Florida State has already pursued Class of 2014 top recruits Andrew Brown and Quin Blanding. Both have offers from the Noles. Now FSU is back in the market for more 757 talent. On Wednesday, they made offers to no less than three more local underclassmen.
Poquoson running back/defensive end Grayson Boyce has the look of a 2013 Bay Rivers District Player of the Year. He’s a two way starter for the Bull Islanders and he’s developing into one of the most dominant players in the district. Schools like Alabama and Old Dominion have been showing heavy interest since the middle of last year. Lately, other schools have been jumping into the mix.
After five seasons as head coach at Lakeland High School, Glenwood Ferebee is hanging up his whistle. The high school game has been good to him, but he’s moving on to take on new challenges at the college level.
Western Branch has a stable full of budding athletes, and Virginia Tech is on the hunt. Assistant Coach Cornell Brown visited Western Branch this week, getting his first complete look at the prospects on the Bruins’ roster. Several Bruin juniors are getting significant interest.
Ocean Lakes defensive tackle Demetri McGill made his commitment to the Terps in November. On Sunday, Head Coach Randy Edsall withdrew the scholarship offer. That leaves Demetri with three weeks before signing day to work out a new commitment. McGill has options, but the snub has Ocean Lakes Head Coach Chris Scott upset, and rightfully so.
By all measures, Oscar Smith High School had a successful football season. The Tigers finished the regular season 9-1, losing only to nationally ranked Byrnes (SC). In the playoffs, the Tigers advanced to the Eastern Region Final, losing narrowly to State Runner-up Ocean Lakes. Quarterback Dashawn Blow led the Tigers through their sixth straight season of an undefeated district record and their ninth straight District Championship season.
First Colonial defensive back Raven Greene caught the eye of a bunch of coaches as he worked hard on the college camp circuit this past summer. At several camps, he was rated as a top performer, which was promising for his recruitment. An early season injury was a setback, but Greene powered through, finished the season strong, and made his college commitment this weekend.
Bayside wide receiver/safety Quin Blanding is one of the top recruits in the nation for the 2014 class and is certainly a prize for every school that’s recruiting him. He holds over two dozen scholarship offers, but recently narrowed his list to ten. Quin gave us the scoop on his priorities, his offseason workouts, and his plans for 2013.
Lake Taylor junior athlete Jalyn Holmes has courted college interest since his freshman season at Lake Taylor. Holmes really came into his own in the Titans’ State Championship season, providing leadership and starring as an elite level tight end and defensive end. With spring approaching, Holmes has narrowed his list and is planning college visits.
Virginia Tech’s defense for 2013 just got a boost. Bethel grad and Hokie defensive end James Gayle has announced that he’s returning for his senior season. There was some discussion of Gayle making himself available for the NFL draft, but it’s believed that more seasoning will allow him to increase his draft stock.