Recruiting Far From Over For BYU Football Coaches
With 19 known verbal commitments, BYU's football recruiting for the February, 2008, signing period is more than 80 percent complete.
Still, the Cougars are actively pursuing 12-15 other players who are either high school seniors or junior college standouts with hopes of landing five or six more prospects, according to a source close to the coaching staff.
In Utah, BYU has offers out to two players (who have not yet committed), but is closely watching at least two others.
The Cougs have offered Alta running back Sausan Shakerin and Timpanogos defensive end David Kruger. Shakerin is a long shot for BYU, considering he is not LDS and his cousin is former University of Utah standout Bo Nagahi.
BYU is in a heated battle with Utah for Kruger, whose brother, Paul, made his first start at defensive end for the Utes in last week's big win over UCLA. Colorado, Nebraska and California are also interested in David Kruger.
BYU also has strong interest in Jordan receiver Cody Raymond and Union (Roosevelt) quarterback Rhen Richard, who will probably end up playing safety in college. Richard is an incredible athlete: he won the National All-Around Cowboy title at July's National High School Rodeo Finals.
BYU coaches have not offered either player, which, when it comes to Raymond, might be a big mistake.
The three-year starter might not have the size and speed that Division I coaches like, but he is making more plays than any player in the state this year. Anyone who saw Jordan upset Bingham two weeks ago knows that. And when Jordan went to Valdosta, Ga., earlier this month for a game, Valdosta players couldn't cover him, either.
Of the out-of-state players that BYU has offered, it will be interesting to see if it can land a pair of studs who are currently listing the Cougars among their favorites, but are being chased by other big-time programs.
O'Neill Chambers, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver with 4.5 speed from Harmony, Fla., continues to list BYU as one of his favorites, even after an unofficial trip to Florida last week.
Chambers told scout.com that Florida invited him to its game against Tennessee, but did not offer a scholarship.
"I still have not proved my point to the staff that I am a good wide receiver," he said.
Chambers said he will visit Purdue on Sept. 28 and will probably decide around the end of the season.
"Right now, it is BYU, Maryland, Florida," he said. Chambers is interested in BYU because his high school coach is a former Cougar.
Meanwhile, the fifth-highest rated center in the country, Hamani Stevens of Hemet, Calif., continues to consider BYU, although the Cougars seem to be slipping on his favorites list.
Hemet, 6-2, 290, committed to UCLA in June, but a few days later asked Bruins coaches to forget that pledge, which he says he made in haste.
Stevens is being used at tackle on his high school team, but almost every school projects him to be a center in college.
The four-star prospect (scout.com) says UCLA, Oregon, BYU and Washington are still in the running for his services. He's visiting Oregon on Dec. 1 and BYU on Jan. 11 and hopes to set something up with Washington shortly.
Still, the Cougars are actively pursuing 12-15 other players who are either high school seniors or junior college standouts with hopes of landing five or six more prospects, according to a source close to the coaching staff.
In Utah, BYU has offers out to two players (who have not yet committed), but is closely watching at least two others.
The Cougs have offered Alta running back Sausan Shakerin and Timpanogos defensive end David Kruger. Shakerin is a long shot for BYU, considering he is not LDS and his cousin is former University of Utah standout Bo Nagahi.
BYU is in a heated battle with Utah for Kruger, whose brother, Paul, made his first start at defensive end for the Utes in last week's big win over UCLA. Colorado, Nebraska and California are also interested in David Kruger.
BYU also has strong interest in Jordan receiver Cody Raymond and Union (Roosevelt) quarterback Rhen Richard, who will probably end up playing safety in college. Richard is an incredible athlete: he won the National All-Around Cowboy title at July's National High School Rodeo Finals.
BYU coaches have not offered either player, which, when it comes to Raymond, might be a big mistake.
The three-year starter might not have the size and speed that Division I coaches like, but he is making more plays than any player in the state this year. Anyone who saw Jordan upset Bingham two weeks ago knows that. And when Jordan went to Valdosta, Ga., earlier this month for a game, Valdosta players couldn't cover him, either.
Of the out-of-state players that BYU has offered, it will be interesting to see if it can land a pair of studs who are currently listing the Cougars among their favorites, but are being chased by other big-time programs.
O'Neill Chambers, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver with 4.5 speed from Harmony, Fla., continues to list BYU as one of his favorites, even after an unofficial trip to Florida last week.
Chambers told scout.com that Florida invited him to its game against Tennessee, but did not offer a scholarship.
"I still have not proved my point to the staff that I am a good wide receiver," he said.
Chambers said he will visit Purdue on Sept. 28 and will probably decide around the end of the season.
"Right now, it is BYU, Maryland, Florida," he said. Chambers is interested in BYU because his high school coach is a former Cougar.
Meanwhile, the fifth-highest rated center in the country, Hamani Stevens of Hemet, Calif., continues to consider BYU, although the Cougars seem to be slipping on his favorites list.
Hemet, 6-2, 290, committed to UCLA in June, but a few days later asked Bruins coaches to forget that pledge, which he says he made in haste.
Stevens is being used at tackle on his high school team, but almost every school projects him to be a center in college.
The four-star prospect (scout.com) says UCLA, Oregon, BYU and Washington are still in the running for his services. He's visiting Oregon on Dec. 1 and BYU on Jan. 11 and hopes to set something up with Washington shortly.
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