Get ready for some football
The regular season is still more than a month away, but captain's practices and 7-on-7 competitions are already in full swing. Here's a list of five games, players and issues to look for in the upcoming football season:
1. The Players
The Class of 2008 is loaded with elite players -- so much so that as many as six recruits could lay claim to the nation's top spot. But when all is said and done, Jeannette (Pa.) stud quarterback Terrelle Pryor is the one who earns top honors. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound signal caller showed off his considerable skills last year by passing for 1,720 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushing for 1,709 yards and 27 scores to lead Jeannette to the Class AA finals. Terrelle Pryor is also a top basketball recruit and hopes to play both sports in college. Other players to watch include St. Bonaventure (Ventura, Calif.) running back Darrell Scott, Foley (Ala.) wide receiver Julio Jones, Wichita East (Wichita, Kan.) linebacker Arthur Brown, St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) quarterback/defensive back Will Hill and Summerville (S.C.) wide receiver A.J. Green, who has committed to Georgia.
2. The Teams
National powers Miami (Fla.) Northwestern and Southlake (Texas) Carroll will enter the season as the nation's top two teams, and it's Northwestern that will start the season ranked No. 1 in the RISE National Top 25. The defending Class 6A state champion is loaded led by seniors Marcus Forston (defensive lineman), Aldarius Johnson (wide receiver), Sean Spence (linebacker) and Jacory Harris (quarterback). Carroll returns the senior tandem of quarterback Riley Dodge and running back Tre' Newton. Both players were instrumental in leading the Dragons to their fourth state title in five years last season. The nationally ranked senior trio of quarterback Dayne Crist, defensive lineman Wes Horton and linebacker Anthony McDonald help make Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) California's team to beat. St. Xavier (Cincinnati), which features senior running back Darius Ashley, and Summerville (S.C.), which stars senior wide receiver A.J. Green, round out the preseason Top 5.
3. The Rising Stars
When it comes to the Class of 2009, Wichita (Kan.) East running back Bryce Brown is considered the top player. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder is so talented he might even be better than his brother, Arthur, a linebacker who's rated the nation's No. 4 recruit in the Class of 2008 by RISE. Last fall, Bryce ran for 2,039 yards and 26 touchdowns. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) quarterback Matt Barkley could battle Brown for top honors in the Class of 2009, while other top players from the junior class include Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) running back David Oku, Birmingham (Van Nuys, Calif.) wide receiver De'Von Flournoy and Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, Calif.) quarterback Clark Evans. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) linebacker Malcolm Jones and Columbus (Miami, Fla.) running back Jakhari Gore are two players to keep an eye on from the Class of 2010. Gore is the cousin of San Francisco 49ers star running back Frank Gore.
4. The Events
There should be plenty of intriguing games and events this season, but none of them hold a candle to the showdown between No. 1 Miami Northwestern Texas and No. 2 Southlake Carroll in Dallas on Sept. 15. Northwestern returns 13 starters from a team that went 15-0 and captured the Class 6A state championship last year. Meanwhile, eight returning offensive starters bolster Carroll's explosive no-huddle spread attack, which averaged 44.3 points per game last season. Also, the nation's premier high school football all-star game, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, will continue its nationally televised showcase of the country's top seniors in January. And as always, those top recruits will ink their letters of intent on National Signing Day on the first Wednesday in February.
5. The Issues
Shockwaves swept through the recruiting scene in April when the NCAA passed legislation banning college coaches from sending text messages to recruits beginning Aug. 1. The ruling was designed to protect recruits from the costs and intrusiveness of being overwhelmed with frequent text messages and will change the way coaches can communicate with recruits. Speaking of recruiting, while National Signing Day is still a big event, many of the nation's top recruits are opting to graduate early to get a head start on college ball and see the field as freshmen. Expect that trend to continue this year. And if you want to see some of the top recruits in action before they reach college campuses, you won't have to wait until the U.S. Army All-American Bowl to do so since several top high school football games will be on national television.
[More
at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com]
