Gridironstuds.com Blog

It’s recruiting season and as such, 100′s of Class of 2011 hopefuls hit the camp and combine tour looking to catch the eyes of those that matter.  With so many college hopefuls jostling for position,  it can be tough getting the spotlight to shine on you.   That won’t stop Cardinal Gibbons high school cornerback Tim Burton from doing his thing.

Burton carries himself with that confident cornerback swagger.  When he strolled into the Under Armour combine last month,  Burton gave off that attitude like I’m the one to watch.  To his credit,  he delivered on that aura about him.  Burton clocked a 4.43 forty, did well in the drills and covered the wide outs like the candy coat on a peanut M&M.   Oh yeah,  Burton is the man and he’s going to let you know.

“You’re going to see a lot of speed this year,”  Burton warns.

Already quick as a cat,  Burton’s running track and has been putting his work in.  He’s being recruited as a defensive back but don’t just plan on seeing him in that one spot.

“I can play some offense too,” said Burton.  “I should play a lot of running back this year.”

With Gibbons losing running back Dareyon Chance to graduation,  the door is open for a speedster like Burton to pick up some carries.  His athletic skill set demands that you get the ball in his hands.  With that being the case,  Burton will play on both sides of the ball and on the kick teams too.

“I’m going to try to do some damage on special teams,”  Burton said.

Currently,  Burton has not been offered by a program yet but it’s only a matter of time.   He has had ongoing discussions and contact with Florida, Troy, East Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Rutgers and North Carolina.  Burton openly admits to really liking the state of North Carolina.    He would jump at a chance to go to NC State, Wake Forest, Duke or the one he favors the most North Carolina.

“I want to play for Butch Davis,”  Burton said bluntly.

If that doesn’t happen,  Burton says he likes the quality of education at a Duke or Wake Forest.  He knows that a NFL career has a small percentage of happening for most and definitely wants to have the best education possible to fall back on.

Burton also spends a lot of time with good friend Orville Reynolds from Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.  Reynolds was a 1,400 yard rusher last season for the Eagles and is fielding strong interest  from Division-I programs.

“I want to go where I know people,”  Burton said of being interested in going where Reynolds goes.

Reynolds has had discussions Duke and Wake Forest.  As far as the state of Florida goes,  Burton says that Florida St. would be his top Florida school but points out that the Seminoles have made a lot of offers right now.

The month of May promises to be kind to Burton when it comes to college football offers.  Despite being below the ideal height (5’8 1/2″ 161) ,  his speed and ability to make plays can not go unnoticed.  He has Division-I skills and undoubtedly big name programs will make their bid for his services.  With Gibbons depending so much on him this season,  2010 will be exciting and interesting for Burton in his quest to stand up and be noticed.

Check out Tim Burton’s highlight video on Gridironstuds.com, click here.

High School Football tim burton

Over 250 of the best talent in South Florida converged on the Dolphins Training Facility this past weekend to take part in the Under Armour Combine.

Athletes’ height and weight were taken and they were tested in drills such as the 3 cone, 300 yard shuttle, pro shuttle, bench press, vertical jump and of course the 40 yard dash.

This year’s crew of competitors were not as fast as last year’s crew.  The 2010 class at the Miami UA Combine had a number of skilled position players go under 4.5 in the forty.  This year’s group had only a handful but that does not mean that there aren’t some solid players in the 2011 class.

In terms of who laid down the fastest forty time,  that one was easy.  Former Gulliver Prep wide receiver and soon to be Columbus High School Explorer Tacoi Sumler.  Sumler ripped up the 40 yard track in a blazing 4.33 time that made the scout on hand do a double take on his stop watch.  Sumler is an explosive athlete that has been on display for a the last three years.  His star continues to shine bright and his stock continues to rise.  Plantation H.S. defensive end, tight end Ryan Shazier cranked out an impressive 4.44 weighing in at 201 lbs.  Between Sumler’s time and Shazier size / speed combo,  that supersede anything that took place at last year’s Under Armour Combine in Miami.

Other times of note were: Phillip Dorsett WR (St. Thomas Aquinas) 4.43,  Avery Johnson – WR – (Ely H.S.) – 4.40, Marquis Noble WR (Bucholz H.S. – Gainesville) 4.49, Deontae West – DB (Hialeah H.S.) 4.54, Gary Holmes – RB – (Seminole Ridge H.S.) 4.52,  Melvin Noel – WR – (Dr. Krop) 4.53,  Tim Burton – CB – (Cardinal Gibbons) 4.57, Brandon Rose – CB – (West Broward) 4.57, Jeremy Cash – DB – (Plantation) 4.58, Andrew Johnson – CB – (Southridge H.S.) 4.59.

I was quite impressed with the way Niles Lawerence from Nova High School moved around.  The 6’2″ 297 lb. Lawerence was a linebacker,  believe it or not, last season for the Titans.   Lawerence laid down a 4.90 in the forty which was a time that rivaled quite a few of the wide receivers, running backs and defensive backs in attendance.  Lawerence is a prospect that is picking up steam with schools like Florida St., Michigan and Cincinnati taking a look at him.

DT Patrick Williams from University School showed his cat like quickness in 1-on-1 drills with the offensive linemen and impressed many in attendance.  St. Thomas Aquinas’ Jelani Hamilton was a big body moving well.  The 6’4″ 250 lb. Hamilton carries his frame like a linebacker and has the potential to make some things happen this upcoming season.

I spent a lot of my time eyeballing the 7-on-7 and 1-on-1 sessions.  Not surprisingly,  Northwestern’s Teddy Bridgewater was the most competent, confident and capable quarterback in the group.  Gavin Block of Dr. Krop H.S. in Miami showed some good things but not many QB’s stood out.

The Wide Receiver group had a number of solid players.  North Broward Prep’s A.J. Sebastiano is the most polished wide receiver in this class.  I continue to be impressed by his route running ability, releases from the line of scrimmage and overall football I.Q.   He’s not a blazer on the watch but is as fast as he needs to be to get away from any of the defensive backs covering him.  Andrew Johnson,  brother of former Ely High School standout Patrick Johnson, shows some great speed on the field.  With a little bit of polish he’s going to be a force to reckon with.  St. Thomas Aquinas’ Phillip Dorsett and Tevin Allen were impressive in the 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 sessions.  Both players looked explosive and comfortable running routes and sitting down in zones.  Sumler does not only rely on his speed,  he brings an accomplished route running ability to his game which makes him even more of a threat. Jesse York,  junior from Boyd Anderson H.S.,  is a brash, confident receiver who has substantial physical tools.  He’s one to keep an eye on.  Marken Michel also shows a tremendous amount of skill.   Michel has a powerful build, excellent quickness, good speed and an understanding of his wide receiver position.  He’s an underrated star that deserves some attention.

The defensive back group has some promising stars.  Jeremy Cash (Plantation H.S.),  was all over the field in the limited amount of reps you get at events like this.  Cash and teammate Ryan Shazier were hard not to notice when they took the field and were flying around.  Boyd Anderson’s Harmon Brown was full of talk but could back it up.  Reminded me a lot of Class of 2010 standout Tony Grimes with his intimidation and aggressiveness.  Brown has the confidence to play the cornerback position and adds to that some solid skills.   Cardinal Gibbons’ Tim Burton has the build and the skill to make big things happen in the Chiefs’ secondary in 2010.  Southridge High School’s  CB Andrew Johnson and Gerod Holliman also stood out in this group.  Both players are extremely competitive and when there’s a play to be made,  they are eager to make it.  Johnson and Holliman show great defensive back skills and good footwork.   They have benefited from the resurgence of Southridge High School under coach Pat Burrows.

High School Football a.j. sebastiano, andrew johnson, jelani hamilton, jeremy cash, pat williams, phillip dorsett, ryan shazier, tacoi sumler, Teddy Bridgewater, tevin allen, tim burton