B/R Recruiting Notebook: Uncommitted 4-Star DB Shows Worth; 4-Star OT Has Top 3
Not much had been said about Eric Cuffee in recent weeks. Not because he wasn't considered good enough, but because he tends to keep everything close to the chest—particularly recruiting.
After Saturday's Under Armour All-America Game, more people are curious about Cuffee's future plans. The Waco, Texas, 4-star defensive back had one of two interceptions for Team Highlight, which shut out Team Armour, 27-0, in the ninth annual all-star game.
It was how he got the interception, however, that caught everyone's attention, wrestling away what appeared to be a sure catch for Florida early enrollee Joshua Hammond and then racing 41 yards to help set up a scoring opportunity for his team.
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"It was a great experience to go out and compete against some of the best talent around," Cuffee said. "It was a good moment to have, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I just wanted to show that I was capable of playing at any level. I really wasn't trying to show anything else. It's just the game that I play.
"[The shutout] said a lot about the defense and how much we were prepared. Coach Herm [Edwards] put that in our heads. He said we had to come out prepared."
Cuffee, who has 35 reported offers, now is shifting his full attention to where he will play college football. An athlete who can play both cornerback and safety effectively, Cuffee said he doesn't have a specific list of top schools, but schools like Tennessee, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Auburn and in-state schools Texas, Texas A&M and TCU all are potential landing spots.
A decision, Cuffee said, most likely will come on Feb. 3. He said he will use the time between now and then to possibly set up official visits. Cuffee took an official visit to Notre Dame in September and to Texas last month.
"I'm looking for a great coaching staff and a good family environment. That's really all I can ask for," he said. "The academics are pretty much the same at every school. I just want to be at a place where I can be comfortable and get on the field and make plays."
Top 3 for top-ranked player in Oklahoma
For Oklahoma City 4-star offensive tackle Tramonda Moore, the next couple of weeks will be extremely important. After the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Moore will take official visits to Oklahoma State (weekend of Jan. 15) and Alabama (Jan. 22).
Moore told Bleacher Report on Sunday that he has a top three of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Alabama, but Oklahoma currently is the team to beat. He made an official visit to Oklahoma last month and gave it high marks.
"I grew up an Oklahoma and Oklahoma State fan," Moore said. "They are my in-states, but all three schools are powerhouse universities."
Alabama is hoping to sway Moore out of the state—all while preparing to play for a national championship. One of three schools will get not only the top-ranked player in Oklahoma but also an athlete who, at 6'6" and 330 pounds, can effectively play offensive tackle and defensive tackle at the next level.
Moore added that while he has a top three, schools like Arizona State, Oregon and UCLA are still in the mix.
Clemson-bound DE eyeing uncommited targets
With Clemson in the College Football Playoff championship game, and getting the opportunity to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, Wichita, Kansas, 4-star defensive end Xavier Kelly wears a smile that is hard to remove.
Monday is the first day of practice for the U.S. Army All-Americans, and Kelly, a Clemson commit, said he's excited about not only stepping on the field, but also getting some time to watch uncommitted targets and possibly sway them to join Clemson's top-10 nationally ranked class.
"It's been amazing bonding with different players around the nation," Kelly said. "It's fun learning about different players. I can't wait to go out there and compete."
Kelly's eyes will be open to see if anyone fits in Dabo Swinney's offensive and defensive schemes, but there is one player in particular he said he is targeting who won't be in San Antonio for the week.
"Rashan Gary," Kelly said of the nation's top-ranked defensive tackle and No. 1 overall player in the 2016 class. "He's an outstanding player. The sky is the limit for him."
Roommates in San Antonio, teammates in college?
Whether or not it was intentional, two of the nation's top outside linebackers are roommates in San Antonio for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. And while Fresno, California's Caleb Kelly and Torrance, California's Mique Juarez are extreme competitors, both are good buddies off the field.
"He's my friend so it's just like hanging out with him," Kelly said of Juarez. "He's not messy or anything, so he's a good roommate."
Fans attending and tuning in to Saturday's Army game will get a chance to watch Juarez and Kelly, the Nos. 2 and 3 outside linebackers, respectively, in the 2016 class go at it against some of the nation's best. What recruiting fans are wondering, however, is where the two will end up. Both are uncommitted, and neither is planning on committing during Saturday's game.
A more specific question: Can Kelly and Juarez end up as college teammates? The linebackers combined have 43 reported offers, and both players have solid interest in schools like Oklahoma, UCLA, Washington and Alabama.
"Yeah," Kelly said. "It's a possibility with some of our top schools being the same."
Whether that possibility becomes a reality will be determined in February, when the two their sign national letters of intent.
South Florida trio ready for Army game
There's a possibility that the trio of 4-star cornerback Trayvon Mullen, 4-star wide receiver Binjimen Victor and 3-star cornerback Malek Young—teammates at Coconut Creek High School—end up as college teammates by national signing day.
And then, there's the possibility of each athlete going their separate ways and attending one of three Florida schools representing the Power Five—Florida, Florida State and Miami.
Much is left to be determined with the trio, who are taking their time with the process in what's expected to be a hectic January. Mullen, the nation's No. 3 cornerback, will take official visits to Clemson (weekend of Jan. 15) and LSU (Jan. 22) Victor, the nation's No. 8 receiver, will take officials to Tennessee (Jan. 15) and Florida (Jan. 22).
Young also will visit Clemson the weekend of Jan. 15 and will visit Miami the weekend of Jan. 22. Young is a one-time Georgia commit who announced his plans to reopen his process on Twitter following the firing of coach Mark Richt.
For now, the trio are excited about the week and playing in the prestigious all-star game.
"It's going to be a great experience to play with my teammates," Victor said. "I don't know if we're all going to the same college, so why not play in one more game with each other?"
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports.com's composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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