Big Byrd Gets Another Big time Offer

The meteoric rise of North Augusta's C.J. Byrd on the national recruiting map continued on Monday when Oklahoma extended a scholarship offer.

"Oklahoma assistant Darrell Wyatt said that he had seen tapes of most of the top junior wide receivers across the nation and C.J. was the cream of the crop," North Augusta assistant Hummel said. "They are coming for our spring practice (in late May), but they said they wanted to go ahead and offer a scholarship today ... and they did.

"Oklahoma has five senior receivers for this year and they need someone who can step right in and play. They feel like Big Byrd is the type of player to do that at a national-championship caliber program."

It was the 13th scholarship offer so far for the player who is affectionately called "Big Byrd" because of his good-natured-attitude and tall but muscular build. Last week brought in offers from Tennessee, LSU and Virginia for the 6-foot-3, 184-pounder who is being recruited at both WR and FS.

"Oklahoma and LSU are two of the nation's premiere programs," said Hummel,"and when they say you are hands down one of the best prospects in the nation and offer you scholarship without ever seeing you in person ... it's mind-boggling. I mean, both of them played for the national championship last year and they can get the attention of any player in the country right now. And both are coming hard after CJ."

Byrd's other offers include Georgia, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Clemson, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Illinois. More than 40 other colleges are sending mail on a routine basis and have requested film of Byrd.

"If I go far away from home, I want the chance to play for national championships every season and Oklahoma is a place which provides that," Byrd said. "I'm pleasantly surprised with the Oklahoma offer, I'm surprised by all of them.

"I really have to give all the credit to my teammates and coaches. My coaches have really stressed hard work in both football and with academics. My teammates played great, carried out their assignments during games last year and put me in a position to make some plays. All of this recruiting certainly isn't all about me ... a lot of other people were involved to make this happen. Football is a team sport, we're all in this together at North Augusta and I am above no one else."

Big Byrd has made unofficial visits this spring to Clemson, Auburn and South Carolina with trips planned over the next two weeks to Tennessee and Georgia.

Byrd is one of two South Carolina players being considered for next year's U.S. Army All-America Bowl game, which features the nation's top 78 players.

Rivals.com would like to thank the North Augusta public relations department for their continued assistance with all the late breaking news regarding Big Byrd.