Two talented recruits from opposite ends of the country have both signed to play football for the U.S. Naval Academy.
The first is Cole Wright, a DE/TE from Fort Myers, FL. Wright is a multisport athlete who is also on the varsity track and basketball teams.
Alex Barta, an All-League, honor roll K/P out of Clarkston High School (Clarkston, MI), has also committed to Navy.
Dante Fowler, Jr., a 5-star defensive end and longtime Florida State commit, defected today to sign with in-state rival Florida. Fowler played at Lakewood Senior High School and offers from Auburn, USC, OSU, and Georgia, among others.
Fowler marks a badly needed recruiting upset for Florida, who will be spend the next several years facing Florida State’s elite class of defensive linemen, including Mario Edwards (#1 DE), Eddie Goldman (#1 DT), and Chris Casher (#4 DE).
Torshiro Davis, a 4-star linebacker/defensive end, made a surprise commitment to Texas after being “90 percent” committed to LSU for months.
Davis, out of Woodlawn High School in Louisiana, has the speed to be a dominant edge-rusher (he runs a 4.56 40). Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Auburn also mounted major recruiting efforts for Davis.
Wisconsin has signed 3-star recruit Jake Meador. The 6′ 7″, 305 pound offensive tackle also had offers from Florida, Ole Miss, and Missouri. Scouts have praised Meador for his strength and toughness, and he joins a Wisconsin program famed for its development of offensive linemen.
Shaq Thompson, the #3 safety in the nation, has signed with the Washington Huskies.
Thompson was the top recruit in the state of California and recently pulled a verbal commitment to Cal. He was heavily recruited, with offers from all major Pac-12 powers as well as Auburn, Florida, and Notre Dame.
He cited Washington’s high graduation rate (#2 in the Pac-12) and strong relationships with the coaching staff as his reason for signing there.
Defensive tackle Terrell Jackson will be a Pittsburgh Panther.
The 3-star recruit out of Marion-Franklin High School was also considering offers from Michigan State, Iowa, Illinois, and Duke.
Johnathan Harden, an agile DT and Minnesota Mr. Football finalist, has signed with Western Michigan.
The 6-foot, 300-pound Harden played for Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minnesota and chose Western Michigan over offers from North Dakota and Western’s conference rival, Eastern Michigan.
The signing of five-star cornerback Tracy Howard to Miami marks another recruit who will be staying close to home – “The U” is only a few miles away from his hometown of Miramar.
This will end the intense in-state competition for Howard, who also had visited Florida and Florida State. He looks to contribute immediately as part of a Miami secondary returning only two veterans at defensive back.
Eddie Goldman, a five-star recruit and the top defensive tackle in the 2012 class, has signed with Florida State.
A physical specimen at 6′ 4″ and 310 pounds, Goldman was one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation and had more than 50 offers. He racked up 23 tackles for a loss, including 15 sacks, as a senior at Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C.
He has been surrounded by hype throughout his high school football career – he received his first offer as a sophomore – but has been notable for his smooth handling of the recruiting process and his academic success.
Dorial Green-Beckham, a wide receiver out of Hillcrest High School widely regarded as the top recruit in the 2012 class, is going to Missouri. This marks the first time Missouri has signed the nation’s top recruit.
Despite offers from football powerhouses including LSU, Alabama, Texas, USC, Florida, and OSU, Green-Beckham will stay in his home state to play college football. The 6′ 6″, 220 pound wide receiver runs a 4.43 second 40 and has been compared to Randy Moss by recruiting analysts.
