Jake Long - A Kentucky HS Player

         I will be the first to tell you that the football combines and camps that we put on are small time operations. Rivals, Nike, and the National Underclassman Combines are so huge. We are just a "mom and pop's" outfit. However, at one of our D-1 Sorts Training combines, I met a young man from Ashland Blazer High School in Kentucky.
        Jake Long (2016) from Ashland Blazer HS talked with me at the combine. Told me that he used to live in Ohio, but his parents moved to Kentucky. He trains with Alonzo Saxton in Columbus every weekend. Mr. Saxton told him that I would be a good resource for him to get started in the recruiting process.
        Jake sent me an email thanking me for the opportunity to test at the combine. He has talked with recruiting reporters in Ohio before, but once they find out that he is from Kentucky, they slowly disappear. There was also some concern that since he was a Kentucky boy, I would not be interested in helping him.
         Measuring 5'11(NS) and 167, Jake tested well for a sophomore. Ran 4.55/40. Verticaled 34.0. Broad jumped - 9.6. Ran 4.4/PS. Ran a solid 7.4/LC. With the work ethic that Jake has, these tests scores will improve a year from now. Plays DB at Blazer High School. Good hips and good speed.
         Because of his interest in MSR, I will see him on video this fall. Maybe I will see him at a camp this summer. Of course, watching him compete in pads will be hard. He better return to one of my combines next March.
         I do not promote our combines for out of state prospects. One, I want to focus on Ohio players. Two, regardless of a player's ability, for parents driving over four hours to go to any combine (Nike included) is silly. The results are not worth the effort. However, I will not turn away any player from out of state who wants to get better.
        Building honest relationships in recruiting is number one for me. Honesty is not a strength of many coaches or recruiting reporters when it comes to recruiting football prospects. Looking forward to helping Jake Long in the recruiting process. This fall and next spring is really important for him. His test scores have been sent out to my colleges. The process has begun.