'09 TN CB Eric Gordon (Official Offer)

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'09 TN CB Eric Gordon



Cornerback
Nashville (TN) Hillsboro

Ht: 5-foot-10
Wt: 170 lbs
Class: 2009 (High School)

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Gordon surveying competition, but will wait to decide : Football Recruiting : GoVolsXtra.com

Eric Gordon isn't waiting for his senior season to survey his collegiate suitors.

The 5-foot-10, 187-pound junior cornerback from Hillsboro High School in Nashville has visited three SEC schools: Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi State. All have offered Gordon a scholarship.

"It's been great," he said of the visits. "I got to see a couple of new places, meet some new people and talk to a couple of coaches. It's been going pretty good lately."

The traveling is far from done, especially with more suitors lining up. Arkansas is the most recent school to offer.

"I plan on going to a lot of other places," Gordon said.

That includes junior-day trips to Alabama and Kentucky. The rest of the itinerary hasn't been decided.

UT will need at least another visit to woo Gordon. When he visited Knoxville last fall, Gordon said he enjoyed the game-day atmosphere but didn't visit with the coaches. On the other hand, Gordon's Alabama trip seemed a more complete visit.

"I think Alabama is a great place," Gordon said. "I got to see the stadium and meet with the coaches."

The Vols are certainly in the mix. Gordon won't soon forget who offered the first scholarship.

"That was a big accomplishment for me," Gordon said, recalling UT's official invitation. "It was like 'Wow, it's finally here.' "

The competition for Gordon has just begun. Soon, other schools will be on his trail.

Don't expect a commitment soon. Gordon said he won't announce his decision until National Signing Day in February 2009.

"I don't want to rush anything," Gordon said. "I want it to be the best situation for my family."

Gordon caught 40 passes for 816 yards playing receiver last season, while registering 77 tackles and three interceptions as a cornerback. Gordon also returned four kickoff/punts for a touchdown.

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3/27

By Bone...South Carolina has offered, joining Alabama, Mississippi State, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

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3/27

By A. Bone. South Carolina has offered. Gordon says he is wide open.

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Gordon misses UT camp, but visits Knoxville : Football Recruiting : GoVolsXtra.com

Eric Gordon faces a daunting task this summer.

There are at least 15 colleges that have offered the defensive back from Hillsboro High School in Nashville a scholarship. Gordon is considering them all.

“It’s a big list,” the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder said.

Along with Alabama, Colorado, Louisville, Oklahoma and others, Tennessee is on that list. That’s why Gordon traveled to Knoxville this week to check out the Vols.

“I got to meet all the coaches, a couple of the players and see the stadium,” Gordon said.

Being an in-state school gives UT some advantage. The Vols certainly won’t be forgotten.

“I didn’t want to overlook it,” Gordon said of UT. “I wanted to give them some attention.”

There was cause for concern when Gordon didn’t attend UT’s football camp last weekend. As one of the top prospects in the state, he was expected to attend.

“I had a lot going on,” Gordon said when asked why he didn’t attend UT’s camp.

Gordon said he intends to take another trip – probably an official visit this fall - to UT. That, however, doesn’t lock up UT as Gordon’s leader, especially with Alabama in the mix. Gordon said he’ll take other official visits as well and make his decision sometime late in his senior season or after it altogether.

Perhaps Gordon should take in a Lady Vols basketball game upon his return. Gordon is the second UT prospect (along with Florida tailback Jarvis Giles) who commented on meeting with coach Pat Summit during his visit.

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News Sentinel Top 10 in Tennessee, No. 6: Eric Gordon of Hillsboro : High School : GoVolsXtra.com

No one has ever said Eric Gordon lacks confidence.

"Playmaker. Explosive," the News Sentinel's sixth-best football prospect in the state said when asked to describe his game.

Gordon's statistics back up his talk. He caught 41 passes for 816 yards at receiver and registered 77 tackles and three interceptions playing cornerback for Hillsboro High School in Nashville. That, Gordon said, is just the beginning.

"Honestly, I can turn my hips and get out and run but my technique isn't good," the 5-foot-11, 189-pounder said of his defensive back skills. "With some technique, I can be great. It just always came naturally to me."

Gordon is being recruited by several schools - such as Alabama, Miami, South Florida, Tennessee and Texas - to play a number of positions.

"Most are recruiting me to return punts, defensive back and wide receiver," Gordon said.

Defensive back and punt returner are Gordon's two favorite positions. Returning punts always has had a certain allure.

"It's the best part of the game to me," Gordon said. "It's all me. I can set guys up to get a kill shot on another guy. It's just fun."

Gordon isn't too bad returning kickoffs, either. He had two attempts last season, taking one to the end zone and the other to midfield.

"I take it to the house," Gordon said.

The question is, which house will Gordon be taking his game to?

"Man, I'm wide open," he said. "This is a big decision. It's probably the biggest decision I'll ever make. I'm going to take it serious."

So serious in fact that a quick, pre-fall decision seems next to impossible. That means whichever schools want to land Gordon need to be in it for the long haul.

"I've got to see what they've got to offer," Gordon said. "One school might have what another one doesn't . . . I want to get all the details right and make sure I'm going to be able to play."

Therein lies the key factor: playing time. "It's the most important thing," Gordon said.

Gordon said he probably will take all five of his NCAA-allotted official visits this fall. His "wide open" status has coaches and fans alike wondering where he might be leaning. Two schools seem to have cemented a strong, albeit early, standing.

Gordon attended a football camp at Alabama and visited UT shortly after the Vols' football camp in June. Does that mean the Tide and Vols are secret leaders?

"They're the closest schools," Gordon said. "I can drive that in no time."

Alabama's coaches have already made an impression, led by head coach Nick Saban.

"I definitely think they are great coaches, being in the (National Football) League all those years," Gordon said.

Coaches recruiting against Alabama will surely bring up the Tide's recent off-field issues, which include double-digit brushes with the law in the past year. Gordon said he's not concerned.

"That isn't a problem," he said. "You can get in trouble anywhere."

As for UT, Gordon said, "Another big school. Being in state gives them a little boost."

Maybe that will give UT's coaches some confidence - yet hardly enough to rival Gordon's.

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8/15

By A Bone. Gordon hasn't narrowed things down yet, but says he is most comfortable with Oklahoma, Miami, Alabama and Tennessee. He will take all of his visits before making a choice.

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10/30

By A Bone. Gordon will take his first official visit to Texas Tech next weekend. He still has Alabama and Tennessee near the top of his list.