OFFER KEPPLER....

[timmyboy]

I know alot of you ( maybe none of you) know who Chad Keppler is. He is a local athlete from Akron Ellet. He is 6'4 and around 200-215 LBS. He plays QB and he is pretty good at it. He also plays LB for the Orangemen. This past season he was HM all city (and district) at QB, and 1st team All City at LB. He Has a very good arm and has a nice touch on his long passes, but can also hit short passes too. There are some school showing interest in him at the QB position because of his height and throwing abilities. Alot of other schools are looking at him as a LB because of his knack for getting to the football and because of his size. He can easily put on another 20-30 pounds of muscle in a college weight training program. I know i am not a professional recruiter or anything but i have been pretty close on the prospects i have mentioned so far. I know a great football player when i see one, and this kid would make a great addition to the program.

[The Hip Zip]

Ive seen him play on more than a few occasions and agree that he has a great arm, but its difficult to judge his true potential at QB in the very weak city series conference. His receivers at Ellet have been sub-par at best, so with some talent to work with there is some hope at QB.. His greatest quality however may be his spirited competitive fire and I see him as a talented LB down the road. The kid is a winner.

[blueandgold]

I agree that we need to offer him. I've seen him play as well. Timmyboy is right. He is very good at both QB and LB. He has great accuracy, but as The Hip Zip said, his receivers weren't great and they dropped many perfect passes which should have been TD's. At LB he has a nose for the ball and he is a good tackler. I'm not going to say which position I would prefer him to be as a Zip, because I want to see how he does as a Senior at Ellet with a better receiving corp this coming season.

[timmyboy]

I talk to him on a pretty regular basis. I have talked to him a few times about getting his highlight film so that I can submit it to a few websites so that he can get some more exposure. He is a great in the class, on the field and most importantly his personality.This is an example of what a great kid he is. During lunch while all the kids are playing basketball on one end of the gym, they are trying to get him to play daily and he says no because he is at the other end teaching the handicapped kids how to shoot, and playing basketball with them. He says hi and talks to everyone no matter if they are the not very well known kids, or if they are the most popular. He is just a great kid and I wish him the best......but whoever does get this kid is getting a hell of a person,and football player.ps: i will call him today and see if he got his higlight film shrunk down so that i can post it on a few websites, and then i will post the link here.

[Apollo Creed]

I have not talked to him, but I have played against him. He is by no means a D-I QB. Not now, not ever. He plays in the Akron City Series, which outside of Buchtel may be the worst football conference in the state of Ohio. It would be a waste of a scholarship. He is afraid to get hit, and he throws into double and triple coverage consistently. He is great against the City Series teams, sure, but that is like playing against Pop Warner level competition. Look at his games against good teams in the last couple years, it is not pretty. He is the most over-hyped athlete I think I have ever seen. The Akron Beacon Journal would probably marry him if they could. Giving this kid a scholarship would be a monumental mistake by JD Brookhart. And Keppler as a defensive player? Wow. Ha.

[timmyboy]

I have not talked to him, but I have played against him. He is by no means a D-I QB. Not now, not ever. He plays in the Akron City Series, which outside of Buchtel may be the worst football conference in the state of Ohio. It would be a waste of a scholarship. He is afraid to get hit, and he throws into double and triple coverage consistently. He is great against the City Series teams, sure, but that is like playing against Pop Warner level competition. Look at his games against good teams in the last couple years, it is not pretty. He is the most over-hyped athlete I think I have ever seen. The Akron Beacon Journal would probably marry him if they could. Giving this kid a scholarship would be a monumental mistake by JD Brookhart. And Keppler as a defensive player? Wow. Ha.

The city series always turns out pretty good linebackers. He was named 1st team all city as a linebacker. He is tall and in a college program he would add another 20-30 pound to his frame. You dont always have to be a hitter to play linebacker..... you just have to be able to make the tackle, somthing that he has showed he can do. PS: If he is such a bad QB and throws into double and triple coverage, why was he named the best QB at the OSU camp as a sophomore. They said he had the arm to make all the needed throws and has very good vision of the field..... that was from the OSU coaching staff. Give him an offensive line and some WR ( aside of scott boyd) who were worth a damn and he would be the best QB in this area.

[Apollo Creed]

No, no he wouldn't. When I played against him and saw him play, it wasn't that it was his receivers making mistakes or anything. He was telegraphing his passes and throwing into multiple coverage. I don't think he has ever looked off a safety in his life. Sure, he may have a good arm, but that alone doesn't make him a D-I prospect. And the City Series "always" putting out good LBs? The last LB to go D-I from the City was Brian Howe from Ellet, and only God knows where he is now. I know a D-I QB when I see one, and he is definitely not. And when I played against him, he didn't play one snap at LB. He is a D-II player at best, and most likely a D-III or NAIA guy. I know he must be your boyfriend or something so this must be pretty tough to accept, but its true. He would not see one single snap of playing time at the U of Akron.

[timmyboy]

No, no he wouldn't. When I played against him and saw him play, it wasn't that it was his receivers making mistakes or anything. He was telegraphing his passes and throwing into multiple coverage. I don't think he has ever looked off a safety in his life. Sure, he may have a good arm, but that alone doesn't make him a D-I prospect. And the City Series "always" putting out good LBs? The last LB to go D-I from the City was Brian Howe from Ellet, and only God knows where he is now. I know a D-I QB when I see one, and he is definitely not. And when I played against him, he didn't play one snap at LB. He is a D-II player at best, and most likely a D-III or NAIA guy. I know he must be your boyfriend or something so this must be pretty tough to accept, but its true. He would not see one single snap of playing time at the U of Akron.

boyfriend? not at all its more like one of my good friends brothers. and as far as you saying the city series doesnt produce linebackers. Are you kidding me. From way back in the day when Marcus Matthew of Ellet went to toledo as a linebacker, Kevin Vaughn went to Akron as a safety/OLB, Chris Casperic of Garfield went to play Linebacker at Toledo, Bryan Howe of Ellet went an played at Akron an then transfered to walsh where he was 1st team all league, and has since graduated and is no longer playing, Tony Norman and Brandon Foggle of Buchtel would have both gone to D1 schools had it not been for off the field issues. But they ended up going to YSU and Walsh respectivly. Then you had Gary Sommerville of Ellet... The best Linebacker in the area his senior year even thought he was only 5'7 and 185-195 lbs. Had he been 6'- 6'1 he would have easily gone to a much bigger school. On and lets not forget Dangelo Haslam of Garfield who is playing at OSU now as a OLB/S. What school was it that you "played" for? Because if it was a city series school you would know what a long tradition the city has of producing Very Good linebackers.oh any why is that you are so against keppler anyways..... did he take your girlfriend or somthing ha ha

[Apollo Creed]

I played for Tallmadge. I pancaked Gary Somerville. Twice. The City does not have a tradition of producing very good LB's. You are nuts. I played against D-I players, and Keppler is not one. Sorry. I just hope Akron doesn't drink the Beacon Journal Kool-Aid like you have. Now that I go back to your post.. Somerville?? The best LB in the area??? He got rolled over against any good teams he played. There were 4 LB's on Tallmadge's 2005 team alone that I can tell you from experience were better than Somerville. Not to mention Corey Welch from Green, who ACTUALLY went D-I, Dave Crowley from Wadsworth, who would snap Somerville in half like a toothpick, and Dan Dario from Hoban, who was the best LB I played against in my entire high school career. All of those guys were better than Somerville. I love the people that hype Ellet like they are some sort of football powerhouse. They were supposed to beat up on Tallmadge this year after my class graduated and Kepp came in and threw 4 picks en route to a 31-0 loss. If he does that against a secondary full of a couple D-III guys and a bunch of guys who aren't even going to play college ball, what will he do against D-I level competition? The same thing he does against every competition: get happy feet in the pocket and throw into double/triple coverage.

[akronad]

Tallmadge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What a joke.You are so good, how come your not playing at Akrron?

[timmyboy]

I played for Tallmadge. I pancaked Gary Somerville. Twice. The City does not have a tradition of producing very good LB's. You are nuts. I played against D-I players, and Keppler is not one. Sorry. I just hope Akron doesn't drink the Beacon Journal Kool-Aid like you have. Now that I go back to your post.. Somerville?? The best LB in the area??? He got rolled over against any good teams he played. There were 4 LB's on Tallmadge's 2005 team alone that I can tell you from experience were better than Somerville. Not to mention Corey Welch from Green, who ACTUALLY went D-I, Dave Crowley from Wadsworth, who would snap Somerville in half like a toothpick, and Dan Dario from Hoban, who was the best LB I played against in my entire high school career. All of those guys were better than Somerville. I love the people that hype Ellet like they are some sort of football powerhouse. They were supposed to beat up on Tallmadge this year after my class graduated and Kepp came in and threw 4 picks en route to a 31-0 loss. If he does that against a secondary full of a couple D-III guys and a bunch of guys who aren't even going to play college ball, what will he do against D-I level competition? The same thing he does against every competition: get happy feet in the pocket and throw into double/triple coverage.

Thats funny. Gary and Danny Dario played football all thru pee wee football. They have been coached by the same coaches up until Dario went to Hoban. You can ask Dario himself and he will say that Gary is as good if not a little bit better then him and he is being dead serious when he says it. And there isnt much i can say about the whole 31-0 loss because i will admit you guys beat the piss out of them. But in Kepplers defense, when reviewing the game film each one of them picks we not Kepplers fault and yost even said that to everyone watching the game film that day. That was their 2nd game of the year with an all new set of WR's. If you seen the springfield game from the week before.... you would notice that the WR were down right HORRIBLE. 3 TD passes that hit them right in the hands or the chest...and they dropped them. so that shows how much help keppler had. oh and a little side note. During Kepplers Sophomore year ( summer going into his Junior year) when he was at the OSU camp he actually beat out Britt of Trotwood Madison and a whole bunch of other very good QB's from all over the country to be named the Top Junior QB at the camp.... Give him some WR's and he will show you what he can do.and about Cory Welsh...where is he playing now, E.Michigan?? Cuz i will guarentee that Keppler would make a better college LB then Welsh.

[Apollo Creed]

akronad, I never said I was a D-I caliber player, I just said Keppler wasn't. And he isn't, nor never will be. Go ahead. Offer Keppler. Waste a scholarship for the next 4-5 years on a guy who won't see the field for one play. He is the most overhyped high school quarterback I have ever seen. There is only one way an interception isn't a QB's fault: If it is tipped by his receiver, and I don't remember any of Keppler's numerous picks in that game being tipped. He just didn't see the safety coming over the top. If Yost says otherwise, then he is looking through navy and orange glasses.

[timmyboy]

Here is a little update on Keppler. Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan were both at the school talking to coach yost and they have extended offers to Keppler. They have not said which position they offered him at so it is up in the air. Western Michigan is also a school showing alot of interest, but he is still waiting on an offer from them.

[74ZIP]

i watched Ellet football for 3 years when Keppler was playing...a couple of things about Ellet...Yost is a coach who demands discipline from his players...unfortunately he can not always get the best players due to the open enrollment policies within the city...at the high school level Yost is a coach who gets THE MOST out of limited raw talent...ithink Keppler is a product of the system...a very close friend of mine had a son who played and started for Ellet for 2 years..the kid busted his guts...and played well...he is struggling at the DIII level however...not sure if you throw a scholarship at a kid who played against mostly well below average competition and did not really do anything 'off the charts'...if JD is really looking for talent potential at either the QB or LB position he can get kids who played better at a higher level...

[akronad]

I'm not sure that if Keppler is or isn'tright for us. I want to hope so, since he is a local kid. As far as Yost and Ellet are concerned, Ellet WILL NOTbe any good until they start playing more minorities. There are plenty of them in the school, but Yost is just a good ole' boy from Ellet and doesn't think they should even be attending Ellet. Also, he has absolutely no dealings and will not even go to Hyreand try to convince the kids to play at Ellet.

[timmyboy]

  i watched Ellet football for 3 years when Keppler was playing...a couple of things about Ellet...Yost is a coach who demands discipline from his players...unfortunately he can not always get the best players due to the open enrollment policies within the city...at the high school level Yost is a coach who gets THE MOST out of limited raw talent...ithink Keppler is a product of the system...a very close friend of mine had a son who played and started for Ellet for 2 years..the kid busted his guts...and played well...he is struggling at the DIII level however...not sure if you throw a scholarship at a kid who played against mostly well below average competition and did not really do anything 'off the charts'...if JD is really looking for talent potential at either the QB or LB position he can get kids who played better at a higher level...

I agree with almost everything that you said. Yost does use ever bit of talent that he has and he does do a pretty good job considering most of the best athletes go to buchtel,garfield or one of the other area schools. I did have the pleasure of playing for Yost while in HS. Not only is he a very good coach, but he is a great person outside of football. I was able to play against some of the best athletes to come out of akron ( and Ohio for that matter) and i feel that Keppler has the same attitude and is just as good of an athlete as most of them. I think alot of people look at the city series as a joke, and it is pretty much warranted because they havent had the strong teams that they have in the past..... but there are still some elite athletes in the city Series, and i feel keppler is one of them. We will be able to see this coming season, watch for Keppler to have a Big year.and watch for his name to come up after this summers football camps, because i know he is scheduled to go to a few of them.