Byrd will look to mom for help

Trotwood (Ohio) Trotwood-Madison two-star defensive end Carson Byrd is one of the talented players in Ohio that will likely end up starring in the MAC, but if you asked his mom, that's just fine with her.

"She likes Akron a bunch," Byrd, who is 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds, said. "She likes the coaches. Recruiting goes bigger than just me because my mom. Whatever team my mom likes, I'm going to lean more towards because she's probably going to end up moving to wherever that school is."

Byrd has been getting some serious interest from MAC and other schools lately. He has offers from Akron, Eastern Michigan, Eastern Kentucky, Buffalo and Kent.

" I just saw the other day that I'm the No. 1 guy on Akron's list of recruits," Byrd said. "I'm also getting a lot of interest from Eastern Michigan. Also Tennessee, Louisville, Kent State, Miami of Ohio have been talking to me. But Akron and Kent State are recruiting me the most right now."

"I'd probably say Akron, Kent, Louisville and Eastern Michigan would be my top teams. But I'm not going to set up anything until after football season. I'm not going to be playing basketball this year, so I'm going to have some time to go around."

Speaking of his season, Byrd has helped Trotwood-Madison to a 6-3 record.

"It's been going ok," Byrd said. "It's kind of hard when you get that name on the bill and everyone is out to get you. It's kind of fun, too, because people know about you so they respect you. A lot of the teams we're playing now are spread teams, so I'm just now starting to get more sacks.

"I've mainly been a run stopper this year, but they keep running the ball away from me. I remember the second game of the year. They ran the ball at me three or four times in the first quarter and then they ran it to the weakside the rest of the game. I can't always make plays, but when they come my way, I make them."

Byrd hopes to end his senior season with a great run through the playoffs, but to make it they must win this week.

"Oh yeah, definitely we'll win," he said. "It's my senior year. I've got to go out on top. I want all-conference, all-district, if we make a state run then hopefully all-state."