Seminoles No. 1 In Recruits -- Irish, With Top Qb, Are Rated Second

Florida State football fans should get a kick out of this year's freshman class.

The Seminoles' recruits, who include the top prep placekicker in the country, are rated No. 1 by SuperPrep magazine.

Although Notre Dame signed top-rated quarterback Ron Powlus of Berwick, Pa., SuperPrep gave Florida State a slight edge because the Seminoles landed kicker Scott Bentley of Aurora, Colo.

Two of Florida State's three losses in the past two years were the result of missed field goals against Miami in the final seconds.

"We've been terribly inconsistent with our kicking the last couple of years," Coach Bobby Bowden said. "We wanted to go out and get someone with super abilities."

Bentley, who turned down Notre Dame, appears to fit the bill. He booted 35 field goals, including seven from more than 50 yards.

"He's the best (high school) kicker I've seen in a long time," said SuperPrep publisher Allen Wallace.

Florida State and Notre Dame got top players at every position yesterday - the first day players could sign national letters of intent.

In addition to Bentley, the Seminoles got SuperPrep All-Americans at quarterback (Thad Busby of Pace, Fla.); running back (Clarence Williams of Crescent City, Fla.); wide receiver (Andre Cooper of Neptune Beach, Fla., and Ernest Green of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.); and tight end (Rhodney Williams of Palatka, Fla.).

Florida State also signed a great group of offensive and defensive linemen, SuperPrep's No. 2 linebacker (Daryl Bush of Altamonte Springs, Fla.) and highly rated defensive back Byron Capers of Marietta, Ga.

In addition to Bentley, the Seminoles got SuperPrep All-Americans at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end. They also signed a great group of offensive and defensive linemen, SuperPrep's No. 2 linebacker and a highly rated defensive back.

Notre Dame's incoming freshman class is headed by Powlus, who passed for 35 touchdowns and ran for 21 more in leading Berwick High to the state championship last season.

Notre Dame signed more than a dozen SuperPrep All-Americans, including four of the top eight linebackers: Melvin Dansby of Birmingham, Ala.; Darnell Smith of Homestead, Wis.; Lyron Cobbins of Kansas City, Mo., and Bert Berry of Humble, Texas.

The Irish also got two of SuperPrep's top three offensive lineman, a pair of blue-chip tailbacks (Randy Kinder of East Lansing, Mich., and Robert Farmer of Bolingbrook, Ill.), receiver Cikai Champion of Tyler, Texas, and multi-threat Emmett Mosley of Denver.

Wallace said Michigan had the third best recruiting class, followed by Alabama, Tennessee, Stanford, Miami, Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Baylor and California.

Michigan's top recruits include quarterback Scot Loeffler of Barberton, Ohio; running back Jon Ritchie of Cumberland Valley, Pa.; wide receiver Seth Smith of Carbondale, Ill.; defensive lineman Trevor Pryce of Winter Park, Fla.; linebacker J.J. Brown of Chesterfield, S.C.; and defensive back Clarence Thompson of Detroit.

Although Alabama signed a lot of good players, the national champions lost two of the state's top prospects to arch-rival Auburn - tight end Jessie McCovery of Theodore and offensive lineman Willie Anderson of Prichard.

Bill Walsh bolstered his passing game at Stanford by signing two top quarterbacks (Scott Frost of Wood River, Neb., and Tim Carey of Los Alamitos, Calif.) and four prep All-America receivers.

"It's the best group of quarterbacks and receivers in the country," Wallace said.

Texas had a banner recruiting year, getting the state's No. 1 quarterback (James Brown of Beaumont) and an outstanding group of defensive backs.

Storm at Miami -- CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Dennis Erickson said he made a sensible and smart move by offering his son Bryce a football scholarship.

But others, including members of the south Florida media and fans calling in on local radio talk shows, asked why the University of Miami's coach gave a scholarship to a player who did not pile up big numbers or spark the interest of many recruiters.

Bryce, a quarterback for Miami Palmetto High, completed just 25 of 63 passes for 389 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions, in a seven-game schedule shortened by Hurricane Andrew.