Carl Lawson Eliminates Ole Miss and LSU

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The most exciting place in the state of Georgia to follow football recruiting over the next three weeks may be at Milton High School.
Milton has one prospect (defensive end Carl Lawson) who is ranked as the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect by ESPN, and another (tailback Peyton Barber) who may be the state’s hottest prospect, picking up an offer from Texas this past week.
Ironically, both players are committed to particular schools but still visiting other ones – which has ignited a recruiting frenzy.
Lawson is the state’s best prospect not named Nkemdiche. He is officially committed to Auburn but checking out options due to the coaching change.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder went to Clemson last week, is visiting Tennessee this weekend, and is scheduled to go to North Carolina next week. He hasn’t finalized plans for Feb. 1 but will likely return to Auburn to meet again with the new staff.
Two schools that are out of the sweepstakes are LSU and Ole Miss.
“(LSU assistant) Brick Haley talked to Carl the other day,” Milton coach Howie DeCristofaro said. “After he left, I asked Carl ‘You interested?’ He was like, ‘I don’t know, coach. Let me think about it.’ He came back 30 minutes later and said ‘Coach, if they call, tell them no thanks. They just got in so late, and I don’t really know much about them.’”
Ole Miss is the leader for Robert Nkemdiche but the Rebels are out of the mix for Lawson. “From what I understand, that’s out of the equation,” DeCristofaro said. “Carl never gave me a reason. I just asked if he was going to visit Ole Miss and he said, ‘No, I don’t think so, coach.’ I didn’t really press him on why. If there was a reason, he would’ve told me.”
There was speculation that Ole Miss might have an inside connection to Lawson because his teammate, Barber, is officially committed to Rebels.
But Barber is also looking around, not because of any Ole Miss coaching changes, but because he wants “to make sure I’m making the right decision.”
Barber entered recruiting’s national spotlight this week when Texas offered a late scholarship. How often does Texas offer a Georgia tailback? Aren’t they supposed to manufacture them in Texas?
“It was a pretty humbling experience,” Barber said. “I didn’t expect to get offered by Texas. The (assistant) who was recruiting me for Arizona State took a job at Texas and still wants me.”
Barber is visiting Tennessee this weekend, will go to Texas on Thursday and then arrive at Ole Miss on Friday night. He will also likely visit Auburn at some point. “Gus Malzahn wants him bad because he’s a big back, and that’s what he wants in that offense,” DeCristofaro said.
There’s an interesting connection between Barber and Tennessee: His mother graduated from Tennessee and worked as a recruiting host in the football office. Barber said his aunt also attended Tennessee and went on a date with Vols legend Reggie White.
What about Ole Miss? “I feel like I’m still committed there,” Barber said. “I really don’t see myself going anywhere else. I’m just trying to weigh my options and make sure I’m making the right decision by visiting these schools.”

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