Southeast

In a state as deep and talented as Florida, there will always be names that miss the initial buzz of the recruiting season. For whatever reason, some players miss the hype and some players get thrust into the limelight.

While Mariana, Fla., athlete Bradley Battles hasn't been a common name among recruiting circles, there are several college programs that know all about the 5-11, 190-pounder.

Battles already has several offers, according to Mariana coach Rob Armstrong. Kentucky, Iowa State, Colorado, Purdue, Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and Akron are interested in Battles.

Armstrong has certainly developed an appreciation for the talented prospect, both as running back and as a defender.

"He's a good player," Armstrong said. "We've had some good backs here and he's as good as we've ever had. He's a 10.7 (second) 100 meters kid. He can play DB also. A lot of people, especially the Big 12 schools, offered him as a defensive back."

An all-state performer in Florida's 2A classification, Battles rushed for 2200 yards and 23 touchdowns on just under 250 carries.

"He had over 2000 yards and he really didn't carry the ball that much," Armstrong said. "He probably could've carried the ball a lot more. We'll try to hand him the ball more this season."

With more carries as a senior, it is scary to think about the numbers Battles could post. But don't expect him to focus solely on offense. A player as talented as Battles never manages to spend much time on the sideline.

"He does everything for us," Armstrong said. "You watch some of those tapes and he breaks one of for 70 then he's got to turn around and cover the kick. On defense he's pretty much everywhere. We move him around, but most of the time he lines up at safety."

Battles, who sports a 3.0 GPA, managed to tally 70 tackles as a junior, two tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

West

Oregon landed its first commitment for 2009 when defensive lineman Taylor Hart of Tualatin, Ore., made his pledge.

"Taylor committed to the Ducks," Taylor’s father, Doug, said. "He always wanted to be a Duck, and he was also very impressed with their coaching staff."

The Ducks recruited Hart (6-6, 245) as a defensive end though he has been playing defensive tackle on the high school level. He started his junior season as a defensive end, but the Tualatin coaching staff decided to move him inside.

Before the Ducks offered Hart a scholarship, they wanted to make sure that his size, speed and personal intensity matched what they saw on tape.

One of the things that stood out to the Oregon coaching staff was Hart’s game speed. He opened their eyes during the Oregon high school state championship game when he chased down the opposition's quarterback 20 yards down the sideline.

Hart received letters from Michigan, BYU, Stanford, Washington and Oregon State. So, why the early commitment to the Ducks?

"Taylor has always been impressed by the Oregon program," his father said. "They have state-of-the-art facilities, and it appears their facilities are on par with NFL teams.”

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