Lackawanna loaded with D-I talent

Lackawanna College has long been known as a junior college power. The Scranton, Penn., school placed five players on the National Junior College Athletic Association Preseason All-America list, and put up formidable fight against perennial juco power Hargrave Military Academy in a 28-13 loss earlier this season.

A number of the talented players that have sparked the Falcons’ rise have been getting interest from D-I schools across the country.

Their 2005 class is headlined by offensive lineman Garrett Kline, an N.C. State commitment from Lackawaxen, Pa. Kline, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound power on the line, is a spring graduate who will have three years to play two seasons. His size has been drawing interest from a number of teams, though his commitment to N.C. State is said to be firm.

“I think he’s just such a big rangy buy who gets his hands on some many guys,” Lackawanna coach Mark Duda said. “He’s a better pass protector than run blocker right now, but he’s progressing right along.”

Kline has a partner on the line in Tom Schmeding, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound force who has college and pro football in his blood.

“He’s a great run blocker and a giant of a kid,” Duda said. “His uncle played for Patriots, and his cousin plays for Michigan State now. In the end, he just has too much upside to not be a Division I kid.”

While Schmeding, a former St. Mary’s Prep player from Rutherford, N.Y., is a new arrival on campus, his tape has been sent off to a spattering of the country’s top schools. Oklahoma and Iowa are among them, and Duda expects to hear back from coaching staffs quickly when they see Schmeding’s highlight reel.

“When they get it they’ll like what they see,” he said.

While Kline and Schmeding have solidified Lackawanna’s offensive front, the have to match up with a top opponent across the line in practice: defensive lineman Littleton Wright.

A 6-foot-6, 245-pounder with 4.75-second speed in the 40-yard dash, Wright has been talking closely with N.C. State, and Duda expects interest in him will snowball when his most recent tape gets around. A dominant speed rusher, Wright is still getting acclimated to stopping the run game at a higher level, but may have enough upside on his pass rushing skills alone to make him a top prospect.

Behind Wright is linebacker Leithton Morgan, whose 4.6-second 40-yard dash and penchant for big hits drew the attention of Hofstra recruiters before any of his tape had even been sent out. Morgan will have three years to play three years as a high school qualifier, and the South Windsor, Conn., native could get more attention when word of his talent leaks.

“He has blazing speed and can really hit,” Duda said.

If opponents do get by Morgan, they have to deal with a trio of impressive defensive back prospects in the secondary. Cornerbacks Darron Garrigan and Michael Wynn, and strong safety Steven Cole form a tight-knit secondary with few holes and the ability to come up to the line for a big play in run-stopping coverage.

Garrigan is a 5-foot-11 cover corner whose speed on the field could be a major draw for recruiters. A December graduate from Dale City, Va., Garrigan is still early in his recruiting process but is expecting a number of top offers. On the opposite side of the field is Michael Wynn, who transferred to Lackawanna after starting every game as a freshman at Hofstra last year. A 5-foot-10, 180-pounder, Wynn has both speed and advanced coverage skills for a player of his experience.

“He’s a super fast defensive back,” Duda said. “And he’s also just a great corner with great cover skills.”

Those kinds of attributes make Wynn, a former star at East Lakes High in Tarpon Lakes, Fla., a complete prospect. He’s not the only defensive back with a number of attractive sides to his game, though. Strong safety Steven Cole, from Washington D.C., has the potential to be a third D-I prospect in Lackawanna’s secondary.

Cole, who stands at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, played high school football for Clifford J. Scott High in East Orange, N.J. In an area known for its toughness, Cole lived up to the expectations of his surroundings, using his speed to his advantage and developing a knack for big hits.

“Steven is tough as a nail, and has the speed you need for next level,” Duda said.