College Football's Most Important Offers of the Week
Last weekend’s showdown between St. John Bosco (California) and Bishop Gorman (Nevada)—the nation’s top two prep programs in the USA Today high school football national rankings—was preceded by some intriguing news on the recruiting trail.
A pair of dynamic Bishop Gorman sophomores, quarterback Tate Martell and receiver Tyjon Lindsey, learned they had earned offers from Pac-12 powerhouse USC.
"I have officially received an offer from USC along with my brother Tyjon( @tyjonlindsey ) #FightOn ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NYT6xbws1e
— Tate Martell (@tate18martell) September 24, 2014"
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
This development is particularly interesting in the case of Martell, who committed to then-Huskies head coach and current USC head coach Steve Sarkisian in July of 2012.
Martell told Lars Hansen of Realdawg.com (subscription required) last month that he’s sticking with his pledge, and that he’s been in communication with Chris Petersen and the new staff.
"Officially offered by USC right along with my brother/teammate, Tate Martell. Couldn't have done it without my BG TEAMMATES&COACHES! 1 love!
— T-wayne Lindsey (@tyjonlindsey) September 24, 2014"
"I am still committed," Martell said. "Coach [Chris] Petersen and coach [Jonathan] Smith both told me that my commitment stands and they want to keep my commitment."
The 5’11”, 180-pounder is a 4-star prospect and the No. 93 overall player in the 2017 class. As B/R’s Tyler Donohue notes, Martell has gotten off to a blistering start in his first year in charge of the Gaels program.
The Trojans' offer to Lindsey makes him the third skill player on the Gorman roster with a tender from USC—joining 2015 4-star receiver Cordell Broadus and 2015 4-star tight end and UCLA commit Aliz’e Jones.
While it’s still very early in the process for both Martell and Lindsey, expect Sarkisian and his staff to keep close tabs on both 2017 standouts moving forward.
Oregon Heads to Texas to Offer 2016 Standouts
Dating back to Chip Kelly’s tenure at Oregon, the Ducks have always recruited the state of Texas hard, with former Ducks standouts such as LaMichael James, Josh Huff and Darron Thomas all hailing from the Lone Star State.
"Just got offered by Oregon #GoDucks
— Devin Duvernay (@Dev_Duv5) September 23, 2014"
Last week, Mark Helfrich and his staff offered two of the top juniors from Texas in Sachse High School teammates and 4-star standouts Devin Duvernay and Jared Mayden II.
Duvernay, who is the No. 38 player overall in the 2016 class, is one of the nation’s top receivers. Mayden, who checks in at No. 89 overall, is rated as the No. 6 corner in the 2016 class.
Both players have lengthy offer lists. But with the Ducks’ history of plucking talent out of Texas, don’t be surprised if they become factors in the recruitment of both Duvernay and Mayden.
2016 DE Blowing Up
Arguable the most popular player in recruiting circles last week was 2016 4-star defensive end Terrell Hall.
The 6’5”, 218-pound Washington, D.C., native picked up offers from Penn State, Iowa, Virginia Tech and Rutgers last week.
On the heels of his offer from James Franklin, Hall made it to Happy Valley last weekend for the Lions game against Northwestern. This weekend, Hall is scheduled to visit Maryland.
With Hall possessing the size and athleticism to become a pass-rushing terror off the edge, expect the interest in his recruitment to continue to pick up steam moving forward.
Oklahoma Offers Pair of 2016 Defenders from Houston
Bob Stoops and the Oklahoma Sooners have made a living recruiting in the state of Texas.
The Sooners hit the Houston area hard last week, resulting in a pair of offers to defensive standouts in the 2016 class.
Eric Monroe, a 5-star safety, and 3-star linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch are the latest Texas natives whom Stoops is pursuing in hopes of getting them to head north for college.
Monroe—who is one of the top five juniors in Texas—is a 6’0” 180-pounder who ranks as the nation’s third-best safety in the 2016 class. With McCulloch, the Sooners' offer represents his most high-profile tender to date.
Best of the Rest
- Florida offered 2015 3-star running back Corey Dauphine, who is currently committed to Texas Tech.
- USC is the latest power to jump in the race for 2015 3-star receiver Antonio Callaway, per Ryan Bartow of 247Sports.
- Georgia Tech offered former Maryland pledge and 2015 3-star running back Deltron Sands, according to Bartow.
- 2016 3-star offensive linemen Parker Boudreaux added to his impressive offer list with new tenders from Notre Dame and Vanderbilt.
- According to Adam Friedman of Rivals, Rutgers offered 2016 4-star offensive lineman JP Urquidez and Terrance Davis. Bartow reports that the Scarlet Knights also offered 2016 corner Kareem Felder.
- Virginia Tech is the newest offer for 2016 4-star offensive lineman Clark Yarbrough. The Hokies also offered 2016 4-star tight end Cary Angeline.
- Tennessee offered 2016 4-star linebacker Jaleel Laguins, per ESPN’s Gerry Hamilton.
- Bartow reports that Wisconsin has offered 2016 4-star receiver Freddie Swain.
- Michigan is the newest school to officially target 2016 4-star receiver Theo Howard.
- According to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports, Miami is the latest offer for 2016 4-star tight end Naseir Upshur.
- Mike Farrell of Rivals notes that Ohio State is the latest school to tender 2016 4-star receiver Ahmir Mitchell.
- The Buckeyes also offered 2016 4-star defensive end Auston Robertson, according to Bucknuts' Bill Kurelic.
- Oregon offered 2016 4-star defensive tackle Antwaun Jackson.
- According to Friedman, Maryland offered 2016 defensive end Keith Simms. Pittsburgh also offered the 6’3”, 220-pounder last week.
- West Virginia and North Carolina are the latest offers for 2016 defensive tackle Ellison Jordan.
- The Tar Heels also offered a pair of rising juniors in 4-star athletes Reggie Floyd and Steven Smothers, per Friedman. Floyd also received an offer from West Virginia.
- According to Kurelic of 247Sports, North Carolina and Vanderbilt offered 2016 4-star offensive lineman Michal Menet.
- Wiltfong reports that Ole Miss is the latest school to offer 2016 4-star linebacker Brendan Ferns.
- Chris Smith of 247Sports notes that the Rebels and Tennessee offered 2017 linebacker Jacob Phillips.
- Finally, per Barton Simmons of 247Sports, Miami pulled the trigger on offering 2018 California receiver Jalen Hall.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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