Sunday, August 23, 2009

Toledo City League

Last Friday I spent the day at the "Shoe Bowl" in Toledo and came away really impressed with the growth of city league football. You see, having watched city league football throughout Ohio, I have grown really pr0ud of the work that programs have done.

Toledo, of course, considers the catholic schools as part of the city league. I am talking about the true "city league" teams. Woodward listed 32 players and many played both ways. They played hard and clean. Really liked Brandon Wyatt, a junior OL/DL. Listed at 6'3-285. He ran out of gas at times playing both ways, but he played fast at times. Scott is facing a building year. Many underclassmen. Although he needs to get bigger, I liked Montrice Crosby, a 2012 class, DB. Played CB and FS and will strike you. Good in open field. Bowsher football is on he upswing. Senior Antoine Russel caught my eye. Wide receiver with burst and ability to catch the ball over the middle. Also lined up at OLB. Really believe he can play at the next level. Need to get some hype to the colleges about him. Start's program is very solid. Good athletes who play hard and well coached.

Improved city programs: Really impressed with effort of Black coaches. Worked hard, coached hard, and treated the kids well. Really good role models. Teams were organized and well coached. Although some teams were low in numbers, kids played hard. Discipline was excellent. Really enjoyed watching the sideline enthusiasm.

See, I used to think that "inner city" football in Toledo left alot to be desired. My feelings have changed. Of course, I missed my old friend Rick Rios, head coach at Rogers. Rogers football will always represent the "city league" well.

Nice job Toledo city football coaches.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Toledo Area Scrimmages Today

Looking forward to today's scrimmages in Toledo. I believe it is called the "Shoe Bowl," and sponsored by the "newsboys" in Toledo. Seven schools are involved. The event begins at 4:00. Teams involved:

Northview vs Bowsher
Woodward, Scott, and Northwood
St. Johns vs Start

The nice thing about attending this event is that you can evaluate talent that most of the recruiting experts have no clue about. Everybody knows about players at Ignatius, Elder, or Steubenville, but few take the time to get information on some of the lesser known schools, especially inter-city programs. Of course, St Johns is not a lesser known.

Nice linebacker at Northwood. A player at Start. St Johns is always going to have some college prospects. Some of the city schools might have a "diamond in the rough." Also find myself scouting J-V and freshmen games. This is a nice opportunity to do that.

Also, am going to catch some of the Whitmer- Perrysburg scrimmage. Both DE's at Whitmer are the real deals. Big time - 1A ratings. Kenny Hayes(DE-Whitmer), along with Stevie Miller(McKinley) are two of the very best in Ohio and are jus in the 2011 class.

If the times work out, may take in a Michigan practice. Always fun to go to a college practice to see the Ohio boys who I have evaluated and have gotten to know. Ohio State next week.

Hope that you can catch a scrimmage, or as the state now calls it, a jamboree. Just another way for the OHSAA to make money. Another story-another time.

See you in Dayton and Cincinnati next week.

Overwhelmed???

Ten days later and I am finally posting another blog entry. Honestly, with the getting of msrohio.com fine tuned and evaluating talent, my blog has taken a backseat. Hopefully, I can get back to blogging and still do what I do.

If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve this site, please feel free to contact me. However, this not a forum or fan forum, so make everything geared toward how I can improve the information, or how I can better help you with the recruiting process.

Actually, one other comment from me. I taught English for 30 years. However, I never took typing, now in today's age, keyboarding. Can you tell? Also, I hate to proofread. Can you tell? I am a high school football scout. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the site. When you come across a misspelled word, an omitted word, just shake your head.

Thanks for your patience.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Marion Franklin's Mr Everything

Last night I began the serious evaluations of college potential high school football players throughout Ohio. That is, no more football camps, no more combines, and no more 7 on 7's. Scrimmages and games from now on. Watched Olentangy, Kenton, Lancaster, and Marion Franklin. Hats off to the players, because they played a long time.

Verlon Reed, senior quarterback from M-F, as college coaches know, is a favorite of mine. Fast(4.5). Still learning as a QB, but is doing well. Throws well enough. Solid arm. Could be a WR at the next level. Just as good, would be his lining up free safety. I mean he will strike you. Best of all, he is a leader on either side of the LOS. For me, he is a special talent. Senior OL guy, Aaron Shelton has made big strides from last year. 6'4 - 300+. Bends okay, but needs to keep working on feet. Would like to see him lose some weight, but he works hard.

Nathan Carpenter, senior from Lancaster, showed some quickness and toughness. Probably needs to lock in on a position, but may be a CB. Lack of height couldhurt him, but he very competitive.

Most of Kenton's prospects are underclassmen. Mark Fackler, senior ILB, fills well, and showed toughness. Needs to improve running ability. Smart football player. No one agrees with me, but he has the frame to add weight and play on the O-line at the next level.

Olentangy has some seniors who are really good high school players. They have some potential underclassmen. My experience with Olentangy seniors is that they begin the season as possible prospects and develop into good prosects.

I have not mentioned any underclassmen. Still early for most of them, but, of course, there were some good ones.

Early Recruiting Video Efforts

As I watched the scrimmage between Steubenville and Uniontown Lake, there was an amazing discovery during the scimmage. A video guy from Rivals was taking video of the scrimmage. Both coaches had no clue as to who he was and obviously talked with him. He was not permitted to shoot any more of the scrimmage. He apparently arrived late and did not ask for permission to video. Everything worked out. This is the first scrimmage, after two days of contact, and Rivals feels compelled to get video on its website. The second day of actual contact- remember.

One better than that. Last week, I read where there was video up that had a 2011 Class DE doing a practice drill. The video was exciting because the prospect did one drill and was far enough away that you could hardly see the footwork. Of course, a self annointed recruitng expert was responsible. Video from a practice???? Of course, I am the Old Guard.

Coaches and recruits, you cannot stop those type of recruiting internet sites, but just be aware of what is happening. Hope you understand the early sarcasm.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Ohio Class of 2010 Defensive Backs

In most of my blog's concerning the top prospects in the class of 2010, I have tried to rank the prospects. The order is somewhat how I value the recruits ability. With that being said, the defensive backs are the hardest to rank. The talent is really close.

Christian Bryant - (Glenville) Obvious track speed. Good hip rotation. Closes well. Like his ability shut down taller WRs. Excellent recovery speed. Like his smoothness. Excellent competitor. Defensive side is the better side.

Braylon Heard - (Mooney) May him overrated, but his speed is real. Covers well. Needs to be just alittle more flexible. Faster when ball is in the air. Also like his ability to recover. Plays fast.

Latwan Anderson - (Glenville) Strong, tough run stopper. Tight in the hips. Solid speed. Worry about his work ethic and coach ability. Needs to use skills and play every down.

Odis Prunty - (St Edwards) - Flat out speed makes him special. Covers well. Recovers well. Needs to work on open field tackling. Could also be a WR.

Tyson Gulley - (Akron Garfield) Noted mostly as a RB. Like him at CB. Tough competitor. Excellent quickness. Quick hip rotation. Height could hurt him. Tough, no back down attitude. Plays fast.

Arryn Chenault - (Lakota West) May switch schools. Solid speed. Closes well. Sure open field tackler. Tremendous competitor. Excellent ball skills. Plays fast, but speed may cause him to move to a SS.

Adam Morris - (Glenville) More of a run stopper. Fast. Toughness excellent. Can play a number of positions. Fast and good hip rotation.

James Hall - (Southview) Tough run stopper. Understands secondary. Solid speed. Good burst. Possible slot receiver. Like the way he closes on ball. Needs to dominate tis year. Good prospect.

Josh Kristoff - (Pickerington Central) Finishes tackles. Good burst. Needs to improve top speed. Anticipates well. Like his aggressiveness as a safety. Sideline to sideline defender.

Terrence Talbott - (Wayne) Like his CB instincts. Solid speed. Quickness to cover WR. Speed to run deep. Needs to continue to work hard. Needs to be better openfield tackler. Nice presence.

Jon Hardy - (Cleveland Heights) Great attitude. Fast. Good cover corner. Tough on run. Like his rotation. Height may be a problem. Plays hard. May need to increase speed. Tough kid.

Brandon Neal - (Lakota West) Excellent off season workouts. Tough run stopper. Strong. Could play inside or outside. Speed to cover deep. Closes well.

Seth Cunningham - (St Edwards) Speed, speed and speed. Tough. Strong upper body. Needs to improve hip flexibity. Closes well. Solid open field tackler. Anticipates well. More of a north/south speed guy.

Stacey Blunt - (Dublin Scioto) - Big strong defender. Also a wideout. Solid speed. Better athletic skills. Impressed with his body control. May be a free safety. Size and strength are his strengths.

Nathan Carpenter - (Lancaster) Tough bloodlines. Fast, but needs to be faster. Tough run stopper. Needs more flexibilty. Concern about lack of height. But competitive desire and full speed effort make up for it.

Adam Griffith - (DeSales) Special player. Too short by most standards. Plays fast. Needs to improve true speed. Smart player. Tremendous competitor. Special teams player. Excellent attitude. May be too short??? but will contribute whereever he goes.

Quinton Cooper - (Northmont) - Another short corner. Excellent speed. Quick hips. Good run stopper. Strong upper body. Tremndous field presence. Possibly too short.

Mike Dorsey - (Warren Harding) - Needs a position. Big fast runner. Good open field tackler. Tall. Play either safety position. Good closing speed. Needs to be more of a bender. Long shot as an OLB. Good overall player.

Ryan Christiansen - (Lake) Big, strong athlete with solid speed. Strong upper body. Closes well. Smart. Like him as a safety. Football intelligence. Loves contact.

Marcus Penn - (Whetstone) Raw talent with excellent speed. Still learning game. Good quickness. Also plays WR.

Nate Morris - (Warrensville Heights) Excellent athlete. Plays many positions. Fast. Strong. Hard-nosed. Needs exposure. Natural leader. Under the radar.

Kevin Johnson - (St Ignatius) Also plays RB. More of strong safety. Really good speed. Strong upper body. Needs quicker hip rotation. Needs a strong senior year.

Sam Miller - (Orrville) Intelligent on/off foobll field. Solid speed. Reads coverages. Closes well on ball. Ideal free safety. Anticipates well. Good ball skills. A sleeper???

Bobby Swigert - (Louisville) - Some like as a WR. Excellent quickness. Very athletic. Excellent ball skills. Anticipates well. Tougher when ball is in the air. Makes plays. Tough run stopper.

2010 Class Linebackers a Plenty

With the exception of Jordan Hicks, the linebacker 2010 class is good, but not outstanding. Some very solid backers in this class, but will have continue to improve to be outstanding at the next.

Jordan Hicks - (Lakota West) All of the natural instints of an outside linebacker. Runs well. Closes well and finishes plays. Good in coverage drops. Plays on air. Plays faster than speed. Character makes him special.

Scott McVey - (St Ignatius) Tough, strong and runs through defenders. Also an OLB guy. Excellent closing speed. Execellent in pass coverage. Plays sideline to sideline. Too short(6'0) by most standards, but unbelievable competitor.

Chi-Chi Ariguzo - (Columbus DeSales) Under-rated. Tall 6'2 and getting bigger and stronger. Closes well. Nasty attitude. Possible SS, but like him as an OLB. Still learning the game. Can add weight. Intelligent in classroom and on field.

Willie Tatum - (Pickerington Central) Not sure best fit. Possible DE. Tremendous off the edge. Fast. Quick. Need to see him in coverage. Good open field tackler. Plays really fast. Excellent leverage on tackles. Simply - plays fast.

Josh Harrison - (Wayne) Really good offseason has helped potential. Bigger and stronger. Good balance. Understands game. Plays fast. Tough in open field.

Ray Bush - (Toledo Rogers) Future is ahead. 6'2-210 and runs well. Strong and still growing. Needs more technique, but works hard. Possible inside run stopper(if he keeps growing). Excellent tackler. Really like potential at next level.

Cameron Ontoko - (Walsh Jesuit) Fast. Changes direction well. Very strong. Needs to work on flexiblity. Plays low. Also a RB, but needs to focus on OLB. May grow into a Mike backer. Improve pass drops. Great attitude and will be good.

Cody Byers - (Kettering Alter) Continues to get faster. Toughness is biggest asset. Like the way he finishes. Possible SS, but needs to improve speed. Good balance. Stays on feet. Utapped potential.

Jewone Snow - (Canton McKinley) Needs to continue to redistribute weight and get stronger. A mike backer. Runs well tackle to tackle. Good leverage. Very competitive. For me, finally reaching potential. Needs to dominate senior year.

Cody Riffle - (Toledo St Johns) Under rated. Speed and toughness make him special. Short on heighth, but strong and quick. Can play either inside or out. Leader. Also closes well on ball. Motor always running full speed.

Preston Brown - (Cincinnati Northwest) Big LB/FB type guy. Strong. Runs down hill. Needs to improve closing speed and finishing. Big body, but needs to improve instincts and athleticism. For me, needs to dominate early.

Zac Rosenbauer - (Lima Shawnee) Serious injury caused him to miss last season. Strong and tough. Obviously, needs to play well, but not necessarily early. A test taker and must translate that to field. Closes well. Runs through defenders. Could be a dominating force.

Dereck Roback - (Waverly) Labeled an athlete. Like him as potential OLB. Strong. Smart. Runs to the ball. Excellent in pass coverage. Frame to add weight. Long. Good in open field. Can also play an inside DB. Very athletic.

Soloman Tentman -(Roger Bacon) Runs really well off the edge. Can drop into coverage. Big frame. Needs to be a better bender. Play more under control. Motor runs all of the time.

Marcus Johnston - (Coshocton) - Also a RB, but may be a better defender. Possible SS. Smart. Understands the game. Fast, but my need more flexibility. Needs to play lights out in early games. Like him at RB, but maybe a better defender.

Nick Galvin - (Moeller) - Tough down hill runner. Aggressive and tough. Needs to get off blocks. Like his motor and energy. Shortness and athleticism(needs improved) may hurt his chances to get to a top levl program.

Anthony Hitchens - Lorain Clearview) Like him, but needs to find a true position. Solid speed. Good strength. Needs more agility. North/South runner. Good frame just needs to take over as a LB'er.

Trust me, I have omitted some for various reasons. May add to my next blog.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Defensive line - 2010 Class

My experience has been that true defensive inside linemen are really hard to find. In fact, the first thing early college scouts ask me - "any defensive linemen in Ohio?" This year is no exception. I just cannot give you many true top DL guys.

Terry Talbott - (Wayne) Worked hard over the winter and the results have been good. Like his instincts and quickness off LOS. Good hands. Disengages well. Pursues down LOS. Game motor, but needs to keep it running. An excellent offseason program has really increased potential. Needs to dominate in first three games.

Josh Davis - (Jonathon Alder) Played both ways. A load on defense, but better suited for the OL. Strong. Needs to work on lateral movement. Locks out well as a QB protector. Strong inside run stopper. Good pass rusher. Just believe he does not move as well on the DL. Football player, however.

Roosevelt Nix - (Reynoldsburg) Maybe the most disrupting force on the DL in Ohio tis fall. Tops the height chart at 5"10. Disengages really well. Quick feet. Sideline to sideline guy. Plays FB on offense. A stretch at LB. Just too short for almost every program. Excellent kid.

Grant Pleasant - (Dublin Scioto) - Listed as a DE. Tough, hardnosed run stopper. Like his quickness off the LOS. Motor runs all of the time. Needs to add weight and slide inside. Durable. Quickness to be an inside pass rusher, as well. Needs to realize his value as an inside guy.

John Blevins - (Upper Arlington) - Once he plays just one way, motor will have more gas. Tough run stopper inside. Needs to improve ability to get off blocks. Strong upper body. Needs to keep working on quickness. Needs to improve flexibility. Work ethic is probably his biggest asset.

Harrison Scott - (New Albany) Maybe a sleeper. Potential is there. Just filling out his body. Feet are his strength. Good balance. Uses hands well. Pass rush technique is good. Smiles too much(Humor). Athleticism is strength. May need to be nastier, but that will come.

Desmond McGowan - (Springfield SW) Moves well. Started as a 10th grader. Quick feet and pass rush technique are strengths. Really needs to add weight. Alot of weight in fact. Toughness is evident.

Karson Williams - (Tecumseh) Either does not know how good he can be, or does want to take charge. Very athletic. Excellent quickness. Runs well. Needs to add weight and strength. Needs to be more "smash mouth." All of the physical skills. Scolded him on attitude. I liked him on video, but attitude is important. Consider him a sleeper.

Zach Hitchens - (Canal Winchester) Need to find a position for Zach. Strong and no nonsense attitude on pass rush. Runs well off the edge. Change of direction just okay. Relentless on pursuit. Inside run stopper. Hope he in grows into a DL guy. Maybe a stretch at DE. Maybe a LB if he can play on air. Just needs a chance to show his ability.

Defensive linemen always seem to come out of the woodwork their senior year. Hopefully, some athletes have outgrown their current postion and will move to the defensive line.

Defensive ends - 2010 class or whatever

Need to finish my top 2010 guys. A defensive end for me, sometimes turns into a "whatever." That is although he played defensive in high school, I do not always project a player as a DE on the next level.

Jibreel Black - (Wyoming) Really good quickness. Very athletic. Uses hands to disengage, but may outgrow the DE position and move inside. Not enough burst coming off the edge. Tough, but like him as a DT.

Marcus Rush - (Moeller) Special to me. Excellent burst off the edge. Good speed, but plays faster. Finishes tackles. Almost caught between DE and OLB. If he can play on air, will be an excellent OLB prospect. A defensive stopper for sure.

Jayrone Elliot - (Glenville) - Big, strong and long. True DE and plays with big motor. Needs to improve changing direction, but solid now. Just like his toughness and that he play full speed every play. Can take over a high school game.

Jamal Turner - (Ursuline) Track speed. Excellent quickness. Tall and long. Quickness makes him special. Needs to play every down. Needs to pursue better. Off field problems aside, could be very good. Question motor. Line him at DE and come off the corner every play. Not as high on him as some evaluators.

J T Moore - (Boardman) Could play different positions. Big frame and can get much bigger. Long arms. Excellent balance. Like his intensity, but need to improve. Do not know if he plays in space well enough to play OLB. Fluid enough to play DE?? Maybe an OL guy. But he is a football player.

Anthony Stryffeler -(Parma) Somewhat under the radar, but should not be. Strong upper body. Motor runs all the time. Good balance. Also plays offense, but better on D. Tough enough to move inside. Uses hands well. Just love his motor and the fact that he competes every play.

John Russ - (Elyria Catholic) Also plays TE and moves outside as a receiver. Like his burst. Long frame and can alot of weight. Quick off the edge. Changes direction well. Could be a TE, but like him chasing the ball. Best years are ahead.

Eric Lefeld - (Coldwater) Watched him as a sophomore at DE. Growing into body. Some like him inside on either offensive and defensive lines. Long arms. Improving change of direction. Excellent leverage. A basketball player, but football is the ticket. No mistake on an offer, because he can play both sides of ball.

Derrick Bryant - (Brookhaven) For me, needs to play lights-out this year. Tall and long. Believe he is still learning the game. Excellent burst coming off the edge. Needs to play harder. Motor needs to run every play. Very athletic. Desire to be good, but just needs to find it.

Michael Robinson - (Cleveland John Adams) - Excellent speed and quickness. Solid off the edge. Needs to be coach-up somewhat. Raw talent. Puts up good stats, but need to see the level of competion game in game out. May have to move inside, but would have to get bigger.

Antonio Kinard - (Youngstown Liberty) Possibly the best prospect in the 2010 class, but needs to take over games this fall. Long and adding weight. Excellent coming off the edge. Excellent burst. Like him as well at OLB. Was dinged-up last year. Just need to see more of him, but potential on next level is high.


Solid prospects at the DE position in the Class of 2010. In all honesty, the two best DE prospects in Ohio are in the 2011 class. Love Stevie Miller (Canton McKinley) and Kenny Hayes (Toledo Whitmer.)

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Pleasant surprises at Bengals camp

Last Monday, as I walked around the Bengals practice as a guest of Jim Lippencott, I watched two former Ohio high schoolers working hard to impress the Bengal coaching staff. Both are returners from last year and appear in good standing for this coming season.

What made it special for the "Old Guard," as some Bucknuts guy with no football background referred to me, was that they remembered me. But what made it really special was that coming out of high school, both of these guys were long shots to "play on Sunday."

Andrew Crummey(6'5-300) came to the Bengals midway through last season. With hard work he has become one of, if not, the top back-up O-lineman. He played at Van Wert HS, was big, and could run. For some reason, many of the Midwest schools did not go on him. He had an excellent career at Maryland. Playing for a smaller school program, Andrew had really good feet and OL instincts. He overcame a smaller high school program , and now he makes just a little more money than I do.

Chinedum Ndukwe played his high school career at Dublin Coffman HS, and honestly, when Notre Dame offered him a scholarship, my thought was a package to get Brady Quinn. Chinedum could not run fast. Tough, smart, big(now 6'2-220), but could not run fast. Actually thought he might play at ND as an OLB. After two years as WR, he moved to S. Still was not fast, but fast enough. Anyway, he is alternating at S with the Bengals, but is good enough to start. Now, he too, makes just a little more money than I do.

Of course, there are many stories like this, but for me, watching two OHIO boys get rewarded for all of the work and dedication they put in over the years to "play on Sunday," made the Bengals practice trip very rewarding.

New Website

After some long planning sessions, the new website is up and running. I would like to take all of the credit and tell you that that is what I have been doing the last few weeks. Of course, if you know me personally, you know that I am not " a computer giant." Thank goodness for the "favorite" column.
Virtually, all of the credit goes to my good friend who simply loves the challenge of creating "websites." Since he does not evaluate football talent very well, he is no threat to my business. Does have a little background in football.
Anyway, I hope that we can continually provide new and fresh information on football recruiting. With the new site, we have tried to make the high school coach's work a little more convenient. Eventually, we hope to provide a section to help the Ohio High School Football Coaches Assn get news to its members.
Lastly, if you have comments or suggestions to make the msrohio.com site better, please feel free to email us.
The Ohio high school football season officially began yesterday. The best to all for a successful season.