'09 GA ATH Donavan Tate (North Carolina Verbal)

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Scout Profile
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Cartersville (GA) Cartersville High School

Ht: 6-foot-2
Wt: 185 lbs
Forty: 4.5 secs
Class: 2009 (High School)

Scout Bio:

An outstanding all around athlete, Tate has played running back, quarterback, wide receiver, safety and special teams in his career.

Scout: '09 Top 100
Rivals: '09 Top 100

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1/18

From the Georgia site. Tate says that his top schools are Georgia, USC, Florida, Texas, and Arizona State. Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina have offered, while USC has offered for baseball. He would like to play both sports in college if he doesn't decide to go pro in baseball.
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Will it be football or baseball for Lars Tate's son? | Football recruiting | ajc.com

It remains to be seen if Georgia will have the upper hand in the recruitment of Cartersville junior quarterback/free safety Donavan Tate.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Tate, the son of former Bulldog running back Lars Tate, has scholarship offers from football powers such as Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, Southern Cal and Texas.

But Tate is also a highly-regarded outfielder, who will likely be a high draft choice in the major league baseball draft in June 2009.

If Tate does play college football, Cartersville coach Frank Barden believes his prized athlete isn’t close to choosing a school.

“I really don’t think he’s leaning toward one place,” Barden said Monday evening. “He’s just gathering all of his information.

“It will be a situation where he’ll sign something next February and whatever happens in June [2009] will dictate whether he plays football. That’s where he is as far as his recruiting.”

Tate’s baseball commitment at Cartersville has prevented him from attending many of the recent junior days conducted by college coaches.

“Donavan is a very talented young man,” Barden said. “He runs a 4.4 [in the 40] and benches over 300 [pounds].

“I know the kid loves playing both sports and is thrilled to have this opportunity before him. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds for him.”

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3/26

By Simmons...Michigan has offered and he is considering them because he is interested in playing QB in the spread options offense but he has not decided what position he wants to play at the next level. He is also interested in playing baseball.

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4/20

By B. Hayes. Tate says he doesn't know if he will go to college to play football, or if he will go play MLB. He doesn't have a list of favorites, but talks about a few schools that have caught his eye.

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Lars Tate's son wants to play baseball and football in college | College recruiting | ajc.com

Cartersville quarterback Donovan Tate will spend the majority of the summer concentrating on baseball.

“He’s always played a lot of baseball into the summer,” Cartersville football coach Frank Barden said. “He’s trying out for the Team USA baseball team. I know he has an opportunity to make it.

“He’s been invited to play in the AFLAC All-American baseball game at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 9. And he’ll also play in the U.S. Army football game.”

While the baseball diamond continues to tug at the son of former Georgia running back Lars Tate, colleges are pitching the opportunity for him to play two sports.

“Most of the schools have offered him both sports from Southern Cal to Michigan to all of them,” Barden said. “He’ll sign in February with somebody and then go through the baseball draft in June.”

From Barden’s perspective, Tate, a baseball centerfielder, is equally talented in both sports.

“He’s really a 6-3, 205 safety that is just an unbelievable athlete,” Barden said. “He played wide receiver and running back for us as a sophomore and as a junior played quarterback simply because he was the best athlete and the best opportunity for us to put somebody back there to win games.

“He’s a very good quarterback who would be a division 1 quarterback. But he’s just a talented kid in both sports.”

Though he has yet to narrow his college choices, Georgia would seem to be a good fit for Tate, who is expected to announce his finalists by later summer.

“I don’t see why he wouldn’t be a Georgia boy,” Barden said. “His dad played there.

“As far as a top five in college, [Georgia] would be a good fit for him to play both football and baseball.”

[GoRU]

Former UGA running back's son's football career may be over | College recruiting | ajc.com

One of the nation’s most sought-after class of 2009 football recruits may not strap on a helmet and set of shoulder pads this fall.

Cartersville’s Donovan Tate, who has scholarship offers from powerhouses such as Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Texas and Southern Cal, may forego his senior season of football and focus exclusively on baseball.

“It’s 50-50 and I could understand either way,” Cartersville football coach Frank Barden said. “I’m not trying to contact them a lot and influence them one way or another. I want him to think about it.

“But I think him making the Team U.S.A. baseball team was a big indicator of where he stands in his class with baseball players in the country.

“I think he loves football and would love to play, but he has to weigh out the options of what his future holds.”

Tate, whose father is former Georgia running back Lars Tate, has been invited to play in the AFLAC All-American baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Aug. 9.

With football practice set to begin at Cartersville on Aug. 1, Barden has a contingency plan in place should his star player opt out of football.

“You have to plan that you won’t have him,” Barden said. “All spring and summer you have to practice and plan that you won’t.

“We’re trying to prepare the guys that may have to step up if he doesn’t play.”

[GoRU]

Cartersville baseball star Tate returns to football | College recruiting | ajc.com

Donavan Tate, the prize baseball prospect who had decided to skip his senior season of football, has changed his mind again.

Tate returned to football practice Monday and is open to scholarship offers in both sports. He is listed on the AJC’s The Georgia 150 list and is a Super Southern 100 selection.

“He told me it’s not about any scholarships but that, ‘I don’t want to look back on my senior year and regret not playing football,’ ” Cartersville football coach Frank Barden said. “You can’t foresee the future, but yes, you’d think there are still going to be opportunities for him in both sports.”

In baseball, Tate is rated the No. 1 high school position player in the country by Baseball America. Many believe he could be the first player chosen in the major league draft next summer.

In football, Tate is a member of the Rivals100, which recognizes the top 100 prospects in the country. Scout.com rates him the No. 17 safety prospect nationally. At 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Tate reportedly has football scholarship offers from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Texas and Southern California.

Barden said Tate would practice this week but not play in a game until Sept. 12 at Calhoun. Cartersville defeated Cass 25-20 in its opener last week and plays Rockmart on Friday at home.

“The main thing that’s going to happen is he’s got to get his body in condition for a football game,” Barden said. “He knows his body more than anybody, and he knows what to do. We feel by the third game, he’ll be ready.”

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ESPN - College Football Recruiting On the Trail 2009

Donavan Tate chooses between college and pro baseball
ESPNU 150 athlete Donavan Tate, who is also one of the nation's finest high school baseball prospects, spoke with affiliate Web site TotalUGA.com about his plans for the future.
Despite the fact Tate may be selected very high in the first round of the June 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, he said, "I'm set on going to college and getting an education, so I don't see myself doing anything but that."
Tate added that Southern Cal, North Carolina, Alabama, Michigan and in-state Georgia are the five schools he's being recruited hardest by.

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11/23

From the Alabama site....plans on taking an official visit to the Capstone this weekend for the Auburn game....

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12/3

From the UNC site. Committed to North Carolina. His coach says that he committed because the Tar Heels are strong in both football and baseball, and adds that Tate is done with recruiting.