Highly rated DE plans visit

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2000 | 10:21 a.m.

When it comes to producing college football prospects, few do it better than Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High School.

Standouts such as Gene Washington, Tony Hill, Mark Carrier, Leonard Russell, Willie McGinest and current USC star Kareem Kelly all played for the Jackrabbits, who tied Santa Ana's Mater Dei High School at Edison Field in Anaheim for the CIF Southern Section Division I title this past season.

And one of the key defenders from that Poly squad, defensive end Charles Jones (6-3, 240), has decided to take a recruiting trip to UNLV this weekend.

Jones, who also has visited San Diego State and Fresno State, was a second-team Dream Team pick by the Long Beach Press-Telegram. He also was a key member of the Poly basketball team that won the Reebok Holiday Prep Classic at Green Valley High School.

"He's a physical specimen," Poly coach Jerry Jaso said. "He's 6-3, 240 and is the sixth or seventh man on a basketball team that is rated in the top 15 in the country. He's a big, strong kid who is going to get bigger. He runs extremely well."

Because they are running low on scholarships, the Rebels will be bringing in only a handful of prospects this weekend.

One player not taking an official visit but who will be at tonight's football awards banquet is Cheyenne High School defensive lineman Lynn McGruder, who reportedly is leaning toward Wisconsin or Tennessee.

In other recruiting news:

* Wide receiver Charlie Rogers (6-4, 190, 4.4 in the 40) of Saginaw, Mich., rated the nation's No. 1 prospect by ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, picked Michigan State over Tennessee and Florida State. "He's the closest wide receiver prospect I've seen to Randy Moss," Lemming said.

* The top running back in Texas, Derick Arnold (6-1, 222) of Milby High in Houston, pulled a big surprise and committed to Arizona State over Michigan, Nebraska and Arizona. The Sun Devils had earlier landed a verbal commitment from arguably the best running back in Southern California, Mike Williams (6-1, 185) of Lakewood Mayfair.

* Canton McKinley offensive lineman Antonio Hall (6-5, 292), one of the top four prospects in Ohio this year, also pulled a stunner by committing to Kentucky over Ohio State and Michigan. The two best offensive line prospects in Ohio this year -- Hall and Cincinnati Moeller's Michael Munoz (Tennessee) -- both decided to leave the state, which can't be good news for John Cooper.