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Washington takes two top recruits from California shortly after swiping defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi.
Washington football recruiting has seen a major resurgence of late thanks to some key coaching hires by head coach Steve Sarkisian. The Huskies took defensive line coach and ace recruiter Tosh Lupoi away from Cal, and brought Justin Wilcox and Peter Sirmon over from the Tennssee Volunteers. Those moves paid immediate dividends, as the Huskies added five new commitments in the last week.
Among those new commitments are elite safety recruit Shaq Thompson, who was formerly committed to Cal, receiver Jordan Payton, also formerly of Cal, and receiver Jaydon Mickens, who was committed to USC for a time.
On signing day, Washington is looking to sign cornerback Brandon Beaver and defensive tackle Pio Vatuvei.
Husky fans will also be looking to see whether quarterback commitment Cyler Miles wavers. It's unlikely, but UW fans will not rest easy until the fax is in.
For more on Washington football recruiting, check out UW Dawg Pound. And For more on Washington recruiting, see SB Nation Seattle's excellent story stream.
Jaydon Mickens, a top recruit out of Los Angeles (Calif.) Dorsey, has committed to the Washington Huskies. Dorsey is listed as an athlete by most recruiting services, but is being recruited as a receiver. Mickens also held offers from Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Cal and UCLA. He visited Washington and Oklahoma State, ultimately narrowing his choices to the two.
Mickens stands 5'8" and weighs in at 170 pounds. Yet he is rated by most services as a four-star recruit. The reason? Athleticism and speed. Mickens has the ability to make people miss in space. Washington will need to get Mickens the ball in open space, as he's not likely to win any jump balls at his size.
Mickens would seem to work well in a spread, which Washington does not run. But the Huskies do run multiple-receiver sets quite often, and Steve Sarkisian's offenses have never been shy about throwing to short guys who make things happen in space (see: Bush, Reggie).
For more on Washington recruiting, see SB Nation Seattle's excellent story stream.
Jordan Payton, a top receiver recruit, has committed to Washington and decommitted from the Cal Bears. Payton stars for Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.). He holds offers from California, USC, Michigan, Washington and Notre Dame. Payton had committed to Cal during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Previous to that, Payton had been committed to USC for some time.
At 6'2" and 200 pounds, Payton has excellent size for the receiver position. He is rated four stars by most major services, and is widely regarded as one of the top-20 receivers in the country.
It's easy to see why Payton is highly sought after. His size is too much for most defensive backs to handle, and he has good feel for playing the position. Payton also has good hands, effortlessly plucking the football out of the air. Payton doesn't have much wiggle in his game, but he doesn't try to be something other than what he is.
Shaq Thompson, the top safety recruit in the country, has dropped the Cal Bears and committed to the Washington Huskies, per California Golden Blogs. Thompson had been committed to Cal for about a month, and his brother also played for the hometown Golden Bears. But the departure of Tosh Lupoi to Washington, combined with the Huskies luring defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox from Tennessee. The connection with coach Peter Sirmon didn't hurt, either. The tweets tell the tale.
Cal's recruiting class is falling apart, according to SB Nation Bay Area:
This is a tough blow for Cal, who have already lost Ellis McCarthy to UCLA and Arik Armstead to Oregon. Once looking like the best recruiting class in the Pac-12 in 2012, the Cal defensive class is starting to look very vulnerable and a lot of other programs in the conference are benefiting.
Just committed to the UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON #HUSKYNATION
— Shaq Thompson(Grant) (@ItsShaqThompson) January 31, 2012
It's official: Shaq tells us the reasons for Washington are: "It's where my heart is; second highest graduation rate in the Pac-12..."
— Joe Davidson (@sb_joedavidson) January 31, 2012
Just heard from Shaq;Wash was a close 2nd to Cal earlier;really likes Tosh Lupoi,academics;best friend James Sample is there. It's done.
— Joe Davidson (@sb_joedavidson) January 31, 2012
Cannot underestimate Tosh Lupoi impact here;had Lupoi next left Cal,Shaq would be a Bear & so likely would have Armstead;domino affect HUGE
— Joe Davidson (@sb_joedavidson) January 31, 2012
Baseball was another big factor for UW, Sark was willing to allow him to miss some spring ball, family appreciated the flexibility
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) January 31, 2012
@bclose32 Not UW baseball, family is hopeful of getting drafted and doing minor league baseball in the spring, football in the fall
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) January 31, 2012
For more on Cal recruiting, head to California Golden Blogs.
Zach Banner, a massive offensive tackle recruit out of Lakewood (Wa.) Lakes High School, has committed to USC. Banner stands 6'9" and weighs 310 pounds. He holds more than 20 scholarship offers, including Oklahoma, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Oregon. Most sites rank Banner as a four-star prospect.
Banner is the son of Oakland Raider great Lincoln Kennedy. He made waves in recruiting circles as the film from his sophomore year debuted on Youtube. And while Banner perhaps has not developed quite like some have hoped, he is still a very good prospect.
Banner's size and strength are obvious from his film. And his length will give pass-rushers fits. He does need to work on his flexibility and his aggressiveness, as Banner can, at times, allow his intensity to drop against suspect competition. That won't be a problem at USC, however, as Banner will face quality competition in practice and in games.
For more on USC recruiting, check out Conquest Chronicles.
Arik Armstead, a top rated lineman from Elk Grove (Calif.) Pleasant Grove High School has committed to Oregon. Armstead stands 6'8" and weighs in at 285 pounds. He holds offers from all of the top programs in the country, including Alabama, Cal, Auburn, Notre Dame, USC, Texas and Washington. Armstead is rated five-stars by most of the major recruiting services, and is widely regarded as a top-ten prospect nationally.
Armstead had previously committed to and decommitted from USC. Armstead was reportedly unhappy with USC's handling of his brother, Armond, after the older Armond had suffered an injury playing the the Trojans. Arik would like to play college football with Armond.
At one point, Armstead was thought to be a heavy lean to Cal. But the departure of Cal defensive line coach and ace recrutier Tosh Lupoi to Washington changed things.
He has stated he wants to play defensive line in college, but most informed observers believe offensive line is a far better fit for him, long term. Armstead has great length and an impressive wingspan -- both of which will help him in playing offensive tackle or defensive line at the next level. His skills as an all-area hoops star should also come in handy. Armstead also plans to play hoops in college, as well.
This is an excellent pickup for the Oregon Ducks. Armstead projects as a multi-year starter in the Pac-12 and will enroll at Oregon this March.
For more on the pickup, visit Addicted To Quack.
Arik Armstead will announce his college choice Sunday, January 29, at 3:00 PST, according to ESPN's Greg Biggins. Armstead's college announcement will take place at The House Christian Church. One of the top recruits in the country, Armstead is considering Cal, Oregon, Auburn and Notre Dame.
Arik Armstead has been one of the most interesting recruits to follow in this cycle. From his commitment to and subsequent decommitment from USC, to his desire to play with his brother Armond (who is at USC but is looking to transfer because he doesn't like the way USC handled his medical clearance), to his supposed imminent commitment to Cal, to Cal losing the main reason Armstead would choose the Golden Bears (with defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi moving to Washington), to him enrolling at multiple schools (but not attending classes) to speed the process up of setting the schedule at the school he does eventually choose, it's been a wild ride.
For more on Notre Dame recruiting, visit One Foot Down. For more on Cal recruiting, visit California Golden Blogs. For more on Oregon recruiting, visit Addicted To Quack. For more on Auburn recruiting, visit Track Em Tigers.
Cal fans should immediately read Tosh The Traitor Backstabs Jeff Tedford, Backstabs Cal, by the uber-talented Avinash Kunnath of CaliforniaGoldenBlogs. I don’t agree with everything Avinash wrote, particularly the part about a coach needing to stop recruiting a player if he switches schools.
But I do agree with Avinash that the way in which Tosh went about his business, if he did indeed do so in the manner presented in the article, is completely underhanded and unethical.
Click for the details, which are pretty wild, even for the world of college football.
Kunnath finishes with this:
The past couple of years, Tosh Lupoi stood for all that was good and strong about the program despite the on-field struggles. He was a young, dynamic Bear who was loyal to the program, loyal to the vision of what Cal could be. He’d be the main to lead our recruiting efforts, to build a new Cal football program that would contend for Rose Bowls. The sky was the limit for him in Bear Territory. The next defensive coordinator. The top recruiting coordinator. Maybe even head coach. The main who’d become the part of a new age.
Not going to happen anymore. Not at Cal. Not after this. Tosh looks like a mercenary, a man without principles, a snake in the grass. He’s selling out the principles that made him a great figure for Cal Athletics, and he’s disgracing his Golden Bear roots with his actions.
Perhaps recruits will still buy what he has to sell now that he’s shown his true colors. It’s clear that he has an effect on these guys and knows how to interact with them. Plenty of former Cal players stand up for him. I have no doubt that he’ll be an effective recruiter at UW. The pitches will be similar (rebuild UW to greatness) and the interaction will be the same. Tosh has built relationships for years with these kids, and he’ll do his best to get guys like Shaq and Payton to be Huskies … or worse for us, not to be Golden Bears.
Still, all the Twittering and X-Boxing in the world won’t save him from this one question. “How can we trust you with our son if we can’t even be sure you’ll be here a year from now?” He could’ve been secure answering that at Cal. No longer, no more.
I’m through with him. If you bleed blue and gold, you should be through with him too.
In a move that will send recruiting shockwaves down the West Coast, the Washington Huskies have hired defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi away from the California Golden Bears. Lupoi had been a part of the Cal program for 12 years, including six as a player, two as a graduate assistant and four as a coach. Lupoi is considered the top recruiter west of the Mississippi.
Despite Cal not having a winning Pac-12 record in the last three years, Lupoi's efforts landed Cal many top recruits who would have previously never seriously considered Cal as a destination. The loss of the coach who is arguably the best recruiter in the country is already having implications for the Golden Bears.
Cal recently landed a commitment from the top safety in the country, Shaq Thompson. The commitment was due in part to the tireless work of Lupoi. After hearing the news, Thompson tweeted:
I have a lot of thinking to do.
Other recruits, however, seem to be sticking with Cal. One such recruit is recent receiver commitment Darius Powe, who said there was no change in his recruitment.
Finally, Cal fans have to be worried about losing defensive tackle recruit Ellis McCarthy to USC. Though a recent commitment, McCarthy was already considered anything but solid to the Golden Bears.
According to Yahoo!, Cal currently has 21 commitments. Of those, two are considered five-star prospects, while another seven are rated as four-stars. It's an excellent class, and it will be interesting to see if Cal can hold it together.
And while Cal will try to keep its current prospects, it also has to focus on bringing in uncommitted kids. One such player is Arik Armstead, arguably the top recruit in the nation. Armstead's commitment to Cal seemed imminent, but Lupoi would have been his position coach, and his departure certainly casts some doubt on the Armstead-Cal relationship.
Also reacting to Lupoi's departure is top uncommitted defensive tackle Aziz Shittu. "WOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!! The Game Just Changed. I want to cryyyyyy," tweeted Shittu.
Lupoi will immediately get to work with Steve Sarkisian's staff at Washington. And while the Huskies might be able to pull some recruits that Washington would otherwise not have signed, this hire's true impact on the Huskies will likely be felt in the 2013 recruiting cycle. With a raise from the $164,000 he was earning at Cal to a rumored $500,000 for a defensive line coach, Washington is signaling to the PAC 12 that it is serious about contending.
For more on Cal Bears football and recruiting, visit California Golden Blogs.
For more on the Washington Huskies, visit UW Dawg Pound.
For more on PAC 12 football and recruiting, visit Pacific Takes.
KeiVarae Russell, one of the top running backs in the country, has committed to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 6'0", 175-pound Russell plays for Everett, Wa.'s Mariner High school.
He showed up to his announcement with Cal, Notre Dame, Washington and USC hats ready to go. He also claimed offers from Arizona, Boise State, Oregon, Stanford, Washington State, Wyoming, Colorado, LSU, Nebraska and Oregon State.
Russell is a slasher with good hands. But he's a smooth slasher, who doesn't lose much in the way of acceleration when he puts his foot in the ground to change directions and go. He also possesses the skills to play defensive back, though both Washington and Notre Dame are recruiting him as a runner.
Brian Kelly had some excellent receiving backs at Cincinnati, and the Irish are certainly happy to have a receiving threat out of the backfield.
Russell is pretty slight of build, however, and with his lanky frame, he likely won't ever be a power back.
Russell will play in the Army All-American Game on January 7th.
KeiVarae Russell, one of the top running back recruits in the country, has narrowed his choice of colleges down to Washington and Notre Dame and plans to decide next week, he told the Seattle Times:
"It's not tough at all," said Russell, when asked where he's at in the process. "I know exactly where I'm going. I'm just not going to tell anyone until next week." ...
"I saw myself going to that school a few weeks ago, probably before my Cal visit," he said. "I kind of knew where I was going to go but I wanted to make sure."
The 6'0", 175-pound Russell plays for Everett, Wa.'s Mariner High school. Russell is a slasher with good hands. He also possesses the skills to play defensive back, though both Washington and Notre Dame are recruiting him as a runner.
Russell told the Herald:
Several key factors were important to Russell when making his decision, such as playing time, academics and feeling comfortable at his future university. The Class of 2012 member is thinking about majoring in business.
"Took notes on what schools fit me the best and which ones would benefit me in the long run, as far as football and opportunities outside of football," Russell said.
Russell will be playing in the Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 7, in the same Alamo Bowl the Huskies will have competed in a little over a week before. Is that a hint about his future destination?
"Wait and see," Russell said.
Jordan Payton To UCLA Rumors Emerge On National Signing Day
More: Let's listen in on a recruitment falling apart, shall we?
Westlake Village, CA's Jordan Payton, Rivals' No. 15 wide receiver in the country, has already committed to the USC Trojans and California Golden Bears in his time. Earlier in the week, he flipped on Cal for the Washington Huskies. Now, on National Signing Day, multiple reports are breaking that he could land with the UCLA Bruins, attaching him to a full third of the Pac-12 at one point or another.
Your jokes about Gunner Kiel are now irrelevant, while he's got a long way to go to reach Tate Forcier status. Payton also visited the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Michigan Wolverines, so let's hold out hope for another step or two along the way, yes?
For more on the parties involved, visit UCLA blog Bruins Nation and Washington blog UW Dawg Pound. For more, stay tuned to SB Nation's college football recruiting hub and our many fine college football blogs.
Feb 01 12:34p by Jason Kirk - 0 comments