Just For Stallion #2

[50's PONY]

Recruiting 2004
The JUCO players and teams that'll have the most impact


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By Richard Cirminiello

Blue chip prep stars are recruited for the future of a program. Junior-college standouts are recruited for today. When a kid from a two-year school is signed, he’s expected to pay immediate dividends. These athletes who build a following at anonymous institutions with names like Dodge City and Snow College are the quickest means for a coach to fill a pressing need. And why not? He’s filled out since leaving high school, more mature and better prepared to make a quick transition to the Division-I level. He also has a window of opportunity of just two or three years rather than four or five.


What helps transform a junior-college transfer into a star is dependent on so much more than just raw physical skills. All the highly recruited kids can play. However, the ones that will play hinges on something other than just 40 times and height and weight. Making an impact requires a kid to land in the proper environment. The kind of situation that brings out his best and allows him to play early in his career. Put even the best junior-college running back on Minnesota, and he’s destined for two seasons of relative inactivity.

Keeping with the concept of immediacy, this year’s JUCO rankings focus on more than just talent alone. This year’s rankings combine talent with opportunity in an effort to uncover which players are primed to make the biggest splash in 2004.

Top JUCO Recruiting Classes
1. USC – Trojans’ trio of Taitusi Lutui, Scott Ware and Ryan Powdrell is a mini-Who’s Who of the brightest junior college stars of the current recruiting season. Each player is universally considered the standard bearer for his respective position.

2. Texas A&M – Aggies’ need for an immediate infusion of talent sent the coaching staff to places like Compton, El Dorado and Senatobia. They returned with a very nice collection of athletes, particularly at the linebacker position.

3. LSU – The rich just keep on getting richer. Tigers’ recruiting exploits have not been limited to 18-year olds. Claude Wroten, Mario Stevenson and E.J. Kuale are all defensive stalwarts, who’ll benefit from playing for a Nick Saban-coached team.

4. Texas Tech – Mike Leach stockpiled big bodies for a defense that needs more depth and may have found a replacement for record-setting quarterback B.J. Symons. Robert Johnson was widely recognized as the most complete signal caller at the junior-college level.

5. Tennessee – Vols scored big by going for quality over quantity. They inked just a pair of junior-college transfers, but both Jesse Mahelona and Albert Toeaina are top-notch players, who’ll provide an immediate lift to the team’s interior.

Biggest impact on the 2004 season
1. CB Chijioke Onyenegecha, Oklahoma – After failing to meet NCAA requirements last year, Onyenegecha will prove to be worth the wait. Pound for pound, he’s the most talented transfer, combining sprinter speed with terrific size for a corner. Last February, he fielded offers from Arizona State, Florida State and Oregon State before finally opting to play in Norman. Thorpe Award winner Derrick Strait is gone, giving Onyenegecha a chance to flourish immediately.

2. OT Taitusi Lutui, USC – Regarded by many as the nation’s top JC offensive linemen, Lutui packs a whopping 370 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame. He’ll be given an opportunity to supplant All-American left tackle Jacob Rogers, who’s exhausted his eligibility. Lutui received offers from a number of schools, including BYU, Kansas State and Nebraska.

3. OG Tyler McMeans, Miami – McMeans hails from Lackawanna (Pa.) Junior College, the same school that produced former ‘Cane great Bryant McKinnie. Miami’s getting the country’s top guard, a mature 23-year old, who spent his first four years after high school learning hand-to-hand combat in the Marines. He hasn’t scratched the surface of his potential, but that’ll change when he becomes a student of line coach Art Kehoe. The graduations of Vernon Carey, Carlos Joseph and Joe McGrath make the offensive line a need area.

4. QB Robert Johnson, Texas Tech – Johnson’s not your typical dink and dunk Mike Leach quarterback. He’s a gifted all-around athlete, who could use his 4.5 speed and slippery moves to add a new wrinkle to the Raiders’ high-powered offense. Provided he learns the new offense and accepts scrambling only as a last resort, Johnson might be a more lethal option than Sonny Cumbie or Phillip Daugherty to replace B.J. Symons.

5. DT Jesse Mahelona, Tennessee – Vols have been pining for a dominant tackle since Albert Haynesworth and John Henderson departed following the 2001 season. Mahelona has the potential to help fill the void. His ability to stuff the run and rush the passer made him the most sought after tackle from the two-year schools. Starter J.T. Mapu is taking his two-year Mormon mission, meaning Mahelona will be counted on to contribute right away. He’s already taking classes in Knoxville and has three years of eligibility.

6. DT Claude Wroten, LSU – Nick Saban only recruits from the junior colleges if it fills a need and the player can step in and play right away. Wroten fits the criteria, and the coach believes he help minimize the loss of All-American Chad Lavalais in 2004. The junior’s a pure run-stuffing lineman, who received offers from Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Texas A&M.

7. OT Albert Toeaina, Tennessee – Toeaina is blessed with the kind of athleticism and footwork that belie his enormous 6-foot-5, 365-pound frame. He also harbors a bit of a nasty streak, which will benefit him in the SEC trenches. If all goes as planned, the powerful tackle will fill the opening vacated by Sean Young and form quite a tandem with starter Michael Munoz.

8. DT Domata Peko, Michigan State – The signing of Peko grew in importance when Matthias Askew announced his decision to leave early for the NFL. Couple that key departure with Kyle Rasmussen’s graduation and Brandon McKinney’s foot surgery and it’s no surprise the JUCO All-American will be a welcomed addition in East Lansing.

9. DE Jeremy Mincey, Florida – Mincey joins a Gator team that’s losing veteran ends Bobby McCray and Darrell Lee, seniors who combined for more than half the team’s sacks in 2003. Considered undersized by some standards, Mincey uses his hands and great foot speed to cope with 300-pound linemen and get after the quarterback. He’s only been playing football for four years, so his upside is considerable.

10. DE Jeremy Coley, Purdue – Coley and Mincey share similar circumstances—very fast pass-rushing ends transferring to schools with a dire need at their position. Boilermakers lose three of their top four defensive ends, including all-time sack leader Shaun Phillips. Coley received offers from Kansas, Missouri and Wisconsin and some serious 11th-hour interest from Nebraska.

11. S Scott Ware, USC – Ware certainly made the most of his two-year stay at Santa Rosa (Ca.) Junior College. He used it as a springboard to the Trojans after only Sacramento State offered him a scholarship out of high school. In two years, he got much bigger and faster to become one of the best defensive players at this level. Starters Jason Leach and Darnell Bing return, but Ware is too good to be left out of the rotation.

12. RB Andre Hall, South Florida – Last year’s top rusher, Dejuan Green, had just 490 yards f