Recruiting Radar: USF pulls offer to Carnes, makes pitch to Gunsby ... and other tidbits

Posted Jan 29, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Jan 30, 2010 at 12:49 AM

As we enter the final weekend before National Signing Day, USF made some news Friday afternoon when it pulled a scholarship offer to Bradenton Manatee QB Brion Carnes ... Check out my story running in Saturday’s Tampa Tribune below ... Also, I’ve added a few tidbits at the bottom relating to USF’s recruiting efforts:

TAMPA – The University of South Florida pulled a scholarship offer Friday to Bradenton Manatee quarterback Brion Carnes, and will offer one instead to Georgia prep quarterback Jamius Gunsby.

The move didn’t sit too well with Manatee coach Joe Kinnan.

“In all my years of coaching, I have never seen anything like this. The USF coaching staff is no longer welcome at our school,” Kinnan told The Bradenton Herald. “If they thought he was not going to sign with them, they should have at least given him the opportunity to take his last visit and make a decision.’’

A USF staff member informed Kinnan and Carnes of the decision late Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Gunsby spent Friday evening touring Raymond James Stadium and going on a dinner cruise with other recruits in town on official visits. Carnes is making his official visit to Western Kentucky and could sign there. Kinnan added that programs such as West Virginia, Cincinnati and Clemson had shown an interest but backed off when Carnes told them he was committed to USF.

Western Kentucky recently hired former Manatee High great Willie Taggart to be head coach, and also hired Palmetto head coach Ray Woodie as a top assistant to recruit Florida.

The first player in the 2010 class to verbally commit to USF, Carnes fell out of favor once Skip Holtz was hired to replace Jim Leavitt. Ranked a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Carnes is a dual-threat quarterback in the same mold as USF starter B.J. Daniels.

Meanwhile, Gunsby is a drop-back passer who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 229 pounds. He was being heavily recruited by Holtz at East Carolina after putting up strong numbers at LaGrange High in Georgia. Gunsby is expected to accept an offer from USF and with depth thin at quarterback, could enter fall camps as Daniel’s primary backup depeding on what Evan Landi does.

Landi, expected to move to receiver in spring practice, was Daniels’ back-up last season after starter Matt Grothe went down with a season-ending knee injury. However, with Holtz now in charge, the quarterback situation behind Daniels will be thoroughly explored over the spring and summer.

Recruiting Radar Tidbits

** Good to see USF’s coaches are back on Twitter. Assistant Kevin Patrick is @USFKevinPatrick. He tweeted Friday afternoon: ‘On the bus going over to Raymond James. Can anyone guess who is all with me?’ Well, we know Carnes wasn’t. But that was too easy.

Actually, USF is scheduled to have seven visitors in town on the final weekend before National Signing Day, including Gunsby and Gainesville High defensive back Devont’a Davis, a Miami commitment who is still shopping around.

** One interesting name is Rashard Cliett, a defensive back from Thomas County Central High in south Georgia. He is a former high school teammate of FSU recruits Debrale Smiley and Anthony McCloud. Both Smiley and McCloud committed to FSU in 2008 but had to go to a Mississippi junior college before finally enrolling at FSU this semester.

** The decision to pull Carnes’ offer in favor of Gunsby should not alarm USF fans. Carnes is very similar in stature and ability to Daniels, and having another type of quarterback on the roster is important to Holtz. Gunsby certainly fits the bill and according to scouting reports, he has a very strong arm. At 6-foot-5, he could give the Bulls a nice 1-2 punch at QB with Daniels one day if he signs and both continue to develop. Gunsby also visited Florida and for a long time considered a leading candidate to end up at Kentucky where several LaGrange High players have landed in recent years.

** With Manatee WR Ace Sanders committing to South Carolina this week, the Bulls are still looking for a high quality receiver. Cliett actually played some receiver in high school could be an option. Also, don’t rule out Torian Richardson as a possibility. Richardson is a receiver from well-respected Byrnes High in Duncan, S.C. He made an official visit to East Carolina the final weekend of Holtz’s tenure there and remains uncommitted.

** Finally, Hillsborough High’s Terrence Mitchell changing his verbal commitment from FSU to USF on Friday was obviously a coup for Holtz and his staff. Now we’ll see if they can land Miami Northwestern DT Todd Chandler, who verbally committed to Miami, then to USF, but has basically re-opened his recruitment. He has visited Syracuse, Colorado State, Louisville and hopes to visit South Carolina this weekend. Chandler may not make his official announcement until after NSD, but you’ve got to think Mitchell’s commitment didn’t hurt his view of USF.

Stay tuned…if nothing else, NSD is always certain to deliver a surprise or two.