Some decisions were made by some of the top prospects in the Southeast over the past week.
Florida State got things started on Monday, then received more big news on Friday. Quite a few took place in between too.
Scout 100 running back Jacques Patrick has been considered a strong lean to the Seminoles for some time -- that showed to be accurate Monday when he announced he was going to start school in Tallahassee, Fla. in January 2015.
Patrick, a 6-foot-1, 231 pound senior out of Orlando (Fla.) Timber Creek is the No. 8 back in the country. He had over three dozen scholarship offers and he is a back with size, power, and good hands out of the backfield. Look for him to see the field early for the Seminoles.
FSU currently has the No. 3 recruiting class in the country on Scout and it now has five prospects in the Scout 100.
Not only did Jimbo Fisher and company start off the week strong in recruiting, it finished strong as well.
A few days after a Scout 100 offensive prospect chose FSU, a defensive did too.
This time it was Tarvarus McFadden (pictured), one of the top defensive backs in the country. The No. 5-ranked cornerback in America on Scout committed to FSU over Georgia among others on Halloween.
He comes from a great program in American Heritage of Plantation, Fla. and he could be an early impact player at boundary corner or even become a big safety down the road. He uses his size (6-2, 198 pounds) to his advantage, he covers a great radius with his length, and he is very instinctive.Learn more about Florida State's recruiting class and their team at NoleDigest.com.
FSU was not the only team to receive big news from a top prospect in the Southeast in recent days. California, Georgia, Louisville, Iowa, Miami, and TCU picked up big commitments as well.
The Golden Bears of Cal went all the way across the country to Atlanta, Ga. to get defensive end Russell Ude. From day one, Ude has told Scout that he liked schools out West, specifically those in California.
The Golden Bears now have 11 commitments and you can see in-depth Cal coveragehere.
Ude is a very smart player out of Westminster, a high school with strong academics. The 6-3, 245 pound senior is strong, he holds his ground well, and he plays with a high motor.
Georgia has not gone into Mississippi much over the years, but it did with new commit Johnathan Abram.
The 6-2, 195 pound senior out of Columbia (Miss.) East Marion plays all over the field for his high school, but safety will likely be his home at Georgia. What stands out about Abram right away is how fluid he is at his size (6-2, 198 pounds). UGA defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt evaluated Abram personally a week ago, made an official offer, and then on Halloween night, Abram was a Dawg.
Get the scoop on Abram, the Dawgs No. 2 recruiting class, and the UGA program atDawgpost.com.
Louisville played Florida State very tough on Thursday, then a day later, the Cardinals picked up three new verbal commitments.
One was from a prospect in the Southeast and it was Darius Smith (pictured above). The versatile athlete out of Florence, Ala. was evaluated a week ago and he will soon be a four-star prospect on Scout.
He is a star on the hardcourt, but his future is on the gridiron. Smith, a 6-2, 198 pound athlete is explosive, he can run, his length is good, and he could line up for Todd Grantham (Louisville defensive coordinator) at multiple positions.
Smith is that new-age hybrid who could play safety or walk down and be an outside linebacker on the next level. He has a very high upside and once he focuses only on football -- watch out.
Louisville currently has the No. 5-ranked recruiting class in the ACC. Learn more about the Cardinals at Cardinal Authority.
Two talented defensive backs made decisions to commit to schools outside their home states late in the week.
Scout 300 cornerback Deshawn Raymond, a senior out of Metarie (La.) East Jefferson chose TCU over LSU Friday. His best football is definitely ahead of him. He is long, he is 6-1 plus, and he can be a big safety or get a look at safety for the Horned Frogs. He is a prospect who TCU could make into an NFL talent down the road.
You heard a lot of Thriller from the Michael Jackson last week with it being Halloween week, but another Michael Jackson out of Hoover (Ala.) Spain Park put his name in the headlines too.
Not many have been talking about this high three-star prospect, but Miami was on him hard, and it paid off. Jackson is 6-1, 198 pounds and a very physical prospect at his position. He is the top cornerback in the state of Alabama and you can get to know the future Hurricane more here.
Quite a few prospects in Florida announced their decision last week and one you cannot overlook is running back Karan Higdon.
The 5-10, 180 pounder out of Sarasota (Fla.) Riverview is ranked No. 66 at his position on Scout. He runs with a low center of gravity, he is tough for his size, and he is commitment No. 16 for the Hawkeyes.
Check out Hawkeye Insider for in-depth Iowa coverage.
