Toledo hitting the recruiting trail

Well, now that I'm back from my one-week hiatus, I'll be able to post more this month. We have a new poll up as well and hopefully some exclusive interviews as well in addition to bringing back in-game blogging for basketball games.

It seems Toledo and his staff have been working their magic on the recruiting trail, hosting a number of high-level prospects that never would have visited during the Scelfo-era.

The list includes one of the top defensive end prospects in the nation, E.D. White Catholic High School's Chase Clement. Clement is a friend and former teammate of Tulane offensive lineman Michael Parenton, and scouts say his size and quickness will bolster any college defense. A number of SEC teams seem to agree, as Clement holds offers from the likes of LSU, Florida, Alabama, and Ole Miss. I personally think he'll stay in-state and join LSU, but his persistent interest in 'Bama and Tulane might make things interesting.

In addition to Clement, a pair of highly-regarded prospects from Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas, Phillip Longino and Kris Rhymes, committed to the Green Wave this past week according to Scout.com.

Longino, a defensive tackle who was Second Team all-District in a tough 5A district in Texas, is around 6'1 tall and weighs in around 170 or 180, and it seems he may continue to grow. He's a guy that can penetrate an interior line and get to the quarterback, racking up three sacks in a 14-0 win of Willowridge in September. Here are his stats from last season. He had committed to LA Tech earlier this year, but backed out and now is considered a solid verbal to the Green Wave. He may get playing time early in his career with the departure of many seniors on the front line.

Rhymes, a safety and former Baylor commit, has battled injuries throughout this season, so the numbers may not look as good as Longino's. But Marshall Coach Michale O'Guin had this to say about Longino earlier this year:

"Had he not been injured, he might've had the opportunity to go [to any college] he wanted to go," O'Guin said. "He came back faster; he looked really good in the spring."

Rymes is around 6'1", 200 lbs. and runs a 4.52 40-yard dash when healthy. He plays running back a lot for Marshall, and he looks like he could develop into an outstanding C-USA safety if he can stay healthy and learn the position better.