the 21st commitment for Brian Kelly's 2013 class. Hunter is the fourth receiver commitment for Notre Dame and fits the offense very well.
While in South Bend for the game against Michigan this weekend, Hunter told Scout.com that he liked the gameday atmosphere the Irish fans provide. He also feels strongly that a degree from Notre Dame would be best for him in the long run.
From Texas, Hunter is a 6'0", 172 pound receiver with great speed and quickness. He is a very good athlete and can work on all three levels of a defense.
Hunter is certain to add more speed and big play potential to the Irish offense. This is a huge pick up for Brian Kelly.
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John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE
Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville is home to 6'4", 280-pound DL DeMarcus Walker. Rated a 5-star recruit by Scout.com, Walker is also No. 24 in the ESPNU 150 and No. 97 in the Rivals 100.
With his great size, quickness, solid strength and scheme versatility, Walker became a wanted man very quickly on the recruiting trail. He narrowed his choices down to Alabama and Florida and chose the Crimson Tide on Friday.
He is the 19th commitment for Alabama for 2013 and joins a class that is already headlined by TE O.J. Howard, QB Cooper Bateman, RB Altee Tenpenny and CB Maurice Smith.
Walker is an excellent prospect that can play strong-side DE and DT in a 40-front scheme while also being capable of playing DE in a 30-front scheme, which is the usual base defense Alabama runs.
An athletic DL, Walker shows a long frame that still has growth potential. I think he can easily get up to 300 pounds if necessary at Alabama while still keeping his snap quickness and athleticism.
Walker has the ability to keep blockers out of his body while locating the ball-carrier quickly and using athletic ability, short area pursuit speed and instincts to make the stop.
Walker can get off the ball in a hurry to jump on top of blockers, beating them out of their stance. He shows the potential to be able to convert speed to power as a pass-rusher while using his length and fight to pressure to menace the pocket.
This is a defensive player Alabama covets year in and year out because of his versatility and ability to play different positions along the defensive trenches. Walker reminds me a bit of 2011 Alabama signee Jeoffrey Pagan.
Edwin Weathersby has worked in scouting/player personnel departments for three professional football teams, including the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and the Arena Football League's Las Vegas Gladiators. He spent a year evaluating prep prospects and writing specific recruiting and scouting content articles for Student Sports Football (now ESPN Rise-HS). A syndicated scout and writer, he's also contributed to WeAreSC.com, GatorBait.net and Diamonds in the Rough Inc., a college football and NFL draft magazine.


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