College Football's Most Important Offers of the Week
The state of California has been a point of emphasis for Brian Kelly and his staff since he arrived at Notre Dame.
Last week, the Irish staff was in the backyard of hated rival USC, where they offered a pair of 4-star defensive backs who are potential targets on the Trojans’ wish list.
The Irish offered a pair of 4-star defenders from the Los Angeles area in David Long and C.J. Pollard.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
"Blessed to have received a scholarship offer to the University of Notre Dame #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/ORvO2lfvNl
— CJ (@CJPollard1) May 14, 2015"
The offer took the 6’0”, 175-pound Long by surprise, according to Tom Loy of 247Sports.
"It feels great," Long told Loy. "It's a little unexpected, but it's a big one for sure."
Duke, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon and Stanford are among the schools in the running with Long.
Loy reports that with the Irish offer in hand, Pollard immediately moved them into his top group of schools.
"It's a blessing to receive an offer from one of the most prestigious universities in the nation," Pollard told Irish247 (via Loy). "They have a great tradition and put players in the NFL."
Pollard, who hails from powerhouse Serra High School in Gardena, California, also has a pair of 4-star teammates who already hold Notre Dame offers in defensive back Brandon Burton and defensive end Oluwole Betiku.
With both Long and Pollard now in their crosshairs, the Irish are poised to try and add more California flavor to their roster.
Alabama Offers Pair of 2016 DEs
One position that Alabama is looking to replenish its roster with in the 2016 class is defensive end.
Last week, Nick Saban and his staff offered a pair of out-of-state defensive ends in Texas native Marcel Southall and 3-star Louisiana standout Andre Anthony.
As Bleacher Report’s Damon Sayles notes, Southall is one of the hottest prospects in the country who has seen his recruitment take off in the month of May.
Meanwhile, Anthony, who was also offered by Florida and Oregon last week, has 16 offers to his credit from schools such as Auburn, Georgia, Mississippi State and Oklahoma.
With Alabama now in the mix with both Southall and Anthony, it will be interesting to monitor their recruitments moving forward.
Texas Tech Offers, Lands Rising 2016 QB
The quarterback carousel in the 2016 cycle is in full swing, and Kliff Kingsbury appears to have found a diamond in the rough in 3-star Texas gunslinger Jett Duffey.
The Red Raiders offered Duffey last week, and he subsequently committed.
Duffey earned an invite to The Opening after winning the QB MVP at the Nike Charlotte Opening Regional camp, according to Sayles.
Over the last two seasons, Duffey has thrown for 4,361 yards and rushed for another 1,938 yards while accounting for 69 touchdowns at Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield, Texas.
Miami Offers 2017 FSU QB Legacy
It’s safe to say that Cade Weldon has vast knowledge of the rivalry between Florida State and Miami.
After all, his dad, Casey, played quarterback for the Seminoles from 1988-91—with one of his two losses as a starter for the ‘Noles coming in the famous Wide Right I game.
Last week, Cade, a rising 2017 quarterback from Tampa, received an offer from the Hurricanes.
While the Seminoles have yet to offer, Weldon has early offers from schools such as Kentucky, South Florida and Wake Forest.
Best of the Rest
- Boston College offered 3-star defensive end Keldric Preston.
- Louisville offered corner Jayvaughn Myers. The Cardinals also offered 3-star defensive end Jachai Polite and 3-star athlete and current Florida State pledge Jamal Couch.
- North Carolina offered 3-star receiver Tyler Simmons.
- Miami and Virginia Tech offered 3-star Noah DeHond.
- Penn State offered 4-star defensive end Xavier Kelly.
- Oklahoma offered 4-star receiver Binjimen Victor. Adam Gorney of Rivals reports that the Sooners also offered 4-star safety and current California pledge Shurod Thompson.
- Oklahoma State offered 3-star defensive end Andrew Fitzgerald.
- Nebraska offered 3-star corner and current Louisville commit Baylen Buchanan.
- Washington offered 3-star linebacker Jordan Carmouche.
- Auburn and Oregon offered 3-star defensive end Caleb Roddy.
- The Tigers also offered 3-star receiver and current Florida pledge Isaiah Johnson.
- Florida offered 4-star corner Nigel Knott.
- Georgia offered 3-star receiver Brandon Johnson. Per Trent Smallwood of Rivals, the Bulldogs also offered 3-star athlete D’Vaughn Pennamon.
- Brian Perroni of 247Sports reports that Missouri offered athlete Moses Reynolds.
- Texas A&M offered 4-star corner Eric Cuffee.
- Duke offered 4-star offensive lineman Jack Anderson.
- Florida State offered linebacker Santino Marchiol.
- North Carolina offered 4-star athlete Maleik Gray.
- Bleacher Report’s Tyler Donohue reports that Virginia Tech offered 4-star defensive tackle Fred Hansard.
- Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports reports that Nebraska offered 5-star quarterback Hunter Johnson.
- Penn State offered 4-star receiver J.T. Cauthen. The Nittany Lions also offered 4-star offensive lineman Joshua Lugg.
- Wisconsin offered offensive lineman C.J. Thorpe.
- Baylor offered 4-star receiver James Robinson.
- Texas offered 4-star receiver Hezekiah Jones.
- Alabama offered 4-star receiver Tarik Black.
- Auburn offered offensive linemen Blake Vinson and 4-star Tyrese Robinson.
- Georgia offered 4-star athlete and current Ohio State pledge Bruce Judson.
- Missouri offered 4-star athlete Malcolm Askew.
- ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren reports that Penn State and Georgia offered 4-star linebacker Drew Singleton.
- West Virginia offered corner Miguel Edwards.
- Georgia offered corner Derrik Allen. The Bulldogs also offered defensive end Justin Mascoll.
- Baylor, Michigan and Michigan State offered athlete Jalen Preston.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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