Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Recruiting: Grambling's 2008 signing day class

Here are Grambling State University's announced football signees, with same-day analysis, from National Signing Day in February 2008:

Grambling sought to solve its problems up front
February 7, 2008

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING -- Grambling State wore down up front last season, ending 2007 by losing its final three games.

That made second-year GSU coach Rod Broadway's mission clear as National Signing Day approached.

Offensive linemen, and more offensive linemen. And more offensive linemen.

"We took guys that we thought could come in and help us," Broadway said. "We didn't go out and just recruit. We knew we had to go out and get some linemen -- which we did."

Did they ever.

Grambling signed three Louisiana offensive linemen -- including Marksville's Demetrius Porter and Darius Rose and Julian Wyndon, both of Captain Shreve -- along with Georgia product Sanford Banks and Alabama native Quint Roberts.

And that's just the recruits who are 6-6 and under.

"We got seven guys, and most of them are 6-4, 6-5 and in the 300 pound range," Broadway said. "They are pretty athletic."

Grambling also added two behemoths in Chris Beardon, a 6-8, 300-pounder out of Georgia; and Greg McGrue, a 6-8, 260-pound Alabama native.

"We've taken some steps," Broadway said. "We need to bring in five or six every year, with the shortage that we feel we have. We can't do it in one recruiting class. It's going to take a couple to really fix that situation."

Broadway also added three prospects up front on defense, and expects to continue to collecting talent on that line, as well. He held back four scholarships, and said he expects as many as two defensive linemen from Florida, where he was a long-time assistant to Steve Spurrier in the 1990s.

GSU is also still pursuing in a kicker in the wake of Tim Manuel's departure. A pair of quarterbacks will provide depth, and push for playing time, behind returning seniors Brandon Landers and Larry Kerlegan. Grambling also signed three prep players with experience at linebacker, another position in need of depth.

Still, it's clear the focus was on the offensive line.

"It's no big secret what happened last season," Broadway said. "We knew what our problems were, and we've taken some steps to improve them. We think we've got some who can come in here and play for us next season, and hopefully there are some who can play two or three years for us. Hopefully, we can get to the point where are not depending on anybody to come in and play right away."

GRAMBLING STATE'S 2008 SIGNEES, DAY 1
Breakdown: 21 signees (15 offense, 6 defense)
Sleeper: Grambling came away with the area's best-kept secret, Rayville quarterback Justin Higgins -- a duel-threat to run and pass, but also to play and stay eligible.
Sudden impact: An offensive line that wore down late in 2007 has been radically remade.
One that got away: Grambling was actually pursuing a pair of kickers, a position of need, but ended Wednesday without one.
Instant analysis: Second-year Grambling coach Rod Broadway took a different approach than his predecessor, signing a smaller, more targeted class. He said he wanted depth a several positions, most notably on the offensive line, and the class perfectly mirrored that focus.

QUARTERBACK
Brendan Crawford, 6-5, 205, Chapin (El Paso, Texas) HS: Passed for 2,207 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also rushing for 466 yards and nine more scores.
Justin Higgins, 6-1, 190, Rayville (La.) HS: Former Louisiana Class 3A MVP; threw for 2,109 yards and 21 touchdowns, while running for 967 yards.

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Crawford and Higgins provide the needed depth for a program entering 2008 with two seniors under center.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Sanford Banks, 6-5, 303, Carver (Columbus, Ga.) HS:
One-star recruit, listed at 5:93 in the 40-yard dash by Scout.com. Rivals called Banks the No. 68 recruit in Georgia.
Chris Beardon, 6-8, 300, Towers (Stone Mountain, Ga.) HS: A one-star Scout.com prospect; a 2008 DeKalb County Football Coaches Association All-Star.
Greg McGrue, 6-8, 260, Huffman (Birmingham, Ala.) HS: A two-star Scout.com prospect, and ranked No. 34 overall in Alabama by Rivals.
Demetrius Porter, 6-5, 280, Marksville (La.) HS: Named Class 3A all-state; ranked as the 37th best prospect in Louisiana by Dandy Don's Football Recruiting Web site.
Quint Roberts, 6-6, 325, Anniston (Ala.) HS: Member of one of the top Alabama prep lines; participated in the 2007 Atlanta NIKE Rivals.com Combine.
Darius Rose, 6-6, 250, Captain Shreve (Shreveport, La.) HS: Honorable mention All-District; had previously committed Division II.
Julian Wyndon, 6-3, 315, Captain Shreve (Shreveport, La.) HS: An all-district performer last year for the 5A Louisiana school; helped his team to the LHSAA playoffs.

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Grambling landed a few big fish in McGrue, Beardon and Roberts. Good thing: The entire line is likely to be rebuilt.

WB/TE/ATH
Nico Brown, 6-0, 160, Jonesboro-Hodge (La.) HS:
Named honorable mention all-state WR; had 48 receptions for 479 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior.
Elijah Dauzart, 6-1, 195, Peabody (Alexandria, La.) HS: Earned consecutive honorable-mention state Class 4A honors at WR; had 500 receiving yards and nine TDs.
Myron Hobbs, 6-3, 185, John Ehret (Marrero, La.) HS: WR averaged 17.4 yards per catch; Max Emfinger ranked Hobbs No. 13 in his Louisiana Super 75.
Donovan Moss, 6-4, 240, Shades Valley (Irondale, Ala.) HS: Targeted as a first-year TE project; teammate of fellow signee Van Phillips.
Van Phillips Jr., 6-2, 205, Shades Valley (Irondale, Ala.) HS: Lettered in four sports; tight end as a sophomore, he then switched to receiver.
Rodale Pippen, 6-0, 185, Halifax County (South Boston, Va.) HS: ATH, with 2,000 passing yards and 25 scores to go 500 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns.

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Hobbs could work his way onto the field quickly. Pippen looks like the kind of eye-popping phenom who can tear his way through lower-classification football.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Michael Harris, 6-2, 240, Bastrop (La.) HS:
DT made 72 tackles with three sacks as a senior; part of three consecutive Class 4A state titles.
Devin Herd, 6-2, 260, Pineville (La.) HS: Class 4A all-state honorable mention; earned special mention honors on Jim Stefani's Underclassmen Recruiting Blog.
Sirderrick "Big Bear" Landreth, 6-2, 310, Huntington (Shreveport, La.) HS: A one-star Scout.com DT; helped his team to the Class 5A playoffs.

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Grambling signed an all-Louisiana group in hopes of one day replacing emotional leader Jason Banks.

LB/DB
Maurice Crawford, 6-2, 245, Glenwood (Smiths, Ala.) HS:
Selected first-team all-state at linebacker; finalist for the ASWA Mr. Football honor.
Naquan Smith, 6-1, 185, Mays (Atlanta, Ga.) HS: Second-team all-city; played both SS and LB; reports 77 tackles last season.
Stephan McCord, 6-2, 180, McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.) HS: Starting DB on the state's top-ranked defense; earned honorable mention all-region honors.

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Each could see early playing time, since the loss of hard-hitting safety/linebacker Zaire "Pitbull" Wilborn left a big hole in this defense.

-- Nick Deriso, nderiso@thenewsstar.com

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Grambling recruiting notebook: Quarterback signees will make for intriguing fall
February 8, 2008

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Rayville's Justin Higgins, the state's most productive prep passer, could change the complexion of practices this fall at Grambling State.

He'll join a stable of quarterbacks that includes incumbent senior quarterback Brandon Landers and backup Larry Kerlegan — not to mention new signee Brendan Crawford of Chapin High in El Paso, Texas.

And right away, too.

"We're going to give everybody a chance; you've got to prove yourself every day," Grambling coach Rod Broadway said. "Brandon is our starter, but he's got to keep getting better. Justin might be the guy to make him better."

Landers, entering his fourth year as a starter, also prepped locally, at Carroll High.

A dual-threat, Higgins is coming off District 1-3A MVP honors, having passed for 2,100 yards while running for another 1,000. The agile Crawford, taller than the 6-1 Higgins by four inches, passed for 2,200 yards while rushing for 500, as well.

"We're quite hopeful that we can win with Brandon, but we are going to give Justin a chance, and we will give Crawford a chance to play," Broadway said, "and we will go with the best one we have."

In the end, however, Broadway said the focus of this recruiting period was protecting Landers, not replacing him.

"Brandon is not our problem; our problem is up front," Broadway said. "That kid showed a lot of courage, even while he got the heck beat out of him over the course of the year. When we protect him, he's a different player. We signed a couple, but we think he can be the guy."

<B>Home, sweet home:</B><B> </B>Grambling, undergoing that radical reconstruction on the offensive line, offered more than the chance to start for prep prospects.

"I liked the surroundings," said Sanford Banks, the 6-5, 303-pound Columbus, Ga., product. "It felt like it was home."

Same with Greg McGrue, the 6-8, 360-pounder from Birmingham, Ala.

"Grambling had everything I had been looking for," said Banks, who also reported interest from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Purdue and Southern Miss. "I really liked the campus and the support for me there."

Banks and McGrue were part of a seven-man class of linemen signed by Grambling on Wednesday.

"They told me I was at the top of their list," said Banks, who Scout said ran a 5.93 in the 40. "I think I have a great chance of starting, if I just work hard."

McGrue, a two-star Scout.com prospect, was listed at No. 34 overall in Alabama by Rivals. Banks was ranked No. 68 in Georgia by Rivals, which gave him one star.

Like many of the new faces on the GSU roster, McGrue first became aware of the program through its nationally televised annual rivalry game against Southern, the Bayou Classic. Growing up in Birmingham, he also had a chance to regularly see Grambling — which has appeared in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game, held in that city, five times since 2000.

"I've been going to the SWAC Championship, and just about every year, it seemed like it was Grambling," McGrue said. "Between that and the Bayou Classic, you just got to know all about the program and its history."

Last season, Grambling reversed a 3-8 record from 2006, but finished on a month-long swoon that included losses to ULM, Southern and then Jackson State in the SWAC title match.

Banks said he felt a rebuilt line could help GSU finish turning the corner.

"I see that they are heading in a great direction," Banks said. "That's another reason I chose them. The only way they can go is up. Grambling had a great season, but they can do better. It will be up to us newcomers to help the upper classmen bring that championship home."

CATCHING UP WITH VAN
Alabama signee Van Phillips Jr., the tallest receiver in this signing class, has the size Grambling has so often lacked over the past few years.

His dad, Van Phillips Sr., said he was also impressed with how Grambling's towering legacy continues to play out.

Phillips Sr. said his son was impressed by "the tradition of Coach Eddie Robinson, the growth of the university, the wholesomeness of the recruiting process, the spirit of unity between head coach Broadway and his assistants, how he was recruited by linebackers coach Andre Robinson (a Birmingham-area native) and receivers coach Sammy White — and the way the president of the university remained with the recruits after his presentation. All of that was very impressive. Finally, GSU talked more about life after football — the importance of a college degree."

A one-star recruit, Phillips said he also drew interest from Auburn, Middle Tennessee State, Memphis and Arkansas State, among others. Phillips Sr. said his son had five scholarship offers from other Division I programs.


Here is an updated list, with biographical information, from National Signing Day at Grambling State:
OL Sanford Banks, 6-5, 303, Carver (Columbus, Ga.) HS: One-star recruit, listed at 5:93 in the 40-yard dash by Scout.com. Rivals called Banks the No. 68 recruit in Georgia.
OT Chris Beardon, 6-8, 300, Towers (Stone Mountain, Ga.) HS: A one-star Scout.com prospect. Earned a spot in the 2008 DeKalb County Football Coaches Association All-Star Showcase.
WR/DB Nico Brown, 6-0, 160, Jonesboro-Hodge (La.) HS: Named Honorable Mention All-State by the LSWA; caught 48 receptions for 479 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior.
QB Brendan Crawford, 6-5, 205, Chapin (El Paso, Texas) HS: Named to both the APSE and the TSWA Class 4A all-state team as an honorable mention. Lifted Chapin to second place in 1-4A after passing for 2,207 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while also rushing for 466 yards and nine more scores.
LB Maurice Crawford, 6-2, 245, Glenwood (Smiths, AL) HS: Selected to the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State First team; participated in the AISA All-Star Game. A finalist for the ASWA Mr. Football honor; also a member of Glenwood's basketball team.
WR Elijah Dauzart, 6-1, 195, Peabody (Alexandria) HS: Earned consecutive honorable-mention state Class 4A honors. Had 38 catches for 500 yards and nine touchdowns; also plays basketball. Dauzart added 24 receptions for 372 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. PelicanPreps lists him at 4.74 in the 40-yard dash.
DE Michael Harris, 6-2, 240, Bastrop (La.) HS: Made 72 tackles with three sacks as a senior; helped his team capture three consecutive Class 4A Louisiana state championships.
DL Devin Herd, 6-2, 260, Pineville (La.) HS: Named a 2006 Class 4A LSWA All-State honorable mention; earned special mention honors on Jim Stefani's Class of 2007 Underclassmen Recruiting Blog.
QB Justin Higgins, 6-1, 190, Rayville (La.) HS: Former Louisiana Class 3A MVP, is a duel-threat who threw for 2,109 passing yards and 21 touchdowns, while running for another 967 yards.
WR Myron Hobbs, 6-3, 185, John Ehret (Marrero) HS: One-star recruit, was an honorable mention Class 5A all-state selection. Hobbs averaged 17.4 yards per catch, with 732 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns last season. Max Emfinger, the respected scout, ranked Hobbs No. 13 in his Louisiana Super 75. Rivals.com reports a 4.52 time in the 40-yard dash
DT Sirderrick "Big Bear" Landreth, 6-2, 310, Huntington (Shreveport) HS: Scout.com, which gave the 6-2, 310-pound Landreth a one-star rating, had him at 5.0 in the 40-yard dash. Helped lead his team to the LHSAA Class 5A playoffs.
DB Stephan McCord, 6-2, 180, McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.) HS: Starter on the state's top-ranked defense; earned honorable mention all-region honors last season in which he returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a single game. Also ran track and played prep basketball. Brother of T.J. McCord, a Grambling defensive back.
OT Greg McGrue, 6-8, 260, Huffman (Birmingham, Ala) HS: A two-star Scout.com prospect, and ranked No. 34 overall in Alabama by Rivals -- which called McGrue a "massive offensive lineman with superior strength." Euns a 5.4 in the 40-yard dash and, with an 18 on his ACT and a 3.2 GPA, is eligible to play.
TE Donovan Moss, 6-4, 240, Shades Valley (Irondale, Ala.) HS: Targeted as a first-year project recruit; teammate of fellow signee Van Phillips. A key member of his school's basketball team.
WR Van Phillips Jr., 6-2, 205, Shades Valley (Irondale, Ala.) HS: Lettered in four sports, while maintaining a 3.2 GPA. A tight end as a sophomore, he switched to receiver and began bulking up from about 167 pounds.
ATH Rodale Pippen, 6-0, 185, Halifax County (South Boston, Va.) HS: Mulitple All-Western Valley District honoree. Had 2,000 passing yards and 25 scores to go 500 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns last year. Rivals reports a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash.
OL Demetrius Porter, 6-5, 280, Marksville (La.) HS: Named to the 2007 Class 3A LSWA All-State Team; participated in the 2007 Baton Rouge NIKE Rivals.com Combine. Ranked as the 37th best prospect in Louisiana by Dandy Don's Football Recruiting Web site.
OL Quint Roberts, 6-6, 325, Anniston (Ala.) HS: Member of one of the top Alabama prep lines; participated in the 2007 Atlanta NIKE Rivals.com Combine.
OT Darius Rose, 6-6, 250, Captain Shreve (Shreveport) HS: Honorable mention All-District. Had previously committed Division II.
SS/LB Naquan Smith, 6-1, 185, Mays (Atlanta, Ga.) HS: Second-team all-city and defensive player of the week by The Atlanta Journal Constitution as a junior, then honorable mention all-state last season. Reports a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash, with 77 tackles last season. MaxPreps also lists two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
OL Julian Wyndon, 6-3, 315, Captain Shreve (Shreveport) HS: An all-district performer last year for the 5A Louisiana school; helped lead his team to the LHSAA Class 5A playoffs.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The time that ... Grambling lobbied for the Heisman

On the campaign trail
Grambling hopes Eugene earns Heisman consideration

Nick's note: A sad conclusion came to this effort when Eugene went down in the third quarter of the 2004 opener with a season-ending knee injury. He would return for a record-smashing final campaign in 2005, however, leading Grambling to its 21st SWAC title.

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
July 7, 2004
GRAMBLING — Supporters from Grambling State are mounting a Heisman Trophy campaign for record-breaking senior quarterback Bruce Eugene.

It won't be easy.

"He's got an outstanding story," said interim GSU coach Melvin Spears, who recruited Eugene to Grambling. "You're talking about a guy who came out of the St. Thomas housing project (in New Orleans). It's a major feat if he's even considered in that company right now."

Eugene says making the list would be a great moment not only for himself, but for Grambling State.

"Being mentioned for an award like that lets me know that I'm doing what's being asked - and we're getting recognized," said Eugene, who has set GSU's single-season marks for yards, completions and TDs. "In the process, that helps other Grambling players get recognized and helps my school gets its name out there."

But, like all Division I-AA performers, Eugene will face an uphill battle for recognition by Heisman voters.

"I certainly feel that his accomplishments, his numbers, are worthy of the accolade," said former GSU quarterback James "Shack" Harris, vice president of player personnel for the Jacksonville Jaguars. "But realistically, the Heisman is not something he can win. It's not Bruce. It's the system."

Alcorn State standout Steve McNair remains the highest recent vote-getter from I-AA. He finished third in 1994 - only to go on to league MVP honors while the top two choices, Rashaan Salaam and Ki-Jana Carter, have struggled in the NFL. Doug Williams finished fourth in the 1977 Heisman voting behind eventual winner Earl Campbell.

"But the Heisman Trophy, when you think about it, honors the best player in college football - whatever the division," Spears said. "Does that mean the best guy in his conference, the best guy on his team or just the best guy? The question I pose is this: What if the best college football player does not play in Division I-A?"

Grambling State supporters will use technology to present that message.

Kenn Rashad - a 1990 GSU graduate best known for launching the SWACPage.com site - has offered to help design a separate Heisman Web site for GSU. It's something that could quickly raise Eugene's profile among potential voters who don't closely follow Division I-AA football.

"Instead of trying to get the media to see Bruce Eugene, I thought we could bring Bruce Eugene to the media," Rashad said. "I'd like to see some flash components that illustrated what he did week by week on the field, with perhaps some video highlights that could be downloaded."

The Web site is still in the earliest planning stages, Rashad added.

E-mails were sent out a couple of weeks ago by Peter Forest, GSU's director of athletic media relations, that asked selected people to participate in a Heisman steering committee.

"We are in the process of putting together a group of supporters," Spears said. "When all the students get back, in August, we will also have a introductory party."

The hope isn't that Eugene wins so much as gets some measure of recognition for what he's already accomplished at Grambling State.

"He may not win the award," Rashad said, "but he most certainly should be on the list."

Eugene, who wowed observers even as a redshirt freshman out of New Orleans' Cohen High School, was a part-time starter during GSU's 2001 SWAC title season - then led the Tigers to another championship in 2002.

He is the school's record-holder in passing completions, attempts, yards and total offense, and is ranked second in passing touchdowns.

That dominance led to two consecutive top-three finishes in voting in the Walter Payton Award, which recognizes Division I-AA's offensive player of the year. He was third in 2002, then second last season.

Harris, who won or shared the conference title in every season he played at GSU in the 1960s, thinks Eugene will return to the Payton Watch List as a senior. "He should be a top candidate for the best player in Division I-AA," Harris said.

Eugene was also named a first-team All-America quarterback by The Sports Network in 2003, then a second-team quarterback on The Associated Press' All-America football team.

"I guess the only thing I can say about Eugene and the Heisman list is: How can you not have him on that list?" Rashad said. "He has been a finalist for the Walter Payton Award the last two years and I am certain he will be a finalist again this year. Being a finalist among the best football players on the I-AA level automatically makes Eugene better than many of the players on the I-A level."

Too, as more people hear about Eugene, they also reacquaint themselves with a Grambling State football program that was reborn under former coach Doug Williams.

"My outlook, my vision, is more institutional - rather than winning the award," said former offensive coordinator Spears, who took over as interim when Williams resigned in February. "It's about having the opportunity to have a guy that's talked about all over the country. That's good for Grambling. If you can have one kid say Bruce Eugene is a Heisman Trophy candidate, and look twice at Grambling, then we've done what we need to do from a marketing standpoint.”