More News

Four of the county’s big names are still out there, unsigned or undecided. The watch continues on Paint Branch receiver Dayon Arrington, linebacker Pat Lazear of Bethesda, Kennedy linebacker Chimso Okoji and Sherwood quarterback Deontay Twyman.

Arrington seems to be in a tough spot. Highly rated based on his summer workouts — he was listed as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and two-star by Scout.com — the All-Gazette first-teamer was talking to a number of Atlantic Coast Conference schools.

But Signing Day came and went without an offer. Arrington’s coach, now-former Paint Branch head man Ernie Williams, told our reporter Dan Greenberg that academics are not a problem, and he’s mystified why no one has made an offer for his star receiver.

‘‘We’re still in the waiting process,” Williams said. ‘‘I’m sitting here wondering what’s going on myself. I’m kind of at a loss, but I’m trying to be patient, realize he still has a shot. Not everyone makes their decision yet.”

Williams did mention one school as a possible destination — Illinois. The Illini swiped highly rated receiver prospect Arrelious Benn out of D.C. and were holding a scholarship for Forestville tight end Devonte Campbell, who chose to sign with Maryland. That leaves a scholarship still available at Illinois, and Williams said Arrington was second in line for it.

Not much information has been forthcoming from the Lazear camp of late, but indications are that the linebacker’s recruiting process, unlike Arrington’s, is over. Our reporter Chay Rao reached Lazear’s father, Harry, for comment earlier this week.

‘‘Pat has made his decision, but we are going to wait to say where he’s going,” Harry Lazear said. ‘‘The school is going to make the announcement first, and then we will follow. We are waiting for them.”

Rumor has it that West Virginia is that school, but nothing would come as a huge shock at this point.

Okoji just returned from East Lansing, Mich., on Monday. He was there taking his final official visit, to Michigan State, and we can expect a decision as soon as this week. If it comes down to football, Okoji is headed to the Midwest; possibly Michigan State, but more likely Iowa or Iowa State. But the darkhorse is Brown, which offers something no Division I-A program does — an Ivy League education.

Twyman’s options, rather than narrowing, seem to be expanding. After leading the Warriors’ basketball team with 13 points in a win over Magruder Friday night, Twyman said he might consider college hoops. He took the ACT Friday and will take the SAT this week, looking to qualify to play NCAA ball next season.

If Twyman sticks with football, he mentioned three schools as being in the running. One is North Carolina Central, an NCAA Division II school that went 11-1 last season and has won back-to-back titles in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. This past season, the Eagles were also voted the Black College Football National Champions in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network poll.

The other two are junior colleges — Lackawanna (Pa.) College and Nassau (N.Y.) Community College. Lackawanna went 10-0 last fall; Nassau, 9-1, with the only loss coming to Lackawanna. Both schools regularly send players on to NCAA Division I.

You don’t even have to look outside the county to see an example of how the junior college route can work.

Here’s a Signing Day blast from the past you might have missed: remember Richard Montgomery linebacker⁄running back Steve Weedon? In 2004, Weedon led the county in rushing, with 1,726 yards, and signed with West Virginia University as a linebacker that February. But he didn’t qualify, landing at Valley Forge (Pa.) Military College, instead.

Last Wednesday, Weedon signed as a junior college transfer with Division I-AA Rhode Island, which plays in the competitive Atlantic-10 Conference. Now listed at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, Weedon will have two years of eligibility remaining for the Rams.

And what about Signing Day 2008? It’s less than a year away. Time to get busy looking ahead.

At this point, some of the top juniors in the land are already getting attention, and even offers, from various suitors. The spring and summer camp and combine season will sort things out even more, but around Montgomery County, a few juniors are already looking like probable Division I-A signees.

At Gaithersburg, safety Dan Atwood goes 6-foot, 180 pounds and can run. Trojans coach Kreg Kephart said Atwood is getting mail with some pretty impressive logos on it — the likes of Notre Dame and Michigan. Mail is just mail; Atwood doesn’t have any offers yet. But going into his fourth full year as a varsity starter, he’s on some pretty serious radar screens.

Clarksburg’s first-ever graduating class seems likely to include its first-ever Division I football player. Coach Larry Hurd said defensive tackle Rob Osborne has also been contacted by some big-name programs. He’s an athletic 6-1, 275-pounder in the mold of Donald Langley, who signed last week with Tennessee out of Seneca Valley.

At least two of Osborne’s former teammates at Damascus are good prospects. Center Tony Edwards isn’t the biggest lineman in the world, but he’s already been on the All-Gazette first team twice, and has a great pedigree — his father, Tony Sr., played at Maryland. For the last two years, Edwards has been snapping the ball to quarterback Kyle Frazier. Frazier hasn’t thrown a ton of passes in the Hornets’ offense, but scouts see potential in his 6-2 frame, strong arm and good feet.

Good Counsel’s usual crop of college players should include another All-Gazette first-team defensive tackle, Cory Boatman. Kennedy quarterback Melvin Harris likely falls into the ‘‘athlete” category for recruiters, but he’s all player. And after Okoji, scouts won’t pass over Randolph Road any more, which could also be good news for Delano Ferguson, an end⁄linebacker ’tweener who was a monster pass rusher last fall.

To throw out just a couple more names: big Quince Orchard lineman Zach Kerr (6-3, 295) and Northwest linebacker Chase Williams both have the look of college players, and both are in programs with good track records of sending players to the next level.

That’s hardly the full list — more names will emerge before the beginning of next season, and even more by the end of it. It never ends.