Not exactly a Chamber of Commerce weekend in store for Salt Lake City today and tomorrow, although there's a Jazz-Lakers game tonight, a Utah men's basketball game at noon on Saturday in the Huntsman Center and that junior college football championship game at noon Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

    The wind is howling, temperatures are dipping and a snowstorm is surely coming.

    Naturally, the University of Utah has a major football recruit on campus -- from northern California.

    Cornerback Rashad Evans, from Logan High in Union City, Calif., arrived at the airport around 1 p.m. today and will get the royal treatment, a source close to the coaching staff confirmed.

    Evans is a 5-foot-10, 170-pounder who is rated as a three-star prospect by Scout.com. He played quarterback for Logan this past season and guided the team to a perfect regular season, but is being recruited by most schools to play defensive back.

    Evans has offers from Cal, Georgia Tech, Oregon and Utah, so he would be a huge get for the Utes. He is fully qualified academically and has posted some gaudy statistics on both sides of the ball, rushing for 1,393 yards and throwing three touchdown passes. Defensively, he had 25 tackles and an interception.

    Now if only the weather would cooperate.

   

    ----------------------------------

    Although he has committed to BYU, Bingham High tight end Austin Holt made a recruiting visit to Stanford last weekend to watch the Cardinal play Notre Dame. Holt's host was a Utahn, former Highland High star Bo McNally, Stanford's starting free safety.

    Holt told superprep.com that he loved the visit, but remains solidly committed to BYU.

    Holt is the No. 4 tight end in the country in the latest Scout.com rankings, and will make his official visit to BYU on Jan. 12. He said he still might visit UCLA and Florida, and also has offers from Wisconsin, Washington and Oregon on the table.

Michigan, Iowa State and Boise State.

If three Utah high school products had signed with the Big Ten school, the Big 12 school and the BCS-busting school in football, we would all be talking about how much of an impact the state was having on college football.

Instead, it's wrestling.

Wasatch High's Jake Salazar just told me he has committed to Michigan (and will sign next April, having missed last week's early signing period) to wrestle for the Wolverines. Last week, Cyprus' Matt Brown signed with Iowa State and Jason Chamberlain of Springville signed with Boise State, perhaps the strongest wrestling program in the Intermountain West.

"It's a top-five program, and I really like the coach [Joe McFarland]," Salazar said.

The senior said he will go on an LDS Church mission before joining the Wolverines. His brother, Colton, just returned from a mission to Tokyo and will redshirt for Purdue this season.

The younger Salazar, who is also an all-state running back, was also recruited by Purdue and Iowa State.

Salazar is currently ranked No. 3 in the country at 145 by USA Wrestling magazine, while Chamberlain is No. 1. However, Salazar said he will likely wrestle at 152 this season.

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The Recruiting Trail has learned about a few more prep volleyball signings that we haven't previously reported.

Lacey Laycock, who recently helped lead Lone Peak High to the 5-A state volleyball championship, has signed with Brigham Young-Hawaii. BYU-Hawaii has been active recruiting in Utah this fall, and has commitments from several outstanding girls soccer players.

The signing period for girls soccer is in the spring.

Also, Morgan's Chelsey Garfield has signed with Utah Valley State College for volleyball. Garfield, a three-time all-stater, will join Cottonwood's Melissa Fifita at UVSC, which will soon become Utah Valley University.

Some odds and ends from the recruiting world, with the fall early
signing period having concluded last week ...

-- Former Cyprus High basketball star Aaron England has signed to play for UC-Irvine of the Big West.

England is a redshirt freshman at the College of Eastern Utah. A former member of coach Dave Hammer's Salt Lake Metro club team who was a first-team Tribune all-stater in 2006, England originally signed with Utah State and redshirted there last season.

-- Wasatch High running back Jake Salazar, a probable all-stater when those selections are released next month, has signed with Michigan -- in wrestling. Salazar, a two-time state wrestling champion, also received offers from Iowa State and Purdue and made visits to those schools. His older brother wrestles for Purdue but is serving an LDS Church mission.

Two weeks ago, Cyprus wrestler Matt Brown announced he has signed with Iowa State.

-- Juron Criner, a wide receiver from Canyon Springs High in Las Vegas, committed to play for Arizona after a visit to Tucson last week. Criner, a 6-foot-4 senior, also had received a scholarship offer from the Utes.

-- The University of Utah's women's tennis team has signed two new players: Lexi Provancha of La Jolla, Calif., and Lisa Johnson of El Cajon, Calif.

The high school that produced former University of Utah quarterback Alex Smith and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush might be sending another superstar Utah's way.

Then again, more schools are competing with Utah for the services of cornerback Jamar Taylor than battled the Utes for Smith some six years ago.

Taylor, from Helix High in La Mesa, Calif., currently counts four scholarship offers, including one from the U.

The others are from Boise State, Idaho and Colorado State.

However, Pac-10 schools such as Cal, Washington State and USC have suddenly jumped into the picture, causing some recruiting analysts to believe that Utah won't be getting the 5-foot-11, 185-pound athlete.

"A whole bunch of schools have been coming by [his school]," Taylor told superprep.com. "Cal came the other day, Idaho came, Boise State was at a game. I just try to keep my focus on the game and not let the coaches being there distract me."

While Taylor said he doesn't have a current favorite, he noted that Boise State has been working extra hard on him.

Oddly, hometown San Diego State has shown very little interest in Taylor, who is reportedly an excellent student with a 3.95 GPA and a qualifying score on his college admission test (SAT).

Perhaps noticing that last post, a faithful reader of The Recruiting Trail wondered about the out-of-state basketball players that the Utes have their eyes on from the class of 2009 (juniors).

We aim to please here at TRT, so here's some information in that regard:

Coach Jim Boylen missed Saturday's rivalry football game to take in a prep basketball tournament in the Oakland area over the weekend.

Specifically, the Trail has learned that Boylen was there to watch (and be seen by) three juniors in particular.

The Utes have offered a scholarship to Andy Brown, a 6-foot-8 junior from Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif.

They also like Tim Harris, a 6-3 shooting guard from Valley Christian High in San Jose, Calif., but they are in for a battle for Harris because Washington, Cal, Kansas, Gonzaga, Nebraska, Pepperdine and UNLV are also on the pure shooter's trail.

Boylen also got a better look at Lucas Devenny, a 6-8 center from Piner High in Santa Rosa, Calif.

It's way too early to know how many scholarships the Utes will have to give out at this time next year, but my guess is three or four.

With 10 Utah high school boys basketball players having signed with Division I programs last week, local college coaches are starting to turn their attention to the class of 2009 -- this year's juniors.

I checked out Tuesday night's Pleasant Grove-at-Alta game, and sure enough, BYU assistant Dave Rice and University of Utah assistant Chris Jones were in the stands just a row away from each other.

Both were there, presumably, to watch Pleasant Grove junior C.J. Wilcox, a 6-foot-5 wing player with smooth moves, loads of athleticism and a velvety shooting touch. That's why I was there, too.

Wilcox didn't disappoint, although he picked up three first-half fouls and spent most of the first 24 minutes on the bench.

He scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the second half with an array of three-pointers, a dunk and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.

After the game, I spoke briefly with Wilcox about his recruitment.

Oddly, he said he didn't notice the college coaches in the stands.

"Didn't see them," he said. "Wasn't really looking for them."

Wilcox did confirm that Utah and BYU have already offered scholarships.

His father, Craig Wilcox, played shooting guard for BYU and coach Roger Reid in 1994 and 1995 (the same years as Reid's sons, Randy and Robbie). But C.J. Wilcox, 16, said that will have little impact when he makes his college choice.

"I'm not leaning any way right now," he said. "I'm just waiting until next year, and we will see what happens then. I'm just focusing on high school right now."

The junior also said that he hasn't ruled out going to an out-of-state school.

"Right now, it really doesn't matter," he said. "I am just going to see what is best for me, and go in that direction."

Along with Lone Peak guard Tyler Haws, who has also been offered by BYU and Utah, Wilcox is generally regarded as one of the top two junior prospects in the state.

Provo's Brandon Davies and Lone Peak's Nate Austin are also members of the class of 2009 that college coaches have interest in.

Coincidentally, Haws' father, Marty Haws, the former BYU standout, showed up unannounced at Utah's practice on Tuesday to visit with coach Jim Boylen.

At the rate they are going, the BYU Cougars may have their class of 2009 football scholarships handed out before the class of 2008 signs in February.

Scout.com and other Web sites are reporting that BYU has received an oral commitment from Terry Alletto, a junior at Ponderosa High in Parker, Colo. Alletto played offensive line (center) for a team that went 5-4 last season and lost in the first round of the Colorado state playoffs.

Alletto becomes the fourth junior to commit to the Cougars, joining Timpview safety Craig Bills, Snow Canyon running back Adam Timo and Jray Galea'i, a safety at Kahuku High in Laie, Haw. The four are expected to sign letters of intent in February of 2009.

Yes, 2009.

When BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said he was going to focus recruiting efforts on the best LDS players in the country and offer them early, he apparently wasn't kidding.

Alletto, 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, said he was recruited by offensive coordinator Robert Anae and recruiting coordinator Paul Tidwell, but was so impressed by Mendenhall upon meeting the coach that he committed the day before the BYU-Utah game.

Utah State's modest two-game winning streak to end the 2007 football season should help the Aggies gain some momentum heading into the most important stage of the recruiting season, which started last Sunday.

Coaches were allowed to start visiting recruits in person on that day.

The Aggies are generally quiet about their recruiting prospects -- unlike most teams which find a way to get the word out regarding the high school and junior college players they like.

From various high school coaches and recruiting Web sites, however, we've found a few players that the Aggies have either expressed strong interest in or offered scholarships:

* Chris Awambu, a 6-foot-7, 305-pound offensive tackle from Oakland, Calif., is one of those. He is also considering Boise State and Arizona.
* Zach Brackus, a 6-5, 290-pound tackle from Murray High is also on USU's short list.
* Chris Snyder, a 6-4, 315-pound lineman from Aurora, Colo., is also an Aggie prospect, although he's probably leaning toward Colorado State.

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As reported in my colleague Lya Wodraska's blog, and in Monday's Tribune, Timpanogos lineman David Kruger has committed to Utah. His brother, Paul, is a starting defensive lineman for the Utes.

Obviously, that's a huge pickup for the Utes, especially if David Kruger keeps his promise. He has told reporters that it is a "soft" commitment, and that he plans on taking a few recruiting visits to some Pac-10 schools.

The Utes are touting the commitment as a big win over BYU for an in-state, LDS recruit. But they have to be wary when a high schooler gives them his word one minute, then talks about visiting other schools in the next breath.

I still find that very strange, but that's how recruiting is going these days.

Of course, BYU has gone through that as well. Bingham tight end Austin Holt gave the Cougars a pledge last February, but has visited Florida, Stanford and other places since the commitment.

One other thing: David Kruger's commitment could bring another Kruger to Utah. His younger brother Joe Kruger, a 6-8 sophomore at Timpanogos, will be a highly recruited senior in two years.

"Joe might be the best of all of us, when all is said and done," Paul Kruger told me a few weeks ago.

The University of Utah has signed three high school volleyball stars to national letters of intent, coach Beth Launiere announced today.

As previously mentioned in these posts, Payson High's Miranda Bradshaw has signed with the Utes. She's a 6-foot-3 middle blocker whom earned three letters at Payson.

"Miranda will bring size and athleticism to our team and will fit perfectly into our style of volleyball," Launiere said.

The Utes also signed Sarah Hibbert, an outside hitter from Anchorage, Alaska, and Abby Simmons, a setter from Phoenix, Ariz.

The Tribune and The Recruiting Trail have reported that Alta High's Corinne Crump commited to Utah. Crump is expected to walk on next fall.



 

For a while last month, it looked as though Troy Owen of Woods Cross was going to win the Class 4-A state golf championship. But a Dixie High golfer rallied to take the prize.

Still, Owen has earned a college golf scholarship. He recently signed with Weber State, along with Jordan Herzog of Fremont High.

Herzog and Owen will join older brothers on Weber State's team. Tyler Herzog is a junior and Kurt Owen is a sophomore at Weber State.

"We are very excited to have this pair of talented players sign with our program," said Kearl. "We're also hoping that they provide a little extra motivation for their older siblings. No one wants to lose to a younger brother."

Herzog helped lead Fremont to the 5-A team state championship and finished third overall at Soldier Hollow.

Owen was the Region 5 medalist and finished second at state.

We're going to hand out some attention to women's college volleyball recruiting today, with several posts about in-state signings.

For starters, Utah State has signed a pair of standouts, including a Utah prep star, Liz McArthur of Snow Canyon High.

I covered prep volleyball for two years before my colleague Maggie Thach took over this past season, and I was impressed by the quality of play in Utah. One of the most impressive players I watched was McArthur, a 6-foot outside hitter who was a first-team all-stater last year and almost certainly will be one this year when the Tribune announces its awards next month.

McArthur helped lead the Warriors to the 4-A state title this year and the 3-A state title last year.

The Aggies have also signed Emily Kortsen, a 6-1 right-side hitter from San Benito High in Hollister, Calif., which is about 20 miles south of San Jose. Kortsen is from the same high school as current USU star Chelsea Fowles.

The University of Utah will release its list of signees later today, I've been told. We do know that Miranda Bradshaw, an outside hitter from Payson High, has signed with the Utes.

Some odds and ends from the college football recruiting world that have been bantered about the major Web sites recently.......

* Kevin Prince, the quarterback from Crespi Carmelite High in Encino, Calif., who injured his knee in the first game of the season and missed his senior year, says that Washington and UCLA are still his top two choices. Prince has not decided yet whether or not he will go on an LDS Church mission, but says both schools are OK with it if he does.

BYU and Utah offered him during the summer, but neither school is still actively recruiting him. He has said he won't make a school decision until close to signing day in February.

* Cottonwood linebacker Lynn Katoa still hasn't made his college choice yet, but the hottest in-state recruit right now is Snow College left tackle Andrew Mitchell, who will lead the Badgers in the national juco championship game on Saturday at Rice-Eccles.

Mitchell is making his five alotted visits this month and next, and has offers from the likes of BYU, Oklahoma State. South Florida, Kansas, North Carolina State, Arizona State and Arizona.

* It appears that the University of Utah is going to lose a highly touted defensive tackle, Geordon Hanohano, to Hawaii. The four-star recruit from St. Louis High in Honolulu told prepstar.com that he is leaning toward signing with the Warriors. Arizona, San Diego State and UNLV have also offered the 265-pound senior.

* Similarly, offensive lineman Hamani Stevens seems to be slipping out of BYU's grasp. He recently set up a visit to Michigan State, but also has visits scheduled to Oregon and BYU. The BYU trip is set for Jan. 11, but Stevens has hinted he might commit before then.

"I could decide sometime soon, because I would like to get myself into a program and start working out [and maybe] graduate early and maybe play some spring ball," he said.

The University of Utah has released the list of baseball players it signed to national letters of intent, and it is a fairly impressive one.

The Utes have signed eight players, including three Utah high schoolers and two junior college players who played at Utah high schools.

The three local high school signees have been reported in these posts and in the pages of the Salt Lake Tribune. They are: Skyline middle infielder Tyler Yagi, Layton outfielder Gavin Green and Judge pitcher Joe Pond.

Utah prep football followers are familiar with Green and Pond, since both were quarterbacks for teams that lost in the championship games of the recent Utah prep football playoffs.

The two Utah juco signees are pitcher Chad Ellis, from Davis High by was of Salt Lake Community College, and Cooper Blanc, from Lehi High by was of Eastern Arizona CC.

Utah also signed catcher C.J. Cron of Mountain Point H.S. in Phoenix, catcher Jo Jo Shamar of Thousand Oaks, Calif., and pitcher Jordan Whatcott from Gilbert, Ariz.

Here's what Utah coach Bill Kinneberg had to say about the Utah prep signees:



Gavin Green: "Gavin is a great athlete with a lot of speed. He currently plays three sports, but once he devotes his full attention to baseball, we feel he should become a great college player."

Joe Pond: "He plays both football and baseball, so he is a tremendous athlete. We feel that once he focuses on baseball, his growth potential is sky-high. He's also a great student and a great leader."

Tyler Yagi: "Tyler is a good defensive player, very quick in the field. He will have the ability to play either shortstop or second, and he solidifies our middle infield for years to come."

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Nice to see that Utah Valley State College's wrestling program, the only college wrestling program in the state, remains committed to recruiting Utah kids.

The Wolverines announced today that they have signed former Morgan High wrestler Josh Wilson, a two-time state champion.

Wilson, who will wrestle in the 149-pound division, is currently on an LDS Church mission in Leeds, England. He was also recruited by Wyoming, Rider, Boston College and UC Davis.


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A few weeks ago, The Tribune reported that Cyprus High wrestler Matt Brown had committed to Iowa State and coach Cael Sanderson, the former Olympic Gold Medalist from Heber City. Brown signed with the Cyclones last week, but will go on an LDS Church mission before wrestling for the maroon and gold.

It would have been nice to see Brown at UVSC, but at this stage of the game, the Wolverines' program isn't elite enough to draw the likes of Brown, Springville's Justin Chamberlain or Wasatch's Jake Salazar.

   A 10th Utah high school senior boys' basketball player has signed with a Division I program, making the class of 2008 rank as one of the better classes in state history.

    The class doesn't have that superstar recruit like Shawn Bradley, Alex Jensen or Britton Johnsen, but has more depth than any in a long time.

    The latest to sign is Bountiful's 6-foot-10 center Ben Aird, who told The Recruiting Trail this morning that he has signed with Utah Valley State College. Aird said the chance to play for UVSC coach Dick Hunsaker clinched the deal.

    He also had offers from Tulane, Southern Utah, Dixie State College and Lafayette in basketball. A tight end on Bountiful's football team, Aird drew a little interest in that sport, but no solid offers.

    "I feel like I can make an impact right away at Utah Valley," he said. "I had a lot of options and offers, but it just felt right to go there. They are on the rise. I feel like I can be part of something big."

    We've had several posts about Aird's situation on this blog, but the story is probably worth re-iterating: Aird was a big-time prospect as a freshman and sophomore, and the University of Utah under coach Ray Giacoletti offered him a scholarship.

    But some coaches felt like he didn't improve, and the offer was withdrawn. For his part, Aird has always wanted to go to BYU. However, Cougar coaches didn't give him the time of day, perhaps feeling like the big guy didn't fit coach Dave Rose's style.

    It will be interesting to see whether Aird -- a rugged, physical player -- can make the Utes and Cougars regret not taking him when they had the chance.

    He had 17 points and nine rebounds in Bountiful's 70-54 season-opening win over Syracuse on Tuesday night.

    ------------------------

    If there is going to be an 11th signing, it might come from Woods Cross center Patrick Day, a 6-foot-10 late bloomer. Washington State was in to watch him at practice a week ago, and Arizona State has also expressed some interest lately. Day scored 17 ponts and made three three-pointers in a 47-41 win over Hillcrest last night.

    In case you've missed the other nine local signings, here they are:

    Brighton's Jace Tavita -- Utah

    Logan's Charles Abouo -- BYU

    Sky View's Jordan Stone -- Utah State

    Clearfield's Nick Thompson -- Weber State

    Woods Cross' Holton Hunsaker -- Louisiana Tech

    Lone Peak's Josh Sharp -- Utah

    Lone Peak's Justin Hamilton -- Iowa State

    Lone Peak's Bracken Funk -- Fresno State

    Judge Memorial's Noel Hollingsworth -- Brown

   

We've had plenty of news on Utah and BYU's football recruiting efforts, prompting some Utah State fans to ask about getting some love for the Aggies.

One of the problems we face when dealing with the Aggies is that their coaches tend to be tight-lipped about their recruiting efforts for fear that other coaches will see who the Aggies like and jump on those prospects as well.

That said, we've learned that the Aggies have made a scholarship offer to Alex Harbison, a cornerback at Diablo Valley (Calif.) Junior College. Harbison, a 6-foot, 175-pound athlete, just completed his sophomore season at the junior college and will have three years to play two.

The product of Pinole High in California finished the year with more than 30 tackles, four interceptions and 15 pass breakups. Harbison was recruited by several WAC and Mountain West schools after high school, but was not academically qualified.

"Utah State wants me to visit soon and so do Oregon and Ole Miss. Nothing has been set up though," Harbison told a junior college recruiting Web site.

The news today from the University of Utah's swimming and diving program doesn't say much about the quality of high school swimming in Utah.

The Utes signed six athletes -- four women and two men -- to national letters of intent in what new coach Greg Winslow is calling the best class in recent history (how would he know?), and not one of the swimmers or divers is from Utah.

The class includes four high school All-Americans, according to a school news release.

The recruits include Whitney Lopus, a fly swimmer from Scottsdale, Ariz.; Hannah Caron, a multiple-event swimmer from Raleigh, N.C.; Sarah Cox, a back, fly and IM swimmer from Scottsdale, Ariz., and Lauren Estes, a breaststroker from Estes Park, Colo.

The male class includes Eric Bonicelli, a fly specialist from Kansas City, Mo., and Major Robinson, a backstroker from Missoula, Mont.

Jim Boylen, the new University of Utah basketball coach, will venture into Utah County tonight, but presumably not to sample the nightlife or check out LaVell Edwards Stadium in advance of Saturday's big football game.

Nope. Boylen plans on attending tonight's Provo at Lone Peak boys basketball game along with at least one of his assistants.

Of course, Boylen has already signed one of Lone Peak's top players, 6-foot-7 Josh Sharp.

But mostly he will be there to look at (and be seen by) Lone Peak junior Tyler Haws and Provo junior Brandon Davies.

The Utes have already offered Haws a scholarship, while Davies is sort of a sleeper with raw natural ability whom all the state's Division I programs are keeping an eye on.

Got word earlier today that one of the state's top high school pitchers, Lone Peak righthander Daniel Sechrest, will sign with BYU on Tuesday in a ceremony at his school in Highland.

Along with Cottonwood's Kyle Beverley (Oregon State) and Viewmont's Christopher Larsen (North Carolina State), Sechrest is one of the most heavily recruited baseball players in the state this year.

The 6-foot-7 flamethrower will have a former teammate on BYU's team, lefty Daniel Welch.

Of course, the Cougars can't totally count on having Sechrest. He will probably be picked in June's Major League Baseball draft, and then will have a difficult decision to make: Pro or college baseball?

Sechrest was recruited by Washington State, Army, Louisville, Texas, Texas A&M and others, his mother said.

When the early signing period began last week, Timpanogos' Brett Lopez signed with the Cougars. A BYU spokesperson said the school will likely release all its baseball signings later this week.

The Cougars are reportedly also interested in Spanish Fork pitcher Devin Nelson, while Timpanogos pitcher Gentry Croft is ticketed to the College of Southern Nevada.

Woods Cross guard Holton Hunsaker, son of Utah Valley State coach Dick Hunsaker, made it official last week. He signed with Louisiana Tech, after having committed to coach Kerry Rupp in October.

"I am very excited about the future of Louisiana Tech men's basketball with the signing of Holton," Rupp said. "He is not only a gifted point guard, but an exceptional young man."

Hunsaker has been the Wildcats' starting point guard the past three years and has averaged around 17 points and five assists per game during his high school career.

"He's been raised by one of the best in the business," Rupp said. "Holton's love and passion for the game along with his outstanding skill set and leadership abilities will impact our program immediately upon his return from his LDS mission."

Meanwhile, Lone Peak High had a pair of players sign with out-of-state schools. Forward Bracken Funk signed with Fresno State and Justin Hamilton signed with Iowa State.

   The outcome of Saturday's rivalry football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium will have little or no impact on recruiting of in-state athletes, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham both said at their news conferences on Monday.

    That's mostly because recruiting is being done earlier and earlier every year and both schools have nearly promised out all of their scholarships, both coaches said.

    Here's what each coach said about the topic on Monday:

    Mendenhall: "This year I wouldn't anticipate it because the majority of our class is already committed. In terms of years to come, It is hard to say because I believe we are really looking for two different types of recruits. Here, with the opportunity these players have with their religious experience, with the high academic standards and the type of social setting this is, it is really quite a distinctive choice between ourselves and Utah.

    There might be a number of kids each year that we cross over [each other] on, but it really isn't as much as what most people think."

    Whittingham: "Recruiting is so accelerated now, there's not that much left undone. I think each school has only a few spots left. It is not like it used to be when guys would wait until February to [commit]. It's just not the same.Yes, it might have a little impact, but nothing like five, six or seven years ago."

    The Cougars have Utes have both offered to Timpanogos High defensive end David Kruger and Alta High running back Sausan Shakerin. However, when asked if the outcome will have any impact on any in-state recruit's choice (without mentioning names), Whittingham gave a resounding "No."

    Asked whether a recruit has ever mentioned that game as a reason to attend or not attend a specific school, Whittingham gave another "No."

We've written quite a bit about Snow College's football program lately, and for good reason. The Badgers are ranked No. 1 in the nation and will play for the national championship against Butler (Kan.) Community College on Dec. 1 at Rice Eccles Stadium.

Here's some more good recruiting stuff from coach Steve Coburn:

Snow receiver Adam Frandsen is visiting Troy University in Alabama this weekend. The Trojans' offensive coordinator, Tony Franklin, was in Ephraim last Monday looking at several Badgers and may make some other scholarship offers shortly.

"Troy's coaches like us because when we say we have a 6-foot-4, 250-pound kid, that kid is really 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds," Coburn said. "They trust us."

Other Snow players that are being looked at by D-I schools include wide receiver Troy Cummings of Las Vegas (Oklahoma State has expressed interest.

Northern Arizona is looking at linebackers Shane Hunter (Idaho Falls) and Josh Sharp (Emery High). New Mexico State is recruiting defensive linemen Chris Romero (Las Vegas) and Casey Davis (Riverton High).

So who do the Badgers like from the high school ranks? Junior college coaches have a little more leeway in discussing recruits before they have signed than NCAA coaches.

Coburn said the Badgers have offered Union quarterback Rhen Richard, North Summit's Drew Robinson, American Fork's Zac Emosa and Patrick Ah of Kahuku, Haw.

With Dixie State College no longer a junior college, Snow coaches now often find themselves recruiting against Southern Utah and Weber State, Coburn said.

By all accounts, BYU is getting a very good football player in Coleby Clawson, the speed rusher from Snow College that coach Bronco Mendenhall got a commitment from earlier this week.

I remember watching Clawson when he wrestled and played football for North Sanpete High and thinking to myself, "That kid is pretty quick for being so big."

While talking to Snow coach Steve Coburn the other night, the coach mentioned that his best offensive lineman, Andrew Mitchell, was also on the visit to Provo with Clawson.

While there, Mitchell received a scholarship offer from the Cougars, the 10th team to offer the big 6-foot-5, 300-pound tackle from Oklahoma.

Mitchell, who started at Dixie State College before going on an LDS Church mission to California, also has offers from Kansas, Kansas State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, Troy, North Carolina State, Central Florida and Arizona, Coburn said.

He wasn't really considering BYU, the coach said, but the visit "has opened his eyes a little bit to what BYU has to offer" and he was pleasantly surprised when Mendenhall offered.

Mitchell told scout.com that he has visits scheduled to Arizona, Arizona State, North Carolina State, Oklahoma and Kansas State, although he may switch the K-State trip for one to Central Florida.

He paid for his visit to BYU so that doesn't count against his five-trip allotment.

"I really can't say who the leader is," Mitchell said. "I wish I could tell you right now, but I really can't say until I see those schools on my visits."

We will have more on other Snow College players who are getting Division I offers in a subsequent post, as well as a look at some of the local prep players the Badgers are interested in.

Maybe there's a reason why Oregon State has won the last two NCAA national baseball championships. The Beavers apparently have a crack sports information staff.

The early signing period for baseball was today, and already Oregon State has announced the 11 student-athletes who have signed national letters of intent to join the Beavers.

Of course, one of those 11 is Cottonwood High star Kyle Beverley. As reported by The Recruiting Trail, Beverley committed to coach Pat Casey in September.

Beverley is ranked No. 187 nationally by Baseball America among high school players. He was a first-team all-stater as a junior with a state-high 11 home runs.

"He is a kid that can play anywhere in the infield or outfield," Casey said in the release. "He's more of a third baseman-type player. We really like his bat. He has a lot of offensive potential and is a good runner. He came from the same school as [current OSU pitcher] Tanner Robles so we really liked him and have seen him play a lot."

Former Jordan High star Garrett Nash is also on OSU's roster.

Of course, BYU signed Timpanogos' Brett Lopez today and Utah inked Judge's Joe Pond, Skyline's Tyler Yagi and Layton's Gavin Green, but neither of those schools have sent out any information on those players yet.

Just got word that Judge Memorial golfer Andrew Etzel, the 3-A state golf champion at the recent meet at Soldier Hollow Golf Club, has signed with the University of Utah. Etzel's stepfather is former Utah golf coach Wayne Fisher.

Pens were flying and fax machines humming today as the NCAA's early signing period began for major sports other than football and women's soccer. The signing period for those sports begins in February.

Most notably, today is the day that most basketball recruits will sign on the dotted line.

However, schools such as BYU and Utah likely won't release their lists of signees until Friday or maybe even next week.

Here's our list of where some of Utah's top high school athletes are going, however, based on oral commitments they made in the days leading up to today.

We've reported almost all of these commitments previously, both here and in the printed version of The Salt Lake Tribune. My colleague Michael C. Lewis has an update on Utah's basketball recruiting on his blog at http://blogs.sltrib.com/utehoops/index.htm.

The latest decision is Viewmont baseball player Christopher Larsen, whose father said today that he will sign with North Carolina State.

Know of any other in-state signings taking place today or this week? Send me an e-mail (drew@sltrib.com) and I will get them posted here.

Men's Basketball Commitments
Brighton's Jace Tavita -- Utah
Logan's Charles Abouo -- BYU
Sky View's Jordan Stone -- Utah State
Clearfield's Nick Thompson -- Weber State
Woods Cross' Holton Hunsaker -- Louisiana Tech
Lone Peak's Josh Sharp -- Utah
Lone Peak's Justin Hamilton -- Iowa State
Lone Peak's Bracken Funk -- Fresno State
Judge's Noel Hollingsworth -- Brown

Women's Basketball Commitments
Box Elder's Mandy Munns -- Utah
Bingham's Erika Newbold -- Utah Valley State College
Beaver's Morgan Wood -- Southern Utah
Skyline's Dani Peterson -- BYU
Timpview's Alexis Kaufusi -- BYU
Spanish Fork's Jenna Johnson -- Utah Valley State College
Lone Peak's Amanda Farish -- Southern Utah
Skyline's Jenteal Jackson -- BYU
Davis' Dani Hosking -- Southern Utah
Canyon View's Cassie Platt -- Southern Utah
Layton's Sheila Adams -- Idaho State

Baseball Commitments

Viewmont's Christopher Larsen -- North Carolina State

Judge's Joe Pond -- Utah

Cottonwood's Kyle Beverly -- Oregon State

Skyline's Tyler Yagi -- Utah

Timpanogos' Brett Lopez -- BYU

Layton's Gavin Green -- Utah

Viewmont/CSN's Braeden Schlehuber -- Arkansas

Cottonwood/CSN's Easton Gust -- San Diego State

Volleyball Commitments
Springville's Samantha Sumsion -- BYU
Skyline's Chelsey Fa'alago -- Utah Valley State College
Cottonwood's Melissa Fifita -- Utah Valley State College
Alta's Corinne Crump -- Utah

The preceding post about Snow College football recruits was only a few hours old when we got a call about another Badger who made a commitment to BYU on Tuesday.

Coleby Clawson, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound sack specialist who played high school football at nearby North Sanpete High became the 21st player to commit to the Cougars.

"Coleby Clawson is one of the best football players we've ever coached at Snow College," said head coach Steve Coburn in confirming the commitment. "It's a great pickup for [BYU coach] Bronco Mendenhall."

The Cougars also have a commitment from Clawson's Snow College teammate, defensive lineman Tevita Hola, who also goes by the name of David Hola. The previous post said Hola was from Oregon. He has family there, but he played high school football at Granger.

Clawson was on BYU's campus on Tuesday with teammate Andrew Mitchell, another highly recruited lineman. Mitchell did not commit because he has visits scheduled to Oklahoma State, Arizona and Arizona State.

From Mount Pleasant, Clawson was an all-state football player and championship wrestler at North Sanpete. He has 10 sacks and 44 tackles for the Badgers, who will play for the national championship on Dec. 1 in the Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Congratulations to Snow College, which will play for the NJCAA national football championship in Salt Lake City on Dec. 1 against Butler Community College of Kansas.
Both football teams are undefeated.
BYU football fans not in sunny San Diego that day for the Cougars-Aztecs game and Utah fans needing another football fix might want to check out that "Zions Bank Top of the Mountain Bowl" because several future Utes and Cougars could be on display.
For instance, BYU already has a commitment from Tevita Hola, a 6-foot-1, 310-pound Snow College defensive tackle from Oregon. Hola committed last May. The Cougars are also interested in Snow receiver Adam Frandsen, a former Box Elder High standout. Frandsen made 29 catches for 630 yards last year for the Badgers, but hasn't been used as much this season, partly because the Badgers have played their reserves in the second halves of most games.
Frandsen, who was also an excellent basketball player in high school, reportedly runs the 40 in 4.55 seconds. He has 24 catches for 377 yards and six TDs this season.
Frandsen said he will visit Troy on Dec. 7 and that the Trojans have offered. He has talked to Kansas State and Washington State, but has not been offered from either BCS school.
Last year, the Utes landed running back Matt Asiata out of Snow, but he was injured in the first game of the season, against Oregon State.

Scratch another recruit off Utah's wish list.

One of the defensive ends that Utah has made an offer to, Dominique Austin of Bishop Amat High in La Puente, Calif., has orally committed to Arizona, according to the Web site Wildcatinsider.com.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound star also received offers from Nevada, San Diego State and Colorado State.

BYU's football program has only a few scholarships left to dole out to the class of 2008, coach Bronco Mendenhall has said.

And he hasn't been subtle about getting the word out there that it has turned into a "first-come, first-serve" situation for the five or six players who still have offers from the Cougars.

That said, there's one player whom the Cougars will almost certainly save a scholarship for, and it might not be Alta running back Sausan Shakerin or Timpanogos defensive lineman David Kruger.

It is Hamani Stevens, an offensive lineman from Hemet, Calif., who some recruiting services say is one of the top five players at his position (center) in the country. Stevens is LDS and his older brother attended BYU.

Trouble is, some of the top programs in the country want the 6-foot-2, 290-pound star. He has already visited Arizona State and Colorado and has a visit to Oregon scheduled for Dec. 1. He plans on visiting BYU on Dec. 11 and may also visiit UCLA.

Besides his size and football talents, Stevens has another thing going for him that college recruiters absolutely love: He could graduate high school in December.

That's huge, because then Stevens could be eligible to enroll at a college in January and participate in spring practice. Receiver McKay Jacobson did that a few years ago for BYU and had a strong freshman season before leaving on a church mission to Japan.

"I am already qualified for college and my high school said I could graduate early," he told devilsdigest.com, an Arizona State recruiting Web site. "It's just up to me if I wanna do that or just enjoy the rest of my senior year."

Then the senior said something that could prove to be alarming to BYU coaches: "I could make a decision before I take all my visits."

   High school players and their parents often talk about the importance of getting to play in front of college coaches and how much that will affect their chances of earning college scholarships. Heck, the plea for a temporary restraining order that the three suspended American Fork players and their parents filed last week used that as the primary reason why they should have been allowed to play against Layton.
A judge threw out the request without even hearing the UHSAA argue against it. But what happens when a potential recruit finally gets his or her shot on the big stage, then has a subpar performance? That's what Union High quarterback Rhen Richard was thinking Friday after his team was blitzed 49-20 by Judge Memorial in a 3-A semifinal. Richard, one of those players who has been "on the bubble" for a big-time Division I offer all season, threw for 424 yards and two touchdowns. But the 6-foot-3, 200-pound athlete was intercepted twice and completed just 22 of 51 pass attempts.
"I probably hurt my chances. Who knows?" he said.
What a lot of people may not have known is that Richard was injured on the first play of the game, and suffered back spasms the rest of the way. He said the injury affected his ability to run and throw, but refused to use that as an excuse.
"I had back spasms the whole game. I coudn't breathe," he said. "The first play of the game, the kid was wrapped up and I just him him as hard as I could, and I must have pinched a nerve. But I just played through it."
Richard said he really wants to play college football, but a career as a professional rodeo cowboy also awaits. He said if he doesn't get a big-time scholarship offer soon, he will probaby go straight to the pro rodeo circuit.
"I already have my PRCA card, and I have made the circuit finals [in Ogden] already, so I might go in that direction," he said. Richard was the national all-around cowboy champion at last summer's national high school rodeo finals in Illinois and could go to any college rodeo program in the country on scholarship. But he doubts he will do that. It's either big-time college football or big-time rodeo, he said.
"All I have right now is offers from Southern Utah and Snow College [for football]," he said. "Weber State has been calling me. I've talked to Utah's coaches at a couple of games, but they haven't offered me anything."
Richard said he didn't see any college coaches watching him on Friday.
"If I got an offer from Utah, I would go here," he said. "Boise State has been talking to me a little, and BYU has been talking to me, too, but not as much.

I ran across an interesting article in The Seattle Times the other day about college basketball recruiting.

The newspaper surveyed 82 Division I men's basketball coaches about their thoughts on recruiting. Here are some of the more noteworthy findings:

Coaches were asked if they could change one rule about the recruiting process, what would it be.

Eight said they would go back to allowing text messaging on cell phones.

Four said they would allow prospects to sign national letters of intent within a short period of time after committing.

Three said they would allow tryouts by visiting recruits.

Three said they would like unlimited recruit evaluation days.

Three said they would curb summer recruiting.

Three said they would limit recruiting to high schools and cut out recruiting at AAU and similar club tournaments.

One said coaches should get 100 evaluation days per year, but should be able to decide what days those should be, rather than have the NCAA decide.

The coaches were asked how many times they text-messaged recruits when that practice was allowed. Here's the breakdown:

Less than 5: 26

5-20 times: 27

20-40 times: 16

40-75 tiimes: 10

Naturally, Alta running back Sausan Shakerin and Bingham's four Division I recruits -- Iona Pritchard, Derek Tuimauga, Justin Sorensen and Austin Holt -- will be on display Friday when the Hawks and Miners tangle in a much-anticipated 5-A prep football semifinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Certainly, all give athletes are worthy of the attention they've been given, although Shakerin has yet to commit to a Division I program.

There will be another player on the field, however, who I think deserves a look from Division I coaches. I've seen Alta play four or five times this season, and I have yet to see anyone handle Hawks defensive end Derek Keller.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Keller had five sacks last week against one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the state, Timpanogos' Christian Stewart. He totally outplayed one of the sure-fire D-I prospects on the field, Timpanogos' David Kruger.

Keller is athletic, quick and seemingly has the type of frame that looks like it could handle 25-30 more pounds. He's also above-average in the classroom, according to coach Less Hamilton.

So why isn't anyone recruiting this kid?

"It's been kind of slow," Keller acknowledged. "I have talked a little with BYU and a little with Utah, but [neither] have offered. They give me tickets to their games, but that's about it."

Keller said he talked to Snow College coaches when he was at their camp last summer, but other than that the interest is minimal.

"My preference is go to either BYU or Utah. I would kill to go to BYU or Utah," he said.

Watch for yourself Friday at Rice-Eccles as Keller goes against Bingham's massive and talented offensive line.

Someone is missing out on this kid.

Talk about casting a wide net.

Going by what is listed on the major recruiting Web sites -- which are generally pretty accurate, I believe -- the University of Utah still has about 45-50 football scholarship offers on the table to the class of 2008.

It might be substantially more than that.

Utah has 10 commitments after getting a pledge from Arizona receiver Luke Matthews last week. Those commitments are listed below.

Coach Kyle Whittingham has said that the Utes only have five or six scholarships still available. Fifteen or 16 for one year seems like a low number, but a lot of the yearly allotment of scholarships will go to walk-ons, return missionaries and late qualifiers and/or transfers.

For instance, missionaries Tony Bergstrom, Greg Bird, Afa Carrigan and Grayson Dart will return prior to the 2008 season and take up slots. Jordan Nelson, Chaz Walker and Terrell Cole are among the walk-ons that will get scholarships and Lavelle Peterson, Isley Filiaga, Thor Salanoa and Reggie Topps are transfers or late qualifiers that will count toward the total.

There may be more I'm not aware of.

The Utes think they have a good shot at several four or five-star recruits, most notably Alta High running back Sausan Shakerin, Kahuku, Haw., lineman Benji Kemoeatu and Hawaii defensive tackle Geordano Hanohano.

They are keeping a close eye on top recruits who may want to go to USC or a school like that, but find out at the last minute that USC is all filled up. So, the Utes like to have a spot or two open for situations like that.

Along with Shakerin, Timpanogos lineman David Kruger and Cottonwood linebacker Lynn Katoa (who's probably headed out-of-state), the only other Utah prep player with a scholarship offer from the Utes in hand is Judge athlete Lewis Walker.

However, the Utes like a few others, some of whom may be "invited" to walk-on. Good luck getting those names out of them, however.

There are some in-state guys they like throughout the state, but don't like to make that information available.

From talking to prep coaches and the like, that list probably includes Alta lineman Derek Keller, Alta linebacker Jefferson Court, Union quarterback Rhen Richard, Pine View linebacker Jared Worthington and quarterback Nick Marinko, Bingham running back Sam Langi and linebacker Forrest Dabb and Layton running back James Adams.


Utah Football Commitments -- Class of 2008
Player High School/Hometown Position

Derek Tuimauga Bingham/South Jordan OL

Sealver Siliga Copper Hills/West Jordan DL

Kendrick Moeai Copper Hills/West Jordan WR

Sam Brenner Oceanside, Calif. OL

Siaki Cravens Temecula, Calif. TE

Zach Davila Vail, Ariz. OL

Ryan Lacy Roseville, Calif. RB

Lamar Chapman El Camino J.C. DB

Cole Loftin Aledo, Texas QB/WR

Luke Matthews Phoenix, Ariz. WR

The Tribune will have a small mention in the next day or two that Cottonwood High volleyball star Kaili Aiono, the 2006 4-A Most Valuable Player, has committed to play volleyball for No. 1-ranked Salt Lake Community College.

That's not necessarily huge news.

There's an interesting little behind-the-scenes story about it, however, that reaches into the top level of college football recruiting. Heck, it might even help the Utes or Cougars land a five-star recruit, although that's a bit of a stretch.

Cottonwood linebacker Lynn Katoa, the blue-chip recruit who has been offfered by almost 100 schools in the country, including Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, USC, Colorado and the like -- happens to be Aiono's boyfriend.

According to several recruiting insiders, Katoa has asked several of those schools about the possibility of taking the couple as a package deal -- giving him a football scholarship and Aiono a volleyball scholarship.

Apparently, Aiono's commitment to the Bruins ends those requests.

But who knows? Katoa is still uncommitted to a school, and there are a couple of decent football programs -- although certainly not the caliber of the aforementioned -- within an hour's drive of SLCC.

------------------------

Aiono isn't the only Colt who has made her college intentions known recently. Cottonwood outside hitter Melissa Fifita has orally committed to play for Utah Valley State College. She helped the Colts take the 4-A state championship last year and a fifth-place finish at state this year.

One of the players that the University of Utah brought in to talk to the media at coach Kyle Whittingham's news conference today was defensive end Paul Kruger.

Naturally, The Recruiting Trail had a question for the Utah redshirt freshman.

"What's your little brother going to do?"

Kruger's little brother, of course, is Timpanogos High lineman David Kruger, a four-star recruit whom both BYU and Utah covet.

"I can't tell ya," Paul Kruger said. "I think he is just waiting around to hear from a few other schools. The end of the season is drawing to a close, so he should have a decision pretty soon. As far as anything concrete, I can't tell you."

Paul said his brother has some "big-time, out-of-state schools" still recruiting him. The head recruiting expert from rivals.com was at his last game, Timpanogos' 35-28 loss to Alta in the 5-A quarterfinals, but couldn't get much out of David, either.

"He's definitely raised some eyebrows, so I hope he gets the best opportunity that he can and goes where he want to," Paul Kruger said. "I just help him understand what to look for, and how to decypher what he wants. But ultimately I want it to be his decision and I want him to do what he wants to do and what he feels is right for himself."

The Krugers will go through the same process in two years, because Timpanogos also features 6-foot-7 Joe Kruger, a sophomore and the younger brother of Paul and David.

"Joe is a big boy, but he's pretty quick for his size," Paul said. "He could be awesome, and he plays basketball, too."

What follows is some leftover stuff from my internet post and newspaper article last week about BYU's football recruiting and my chat with coach Bronco Mendenhall and a source who knows a lot about BYU's recruiting this year.

Once again, neither Mendenhall nor any of his coaches talked about a specific recruit or prospect, which is an NCAA rules violation. The fact that I quoted Mendenhall and then the football department source in subsequent paragraphs may have led some to believe that Mendenhall was the source. He wasn't.

* Earlier in the day, the Cougars' sports information department sent out some information making a case for BYU to get some votes in the national rankings. I asked Mendenhall if he had ever had a recruit bring up BYU's national ranking or national standing.

"I haven't," he said.

Then I asked him if a recruit has ever brought up conference affiliation.

"Certainly," he said. "We do battle against the Pac-10 frequently, especially among our West Coast recruits. I think the general perception is they view that league as superior."

* BYU is aware of rumors that Utah State quarterback Riley Nelson, who is currently on an LDS Church mission, is supposedly interested in transferring to BYU when he gets home.

First, the Cougars say they've neither seen nor heard anything from Nelson that would indicate those rumors are true. BYU believes the talk may be coming from one of Nelson's former church leaders in Logan who played for the Cougars years ago.

Second, BYU says it has never offered Nelson a scholarship, and is not sure it would have one available for him if he did decide to transfer.

Third, the source said BYU coaches as a rule do not contact players from other programs while those players are on missions even though new NCAA rules now allow contact after a year. Before, no contact could be made for 18 months.

* Some recruiting Web sites list up to 12 players that BYU has offered scholarships to. As reported previously, the source said the only offers still valid are to Hamani Stevens, Sausan Shakerin, David Kruger and O'Neill Chambers.

Asked specifically about Oxnard, Calif., fullback Ina Liaina, Kahuku slotback Paipai Falemalu, Union City, Calif., cornerback Rashad Evans and Moreno Valley, Calif., receiver William Jenkins, the source said that none of those players are on BYU's recruiting board. "Never heard of [Liaina and Evans]," he said.

As for Kevin Prince, an LDS quarterback from Encino, Calif., who is reportedly deciding between UCLA and Washington, the source said BYU coaches offered him last summer at their camp, but have withdrawn it due to lack of interest from both sides.

Greg Castillo, a defensive back/receiver from Philadelphia, was also offered at the camp. However, when Castillo didn't commit before a certain deadline, the offer was withdrawn.

Some sites claim that BYU has offered Kedron Paul, Chambers' best friend at Harmony High in Florida. Chambers has told several schools the pair want to sign as a package deal. The source said BYU has never offered Paul, whom they believe is undersized for Division I football.

* Ute fans who have made it to here may be wondering about a comprehensive look at their school's recruiting efforts. The Recruiting Trail strives for balance and hopes to have that post within the week.

We got a chance to talk to Iona Pritchard, the Bingham High linebacker and fullback who committed to BYU on Tuesday after receiving a late (for them) scholarship offer from the Cougars.

Pritchard said the typical things that recruits usually do, noting that he's been a BYU fan his whole life and talking about how much he likes the coaching staff in Provo.

He also said some interesting stuff about the recruiting process.

Iona (pronounced: YOH-na) said the night before BYU tendered the offer, he sent out a dozen or so highlight tapes of himself playing in Bingham's first eight games. Had the Cougars acted a day or two sooner, the senior and his family would have saved a lot of money in postage!

Pritchard had not received any other offers, but he was drawing interest from UNLV, Utah, Oregon, Vanderbilt and even some Ivy League schools, he said, partially due to his 3.6 grade point average and passing ACT score.

Pritchard turns 19 in January of 2009, so he could possibly play for the Cougars next fall before going on an LDS Church mission, which is his plan.

"A week ago, I had my doubts that things would go as I wanted them to, but suddenly everything has worked out,' he said.

Amazingly, Pritchard is the fourth Bingham senior to land a Division I scholarship, joining tight end Austin Holt (BYU), kicker Justin Sorensen (BYU) and lineman Derek Tuimauga (Utah).

Bingham coach Dave Peck told The Recruiting Trail that the Miners could have a fifth D-I kid. However, that senior, a running back, needs some major work in the classroom, especially in his core classes, to meet NCAA Clearinghouse requirements.

We'll cut him some slack and not list his name here, but as Pritchard said, "He might be the best player on our team."

At Bingham, that's saying something.

Rivals.com is reporting that Kenneth Frankson, a defensive end from Yates High in Texas, will take an official recruiting trip to Utah on Dec. 7.

Frankson also has offers from Hawaii and UTEP, the Web site said.

The prospect has four sacks this season for a team that is 8-0 with two regular season games remaining.

If you're not into college football, Saturday might be a good day to check out some of the top girls high school basketball players in the state in action.

Eight of the top players will be on display at the Intermountain Hoops Adidas Top Twenty Showcase.

The event will be held at Salt Lake Lutheran High School on November 3. The Showcase will consist of four all star games. The event schedule is as follows:

4:15 p.m. -- Top 20 Underclass Game

5:30 p.m. -- Top 20 Junior Game

6:45 p.m. -- Top 20 Senior Game

8 p.m. -- Top 20 Game

Additional information concerning the event, including rosters and player information is available at www.intermountainhoops.com .