zff

I would have to say he plays on special teams for sure. And you never know Coach Brookhart has said the best 22 players will play. Maybe in a 4 LB set he is on the field????. Or could he beat somebosy out and start at LB for the Penn State game. This summer camp is going to be be really great to track who is making the most impact.

Nice find Capn'. It's hard pickens for Zips news during the early summer months.

Thanks for the heads up. I checked it out and the name is wrong but the link works.

I shot an email off to a writer at the Toledo Blade and he told me as of the last time he talked to Asante, he is still looking for a college. MAybe the Zips will make a push for him?????

We need to include thesabre.com to this list. This is a U of Virginia website. They have a link to our site as well.

This is a quote from a a PA paper. There are 32 lettermen returning to the Penn State program, which includes 15 starters. The next time the Lions take the field at Beaver Stadium will be Saturday, Sept. 4, when they host the MAC-East Division's Akron University Zips, coached by Lee Owens. The last occasion the Zips visited Happy Valley was in 1997 and they suffered a 70-24 loss. This feat could be repeated in 2004. What an ass great job doing your homework,Link to Whole Article

My quick thoughts on the Blue Gold Game. 1. Nice to meet new people from the nation. And of course keep up with the old ones. 2. Hey ProScout: If you think the o-line looks fat you should have seen them last year. These guys have worked their tails of this spring and you can see the difference. If they keep at it the will be trim by fall. 3. Hixson will be a beast at WR. Great speed and has a nose for the ball. 4. Ringer should be the starter but Berchie might make a statement for the backup spot. 5. The defense was coming from all angles. I kind of thought I was watching my Steelers for a while there. Look for the defense to make a huge turn around this coming season. On a side note I saw in the Plain Dealer the other day about a kid from Shaker Heights signing Akron to play football. This is the term they used but I thought they had no scholarships left. Does anybody know if he is walking on in the fall or did one of the players who signed not make grades and he is replacing them????

Thanks for the great post. It is nice to get some info on the players looking to make it to the NFL. I can not believe there was no mentinon of the proday on gozips.com. Best of luck to Matt, Mike, Nick and Marques. I hope to see all of you playing on sundays in the future. It is a shame you did not get a chance to use the new building. Please stay in touch and keep us fans update with any info about you guys. Thanks ZFF On a side note: It was nice to see the senior class at the scrimmage last friday night. Even though they have not gotten much attention since the season ended, I would like to thank all of you for putting your hearts and souls in the Zips football program. It has been a pleasure watching you all play the last 4 or 5 years. I just wish more fans would have came out to see you play cause you were a special group. I have heard all of you will be getting your degree's and that is the best accomplishment of all. Best of luck in the future. War Zips!!!!

My @ cents about last night by position: QB: Charlie is the man for next year but last night he was not the best QB on the field. Jabari was awesome. The pass of the night was Jabari running to his left and threw a 30 - 40 yard pass across his body. The pass was a BB and the Pichardo made a great diving catch. Perfect throw perfect catch. Might I add that Pichardo can move down the field. BOth QB's looked very god running the ball. The Zips are set at this position and for several years. Freguson looked ok but with the lack of reps it is hard to be effective. Overall Charlie looked good he ahd some great pass and some bad passes but he will be the man come Sept 4th. I hope Penn State is ready!!! RB: I saw Hendry last night the bad news he was night on the field. Sorry I have been watching him play for the last 8 years so please forgive me if I am sad not to see him on the field. War Vikings. Ok now to the guys on the field. Jerell looked very good last night. He ran low and hard and made some nice moves, He will be fine. So who else is left...... Vaughns looked good, the few runshe got. He was great quickness and made some nice moves. Nedd showed some speed to get to the corners. I don't kn ow if any body elsecan set up and see the field. Berchie could be a spot guy but I don't know about 20 -25 carries a game. They need the juco or a frosh to step up and be a solid backup. WR & TE: Last year we had three special WR's. It is not very often a team has three top notch WR on the field at once. We were spoiled. I don't expect for any of the current guys to match their level of play but I do expect the current guys to play hard and get better every week. Hixon is a playa. He will get better every day and by seasons end he will be top notch. Goodwin caught some nice balls. He is going to strech the field next year. Josh Smith is a big kid with good hands he may be a good hands man on third downs. Mo E DNP He will help out next year as well. Basch and Pichardo played very well. I hope the new O uses the TE more. Both Guys can run down the field well. OL: Very strong and aggresive. THey blew open some big holes for the RB. All the guys looked to be better in shape as ZP said. This unit could be very strong next year and be a huge plus for the Zips. Overall the offense looked good. For learning a new system and only being on the field a few weeks they have a good graps of the new scheme. But the more they practice the beeter they will be come. Now to the defense. This was what I have been waiting to see. Now as Zipsapaloosa pointed out this was not the new scheme but still I saw some new things. They blitzed and blitzed and even blitzed some more. Very Nice!! . They all ran to the ball and make soild tackles. Here are 5 points I saw with the defense: 1. To me Chase was frustrated. Now I know they really did not run the new D bu I hipe they have some special things planned for him. They need to get him open to rush the QB and make plays on D. He can not be wasted just as a DE. 2. Mike Berry is going to be a player. He is big and quick. Two years out of football he is going to be rusty but HE should be up to speed by mid to late season. 3. Bryan Howe made some play last night. Big Strong local kid. Look for him to push Earl for palying time. 4. The Dline got pushed around last night. To many big running plays. If they are going to go with the smaller DT they need to shoot the gaps rather than play the bigger lineman striaght up. And I am sure the coaches know this. 5. LeFall need to be there every play. He could be all MAC and maybe more but his motor needs to running all the time and every play. Come #6 you got the skills use em. Thanks to my buddy ZP for making the night great. One of the best people to watch a football game with. Overall the Zips loked good for this early in the season. I think the attitude and mind set are there for them to keep getting better and better. Ithink they will be ready come Sept. 4th.

Two local players who attended Fort Scott Community College are moving on to four-year schools. Running back Brett Biggs of Bartow, who set the FSCC school mark with a 77-yard run, is going to Akron. He is listed on collegefootball.com as the 11th best JUCO running back. 5'8" / 190 Fort Scott (Fort Scott, KS) I think it is the same school as the Zips runningback coach. Rivals.com has him listed as a three star runningback. He might be a huge pickup. I wonder if he will be on scholarship or a walkon???

A look back at the Recruiting Class of 99’ These are my own thoughts about each player after they have finished their careers. Brake, Mike LB 6'5" 220 Signed Ohio Never was thrown the ball enough, great blocker. Should be playing on Sundays. Cherry, Matt WR 6'2" 175 Signed Illinois Really bulked up by his SR season. Very fast and has great hands. Should be playing on Sundays. Cummins, Jud DT 6'5" 295 Signed Ohio A real warrior. Steady and solid performer. A fixture at RT. If not playing on Sundays next year he is an excellent student will be successful in the business world. Danielson, Jeremiah OL 6'2" 280 Signed California Played to good years for the Zips. Big and strong. Nice JUCO pickup for the Zips. Faler, Micah QB 6'1" 190 Signed Ohio Never got a real chance at QB. Solid Backup. Fromholtz, Kyle S 6'1" 175 Signed Ohio Got into some off the field trouble and transferred. I think he could have been a special player. Hamill, Todd LB 6'4" 240 Signed Ohio I guess he signed with the Zips and then decided to walk on to OSU. Does anybody know if this is true or not??? Harville, Amin OL 6'4" 240 Signed Ohio I never saw him hit the field. I think he was around one maybe two years. Anybody know???? Hayes, Marques LB 6'2" 210 Signed Ohio Good player, worked hard and was liked and respected by his peers. Never really found a true position but a solid performer. Would have been a load at FB. May get invited to a training camp. Hendry, Bob RB 5'10" 190 Signed Ohio Tough running back with deceptive speed. Hit the line running full speed. Killer blocker. I see him as the star of this class. He could get a look for the next level. Hill, Dalvin RB 6'1" 180 Signed Ohio akoh I never saw his name on the roster. Prop48???? Anybody know???? Holmes, C.J. S 5'8" 183 Signed Ohio I never saw him on the field. Anybody know???? Johnson, Willie OL 6'2" 315 Signed Ohio I never saw his name on the roster. Prop48???? Anybody know???? Lee, Damien WR 6'3" 210 Signed Ohio I never saw his name on the roster. Prop48???? Anybody know???? Lilly, E.J. RB 5'10" 209 Signed Ohio akoh He was a prop48. Ended up at Cincinnati for a year or two and now is a SR at Mt Union. Miller, Jason S 6'2" 175 Signed Ohio I heard he had some differences with Coach Owens and he transferred to Findlay. Russell, Morgan DB 5'10" 180 Signed California Decent JUCO player. He never really started but was a nickel back. Shaw, Bryan OL 6'5" 295 Signed Ohio Big kid and a solid OT. I expected bigger things from him but it never really developed. Maybe he would have been more of a force at guard. Smith, Jesse DB 6'1" 175 Signed Ohio Fast kid with good football skills. An injury-plagued career never developed into the star I thought he could be. But a very solid player. Smith, William DB 6'0" 170 Signed Ohio I never saw his name on the roster. Prop48???? Anybody know???? Szakos, Bates WR 6'3" 180 Signed Pennsylvania Injuries Injuries and more injuries. Tough luck player who was highly rated coming out of high school. Williams, Alex DB 6'2" 180 Signed Pennsylvania I never saw his name on the roster. Prop48???? Anybody know????

Sutton has been added to the rivals.com 2005 database. He is listing Akron and Can't as LOW interest of going there. Akron and Can't are the only two MAC schools listed the rest are Big Ten schools. Don't know if any of the big schools have offered. Penn State is on his list maybe he will be at the Akron Penn State game Sept 4th. I wonder if the Zips beat them if he changes his mind about Akron?????

I have some very solid info that both Friday and Saturday scrimmages are open to the public. So they summit for next saturday is still on.

Time for roll call for Friday night. Who is going???? I will be there.

I hope he shows some of that fighting attitude during the season!!!!!!

Big Zip, I am staying in Clearfield, Pa. It is about 45 min away. It is the exit before the Penn State exit off of I-80. I am coming in late friday night so it works for me.

Does anybody of any players who are really playing great this spring??? Who is going to be the next star?? I know Charlie has looked great and Goodwin and Hixon have caught some great pass, but who else on offense and defense. Thanks.

I like it Capn'!!!!!

If you look in the spring prospectus all the non-scholarship players have a * next to their name. These are all the players that are considered walk-ons.

I will be there. I booked my hotel last week and I am just waiting for the tickets to go on sale. Great Place for a game.

This is what is going to happen when teams look on the schedule and say 'Oh it's only Akron'

I voted for friday but I will be there both days so either is good for me.

Here is who I have missing or nonfactor from last years roster: 11 Marcus Patterson DB 5-9 178 Fr.-Rs Buffalo,N.Y. 32 Robert Goldman DB 6-1 205 FR-Rs Detroit, 30 Vince Vaughns DB 6-0 187 Jr.-1L 22 Richard Spaulding DB 6-2 205 Jr.-SQ New 90 Chris Meyer DL 6-2 215 Fr.-Rs Akron, 91 Eric Roeder DL 6-4 280 Fr.-Rs Milford, Ohio 79 Scott Shargots DL 6-3 220 Fr.-RS 98 Dorian Beard DL 6-0 264 Jr.-1L Verona, 51 Tim Wilkes DL 6-0 250 Jr.-RS Akron, Ohio (St. 97 Kiki Gonzales DL 6-1 295 Jr.-SQ 80 Zach Williams DL 6-0 295 Jr.-SQ East 66 Iakopo Leota DL 6-3 260 Sr.-TR 59 Brandon Butler LB 6-2 215 Fr.-RS Hudson, 43 Mark Shackleford LB 6-3 195 Fr.-RS Norton, 55 Brad Sheldon LB 6-2 220 Jr.-1L 50 Matt Heslop LB 6-0 230 SR.SQ Dublin, 34 Andy Owens LS 6-0 230 Jr.SQ 74 Raphael Ray OL 6-8 340 Fr.-Rs Orlando, 65 Aaron Holderman OL 6-1 265 So.-RS Perry, 25 Frank Berchie RB 5-8 200 Fr.-Rs Falls 31 Gabe Sanders TE 6-2 235 Fr.-RS Willard, 82 *Drew Higgins* WR 6-3 200 Fr.-Rs 87 Robert Curry WR 6-3 185 Fr.-Rs 21 Josh Smith WR 6-1 190 Jr.-SQ Akron, Ohio (North) I hope Drew is a nonfactor this year cause he has some raw skills.

Thanks Zippy. It is nice to see the University trying to get the students involved with Zips Athletics. I will be there friday night for sure. Should we have a Zipsnation.org meeting friday night?????? But ZIPDUDE has to stay away from Z-P.

I agree Capn' this will change amy times before the end of spring and before the Penn State game but it is fun to look at. 1) I like Hixon at WR. Good size target with great speed for Charlie. You never know may he goes back to D if he is needed. 2) Mike Schepp must have really put on some pounds. He was listed between 245 -255 last year. He will make a nice backup and good starter in years to come. 3) Jason Nedd to RB. This guy can fly. He has the break away speed the Zips have no had since Jimmy Gray. Look for him to get a lot of carries. 4) Mike Berry. I thought this guy would be gone for sure. My hat goes off to him for working in the class room to get a shot on the field. A possible huge talent alot of schools wanted him but did not tkae cause ofthe grades issue. 5) Brian White will be starting. He is too good to sit the bench. 6) Chase is where he belongs. IF they run a 4 - 4 he can come off the corner and can get to the QB. or if they goto the 3 - 4 he will be the OLB that can blitz to get to the QB. Mark this down Chase will lead the MAC in sacks this year!!!! 7) I say if Pace is going to start at SS then you move Jino to the rover. He can fly and will stuff the run game. He is way to good to be on the bench. Only 15 more days till the first scrimmage!!!!!!