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Brady Hoke and his Michigan Wolverines coaching staff’s recruiting efforts are far from finished.

While the Wolverines rake in premier athlete after premier athlete, key targets remain who could strengthen an already healthy and robust 2014 recruiting haul.

The obvious biggies are Woodbridge, Va. 5-star defensive end Da’Shawn Hand and Paramus Catholic 5-star corner Jabrill Peppers. If a 6-star ranking was possible, they’d have one from Rivals, Scout, 247Sports and every other prep-talent evaluating service on the Web—that you can take to the bank.

Should the Wolverines have the fortune of landing Hand, a behemoth 6’5”, 247-pound man-child, and Peppers, a 6’1”, 205-pound possible Charles Woodson-in-the-making, Hoke’s 2014 collection would almost certainly be the No. 1 in the land—it’s No. 5 at the moment, according to 247Sports.com—and quite possibly the best-ever Michigan class since the inception of the wonderfully entertaining process of rating prep stars.

But let’s say that Hand and Peppers choose other schools—they both have plenty options, so thinking about them opting for a program other than Michigan should be in the minds of every Wolverines recruiting follower—next year’s grocery bag of eliteness won’t be short on the goods.

And that’s not because of the players who have already given their pledges to the Maize and Blue—it’s because of the ones out there in pick-a-school limbo who could very well commit to Michigan in the coming months.

 

Jamarco Jones (Chicago, De La Salle)

Jones is an interesting case to evaluate.

At 6’5” and 290 pounds, he’s near-perfect in terms of size to one day fill the void at left tackle. He’s predicted by 247Sports' Steven Lorenz to roll the dice with Ohio State. But Fox Sports Next’s Allen Trieu feels differently.

Trieu was a guest Tuesday on the HUGE Show, a popular syndicated program in Michigan. While talking with guest host Sam Webb, the Detroit News’ Wolverines football beat writer, Trieu stated that he felt Jones would pick Michigan State.

Why? Trieu just had a feeling. He didn’t elaborate much, other than saying that Jones likes the Spartans.

But there is another angle to consider.

For starters, one of his schoolmates has already chosen the Spartans: Alvin Ellis, a 3-star rated guard, is joining Tom Izzo’s basketball team this season. Perhaps that could influence Jones, who most likely is familiar with Ellis.

After all, they attended school together. They’re athletes, and as we all know, athletes tend to associate with other athletes.

That’s just food for thought.

Ellis’ decision may have absolutely no bearing on whether or not Jones does or doesn’t choose Michigan State—or Michigan, for that matter.

Jones visited Michigan on April 4. The popular thought, at least on Twitter, is that Jones likes the Buckeyes. So there goes the Ellis-Spartans theory…for now.

Elite 4 star Tackle Jamarco Jones who has over 30 offers coach tells Steve Wiltfong he believes OSU his leader decision coming in May-June.

— jbook (@jbook37) April 10, 2013

 

Adoree’ Jackson (Junipero Serra; Gardena, Calif.)

Jackson is expected to commit to USC, according to 247Sports USC insider Scott Schrader.

But as we’ve seen so far, those predictions don’t always come to fruition; they’re educated guesses. They're probably pretty accurate at the time made, but high school kids are so finicky these days. The slightest whisper could change a decision in an instant.

And that’s why Jackson, a 5’11”, 185-pound, 5-star rated corner/defensive back could flip his interest more towards Michigan’s direction.

Wolverines tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Dan Ferrigno is on the trail for Jackson, who's a No. 3-ranked corner of 2014 according to 247Sports calculations.

Why does that matter?

Here’s why: Ferrigno was almost entirely responsible for landing Drake Harris, the 4-star Grand Rapids Christian two-sport stud who originally committed to Michigan State at about this time in 2012. Harris was Green and White all the way—most thought—and nothing could have made him change his tune.

But that was until Ferrigno strutted his recruiting savvy and pulled the 2014 receiver from the grips of the Spartans, who hoped that Harris would play both basketball and football. That was the original plan, mind you.

If Ferrigno works his magic with Jackson, Michigan may not suffer all that much if it doesn’t get Peppers. Jackson wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize, but getting Peppers—who wants to basically do everything in college, including winning the Heisman Trophy as a true freshman—is ideal for the Wolverines’ overall athletic-talent level.

Note: Peppers is classified as an athlete/safety by 247Sports, which ranks him No. 1 at both spots. However, he’s being recruited as a corner by Michigan.

 

Andrew Brown (Oscar Smith; Chesapeake, Va.)

Brown is 6’4” and 282 pounds, and his size brings about options for any coaching staff that secures his services.

As the No. 4-ranked prospect of 2014, Brown is a nightmarish 5-star defensive tackle (No. 1 overall) to handle. But he could be equally horrific for offensive lines to contend with should he be moved to defensive end: It’s possible to play around with Brown at different positions given his athleticism. He’d have to drop weight, but plenty of guys have done that in the past.

Now, if Hand waives goodbye to Michigan and chooses, say, Virginia Tech, the Wolverines would want to pounce on Brown immediately—not that they haven’t already.

Browns’ two-position potential could supplement the loss of Hand. Again, he brings so much to the table. Wolverines defensive coordinator Greg Mattison would have the time of his life coaching Brown, who would be a surefire NFL candidate after prowling college fields for three years.

The cupboards are quickly being stocked in Ann Arbor. More topnotch talent will surely commit to Hoke’s program. And Jones, Jackson and Brown could be among those to make the choice to play for one of college football’s sleeping giants.

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

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Recruiting the wide receiver position is a huge point of emphasis for the UCLA Bruins in the 2014 recruiting cycle. 

There's a relative lack of explosiveness and speed with the crop on the current roster. Jim Mora and wide receivers coach Eric Yarber have been making it a point to address the situation during this current year, and it's quite feasible that UCLA hopes to sign up to three, or possibly four wideouts.

Currently, UCLA's lone commit for the 2014 class comes in the form of Corona Centennial wide receiver Barry Ware.

Let's take a look at some potential difference makers from the position. 

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Recruiting the wide receiver position is a huge point of emphasis for the UCLA Bruins in the 2014 recruiting cycle. There's a relative lack of explosiveness and speed with the crop on the current roster...

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The grizzly, veteran defensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers has seen his share of both high- and low-caliber SEC defenses in the 16 years he has coached in the Southeastern Conference. 

After a 2012 season that saw the Auburn defense turn in poor performance after poor performance, logic says that Ellis Johnson's post-spring evaluation of his first Auburn defensive unit would rank Auburn near the bottom of the teams he has taken over in the past.

Think again. 

"As a complete roster and depth chart there are more really good, solid SEC players on this defensive unit than were at either one of those two places (Mississippi State and South Carolina) I was at, especially the first year," Johnson told Brandon Marcello of al.com. 

That statement says a lot about Johnson's confidence in the strides his defensive unit made during spring. It also signals that the Auburn defense could be one of the most improved units in the SEC next fall. 

That's right, a year after ranking nearly dead last in every major defensive category in 2012, Auburn's D could climb back up to the top half of the conference in those categories. 

In his most recent stint as defensive coordinator in the SEC, Johnson was at South Carolina from 2008 until 2011. In his first year, the Gamecock defense jumped from ninth in the SEC in 2007 to fourth in 2008 in total defense. 

Before South Carolina, Johnson was at Mississippi State from 2004 through 2007. In 2003 the Bulldogs ranked last in the SEC in total defense. After a year under Johnson, the Bulldogs jumped up four spots to eighth in total defense. 

Auburn ranked 13th in total defense in 2012. If Johnson's history repeats itself, the Tigers could jump up four or five spots in 2013. That would be a drastic improvement.

Talent isn't the only ingredient for a quick turnaround in Auburn's corner. The Tigers have experience on their side as well. 

Unless a freshman comes in the fall and steps up on the defensive side of the ball (I'm looking at you, Montravius Adams), expect Auburn's post-spring depth chart to look very similar to what it does now. If it does, the defensive line and secondary will likely be among the most experienced groups in the SEC. 

Johnson's unique 4-2-5 defensive scheme puts Auburn players where they seem to be a more natural fit.

Justin Garrett was always considered a "tweener." Not big enough to play linebacker but not quite fast enough to play in the secondary. He had arguably the best spring of any Auburn player and thrived at the new hybrid LB/safety position called the  "star" in Johnson's defense.

Another example is Joshua Holsey. A safety in high school, he was moved to CB under former defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. After just a few practices at the boundary safety in Johnson's defense this spring, Holsey locked up the starting safety spot. 

It is also important to note that Johnson has experience running a defense under an offensive-oriented head coach like Auburn's head coach Gus Malzahn. Johnson worked under Steve Spurrier at South Carolina. When the Gamecocks ranked No. 3 in the country in total defense in Johnson's final year at South Carolina, the Gamecock offense was one of the top five offensive teams in the SEC.

The talent, experience and players' natural fit in the defensive scheme give Johnson the ability to focus on an important deficiency that seeped into the Auburn defense under former head coach Gene Chizik—tackling. It was a big issue of concern for Johnson during spring. 

"The most disappointing and concerning thing right now is just our tackling," Johnson said after a few full-contact practices this spring (via Joel Erickson, al.com).

Although tackling is among the most important issues for a defense, it's also an issue that can be fixed within a year. Talent, experience and fit cannot be.

Much of the last four years have been hard to watch on the defensive side of the ball, but the ingredients are there for a quick turnaround for the Auburn defense in 2013. 

According to Johnson, significant improvement can be made. "We can be a very solid unit next year," Johnson said on Monday. 

After being a dreadful unit in 2012, Auburn fans would gladly take anything close to a "solid defensive unit" in 2013. 

Follow @TrueBlueAU

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Some recruits choose to go through their recruitment quickly and make early decisions. Others choose to take the process slow, and their decisions last to the 11th hour.

This year, recruits like Da'Shawn Hand, Trevion Thompson, Damian Prince and Lorenzo Carter will probably hold off until the end in regards to their decisions. Although recruits can pull the trigger on a decision at anytime, the following players will more than likely have us waiting until the last minute.

Here some top 2014 recruits whose decisions will come down to the wire. 

Player evaluations are based on review of tape at Scout.com, Rivals, 247Sports & ESPNU.

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For the longest time, the Big Ten has been known for physical defensive play and running between the tackles on offense. Often considered the boring conference, the Big Ten sticks to its roots of pounding the football up the middle and playing that sluggish style that grinds out victories.

With this being the case, you would think the Big Ten would have a ton of success producing at the next level. Truthfully, there aren't many great runners who have produced at a high level in the NFL. This may have to do with the wear and tear they suffer in college, or just the lack of great speed that is needed to play with the big boys.

Here are the handful of NFL runners who have made the Big Ten proud.

Note: Runners such as Franco Harris, Ahman Green, Roger Craig, Lydell Mitchell and Curt Warner were not included in this article due to not being officially part of the Big Ten. Penn State was independent at the time and Nebraska was still part of the Big 8 and Big 12.

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Get used to seeing the name of 2015 recruit Hjalte Froholdt if you're a fan of Michigan or Ohio State football recruiting. The rising junior from Warren Harding High School in Warren, Ohio has picked up some major momentum—and offers from both schools.

Froholdt is a foreign exchange student from Denmark, but he made his mark as a talented high school defensive end, tight end and punter at Warren Harding. He's been so good, in fact, that he's received offers from some of the biggest schools in the region. 

Brad Bournival of ESPN.com reports that the Froholdt received his latest offer from the Buckeyes after a trip to Ohio State. He also reports that he already has offers from the likes of Arkansas, Cincinnati, Louisville, Michigan and Michigan State, with visits to Arkansas and Michigan coming up as well.

The WolverineNation Twitter account confirms that Froholdt will be in Ann Arbor this weekend:

Where's all of the hype coming from, you ask?

Froholdt's coach Steve Arnold explains, per Bournival's report:

“When he arrived last August, he was 6'4", 240, and now he's 6'5", 280,” Arnold said. “He's made the transition very well. The sky is the limit for this young man. 

“He'll still be tight end, defensive end and punter for me, but the offensive tackle or three-technique defensive tackle has been the consensus for him in college. He's flexible, athletic and strong. He has a high football IQ. For a kid playing 7-on-7 in Denmark to go to 11-on-11 so smoothly, it shows he's pretty special. He's fit right in socially, academically and athletically.” 

247Sports has Froholdt listed as 6'5'' and 265 pounds, but either way, he still has great size for a recruit who has yet to play his junior year of high school.

Evaluating him as an offensive or defensive tackle, it's easy to see the potential. He already has a big frame and he looks to have the strength to push back the line of scrimmage. That strength and size should only improve with time.

He does a good job of quickly exploding out of his stance and "punching" the player across from him in the chest plate, and he can extend, lock up, force the angle and drive.

Froholdt plays with leverage and he has a decent amount of speed. That will help him as a pass-rusher, or as an offensive tackle getting to the second level to block a linebacker.

Michigan and Ohio State are two of the biggest names to have offered the 2015 recruit, but keep an eye on his recruitment in general. Recruiting is as much about momentum as anything else, and right now Froholdt is riding quite the wave of positive hype.

There's still an incredible amount of time before Froholdt will have to send in a fax and officially sign with a program, but we've seen early offers give schools advantages before.

Keep these early offers from Ohio State and Michigan in mind once signing day 2015 rolls around.

 

Note: You can watch Froholdt's highlights here. All scouting and analysis of Froholdt done via the aforementioned  highlights, which can be found on his 247Sports profile page.

 

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

When you win the Heisman as a freshman, there isn’t much more to achieve at the collegiate level. Johnny Manziel isn’t satisfied, however, and he is in California training with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr.

Recent photos of the workout were pointed out by Graham Watson with Yahoo! Sports. Just when you thought the beach was only good for vacations, Whitfield Jr. and Manziel show that the waves are also good for training elite quarterbacks.

The resistance of the waves is tough to stand up against and this must be a drill designed to keep Manziel on his feet while pressure is closing in.

You can see from the intensity that Whitfield Jr. is expressing that this is a high-energy drill.

Later in the day, the coach posted a photo on his Twitter account showing ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit stopping by for a visit.

Incredible beach workout this AM with @jmanziel2 with a visit from 'The Voice of College Football' @kirkherbstreit twitter.com/georgewhitfiel…

— George Whitfield Jr. (@georgewhitfield) May 16, 2013

Expect an early-season feature on the Heisman winner’s training program this fall.

Whitfield has worked with a number of top quarterbacks in the past, with Manziel becoming the latest to gain insight from his training academy in San Diego, Ca.

Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck are among the notable alumni.

Manziel first worked with Whitfield before the 2012 season, leading to his Heisman Trophy run. Returning to the coast to study at the Whitfield Athletix complex simply makes sense.

For all the offseason distractions that seemed to follow Manziel this summer, he appears to be taking his game seriously after a strong spring game and workouts in the waves.

A second run at the Heisman looks to be in the cards for Manziel this fall. 

 

Follow @ShugJordanPkwy

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Pac-12 teams should start paying more attention to UCLA's scheduling philosophy. It may improve the league's image. 

UCLA has played Tennessee, Kansas State and Texas twice in the past five years. This year the Bruins will play at Nebraska as part of its non-conference schedule.

That's a tough stretch for a football program trying to reverse a decade of underachievement. But scheduling high-profile teams in well-respected conferences has helped UCLA build a pipeline to high schools in states with fertile recruiting grounds.

The Bruins class of 2013 includes three Texas products: 4-star receiver Eldridge Massington (Mesquite), 4-star linebacker Deon Hollins (Missouri City) and 4-star guard Caleb Benenoch (Katy). 

UCLA has signed Texas prospects before but 2013's class elevated its pull in the state. 2012's class had two 3-star prospects; 2011's had one 3-star. The Bruins class of 2010 had none. 

Super-recruiters Adrian Klemm and Demetrice Martin have undoubtedly made a huge impact on UCLA's imprint in Texas and Florida. But it is not just the recruiting factor that has given rise to UCLA's resurgence in college football.

It is the respect factor.

The Bruins' non-conference scheduling practices are a loud, in-your-face statement. They're not afraid to play anyone. And they don't cherry-pick an elite conference's teams.  

Tennessee football has recently fallen on hard times. But when the Bruins first played the Volunteers in 2008 as part of a home-and-home series, Tennessee was the defending 2007 SEC East champion. It is a well-respected program with excellent credentials.

USC had also scheduled SEC teams but that has stopped. USC played Auburn in 2002 and 2003 and Arkansas in 2005 and 2006. The Trojans went 4-0 against the SEC and both Arkansas contests resulted in routs. 

Why has USC stopped scheduling SEC teams? Maybe the SEC wants no part of USC and is content to schedule Washington and Washington State.

But USC has instead resorted to scheduling Virginia, Boston College, Syracuse and Minnesota. The Trojans' home-and-home series with Ohio State was the lone exception to an otherwise boring five-year, non-conference slate of BCS teams.

Pollsters aren't impressed with a 17-14 win over Virginia. Neither are the fans.

USC does have its annual game with Notre Dame and that does bode well for both teams. But if USC and its conference brethren continue to schedule non-compelling games just for the sake of claiming they are scheduling BCS teams, they won't have much of an audience.

Transparency is key.

We recognize that teams schedule FCS teams to have a very winnable game on their schedule. We also recognize that teams scheduling elite BCS teams are making a statement: Bring it. 

If the Pac-12 wants more respect, it needs to schedule more SEC and Big 12 opponents associated with winning traditions. Scheduling teams that are trending up, like Baylor, Mississippi State, Texas A&M or TCU would be excellent alternatives.

The league's teams also need to schedule FCS opponents because the College Football Playoff is coming.

Nine Pac-12 teams played FCS teams last season. USC, UCLA and Stanford did not. If Stanford had scheduled an FCS team instead of Notre Dame, the Cardinal most likely would have had a 11-1 regular-season record instead of 10-2.

Would Stanford have jumped Alabama in the BCS poll and gone on to play Notre Dame in the title game? Probably not. But if the College Football Playoff had been in the picture last year, Stanford's loss to Notre Dame would probably have made it difficult for it to get into the semi-finals. 

Likewise, how much an impact did Oregon's non-conference schedule have on its strength of schedule rating? Oregon played Arkansas State, Fresno State and Tennessee Tech in the first three weeks of the 2012 season. Oregon's final SOS was ranked No. 38 by Sagarin. Oregon's SOS was the lowest of the Top 10 teams—Georgia's No. 27 ranking was the next lowest.  

The ACC, SEC and Big Ten still play four non-conference games a year—last year the Big East played five. The Pac-12 either needs to follow suit and reduce its current nine conference-game schedule to eight, or every team needs to add an FCS school to even things out.

There are some outstanding non-conference games in the Pac-12: Oregon vs Tennessee, UCLA vs Nebraska, Cal vs Ohio State, Stanford vs Notre Dame, Washington State vs Auburn, Arizona State vs Wisconsin, Arizona State vs Notre Dame and USC vs Notre Dame.

But Arizona plays Northern Arizona, UNLV and UTSA. Washington plays Boise State, Illinois and Idaho State. Colorado plays Colorado State, Central Arkansas and Fresno State. Oregon State plays Eastern Washington, Hawai'i and San Diego State. Utah plays Utah State, Weber State and BYU.

Excited for those slates?

If a team's non-conference schedule doesn't have the potential to bolster its standing or credibility among its peers, it can not cry about its entire strength of schedule. At least 25 percent of its schedule comes from its athletic department's own doing.

UCLA is doing it right. And it is paying off handsomely. 

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

Pac -12 teams should start paying more attention to UCLA's scheduling philosophy. It may improve the league's image. UCLA has played Tennessee, Kansas State and Texas twice in the past five years...

Read the full article on Bleacher Report...

Though their paths have only crossed twice, Florida State and South Florida have created drama on the football field. And that drama might help make FSU eligible for the upcoming four-team College Football Playoff.

The first time the teams met in 2009, the Bulls upset the Seminoles at Doak Campbell Stadium 17-7. It would help start a tailspin of a season that ended with Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden pushed out of FSU.

While the last encounter in 2012 didn’t result in a dramatic upset, current FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher and a Seminole football team with national title aspirations got exposure to high school recruits in the Tampa Bay area.

Sure, Tampa isn’t Miami when it comes to getting exposure to recruits, but FSU can use all the help it can get on the recruiting trail with SEC dynamos Alabama, Florida and Georgia in Tallahassee’s backyard.

Therefore, it’s no surprise the schools decided to give it another whirl.

According to Andrea Adelson of ESPN, FSU and USF will play each other again in 2015 and 2016. FSU will host the Bulls in 2015, while visiting Tampa again in 2016. Despite the possible pratfalls of losing to a team that won’t be in a top-five conference, scheduling the Bulls shows that Florida State is taking the rules of the upcoming College Football Playoff seriously. Simply put, the mantra is play tougher teams.

Florida State’s needed the schedule upgrade: Playing out-of-conference cupcakes Charleston Southern, Samford and Idaho won’t help when Jimbo Fisher’s team plays in a watered-down ACC. By
the time Louisville, the only successful football team, comes to the ACC, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater might be playing in the NFL.

Miami is still in controversy over sanctions that could continue to hamper its program, while conference power Virginia Tech barely made a bowl game last year. And everyone knows the Carolina schools focus more on basketball, anyway.

Playing the Bulls provides a perfect competitive balance for the Seminoles, who don’t have many competitive out-of-conference games from 2014 until 2019, when they will start a home-and-home series against the Boise State Broncos. They shouldn’t pose too much of a problem in Tallahassee, and the Seminoles have a marquee road game for 2016. Playing USF can open the Tampa pipeline to Jimbo Fisher and Co.

And even if USF’s football struggles continue, the Seminoles can at least say to the playoff committee that they didn’t schedule Doughnuts University.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

With the 2013 NFL draft behind us, it’s natural to take a forward look to what the 2014 draft class should have to offer. There are 11 players that could jump to the league now, but luckily college football fans have them for one more year.

Jadeveon Clowney is easily the headliner, but others like Sammy Watkins and Taylor Lewan make the cut.

Here is a look at the best in college heading into the 2013 season. 

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David Cornwell, 5-star quarterback recruit, projects to be an elite signal-caller at the college level, so naturally, Alabama is high on his interest list.

In fact, the case could be made that the Crimson Tide should be considered the favorite to land the 6'5'', 230-pound quarterback from Norman, Okla. 

Bob Przybylo of ESPN.com reports that Cornwell is ready to make his commitment sooner rather than later, looking to make a decision sometime in early June. He also reports that while Cornwell hasn't named an official leaderboard, it would seem as if Alabama is in good standing with the big quarterback:

It has felt like the Crimson Tide are the favorite for Cornwell. He wouldn’t list his top schools, but has made multiple trips to Tuscaloosa in the last few months. 

Cornwell does have an offer from Alabama, but he has to attend a team camp in June and have that offer approved by Nick Saban before it becomes a committable offer, according to Przybylo's report. That's not something that bothers Cornwell though, and he is planning on attending said camp, per Pryzbylo:

“They can do that,” Cornwell said. “They have that right. They’ve won three out of the last four national championships. They have elite guys. Coach Saban and Coach [Doug] Nussmeier are the best around. 

“You have the option. You don’t have to play by their rules. You can look around or commit to another school. I don’t mind the challenge. I’m going to be there.” 

As far as attitude is concerned, Cornwell's mindset seems to be right for the Crimson Tide. The same could be said for his talent too.

He has the size that will make him hard to take down even at the SEC level, and it allows him to stand tall in the pocket, observe the field and make huge throws. He has an extremely strong arm, a fundamental throwing motion and he can fit the ball into tight windows on a line.

Cornwell throws a pretty deep ball as well, and he knows when to take something off of his pass and throw for touch.

While he's not a dual-threat by any means, he still possesses enough athleticism to evade rushers in the pocket and get upfield quickly as a runner. He can also move laterally and throw off-balance and on the run.

He can do all of this at 6'5'', 235 pounds mind you, and one can only imagine what he'd be capable of in Alabama's offense—with powerful runners behind him, a huge offensive line in front of him and playmakers on the edges. 

That said, Alabama, Auburn, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and UCLA are all behind Alabama on Cornwell's 247Sports interest list, and he does have a good connection with Frank Beamer and VT, per Przybylo:

But a school that was among the first to offer was Virginia Tech. Cornwell said he has developed a strong bond with Frank Beamer’s staff, but he has yet to see the campus. 

“I need to get out there and see the campus,” Cornwell said. “I’ve heard a lot of good things. I’m confident they’re going to turn things around this season and go to another major bowl game.” 

Still, all 15 experts on Cornwell's 247Sports Crystal Ball have predicted Alabama, and it's hard not to see the potential Cornwell would have as a quarterback for the Crimson Tide.

Perhaps Cornwell won't admit it, but it sure seems like Alabama is the favorite for his commitment. At the very least, it would be safe to call him a Crimson Tide lean.

Whatever you want to consider, just know that 'Bama is in the running for yet another elite commitment.

 

Note: All scouting and analysis of Cornwell done via tape study of the videos provided on his 247Sports profile page.

Read more College Football news on BleacherReport.com

The Pac-12 may have recently picked up a reputation for explosive offenses and tons of touchdowns, but this conference has always had successful quarterbacks. Whether you want to look at the Pac-12, Pac-10 or Pac-8 days, you will be able to find guys who could throw the football with the best of them.

Records have been broken numerous times, and this conference has produced many Heisman winners. Some of these guys have also been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. There are plenty of quarterbacks in this conference who paved the way for players today, and most of them will never be forgotten.

Here are the top 10 Pac-12 quarterbacks of all time.

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The Pac -12 may have recently picked up a reputation for explosive offenses and tons of touchdowns, but this conference has always had successful quarterbacks...

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The recruiting trail becomes more challenging and important each cycle. Washington must take the next step and increase its current class or fall back to square one under Steve Sarkisian.

Steve Spurrier has to be somewhat concerned with his low totals so far. If he wants to continue competing for SEC East titles for years to come, the Ol' Ball Coach and his staff need to get going on the trail.

The Virginia schools also must step up, as Mike London and Frank Beamer may not see this much exceptional in-state talent again during their tenures. There are several other teams on this list who also must step up on the 2014 recruiting trail; come inside and see who they are!

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The Big Ten college football conference schedule has been announced for the 2014 season (Click here to see the schedule).

We may still have an entire 2013 schedule to play before we can even think about what happens a year from now, but the new schedule is interesting. There are two new teams (Rutgers and Maryland), new divisions and new matchups that make it completely different from your ordinary schedule release.

Without knowing about any coaching changes, new players or what will happen from now until then, let's take a shot in the dark.

Here are the very early most anticipated 2014 Big Ten football matchups. 

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Penn State still has one schedule hole to plug in 2014 and the new Big Ten schedule for next year may not allow for much to work with.

Penn State will open the 2014 season at Rutgers, a new division and conference rival. This will be the debut game in the conference for Rutgers and will be under the spotlight as the only Big Ten game scheduled that week.

It will also be the first time Penn State has played on the Rutgers campus since 1955. Since then, Penn State has been the road team in six games but all were played in the old Giants Stadium. The road game at Rutgers will be Penn State's third of the season, with the first two games of the year being played at home in Beaver Stadium against Temple and Akron.

After the road conference tilt, Penn State returns home for the next two weeks against Massachusetts and then another Big Ten game, against Northwestern.

After five straight games to open the season, Penn State will get their first open date before traveling to Ann Arbor, Michigan to face the Michigan Wolverines. As the schedule currently is lined up, Penn State has an open week before and after their game at Michigan.

It is likely Penn State will attempt to fill one of those two weeks with an opponent to round out a 12-game schedule. After the second open week on the schedule, Penn State hosts Ohio State. The third and final open date on Penn State's schedule comes in the middle of November before ending the year with two games, at Illinois and home against Michigan State.

So what are Penn State's scheduling options for finding a 12th opponent, and what schools will be available at those points in the season to play a 12th game? This is where things begin to get sticky, as this is typically the time of year when conference schedules are in full bloom and non-conference match-ups are generally reserved for those rivalry games.

Penn State does not have any such rivalry game to count on here so what Penn State can do might be limiting in appeal to most fans.

Fortunately, there is time to sort through this situation. Other conferences still have not set their 2014 conference schedules in stone yet, so Penn State has time to negotiate a game (or a home-and-home) with some attractive options from conferences such as the ACC, Pac 12, Big 12 or SEC.

Getting a Pac 12 program to fly east in the middle of the season may be far-fetched, which leaves a game against an ACC opponent the most likely scenario if considering only options from the top conferences. Syracuse? Boston College? Virginia?

Penn State and Virginia had a game scheduled originally for the 2013 season but agreed to postpone that meeting to another date, if not cancel it altogether. The problem here is that Virginia already has a full 2014 non-conference slate lined up.

Another solution could be to revisit the idea of playing Central Florida in Ireland in 2014. While the most conventional thought had the two schools playing across the Atlantic Ocean to start an upcoming season, there could be a way to tack it on to the end of the regular season schedule, if approved by the Big Ten, American and NCAA.

Penn State will be ineligible for postseason play, and thus will not be eligible to play in the Big Ten championship game. Central Florida will not have a conference championship game scenario as the American will not have a championship game in 2014.

This would hypothetically allow each team to schedule a game for what is typically championship weekend in college football. But how many fans will pack their bags to head to Ireland in late November or early December?

Penn State will eventually figure out who their 12th opponent in 2014 will be. The school already has seven home games lined up so the flexibility is out there for a potential neutral site or road game if it really comes down to crunch time, but expect Penn State to bring in a team for an eighth home game if possible. The options may not be the most appealing under those situations, but it makes the most sense.

And cents.

Kevin McGuire is the host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast and managing editor of Nittany Lions Den. Follow McGuire on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.

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Recruiting busts always snag the headlines and infuriate the fanbase. Though it is the unexpected booms that should get the attention, and the Texas Longhorns will have their fair share of them from their 2013 class.

As much as we all love recruiting, it is quite frankly, a terrible indicator of future success. According to Saturday Down South, Dee Milliner was the only top-10 NFL Draft pick who was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school. Or just look at Texas' fifth-ranked 2009 class, from which only four players have been consistent contributors.

The point is that a low recruiting ranking is not a death sentence. If a player has the right combination of motivation, physical tools and proper coaching, he can make a 5-star recruit look pretty silly on the field of play. 

That is exactly what these 2013 recruits are going to do when they get their chance for the Texas Longhorns. 

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Every Thursday on The SEC Blog, we will feature questions from the Bleacher Report inbox, Twitter and email at bsallee@bleacherreport.com. Q and A was pushed back to Friday this week due to NFL draft and BCS meetings coverage.

You have SEC questions, and I have SEC answers. Thank you, everybody for your questions this week. If I didn't get to them, they will be saved and used in the future.

And we're off:

 

@barrettsallee Could you put the current SEC teams into tiers? Contenders...competitive...doormats.

— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) May 16, 2013

If you ask Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, he'd probably say it's Alabama and everybody else. That's not true though. Here's how I'd rank them right now.

Contenders: Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Georgia, South Carolina

I mentioned these five teams in my column from earlier this week on championship-worthy SEC teams not named Alabama.

All five of those teams either answered their most-pressing needs this spring, or don't have many holes to fill to begin with. The SEC has cannibalized itself over the last two years, only to find the luck around the country to get Alabama to the BCS National Championship Game.

These five teams all are elite, and would be in my preseason top 15 if we were forced to vote today.

Competitive: Florida, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee

In the column linked above on championship-worthy teams, Florida brought up the rear. That was on purpose. Florida has elite talent and can certainly contend for the division, conference and national titles, but didn't solve its biggest issue this spring. 

I want to buy the Gators, but until they develop some sort of downfield passing game, I'm hesitant to put them back in the BCS National Championship picture right now. Once they hit the field though, it won't take long to change that.

Ole Miss and Vanderbilt will be in every ball game, and if they catch a break or two, could jump up a category and seriously contend. But a talent gap exists between those two programs and the top-tier teams. Because of that, I expect some inconsistency.

Mississippi State is destined for, at best, a lower-tier bowl but will be a tough out. Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas are all going to be improved (because, let's be honest, getting worse would be quite a feat); with Auburn being the most likely of the three to find immediate success under a first year head coach due to the talent on the roster and the fact that Tennessee and Arkansas both have brutal schedules.

Doormats: Kentucky, Missouri

I like where Kentucky is headed with Mark Stoops, but the talent just isn't there...yet. Kentucky was bad last season, but injuries played a big part in the inconsistency. Stoops was wise to bring in Neal Brown to run his air-raid offense and the return of Avery Williamson at linebacker and a stout defensive line will help the defense, but it's more than just a one-year rebuilding process.

Missouri had a hard time adjusting to life in the SEC, and that trend will continue in 2013. Head coach Gary Pinkel says that James Franklin is his leader at quarterback (via: CollegeFootballTalk.com), but new offensive coordinator Josh Henson says that he wants his quarterback to take fewer hits (via: Terez Paylor).

So a dual-threat quarterback is not going to use one of his threats? It could be a long year in Columbia for Pinkel.

 

@barrettsallee Georgia's defense is young and inexperienced. Won't that be their downfall this year?

— Brody (@BrodyFLA15) May 9, 2013

No. In fact, I think it's going to be one of Georgia's primary strengths in 2013 and will be a big reason why Georgia will contend for the BCS National Championship.

Don't be fooled by Georgia's lack of star power on the defensive side of the ball. Outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins played very well (31 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks) as a part-time starter last season. Can he be Jarvis Jones? Of course not, but he plays downhill and can certainly fix Georgia's issue of stopping the run.

At the back end of the secondary, Damian Swann played well at cornerback—especially late last season. Plus, safeties Josh Harvey-Clemons and Tray Matthews could be All-SEC players this season. They're that good.

Georgia's defense is going to be legit. If the Bulldogs have a downfall, it's that those new pieces are going to be tested early. Games at Clemson, vs. South Carolina and vs. LSU before Oct. 1 is a far more serious issue than the defense.

 

@barrettsallee What are some of the true freshman in the SEC you see making a huge impact on their respective teams?

— Look at Steele (@thisisdecaf490) May 7, 2013

As evidenced by the above response, I really like Matthews. He enrolled early and participated in spring practice in Athens, which will be a major benefit for him and the team. I'd be shocked if he wasn't the starter in Week 1.

Alabama running back Derrick Henry also enrolled early, but missed the back end of spring practice with a broken leg. The 6'3" and 238-pounder is going to be a superstar down the road once T.J. Yeldon leaves. But for the time being, he'll have to settle for being the best goal-line and short-yardage back in the SEC.

Then, of course, there's Robert Nkemdiche. The No. 1 overall prospect will immediately be part of a defensive end rotation with C.J. Johnson and Channing Ward, Carlos Thompson and Cameron Whigham. In passing situations, Ward may even drop down and play tackle which would create matchup nightmares for opposing offensive lines.

Other true freshmen that could make a huge impact are: Alabama WR Robert Foster, Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III, Auburn QB Jeremy Johnson, Auburn DE Carl Lawson, Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi State DE Chris Jones and Texas A&M WR Ricky Seals-Jones

 

Do you have a question for next week's Q&A? Send it to SEC lead writer Barrett Sallee via the B/R inbox, on Twitter @BarrettSallee or at bsallee@bleacherreport.com.

 

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