Kentucky latest SEC school to land star QB
Texas' four-star quarterback picked Wildcats over Alabama
/ Rivals.comWhen Frisco (Texas) Centennial four-star quarterback Ryan Mossakowski committed to Kentucky late last Week, it gave the SEC commitments from five of the top 10 pro-style passers in the nation.
RECRUITING NOTEBOOK
By Jeremy Crabtree
updated 7:47 p.m. ET Aug. 13, 2008
There’s something about the SEC and quarterbacks.
The nation’s top football conference always has been a hotbed for the top passers. Looking at the quarterbacks in the class of 2009, it’s a trend that’s not going away.
When Frisco (Texas) Centennial four-star quarterback Ryan Mossakowski committed to Kentucky late last week, it gave the conference commitments from five of the top 10 pro-style passers in the nation.
Along with Mossakowski at No. 5, No. 4 Aaron Murray is heading to Georgia, No. 6 A.J. McCarron is heading to Alabama, No. 9 Zach Mettenberger is heading to Georgia and No. 10 Josh Nunes is a Tennessee commitment. Digging even deeper, Mississippi State commit Tyler Russell ranks as the No. 13 pro-style passer and LSU pledge Chris Garrett is No. 15.
Among dual-threat quarterbacks, the conference has commitments from the No. 1, No. 11 and No. 12 players at the position. The headliner is LSU commitment Russell Shepard, the nation’s top dual-threat player and No. 4 prospect overall.
Thus, it was no surprise to see Mossakowski head to the “conference of the quarterback.” He said things such as playing time and relationships with the coaches were key, but it’s the chance to play in the SEC that sparked his initial interest in the Wildcats.
“The playing time and that stuff, that’s a factor as well,” he said. “I’ll go in with a good shot to get a lot of reps real early. Originally, I always wanted to go to the SEC because I think it’s the best conference.”
Mossakowski said his final decision came down to UK and Alabama.
“Either one would have been a good fit for me,” he said, “but I felt like God was leading me toward Kentucky. My heart was leading me to Kentucky.
“I just really enjoyed the overall atmosphere there when we (visited). I could feel it around the coaches and players. It was different there from everywhere else we visited. It’s hard to describe, but I could definitely feel it.”
Oku changes it up
Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert four-star running back David Oku had everything planned. Official visits were scheduled and a decision timeline was in place. That all changed when his father, who is in Iraq serving in the military, advised him to make an earlier decision.
So two teams came off the list and one was added, with an official visit lined up for later this month.
“I’m going to have to cut Michigan and Illinois and no longer take those visits,” said Oku, the nation's No. 1 all-purpose back. “I’m just not a fan of the spread offense. I don't like being in the shotgun the whole time. Plus, the other schools I have on my list, I feel comfortable with their offensive systems.
“I’ve added Louisville to my list. I'm going to visit them on Aug. 31. That’s the first weekend of the season for them. It’s even before we start our high school games.”
Oku also has visits lined up to Tennessee on Sept. 19 and Nebraska on Sept. 26. Florida State is scheduled for Nov. 7, but Oku said he wants to make that visit earlier, so he can make a decision.
Credit is due
Stanford has to be one of the biggest — if not the biggest — recruiting surprise of the early season. The Cardinal rank No. 21 in the Rivals top 25, and they’ll climb higher in the next update when recently committed four-star receiver Jemari Roberts of Long Beach (Calif.) Wilson is added to the mix.
Roberts, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, turned down offers from Washington, Washington State, Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State and heavy interest from Notre Dame and USC to pick Stanford.
“Coach (Jim) Harbaugh told me it was a great day,” Roberts said. “He said that Stanford is having a lot of four-star recruits coming in and that I am adding to that. Stanford has everything I could want in an athletic program and the academics are outstanding. The weather there is great, and I can see myself living there for a while.”
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