• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Akron All-American Combine (Merged)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
osugrad21

osugrad21

Capo Regime
Staff member
Akron All-American Combine (Free)

SuperPrep.com (Free)

5/26


<center> <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" width="98%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="3"> Star-studded cast to compete at Akron

</td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top">
224601.jpg

Brandon Graham

</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" width="3">
</td> <td valign="top"> By Bob Lichtenfels Scout.com - Northeast
Date: May 26, 2005

As we have traveled the nation in search of the elite prospects, one thing has been missing, the corn-fed boys from the north. States such as Pennsylvania and Ohio are known for their massive linemen. Saturday's Scout.com All-American Invitational will showcase that size. A number of the region's high-profile recruits will be on hand, as well as a number of the Top prospects of the Class of 2007.
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
The combine will be a diverse field as player's from 14 different states will compete. The combine will feature athletes from California, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Most of the participants who will be on hand already have D-1 offers with nothing to prove, except the chance to compete against the best.

<table align="left" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
215010.jpg

Lee Tilley</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Where's the Beef? Our Akron combine will feature a number of the top offensive linemen in the region including Justin Boren, Lee Tilley, Chris Hanna, Mark Jackson, Bill Nagy, Jarrod Smith, Ryan Palmer, Kenny Mayfield, Scott Corson, and Bob Gulley. Not to be outdone is the defensive line that will feature Aaron Maybin, Aundre Henderson, Jacob Ballard, John Malecki, Jeff Cumberland, Lamar Mapp, and Jordan Stevens.
<hr>
Linebacker's Galore: Filled with headliners such as Brandon Graham, Thaddeus Gibson, Ross Homan, Nate Nix, Micah Johnson, J.J. <table align="right" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
219500.jpg

Micah Johnson</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Kulusich, Archie Donald, and Nate Williams.
<hr>
Skill and speed: The Ohio Track and Field Regional Championships and the PIAA State championships will keep a few skill kids away, but there are plenty of talented wide receivers and defensive backs heading to the "Buckeye State".

At wide receiver we have Dorin Dickerson, Aaron Smith, Jerel Leak, Chris Fulmer, Clem Johnson, Nico Scott, Terrence McCrae, Quintin Patilla, and Andre Wright and others.
<table align="left" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
221899.jpg

Dorin Dickerson</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Trying to cover the talented group of receivers, is an equally talented cast of defensive backs led by Leonard Gordon, Jovani Chappell, Elijah Fields, Ashton Cobb, Travon Bellamy, Jakeem Gregory, LeCount Fantroy, and Cortez Jones.

You can't talk about wide receivers without mentioning tight ends, and we have assembled quite an impressive group of prospects including Nate Byham, Jerome Jones, and Zach Meagher.
<hr> <table align="left" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
222865.jpg

Kevan Smith</td> </tr> </tbody></table> The region is also well known for its quarterbacks, and this group should not disappoint. Among the prospects that will be in attendance are Miles Schlichter, Brennan Glass, Kevan Smith, Desmond Brentley, Tyler Huether, Connor Dixon, and Kyle Foster.
<hr>
Rounding out the group is a talented crew of running backs and fullbacks. Among the participants will be Chris Wells, Cameron Mobley, Jared Bradley, Tyreese Marshall, Elijah Griffin, and Tyrell Hayden.
<hr> Youth will be served: The class of 2007 will be well represented by a number of the regions top prospects including Marvin Austin, Lamar Milstead, Jon Ditto, Steve Paskorz, Jordan Mabin, Chris Smith, Cole Hildabrant, Derek Drummond, Chris Drager, Ben Martin, and Vince Harris.
<hr>
This is the last stop on our Scout.com All-American Invitational tour, we have seen a number of outstanding prospects and met a lot of good folks along the way. We have accumulated a number of good stories to tell for the next 50 years, and hopefully Saturday May 28th at the University of Akron we will add a great ending to a great spring.


</td></tr> </tbody></table> </center>
 
A great person we have been tracking, Eric Schwartz will also be in attendance. He is excited to see that such great competition is going to be there. He has also been tearing up the combine scene already, imo. Last week he performed at the Midwest Elite Combine and ran a 4.8, repped 225 18 times, ran a 4.5 pro-agility, and his vert vert. was 28. He did not get burnt at all in the passing routes, and had 3 or 4 interceptions.
 
Upvote 0
Settle down there, buddy.:) I'm as excited as you are, but it'll come out when it comes out. There's no point in starting a thread asking for news that isn't really available yet, is there? Our boys here at BP will take care of us when the info. comes out, and until then sit back and enjoy life. Right now I'm in the middle of a BBQ, but I just had to sneak away for a second to see if there was new news. However, until there is some news, I'll just sit back have a burger and bask in the glory of our baseball team.
 
Upvote 0
Scout.com Big East recruiting Guru Bob Lichtenfels is on the BN $ board heaping praise on CWells and Homan. Said Wells is the best back he has seen thus far and that Homan is a speciman who continues to improve his measurables.
 
Upvote 0
BGriffBuckeye said:
I would like to see how Ohio QB Chris Smith performed. Looks like he has a solid frame on him. Would love to see how he stacked up against the older QB's in attendence.
Click to expand...
http://mb9.scout.com/ftheinsidersrecruitingfrm1.showMessage?topicID=4291.topic


Here someone who talked to Chris's dad during the combine says that Chris has a pinched nerve that flared up while he was throwing because of the shotput, but Bob Lichtenfels says that Chris still impressed him anyhow.
 
Upvote 0
Scout Free

5/31


<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" width="98%"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="3"> Scout.com Combine: Akron - It's a Wrap

</td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top">
226263.gif

East Coast Recruiting Analyst

</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" width="3">
</td> <td valign="top"> By Bob Lichtenfels Scout.com
Date: May 31, 2005

Scout.com wrapped up its seven weekend tour of the country with its final combine in Akron, Ohio during Memorial Day weekend. A handful of the regions top prospects were on hand, as were several potential Top 100 nominee's for the Class of 2007. Over 150 prospects attended the Scout.com All-American Invitational at the University of Akron's beautiful indoor practice facility.
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
As with any combine there were a number of standouts and athletes who defied logic at Akron. Ohio State verbals Ross Homan and Chris Wells were in attendance, as was Michigan pledge Brandon Graham. A "Freakish" athlete from Columbus stole the show with perhaps the best testing efforts we have seen to date. Super Soph's Marvin Austin and Lamar Milstead showed that despite their youth, these two Washington, D.C. boys can bring the ruckus. Here is a brief rundown of some of the highlights of the day's events.

At quarterback two sophomores showed that they could compete with anyone. South Point (Ohio.) native Chris Smith and Bangor (Pa.) Pius X <table align="right" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
226691.gif

Chris Smith
​
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> signal caller Cole Hildabrant, did not let the pressure get to them. Both young quarterbacks displayed calmness that one would expect from a grizzled veteran. Smith who is built like a middle linebacker threw nice tight spirals with some zip on them all day long. Hildabrant showed deft touch as he picked apart the secondary and line backing corps. I'm sure we'll hear a lot from these two young guns in the next two years.

A senior to be who hit the recruiting radar recently, Cranberry Township (Pa.) Seneca Valley quarterback Kevan Smith showed off his outstanding arm as he threaded the needle a number of times. Smith is still raw, but continues to show those flashes of brilliance which amazes me considering he missed all but two games in 2004.

Akron (Ohio.) Garfield and Ohio State commit Chris Wells stole the show the moment he walked through the door. At close to 6'-2" 230-pounds, <table align="left" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
226651.gif

Chris Wells
​
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Wells ran consecutive 4.5's in the 40-yard dash (wearing track spikes). He then stepped up to the broad jump and launched his chiseled physique 119". He then posted a 4.4 shuttle and a 31" vertical. With an outstanding film, and an even better combine performance Wells proved to me he is the best running back prospect in the nation.

Although, he is a total contrast in style to Wells Trotwood (Ohio.) Madison running back Cameron Mobley had a solid performance. Mobley ran a 4.61 in the 40-yard dash, a 4.59 shuttle, a 7.07 in the L-Cone, he jumped 32.5" in the vertical, and had a standing broad jump of 117". During the one-on-ones is where Mobley proved his worth, the 185-pound back juked everyone out of their cleats on multiple occasions including Graham and Homan.

Representing the Class of 2007 were Nordonia (Ohio.) running back Jordan Mabin and Allison Park (Pa.) Hampton man-child Steve Paskorz. Mabin was having an outstanding day of testing until he tweaked a hamstring injury he had suffered in track. Mabin left without turning his card in with his results. Paskorz who owned defenses in Western Pennsylvania last fall certainly lived up to the hype. At 6'-0" 210-pounds, Paskorz ran a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash, he posted a 34" vertical, and a 118" standing broad jump.

The wide receiver position was owned by Columbus (Ohio.) Brookhaven standout Jeff Cumberland. There's a lot of talk about him playing tight end or defensive end in college, but I see a player who is a combination of Randy Moss and Plaxico Burress. I honestly have never seen a high <table align="right" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
226261.gif

Jeff Cumberland
​
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> school football player as athletic as Cumberland. At 6'-4" and 221 pounds, Cumberland ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, a 4.28 shuttle, a 7.28 L-Cone, he had a vertical jump of 34", and a standing broad jump of 117". Then to top it off he dominated the one-on-ones at tight end and wide receiver.

On any other day without Cumberland around, Connellsville (Pa.) wide receiver Terrence McCrae (Pictured) would have been the man. He torched the secondary all afternoon, when he was covered he just out jumped, or out muscled the defenders for the ball. On two separate <table align="left" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
226532.gif

Terrence McCrae
​
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> occasions I saw Penn Hills (Pa.) safety Barry Church cover McCrae stride-for-stride, as tight as one could cover somebody, and both time McCrae made circus catches. At 6'-2.5" and a ripped 188 pounds, McCrae is a nice target, with outstanding athleticism. He posted a 4.57 40-yard dash, a 4.25 shuttle, and a 7.28 L-Cone. Then he followed the running events up with a 34" vertical.

At tight end Springboro (Ohio.) athlete Jacob Ballard certainly lived up to his advance billing. Although most fell he's destined for the offensive line, Ballard is a very good tight end. He is athletic and has surprisingly good ball skills. At 6'-6.5" and 251 pounds, Ballard posted a 4.28 shuttle, 4.99 40-yard dash, 7.56 L-Cone, a 28" vertical, and a 102" standing broad jump.

We could write a book on the number of outstanding offensive linemen, who were on-hand at Akron, but one stood out to me, and this is the second time he's done so. We first saw Randallstown (Md.) offensive lineman Kenneth Mayfield at the Elite College Combine earlier in the month. Mayfield decimated the competition there, on Saturday he gave an encore performance as he shut down everyone.

One of the most vicious and tenacious linemen I have seen in a long time is Shaker Heights (Ohio.) big man Dominic Alford (Pictured). Despite his nasty disposition on the field, Alford is mobile and fundamentally sound. <table align="right" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
226127.gif

Dominic Alford
​
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Another very solid lineman is Berea (Ohio.) native Bob Gulley, how he has no offers at this point is beyond me. He's one of the best I've seen this spring. Gulley is what some would call a "Technician" he is very good at his craft.

Young, Washington (D.C.) Coolidge offensive tackle Lamar Milstead continued to impress us. He plays at such a high level, its easy to forget he's only a sophomore. This is a prospect that you will be hearing a lot about over the next two years.

Before the day started I was telling a few of my co-workers that the best overall linemen would be a sophomore. We saw Washington (D.C.) Coolidge defensive tackle Marvin Austin (pictured) at the Elite College Combine in early May, and no-one could stop him. The linemen in <table align="left" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
226137.gif

Marvin Austin
​
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Akron beat him a few times, but not often. He has a chance to be the #1 Defensive Tackle prospect in the entire country next year.

Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway defensive end Jordan Stephens, has a motor that doesn't stop. Stevens is relentless off the edge, he has a great combination of speed and power.

At linebacker we were impressed by both Big Ten verbals Coldwater (Ohio.) backer Ross Homan and Detroit (MI.) Crockett Vocational's Brandon Graham. Homan is built like a body builder, but he does not play stiff. <table align="right" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
226408.gif

Ross Homan
​
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> During the day he showed his athleticism in drills and during the testing. Graham opened eyes when he posted a4.6 40-yard dash at 250-pounds. Both players impressed the Scout.com staff by merely showing up, that show's their competitive nature and the kind of character that these two have.

Skill players were at a premium as two big track meets in Ohio and Pennsylvania kept a number of athlete's away, but Verona (Pa.) Penn Hills safety Barry Church took advantage of the chance to shine. Despite the fact that he is <table align="left" border="1"> <tbody><tr> <td>
226212.gif

Barry Church
​
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> considered a safety, Church displayed cover skills that are better then most corners. He is a fast rising prospect who has already garnered a handful of offers, and should receive plenty more in the near future.

One player that we hadn't heard a lot about prior to the combine was Maple Heights (Ohio.) safety Andre Elliott. Elliott checked in at 6'-0.5" and 180 pounds, he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash, 4.37 shuttle, a 7.76 L-Cone. He then posted a 30" vertical jump and a 116" standing broad jump. During the one-on-ones Elliott displayed decent cover skills, and outstanding closing speed.

These are just a few of the players you will hear about in the coming months as we Count Down to Signing Day.</td></tr></tbody> </table>
 
Upvote 0
That was a really good read and a nice article overall by Bob. He had a lot of nice things to say about our current verbals in Ross Homan and Chris Wells. I like what he said about Homan having great measurables and size, but he also stated that he didn't play stiff, which is very important for a successful linebacker to do. It was also nice to see just how impressed Bob was with Chris, and he went as far as calling him the #1 RB in the country. I also liked about the things mentioned on Cumberland. I personally think he is a receiver (but that is for another thread). Overall, I think we could have a really special class on our hands.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top