Advertisement
football Edit

From the road: Ohio

Advertisement
Click Here to view this Link.
Recruiting Wrap: Layne has Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State at the top of his list.
Performance: The rain and lopsided score meant Benedictine did not throw the ball often, but Layne caught both of his targets for a total of 27 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown reception. But Layne also made an impact on defense and special teams, registering an interception and returning a punt 30 yards. The 6-foot-3, 181-pound Layne has always had the physical tools that college coaches love, but he is emerging as a playmaker as well in his junior season.
Grade: A-
DE
Dre'Mont Jones
Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius
Recruiting Wrap: Jones has been committed to Ohio State since June.
Performance: Although his team took a big loss against their rival, Jones did everything he could to keep his team in the game. His motor was running full speed from the first snap and he was nearly unblockable. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Jones used a combination of swim and rip moves to slice through the St. Edward line, registering three tackles for loss and forcing a fumble. Jones also made several plays along the sidelines, showing off his speed and ability to pick his way through traffic.
Grade: A-
RB
Dontez Rash (2016)
Cleveland (Ohio) Benedictine
Recruiting Wrap: Rash has yet to generate much interest from Division I programs.
Performance: Rash measures 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds. That needed to be established so we can move beyond it, because the kid is a flat-out ballplayer. Colleges are likely slow to come around to the junior because of his size, but sooner than later his game is going to demand attention. Rash was a standout at both running back and cornerback, rushing for 147 yards on 18 carries and notching an interception and a mess of tackles in the open field. He also scored a 15-yard touchdown which came on the play immediately after he had a touchdown called back on a penalty.
Grade: B+
LB
Jerome Baker
Cleveland (Ohio) Benedictine
Recruiting Wrap: Baker switched his commitment from Florida to Ohio State on Oct. 21.
Performance: Baker was Benedictine's best player on both sides of the football as a junior, but he has ceded the primary ball-carrying duties to Rash. That has allowed the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Baker to focus on linebacker, the position he will play in college, and he looked as expected for a Rivals100 prospect. Baker's ability to read and react and then explode to the ball carrier sets him apart even among his nationally ranked peers. He is so quick to the football, running backs just cannot get the edge on him. He finished with six tackles and a tackle for loss, all in the first half, and also punched in a one-yard touchdown run.
Grade: B+
RB
Andrew Dowell
Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward
Recruiting Wrap: Dowell committed to Kentucky on Oct. 5.
Performance: The nation's No. 29 running back prospect, Dowell has become a big-hitting safety for St. Edward in his senior season. At 6-foot and 200 pounds, he is outstanding in run support and also came up with an interception. He does not have great range in coverage yet, but he definitely knows how to come up and pop a ball carrier. Offensively, Dowell carried five times for 26 yards and a touchdown and showed the combination of power, quickness and agility that earned him a four-star rating in the first place.
Grade: B+
LB
London Cloud
Bedford, Ohio
Recruiting Wrap: Cloud is committed to the Ohio Bobcats.
Performance: Cloud stood out on the off-season camp scene and is a fantastic high school player. He plays running back and linebacker for Bedford, but is expected to play defense in college. Cloud made his biggest mark on offense, where he rushed 16 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Speed will keep him from playing offense in college, however, and the knock on him for linebacker is that he is only 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds. But, there is no doubting the kid knows how to play.
Grade: B
LB
Troy Henderson
Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward
Recruiting Wrap: Henderson committed to Syracuse in July.
Performance: Henderson is the unquestioned vocal leader of a defense that is loaded with Division I prospects. His 6-foot, 210-pound frame limited the recruiting interest his skill set suggested, but the Orange will be very happy to add him to their defense. Henderson is quick to the football and knows how to finish a tackle. What stood out about Henderson, though, was his effectiveness in coverage. His speed allows him to run stride-for-stride with running backs and even slot receivers. He finished with a pass break-up and a tackle for loss among close to double-digit tackle totals.
Grade: B
RB
Todd Sibley Jr. (2017)
Akron (Ohio) Hoban
Recruiting Wrap: Sibley is receiving interest from Cincinnati, Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue.
Performance: Although he is just a sophomore, Sibley has now completed his second season as Hoban's tailback. The offense undoubtedly revolved around Sibley, as evidenced by his 27 carries. Sibley ran for 139 yards and scored Hoban's only touchdown. At 5-foot-9 and 203 pounds, he is a solidly built back who can run between the tackles or hit the edge. What really stands out, though, is his acceleration and downhill running style. He is able to get from zero to top speed in an instant.
Grade: B-
DT
LaMarr Davis
Cleveland (Ohio) Benedictine
Recruiting Wrap: Davis committed to Toledo over the summer.
Performance: The 6-foot-1, 300-pound Davis looks like he would only be good for plugging up the middle of the line of scrimmage, but the future Toledo Rocket showed surprising quickness and made several plays at or near the sideline. He has trouble at times getting off the ball and staying low, but he moves laterally very well and he knows what to do when he reaches a ball carrier. Several times he consumed the ball carrier at or near the line of scrimmage.
Grade: B-
QB
Brett Kean
Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward
Recruiting Wrap: Kean committed to South Florida in June.
Performance: A steady wind created havoc in the passing and kicking games, but Kean still managed to complete 11-of-20 passes for 234 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both to Crawford. He had much more success throwing with the wind than throwing against it. When the wind was at his back, Kean showed threw several nice balls, putting good spin and velocity on his throws. Listed 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds, Kean needs to get out of the pocket to spot his receivers. He also has some ability to create plays with his feet.
Grade: B-
OL
Liam Eichenberg (2016)
Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius
Recruiting Wrap: Eichenberg lists Ohio State and Notre Dame as his top two.
Performance: Saturday night was a better performance from Eichenberg than we saw a couple weekends ago, but it was cut short due to a knee injury. Midway through the first half, Eichenberg's running back came down on the back of his right leg and from that point forward, it was obvious he was dealing with a knee injury. He played through it for two more quarters, but was replaced once the game was out of hand. Eichenberg still has issues with playing high and he does not have the foot speed to reach the outside speed rush, but he was engaging and sustaining blocks very well for most of the game.
Grade: B-
RB
Chawntez Moss (2016)
Bedford, Ohio
Recruiting Wrap: Moss holds early offers from Cincinnati, Toledo and Bowling Green.
Performance: In his junior season, Moss is stuck between being an every-down back and an all-purpose back. Listed 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Moss should grow into a between-the-tackles runner. His best attributes are his feet and his agility. He can shake tackles at the line of scrimmage, and did show good balance. Moss is not exactly a game-breaking tailback, but he does have decent speed. His final stats were 13 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
Grade: B-
ATH
Javonte Richardson (2017)
Maple Heights, Ohio
Recruiting Wrap: It is early in Richardson's recruitment, but he grew up an Ohio State fan.
Performance: The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Richardson has the look of a big-time prospect, and Maple Heights is trying to get everything out of him they can while they have him. He kicks off, punts, is their primary punt returner, plays safety and wide receiver and when his quarterback got hurt, Richardson took over under center. Due to his varied roles, Richardson was on the stat sheet with 10 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards and a 23-yard touchdown pass. He is a big, fast and athletic prospect who should blow up as a recruit soon.
Grade: C+
CB
David Dowell
Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward
Recruiting Wrap: Dowell committed to Kentucky on Oct. 5.
Performance: Dowell entered this game with an ankle injury suffered a week earlier, but he did not show the effects of the injury with his play. On a night when his brother and several of his teammates were making big plays, though, Dowell never really got a chance to do the same. He was the target of a fade pass in the end zone, but the St. Ignatius defensive back made a nice play on the football. Expected to go to Kentucky as a defensive back, Dowell did not start on defense but was in at cornerback for about half the plays and did a good job locking his side of the field down.
Grade: C+
OL
Ted Stieber
Akron (Ohio) Hoban
Recruiting Wrap: Stieber committed to Minnesota in June.
Performance: Hoban moves the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Stieber all across the line of scrimmage. He lined up at left tackle,
left guard and even tight end in jumbo sets. Stieber has a prototypical college offensive line prospect build and does not carry a lot of bad weight. Surprisingly, at times he failed to control the point of attack and was pushed back, so the training table and weight room should be his home when he gets to college.
Grade: C+
TE
Kierre Hawkins (2016)
Maple Heights, Ohio
Recruiting Wrap: Hawkins committed to Ohio State in October.
Performance: What position Hawkins will play when he gets to Ohio State remains to be seen, and we really did not get any clarification on that from watching him Saturday. Hawkins lined up at tight end, wide receiver, running back and defensive end. His only offensive stats came on the ground, where he tallied 25 yards on eight carries. Over the summer, we liked what we saw of the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Hawkins from a receiving standpoint, and he definitely has run-after-catch abilities based on how he carried the football Saturday.
Grade: C
WR
Jonah Morris
Akron (Ohio) Hoban
Recruiting Wrap: Morris holds early offers from Kentucky and Kent State.
Performance: There was not much Morris could do in a rain-soaked affair. Two passes were thrown his way, but only one was catchable and he was unable to secure it. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Morris has an outstanding wide receiver frame with room to put on more weight. His downfield speed also looked good and he got deep a couple of times, but his quarterback was never able to get the ball to him.
Grade: C-
OTHER PROSPECTS
WR
Tony Butler (2016)
Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward
Although he is expected to move to wide receiver on the next level, Butler saw most of his time at cornerback. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he has great size for the position. He needs a little more seasoning at the position, but is a great athlete.
RB
Cole Gest (2016)
Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward
Gest is a small, quick, shifty running back who at just 5-foot-7 and 185 pounds would not seem to be so difficult to bring down as he proved to be again Saturday night. Gest finished with 26 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
WR
Cameron Odom (2016)
Bedford, Ohio
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Odom was the only real receiving threat for Bedford. He secured several long receptions, most while fighting off double coverage, and is definitely a wide receiver to watch in that 2016 class.
QB
Brian Schoeffler (2016)
Cleveland (Ohio) Benedictine
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Schoeffler was not able to show off his arm often in a rainy contest. He threw a nice ball on his 17-yard touchdown pass to Layne and also punched in a one-yard touchdown run.
LB
Najee Stevens-McKenzie
Bedford, Ohio
An Ohio Bobcats commit, Stevens-McKenzie played defensive end and tight end for Bedford, registering a sack and a fumble recovery on defense. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, though, he is likely to move to outside linebacker in college.
OT
Kevin Woidke
Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius
The 6-foot-6, 288-pound Woidke proved again that he is a player Division I schools should be looking at. He has an ideal offensive lineman's frame and decent enough feet, technique and power to suggest he can develop into a very nice player.
Josh Helmholdt
Midwest Recruiting Analyst
Click Here to view this Link.
Advertisement