5'11" 220lb LB Keionne Baines from Armwood HS in Seffner, FL has committed to play for the Zips.

ESPN profile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vplI2BlkipM...feature=related

He looks pretty good.

I'm sure this has been posted somewhere, but this Armwood HS team was the Florida 6A State Champs. Almost every senior on this team has gotten a D1 offer. Several are on the AP 6A all-state team... Amazing program they've got there! Looks like we've got two of those players.

Florida AP class 6A All-State teams

He is enthusiastic, but at 220 may be a little too heavy to play linebacker for us.

I will keep saying this until I am blue in the face.... There is no coach in the country who is better at evaluating and coaching linebackers than Coach Amato

I won't believe it until I see results on the field. I'm not saying you're wrong, just having a tough time getting excited about recruits with two or less stars that no mediocre schools even want. Accomplishments at FSU and NCState are good and all, but at the end of the day they are meaningless to the Zips...

I don't put any faith whatsoever in the various "star" systems.

He does have fairly decent size for a corner (we wouldn't even have to sew him together with another player).

Look at guys like Page from Toledo. he was a 2 star nothing coming out of high school. Stop banking everything on recruiting services.

I understand what you're saying, but I think it's the "star" ratings that are meaningless. Many of the players around the country are never scouted by Rivals, ESPN, etc. Even when they are, if you look at the dates of the evaluations, they are done over the summer prior to the season. Guys get bigger, stronger, or just plain better in their senior season. I am going to trust our coaches opinions over somebody who scouted a guy once 8 months ago. Don't get me wrong, it would be great if all these guys were considered elite by everyone, but it really doesn't matter.

Agree with Zach 100%. The star system is not a reliable indicator of talent. There are wayyyyy too many 4-5 star players that end up being busts, while plenty of guys who don't have a rating ending being starters at big programs, and having great careers. Great coaches NEVER rely on anyone's assessment of a player other than a) the high school coach and their own personal assessment.

Please do not get caught up on Rivals or Scouts rankings... Recruiting has become a "spectator sport" itself and is HUGE business. Yahoo! Sports bought Rivals 4-5 years ago for over $100 MILLION! It is more about perception, and who owes who than true scouting.

Now I'm totally confused. You said he was too heavy to play linebacker, but fairly decent size as a corner??????? Isn't that backwards?

Regarding this young man, if he can get his grades in shape, he runs a 4.52. 'Nuff said !!!!!!

Don't take anything the Zipmeister says too seriously. 99% of the time he joketh.

It'll take me a while to learn everyone's sense of humor I suppose . Being able to translate sarcasm into print is a very, very difficult skill. I think only Dennis Dodd accomplishes it on a regular basis

Dennis Todd!!
Didn't he play "The Toad" in the movie American Graffiti?
http://www.cbssports.com/columns/writers/dodd

Yeah - this guy:
Dennis Dodd Tweet
Welcome back to civilization Terry Bowden. It's been a while. Awesome hire for Akron. Just made MAC, Zips matter a whole lot more.
22 Dec