CCL to SEC

[CCLorBUST]

Obviously big news from 79th and Western with Kaleb Brown picking up an offer from Alabama. I know we've had Chicagoland guys head to the SEC (Laquon Treadwell at Ole Miss if my first and only, to be honest) but is Brown the biggest CCL recruit ever? The Big Ten has gotten their share of big names but few have reached the top of the scholarship mountain like an Alabama offer. Even SR has had big recruits and NFL players like Darius Fleming to ND, Kafka to NW and Matt Conrath to UVA but some might say they played in a different scholarship offer-era. Golladay is SR's most recent NFL'er and he was a North Dakota to NIU transfer.

And no doubt schools have had many alums continue into the NFL and have great success but very few (without being gifted as 6'7" 285lbs as a 16yr old) have reached national high school status before the start of their junior year. Who are some of the other big names in CCL past who've reached this type of national status?

 

[Crispy Linnetta]

Even more impressive when you think about the wideouts that Bama has recently produced. Very exciting.

 

[jjmac09]

KB is as special as they come. The Alabama offer isn't surprising if you watched this young man develop. He is an absolute freak in everything he does athletically. On top of that, he is a phenomenal kid. So happy to see his hard work paying off. Tyler Morris is in the same category. IL is loaded with talent all across the state. Both KB & TM will have every offer in the book. Both of these boys will be playing on Sundays.

 

[Blue Ruin]

CCL past

At least three marquee names immediately spring to mind:

Simeon Rice (who went to neither Simeon or Rice), Donovan McNabb, and Mike Alstott. There have been other CCL guys who starred on football's biggest stage, but none of them shone as brightly as these three.

 

[lookoutforliam]

At least three marquee names immediately spring to mind:

Simeon Rice (who went to neither Simeon or Rice), Donovan McNabb, and Mike Alstott. There have been other CCL guys who starred on football's biggest stage, but none of them shone as brightly as these three.

Jake Marwede TE 2017 (Loyola Academy) was offered by Alabama, Georgia, MSU, Ohio State and Miami before ultimately picking Duke.

 

[tomloner]

Obviously big news from 79th and Western with Kaleb Brown picking up an offer from Alabama. I know we've had Chicagoland guys head to the SEC (Laquon Treadwell at Ole Miss if my first and only, to be honest) but is Brown the biggest CCL recruit ever? The Big Ten has gotten their share of big names but few have reached the top of the scholarship mountain like an Alabama offer. Even SR has had big recruits and NFL players like Darius Fleming to ND, Kafka to NW and Matt Conrath to UVA but some might say they played in a different scholarship offer-era. Golladay is SR's most recent NFL'er and he was a North Dakota to NIU transfer.

And no doubt schools have had many alums continue into the NFL and have great success but very few (without being gifted as 6'7" 285lbs as a 16yr old) have reached national high school status before the start of their junior year. Who are some of the other big names in CCL past who've reached this type of national status?

Kaleb Brown is a special player. In my 54 years of following St. Rita football he has had the most exposure of any player. I have a friend with a son on the team and he says Kaleb is also one of nicest well-grounded players on the team. I never posted it in fear of jinxing the player, but at one of the alumni luncheons, after KB’s freshman year Coach John Nee was asked how good was he? Coach Nee said that he was Alabama good.

His stats from last year are very deceiving. 8 of the games last year he was out of the game before the 4th qtr started. In 4 of those games he did not play in the 2nd half. I have never seen a player at St. Rita with his skills set or a more mature runner. St Rita has had its share of quality running backs.

Dennis Lick, Ahmad Merritt, and Tony Simmons all played at Wisconsin and had a lot of fanfare out of high school. Simmons was the Chicago Sun-Times 1993 Athlete of the Year. Todd Kuska has had 7 players make NFL rosters in like a 7-year period: Ryan Donahue, Mike Kafka, Matt Conrath, Darius Fleming, Bruce Gaston, Pat O’Connor and Kenny Golladay. Two of those players were US Army high School All-Americans (Ryan Donahue and Darius Fleming). But none of those players had this fanfare before their junior year!

 

[crusader_of_90]

Like the Big 10 is Power, SEC is Speed.

Folks here don't like to admit it, but the game is played faster in the STL area. ESL, Trinity, Lutheran North, St. Mary's ... they have all have/had guys with Alabama offers. Multiple kids down there.

Probably helps that Mizzou is dominating the area's recruiting, which brings the SEC spotlight to players more often.

 

[dweise]

It would be quite a thrill to watch KB on channel 2 on Saturdays...

 

[Crispy Linnetta]

At least three marquee names immediately spring to mind:

Simeon Rice (who went to neither Simeon or Rice), Donovan McNabb, and Mike Alstott. There have been other CCL guys who starred on football's biggest stage, but none of them shone as brightly as these three.

Didn’t realize JCA was in the CCL

 

[brucealmighy]

It would be quite a thrill to watch KB on channel 2 on Saturdays...

Unfortunately CBS did not renew the contract with the SEC. 2023 will be the last season so he might not be on the field until they move to a new home. It is a shame because that has been the best broadcast for years.

 

[Topiary]

I see Bama playing Brown at WR- kid has great hands too. Foley out of Rita was the biggest recruit I can remember out of the CCL. He had USC, OSU, Michigan, Miami FL & ND

 

[ignazio]

At least three marquee names immediately spring to mind:

Simeon Rice (who went to neither Simeon or Rice), Donovan McNabb, and Mike Alstott. There have been other CCL guys who starred on football's biggest stage, but none of them shone as brightly as these three.

Did any of them win the Heisman?

 

[Blue Ruin]

No, but Notre Dame's Johnny Lattner, who took the Heisman in 1953, was a graduate of Fenwick.

 

[ignazio]

No, but Notre Dame's Johnny Lattner, who took the Heisman in 1953, was a graduate of Fenwick.

Any of them shine brightly enough to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

 

[Blue Ruin]

No, but Alstott and Simeon Rice were on the same Tampa team that won the Super Bowl.

In the '91 title game against Wheaton Central, Rice tomahawked the quarterback's arm and forced a timely fumble. That was one of the turning points that secured the victory for Mount Carmel. I've watched the game on YouTube maybe half a dozen times.

McNabb never won a Super Bowl.

 

[PowerI66]

McNabb never won a Super Bowl.

Which is still INSANE

 

[krock the house]

Bishop Mac Lee Lafayette was a huge recruit nationally

Back in the 70s st Laurence had big time recruits
Kevin king comes to mind

Also Marty Finan from Fenwick was POY and committed to ND but an auto accident in the summer going into freshman at ND ended his career

 

[Bowie50]

Bishop Mac Lee Lafayette was a huge recruit nationally

Back in the 70s st Laurence had big time recruits
Kevin king comes to mind

Also Marty Finan from Fenwick was POY and committed to ND but an auto accident in the summer going into freshman at ND ended his career

Lee Lafayette juked me out of my shoes my senior year. He was so freaking quick.

 

[crusader_of_90]

Dominic Lovett of East St. Louis High School announced on Monday that he plans to announce his college decision on Sept. 11. The East St. Louis High School standout registered 1,536 receiving yards and 17 touchdown receptions for the defending state champions last season leading to programs like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Missouri and Oregon to offer Lovett scholarship offers.

Another ESL WR, Keontez Lewis, got some SEC love from Auburn and others, but not from Bama - committed to UCLA.

QB Macon, recently promoted to a 4-start, remains committed to SEC Mizzou.