Erick Howard

[Buckzip]

I guess we will see how good of a recruiter Ianello is.

A source I know at another board sent me a PM saying he was coming to UA...Take it for what's it's worth.

[ZachTheZip]

I guess we will see how good of a recruiter Ianello is.

What exactly do you mean by that?

[timmyboy]

lets just hope that he sticks to his word, and goes with akron. Ive got the chance to see this kid play against big competition a few times and he was unstoppable. The craziest part about it, is they KNEW he was going to get the ball and they had 8 men in the box, and he was still able to run wild. and like it said in the article, akron will be running the same I formations that he ran at hoover.

[zff]

I guess we will see how good of a recruiter Ianello is.

What exactly do you mean by that?

Every publication has stated Ianello was a mater recruiter. So I was just saying hopefully Ianello and keep Howard commited to the zips.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Every publication has stated Ianello was a mater recruiter. So I was just saying hopefully Ianello and keep Howard commited to the zips.

?

[zff]

Every publication has stated Ianello was a mater recruiter. So I was just saying hopefully Ianello and keep Howard commited to the zips.

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LOL! Nice Capn'

[Zipmeister]

Every publication has stated Ianello was a mater recruiter. So I was just saying hopefully Ianello and keep Howard commited to the zips.

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LOL! Nice Capn'

Guess who Scout.com is saying has committed to Akron?

[johnnyzip84]

Guess who Scout.com is saying has committed to Akron?

Lemee guess......hi brother, Moe? Wherever he ends up a few years from now, it IS nice to see that Zip Logo above the Orange T, etc.Scout Link

[ZachTheZip]

Rivals has him as a Zip too.

[UAZip0510]

I notice that he attends Hoover High. Hoover was never one of my favorite presidents. Maybe they will rename the school Obama High. Oh, wait a minute. Given his past there may be some confusion whether that is a school or a question. Anyway, the kid sounds very talented.

Obama high, i'm guessing everyone gets the same grades regardless of effort and your lunches are paid for as well.

Because people who are lower income people are all that way because of lack of effort. God, I really can't stand when I read crap like this.

[rocketfootball]

Guess who Scout.com is saying has committed to Akron?

Lemee guess......hi brother, Moe? Wherever he ends up a few years from now, it IS nice to see that Zip Logo above the Orange T, etc.Scout Link

Scout and Rivals have listed him as an Akron commit because of the story in the Canton newspaper from yesterday about him committing to Akron.Just to clarify everything, he committed to Akron earlier in January. After his commitment, he took an official visit to Toledo. At that time he started to 2nd guess his commitment to Akron. He did commit to Akron before hand though and he has not decomitted, it's just that he is still considering Toledo and could switch his commitment. Personally, I would call that a soft commit.That said, I truly believe that Akron is in the driver's seat. He is definitely considering Toledo, but Akron's got a solid shot at signing him Wednesday. Howard said that he will make his final decision in the next day or two, possibly as late as the end of the weekend.Please don't take my post the wrong way. It is simply to give you guys the latest and most accurate information on Erick Howard. And by the way, there is still a shot at him getting eligible for 2010. He needs a B average this spring. It will be tough, but is still possible.

[rocketfootball]

By the way, I'd probably give Akron a 60% probability of signing Howard and Toledo a 39% probability of signing Howard. The other 1% is reserved for him to decide on going the prep route instead at the last minute.

[zipboy]

Thanks for the updates.

[rocketfootball]

Just got word that Toledo's out. He's most likely signing with Akron on Wednesday. Then after the spring if he is not eligible he will either pay his own way at Akron for a full year as he tries to get eligible, or go the prep school route.Good luck guys!

[ZachTheZip]

Just got word that Toledo's out. He's most likely signing with Akron on Wednesday. Then after the spring if he is not eligible he will either pay his own way at Akron for a full year as he tries to get eligible, or go the prep school route.Good luck guys!

Thanks for all the updates. Looks like Toledo has put together a very impressive class, with or without Howard.

[johnnyzip84]

Just got word that Toledo's out. He's most likely signing with Akron on Wednesday. Then after the spring if he is not eligible he will either pay his own way at Akron for a full year as he tries to get eligible, or go the prep school route.Good luck guys!

Thanks for the UT inside scoop! Best of luck in getting the Boise St scheduling issue resolved without too much difficulty for the Rockets or the rest of the MAC. Also even though we probably won't know the conference schedule for a while (keeping in mind we haven't played Miami the last two seaons), let's BOTH hope for resounding victories over BUGS in 2010

[Captain Kangaroo]

In the history of Zips athletics, no "Mr. Football/Mr. Basketball/"Super-Duper All-Star" has ever made a meaningful contribution. In fact, all have been HUGE busts, often barely seeing the playing field or court.Marcus Sanders (#5 all time Ohio HS rusher and Minnesota transfer), Christian Morgan ("stole him" from Ohio State), Nate Robinson (#1 HS DL in the entire nation), Ryan Bain (Top 50 HS player), John Carson (Top 50 HS player), Emmanuel Smith (Ohio Mr. Basketball), Derrick Tarver (leading JUCO scorer in the nation), DeVoe Torrence (highly regarded OSU recruit - Note: His story end still unwritten)etc etc etc. I hope Howard bucks the trend and has a record-setting career. But odds are the best kid in the 2010 recruiting class will be someone who's accolade-deficient.

[Quickzips]

Pure speculation here, but this seems like the kind of kid who has well less than a 50/50 chance of ever seeing the field here. I have to wonder why we are even trying with him. Feels like an early JD-era type recruit. All hype, no substance.

[Zipgrad01]

Pure speculation here, but this seems like the kind of kid who has well less than a 50/50 chance of ever seeing the field here. I have to wonder why we are even trying with him. Feels like an early JD-era type recruit. All hype, no substance.

Because this program is not very good right now. We need to take at least one or 2 chances a year on a kid that we normally have no chance of getting. This kid is at a BCS school if his grade were good.

[MDZip]

"They're in a conference that allows non-qualifiers in school," Amato said during his weekly news conference, the Charlotte Observer reported. "Non-qualifiers. Do y'all need to look that one up to write your stories? ... Do you know what kind of players non-qualifiers are, usually? They're inversely proportional to what their grade-point average is. They can make a big difference." Chuck isn't going to like this, but you know what, as much as many of us don't like the open admissions policy at UA, it exists for all students to give them a shot a proving themselves in college. I don't see how this is any different. Now whether he makes a difference for the football team is a whole 'nother matter, but I wish him luck for him and to help our downtrodden team. Plus since he is a local kid, if he happens to read these boards I think we should welcome him.

[Quickzips]

Pure speculation here, but this seems like the kind of kid who has well less than a 50/50 chance of ever seeing the field here. I have to wonder why we are even trying with him. Feels like an early JD-era type recruit. All hype, no substance.

Because this program is not very good right now. We need to take at least one or 2 chances a year on a kid that we normally have no chance of getting. This kid is at a BCS school if his grade were good.

Am I the only one having flushbacks to a couple years ago. Seriously, it is like de ja vu all over again around here.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Pure speculation here, but this seems like the kind of kid who has well less than a 50/50 chance of ever seeing the field here. I have to wonder why we are even trying with him. Feels like an early JD-era type recruit. All hype, no substance.

Because this program is not very good right now. We need to take at least one or 2 chances a year on a kid that we normally have no chance of getting. This kid is at a BCS school if his grade were good.

Am I the only one having flushbacks to a couple years ago. Seriously, it is like de ja vu all over again around here.

Three comments -1.) Amato had just as many "non-qualifiers" on his roster as the Zips. While Akron had a couple kids who were Prop 48 and sat out year #1 (like Andre Jones), Amato had the same kids who went through a prep school due to grades, then enrolled at NC State. Same kid. Different path. Amato is a hypocrite.2.) There is a big difference between taking a flier on two or three "BCS-level, grade-questionable" kids per class, and basing 1/2 or 2/3rd's of your recruiting class on such kids. You can't cry about every kid that doesn't have a 3.0 GPA out of a 23 kid recruiting class.3.) UA's academic support for athletes has improved by leaps and bounds since the JD-era. Boarderline kids have a lot better chance of being successful in the classroom today than they would have in 2006.If a 2-time Mr. Football, Stark County Player of the Decade wants to attend UA, you take him. How would you feel if he'd have selected K.e.n.t. over UA?

[g-mann17]

Pure speculation here, but this seems like the kind of kid who has well less than a 50/50 chance of ever seeing the field here. I have to wonder why we are even trying with him. Feels like an early JD-era type recruit. All hype, no substance.

Because this program is not very good right now. We need to take at least one or 2 chances a year on a kid that we normally have no chance of getting. This kid is at a BCS school if his grade were good.

Am I the only one having flushbacks to a couple years ago. Seriously, it is like de ja vu all over again around here.

Yeah, you are.A couple of years ago we didn't have the academic support structure we do now. And the other benefit is he is still within a car drive of anyone who has helped him while at North Canton.

[rocketfootball]

Howard probably isn't going to be eligible right away next fall, but he can get in school and get eligible for 2011. Morgan Williams did the same thing at Toledo, and he got eligible. His first year on the field he rushed for over 1,000 yards.By the way, Howard supposedly is visiting Can't State this weekend, but I don't see him signing there. Can't State does not have open enrollment so he wouldn't be able to get into there anyway.I agree with Captain Kangaroo. If a guy like Erick Howard wants to come to your school and try to get eligible, you take him.

[g-mann17]

Howard probably isn't going to be eligible right away next fall, but he can get in school and get eligible for 2011. Morgan Williams did the same thing at Toledo, and he got eligible. His first year on the field he rushed for over 1,000 yards.By the way, Howard supposedly is visiting Can't State this weekend, but I don't see him signing there. Can't State does not have open enrollment so he wouldn't be able to get into there anyway.I agree with Captain Kangaroo. If a guy like Erick Howard wants to come to your school and try to get eligible, you take him.

Heck some of those qualifier kids could just as easily be the next Jacquemain.I say welcome Erick, and here's to you being the next Chester Taylor.