Blue chip Peach State DT has Hogs in top three

He’s big, he’s fast, he’s agile and he has a host of suitors. That is the case with Newnan (Ga.) defensive tackle Earnest Mitchell, Jr.

Mitchell, 6-foot-1, 275 pounds, is one of the top prospects in Georgia, a state the Razorbacks have successfully recruited under the Nutt administration. Rivals.com rates him the nation’s No. 24 defensive tackle, and the No. 88 player in the Southeast Elite 88. Rivals.com also rates him the No. 18 player in the Peach State, regardless of position.

Newnan is 12-1 this season. Before last weeks 20-14 win over 11-2, and three-time defending state champion, Parkview, Mitchell had 124 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and 20 quarterback hurries. As a junior he had 77 tackles with 19 resulting in lost yardage. Tonight, Newnan will take on 13-0 Camden County in the semifinals at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

At the Auburn Nike Camp this summer, Mitchell wowed onlookers by running a 4.85 40-yard dash at 280 pounds. He is currently bench pressing an impressive 435 pounds. Likely to be academically eligible, Mitchell sports a 2.6 GPA and he has scored 17 on the ACT.

Several big-time schools are looking at him, but five schools have made his most recent list. Florida State, Auburn, Clemson, Maryland and Arkansas are his top five. FSU, Arkansas and Maryland are tied at the top of that list. He has scholarship offers from each of his favorites.

Mitchell is being recruited to Arkansas by defensive line coach Tracy Rocker.

“I like coach Rocker, their defensive line coach. He’s cool. I haven’t seen the facilities yet, but coach Rocker’s pretty cool,” Mitchell said. “We talk about academics a lot - mostly about academics. If you don’t pay, you don’t play. We talk about what to expect when I get up there.”

Mitchell gets to Fayetteville for the first time ever on the big Jan. 16 recruiting weekend. Right now, his only other visit is set for Jan. 22 at Clemson. He is still ironing out the details with Auburn, FSU and Maryland.

The most important issue with Mitchell may be the quality of the facilities. When asked about his other favorites, he commented on the quality of their coaches and how he feels about their defense. He has been to Maryland, Auburn and Florida State. He visited FSU when they played Maryland. He also went to an FSU camp.

No matter where Mitchell ends up, he has the tools and physical maturity to contribute very quickly, even though early playing time does not seem to be a major concern of his.

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