No. 1 Russell White Selects Cal Over USC

Russell White, the most highly touted running back in California this season, made it official today when he signed a letter of intent to attend the UC Berkeley.

The 6-foot, 1-inch, 180-pound White, of Encino’s Crespi High in the San Fernando Valley, did not choose USC, as some had expected. He is Cal’s most heralded recruit in four years and has said he wants to become the first freshman in college history to win the Heisman Trophy.

“I don’t need to improve my game,” said White when asked in what areas he can get better in order to help Cal turn its program around. “Just give me a line and a quarterback to give me the ball and we got action.”

Recruiting is anything but an exact science, and seven players among the 161 accorded All-America status by SuperPrep Magazine of Costa Mesa already have changed their minds.

Texas to LSU to Texas

On Tuesday, defensive lineman Shane Dronett of Bridge City, Tex., who originally committed to Texas and then switched to LSU, changed his mind again and said he will attend Texas after all, and linebacker Arthur Bussie of Camden, N.J., switched from Clemson to Ohio State.

Earlier, running back Ron Dickerson of State College, Pa., whose father is an assistant coach at Penn State, committed to Arkansas.

Mike Wells, a 270-pound lineman from Arnold, Mo., SuperPrep’s defensive player of the year in the Midlands, switched from Michigan to Iowa; defensive back Carlton Gray changed from Miami, Fla., to UCLA; quarterback Donald Douglas of Liberty, Tex., switched from Houston to Florida, and Abe Hoskins, a receiver-defensive back from Omaha, Neb., changed from Nebraska to Purdue.

SuperPrep publisher Allen Wallace has predicted a decisive recruiting triumph for national champion Notre Dame. The Irish have received commitments from 17 of SuperPrep’s 161 All-Americans, including the top-rated prospects in two of the magazine’s nine categories, quarterback Rick Mirer of Goshen, Ind., and tight end Irv Smith of Pemberton, N.J.

The 6-foot, 4-inch, 230-pound Smith is rated the best tight end in the country although his team’s wishbone offense limited him to 18 receptions. He made All-State as a defensive back.

SuperPrep’s top-rated offensive lineman, 275-pound Bob Whitfield of Wilmington Banning, has committed to Stanford, as has the top kicker, Paul Stonehouse of Los Angeles. The No. 1 defensive lineman, 268-pound Sean Gilbert of Aliquippa, Pa., defensive player of the year in the Northeast, says he will attend Pitt, and the No. 1 defensive back, Eric Geter of Newnan, Ga., is headed for Clemson.

Curtis Conway, a quarterback who ranks No. 1 in SuperPrep’s all-inclusive “athlete” category, has declared for USC.