Top 100 Players in the Class of 2008
All players are selected by Ohio High and Recruiting editor Duane Long
Rankings are from the July Issue of Ohio High Magazine. New 2009 rankings will be out in July 2008

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1. ***** Mike Adams (6-8, 305, OL, Dublin Coffman)
Mike Adams Tackle
Dublin Coffman 2008


2006 Highlights
Ohio State VERBAL

I have seen more full games of Dublin Coffman than I have any other school in years. It is the best program in central Ohio and is chock full of Division I talent. The only question that seems to come up about Ohio State recruit Mike Adams is whether he is a dominating run blocker or not.
I have little doubt that Mike Adams will be a fine run blocker. He just does not get a lot of opportunities to show that he will be a complete football player because Coffman has been blessed with a level of quarterback play over the years that few schools can match. In Ohio, we think of Cleveland St. Ignatius when we think about quarterbacks but I think there is a strong argument for Coffman to have the title of quarterback high school. Everyone remembers Brady Quinn but there were outstanding quarterbacks at Coffman before Quinn and there have been ever since. This year Coffman has Zack Stoudt – another scholarship quarterback – but they also have receivers in Jake Stoneburner and Trey Fairchild, headed for Ohio State and Syracuse, respectively.
Coffman is throwing the ball a lot and Adams is not being asked to run block very much in his high school years. When he has run blocked he has been very effective.
Opposing defenses do not line up anyone over Adams on a regular basis, which makes perfect sense. Why put a player in a situation where he has little chance to be successful?
As a pass blocker there is no question about Adams. He is one of those players that can go for an entire season and you can count the number of times he is beaten on one hand.
Besides his ideal measurables the characteristic that makes Adams No. 1 in Ohio, to me, is he can get so much better.
I was speaking with a coach who saw Adams beaten by a pass rusher. Adams likely had not seen the player in question as he had transferred in and the game was very early in the season so the chances he had seen tape were quite remote. The very next time this very lined up over Adams this coach told me Adams stoned him badly and he spent the rest of the night rushing off the other side of the Coffman line. That tells me once Adams is seeing players on the other side of the line that can really challenge him he will get better. This is the kind of lineman I only hope to see again in Ohio.
It is very rare that a lineman could play as a freshman but I think Adams can.

2. ***** DeVier Posey (6-3, 180, WR, Cincinnati LaSalle)
DeVier Posey WR
Cincinnati LaSalle 2008


2006 Highlights
OSU Verbal

I was recently discussing former Texas quarterback and current Tennessee Titan Vince Young on the Bucknuts.com message boards. I remember him coming out in the national championship game against USC with the game on the line and there was a look of utter confidence on his face. He single-handedly beat USC and that is what the great ones do. They rise to the occasion and find a way to elevate their game when their teams need them the most.
That is what we saw out of DeVier Posey on September 14th. There are four big private schools in Cincinnati that dominate the landscape: St. Xavier, Moeller, Elder and LaSalle. Some question whether LaSalle really belongs in that group but DeVier Posey answered that question against Elder that night with a nine catches for 141 yards and a TD performance. He was the best player on a field full of Division I players and was the difference, leading the Lancers to an impressive 28-19 victory.
In his very next game against Division II state champion Anderson, Posey did not have the impact as a receiver but he stamped his imprint on the game with a 73-yard punt return that left everyone in attendance speechless.
That is what really surprises about Posey – he is a big kid but his elusiveness is that of a much smaller player. That a player this size is a punt returner at all speaks volumes about his skills.
Recruiting is all about projecting and that is where you get really excited about Posey. This time last year he was just now becoming a name on the recruiting board and most players of Posey’s caliber are already on the radar by the time they are halfway through their junior year. That tells me he is a late bloomer.
Upside is one of the words we throw around most in this business and the sky is the limit on Posey’s upside. He is an ESPN national top 150 player and is a top ten national receiver on everyone’s board, in a great year for receiver talent.
Posey committed to Ohio State last spring and is a U.S. Army All-American.

3. ***** Jake Stoneburner (6-6, 223, TE/WR, Dublin Coffman)
Jake Stoneburner
TE/WR
Dublin Coffman 2008


2006 Highlights
Ohio StateVerbal
An opposing coach gave me this quote about Jake Stoneburner and it says everything about this kid: “I see potential first round pick in this kid. He is physically as impressive as anyone. I watched him run routes even when the ball doesn’t come his way. He is very polished. There will be no red shirt here. He is a WOW kid. If they threw deep to him three plays in a row, he would score on at least two.”
I still don’t know where Stoneburner lines up when he gets to Ohio State. I think there is little doubt he starts off as a wide receiver. Anybody running a 4.46 40 is a wide receiver in my mind. But what happens after he gets in a college weightlifting program and really starts eating to fuel his body? I think he could possibly grow into a tight end. But if he establishes himself at wide receiver before he fills out more it may not matter.
One college coach I was speaking to has the same concern I have about asking a wide receiver to step into the trenches and block the big boys. If Stoneburner is the player I think he will be, he will be able to change defensive game plans as a wide out. How do you defense a player that is as tall as a lineman but has the speed, athleticism and leaping ability of a five-star skill athlete? I think about the mismatches with the corners he is going to face but it could be more pronounced against linebackers and safeties in the middle of the field. Corners might be able to run with him but it will take a rare safety and there is no linebacker that can run with him. He is still going to be as big as any linebacker and bigger than any safety, so there is no break for a defensive coordinator if he grows into a tight end.
We love the word freak these days and I don’t think it is going out on a limb to slap the freak label on Stoneburner.

4. ***** Cordale Scott (6-4, 200, ATH, Cleveland Glenville)
Cordale Scott WR
Glenville 2008


Verbal to Illinois
There has been a lot of buzz with Ohio high school football fans about the schedule Ted Ginn, Sr. signed up for this year, which included Indianapolis (Ind.) Warren Central, Long Beach (Ca.) Poly Tech and Cincinnati St. Xavier. There are D-I recruits on all three of those teams and no high school has put more players in the NFL than Long Beach Poly. Because the Senate League is down, there was a fear that loses to these national powers would leave Glenville out of the playoffs. That did not happen and the players are better off playing against that level of competition - that is what Ginn is most concerned about.
Scott looked like he belonged in those games and was the best prospect on the field in all three. There is no doubt he is going to be a major impact player. Exactly where is the question.
Scott is a dynamic receiver and he has size and knows how to use it. If you want a big receiver to get in one-on-one situations, put the ball up to him. Scott fits that bill perfectly. He has the athleticism, the leaping ability and the tenacity to win those battles.
That tenacity is what keeps me wondering about his future position. He plays the game with the mindset of a defensive player no matter what side of the ball he is on. To my knowledge, Scott has never stated a preference.
Ultimately, his body may make the decision for him. He is a big receiver now but has a long lean body, is long-limbed and I do not think he is anywhere near finished growing. He could outgrow the safety position into a linebacker and I would not be at all surprised to see this super athlete grow into a defensive end.
Scott has offers from all of his favorites except USC. We have yet to see a Glenville player offered by Ohio State during Jim Tressel’s tenure not choose Ohio State. I expect Scott to keep that streak intact.

5. ***** Devoe Torrance (6-2, 215, RB, Massillon Washington)
Devoe Torrence LB/FB
Canton South 2008


2006 Highlights
Ohio State Verbal
After the first three games of the year, the buzz around Devoe Torrence was about the possibility that he made a mistake in transferring to Massillon and his decision to be a running back in college.
After opening with a 164 yard rushing effort against Middletown, Torrence had a 25-yard performance on 16 carries and 82 yards on 16 carries against Parma Normandy. But Torrence found his game against Youngstown Ursuline racking up 158 yards on 29 carries and followed that with a 283-yard and four TD breakout game against a strong Mentor team.
He spent the rest of the year showing why Ohio State and Michigan both offered Torrence as a running back.
His early game woes can be attributed to his inexperience as a running back. He spent the previous three years playing mostly linebacker. When he did play offense, he spent just as much time at wide receiver and quarterback but there were times he did not play offense at all.
This year, it was the other way around. Torrence did not play a single down on defense that I am aware of making the transition to an offensive player complete.
There has been much speculation that offers for Torrence as a running back were simply to get his name on a letter of intent then get him to thinking like a linebacker again once he got to school. It is something we see every year at most every college. I do not think that is the case with Torrence.
He has such raw skills and reminds me of former national No. 1 running back Chris Wells in the fact that he is a big back but he is an elusive big back with excellent feet and quickness. Seeing film of Torrence from a sideline view gave me an excellent look at just how agile and quick this young man is.
Again, I think about how few reps he has under his belt as a running back and what he will be when so much of this just becomes second nature. Torrence is an ESPN national top 150 player and an Ohio State recruit.

6. ***** Kyle Rudolph (6-7, 220, TE, Cincinnati Elder)
Kyle Rudolph TE
Cincinnati Elder 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Notre Dame
It was a rough season for Rudolph. Elder has played a murderous schedule against excellent LaSalle team, a Lakewood St. Edward team that was much improved by the time Elder ran into them and state power Cincinnati St. Xavier in back-to-back weeks in the midseason.
Elder quarterback John Groene was under assault all season and there was not a lot of time to throw the ball. In the first six games he was sacked 20 times and the next closest sack total in the Cincinnati area was 12. When the quarterback doesn’t have time to throw, a receivers’ numbers are going to be impacted.
The last thing college coaches worry about with receivers is catches. What they do with those catches and what they do when they are not catching the ball means a lot more.
Nothing has changed with Rudolph. He is still as good a tight end prospect as I have seen in Ohio. He didn’t see as many throws come his way as he would have liked but that has not impacted his effort. He is playing just as hard.
I see a complete player. If I were building a tight end, he would look like Rudolph. He tall with room to add weight and not have it impact his athleticism. He is already as good of a blocking tight end as most at the college level. He has good hands and can take a short ball and turn it into a TD.
He very much reminds me of New York Giants TE Jeremy Shockey because he is capable of doing everything and he plays with an edge. I am hearing so much about the other tight ends Notre Dame has landed and I have seen film of all of them. They are not better prospects than Kyle Rudolph and I think he brings a strong argument for being the best tight end prospect in the country.

7. ***** Nathan Williams (6-4, 235, DE/LB, Washington Court House Miami Trace)
Nathan Williams LB
Miami Trace 2008


2006 Highlights
OSU VERBAL
I remember reading about a 27-yard TD run about midseason for Ohio State recruit Nathan Williams as a fullback on offense. The opposing coach had to be thinking how unfair it is for a kid this big to be running the ball, especially at this level. I am sure Miami Trace coach Pat Conroy could respond that there was no need to worry about Williams hurting any of the players that tried to tackle him. First, they were going to have to catch him.
We have some remarkable athletes in this class from Jake Stoneburner to Cordale Scott to Devoe Torrence and others. We are seeing a class full of players with a combination of size, speed and athleticism that put them in the freak category. I think that if there was a way to measure it, Nathan Williams would be the freak of freaks.
He is running 11.5 100-meter weighing between 250 and 255 pounds. In a workout at school, three different stop watches came up with an average 40 time of 4.56. None of the other players in this discussion can match his size to speed numbers.
Where Williams pulls away from the rest is strength numbers. He is benching 420 pounds and doing hang cleans at 320 pounds. His listed 6-4 size is legit
He plays middle linebacker at the high school level but most are projecting Williams as a defensive end. I think that is premature. Having a big player at middle linebacker is a plus. He is going to be able to take on blockers better and his bigger body helps plug holes better. As long as he can still run, and Williams is showing so far that he can, I see no reason to move him until his body says he has to.
Because he is from a small rural school Williams is being overlooked. He does not have to take a backseat to any player in this class.

8. ***** Brandon Moore (6-6, 230, TE, Trotwood-Madison)
Brandon Moore TE/WR
Trotwood Madison 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Michigan
Trotwood-Madison head coach Maurice Douglass knows what it takes to compete on the championship level. He was a member of the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl team and he knows that competition is very important.
He has improved the Rams level of competition every year and Brandon Moore has benefited from playing against a better level of competition and is more ready to play at the next level as a result. Despite having an ankle injury that stayed with him for the early part of the season, there was a noticeable difference in his intensity.
I think he is more comfortable being back at his natural tight end position but I believe the move to wide receiver last year taught him a lot about route running. I think it taught him a lot having to beat the quicker and faster athletes he ran into at cornerback. He is going to see a better caliber of athlete at linebacker and safety at the University of Michigan, so going against high school cornerbacks was a move that will help him in the long term.
Douglass played Moore on defense, too, early in the season but he decided to play Moore strictly on offense after the ankle injury. It paid dividends as Moore found his game more and more as the season went along.
Moore is a unique athlete. Players this big making the kinds of athletic plays he makes is rare. He is a hard worker and a highly intelligent young man with a great attitude. He is one of those players you speak to and know that he is going to be a success after his football career ends, no matter what that might be.

9. ***** Dan McCarthy (6-1, 190, S, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney)
Dan McCarthy QB/DB
Mooney 2008


Verbal to Notre Dame
If option offenses were still en vogue, I don’t think we would be talking about Dan McCarthy as a safety. He is that good on offense. He runs the offense like a field general and is in control out there making great decisions. McCarthy is almost good enough as a ball carrier to be a running back. He is strong and never seems to go down on first contact. Once he breaks through, there is no catching him. I have never seen a 40 time on him but his football speed is impressive.
The characteristic that intrigues me is he throws the ball well enough that he could be effective under center in the right offense. Most option quarterbacks do not throw the ball well enough. That is why defenses come up tight on the line against option teams but McCarthy will gut a defense if they try to come up and take the run away from Mooney.
It is harder to see what McCarthy brings to the table as a safety because he got so little work with Mooney front seven is making sure he is fresh to play offense.
There is no question we are looking at one of the really special talents to come along in this state in some time. We had Ted Ginn, Jr. and last year we had Eugene Clifford. After those two unique talents, I think you need to include Dan McCarthy in the conversation about who would fit that number three slot.
Notre Dame has landed a player that is sure to make Fighting Irish fans not miss Tommy Zibikowski too much.

10. ***** Kevin Koger (6-4, 235, DE/TE, Toledo Whitmer)
Kevin Koger TE/LB
Toledo Whitmer 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Michigan
The inevitable question that Kevin Koger has to deal with is whether or not to stay committed to Michigan. That is especially pointed when it comes to an Ohio kid with an Ohio State offer.
If Koger has ever wavered he is keeping it to himself. There was some talk about him attending an Ohio State game in October but that never materialized. I think under the circumstances that would be a major development.
This late in the game, with the Wolverines having a below average season, head coach Lloyd Carr out and Ohio State having a better year than expected, if Koger visited the Buckeyes I think there could be something to it.
I can see why the Buckeyes, and any other school, would want to try and change Koger’s mind. He is a special talent. I have gone over this list many times and the one player I look at and think that he is just not high enough is Koger. Any other year he is sitting in the top five and likely the top three.
Koger is such a fine tight end prospect. He has good hands and has talked about working on his blocking even though he is a solid blocker in the first place. I
He looks bigger than his listed 235 pounds and looks more muscular. In the end, I always come back to defensive end. I know Michigan and Ohio State both offered as a tight end but I thought he had even more promise as a defensive end. But I am more convinced that he would be a better tight end after this year. I see him as an athlete more than a skill player.
Koger is a great get for Michigan as it stands right now. But with Lloyd Carr out, I would not be surprised to see Koger, as well as the other Michigan commitments, look elsewhere.

11. ***** Zebrie Sanders (6-6, 273, OL, Clayton Northmont)
Zebrie Sanders Tackle
Clayton Northmont 2008


2006 Highlights
Florida offer
The interest from one school is indicative of what kind of senior year Zebrie Sanders had.
Ohio State had Dublin Coffman’s Mike Adams pegged as their left tackle of the future. Everyone assumed that the Buckeyes would come around and offer a left tackle of Sanders’ quality. The thinking is, Ohio State has settled on a target number of four offensive linemen in this class and Sanders is really only suited for tackle. It started to look like an offer was not going to happen. About a third of the way through the year Ohio State invited Sanders up for a game.
I think it says everything about his development that in a small recruiting class that any school would double up on a position. Left tackle is the most important position on the offensive line. Without a good one, the passing attack suffers greatly. Sanders is the kind of player that can make sure the quarterback operates with total confidence because his blind side is covered and Sanders has all the tools to be an elite left tackle in college.
He has the length I like to see, in body and in limb, and has an even more imposing wingspan than Adams. He has the long body that will match-up with elite pass rushing defensive ends. He has really good feet and can mirror with any defensive end.
He is going to have to work on his strength and his intensity to be the player I think he can be at the next level. If he does, I think he is a Sunday talent.
His offer list includes Michigan, Florida and Georgia but if Ohio State should get involved I think that is where he is likely to end up. If the Buckeyes do not decide to offer, Sanders heads to warmer climates.

12. **** Isaiah Pead (5-11, 175, ATH, Eastmoor Academy)
Isiah Pead RB
Eastmoor Academy 2008


2006 Highlights
Isaiah Pead is officially the human highlight film.
At least for this class he is and Pead is a player that belongs in the conversation about the most spectacular players I have ever seen in Ohio. He averaged right about 11.5 yards a carry year. That is not a misprint. And he averaged about 200 yards a game, with 2,204 yards on 192 carries and 39 TDs in 10 games.
Pead also had six INTs, which he returned for 125 total yards.
One City League coach told me he was the best player he has seen in the City League. One thing that I saw this year with Pead is he is looking more like he could be a back. He is running tougher between the tackles and not going down on first contact. He looks like he has filled out some, too. I think he still could be a running back, depending on the offense. Some schools are recruiting him as a running back but most are looking at him as a cornerback or a wide receiver – with the majority saying cornerback.
Pead has really good size for a corner and has the speed but I want a player like this with the ball in his hands. He is a game changer. Maybe there is a question about his hands but I would need to see him fail as receiver before I moved him to defense.
Grades are going to have a major impact here. He has an impressive offer list with schools like Wisconsin, West Virginia, Maryland, Pittsburghsburgh, Cincinnati and Louisville getting their feet in the door but I see a ‘‘Big Four’’ player in Pead.
Ohio State has brought him in and he says OSU his dream school. With his grades in order, an offer from the Buckeyes is a possibility. We will not know until later in the school year when there is a clearer picture on grades and whether Pead will see that dream offer.

13. ***** Elliott Mealer (6-6, 280, OL, Wauseon)
Elliot Mealer Ath
Wauseon 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal Michigan
The Michigan staff has to be given credit for recognizing this is a special player. They offered him early while others were still deciding. Mealer wanted to get his recruiting over with and lock himself into a scholarship before the season started and committed to the Wolverines. If he had not, I suspect he would have had an offer list that would compare with any other lineman in the state. There has been a lot of buzz that if Ohio State would come in with an offer that Mealer would change his mind but I have seen nothing that tells me that is the case.
Mealer’s value goes beyond the fact that he is a big kid with a great body and athleticism to play tight end. That he can play any position on the offensive line, including tight end, is what makes him so valuable.
We live in an era where 85 scholarships makes versatile players all the more desirable. Some schools are trying to keep their offensive line scholarship numbers down because the positions, as important as they are, are a last stop so to speak. The game is so much about speed and offensive linemen are the slowest players on the field. At every other position, even quarterback, there is an option for moving players who are not getting it done to another position. That is not the case with offensive linemen. A player like Mealer can move all along the offensive line. I think he is better off at guard but he could play either tackle spot.
Mealer needs to work on his pass blocking as he has not been asked to do a lot of that at the high school level. He will likely need to spend some time in the weightroom. I see a body that can carry another 35-40 pounds.
Mealer is a great looking, big athlete that I think has an outstanding future in front of him.

14. ***** Greg Scruggs (6-5, 225, DE, Cincinnati St. Xavier)
No Video
Talk about one of the stories of the year. This might be the story of the decade. Last year at this time, Greg Scruggs was in the stands. Not as a fan but as a member of the Bombers’ band.
St. Xavier head coach Steve Specht had been trying to get Scruggs out for football and finally convinced him this year. He had never played in high school and his performance was nothing short of extraordinary.
Scruggs is as raw as you might expect but he seems to have some natural football instincts. He takes good attack angles in his pass rush and puts up a fight to keep from getting knocked off of it. I have seen raw players before but not as athletic as Scruggs. They do not play physical and do not get what they are supposed to do beyond try to get around the corner.
Scruggs has a high motor and plays very hard. That is another thing that usually leaves players with so little experience looking at smaller schools if they get scholarship offers. He comes off the ball hard and has a really good burst. He pursues and does so many things that you only expect out of a veteran player. It is remarkable that he is this good with so little football experience. There is still so much for him to learn but it is obvious he is a quick study. He has an ideal body for a rush end.
This situation is not unprecedented. We have seen players who did not grow up playing the game turn out to be stars in recent years. Amobi Okoye from Louisville was a top ten draft pick this past year and New York Giant defensive end Osi Umenyiora may be the best pass rusher in the NFL right now.
It looks like schools are taking interest in Scruggs. He picked up an offer from North Carolina State relatively early and Tennessee followed suit. Ohio State was considering an offer as we went to press.

15. **** Brandon Beachum (5-11, 220, LB/RB, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney)
Brandon Beachum RB/LB
Mooney 2008


Verbal to Penn State
Over the summer – in the “athlete” season of recruiting – we all got caught up in the fact that Beachum was not ideal sized for a linebacker. I was so focused on the fact that he was a linebacker in my eyes that I lost track of what a great looking running back he is. I first saw Beachum as a running back and did not even think about him as a linebacker. He was that impressive.
In the first Mooney game this year against Mentor I got re-introduced to Beachum as a running back. First, while he may not be ideal-sized for a linebacker, he is for a running back. He is a very quick-footed kid. He steps his way out of trouble where other backs would get caught up in the traffic. Beachum has a runner’s instinct. He reads the play well and he has the acceleration and the burst once he finds the hole. He runs with good pad level and makes tacklers pay. I like that he makes good decisions about how to beat a defender. He will step away those that he can step away from and take on those that he can’t. He is a tackle breaker.
I have seen film of Beachum since he was a freshman and he is a player that gets the most of every play. He does not leave yards on the field.
The most underrated area of his game is speed. Once he breaks through the line of scrimmage you don’t see him getting caught. I would say he is one of the top three backs in Ohio this year.
Penn State came in here and snuck out with a really great player while the rest of us were fussing about minutiae.

16. **** Nick Truesdell (6-7, 215, WR/TE, Cincinnati Anderson)
Nick Truesdell WR
Cincinnati Anderson 2008


Verbal to Cincinnati
Having covered Anderson twice this season, Ohio High’s Matt Natali offers the following evaluation of Nick Truesdell:
The first time I noticed Nick Truesdell was in Week 5 against Cincinnati LaSalle. Truesdell had only two catches for nine yards with QB Daniel Rod out due to injury but Truesdell’s shear size on the field was hard to ignore.
Anderson lost that game 51-10 but the Redskins would not lose again claiming the Division II state title with Truesdell reeling in 35 catches for 687 yards and 10 TDs on the season, including five receptions for 129 yards and two TDs in the state championship game.
Truesdell attended Anderson as a freshman and moved out of the district only to return his senior year and star for the Redskins on the grid iron. He has concentrated on basketball competing on the AAU circuit in the summers but following his performance on the big stage in the title game, he has quickly become coveted football prospect.
Truesdell is a raw player that has all the tools to become a top-notch receiver at the next level. He has height, good hands, long arms and probably most important – he has speed not typically found in players his size. In fact, Anderson used him out of the backfield early in the season and he ran for 305 yards and two TDs on the year in addition to returning kicks and punts.
With his frame, it might be difficult for Truesdell not to bulk up too much without compromising his speed. He has the build to put on weight in college and become an effective pass-catching tight end. With his size, speed and pass-catching ability, I am reminded of former Miami Hurricane and current New York Giants TE Jeremy Shockey – only without the attitude. Truesdell is a humble young man and was more pleased Anderson won the state title than his breakout performance in the title game.
A few years ago, we saw Cardinal Mooney QB/S Kyle McCarthy get offered by Ohio State and Notre Dame after his performance in the Division IV state title game and we could very soon see offers of that magnitude come in for Truesdell. He has an offer from Cincinnati and has heard from the likes of NC State, West Virginia, Florida and Ohio State.

17. **** Anthony Allen (6-1, 185, RB, Toledo Whitmer)
Anthony Allen RB
Toledo Whitmer 2008


2006 Highlights
Every year I talk about players that are not getting the attention they deserve and it is especially acute this year. No player in the class is more underappreciated than Anthony Allen.
The northwest part of the state has suffered from neglect and I include myself in there. I need to get into that part of the state more myself but how this kid is not being talked about at this point with the best in the state is beyond me.
Allen is on the same team as everybody’s All-American Kevin Koger, so I know he has been seen. He is not even in the ESPN database despite reporting offers from Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois.
I see a kid with a great frame to add weight to. He is a very lean 185 pounds right now and that will not do in college and is likely going to need to redshirt as a result.
Allen is an explosive runner picking his hole and exploding to it with a fearless style. He is a brutally efficient runner with no wasted motion. He is going to use as much shake-and-bake as he needs to beat a tackler, then he is going to get north-south as quickly as possible.
He showed a lot of heart rushing for 82 yards on 18 carries leading Whiter to a come-from-behind victory in the first round of the playoffs against Wadsworth, scoring the go ahead TD.
I have seen players running under the radar but this one takes the cake. I feel confident saying I have never seen a player this good who did not have grade problems and was not even worthy of a profile in the world’s biggest recruiting database.

18. **** Shawntel Rowell (6-4, 320, DT, Cleveland Glenville)
Shawntel Rowell Guard
Glenville 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to OSU
I received a DVD in the mail not too long ago and had nothing on it identifying it at all. This is not alarming since it has happened before. I assumed it was a high school player and usually it is an unknown but this time it was not.
It was a grainy film of Shawtell “Shaq” Rowell at the junior national combine last winter. There wasn’t much too it but the few plays were very telling. It was Rowell going against players that I knew and they were all top offensive linemen from the current recruiting class. This is the only defensive film out there for Rowell. In his two years at Glenville he has only played offense. Glenville head coach Ted Ginn, Sr. is just not going to have any 300-pound players on his defense anywhere but in this film, Rowell was giving these elite offensive linemen fits. Most of the time he was beating them and even when he wasn’t, he was never handled.
I have had more questions about ranking Rowell this high ever since the Ohio High rankings for the class of 2008 came out. All this film does is confirm to me what I have believed since he was a freshman – Shaq Rowell is the best defensive lineman in the class and he is one of the best in recent years. The other side of the argument is his offer list is not that impressive and that he has a weight problem. I think those points are one on the same. Rowell’s weight has been as much a topic of discussion as his play but he seems to be winning that battle. He has gotten his weight down to 300 pounds and if he can keep it there his offer list will become an impressive one. It could include one of the ‘‘Big Four’’, as Ohio State has remained in contact.

19. **** Salvador Battles (5-11, 205, ATH, Youngstown East)
Salvadore Battles QB
Rayen 2008


Verbal to Kent
A few years ago when I first heard about Salvador Battles, a coach told me he saw Maurice Clarrett at the same stage of development. He said Battles was as good as Clarrett. This year a coach who did not know about the conversation I had with one of his peers told me the same thing – Sal Battles reminded him of Clarrett.
Maybe that is becoming apparent to more people because Battles ran as an I-formation tailback this year in addition to playing quarterback. He looks great at quarterback too. He is not ideal sized to be a quarterback but he does have offers from the MAC as a quarterback. Based on his performance this year at quarterback, that may not be a case of offering a player at the position he wants to play then showing him once he is on campus that he would be better off playing elsewhere. He always had a strong arm and he got better from his sophomore year to his junior year as a quarterback. So much so that I thought he could be a college quarterback and I did not think that after sophomore tape. He was even better this year.
But he is an even better back. Who knows where he could go with his impressive running skills if he were to concentrate on just being a running back. Devoe Torrence was offered as a running back by schools like Ohio State and Michigan despite the fact that he was not a full-time running back until this year. It is based on what he could be when he becomes a running back only. Battles has a great body for a back. He is explosive to the hole and runs with the power of a much bigger back. He has vision and good speed and is a back that can take it outside as well as he takes it between the tackles. He has great balance and great instincts.
Battles is a much underrated player.

20. **** Phillip Barnett (6-2, 180, WR, Middletown)
Phillip Barnett WR
Middletown 2008


2006 Highlight
Back when I first saw Barnett, I said it looked like all he needed was reps.
The very first play on the tape I received from Middletown coach Ron Johnson of Barnett’s senior year was all I needed to see. He does a quick hitch, catching the ball with his hands – which he always does – does a hop step away from the first defender, makes a second hop step away from two others, then runs away from three more defenders.
I don’t know if I can find a player who has improved as much, but at the same time, has more upside than Phillip Barnett. About the only difference I can find between him and DeVier Posey is speed.
This year he caught at least two passes in every game he has played in, with a high of twelve against Lakota West for over 200 yards and a TD and had 14 TDs on the year. That is production and that is consistency.
Barnett ended with 950 yards receiving reeling in 53 catches and put up those numbers against one of the toughest schedules in Ohio.
He had a 4.5 40 last summer and he can get faster. He is obviously quicker now.
Barnett has excellent hands and DeVier Posey is the only receiver I have seen in this class that has hands as good. I say as good, not better.
Barnett played basketball up until this year and this is another one of those receivers that is showing the advantage of playing a lot of basketball receivers learning to catch the ball with their hands. Like Posey, he is showing he can be an over the top guy or he can run the underneath routes. I was surprised at how fearless he was going over the middle and he does not go out of bounds willingly.
The upside for Phillip Barnett is tremendous.

21. **** Nic DiLillo (6-5, 220, TE, Madison)
Nic DiLillo TE/DE
Madison 2008


New 12/26/07
Verbal to OSU
Other players may grab the headlines but Nic DiLillo does what his team needs him to do to win football games. He had games where he had 120 yards receiving and games where he did not catch a ball once but was the best blocker on the field and led his team to victory.
We have seen the Jeremy Shockeys and the Kellen Winslows – the freaks that are more like wide receivers lined up at tight end – but the classic tight end. But it just so happens the majority of tight ends at the pro level and the highest levels of college football, are Nic DiLillos. They are role-players. They are the players that do the jobs nobody wants to do like catching the ball in the middle of the field where those two-legged predators that we call linebackers lurk, just waiting to take the head off of an unsuspecting receiver. Wide receivers don’t like to go in there. Tight ends like Nic DiLillo make quarterbacks look good, getting those 6-yard plays when the team needs five. They are the chain movers – the unsung heroes. They are asked to block players that are much larger at the line of scrimmage.
And DiLillo is a tenacious blocker. He takes great pride in being a great blocker and is as good as it gets at the high school level and will be in college once he adds size. Defenses will ignore him at their own risk. I have the film to prove it.
DiLillo will catch everything thrown his way and his run after catch is the most underrated aspect of his game.
This is a young man of character with a work ethic second to none. He always wanted a Buckeye offer and when it came it took Nic little time in accepting.

22. **** Taylor Hill (6-2, 200, DE/LB, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney)
Taylor Hill LB/RB
Mooney 2008


Hill is the most underappreciated player in the state of Ohio.
He is on a star-studded team with teammates headed to Notre Dame, two to Penn State and underclassman John Simon already been offered by Ohio State. Being the fourth or fifth best player on your team is not going to get a player a lot of time in the spotlight.
It does not seem to bother this outstanding team-oriented player.
I am still trying to decide where Hill fits in best. He is a strong-side end on high school. I was wondering why a player with the closing speed Hill shows would be on the strong side most of the time but it is because he is so strong at the point of attack. I noticed how many times he stands up tackles. He has a shocking punch, regularly knocking them into the backfield. If the play is coming his way, it is over at that point.
I think he might move to linebacker on the college level but he is so good at the line of scrimmage. He is not going to grow into a full blown 4-3 defensive end, but he would make quite a stand-up 3-4 defensive end. He does a great job of avoiding blockers and is a good hand fighter.
Longtime Mooney watchers say we have it all wrong – Taylor Hill’s best position is running back. I have seen film of him as a running back and he would surely be a top 100 player as a running back and might be a top 50 player. He is that good, but where I see him playing his college football is on defense either as a 4-3 linebacker or a 3-4 defensive end.
This is a great get for Oklahoma and Ohio native Bob Stoops.

23. **** Michael Zordich (6-1, 210, LB, Youngstown Cardinal Mooney)
Michael Zordich LB
Mooney 2008


Verbal To Penn State
I did not think it was possible but Michael Zordich has become an even more devastating striker. When he hits people it reminds me of watching Mike Tyson back in his heyday. I have heard the young guys talking about getting “trucked.” That is often what it looks like after an encounter with Zordich. “Pole-axed” was a word I grew up with. Zordich hits and whoever got hit goes straight down.
I know he is headed to Penn State as a linebacker but I still think his best position is fullback. I think adding weight will impact his speed and athleticism as a linebacker but it will not hurt him as a fullback. He is very good with the ball in his hands and he will still be a devastating hitter. A coach like Joe Paterno could be the one man out there willing to use the fullback as a skill player, so in my mind Zordich choosing Penn State is a wise choice.
I do not understand why coaches at the pro level as well as the college game have decided to give up a skill player. That is what they have done by making fullbacks nothing more than an extra lineman. This is one of those players who could make the fullback position a weapon again.
Even as the current incarnation of a fullback, Zordich is such a great blocker that I would still give him a look first as a fullback.

24 (tie). **** Kenny Stafford (6-3, 175, WR, Columbus DeSales)
Kenneth Stafford WR
St Francis DeSales 2008


2006 Highlights
Offers from Akron, OU, Ball State, Miami of OH
The lack of offers to Kenny Stafford has grown from a curiosity to mystery and now is a full blown legend. I have yet to speak to anyone that has seen him who has not wondered what is going on with Stafford. His only offer is from Indiana with Purdue and Iowa are considering offers.
Stafford did not see a lot of balls thrown his way as the DeSales offense is still a run-dominated one but I go back to Roy Hall, a current NFL player with the Indianapolis Colts. He caught nine passes his junior year but had offers from Ohio State, Michigan and Florida State before his senior year. Most of the time numbers mean very little.
I have not seen a 40 time on Stafford but his football speed is something to see. In his junior tape, he blows by a teammate who has a legitimate 4.4 as he tries to block for him.
I have yet to see any academic information on Stafford. It would not surprise me if that is the problem because I have no other answer for why this super player does not have a lengthy offer list – one that I believe should include ‘Big Four’ schools.
His uncle is former Buckeye great Chris Carter. Stafford conjures up memories of his uncle in his body and his skills. He has hands, speed and he plays very hard. He is an outstanding blocker and other than the lack of a 40 time I cannot find a weakness in his game.

24 (tie). **** Roy Roundtree (6-2, 170, WR, Trotwood-Madison)
Roy Roundtree WR
Trotwood Madison 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Purdue
What a senior year Roy Roundtree had. He caught 80 passes for over 1,300 yards and took 13 of those passes for TDs.
I spoke to both Trotwood head coach Maurice Douglass and offensive coordinator Jeremy Beckham about Roundtree and neither could have heaped more praise on Roundtree for his coachability and his team oriented game. He did whatever was necessary to get better and to help his team.
Douglass told me he will get me film that will show Roundtree catching the bulk of those passes, if not every single one, with his hands. It is just a natural thing to him. He does not think about cradling the ball. The tape I already have of Roundtree shows him mostly catching the ball away from his body.
Both coaches feel confident that if Roundtree had decided to go to Ohio State camp that he would have received an offer from the Buckeyes. Roundtree committed to Purdue rather early and never questioned that decision. He still has some work to do by getting a higher ACT score but that looks to be very reachable and he has a 2.9 core GPA. This is one of the steals in Ohio this year. He has a game that can put him on the field at either split end or in the slot. I can not say which he fits better – he is equally adept going over the top as he is running underneath. His listed size is legit and he is not finished growing so I think it likely he lines up at split end.

26. **** Whitley Mercilus (6-3, 225, DE, Akron Garfield)
No Film
Mercilus is one of the super players in this class that is just not getting the publicity he deserves and I would go so far as to say he is the best pure defensive end in the class.
Nathan Williams might be a linebacker or he might grow into a defensive end. Bu Mercilus (pronounced mur-si-lis), is the edge rusher everyone is looking for. He comes off the snap like a shot and has that relentlessness that defines the top edge players. His motor never stops.
This year, he stepped up for long time Garfield head coach Bob Sax as a tight end. He tied for the team lead in receptions with 21 catches for a whopping 375 yards and eight TDs.
His effort on the defensive side has not suffered as he has been all over the field. He had 34 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, nine pressures, three caused fumbles, three batted passes and a fumble recovery that he picked up and carried in for a 36-yard TD.
Mercilus rarely left the field for Garfield as he was the kicker on kickoffs and averaged 35 yards per punt.
His best number is a 4.1 grade point average and Sax speaks as highly of this young man as he did former national No. 1 running back Chris Wells, currently at Ohio State.
The recruiting interest has started to peak with both Ohio State and Michigan asking for tape but Mercilus pulled the trigger in early December committing to Illinois.

27. **** Dominique Britt (6-5, 190, QB, Trotwood-Madison)
Domonic Britt QB
Trotwood Madison 2008


2006 Highlights
The numbers for Dominic Britt this year are not what they were last year, at least the numbers that catch your eye. The most important one is Britt is eleven points better on his passing percentage. That is the one that says he has developed into a thinking football player at the one position that being heady is most important.
There is a good reason why those lofty yardage totals and TD totals are not what they were last year. He did not play in the second half of six games. Trotwood had leads that the coaching staff felt comfortable about, and Britt is already committed to Cincinnati, they sat him to develop a talented young.
In the end, he did not have the statistical numbers like he had last year. Another number that is more important than those big numbers is a small number. Britt threw for fewer INTs this year. Trotwood offensive coordinator Jeremy Beckham has been in charge of some high power offenses and he couldn’t have been happier with Britt’s development. He read the game better and made good decisions. He is threw the ball away, realizing that no gain is the best option in some cases. The super athletes seem to have a hard time coming around to that way of thinking.
The one thing that stands out is Britt is taking to coaching. He was always a physically gifted athlete. When I first saw him I was not sure where he would end up, quarterback or wide receiver. Last year I saw him become a player I knew would get a shot at quarterback. This year he became a quarterback. He is putting himself in a position with a quarterback teacher in Bryan Kelly at UC.

28. **** Johnny Adams (5-11, 170, CB/WR, Akron Buchtel)
John Adams KR/PR
Akron Buchtel 2008


2006 Highlights
Offer W. Virginia, Pitt, Mich. State.
It was a tumultuous offseason for Buchtel as head coach Claude Brown was replaced by former Buchtel star running back Rickey Powers. It is tough on a new coach to get up to speed with recruiting and Adams disappeared from the recruiting radar for awhile.
After coach Powers got himself acclimated, we saw the explosive Adams get back in the game. He was offered by Michigan State and right before the season started Adams gave a verbal to new Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio.
I don’t know what Dantonio’s new staff has in mind for Adams but Brown thought Adams was a corner. I was always of the mind that a player with this kind of explosive, game breaking ability should have the ball in his hands as much as possible. I would play him at wide receiver.
This year, I see Adams was on the field for Buchtel as a safety because of his ball skills – put him in the middle of the field and let him make plays on the ball – that is where he is at his best.
The one thing we know for sure is the Spartans have themselves a punt returner. Adams is one of those players that is good enough to be offered just as a return man. Brown used to compare him to Ted Ginn, Jr and I think as a punt returner he could be in Ginn’s class. Electrifying is the word I would use to describe Adams.
The other comparison I would make with Ginn is that he is not big enough to play cornerback at the college level. Couple that with the game breaking skills and underrated hands and I see him as a wide receiver in college, but as I said earlier, I don’t know what Dantonio has in mind for Adams. He is trying to rebuild the Michigan State program so he might be pressed to put a game changer like Adams on defense.

29. **** B.J. Machen (6-1, 210, LB, Hilliard Darby)
BJ Machen LB
Hilliard Darby 2008


Verbal to Georgia Tech
Four years from now I think we will look back and say Georgia Tech came into Ohio and stole a player.
I see B.J. Machen and I see one of those versatile players that every school in the country is looking for. I don’t know if he is going to get big enough to be a middle linebacker in college but he is tough enough and strong enough to get a look inside in a 3-4 with a big partner beside him to do most of the heavy lifting, giving him the opportunity to run and make plays. That could happen but I think we will see Machens playing on the outside in college.
Everyone wants a player that is athletic enough and fast enough to play in space and cover but physical enough to play tough against the run. I see that kind of player in Machen. He seems more comfortable at the line of scrimmage but I think he is heady enough and has the work ethic to be a good cover defender in time. This year I saw a bigger player and one that handled being the focal point of the opposition’s attack.
I spoke to two opposing coaches and one said Machen “Was a problem” and the other said, “Machen just killed us.”
In the end, it likely would not have mattered if the local big boys had come calling. A lot of players talk a good game about academics but Machen meant it. He was going to the best pre-med program he could find and found it in Georgia Tech.

30. **** Douglas Rippy (6-2, 215, OLB/DE, Trotwood-Madison)
No Film
Potential - that is what recruiting is about – what players will be in three years and not what they are right now. Doug Rippy would not be this high in the Ohio High top 100 if we were looking at what players are right now.
What we have with Rippy right now is a raw athlete because he has played so little football. He transferred to Trotwood-Madison and the coaching staff got a first hand look at just how raw he was. Rippy did not have a good understanding of what to do in the weightroom, let alone of the football field.
But they also saw what was in the making. This is as impressive a physical specimen as there is in the class of 2008. He was 6-3, 225 pounds this summer during the athlete season running a 4.46 40 at one camp. I saw film of him from some drills at one of those combines and at first glance I had to check to see if I had called up the right film. The body I was looking at was more that of an NFL player’s. He moved so well.
Douglass was so impressed with his cover ability as the season went along but you could see in this film that he had the ability. In the end, Douglass thinks he will fill out into a rush end at 255-260 pounds.
Rippy committed to Nebraska but that turmoil has him thinking about other options. With the coaching change, I look for Rippy to open up his recruitment again.

31. **** Michael Shaw (5-11, 185, ATH, Trotwood-Madison)
Michael Shaw RB
Trotwood Madison 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Penn State
Versatility is something every college recruiting coordinator is looking for. I doubt you will find any college coach that will tell you 85 scholarships is enough so finding players that can be plugged in at multiple positions is something they are all looking for.
The one word that comes to mind when I think about Michael Shaw is versatile. He had been used mostly as a speed back in the Kettering Alter option offense but when he moved over to Trotwood-Madison he was in a completely different arena as Jeremy Beckham’s offense asks a lot more out of a back. One thing that really impressed Beckham was Shaw’s hands. He catches the ball so well now and after watching him in practice and in games for the past year he feels like Shaw is best suited to play the old wingback position, where he can carry the ball some and catch it some.
That is one of the draws for Shaw at Penn State. They have showed they will still use a player like that in their offense. Shaw totaled 1,400 yards in total offense.
I originally saw Shaw as a cornerback but if he is showing hands I would agree with Beckham. He is a player with special speed and I like putting these kinds of game breakers on offense where they can touch the ball more than they would on defense.

32. **** Fred Craig (6-2, 210, LB, Cincinnati St. Xavier)
No Film
I can’t tell you how many people asked me why Fred Craig was not in the initial Ohio High for the class of 2008 back in February. The answer is simple: I did not get to see Craig until later in the process but I can see what all the fuss was about.
Craig is an active defender that finds the ball as well as any linebacker in the state.
We talk about speed so much we forget there is more to the equation. It is read-react-run. It is easy to get caught up in the run part of it because that is the one area that is easiest for the fan to see. We can put a stopwatch to it and get a number – it is something tangible. I was talking to Bucknuts.com associate and former Ohio State linebacker Jerry Rudzinski a few years ago and he told me that he never san better than 4.75 but he was reading the game, processing what he saw and reacting to it so quickly that he was there a step before the guys running the eye popping 40 times.
This is a fine linebacker class but none of them are doing the read and react part of being a linebacker better than Fred Craig with instincts second to none.
Academics were always going to play a major part on where Craig played his college ball. The Stanford Cardinal came in with an offer and Craig gave coach Jim Harbaugh his verbal right before the season started.
Craig needs time in the weightroom but in time Fred Craig will be a factor for the Stanford defense.
He was named Division I defensive player of the year for the state champion Bomners.

33. **** Jamiihr Williams (6-2½, 230, LB , Trotwood-Madison)
Jamiihr Williams LB
Trotwood Madison 2008


2006 Highlights
When I first saw Jamiihr Williams he was just a sophomore. He was playing defensive end and looked great. His junior year he played linebacker but a severe ankle injury curtailed his production and he was being asked to play quarterback but the film spoke for itself. He was a playmaker when healthy.
Williams and his father decided to move him to Trotwood-Madison and it ended up being a good move for Williams. He was always such a great performer in camps and combines because he is such a good athlete. Athleticism is at the root of versatility and Williams has performed everywhere he has played. Douglass thinks he could play anywhere from linebacker to defensive end and his body could take him all the way to the three-technique. Douglass was impressed that Williams did everything asked of him and never complained once. He just went and did what was asked of him.
We had seen him play well in space but the single most impressive thing coach Douglas found with Williams this year was how well he played at the point of attack. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio is looking for versatile players that he can plug into the lineup anywhere and Williams accepted an offer from the Spartans.

34. **** Joe Pachuta (6-7, 285, OL, New Concord John Glenn)
Joe Pachuta Tackle
John Glenn 2008


2006 Highlights
Joe Pachuta is simply a small school superstar.
He has the feet and frame that everyone is looking for in an offensive lineman and moves very well. He comes off the ball hard and really brings it.
I think one of those things that we don’t talk about enough in the recruiting process but is just as important as any other attribute is attitude, especially with the big kids. Pachuta plays the game with a relish. He is one of those players that – even if he was a back – he would want to play on the offensive line where he can really mix it up.
Pachuta is a poster child for the growing importance of camps. It has been important for some time but in just the last couple of years I have seen it become that much more important, especially for small school players, with linemen and quarterbacks being the players most impacted by it. We are not seeing offers to smaller school players that don’t camp. It is that simple.
Joe Patchuta does not have to take a backseat to any lineman in this class but until recently Maryland and Akron were his only offers. That has now changed, as has Patchuta’s verbal to Maryland. He says he is not going to Maryland and will decide between Boston College, Michigan State, West Virginia and Purdue. One of those schools is going to get a fine lineman.

35. **** Zac Dysert (6-4, 190, QB, Ada)
Zac Dysert QB
ADA 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Miami
What a senior year Zac Dysert had.
He completed 154-of-242 - that is a 63 percent completion rate. He had passed for 2,350 yards and 21 TDs with only five INTs. He put those numbers up in just six games plus one quarter as he broke his thumb early in Week 7. Those are great season numbers for any other quarterback. Dysert had also rushed for 500 yards on 68 carries, a 7.4 yard per carry average and four TDs.
The broken thumb could not keep him off the field though as he played wide receiver and linebacker. This is a real talent, and a tough kid. He came back for the postseason and led Ada to the Division VI state semifinals and was named the Division VI offensive co-player of the year in late November.
Since he committed to Miami (Oh.) last summer, he has received additional offers from Utah and Kansas. Michigan State has never stopped contacting Dysert since he camped there and continues to talk about an offer. Pittsburgh is another school still in contact.
This is a small town kid and likes the recent track record with the MAC and Miami, specifically with quarterback development.
I don’t see him changing his mind.

36. **** Aaron Van Kuiken (6-7, 285, OL, Cincinnati Turpin)
No Film
I got a really good look at Aaron Van Kuiken about midseason. The first thing that got my attention is just how big he is. This is a great line class and there are some really big kids making up this great line class but Van Kuiken stands out. Mike Adams is the only player in the class who is as big as Van Kuiken.
The next thing I noticed is how well conditioned he is. There is not going to be any problems with weight control for Van Kuiken. He is a well proportioned kid. They can get him right into the weight room and start adding weight the right way.
He plays tackle in high school and he has a tackle’s body with length and wingspan. He moves really well, getting out on long handoffs, leading sweeps and he is asked to make second level blocks. Those are plays that high school coaches only ask of unique players. He gets a good initial surge coming off the ball, and he always finishes his blocks.
This is a player that committed early and never wavered. Academics were always going to be the most important thing in this decision and you can’t do much better than Virginia.

37. *** Trevor Walls (6-6, 225, QB/TE, Waverly)
Trevor Walls QB
Waverly 2008


Every year there are players that I am surprised don’t have offers. This year I am looking at two players that would top the list of players with baffling offer lists, or lack thereof. One is Kenny Stafford and the other is Trevor Walls.
He threw for over 1,750 yards passing this year. That is nothing compared to last year but this year he has played every game despite separating his left shoulder in Week 1. Against a very good Wheelersburg team he passed for 309 yards.
What makes the situation even more perplexing is I do not see what the problem is. With other players I see what the question marks are but believe the pluses outweigh the minuses. With Walls I do not see the questions.
I hear about his mobility with a 4.8 40 at Bowling Green camp. I hear about his level of competition. He camped at Ohio State and several other Big Ten schools where he would come up against national level cornerbacks and he left all camps with great reviews.
Walls is 6-6, has a great arm and is one of the best touch passers I have ever seen in Ohio.
Toledo and Ohio are showing some interest but to me this is a Big Ten quarterback. He is a 4.0 student has a 29 ACT and is a member of the National Honor society.
He has only played quarterback for 2½ years so we are only seeing a player that is scratching the surface of his talent. It has been a strange year in football with a school like South Florida at number two in the polls, Michigan losing to Appalachian State and Stanford beating USC. None of those things are stranger than no offers for Trevor Walls.
He is also an All-Ohio basketball player.

38. *** Justin Staples (6-3, 220, LB, Lakewood St. Edward)
Justin Staples LB
St. Eds 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal To Illinois
Tantalizing is the one word that comes to mind when I see Justin Staples.
This summer, I heard good things about how he looked at camps and combines. He is always going to look good in an athlete setting but on the football field you see flashes of what he can be once he finds consistency. He disappears for long stretches then he makes a play that very few can make.
If I were building an outside linebacker prospect he would look like Staples. He has an ideal body at 6-3 and about 225 with the frame to add enough weight to maybe be a defensive end sometime in the future. He is going to run under 4.7, consistently, and is a long-limbed kid – something that is often an indicator of a player that is going to get bigger – and it is such an advantage with keeping blockers at bay. One long time St. Edward observer thinks Staples would be better off playing as a rush end, either out of the 3-4 or putting his hand in the dirt.
Staples is already committed to Illinois and if this special athlete ever becomes the football player that he can be, Illinois will have a future All-American.

 

39. *** Jeremy Ebert (6-0, 170, ATH, Hilliard Darby)
Jeremy Ebert QB
Hilliard Darby 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Northwestern
I remember a conversation I had with Darby head coach Paul Jenne. I called him to talk about his super senior linebacker B.J. Machen. He told me I was missing on someone. There were a lot of names banging around in my head at the time but I could not come up with a Darby player that was looking like a top 100 player and he clued me in about Jeremy Ebert.
He put up some great combine numbers, running under a 4.4 40 three straight camps. Ebert built on his impressive athlete season with an outstanding senior year. I had the opportunity to see Darby a couple of times this season. Ebert reminded me of Westerville South ATH and current Buckeye Rocco Pentello from last year in the fact that he was playing on another level. He seemed to be using a different playbook.
There is no question about Darby’s level of competition and Ebert was always the best player on the field. As a quarterback, he makes great decisions. He is the reason Darby finished 11-2. I do not name district players of the year.
Northwestern is getting a fine player here. Ebert committed over the summer to the Wildcats and they intend on using him as a slot receiver and a kick returner.

40. *** Donnie Fletcher (6-0, 170, CB, Cleveland Glenville)
Donnie Fletcher DB
Glenville 2008


2006 Highlights
No cornerback in Ohio has gone about securing a more impressive offer list than Derrick Fletcher. He has been put through trial by fire this year with the Glenville schedule and Fletcher went about improving his stock with his performance.
He had an impressive summer and it brought him a list that any player would be happy to see sitting in front of them. He ran great and handled himself very well in drills but I think his measureables are what brings so many offers to Fletcher. He is a 6-0 cornerback in a day and age when there is nothing as high on most coaches list as a big corner. He has a great body and long limbs and is going to get a lot bigger.
His early season performance brought schools like Nebraska and Boston College to the north side of Cleveland to make offers to Fletcher. He visited Boston College and Iowa early on.
We talk a lot about the relationship with Glenville coach Ted Ginn, Sr. and Ohio State but there is an awful strong one between Ginn and the impressive staff at Iowa under coach Kirk Ferentz. Glenville players that have not been offered by Ohio State have a history of ending up at Iowa. West Virginia, Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Minnesota have also offered. Don’t count out Michigan State in this. Ginn knows Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio well. He told me long ago that he liked to see his players at Ohio State because he knew Jim Tressel would take care of them off the field. Dantonio is building a reputation for tough defense and being a very Jim Tressel-like man. This is a player whose best is in front of him.

41. *** Jake Current ( 6-3, 270, OL, Troy)
Jake Current OL
Troy 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Wisconsin
The more I see Jake Current, I still come back to the same thought: any other year we would have been doing a lot more talking about him.
When you look at the top of this recruiting class you have a couple of players that are getting national attention so the conversation always comes back to Mike Adams and Zebrie Sanders but Current belongs in that conversation. He is as technically sound as either of them, and a case could be made that he is more technically sound.
Current plays smart football. He has excellent footwork and shows outstanding agility. Troy uses him a lot to pull and lead plays. You don’t see him getting tied up in traffic and he is just as good as on power running plays. He gets good pad level and stays low. I would go so far as to say, as a football player, he is the most ready to step in early.
He needs to get in the weightroom and that is going to be what keeps him from stepping in early at Wisconsin. Current was never enamored of the recruiting process and verballed soon after receiving an offer from the Badgers. We have seen Wisconsin producing great offensive linemen since Barry Alvarez arrived. New head coach Brett Bielema will continue that tradition if he continues to get lineman of the caliber of Jake Current. The Wisconsin staff sees Current as a center but I thought he would be a guard as he moves so well I would want him to get out and pull. Of course, that mobility can be used to get out on the second level and make blocks on linebackers as a center, too.

42. *** Jake Stoller (6-4, 250, DT, Hunting Valley University School)
Jake Stoller DE
University School CLE. 2008


2006 Highlights
High school coaches are the best source of leads and information about players. I always ask who looked good on the other team and who looked good on tapes they have seen.
No player’s name came up more often this year than Jake Stoller. He has really opened some eyes this year.
Stoller is a high school defensive end but will play tackle in college. When I first heard about Stoller, it was as an offensive line prospect. I never could see that. A big kid that moves like Stoller and has this kind of speed is a waste as an offensive lineman. He has the motor you want to see on a defensive lineman.
He has a nice offer list with Wisconsin, Iowa and Pittsburgh leading the list with Bowling Green, Toledo and Miami (Oh.) in the mix. There were rumors that several of the ‘Big Four’ getting involved early on but I have not heard anything about that recently.
I think it likely that Stoller ends up at Wisconsin but he is in no hurry. If he wants to see offers from other schools waiting is a good idea. His senior year performance could get one or more of the ‘Big Four’ interested again if he is still on the board come January.
Hunting Valley University School is not a school that you would expect to see players in the top 100 from. Head coach Jim Stephens and his staff need to be commended.

43. *** Walt Stewart (6-5, 210, DE, Teays Valley)
Walt Stewart LB/DE
Teays Valley 2008


2006 Highlights
This is a player that college coaches need to get out and see.
I know Teays Valley is off the beaten path but this is a raw talent who is going to be something when he is bigger and stronger. He has had a tough situation and has now found some stability under head coach Steve Evans.
Stewart is a late bloomer and has not been playing football for that long. He had two coaches with completely different styles in his first two years of high school. Now he has been under Evans for two years and the results are there for all to see. He was athletic enough to be a safety but Evans moved him to his natural defensive end spot this year. He responded with seven sacks, six forced fumbles and three fumbles recovered in his first five games. He is just now scratching the surface of what he can be in time.
Stewart needs to add muscle and weight. Those are things that any competent strength and conditioning coach can add. The frame, the first step and the athleticism are things you can’t coach. Stewart has those things.
He is likely to fit best as a 3-4 outside linebacker/defensive end. A high school coach that played against future Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor when he was in college says Stewart reminds him of Taylor.
Ironically, Akron is the only school to have offered.

44. *** Dawawn Whitner (6-2, 245, DT, Cleveland Glenville)
Dawawn Whitner DT
Glenville 2008


2006 Highlights
Offer Mich. State, W. Virginia, Louisville
I imagine by now Dawawn Whitner is plenty tired of being compared to his brother, Donte – a former Ohio State All-American, who is now a Pro Bowl caliber safety in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills.
In addition to being brothers, they have another thing in common: they are both outstanding football players. I would go so far as to say that Dawawn is close to being as good as Donte. I realize that is a big statement considering the success we have seen from Donte on both the college and professional level. The difference is Donte had the body for his position. Dawawn does not.
He can dominate games with his speed and tenacity and there is not a quicker tackle anywhere in Ohio. He has a first step that any sprinter would be love to have. He gets off blocks like a much more advanced player. Once he is free, Whitner is going to run down anybody – backs, quarterbacks – it does not matter.
If skill was all that mattered, Dawawn Whitner would be a top 20 player like Donte was his senior year. Dawawn just does not have the size.
He has an impressive offer list nonetheless. Maryland, Michigan State, Illinois, West Virginia, Purdue and Lousiville have all offered. I wonder if these schools are thinking about moving him outside to defensive end. I don’t know if Whitner can add the weight to play inside at the level the schools he has offers from but he does have the quickness to play defensive end.
He is flat out one of the best football players in Ohio. If he were an ideal size, I feel confident that Dawawn would see an offer from the same schools that offered Donte, including Ohio State.

45. **** D.J. Woods (6-0, 175, WR, Strongsville)
DJ Woods WR
Strongsville 2008


2006 Highlights
D.J. Woods was off to the kind of season that could have made him one of the most sought after players in Ohio after he decided to make a preseason verbal to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. In the first five games of the year Woods had hauled in 38 balls for nearly 750 yards and five TDs.
Woods missed the next two games with a back injury and it was then discovered that he has a tumor on his back. He was operated on and it ended it season.
This is a classy young man from a strong family. He is someone that everyone who has come in contact with will be praying for him.
As a player it is hard not to like Woods. He is such a natural. He catches everything he can reach and he runs away from defenders after the catch. He is also an exceptional kick returner.
With the turmoil at Nebraska, he has decommitted opening up his recruiting once again. He committed to West Virginia after taking an official visit in December.

46. *** Darius Reeves (5-11, 185, CB, Gahanna Lincoln)
Darius Reeves RB
Gahanna 2008


2006 Highlights
I have been more than a bit surprised that Darius Reeves has not been getting the interest I thought he should. I know he did not camp and I found out recently that it had everything to do with an injury that could not have come at a worse time.
He was always a running back but everyone projected him to play somewhere else, most likely corner. I have not seen him play a lot of defense and I suspect most colleges wanted to see him as an athlete and to wait until the injury was behind him.
The interest has picked up now that he has shown he is over the injury, as Reeves had a fine senior year on the football field. He has been to Washington on an unofficial visit and to Purdue and Illinois. There is a report that he has been to Michigan, his father’s alma mater, on an unofficial visit but I cannot confirm that one and he will also visit West Virginia.
I think someone gets a great football player here. He has good cornerback size and is a strong kid. In the right offense, one like West Virginia’s, he still could be a back. Solid grades and no character issues make this one outstanding prospect.
He has offers on the table from Kent and Toledo.

47. *** Juandez Brown (6-3, 190, QB, Cincinnati Withrow)
Jaundez Brown QB
Cincinnati Winthrow 2008


2006 Highlights
As a junior, Juandez Brown was 22-of-31 for 297 yards and three TDs. Those are game numbers for most top quarterbacks but they were season numbers for Juandez Brown. I think I saw every one of those passes on the film Withrow head coach Doc Gamble sent to me. That is why I sent him an e-mail saying that anybody that recruited Brown as an athlete was crazy.
This kid can throw the rock. He has the strongest arm in the state and I would say he has the strongest arm I have seen in Ohio since current Ohio State Buckeye Rob Schoenhoft.
This year, all he did was confirm my evaluation. He was 125-of-213 for 2,323 yards and 30 TDs with only nine INTs. Those are amazing numbers for a player who has so little experience under center.
Brown’s upside is tremendous. He is such a good athlete that he could move to safety or wide receiver but he has to be given a shot at playing quarterback. Athletic quarterbacks are the future and this is one with the tools to be great.
Maryland has quietly gone about recruiting Ohio very well. I was under the impression they had already offered but that is not the case. They are talking about bringing him in for an official visit and so is Louisville. To no one’s surprise, most of the MAC schools have already offered. Nobody is doing a better job at evaluating and developing quarterbacks than the MAC coaches.

48. *** Ashante Williams (5-11, 200, ATH, Mayfield)
No Film
When we talk about safeties in Ohio we always end up talking about Mike Doss. Every top safety gets compared to this Ohio high school legend.
I know Williams will get a shot at playing corner in college but I see a safety. He is a strong well-built kid who is an outstanding high school running back. He does not look like a corner physically and he does not have the game of a corner. When he runs the ball he reminds me of Mike Doss. There is an economy of effort. He is going to get north-south as quickly as possible with no wasted motion and no flash. H gets to the hole and hits it hard.
He plays the same way on defense and has the speed to play corner and everyone wants bigger corners these days with so many big receivers out there. I am sure that Illinois head coach Ron Zook will give Williams a shot at corner but by the time he gets in the weight room he will fill out even more and I think he will end up at safety.

49. *** Derek Wolfe (6-5, 260, DL, Lisbon Beaver Local)
Derek Wolfe DE
Beaver Local 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Cincinnati
It was a tough year for Beaver Local finishing 3-7 but Wolfe did not let that deter him from giving it his all.
I spoke to one opposing coach that could not be more impressed with Wolfe. He agrees with me that new Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly has stolen a Big Ten caliber player.
Another thing we are in agreement on is Wolfe playing defense. I first heard about him as an offensive player. He is a highly athletic, big player and you have to play this kind of player on defense. He comes off the ball hard and has the motor and an attitude I like to see in a defensive player. Wolfe just looks more motivated on defense. I think he has as good a frame as any defensive lineman in Ohio.
I don’t think Wolfe is going to see any impact on his athleticism and his impressive first step in the least as he adds weight. He can add another 25 pounds easily. He is a high school defensive end but I see a defensive tackle that can break into the lineup rather quickly but it will depend on how well he does in the weightroom. Usually high motor players are high energy workers in the weight room.
I feel confident that if Wolfe had decided to wait he would have seen Big Ten offers.

50. *** Evan Klepac (6-4, 245, DE, Youngstown Boardman)
Evan Klepec DE
Boardman 2008


2006 Highlights
I saw Evan Klepac about midseason and all he did was confirm my first impression of him: He is a Big Ten or Big East caliber player.
Klepac was even better this year as he is bigger but leaner. He looks like he made a concerted effort in the off-season to his conditioning.
One thing that I liked from the Boardman coaching staff was moving him around – he is not just sitting on the weak side edge now. Klepac is playing on the strong side and as a stand-up rush end.
The results speak for themselves. In the game I saw he was in on so many plays, including making a very impressive thinking-man’s INT, as he read the play and stepped into the passing lane. It was not a matter of him just being in the right place at the right time.
He has the body to fill out into a full fledged 4-3 defensive end, or keep him on the right diet and play him as a stand-up end. In this game against Massillon Perry, he was always around the ball. He plays smart and he plays hard all the time.
Ohio is so loaded this year that there are a lot of good football players flying under the radar. This is one at the top of the list.

51. *** Bakari Bussey (6-3, 190, WR, West Chester Lakota West)
Bakari Bussey WR
Lakota West


2006 Highlights
Bakari Bussey is another player that I am surprised has not drawn more interest.
Bussey is such a big, athletic kid and has a great upside. I don’t think we have seen nearly the best of Bussey. As a big, over-the-top receiver, he dominates defensive backs. Get him one on one, throw it up and let him go up and get it. He is the kind of player that will win the majority of those battles and plays big. Bussey goes after defensive backs after the catch knowing they are unlikely to bring him down and he is a very good blocker.
He has offers from Indiana, Toledo, Miami (Oh.) and Ohio. He will likely pick from one of those three MAC schools as there just doesn’t seem to be the kind of interest I thought there would be for Bussey, the son of former Cincinnati Bengal defensive back Dexter Bussey.

52. *** Steve Greer (6-1, 220, LB, Solon)
Steve Greer LB
Solon 2008


Steve Greer reminds me a great deal of Ohio State backup middle linebacker Austin Spitler. Their careers are following the same path. Both were probable MAC linebackers or possibly fullbacks as juniors but really blossomed as seniors.
Greer is taller and bigger but leaner in his senior year videos. He hits people and they are going backward but that is not a real surprise because he did that last year. What stands out to me this year is his range. He plugged the holes well his junior season.
This year we saw a more athletic Greer making plays outside the hash marks. In pass defense, he showed a fluid drop and a comfort level. A lot of linebackers never really seem to feel comfortable in coverage. In this pass-happy day and age, a middle linebacker that can stay on the field and be a three down player is a valuable commodity.
Greer has a motor that will not quit. On two plays on his film, he tackles ball carriers twice. On another play he makes a tackle on a quarterback who makes a pitch as he is going down. Greer then gets up and tackles the pitch man, too. On another play he blitzes and hits the quarterback as he is throwing to a wide receiver on a long hand-off. Greer then gets up and makes the tackle on the receiver, too.
Boston College has come in with an offer and there are other major programs rumored to have come in with offers. Ohio State reportedly made contact in October. This is one of the most improved players in Ohio.

53. *** Casey Williams (5-11, 175, WR, Waverly)
Casey Williams WR
Waverly 2008


2006 Highlights
If it weren’t for bad luck, Casey Williams would have no luck at all. He broke a finger and has missed a good chunk of the year as a receiver because of it. The injury did not keep him from playing defense, though. He made the best of the situation as he had four INTs and is a solid tackler at corner for Waverly.
He was double covered most of the time before he broke his finger, not to mention the shoulder injury to quarterback Trevor Walls in Week 1. The numbers are just not there for him as a senior. This is a fine athlete and is an outstanding hurdler for the track team. We always think about the 100-meter event when we think of speed but recently we are seeing great hurdlers as the better football speed players, including Ted Ginn, Jr., Brian Hartline and Kyle Jefferson, to name a few.
The junior tape when Williams and his quarterback were both healthy is very impressive.

54. *** Jerel Worthy (6-2, 290, DT, Huber Heights Wayne)
Jerel Worthy DT
Huber Heights Wayne 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal To Mich State
When I look at Jerel Worthy’s highlight tape, I see a player that does not have to take a backseat to any defensive tackle in the Midwest. He is such a disruptive force.
On his latest tape, I saw him make nine tackles for loss, three tackles for no gain and two knockdowns on the quarterback and the piece of film was less than two minutes long.
Huber Heights coach Jay Minton moves him around and let him attack. He has such a great first step and a burst. For his first three or four steps, Worthy moves as fast as anyone on the field.
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio is going to re-establish a presence for the Spartans program here in Ohio. When Michigan State was a regular on the bowl schedule they had a nice number of players from Ohio and Dantonio got a verbal from this much underrated tackle in early October.

55. *** Andrew Radakovich (6-6, 280, OL, Steubenville)
Andrew Radakovich Tackle
Steubenville 2008


2006 Highlights
The one word that I keep coming back to with Radakovich is ‘upside.’ It is a key word with recruiting and, in fact, it could be the most important word. When I see Andrew Radockivich it is the first word that comes to mind. He is a late bloomer who grew into his body between his junior and senior year and he is still growing. He is going to add another 25 pounds and he is a technically sound player.
The Steubenville Big Red football program has blossomed into one of the best in Ohio and I am asked what makes them so good regularly. They are just fundamentally sound. Radakovich is so fundamentally sound plus he has a great body and is a fine looking athlete. What he can be in time is a player we will look back on as one of the best to come out of a great 2008 recruiting class.

56. *** Bruce Parker (6-3, 230, DE/OLB, Sandusky)
Bruce Parker DE
Sandusky 2008


2006 Highlights
Parker had a solid senior year. He did not have the impact on defense that was expected because he played both ways this season. I have never talked to a high school player that did not think he could play both ways but the wear and tear is something they cannot grasp.
Parker did a great job playing fullback this year, was an outstanding blocker and some schools have taken notice of that. He is being recruited by all the MAC schools and he is fully qualified with an 18 ACT score and a 2.9 core GPA.
Parker is a weightroom warrior with a 550-pound squat to his credit.
He is focusing on recruiting now that the season is over but has already tripped to Bowling Green.
The possibilities of him being a fullback are intriguing but this is as good an edge rusher as there is in this class. Quarterback is the only position that is more important than a pass rushing defensive end. He could be a 4-3 end but he fits best as a stand-up rush end in a 3-4. Linebacker in a 4-3 is another possibility.

57. *** Zack Stoudt (6-4, 200, QB, Dublin Coffman)
Zack Stoudt QB
Dublin Coffman 2008


2006 Highlights
Verbal to Pitt
Zack Stoudt is the evidence of just how good the Dublin Coffman football program has been at quarterback over the last few years. The way a player brings the talent to the position that Stoudt brings speaks volumes. He has the size you want in a quarterback at a legitimate 6-4, he has a fine arm and he is mechanically sound. He also throws well on the run and has a good sense of touch. Some quarterbacks never seem to understand when to fire it and when to take a little off and lay it in there.
Stoudt had better weapons than any quarterback in Ohio and he takes full advantage of them. He led central Ohio in passing. He completed 173-of-251 passes, which is a very impressive 68 percent completion rate, for 2,586 yards and over 25 TD passes.
Stoudt was regularly hearing from Alabama, Tennessee and Michigan State and he had written offers from Pittsburgh, Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan before committing to Dave Wannstedt and the Pitt Panthers in December.

58. *** Demicus Brown (6-5, 320, OL, Hamilton)
Demicus Brown OL
Hamilton 2008


2006 Highlights
The impact of coach Jim Place on Demicus Brown cannot be put into words. You have to see the game film.
I had the opportunity to see two full games this year and the difference between the sometimes motivated Brown and the current incarnation is stark. Previously, he stopped looking like a potential scholarship player in his mental approach. Not this year. Even when he looks tired he is playing hard.
The impact of a high level football coach on his technique is apparent, too. He comes out of stance with some pop, keeps his rear down and moves his feet. He packs a punch and once he locks his man up it is over. Brown is showing solid technique in pass protection and moving his feet well.
Generally, his intensity and focus is where it needs to be. That was the biggest question about him. He is playing left tackle, something that shows how much confidence Place has in Brown. He is going to be a right tackle or maybe a guard in college.
Brown is one of the most improved offensive linemen in the state this year.

59. *** Kenny Annunike (6-5, 215, ATH, Olentangy)
No Film
When I look at Annunike just standing there, I see one of those freaky defensive end prospects we see coming mostly out of the southeastern part of the country. He is long and lean with the wingspan of a 7-foot-7, but he didn’t not play defense – not this year.
Olentangy plays a 3-4 defense. Being the athlete that he is, Annunike does not fit the scheme. Once I saw him play, I can understand why head coach Ed Terwilliger has him on offense. He is going to be a tight end. He does not play with a defensive player’s mentality and his best is still in front of him. Annunike will fill out a lot and will handle 250 pounds or so easily.
He is a raw prospect but when you see him run you see poetry in motion. ‘Graceful’ is the one word that comes to mind. Fluid is another. He did not see a lot of passes come his way in the run-dominated Olentangy offense. Though I did not see that motor and the nasty to be a defensive player, Annunike is a willing and effective blocker. Once he has time to really learn the intricacies of playing the position, he could be a special player.
Academics were always going to carry the day. Duke received a verbal from this honors student before the season started and I think the Blue Devils may have secured one of the steals of this Ohio class.

60. *** Steve Yoak (6-2, 210, LB, Akron Hoban)
Steven Yoak RB
Archbishop Hoban 2008


Steve Yoak spent most of the year playing with mononucleosis. How he managed to play at all is simply amazing. I have never heard of anyone playing through an illness that zaps you of all your energy. The next break this talented athlete gets will be his first. He missed all of his junior year with an injury.
He played mostly on offense for the first part of the year then was moved over to linebacker for the second half of the year. Since he has moved over to linebacker, and recovered from his illness, many schools that have remained in contact will probably come in with offers. When healthy, this is one of the best athletes in Ohio. The last two games he is averaged over 100 yards a game on 15 carries or less and has more than 10 tackles in each of his last two games.

61. *** Kenny Veal (5-11, 175, CB, Hamilton)