Race to the Finish: National Signing Day

With National Signing Day quickly approaching, college football fans are eager to see which schools emerge victorious in the recruiting war. Sure the usual suspects are there, Florida, Notre Dame, Alabama, Ohio St., USC, but there a few other schools in this year's race that are worth keeping an eye on.

Texas A & M found a new home in the SEC and a new star in Johhny Football. With the spotlight shining bright on their program the Aggies have used that to their advantage on the recruiting trail. Last year their recruiting class ranked 15th, but they will finish with a top ten class this year, thanks in part to verbal commitments from receivers Ricky Seals-Jones, Derrick Griffin and Sebastian LaRue, who are obviously excited at the prospect of catching passes from Johnny Manziel. And yes, the Aggies may have the Heisman trophy winner running their offense, but their newest QB addition isn't too shabby either. Joining the team this year is Southlake Carroll QB and AP Texas high school football player of the year, Kenny Hill. The Dragons finished 39th in our inaugural iBN 50 and Hill is one of the reasons why. 

Next up UCLA. That's right Bruin fans, Coach Mora and his staff have been hot on the recruiting trail and it's paying off. Just this week two of the nation's top ten safeties, Priest Willis (Marcos De Niza, AZ) and Tahaan Goodman (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) verbally committed to UCLA. Plus the Bruins are making a push for the nation's #1 dual threat QB, Asiantii Woulard out of Winter Park, FL. Woulard was the ESPN Elite 11 MVP. UCLA is picking up steam at the right time and is poised to give their cross town rival a run for their money in the recruiting battle.

Finally don't sleep on Ole Miss. Coach Hugh Freeze and staff are rounding out their first full recruiting cycle and the results are impressive to say the least. They scored verbal commitments from DE Elijah Daniel, dual threat QB Devante Kincade and the nation's top wide receiver, Laquon Treadwell. But the cherry on top could come from landing the number one prospect in the nation, DE Robert Nkemdiche, which is a very real possibility. The Rebels could very easily go from the 40th best recruiting class last year to a top ten recruiting class this year!

Of course anything came happen as we continue to count down to signing day. Make sure to keep checking out the iBN Sports Network YouTube page as we continue to post highlights from the nation's top recruits. It's been fun covering the best of the best in high school football, can't wait to see what they do at the next level!

The Future Looks Bright for Florida State

53,818 fans filled Doak Campbell Stadium to watch Florida State take on... themselves! The Seminole faithful gathered to watch the annual Garnet and Gold game, the culmination of spring practice. Garnet barely edged out Gold 19-17.

Florida State enters the 2011 season with high expectations and rightfully so. Following a 10 win season which included winning the ACC's Atlantic Division and the Chick-fil-A Bowl (where they beat Head Ball Coach and South Carolina), Coach Jimbo Fisher went out and scored the nation's number one recruiting class, plus his team returns 18 starters. Sounds like a recipe for success.

Leading the charge is new starting quarterback EJ Manuel. Fortunately Manuel was able to complete the full spring practice session, something he hasn't done before. In the spring game he was 17 for 36 with 204 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Fisher said he learned more watching Manuel bounce back from mistakes than if his quarterback would have had a perfect game. This could be a breakout year for the the Virginia Beach native.

Manuel's targets include returning receivers Rodney Smith, Taiwan Easterling, Bert Reed and Willie Haulstead. One thing the Seminoles need is a big play receiver. Hoping to fill that void is Kelvin Benjamin. The 6'6" 210 pound freshman out of Glades Central (FL) has explosive speed and may be the deep threat Florida State is looking for.

Another freshman hoping to have an immediate impact is Nick O'Leary, the nation's top tight end prospect. O'Leary, grandson of golf legend Jack Nicklaus, has strong hands, plus his on field versatility is attractive. Look for him to challenge for the starting position.

When it comes to the rushing attack the Seminoles have plenty of weapons in their arsenal. Returning upperclassmen include running backs Chris Thompson, Jermaine Thomas and Ty Jones, who together combined for nearly 2,000 yards last season, along with productive fullback Lonnie Pryor. Freshman James Wilder Jr. and Devonta Freeman add to an already deep running back corp.

The defense had a solid 2010 season and will continue to build on that foundation. Greg Reid, who picked up right where he left off last season snagging a pick six in the spring game, along with 2010 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year Xavier Rhodes, team sack leader Brandon Jenkins and leading tackler Nigel Bradham will spearhead the defense.

The defensive line added depth and should be fun to watch. One player to keep an eye on is junior college transfer and phenomenal athlete Tank Carradine. Look for him to compete for the starting defensive end position opposite Brandon Jenkins.

Coach Fisher has assembled all the pieces necessary to compete for the BCS National Championship. He returns 18 starters (though replacing four year starting center Ryan McMahon will be key), added top notch depth and has invigorated new life into Florida State football. Now it is up to his players to make it happen on the field.

Florida State Football: High Expectations for the 2011 Seminoles

On the football field replacing a three year starter is a daunting task and if that starter happens to be your quarterback, well that can be difficult. Now if you're Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher that task becomes a little easier with EJ Manuel leading the team.

For the last three years the Seminoles were mainly Christian Ponder's team, but Manuel was always ready when his number was called. It's not often the backup quarterback is the most valuable player in a bowl game, an honor bestowed on Manuel in the 2009 Gator Bowl, plus he led the team to victory over South Carolina in the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Manuel, a Virginia Beach, VA native, is 4-2 as a starter. Last season he completed 70 percent of his passes, racked up 861 yards, including four touchdowns and four interceptions. That experience will come in handy as Florida State enters this season with high expectations. They scored the nation's number one recruiting class plus return 18 starters. Needless to say Coach Fisher has the makings of a dominate football team.

The 6-foot-5, 230 pound Manuel began spring practice this week, a huge accomplishment considering he's never completed the full session of spring practice. A healthy Manuel helps with team chemistry and allows the coaching staff more time to really work with him.

Fisher is already impressed with Manuel, saying "He's driven... holds himself to a higher standard, that's why I love him and his teammates respect him. He's got presence. He gives you a feeling that when he gets the ball everything is going to be OK."

The Seminoles will rely on that presence come fall, especially when they face Oklahoma on September 17 in Tallahassee and then turn around to face Clemson in Death Valley. Later in the season they face rivals Miami and Florida.

Luckily Manuel will have help from his supporting cast, including running back Chris Thompson and cornerback Greg Reid, last year's Chick-fil-A Bowl offensive and defensive MVP's, along with last year's ACC defensive rookie of the year Xavier Rhodes and team sack leader defensive end Brandon Jenkins.

Throughout 2010 we watched Coach Fisher step out of Bobby Bowden's shadow and begin laying a new foundation. In the upcoming season he will undoubtedly expect more from his players. He's assembled a National Championship caliber team and has made it clear if the ball is in Manuel's hands he believes everything will be OK. I'm sure the Seminoles fans are counting on that.

College football violations: Is the Price of Winning Costing the Game?

Bruce Pearl, Reggie Bush, Cam Newton, Terrelle Pryor, all names involved with NCAA scandals. College athletic violations infiltrate the news on a regular basis. The most recent involving the man who made the sweater vest cool again, Ohio State head football Coach Jim Tressel. Tressel is the latest in a long line of violators, whether it be coaches or student-athletes.

Allegedly Tressel had knowledge of player violations and didn't disclose the information (in his news conference he didn't admit to any specifics). Then there's the issue of allowing the players in question to participate in this year's Sugar Bowl. Some felt the player's suspension should include the bowl game. Pryor and the others participated anyway and the Buckeyes finally recorded their first bowl win over an SEC opponent.

So here's the question, is it too hard to do the right thing? Contrary to popular belief it is not impossible. Take for instance BYU basketball player Brandon Davies, a young man who wasn't violating NCAA rules, but his own school honor code. It appears he turned himself in, with his school THIS close to a potential #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

He didn't wait for the news to break on Facebook, Twitter, or other media outlets, and we never saw him shirking responsibility. Instead he sat on the bench, supported the team and cut down the nets while in street clothes. Whether you agree with the BYU honor code or not, you have to admit that the school is not hypocritical, they practice what they preach regardless of the accolades on the line.

Even the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant chose integrity over potential victory when he benched superstar Joe Namath for the final two games of 1963. It wasn't a popular decision at the time, but Namath broke the rules.

Bryant showed more interest in teaching this young man character than in winning. He said, "I believe if you have rules, you abide by them. You can't make exceptions,"(Barra, 2005). Later, after admitting he deserved the consequences handed to him, Namath praised Bryant in saying he was "not only the smartest coach I ever knew, but the man who taught me the meaning of integrity."

Today's coaches and players would be wise to take a page out of Bryant's playbook.

Barra, A. (2005). The last coach: A life of Paul "Bear" Bryant. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.