'05 OH RB/ATH Dennis Underwood (Indiana signee)

[Buckskin86]

http://scout.theinsiders.com/a.z?s=1...c=1&nid=819348

http://ohiostate.rivals.com/viewpros...p?pr_key=28633

Ht: 6-3 Wt: 200
Position: TB, DB
Projected as: RB
High School: St. Thomas Aquinas HS
(Louisville, OH)

Biography:
Super athlete who is listed as a RB but probably falls more into the ATH category. He's already a big player and could outgrow RB.

C-bus Nike
40- 4.3 & 4.4
shuttle- 4.2
vertical- 37"

His top two schools are tOSU and scUM- tOSU is looking at him as RB while scUM is looking at him for Safety. He plans to go to tOSU camp.


2nd team Division V

[BuckNutty]

His top two schools are tOSU and scUM- tOSU is looking at him as RB while scUM is looking at him for Safety.

I believe he's stated he'd prefer to play RB in college so we have that going for us. Not too many 6'3" running backs around but ya never know. Those are some impressive numbers he put up.

[osubux11]

just thought i'd toss my opinion in here......i saw dennis at the nike camp and he really stood out, the rb's were drilling with the qb's and lb's on some pass routes and dennis caught them all, one time he stopped and leaped about 4 feet off the ground to catch an overthrown ball......good looking prospect, kind of sucks he plays in d5, and for what is worth i doubt the 6'3"...maybe with his hair included but if those are the numbers from camp then i guess i'm wrong.

[jlb1705]

His top two schools are tOSU and scUM- tOSU is looking at him as RB while scUM is looking at him for Safety.

And when they say Safety, they really mean LB, right?

[Buckskin86]

And when they say Safety, they really mean LB, right?

LOL- PB learned that lesson well

also don't forget that when you are a LB, you can also be classified as a FB or if you are DE, you may have to move to LB- it's Lloyd's world and the rest of us are just living in it

quick blurb on Underwood- his head coach at Aquinas played for JT at YSU- so we have that going for us

[Buckskin86]

FWIW- according to message board reports Underwood has lost his eligibility to play his senior season (can't find any corroborating articles)- apparently he is over the age limit so he will have to sit out this season

unfortunately this would probably affect his chances at a tOSU offer

[Buckskin86]

Rivals-premium

He had a good camp visit with tOSU and is now going to a few other teams camps. His three favorites are tOSU, scUM and PSU. Coach Bollman is staying in contact with him.

[Buckskin86]

http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?C...&ID=168562&r=0

CANTON — Success seemed to come easily whenever Dennis Underwood had a football tucked in his arms. Last fall, he rushed for 1,207 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior running back at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He broke tackles and made others miss, drawing the attention of major college scouts.

Now Underwood is asking a Stark County court to help him break an Ohio High School Athletic Association tackle. If that does not happen, Underwood, a heavily recruited 6-foot-3, 190-pounder, will not be able to play OHSAA-sanctioned sports.

Underwood, 19, will turn 20 in February. OHSAA bylaws stipulate that students who turn 19 before Aug. 1 of the upcoming school year are ineligible for high school athletics.

A provision in bylaw 4-2-1 allows those who turn 19 before Aug. 1 to play if the student-athlete has a disability.

Canton attorney Richard G. Bing has filed a lawsuit in Stark County Common Pleas Court seeking a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction to allow Underwood to play. Bing argues the Americans with Disabilities Act protects Underwood.

The ADA is a federal law, and usually such cases are brought to federal court. However, Bing said Underwood cannot afford to bring the matter to federal court.

“If you ever get a case in federal court, you’ll know it (costs more),” Bing said “It takes forever.”

Underwood and Aquinas officials have asked the OHSAA to waive the bylaw because Underwood has a learning disability. In order for the OHSAA commissioner to declare a student-athlete eligible under the ADA exception, the athlete must meet five thresholds:

The player:

• Does not pose a safety risk to himself;

• Does not enjoy any advantages in terms of physical, mental or athletic maturity over other athletes;

• Does not affect the principles of competitive equity;

• Does not displace another student-athlete;

• There is no evidence of redshirting or other indications of academic dishonesty.

Bing argues Underwood meets three of the five thresholds