Re: Strength in Unity.
Corbett announces decommitment as Bulls apply full-court press on Ward to shut down recruitment
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
Top 247 defensive end Sheldon Corbett announced via social media that he has decommitted from the University of South Florida. The news should be no surprise to anyone following Corbett's recruitment as he was initially recruited and offered by Skip Holtz' staff as a lowly ranked three-star prospect but a growth spurt -- currently listed at six-foot-seven -- and stellar junior year tape had him shoot up the rankings to a four star.
In speaking to the people around Corbett, he intends to take a visit to Georgia Tech and potentially Troy as well as Mississippi State. While many industry are picking Georgia Tech to land him, the Bulls still have hope because they have something the Yellow Jackets do not: a locked in official visit date.
Corbett will be on campus on the weekend of November 16th in what is shaping up to be a star-studded weekend which is the intention of head coach Malcolm Francois. So far, three-star center Shane Morris, three-star outside linebacker Jeffrey Reese and three-star defensive tackle Ross Barron have all committed to a visit on that weekend.
In a game that could potentially be a night game with huge American Conference standings implications, it will provide Francois and the staff the perfect backdrop to invite recruits in for an official visit.
Two names that are not yet on that list of recruits visiting but that USF is hoping to close the deal on soon are quarterback Grant Oliver and running back Leon Ward. Ward is in a similar boat as Corbett, having received his fourth star over the summer and many predicted that by now, he too would have re-opened his recruitment. Instead, Ward remains committed to the Bulls although Florida State and Miami are making a push.
As far as the three-star quarterback, USF remains in a comfortable lead with Oliver but that has little to do with their recruiting prowess. Oliver has told coaches that he wants to focus on his high school senior season and does not plan on making a decision any time soon. The good news? USF is far and away the top option according to those close to him. The bad news? It might be a while before USF can get him on campus yet alone commit.
Other recruiting nuggets include the targeting of a few tight ends in three-stars Chris Golden, Mike Henry and Thomas Moore. They are all in-state products with Golden and Henry coming out of the South Florida area while Moore is out of Jacksonville. The increased role of Sean Price has no doubt had an impact on the team recruiting the position.
Not to end on a sour note but two players that are on commit watch are defensive tackle Kris Whitaker and center Phil Horne. Several 247 Crystal Balls were placed for FAU for Whitaker while Horne has received one crystal ball to Troy. USF is still in second for both of those players but it's looking more and more like the coaching staff has accepted those defeats. The Whitaker loss is a tough one as his family relocated from Tampa to Sweetwater, Florida this off-season and that has impacted his recruiting.
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
Top 247 defensive end Sheldon Corbett announced via social media that he has decommitted from the University of South Florida. The news should be no surprise to anyone following Corbett's recruitment as he was initially recruited and offered by Skip Holtz' staff as a lowly ranked three-star prospect but a growth spurt -- currently listed at six-foot-seven -- and stellar junior year tape had him shoot up the rankings to a four star.
In speaking to the people around Corbett, he intends to take a visit to Georgia Tech and potentially Troy as well as Mississippi State. While many industry are picking Georgia Tech to land him, the Bulls still have hope because they have something the Yellow Jackets do not: a locked in official visit date.
Corbett will be on campus on the weekend of November 16th in what is shaping up to be a star-studded weekend which is the intention of head coach Malcolm Francois. So far, three-star center Shane Morris, three-star outside linebacker Jeffrey Reese and three-star defensive tackle Ross Barron have all committed to a visit on that weekend.
In a game that could potentially be a night game with huge American Conference standings implications, it will provide Francois and the staff the perfect backdrop to invite recruits in for an official visit.
Two names that are not yet on that list of recruits visiting but that USF is hoping to close the deal on soon are quarterback Grant Oliver and running back Leon Ward. Ward is in a similar boat as Corbett, having received his fourth star over the summer and many predicted that by now, he too would have re-opened his recruitment. Instead, Ward remains committed to the Bulls although Florida State and Miami are making a push.
As far as the three-star quarterback, USF remains in a comfortable lead with Oliver but that has little to do with their recruiting prowess. Oliver has told coaches that he wants to focus on his high school senior season and does not plan on making a decision any time soon. The good news? USF is far and away the top option according to those close to him. The bad news? It might be a while before USF can get him on campus yet alone commit.
Other recruiting nuggets include the targeting of a few tight ends in three-stars Chris Golden, Mike Henry and Thomas Moore. They are all in-state products with Golden and Henry coming out of the South Florida area while Moore is out of Jacksonville. The increased role of Sean Price has no doubt had an impact on the team recruiting the position.
Not to end on a sour note but two players that are on commit watch are defensive tackle Kris Whitaker and center Phil Horne. Several 247 Crystal Balls were placed for FAU for Whitaker while Horne has received one crystal ball to Troy. USF is still in second for both of those players but it's looking more and more like the coaching staff has accepted those defeats. The Whitaker loss is a tough one as his family relocated from Tampa to Sweetwater, Florida this off-season and that has impacted his recruiting.
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