145 lb. national champion Jesse Jantzen will be wrestling for Harvard.

Wrestling
Harvard coach Jay Weiss raised some eyebrows last year when he landed perhaps the nation's top wrestler, Max Odom of Foothills High (Bakersfield, Calif.). Virtually untouchable in his 145-pound weight class as a high school senior, Odom went on to qualify for nationals as a freshman at Harvard, which placed 28th in the nation this past winter.

For those who thought Harvard's signing of Odom was a fluke and that the Crimson couldn't accomplish another feat of that kind, think again. Weiss got a commitment from Jesse Jantzen of Wading River High (Shoreham, N.Y.) two weeks ago. Jantzen, who lost to Odom last year at freestyle nationals, wanted to commit to Harvard in the early-signing period, according to Ron Good, editor of Amateur Wrestling News magazine, but hadn't been accepted academically. In the meantime, other schools went after Jantzen, considered the best high school grappler in the nation at 145 pounds. Good said Iowa State, Hofstra and Ohio State were the three finalists for Jantzen, aside from Harvard, which later accepted him.

Harvard isn't the only Ivy League school making noise, however, as the University of Pennsylvania (ninth at the NCAA nationals in 2000) is expected to have one of the top five recruiting classes in the nation.

Hood thinks the University of Michigan may have delivered the best one-two recruiting punch this year by landing Ryan Berton (40-0 as a senior) of St. Edward's in Cleveland, Ohio, and Chris Rodrigues of The Walker School in Marietta, Ga.

Basketball
Highly recruited guard J.C. Mathis of J.F.K High in the Bronx announced Wednesday (May 10) that he will play his college basketball at the University of Virginia for coach Pete Gillen. Mathis, a 6-foot-9 forward with good shooting range, reportedly turned down Georgia Tech and UMass to sign with the Cavaliers.

One of Georgia's most sought-after junior recruits, 6-foot-9 forward Josh Powell of Riverdale High (Riverdale, Ga.), remains wide open in terms of his recruitment, but has narrowed his list to North Carolina State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Alabama. Contrary to some reports, N.C. State is not the leader, although he reportedly enjoyed his visit there.

Football
Spring football practice is underway in the state of Florida. During this crucial stretch, which can last up to 20 days, more than 200 college coaches are expected to visit virtually every high school in the Sunshine State in hopes of getting their piece of the recruiting pie from the area many scouts consider to the best in the nation.

On average, a little more than 300 players from Florida sign college scholarships each year. In-state powers such as Florida State, Florida and Miami usually get first dibs, although many smaller colleges love to try and dip into the multitude of "second tier" players.

Although most of the nation's top 100 seniors-to-be haven't committed yet, around a dozen, depending whose top 100 list you're using, have already made non-binding verbal commitments. Based on early verbal commitments, the Seminoles appear to have the jump on everyone else.

Instate products Chauncey Davis, a fullback/linebacker from Auburndale High (Auburndale, Fla.), and Craphonso Thorpe, a receiver/defensive back from Lincoln High in Tallahassee have already announced for FSU.

Outside of Florida, top 100 tight end/offensive lineman prospect Shawn Andrews of Camden High (Camden, Ark.) recently committed to Arkansas. Other recent top 100 commitments include offensive tackle Bob Cleary of Lake Elsinore, Calif., and Matt Ware of Los Angeles to UCLA; linebacker Reggie Arden of Ironton, Ohio, and center Adam Olds of Dublin, Ohio, to Ohio State; defensive back/wide receiver Tymere Zimmerman of Bennettsville, S.C., to Clemson; defensive back Ernest Shazor of Detroit to Michigan; and tight end Erik Gill of Belle Vernon, Pa., to Pittsburgh.