re: Class of 2015 Recruiting MEGATHREAD - Twilight Edition

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Suspect in UGA dorm burglary is a 5-star recruiting prospect

Athens — UGA Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of a 5-star recruiting prospect who was attending Georgia’s Dawg Night camp this past weekend.
Darnell Saloman, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound wide receiver from Hollywood, Fla., has been identified as the suspect accused of entering the unlocked suite of two female students in Busbee Hall this past Saturday morning and stealing an iPhone5 and a wallet containing cash and credit cards. His name was listed on the UGA’s daily police activity log Wednesday morning.
Saloman’s coach at Champagnat Catholic School in Hialeah, Fla., said his Saloman is innocent.
“When the facts in the case come out we’re all sure Darnell Salomon will be cleared of all charges,” coach Mike Tunsil told 247Sports.com.
Saloman, a Class of 2016 prospect, is considered a Top 3 wide receiver recruit in Florida and carries a 5-star composite ranking from 247Sports.com. He attends Champagnat Catholic School in Hialeah, Fla. In addition to Georgia, he holds scholarship offers from Georgia Tech, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State and LSU, among others.
According to an incident report released to the AJC on Monday, UGA Police were dispatched to Rooker Hall in the East Campus Village area of campus in reference to a burglary that occurred in Busbee Hall early Saturday morning. Two female residents who are also UGA athletes reported they were awakened about 7:30 a.m. Saturday to find an unknown black male inside their unlocked residence without permission. After the perpetrator fled, they found they were missing a wallet containing credit cards and an iPhone5 cell phone.
Williamson said an investigation of the incident and the previous night’s activities led to the identification of Soloman. By the time the police contacted UGA football administrators, the suspect had already left campus to return to Florida.
“Coach (Mark) Richt is aware of the incident over the weekend and the UGA Police are handling the appropriate police investigation,” UGA spokesman Claude Felton said.
Saloman’s name is spelled “Salomon” on recruiting websites, but not in the police reports.

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They may not give the postgame interviews or get the glory on touchdown highlights, but offensive attacks can't function without strong performances from the big boys. Offensive linemen must counter an increasingly athletic crop of pass-rushers and defensive tackles while handling intricate blitz schemes and everything else the opposition throws their way.

Players with superior size who can create rushing lanes and protect the passer on a consistent basis quickly become coveted college prospects. Many of the nation's best blockers journeyed to Beaverton, Oregon, earlier this month to test their skills against elite completion at Nike's The Opening.

The event plays a paramount role in summer re-evaluations of the current recruiting cycle and resulted in newly released 247Sports composite rankings for the 2015 class. Bleacher Report watched the trench battles in Beaverton and continued to analyze 2013 game film to provide analysis on the nation's 10 top-rated offensive linemen, according to composite rankings.



This article is a part of Bleacher Report's CFB 200 Recruiting Rankings Series. The overall rankings are based on 247Sports Composite, which takes into account every recruiting service's rankings. The positional rankings also correspond with those composite scores. Stay tuned over the next two weeks as we take an in-depth look at college football's stars of tomorrow.

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9. Drew Richmond, Memphis University High School (Memphis, Tennessee)

Trending: Up

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: Tennessee (46 percent); Ohio State (39 percent); Ole Miss (7 percent); Alabama (4 percent); Memphis (4 percent)

Guys gravitated toward Drew Richmond during The Opening due to his sense of humor. They respected him because of his skills as a blocker.

The 6'5", 320-pound offensive tackle provided some highlight blocks during the three-day stretch in Beaverton and appeared to implement new lessons he learned from instructors.

Richmond does a great job at the point of contact, rolling his hips and punching through the defender. He was a little overanxious at times, and that cost him, but it was an impressive performance overall.

He seemed to take better angles than what showed up on game tape, but of course, there's a big difference between drills and live-game action when linebackers enter the equation. Richmond is ridiculously strong for a high school student and can get away with some mistakes by simply overpowering his opponent.

His reach in pass protection is solid but not spectacular. It would be interesting to see how Richmond would adapt to playing guard if asked to make that transition in college.

The outlook here is that he would benefit from a year on the sidelines, cleaning up his technique and building even more strength. Whenever Richmond is deemed ready to take on a starting role, he has plenty of promise.

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5. Lester Cotton, Central High School (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

Trending: Up

Committed to: Alabama

Lester Cotton brings rare range to the guard position, as he's balanced as a run-blocker and in pass protection. During drills at The Opening, he displayed elite mobility for a 6'4", 325-pound lineman.

It was eye-opening to see him smoothly kick-slide in both directions to cut off angles. He projects as an extremely effective lead blocker who can pave the way when he pulls and escorts running backs downfield.

Cotton is sturdy and stout, showing off impressive power that pairs perfectly with his lateral agility. He withstood bull-rush efforts from top-tier defensive tackles and never appeared panicked if initially beaten off the ball.

His composure stood out in Beaverton, where other offensive linemen clearly began to cave mentally after suffering a series of bad reps. Cotton is a true competitor who can handle the challenge of taking on burly linemen or blitzing linebackers.

He was a standout performer in a group that featured three Alabama commits.

"It's exciting to work with these guys already because we're going to be doing big things together in the future," Cotton said after drills in Oregon. "Everyone wants to prove they belong here."

His effort warranted the No. 1 national ranking among offensive guards. Rest assured, he earned that title.

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