Tavon Austin

If you tune in Saturday to watch Maryland play No. 8 West Virginia, do yourself a favor: Keep your eyes on the Mountaineers' Tavon Austin , the Baltimore kid who wears No. 1 and might be the most exciting player in the whole country. It's hard to believe he's a senior already, a slot receiver with the same Smurfs body-type he had during a legendary high school career at Dunbar. The Mountaineers list him at 5-foot-9 and 171 pounds, and that looks generous. But he's still the classic little man in a big man's game.

You should know that Tavon Austin, perhaps the best high school running back the Baltimore area has ever produced, is never amazed by what he does when he twists and turns and motors through a defense. Oh, he might not always know exactly what he's going to do when he approaches a line, a linebacker, a defensive back. In fact, Austin never really plans for what's coming. But whatever happens, just know that while you might be surprised, Austin is not. "That's how I've always done it since I was 7," Austin said matter-of-factly after leading Dunbar to a second straight Class 1A state title Saturday.

Last week I got an offer from Georgia. It's the second Southeastern Conference offer I've received so far, with the other one coming from South Carolina. Right now, all the schools are kind of the same to me since I haven't gotten the chance to really visit any of them yet. What makes the Bulldogs' offer a little different is that they're recruiting me as a slot receiver. Most of the other schools that have recruited me want me to play running back, but I wouldn't mind playing receiver.

Last Saturday, my family and I went to Penn State for its spring game, and I had a great time. I went with my mother, Cathy, my cousin Aaron, my uncle Charles Green and my grandmother Louann Green. They call their spring game, "The Blue/White Game," and the weather and atmosphere were amazing. I was up there with about 50 other recruits. I've seen a few of their faces before, but I didn't really recognize many of them. I didn't get to talk to any of them, but I'm more concerned with meeting and talking to some of the current players.

Wearing slightly faded jeans that hang low but comfortably over white sneakers, Tavon Austin glides through the busy hallway of Dunbar High. Under his left arm, he carries a notebook and a binder. On his wrists are names tattooed in dark, cursive lettering. His grandmother's name, Louann, is on his right wrist. His mother's name, Cathy, is on his left. Girls walk up to him and pull at his oversized hoodie, which drapes loosely over a lime-green collared polo shirt. They giggle as they say his name.

Girls Kristen Malloy BOYS TAVON AUSTIN Dunbar, football Junior Tavon Austin, whose position on the Dunbar roster is listed as "athlete," led No. 4 Dunbar to a 56-6 rout of then-No. 11 City in the second Bob Wade Classic on Friday. Austin, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound running back-defensive back who was offered a scholarship to Maryland last spring, ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries. His three scores came in the first half on a pair of 2-yard runs and a 20-yarder, as the Poets (4-0)

The Baltimore sports scene is blessed with a bunch of talented bloggers who bring their unique perspective to the conversation. Each week, I hope to chat with one of them in a regular feature called Blogger on Blogger. This week, I exchanged emails with Dan Ciarrocchi, a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association who writes about fantasy football for Pro Football Focus and the Redskins for Hogs Haven, an SB Nation website. MV: Which rookie backs will have the most fantasy impact in 2013?

By the time a typhoonlike rain swept across Lumsden-Scott Stadium at the start of the fourth quarter yesterday, No. 3 ranked and No. 1 seeded Dunbar had already blown away No. 4 seeded Forestville and was well on its way to a 52-14 victory in the Class 1A South football semifinals. Dunbar scored a season-high 30 points in the first quarter and was up 52-6 at halftime. Tavon Austin carried the ball four times and scored three touchdowns of 53, 43 and 26 yards while rolling up 149 yards in the first half.

today's football state title games MATCHUP: Fort Hill vs. No. 3 Dunbar WHAT: Class 1A state championship WHEN: Noon WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium OUTLOOK: Fort Hill's playoff history is longer, but Dunbar is the team looking to make history by adding a third consecutive championship to the record books. The Poets (12-1) would be only the second metro-area team to do it, joining Wilde Lake (1990-1992), and only the seventh in the state. The Sentinels (11-1) are led on offense by RB Marcus Lashley's 1,130 yards and 14 touchdowns, and by QB Eric Howser, who has passed for 802 yards and eight TDs. Defensively, LB Garrett Dolly, a sophomore, leads the effort with 95 tackles.

From the moment he stepped onto the West Virginia campus last fall, Tavon Austin knew the timetable. The former Dunbar star, who had scored 123 touchdowns for the Poets during a high school career in which he set four state records, understood that he would have to be patient to get a chance to play tailback for the Mountaineers. Just as Noel Devine had to wait for Steve Slaton to leave, Austin has to wait for Devine to finish his college career in Morgantown, W.Va. "You have a blueprint to show him," said West Virginia receivers coach Lonnie Galloway, who recruited Austin.