Linebackers - from the Orlando Sentinel

[Brad]

Didn't see this here..

Linebackers going strong

Bill Buchalter

Special to the Sentinel

July 21, 2007

A year ago, 18 Florida linebackers signed scholarships with Bowl Championship Series teams. Thirty-three signed with NCAA Division I-A programs.

Surprisingly, 14 already have committed to BCS programs this year and we're still weeks away from the official start of late summer football practice.

Half of the 14 have commited to Miami and Florida State.

The 14th to pledge is a surprise of sorts. Mike Lanaris (6 feet 1/228) of Lake Mary committed to South Florida this week.

Miami's foursome may be the nation's best class at the position and Marcus Robinson of Homestead described the secret to Hurricanes success when he pointed out his long-term friendship with new Miami LB coach Micheal Barrow. Unquestionably Barrow has played a major role in attracting Robinson, Dunnellon's Lerentee McCray, Palm Bay's Ramon Buchanon and Chaminade's Jordan Futch.

FSU's trio of star-studded athletes includes Wakulla County's Nigel Bradham, a candidate for state prospect and player-of-the-year honors, and Jacksonville First Coast's Nigel Carr and Davenport Ridge Community's Vince Williams, both considered top 10 in the state at their position.

There are a ton of nationally-coveted linebackers still out there, including Miami Krop's Etienne Sabino and Northwestern's Sean Spence.

Lanaris was in the right place at the right time.

When he attended USF's camp and ran his 40-yard dash for the coaches, Bulls Coach Jim Leavitt was in shouting distance and heard the timers call out 4.67 for Lanaris. Leavitt took a good look at him and thought of Ben Moffitt and Kawika Mitchell, a pair of former Bulls middle linebackers who weren't ranked high by the recruiting community. They became stars for Leavitt.

Lanaris, a member of the Orlando Sentinel's All-Seminole County first defensive team as a junior, is the first Seminole County player to pledge to a BCS team. Some other area players to watch who could follow include Leesburg's Danny Trevanthan, South Sumter's Yourhighness Morgan, Oviedo's Dwight Tucker, Apopka's Danny White and West Orange's Nate Keller.

State pride

Central Florida fans have known for some time that Dr. Phillips would be playing Duncan (S.C.) Byrne Sept. 6 in an interstate game televised by Fox Sports South. It turns out it is the third match between programs from Florida and South Carolina.

DP's game will be preceded by an unusual doubleheader on Aug. 26. Miami Washington plays at Summerville with a noon kickoff for ESPN. It is followed by a 4 p.m. kickoff matching Jacksonville First Coast at Moncks Corner Berkeley to be televised on ESPN2. DP will match its four Division I commitments against one of the Palmetto State's most successful programs. The Miami Washington game will feature All-American receiver A.J. Green (Georgia) of Summerville vs. Washington cornerback Brandon Harris. The First Coast matchup to watch is Berkeley RB Andre Ellington (Clemson) vs. FSU commitment Carr.

A fourth game to whet your appetite matches Miami Northwestern at Southlake (Texas) Carroll on Sept. 15.

Speak of state pride, , California promoters are going to quit inviting Florida teams to their state.

Defending Florida 2A champ Pahokee beat Encino Crespi Carmelite in the adidas 7-on-7 national championship tournament in suburban Los Angeles. Pahokee had too many athletes for the field that included Tampa Plant, with rising junior QB sensation Aaron Murray, and Daytona Beach Seabreeze with Division I QB prospect Troy Dannehower.

The final eight

Edgewater's massive Mike Brewster (6-5/295) is the state's acknowledged No. 1 offensive line prospect. He already has committed to Ohio State.

But Seffner Armwood's Matt Patchan (6-7/270) also has a sparkling résumé and he has narrowed his list of offers to eight: in alphabetical order, Auburn, Florida, FSU, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Mississippi and Notre Dame.

Walking tall

At least seven area players are looking forward to the challenge of walking on at Division I programs.

Included are the Bishop Moore trio of Tito Gomez (FAU), J.P. Moriarty (USF) and Nicholas Giovanetti (Georgia Southern), West Orange's Brantley Bostick (UCF) and Anthony Johnson (Troy), Boone's Justin Hill (USF) and Apopka's Andy Williamson UCF).

Bill Buchalter can be reached at bbuchalter@cfl.rr.com.

Link

[Bullpride08]

These beat writers that don't do research give me a real chuckle...yeah getting offers from UGA, Bama, UT, and ND among others is 'not highly recruited' for Kawika Mitchell.  He signed with UGA but could have gone to any SEC school as he had offers from all of them.  If there were recruiting services back then Mitchell would probably have made every top 30 list for FL.  The guy had an amazing career at Casselberry HS.

[Rabbi Bull]

These beat writers that don't do research give me a real chuckle...yeah getting offers from UGA, Bama, UT, and ND among others is 'not highly recruited' for Kawika Mitchell.  He signed with UGA but could have gone to any SEC school as he had offers from all of them.  If there were recruiting services back then Mitchell would probably have made every top 30 list for FL.  The guy had an amazing career at Casselberry HS.

Kawika signed with Georgia?  Why did he transfer to USF?

[E.T.]

Kawika went to Lake Howell High School.

He signed with UGA, RS'd and there was loads of talent and he didn't seem/or think he was to get the "favor" of the coaches. Transferred to USF, didn't sit out as we were 1AA.

[BullsDude08]

I like how this guy puts Ben Moffitt in the category of "former Bulls".

[Bullpride08]

Kawika went to Lake Howell High School.

He signed with UGA, RS'd and there was loads of talent and he didn't seem/or think he was to get the "favor" of the coaches. Transferred to USF, didn't sit out as we were 1AA.

That's right he lived in Casselberry and went to Lake Howell...no Casselberry HS.

He transfered to USF partly because a certain UGA QB that had transfered to USF a year earlier persuaded him and Dejuan Green to follow him to USF.  Kawika wanted to be closer to home.  The oddity is he transfered after spring football at UGA when he was named a co-starter at MLB...or rather was in a dead heat with another middle LB but felt slighted because he beat the other guy out, and the other guy was a GA kid.  He was homesick so he went to USF.  Kawika was pursued by everyone when he was in HS, he was not an afterthought and probably the highest rated player out of HS to ever play for USF at the time.  When ND lost out on his services to UGA they were severely bummed.  Felt he was an NFL prospect type MLB, it seems they were right.

[Bulls 8_va]

Kawika went to Lake Howell High School.

He signed with UGA, RS'd and there was loads of talent and he didn't seem/or think he was to get the "favor" of the coaches. Transferred to USF, didn't sit out as we were 1AA.

That's right he lived in Casselberry and went to Lake Howell...no Casselberry HS.

He transfered to USF partly because a certain UGA QB that had transfered to USF a year earlier persuaded him and Dejuan Green to follow him to USF.  Kawika wanted to be closer to home.  The oddity is he transfered after spring football at UGA when he was named a co-starter at MLB...or rather was in a dead heat with another middle LB but felt slighted because he beat the other guy out, and the other guy was a GA kid.  He was homesick so he went to USF.  Kawika was pursued by everyone when he was in HS, he was not an afterthought and probably the highest rated player out of HS to ever play for USF at the time.  When ND lost out on his services to UGA they were severely bummed.  Felt he was an NFL prospect type MLB, it seems they were right.

Right indeed!

GO BULLS!!!