Tom Lemming

  (2:00 PM)

In the recruiting world, we are 2 days away from coaches being able to call recruits. Let's get to your questions!

Kearney, Nebraska

Hi Tom: What is your thought's Callahan's recruiting so far for the Cornhuskers? Thanks, Bill

Tom Lemming

  (2:02 PM)

So far, it's fantastic. They have set the stage for what could be the best recruiting class in 20 years. Harrison Beck and Phillip Dillard and Craig Roark are in at least half of the Top 100 prospect lists nationally.

bobby from birmingham

tom, only one kid from alabama on your list! Any others close?

Tom Lemming

  (2:03 PM)

Yes. The kids that just barely missed will be posted a little later today on ESPN.com. Tommy Trott and Charls Hoke are close as is DE West Brown.

Kenny (Carmel, CA)

Who's going to be the next starting qb at FSU, it's time for a Rix to leave, he's got to be better than Rix, right?

Tom Lemming

  (2:04 PM)

I would not bet against Xavier Lee who is the most talented by far.

Tim (springfield, mo)

Tom, the Sooners picked up a big committment last week in Lofton - who do you feel will be the next to pull the trigger for the Sooners?

Tom Lemming

  (2:05 PM)

I don't know if it will be Reggie Smith (WR/DB) .. they are in on so many it's hard to say. The majority will wait till Dec./Jan. to commit.

Kevin, Virginia

Hey Tom: As you know, Macho Harris is the consensus #1 player in Virginia this year recently narrowed his list to about 6 teams, where do you see him ending up?

Tom Lemming

  (2:06 PM)

I wouldn't best against Virginia or Virginia Tech. I would be suprised if he does not wind up at one of the other. But it's anyones guess when you narrow it down to six and you have so much time to make your decision.

Kirby (Dallas, TX)

Tom, what happened to Kenton Thornton who verbally committed to Texas, and then thought about playing basketball?

Tom Lemming

  (2:07 PM)

I have not heard the latest on the Thorton Brothers.

Joe (State College, PA)

Are Justin King and Derrick Williams headed to PSU?

Tom Lemming

  (2:08 PM)

Both of them won't be making decisions soon. But both will be mid term grads so their decision will probably come in January. Penn St. would be my guess for both of them.

Mike (WI)

What's the story with Antone Smith? Is he 99% sure its Miami? Or is he wide open? What other top names are leaning seriously toward Miami?

Tom Lemming

  (2:09 PM)

I don't think he's 99 percent but when I met him in June, Miami was at the top. But he said he wanted to check out several other schools. I think he will end up in Miami after he investigates some other schools.

Keith Buffalo NY

ND? Is Ty saving his job??

Tom Lemming

  (2:10 PM)

Yes, I think the ND staff is doing a much better job this year than last. QB Evan Sharpley and WR David Nelson are nice additions. But they have a long way to go to finish Top 10 in recruiting.

Aaron (Columbus)

Tom, Brian Hartline and Greg Orton ranked ahead of Mario Manningham, what gives? Mario is unquestionably the top wideout in the state.

Tom Lemming

  (2:11 PM)

They are all pretty close.. the other two are bigger and have better grades and there is a chance Mario may not play early because of his grades. As far as pure athletic ability, Mario may be a step ahead of the other two.

Eric, Bloomington MN

Is Walker Ashley the top recruit out of Minnesota this year? How does the state of Minnesota stalk up in terms of talent compared to other states?

Tom Lemming

  (2:13 PM)

Yes, Walker is the No. 1 prospect in Minnesota. I feel there is always a legit 7-10 prospects in the state every year. They probably rank a little south of average in terms of Big Ten states. But 2-4 super players come out of Minnesota every year. OC Raphael Eubanks from Cretin-Durham, TE Joey Hiben from Waconia and QB Marcel Jones from Inver Grove Heights are all potential All-Americans.

John (Spring Lake, MI)

Tom, are you saying that Michigan does not seem to be leading in the race for King? Boy would it nice to see him in the winged helm!!

Tom Lemming

  (2:15 PM)

No, not exactly. Justin King appears to come down between PSU and Michigan. He grew up a fan of Michigan but his coach/stepfather played at Penn St. You would assume his love of his alma mater would be passed on to Justin.

Keith (BFLO NY)

Greg Palus, changing his mind about playing both sports?

Tom Lemming

  (2:17 PM)

Greg has not changed his mind as of yet. But even if he decides to do it, nobody will know until he does it. He has committed to Duke in basketball. There are some people and I am one of them that think he will sign a football scholarship to play both sports.

Mel (Oakland, CA)

Who's your top states this year, is it the usual powerhouses of CA, Texas, Fla, and VA and if so, in what order?

Tom Lemming

  (2:17 PM)

Yeah, Florida, Texas, Cali without a doubt. The others that appear to be loaded are NJ, Pennsylvania and the tidewater area of Virginia and Chicago.

Tom Lemming

  (2:18 PM)

The surprising state this year is Tennessee .. loaded with blue chippers compared to other years.

C-NOTE, Apple Valley,MN

Tom, how do you see Coach Ferentz faring Nationally with the IOWA name? Are prospects taking notice? Who are some names or potential surprises we can see come to Iowa City? Also, Jake Christiansen had a HUGE first night in your neck of the woods. Thanks and keep up the GREAT WORK.

Tom Lemming

  (2:23 PM)

Yes, definitely this year appears to be a breakout year for Iowa. The key to having a top 10 year will be their success in the Chicago area. They are already in on a lot of players in that area.

Darius (Chicago,IL)

What is the status of Fred Rouse? A lot say he is FSU bound but then a lot of Texas fans truly believe he will follow Ryan?

Tom Lemming

  (2:24 PM)

He got to know Ryan Perrriloux at the FSU summer camp and they became good friends. There is a chance that if Ryan works on them, he could go against school tradition and sign with Texas over FSU. However, FSU has had a strong pull at Lincoln High School for years and it won't be easy.

Nathan (Dyess AFB, TX)

Tom, what factor puts Fl over TX in regards to talent? Depth or Superstars?

Tom Lemming

  (2:25 PM)

The states are so close, every year it's a toss up. But I believe the skill position players seem to be in slightly larger abundance in Florida. But from year to yaer, it's a toss up. Last year, Texas appeard to be stronger.

Nate (Columbus)

Four years from now who do you want? Perriloux or Sanchez?

Tom Lemming

  (2:26 PM)

I think Sanchez going to work with Norm Chow could make him even more inviting in four years. USC coaches believe he has more God given talent than Carson Palmer.

Tom Lemming

  (2:26 PM)

But Perriloux is the more stronger athlete.

Chris - Zainesville,OH

Tom, does Terrance Jamison have the potential to ever be as good as his brother Tim, last years prep all-american?

Tom Lemming

  (2:27 PM)

There is always the chance that lightning could strike twice. I saw Tim in early October have an unbelievable game. Terrance came over from offense and is getting his feet wet at DE. Only time will tell.

jake (nyc)

how do you since the unusual strong crop in tennessee this year affecting the Vols class? Looking like a strong one?

Tom Lemming

  (2:30 PM)

It has to have a positive impact, esp. if they can land many of those top guys. OL Michael Oher, WR Pat Turner, DE Barry Turner, DB Todd Cox, and TE Jeff Cottam all are consensus All-Americans and have UT in their top 3. They already have a commit from LeMarcus Coker. If they can set their base with those guys and go out and land several out of state guys, they have a legit shot at the No. 1 recruiting spot this year.

Jeff (Phoenix)

Are there any OL this year in the Jeff Byers category, any any shot of them landing with the Huskers?

Tom Lemming

  (2:31 PM)

No. Right now there doesn't appear to be anyone with the dominance of a Jeff Byers at this stage. The best guys .. Dan Doreing, Eugene Monroe, Michael Oher, and Reggie Youngblood .. are all a notch below.

Doug (Seymour,IN)

How much consideration did you give to Selwyn Lymon when filling out your top 25 list of wideouts?

Tom Lemming

  (2:32 PM)

A lot. Right now, Lymon and JB Paxson are the top two in Indiana. He had a good year as a JR. I'm just waiting to see how much he develops this season.

Tom Lemming

  (2:33 PM)

He's already been added to our top WR list and updated position list on ESPN.com.

Kev (seattle/altus)

Hey how much of a chance do the Huskies with Stewart? Are recruits looking more at U-Dub since there is more stability?

Tom Lemming

  (2:34 PM)

I think recruits are still tentative. They like the new staff at Washington and are waiting to see how this season plays out. Stewart has had a lot of attention from WSU, Oregon State, Tennesee, Nebraska and Oregon.

Ryan- Lake Wales, FL

Tom, given Miami's strong pull at Carol City High School, do you see standout safety Kenneth Phillips going to the Canes?

Tom Lemming

  (2:35 PM)

Normally I would say yes but Ken is a very good student who is being wooed by every major power in the country. I think it will come down to the Florida schools and LSU. But I think the Hurricanes will be tough to beat.

Ben (Atlanta, GA)

Tom- You consistently underrate talent in GA. How do explain UGA's success with classes out of the top 10? Also---you have got to see Tray Blackmon play in person--he would be the top OLB on your list soon after.

Tom Lemming

  (2:37 PM)

Georgia has always been around the Top 10. My ratings have reflected their finishes over the years. I do conclude that Georgia is a top 6 state in the country for talent. Tray is already a top OLB. He is ranked very high in my Top 100. Although he is undersized, he has Derrick Brooks capabilities.

Jeff (Phoenix)

What is the deepest position this year?

Tom Lemming

  (2:38 PM)

The deepest looks to be RBs. I've been excited about the depth of big blue chip RBs that can be impact freshmen.

Craig (Worthington,OH)

Tom, how much of a talent gap is there between Just King and Steve Slaton, and what schools is Slaton looking at?

Tom Lemming

  (2:40 PM)

Not much. King is the No. 1 CB prospect but Slaton is one of the most underrated in the country. Slaton would rank as probably the second best DB in Pennsylvania and if he plays corner, could be an impact freshman. But I think he prefers to play RB. He is also a great RB prospect. If you ask me, the big difference is that Justin is 3 inches taller.

Robert (Leesburg, VA)

Tom, Did the hokies great show of support and good performance help them with any recruits in MD/VA?

Tom Lemming

  (2:43 PM)

It can't hurt. But what has really helped is their great attention to detail where they have not let up since Signing Day. They are off to a great start this year. The recruiting battles between Beamer and Groh have become legendary and will be fun to watch for years to come. I have to run now but I'll be doing a weekly chat this season at 3 ET on Tuesday's so check back next week!