By Warren Lent
SouthernPigskin.com

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Florida’s verbal commitment Tommy Jordan leads a stellar class from the northeast.

The case for more respect to head the way of the northeast gets stronger and stronger. For the very top-heavy class of 2011, the respect is well founded. This year there are seven young men that are headed to a school in the ACC or the SEC. These successful seven look to bring more validity to the way the game is played in New England.

Tommy Jordan: Committed to Florida

The stout senior from Ridgefield, Connecticut has a large frame and could do wonders as a lineman with a year to train and build weight under his belt. Jordan is rated the second best player in Connecticut by Rivals.com’s rankings. Jordan tends to use his pure strength rather than technique or agility but his production cannot be denied. He could project better as a guard in college but his versatility will be very intriguing and Coach Muschamp will have a tough decision on his hands once the season comes around. The practice of redshirting seems to fit perfectly for a raw, talented player like Jordan. Don’t be surprised if you see him leading the way on a toss sweep a few years from now. Jordan’s future is very bright.

Graham Stewart: Committed to Boston College

Don’t let the measurables on Stewart fool you; he is built to be a great defensive player at the next level. According to Rivals.com Stewart is the best Connecticut has to offer and I completely agree. What Stewart lacks in size he makes up for in speed and elusiveness. Graham Stewart is a player that thrives for the biggest hit of the season. Every tackle seems to have an extra pop to them. Stewart is set to have an interesting few weeks heading up to signing day because even though he is committed to Boston College, he is still fielding interest from the new head coach in Gainesville; Will Muschamp. Stewart will host both Frank Spaziani and Will Muschamp at his home in Connecticut before making a decision. This process may even last further than signing day.

Max Ricci: Committed to Boston College

At one point this season, a team that shall remain nameless withdrew their game with Lawrence Academy due to the immense size of their players. Max Ricci knows the coaches were nearly talking directly to him and he loves it. The 6’4” 345 pound defensive lineman can plug a hole like none other. Once Ricci makes it to Chestnut Hill and joins the exceptional weight-training program at Boston College (see B.J. Raji) he has a chance to soar through the depth chart.

Manuel Asprilla: Committed to Boston College

The do-it-all corner back from Everett, Mass is ready to make his mark at Boston College. Asprilla held only one offer this entire process but it turned out to be the only one he truly wanted. The local product will join his former teammate Jim Noel in the secondary before too long.

Liam Porter: Committed to Boston College

The school properly named “Offensive Line U” by many has had that name somewhat diminished by the overall play of their lineman in the past few years. Although the starts keep getting churned out, the overall product still leaves something to be desired. The unheralded recruit from Natick, MA is ready to bring the line back to prominence. Porter’s strength is noticed from the first take of his highlight film. Porter has been knocked due to his competition, but he is ready to put all skeptics in their place once he gets to BC.

Albert Louis-Jean: Committed to Boston College

The former Miami commit has made his decision to stay home and play for the team he has watched since he was young. Boston College fans are ready to see a play-making cornerback they’ve been deprived of since the likes of Will Blackmon played at Alumni Stadium in the early decade. All signs indicate that this defensive back is special.

Brian Miller: Committed to Boston College

Brian Miller has not been able to garner as much national respect due to the perception that real football isn’t played in the northeast, but Miller deserves all the praise in the world for his efforts on and off the football field. Despite their best efforts, other ACC powerhouses were unable to pry Brian Miller away from his home state of Massachusetts. Miller was offered by Clemson, Miami (FL, North Carolina, and Virginia all offered for his services as a tight end but he politely declined them all; Boston College was where he wanted to be.

Although the depth was not what many New England football pundits were hoping for, the young men headed to the ACC and SEC are some of the best the northeast has been able to offer in quite some time.