Posts Tagged ‘2010 recruits’
11/09/09: Video of the Day: Deontae Cooper - Citrus Hill H.S. (California)
Posted by Chad Wilson in Video of the Day on November 9th, 2009
Deontae Cooper is what every high school football coach needs and that is a bad a– running back. Cooper’s talent will jump off the computer screen and smack you in the face. For starters, he has outstanding speed. He goes from zero to top speed in no time flat. Defenders with angles find them getting quickly erased when Cooper is making his bid for the end zone. On top of that, he runs with an attitude. Once the ball is in his hands, Cooper is on a mission. He can run around you but he can also run through you. Cooper is a joy to watch and he has led Citrus Hill High School in Parris, California to an undefeated record as of the time of this article. Cooper has rushed for 2,075 yards on 221 carries for an average of 9.39 yards per carry. His Citrus Hill Hawks team has demolished the opposition, winning by an average of 28 points per contest. The University of Washington commit has rushed for 412 yards in a game this season, has rushed for more than 200 yards six times and posted up 342 yards rushing in his last outing against Heritage H.S. The only way to stop this kid is to press pause on his highlight video. Watch out Pac-10!! View Deontae Cooper’s highlight video - click here.
10/30/09: Video of the Day: Trevius Folston - QB - Florida Air Academy (Florida)
Posted by Chad Wilson in Video of the Day on October 30th, 2009
Another day, another underrated Gridiron Stud. Florida Air Academy does not come up on most people’s radar. It’s not St. Thomas Aquinas, it’s not Elder, it’s not Concord DeLaSalle and it’s not John Curtis but it’s perfectly capable of turning out a future college football star. They may have one here in quarterback Trevius Folston. Folston stands out and stands tall… all 6′7″ inches of him. Watch him take a smooth drop back and deliver the ball with technique and precision. Typically, teenagers with this kind of frame come off as physically awkward. Folston does not. The 2010 prospect carries his 210 lbs with power and command. He is oozing with potential and ready to command the future of a college football program. Folston does not appear in the Rivals rankings so he’s under the radar but he has the potential to be a bullseye for a college football team in search of a future signal caller. Be the judge yourself and check out Trevius Folston’s highlight video, click here.
Rumors and Wires: Gio Bernard Headed to Notre Dame
Posted by Chad Wilson in Rumors and Wires on October 27th, 2009
Rumors and Wires: Week of October 26, 2009
One of the most productive backs in St. Thomas Aquinas history made an important choice on Tuesday when Gio Bernard opted for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Bernard was a highly recruited talent that narrowed his choices down to Florida St., Tennessee, Oregon St. Nebraska and Alabama before going with Notre Dame. Bernard has made a career out of both tough running and tough yards. Making this college decision was equally as tough but in the end, Notre Dame, he determined was here he wanted to be. View Gio Bernard’s highlight video.
Other Rumors and Wires
Glades Central H.S. (FL) running back Antwan Chisholm has chosen Mississippi St. over West Virginia, Oklahoma St., Southern Mississippi, Rutgers and Ole Miss.
Baaaalllleeers ! Inglewood Sentinels Loaded with Talent
Posted by Chad Wilson in High School Football on September 24th, 2009
Talent is talent and Inglewood High School has it in large supply. The “Ballers” as they are also known by are one of a few teams with updated in-season highlight videos posted on Gridironstuds.com. In their most recent installment, you can witness several top prospects making big plays to carry their team on to victory.
First up is outstanding 2011 prospect defensive back Kyle Evans. Evans is the younger brother of Shaquelle Evans who signed on with Notre Dame in the ‘09 class. Evans can be seen making Division-I type plays on the football from his cornerback spot as well as showing some additional skill on the offensive side of the ball. 2012 wide receiver prospect Derrick Woods also opens your eyes with both his aggression on blocking and great pass catching skills. Woods is definitely one for college recruiters to keep an eye on. Woods has a swagger and a little bit of that “it” factor. At 2:23 on the video, he pastes some poor defender trying to pursue one of his teammates. It’s a must see.
2010 TE prospect Marcus Howard puts his stamp on the video with high quality tight end play which we have come to expect but Howard also shows up big time from his defensive end spot wreaking havoc on QB’s and ball carriers alike. The final installment in the highlight video is James Grace, a 6′2″ 200 lb. two way threat from his wide receiver and safety positions. Grace is aggressive and the first clip displays that. What was eye catching was his play making ability from the wide receiver spot. Grace only played in six games due to injury in 2008 and now it seems he’s ready to set the World on fire.
Inglewood is 2-0 to open the season with a 19-13 win over Quartz Hill and forfeit win over Kilpatrick. QB Shaun Alexander was 13 of 20 for 296 yards in the Quartz Hill win with Grace catching six balls for 162 yards. Howard caught three for 52.
The highlight video was produced by Sentinels staff member Stephen Thomas who is also the owner of Under the Radar Productions. His company makes highlight videos for aspiring college football players making big plays on the high school gridiron. Thomas always put together a great product and will keep your head bobbing with West Coast tunes while you watch the players do their thing. Check out Under the Radar Productions, click here.
Check out the Inglewood High School prospect highlight video. Click here.
Video of the Day: Robert Handy - TE - Freehold, New Jersey
Posted by Chad Wilson in Video of the Day on August 26th, 2009
Howell High School WR/DB Robert Handy puts in work. I will skip all the obvious puns that can be used with his last name and tell you that Handy presents a matchup problem for defenders. At 6′2″ 200 lbs, he’s bigger than most cornerbacks lining up in front of him and bigger than most high school safeties for that matter. Handy also has good speed for his size (4.61) in the forty and good ball skills. Watch him on film make catches over defenders and attack the ball in the air. Handy is also an honor student who looks to have a great football I.Q. Time and again you will see him read the coverages, sit in the zones and present himself to the quarterback. If you are a lover of offensive football then Handy is a joy to watch. Check out Robert Handy’s highlight video.
More On the Number of Tennessee Football Offers for 2010
Posted by Chad Wilson in General on June 3rd, 2009
Kiffen and staff covering the globe
Well, my first article about Lane Kiffin’s 187 offers caused quite a stir, soI thought I would do a follow up on what seems to be an interesting topic.
You know how touchy some college football fans can be. That’s what you have to love about the college gridiron. There’s so much passion in the air. College football fans will defend their teams to the end like a criminal defense attorney standing in court with a client wearing a blood soaked T-shirt. You can’t tell a Gator fan that their team has had too many arrests. They will tell you why 28 is not a big number.
My pointing out that Kiffin and his staff have 187 offers out on the table was not an indictment in any way of Kiffin’s method’s or approach. Hell, for all I know, putting a bunch of offers out there may turn out to be a winning strategy. I am not saying that it’s right or wrong, I am merely pointing out that it’s a high number. Only time will tell if Kiffin’s methods are right. I do know one thing, if Kiffin’s objective was to return Tennessee football to the stream of consciousness of college football fans then he landed that dart in the red circle. I think all of America outside of the Knoxville are watching his regime like two speeding trains heading towards each other on the same track. They want to know if there will be a crash or if one of those trains will find another track and successfully avoid disaster.
As far as the number of offers are concerned, it’s high Vol fans and that’s a fact. If you are from Knoxville and want to draw attention to something, you can take solace in the following fact: Scout.com has Tennessee only listed for 114 offers (a number that can change on a daily basis). Where does this stand against other schools? I checked it against the Top 10 teams in last year’s final BCS poll as well as some other notable schools and programs that I personally know have been very busy this offseason. Going by Scout’s numbers, the closest team to Tennessee is Alabama which has 90 offers out there followed closely by their nemesis and SEC combatant Florida (86) and West Virginia (86). This means that Tennessee has 24 more offers out there than the next closest team (or at least one that I could find). That’s an entire signing class ahead of the next team. Is it a good or bad strategy? Again, I don’t know but it’s both note and newsworthy which is what Kiffin’s master plan has been since he landed in Knoxville. Some think the old man in Oakland rubbed off on Kiffin more than he may want to let on. Let’s hope his results are different than that of the Raiders’ over the last few years.
List of Top Rated / Notable School and the Number of Offers to 2010 Prospects
| Team | Offers | BCS Rank at the end of ‘08 |
| Tennessee | 114 | |
| Alabama | 90 | #6 |
| Florida | 86 | #1 |
| WVU | 86 | |
| LSU | 80 | |
| Florida St. | 77 | |
| Michigan | 70 | |
| Georgia | 66 | |
| Miami | 65 | |
| Auburn | 58 | |
| Notre Dame | 56 | |
| Oregon | 47 | #10 |
| USC | 43 | #3 |
| Michigan St. | 43 | |
| Texas | 39 | #4 |
| Oklahoma | 33 | #5 |
| Penn St. | 33 | #8 |
| Ohio St. | 26 | #9 |
| TCU | 23 | #7 |
| Utah | 14 | #2 |
4/08: Video of the Day: Tony Grimes - CB - Hollywood, FL
Posted by Chad Wilson in Video of the Day on April 8th, 2009
Today’s video of the day comes out of the Sunshine State and Hollywood Hills High School. Cornerback Tony Grimes will bust you in the mouth. One of the most aggressive cornerbacks in the 2010 class, Grimes makes it his business to shut down the other teams top wide receiver and he’s good at it. Check out his bump and run technique, man to man skills and his interceptions on this entertaining highlight video. Tony Grimes highlight video.
Glade Central Football Player’s Arrest Clouds His College Future
Posted by Chad Wilson in High School Football on April 7th, 2009
A senseless brawl at a local Mall has clouded the possible college football career of Glades Central running back Antwan Chisholm. Chisholm was a leading running back for the Raiders during the 2008 season and was also the point guard on the basketball team.
The Palm Beach Post reports that Chisholm was one of nine people arrested when a brawl broke out at the Wellington Mall food court last Thursday. Chisholm was the only person charged with a felony after police say he threatened a mall security guard with a knife. Palm Beach authorities have charged Chisholm with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct and marijuana possession.
Chisholm has several scholarship offers including Rutgers, West Virginia and Georgia. We have to figure that those offers are now in jeopardy given Chisholm’s scrape with the law. Of course, he is still due his day in court but just an association with such an incident and it’s subsequent charges can be enough to send a school in the other direction.
This incident highlights the fact that college bound athletes need to be extra careful how they carry themselves. At this time, we don’t know if the charges Chisholm has pending are warranted but with so much to lose, college athletes need to stay clear of these kind of incidents. Like it or not, high school football players are stars these days and need to think in that frame of mind. When there’s trouble, you need to run from it like you run to the end zone. Forget what the homies think.
Two New Offers for Ft. Pierce Central’s Tim Smith
Posted by Chad Wilson in High School Football on April 6th, 2009
Ft. Pierce Central Quarterback Tim Smith is starting to draw attention. The 6′2″ QB who had a standout performance at February’s Elite 11 QB camp was offered scholarships by the University of Tulsa and Iowa St. University this past weekend. In addition, Georgia Tech has invited the signal caller to their camp this summer.
In addition, Smith’s main target, Wide Receiver Jabari Cargill also received an offer from the University of Tulsa this weekend. The pair are also receiving attention from Wisconsin, Central Florida, Louisville and Utah.
Canadian QB Looking for D-I Offers
Posted by Chad Wilson in High School Football on April 6th, 2009
By: Chad Wilson - Gridironstuds.com Editor
A lot has happened at Gridironstuds.com over the last three months. We’ve had a little known linebacker by the name of Jeff Luc put his video on the site and become a nationwide sensation. W’eve had four Gridironstuds member make it to the Scout and Rivals Top 10 and we’ve had over 300 video submissions. Last week, we had a first. The first Canadian player added a video to the Gridironstuds.com website and it just so happens to be a good one.
If you live south of the U.S. Canadian border, you probably have never heard the name Ben Rossong. Take a trip North of the border and there isn’t a person who follows football that doesn’t know who he is. The truth of the matter is that if Rossong played in the U.S. he would likely be a top 100 member on all of the recruiting websites and would probably be holding a few Division I offers.
When you are strolling around a U.S. high school campus at 6′3″ 205 lbs. and you are slinging touchdowns for the varsity football team, you get a lot of attention quickly. That’s the case for Rossong in Canada but he’s looking to catch the eye of some big time BCS schools in the U.S.
“It’s definitely my preference to attend a U.S. school to play football,” the Canadian prospect said. “I feel like everything is so easy for me in Canada and I want the challenge of playing with the best Division I players in the States.”
So far Division II and III schools have shown interest but word has not yet reached the heavyweights of college football and that is who Rossong has his eyes on.
“If I could go to any school in the U.S., I think it would have to be USC, although I am not a USC fan,” Rossong explained. “I think playing in California would be amazing.”
Rossong racked up some good numbers as a junior for Sackville High School in Lower Sackville Nova Scotia last year. He threw for 2,300 yards, 19 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. He also did it on the ground rushing for 407 yards and 7 touchdowns. These are impressive numbers indeed but Rossong knows that any numbers he puts up will be eyed with some skepticism.
“I think the biggest challenge would be for my coaches or teammates (in the states) to get past the fact I come from Canada,” said Rossong. “I think I will be viewed upon as a less gifted athlete just because of where I come from.”
With this in mind, Rossong uses those views of Canadian football players to fuel his preparation efforts.
“I get up every day and go to the gym to train, ” Rossong declared. “During the season we practice every day and watch film. Football is football, whether it’s Canadian or American rules.”
When you watch his highlight video, it’s hard to arque with Rossong. He has the size, he has the arm talent and accuracy of most of the D-I prospects I have seen for 2010. He’s also athletic which is a plus for college football signal callers these days.
The view of the Canadian football player is some heavy footed hockey player that’s doing this “football thing” on the side. That’s not the case for Rossong who has been playing football since 11 years old and has made it a point to know the game inside and out.
The plan for Rossong now is to just to continue to plug away with his training efforts and preparation for Sackville’s up coming season. In the interim, he will try to continue to get his name out there in an attempt to catch the eye of the Division-I college football programs. He would love to get on Syracuse’s radar since they are the closest to home but any D-I interest would make him smile.
Last season, Rossong attended New England Patriots Matt Light’s football camp and in front of several NFL players, earned Top QB honors. Sooner or later, Division I schools will find their way to Lower Sackville and find a QB ready to throw touchdowns in the states.
