NLI National Letter of Intent (Late) Day 2022

[GoZips86]

7 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Looking at 247, there have been a few updates...

 

- Marquell Darnell was added, raising Akron's class average rating to .8220. 

 

- Tyhler Williams, Charles Kellom, and Kiawan Murphy are all still N/A, which I'm not sure will change at this point (although it should, especially Williams). 

 

- As of this morning, Akron is 7th in the MAC in Overall (Recruits & Transfers) points. 

 

- Nationally, the MAC order is: Canada (66), Miami OH (84), Toledo (96), PCCC (100), NIU (102), CMU (103), Akron (105), Balls (106), BUGS (119), WMU (121), EMU (126), OU (136).

 

- Of note: Jackson State (68), Coastal Carolina (86), Liberty (88), Louisiana Monroe (134); no MAC school landed a 4* Recruit

 

 

It cannot be stated enough the job this coaching staff did to pull together a near top-half-of-the-MAC & near top-100-nationally class in just 2 months when the majority of schools had both signing periods to bring guys in. I also don't believe we'll be done adding transfers. Spring Ball will shake fruit out of the trees, and we're a perfect landing spot. 

 

Great info, thank you! Wow I went to bed last night and Akron was ranked 10. Now they are 7!! After being 12 last year, this is huge and a great success to the new coaching staff already! 

[RowdyZip]

32 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

It cannot be stated enough the job this coaching staff did to pull together a near top-half-of-the-MAC & near top-100-nationally class in just 2 months when the majority of schools had both signing periods to bring guys in. I also don't believe we'll be done adding transfers. Spring Ball will shake fruit out of the trees, and we're a perfect landing spot. 

And honestly, it was even less than 2 months.  More like 5-6 weeks from when Coach Moorhead was 100% free of his Oregon obligations and staff was gradually brought on.  My expectations for a full recruiting year are sky-high.  Can't wait to see what the future brings.

[Let'sGoZips94]

22 minutes ago, GoZips86 said:

 

Great info, thank you! Wow I went to bed last night and Akron was ranked 10. Now they are 7!! After being 12 last year, this is huge and a great success to the new coaching staff already! 

 

We're still 10th (MAC) & 123rd (Nationally) for HS Recruits, but the Overall is more important in my opinion, at least for G5 schools. The Open Portal (immediate eligibility) is a gamechanger. 

[ZippyRulz]

2 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Looking at 247, there have been a few updates...

 

- Nationally, the MAC order is: Canada (66), Miami OH (84), Toledo (96), PCCC (100), NIU (102), CMU (103), Akron (105), Balls (106), BUGS (119), WMU (121), EMU (126), OU (136).

 

 

 

Thanks. I'm calling it a statistical tie for 3rd between Toledo-PCCC-NIU-CMU-Akron-Balls 🏆

 

[Zipmeister]

2 hours ago, RowdyZip said:

And honestly, it was even less than 2 months.  More like 5-6 weeks from when Coach Moorhead was 100% free of his Oregon obligations and staff was gradually brought on.  My expectations for a full recruiting year are sky-high.  Can't wait to see what the future brings.

 

Sky high is pretty high, but my expectations for a full recruiting year border on the unbelievable. I predict that next years crop will include two 4* (even though stars don't matter).

[bigjim]

4 minutes ago, Zipmeister said:

 

Sky high is pretty high, but my expectations for a full recruiting year border on the unbelievable. I predict that next years crop will include two 4* (even though stars don't matter).

Ditto, under the assumption that the same coaching staff stays intact.  However, I would expect that 2-3 members move on to bigger jobs based on the great jobs that they have and will have performed.  Then, depends on who moves on, we might not have the unbelievable recruiting year.  Every competent organization has staff looking for talent, and this University of Akron Coaching staff has talent.  Gosh, I hope I am wrong.  I want this staff here for several years.  

Go Zips!!!

[LZIp]

Might be getting a bit too carried away here, but if we're all worried about staff leaving already, there is one way to prevent or slow that: Money. Go to games, invite friends and family, donate to the program, buy season tickets, etc. The program needs money in order to keep talent.

[bigjim]

13 minutes ago, LZIp said:

Might be getting a bit too carried away here, but if we're all worried about staff leaving already, there is one way to prevent or slow that: Money. Go to games, invite friends and family, donate to the program, buy season tickets, etc. The program needs money in order to keep talent.

Good post.  When Coach JoeMo was announced, I re-upped my season tickets and preferred parking and paid for it on the spot.  Even though the ticket office said they would bill me in June, I paid at that time.  I am a Varsity A member as a former athlete and have donated to the engineering as well as athletic funds for years.  So, please use your sermon on the graduates that have not contributed to the University.

P.S. I have also hired probably 20 Akron graduates into my company and have been accused of favoritism.  But I stand my ground.

Go Zips!!!!

[LZIp]

7 minutes ago, bigjim said:

Good post.  When Coach JoeMo was announced, I re-upped my season tickets and preferred parking and paid for it on the spot.  Even though the ticket office said they would bill me in June, I paid at that time.  I am a Varsity A member as a former athlete and have donated to the engineering as well as athletic funds for years.  So, please use your sermon on the graduates that have not contributed to the University.

P.S. I have also hired probably 20 Akron graduates into my company and have been accused of favoritism.  But I stand my ground.

Go Zips!!!!

Indeed. I've stepped up my game some as well. Unfortunately the fact likely is you or I don't make a sizable difference. It needs to be a collective effort or some of those with potential to be big players need to step up if not already done so. For the most part, the only reason we were able to get a coach of this caliber is luck (prior familiarity with program/region, wanting to be closer to family, at a point in their career money no longer appears to be the main concern). Lets take advantage of it!

[bigjim]

8 minutes ago, bigjim said:

Good post.  When Coach JoeMo was announced, I re-upped my season tickets and preferred parking and paid for it on the spot.  Even though the ticket office said they would bill me in June, I paid at that time.  I am a Varsity A member as a former athlete and have donated to the engineering as well as athletic funds for years.  So, please use your sermon on the graduates that have not contributed to the University.

P.S. I have also hired probably 20 Akron graduates into my company and have been accused of favoritism.  But I stand my ground.

Go Zips!!!!

I apologize.  Since I think you are an administrator, please delete this post.  I live the University of Akron and sometimes I get carried away.  

[72 Roo]

3 hours ago, bigjim said:

Good post.  When Coach JoeMo was announced, I re-upped my season tickets and preferred parking and paid for it on the spot.  Even though the ticket office said they would bill me in June, I paid at that time.  I am a Varsity A member as a former athlete and have donated to the engineering as well as athletic funds for years.  So, please use your sermon on the graduates that have not contributed to the University.

P.S. I have also hired probably 20 Akron graduates into my company and have been accused of favoritism.  But I stand my ground.

Go Zips!!!!

Thanks for all you do for the U big jim! We need more alumni like you. You have helped to build a better university.

[Zipmeister]

Interesting

Why is the university hiding this signing?

[LZIp]

5 minutes ago, Zipmeister said:

Interesting

Why is the university hiding this signing?

I'd just assume he's a walk-on, or possibly a grey-shirt - meaning offered a spot for next year. If grey-shirt, it would be the same thing as what Ryan Jankowski and Konata Mumpfield did.

[zippy5]

He isn't a walk-on from what I can tell. Maybe grey-shirt, or maybe he ended up not qualifying?

[zippy5]

Well, he actually signed in the video. So I'd say grey-shirt

[Zipmeister]

32 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Well, he actually signed in the video. So I'd say grey-shirt

 

He must have been using both an invisible pen and paper.

[clarkwgriswold]

Just now, Zipmeister said:

 

He must have been using both an invisible pen and paper.

110% invisible and committed.

[bigjim]

I was curious why Anthony Stallworth and Niko Paxos did not show up on the lists of Akron signees.  I could not find anything on Stallworth, so I will go with the greyshirt assumption from above.  That would be very good with Norrils and Williams on the roster and Kellom and Wiley as recruits.  We should be in good shape.  However, We also started with 4 running backs last year and then stuff hit the fan and it was a position of weakness.  Let's hope for a different outcome this season.  Regarding Paxos, I did find that he will be a walk on.  First team D1 all state kicker as a walk on is good get for Akron.  I also thought that Slike was very good last year.  So, there will be competition at the punter/kicker position.  

Go Zips!!!

[Blue & Gold]

@bigjim, I agree about Slike.  He's a very good PK so our kicking game should be in order for the next 4 years.

 

I noticed transfer RB Cam Wiley is only listed at 185.  That's pretty light for 6'2".  If he were 5'8" & 185 I'd have no worries, but I hope he doesn't get broken in half. 

 

Ant Williams was also lighter than I remember Arth & Co. advertising.  When they announced his transfer I remember them saying he was 6'1" & 215.  I was pretty excited about that. But he's actually 6'1" & 195.  At least Norrills is stout.

 

Kellom at 6'0" 200 is a nice size.

 

And you know who I keep forgetting about?  Blake Hester.  He did an awfully good job as a true freshman filling in for a doghouse-residing Norrills last year.

[Zipmeister]

4 hours ago, bigjim said:

I was curious why Anthony Stallworth and Niko Paxos did not show up on the lists of Akron signees.  I could not find anything on Stallworth, so I will go with the greyshirt assumption from above.  That would be very good with Norrils and Williams on the roster and Kellom and Wiley as recruits.  We should be in good shape.  However, We also started with 4 running backs last year and then stuff hit the fan and it was a position of weakness.  Let's hope for a different outcome this season.  Regarding Paxos, I did find that he will be a walk on.  First team D1 all state kicker as a walk on is good get for Akron.  I also thought that Slike was very good last year.  So, there will be competition at the punter/kicker position.  

Go Zips!!!

 

Given the quality of running backs I believe the Zips will be targeting in their next class, I don't believe they would be locking up a future scholarship for Anthony with a grey shirt. Therefore, I vote he is a straight walk-on this year. The question remains, why didn't the staff give him a shout-out on Wednesday like they did several other PWOs.

[Blue & Gold]

Maybe he’s an academic non-qualifier?  If so that would help explain his surprising lack of offers.

[zippy5]

53 minutes ago, Zipmeister said:

 

Given the quality of running backs I believe the Zips will be targeting in their next class, I don't believe they would be locking up a future scholarship for Anthony with a grey shirt. Therefore, I vote he is a straight walk-on this year. The question remains, why didn't the staff give him a shout-out on Wednesday like they did several other PWOs.

He announced his Toledo offer as a PWO offer on Twitter. He didn't do the same for Akron. And given his 1-AA offers I don't see him passing on those to walk on at Akron. All signs point to grey shirt here.

[LZIp]

We'll know for sure once the fall roster is released. If he's on it, walk on. If not, greyshirt..assuming he shows up next year. I'd think the staff would announce him then as well.

Edited February 4, 2022 by LZIp

[John Ward]

12 hours ago, LZIp said:

I'd just assume he's a walk-on, or possibly a grey-shirt - meaning offered a spot for next year. If grey-shirt, it would be the same thing as what Ryan Jankowski and Konata Mumpfield did.

Mumpfield should have never been a grey shirt. Poor evaluators of talent.  

[94zipgrad]

6 hours ago, John Ward said:

Mumpfield should have never been a grey shirt. Poor evaluators of talent.  

Every coach in the nation must be also.  That offer from Akron was the only one he received.