Liberty's Lucas Tops Mizzou Recruiting Class **Updated with Carter likely to TCU and MU Class Rank Up to No. 15

COLUMBIA - Liberty wide receiver Marcus Lucas on Saturday became the cherry on top of what could be Missouri’s best-ever football recruiting class under Coach Gary Pinkel.
Lucas texted PowerMizzou.com - the Missouri site on the Rival recruiting network - that he had committed to the Tigers for the Class of 2010.
Lucas - 6-5 and 195 pounds - is rated by Rivals as the No. 14 wide receiver recruit in the nation. He is also ranked as the No. 113th best player overall and the No. 2 recruit in the state of Missouri.
Missouri already had commitments from No. 1 - Nick Demien, an offensive lineman out of Wentzville- and No. 3 - defensive end Kony Ealy out of New Madrid.
Rivals already had Missouri’s recruiting class rated No. 17 in the nation prior to the Lucas commitment.

(update)On Sunday, Rivals bumped that class ranking to No. 15 nationally.

Missouri now has seven four-star recruits, the most in any previous MU football class. Lucas chose Mizzou from a final list that included Arkansas, Oklahoma, Stanford and Tennessee.
Lucas - who gave out the news electronically while cloistered with a group of football recruits at Missouri’s basketball game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Mizzou Arena - was the second wide receiver to commit to the Tigers on Saturday.
Denton (Texas) Ryan’s Bud Sasser also confirmed via text message he had given his commitment to Missouri.
Sasser had taken visits to Arizona and Nebraska, and was also being recruited by Kansas. Sasser is the No. 69 wide receiver in the nation according to Rivals.
Lucas’ action puts into question the status of Curtis Carter, who decomitted from Nebraska and had an offer from Missouri but was waiting to announce his choice until after a visit to TCU this weekend.

(update) Early on Sunday morning Carter posted on his Facebook page that he will likely play at TCU. What Carter didn't say was that in waiting, he lost his chance at Missouri. The Tigers look to be at their scholarship limit, likely to take no more for 2010 unless more scholarships are freed up by players not returning.

Counting safety Kenronte Walker, a junior college safety who has already signed, Missouri has verbal commitments from at least 22 confirmed players with February’s signing day still months away.

Here, according to PowerMizzou.com, is the list of MU commitments so far:

SIGNED LETTER OF INTENT
Kenronte Walker DB 6-1 205 San Francisco, CA

COMMITTED/UNSIGNED
Nick Demien OL 6-6 295 Wentzville, MO
Kony Ealy DE 6-5 230 New Madrid, MO
Daniel Easterly ATH 6-4 178 Detroit
James Franklin QB 6-2 218 Corinth, TX
Tyler Gabbert QB 6-0 190 Ballwin, MO
E.J. Gaines DB 5-10 170 Independence
Anthony Gatti OL 6-6 280 St. Louis
Tristan Holt DB 6-0 185 Gilmer, TX
Jimmie Hunt WR 6-1 195 Cahokia, IL
Henry Josey ATH 5-10 180 Angleton, TX
Marcus Lucas WR 6-5 195 Liberty, MO.
Mitch Morse OL 6-6 282 Austin, TX
Marcus Murphy RB 5-9 170 DeSoto, TX
Jared Parham LB 6-2 220 Coppell, TX
Darvin Ruise ATH 6-2 218 Glen St. Mary, FL
Bud Sasser WR 6-3 200 Denton, TX
Xavier Smith DB 5-11 180 Edmond, OK
Lucas Vincent DT 6-3 267 Olathe, KS
Eric Waters TE 6-4 215 Mansfield, TX
Braylon Webb DB 6-2 180 Gilmer, TX
Greg White ATH 6-2 215 De Queen, AR

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