[wadszip]

Since the Darian Hicks thread has spun out of control (and I'll take a lot of the blame on that one), thought I would start a thread on some of the local targets the Zips have a good shot at. Not all of these guys are highly ranked by the services, but guys who I think are legit FBS prospects.

1. Steve Mathie, OT, GlenOak - He's the highest-ranked kid per Rivals who the Zips could land at No. 44 in Ohio. He's ahead of the now infamous Darian Hicks (who's rated No. 48). Rivals is showing an UCLA offer, but I believe the only legit offer he has right now is Akron.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnij2kYssp8

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recr...e-Mathie-129410

2. Deontae Moore, DE, Kenmore - He's the epitome of a diamond in the rough. He's about 6-3, 200 pounds and plays for a horrible program. But he is athletic and flies to the ball, and has a frame that could get up to 240 pounds if put into a legit strength program. Right now, I believe Akron, Can't and Toledo have offered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvbxiRhDPX0

3. Anthony Young, WR, Lakewood St. Edward - He's going to be tougher to pull because he's no longer a secret. Akron was if not the first, one of the first schools to offer him. But he's now building up a legit BCS offer sheet. Though, while he goes to St. Edward, his family lives in Medina, so maybe there is hope. He's the two-time defending state champ in the 200-meter dash (21.59 as a soph., and 21.61 this year) and was 4th in the 100-meter dash as a soph. and was 2nd this year. ... While second at the state meet in the 100-meters, he did run a state-best time of 10.43 at districts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjWBGMbttMg

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p...amp;nid=6115449

4. Khoury Crenshaw, RB/WR, Solon - Darian Hicks' faster teammate. Crenshaw lacks ideal size to be a RB (only about 5-10, 155), but he is lightning fast. ... Beat Anthony Young in the track 100-meter dash to win the state meet. And his time of 10.55 at districts was the second fastest in the state all year, behind Young's 10.43. Akron is his only FBS offer so far, so I have to think the Zips are in the lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_71jjHauiJg

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p...amp;nid=6249384

5. Trei Thomas, WR, Can't - He's undersized at 5-10, 165 and doesn't have the elite speed of Young or Crenshaw, but he has still has very good speed and great shiftiness. Could be a matchup nightmare in the slot. Akron and Can't have offered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-fJkWnaIyk

6. Marcus McShephard, CB, Cleveland Heights - Cornerback with good speed, qualified for regionals in the 100-meter dash and led off Cleveland Heights' regional 4X100 and 4X200 teams. Akron is still his only offer, so the Zips again have to be in the lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEx9MTHljs4

7. Marshall Howell, WR, Cle. Benedictine - I don't know much about him, and only know the name because I saw the Zips have offered. But in the 1:30 video I will link, he looks like a player. Has decent size (listed at 6-foot, 185 pounds) and looks athletic. Just from the short video, he seems to get off the line well, and from the one clip of him in the backfield, appears he has a quick burst. Outside of Akron, also looks like Toledo has offered (via rivals).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y484gHC6-Bg

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p...amp;nid=6249158


Outside of Young, who has put together a higher-profile offer sheet, these are the players who I think the Zips have to land to become competitive locally. They are all athletic guys, who have a chance to outproduce their high school rankings. Even with Young, I will hold out hope (since he's a local kid) that he can become enormed by Bowden's offense, instead of taking a Big Ten offer from Minnesota, Indiana or some other Big Ten doormat.

EDIT: Here's an addition of someone I can't believe I forgot about before, and ranks No. 1 on my list of "local" players Akron needs to land if they want to be THE school outside of Ohio State for NE Ohio recruits.

8. Kareem Hunt, RB, Willoughby South - He rushed for over 2,000 yards last year and should dubplicate that again this year. He's listed between 5-11 185 to 6-0 204. Toledo (which seems to be the case with a lot of NEO kids) was the first to offer him, but Akron wasn't far behind. He runs track and I believe ran a sub 10.9 FAT 100-meter dash as a junior.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recr...eem-Hunt-140147

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUU5w4i9BY0

From his highlights, Hunt seems like the total package. Very good speed, great balance, can catch the ball out of the backfield. How he is not even ranked by rivals, but DeVeon Smith from Howland is a 4-star, top-100 player makes me scratch my head. The competition both play is a wash, and Hunt looks to be the better player on film.

BTW, I brought this back up after reading that Willoughby South beat Massillon in a scrimmage tonight, and Hunt broke off some big runs. Here is an article from the scrimmage:

http://fridaynightohio.com/news/massillon-...final-scrimmage

Hunt had two of South's touchdowns and five runs of 10 or more yards in one half of play ... against a team that people think could be a state championship contender.

[johnnyzip84]

That’s a pretty thorough list. Thanks for taking the time

The one local recruit I see missing is Glen Oak QB Reid Worstell, who Akron has offered. Although you have to wonder how this will play out now that the McKeesport QB has given a verbal commitment.

[lilroodude]

Watching that Kenmore tape and that Can't Roosevelt tape is painful. Some of the highlights are against Norton, my high school. Norton also has a WR, Matt McGlone. I believe he is around 6'5. Long body with a decent build. He is getting recruited by Duke, Michigan State, Harvard, etc. However, that is more for his grades. 4.2 or something like that GPA. He was the no. 1 WR in DIII, though. I also know one of the Can't State coaches came to our school to talk to him this past year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV3whXfzeHM

Coventry has a running back, Dillon Headrick, who is getting some big looks, too. Michigan, Texas, etc. He is around 6' I believe, he benches 285-295, squats around 500; very powerful back. He put up around 5 touchdowns on Norton if I remember correctly. Very good speed with a massive frame. Great kid, too. Good friends with him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Wv2Ih5H7s

Akron should look at offering these guys.

[Captain Kangaroo]

That’s a pretty thorough list. Thanks for taking the time

The one local recruit I see missing is Glen Oak QB Reid Worstell, who Akron has offered. Although you have to wonder how this will play out now that the McKeesport QB has given a verbal commitment.

Unless Worstell plays a position other than QB, or unless Bowden was pulling the wool over our eyes at the golf outing, Worstell should be making plans to attend a school other than Akron.

1 scholarship QB per class. That's all she wrote.

[wadszip]

Unless Worstell plays a position other than QB, or unless Bowden was pulling the wool over our eyes at the golf outing, Worstell should be making plans to attend a school other than Akron.

1 scholarship QB per class. That's all she wrote.

That's the reason I left Worstell off. He's a decent prospect, but watching the tape on Stockett, he seems to be the better player, IMO.

[johnnyzip84]

That's the reason I left Worstell off. He's a decent prospect, but watching the tape on Stockett, he seems to be the better player, IMO.

Fair enough and I agree with CK's notion that it's "game over" at the QB position for the 2013 class, unless Stockett decommits (just threw that in there to get Keener's blood pumping).

[Keener'92]

Fair enough and I agree with CK's notion that it's "game over" at the QB position for the 2013 class, unless Stockett decommits (just threw that in there to get Keener's blood pumping).

Ed doesn't look like a de-committer. He looks like a fierce Zips warrior.

[johnnyzip84]

Ed doesn't look like a de-committer. He looks like a fierce Zips warrior.

I'm not gonna argue with you.......or him......on that!

[wadszip]

I'm going to bump this, with an edit adding Kareem Hunt to the mix.

[wadszip]

Watching that Kenmore tape and that Can't Roosevelt tape is painful. Some of the highlights are against Norton, my high school. Norton also has a WR, Matt McGlone. I believe he is around 6'5. Long body with a decent build. He is getting recruited by Duke, Michigan State, Harvard, etc. However, that is more for his grades. 4.2 or something like that GPA. He was the no. 1 WR in DIII, though. I also know one of the Can't State coaches came to our school to talk to him this past year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV3whXfzeHM

Coventry has a running back, Dillon Headrick, who is getting some big looks, too. Michigan, Texas, etc. He is around 6' I believe, he benches 285-295, squats around 500; very powerful back. He put up around 5 touchdowns on Norton if I remember correctly. Very good speed with a massive frame. Great kid, too. Good friends with him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Wv2Ih5H7s

Akron should look at offering these guys.

I missed your reply the first time around. The Norton kid looks decent (and didn't the QB in the highlights transfer to Firestone?). He should stay on Akron's radar, if nothing else. The Coventry tape didn't show much, but no way is the Headrick kid being looked at by Michigan or Texas, let alone Akron. Not trying to knock him, but Wadsworth's Jack Snowball barely got a Miami (Ohio) offer ... the only D1 school to offer, and very late. Even a grainy, two-minute video shows that he is no Jack Snowball.

[33Akrondad7]

I missed your reply the first time around. The Norton kid looks decent (and didn't the QB in the highlights transfer to Firestone?). He should stay on Akron's radar, if nothing else. The Coventry tape didn't show much, but no way is the Headrick kid being looked at by Michigan or Texas, let alone Akron. Not trying to knock him, but Wadsworth's Jack Snowball barely got a Miami (Ohio) offer ... the only D1 school to offer, and very late. Even a grainy, two-minute video shows that he is no Jack Snowball.

Headrick is a good player but not D1. I would guess he runs high fours. I would like for any of you guys to evaluate my sons tape. Is he D1? His brother is enrolled at Akron now and I want both of them to be at the same school. He is now playing outside OLB.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDDwDyTOpcM

[Buckzip]

Watching that Kenmore tape and that Can't Roosevelt tape is painful. Some of the highlights are against Norton, my high school. Norton also has a WR, Matt McGlone. I believe he is around 6'5. Long body with a decent build. He is getting recruited by Duke, Michigan State, Harvard, etc. However, that is more for his grades. 4.2 or something like that GPA. He was the no. 1 WR in DIII, though. I also know one of the Can't State coaches came to our school to talk to him this past year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV3whXfzeHM

Coventry has a running back, Dillon Headrick, who is getting some big looks, too. Michigan, Texas, etc. He is around 6' I believe, he benches 285-295, squats around 500; very powerful back. He put up around 5 touchdowns on Norton if I remember correctly. Very good speed with a massive frame. Great kid, too. Good friends with him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Wv2Ih5H7s

Akron should look at offering these guys.

Does Matt McGlone have moxie?

[wadszip]

Headrick is a good player but not D1. I would guess he runs high fours. I would like for any of you guys to evaluate my sons tape. Is he D1? His brother is enrolled at Akron now and I want both of them to be at the same school. He is now playing outside OLB.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDDwDyTOpcM

I'm no professional talent evaluator, though I follow recruiting pretty close and watch a lot of highlights. I'll say that I definitely think your son will be playing college football somewhere. He has a great motor and a nose for the ball. Those are two things you can't teach. I see you mentioned that he is now playing OLB. That will be the best thing for him. I know this was only a sophomore highlight tape, but he doesn't look like a DE, but at a school like Springfield, he probably is one of the biggest players, hence they put him on the line. With the move to LB, he should develop more playing in space. To me, even with two more years left to grow, it looks like LB will be his position at the collegiate level.

FWIW, my advice to your son is to keep working hard and improving. If he does that, I think he should definitely stay on Akron's radar. I'll be rooting for him to blow up in the next two years and then him keeping Akron on his radar.

[Zipmeister]

Headrick is a good player but not D1. I would guess he runs high fours. I would like for any of you guys to evaluate my sons tape. Is he D1? His brother is enrolled at Akron now and I want both of them to be at the same school. He is now playing outside OLB.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDDwDyTOpcM

My two favorite parts were the music and the field they played on on the 21st. Also noticed that it gets really dark there at 3 in the afternoon. Thought your son did well.

[33Akrondad7]

My two favorite parts were the music and the field they played on on the 21st. Also noticed that it gets really dark there at 3 in the afternoon. Thought your son did well.

Thx for the positive comments...