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DL Willie Mobley (transfer to Orange Coast, Arizona and NMSU)

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Solid first step (not too long- replaces his hand), explosive off the ball, decent hands, great strength, and great speed for a DT. He has a nose for the ball that is difficult to learn (possibly a skill that could be considered uncoachable) as an interior DL. Tenacity and desire certainly aren't lacking- not to mention his size as a high schooler. He even helps the ball carrier up on a few occassions... destined to be a Buckeye.

What a get! Welcome Willie!
 
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Rivals $

12/5

Goes into detail about his decision to be a Buckeye and talks about almost committing during his official. Talks about the comparisons to Cam Heyward and about the state title game against Michael Floyd.
 
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wadc45;1018959; said:
Rivals $

12/5

Goes into detail about his decision to be a Buckeye and talks about almost committing during his official. Talks about the comparisons to Cam Heyward and about the state title game against Michael Floyd.
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Hmmm, comparisons to Cam Heyward? Where have I heard that before? Oh wait, now I remember...

BGriffBuckeye;1000745; said:
Personally, I like Mobley as a SDE like Heyward....
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:wink2:
 
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Word is that Willie Mobley, a defensive end from Eden Prairie, Minn., who committed to Ohio State last week, struggled with the decision of choosing OSU over Minnesota. Mobley had about 30 offers and wanted to go to Ohio State but was concerned about what people would think about leaving the state.

A friend who knew Mobley's concerns advised him to call James Laurinaitis, another Minnesota native, to see how locals reacted to his decision to play for the Buckeyes. Soon after he talked to Laurinaitis, Mobley orally committed.
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The Columbus Dispatch : Bob Hunter commentary: Rumblings
 
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Cool story

Issue ? December 12, 2007

Top gridiron recruit Willie Mobley has one eye on the Big Ten and the other on geopolitics
Iranian Football
By Matt Snyders

It's easy to forget that Willie Mobley is 18 years old. Sporting a full beard and a frizzy quasi-fro, the 6-foot-2-inch, 250-pound defensive lineman looks more like a man approaching his 30s than a boy in the last throes of adolescence. At the two-story townhouse he shares with his mother in Chanhassen, Mobley is the man of the house: He answers the door and offers a firm handshake.

His room is papered with newspaper headlines testifying to his gridiron prowess. "Things were getting crazy this summer," Mobley says, kicking a pile of dirty clothes out of the way. "I was getting, like, 80 text messages a day from recruiters."

It's been a good couple of months. In November, the Eden Prairie High School senior led his team to its second straight undefeated season, trouncing Cretin-Derham Hall 51-20 in the state class AAAAA championship. Two weeks ago, he accepted a full-ride scholarship to play football at top-ranked Ohio State. Scouts around the country expect big things from No. 96.

"His biggest strengths are quickness and leverage," says Jamie DeMoney, a scouting analyst for Forbes Report and editor of prepnation.com. "If you wanted to look at the NFL and draw comparisons in terms of style, he plays a bit like a Warren Sapp. He's not a two-gap guy who'll just eat up space and occupy blockers. He's more of a one-gap guy who'll get a lot of penetration and wreak havoc behind the line of scrimmage."

Armed with a 4.85 40-yard dash and a 405 squat, Mobley has positioned himself as the second most highly touted prep player in the state this year, behind Cretin-Derham Hall wide receiver phenom Michael Floyd ("Any other year Mobley would be far and away the top recruit in the state," says DeMoney).

Though he played defensive tackle in high school, Mobley will likely make the move to D-end at the collegiate level due to his speed and relatively small size. His exceptional agility was perhaps best displayed in this year's championship game in the Metrodome when he rushed nine yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter.

"When he ran that in, he looked more like a halfback than a lineman," says Eden Prairie head coach Mike Grant, who now boasts two consecutive undefeated seasons manning the Eagles. "I think that's when a lot of people realized this kid's not your typical athlete."

Nor does he have a typical background. Born to a black father and Iranian mother, Mobley is one of just 2,500 people of Iranian heritage living in Minnesota. "People can see that I'm a mix of something, but they can't tell of what," Mobley says. "When they ask, I always tell them both sides: black and Persian. When I say Persian, sometimes they get confused, so I just say Iranian. Some people are like, 'Iran? Aren't we going to war with them?'"
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Iranian Football - City Pages (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
 
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Taosman;1025857; said:
I don't see the value in discussing a recruits nationality.
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Obviously Willie finds it to be of value or he wouldn't have discussed it in the article.

Personally I think it's very cool...just like with Gonzo's Cuban roots or Youboty being born in Liberia.

Who knows perhaps Willie even connected with Nader while visiting the Buckeyes it's likely that both experienced unique prejudice due to their heritage.
 
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from the article a few posts up

His exceptional agility was perhaps best displayed in this year's championship game in the Metrodome when he rushed nine yards for a touchdown midway through the third quarter.

"When he ran that in, he looked more like a halfback than a lineman," says Eden Prairie head coach Mike Grant, who now boasts two consecutive undefeated seasons manning the Eagles. "I think that's when a lot of people realized this kid's not your typical athlete."
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Iranian Football - City Pages (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
 
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Rivals $

Apparently every school backed off of Mobley after he committed to tOSU with the exception of Tennessee. Mobley is now considering a visit down there sometime in January, but maintains he is still committed and not re-opening his recruitment.
 
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