MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The king of Memphis will always be Elvis Pressley. But where the king of Memphis on the sports scene was once decidedly basketball, recent years have seen football talent emerge in a big way to challenge the crown.
Frank Herron
2012 saw the city of Memphis produce three four-star prospects and a host of SEC signees. The class of 2013 and beyond looks poised to match that talent production.
On Tuesday, 247Sports hit up some of the top programs in the Memphis area to collect info on the next crop of talent out of The Bluff City.
The first stop of the day was Memphis Central High School and the final stop of the day was Central’s region semifinal basketball matchup with Ridgeway.
Memphis Central
Frank Herron – The highest rated prospect in the city of Memphis for the class of 2013, Herron’s recruitment has blown up of late. He holds 17 offers, eight SEC offers and things don’t look to be slowing down. On Friday Herron plans to be at Clemson and he will take in Tennessee’s junior day on Saturday.
Despite all of the interest, Herron has yet to focus in on recruiting due to his basketball prowess. He’s part of a Central basketball team that won its region tournament on Thursday night in the toughest and most talented region in the state. On Tuesday night, Herron helped Central knock off the top team in the state, previously 33-1 Ridgeway. Herron pitched in with 11 points and 17 rebounds.
Basketball won’t be in the equation in college though as Herron knows that his 6-5 frame is best suited as an edge rusher in football.
Latevius Rayford – Rayford is currently one of the real sleepers in the Memphis area. He’s a 6-1, 180 pound wide receiver that currently holds offers from Arizona State and Western Kentucky. Rayford has outstanding ball-skills and terrific high-point ability. He’s also a high jumper that can clear 6-7. Numerous schools are waiting to confirm his top-end speed before joining the offer pool but Rayford will be a definite prospect to monitor over the next several months.
Thomas Adams – As a big cornerback Adams has a lot of upside. He’s 6-1, 180 pounds and has been clocked under 4.6 in the 40. Currently Memphis is very close to offering and he has also received interest from Duke and Georgia Tech.
Josh Sandlin – A big bruising running back at 6-0, 205 pounds, Sandlin is under the radar right now and missed most of 2011 with an injury. His play in the spring and the fall will dictate how highly recruited he becomes. Currently, Sandlin has interest from Duke.
- Barton Simmons
- National Recruiting Analyst - 247Sports