West Virginia RB Jason Gwaltney (official thread)

[jwinslow]

I think there is a lot of reason to doubt that Gwaltney will be a buckeye, but I don't see why it is so impossible for him to join up with the bucks once he sees wells doing so. I'm sure he is tracking wells (along with the other top backs looking at his other schools) and can see that wells seems to be a pretty likely candidate for OSU.

This isn't like suddenly signing Stewart on signing day (which would be surprising). Wells is OSU's to lose right now, according to most.

He's gonna decide before the final day where he watns to go to school. Let's say he chooses OSU. If they sign wells, he'd hop onboard too. If wells goes elsewhere, he goes with his #2 choice. That doesn't seem very far fetched to me.

[Buckskin86]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/highsc...-hsports-print

HANSEN AWARD
Running away with it
North Babylon’s Gwaltney earns 2nd straight award; hint she’ll attend W. Va.but plans to visit USC


BY GREGG SARRA
STAFF WRITER
December 7, 2004

North Babylon's football season was built around the clock. Coach Terry Manning knew before the season he did not have a diversified offense. But he knew he had one essential element that if used in conjunction with the clock could help the Bulldogs go a long way.

That element was 6-2, 230-pound halfback Jason Gwaltney.

Manning and his coaching staff built a championship season around that philosophy - get the ball to Gwaltney and control the clock. Everything North Babylon did was designed to manage time and dictate tempo. And things worked out beautifully.

Gwaltney, Long Island's all-time rushing and scoring leader, had a monster senior season with 2,880 rushing yards, 45 touchdowns and 282 points in 11 games as North Babylon rolled to the Class II Long Island title and the top of Newsday's Large Schools poll.

For his efforts, Gwaltney became the first player in history to become a two-time winner of the coveted Hansen Award, given to Suffolk's most outstanding player. He was honored with the 45th Hansen Award over finalists Darrel Young of Amityville and Andrew Miller of Floyd at the Suffolk County Football Coaches Association dinner last night before a packed house at the Wyndham Windwatch in Hauppauge.

During Gwaltney's acceptance speech, he hinted that his heart is in West Virginia and that he's likely to go there. But afterward Gwaltney said he still will take his final recruiting visits, including a trip to Southern California scheduled for this weekend.

"We saw every defense imaginable. And they still couldn't stop da Gauts," Manning said of Gwaltney. "When he's on his game, J. Gauts is going to get his. The confidence of the line grew all season ... We saw all the stunts, the blitz packages, 10 or 11 men in the box - and still no one could stop us."

In an era of measuring every statistic, Gwaltney's numbers are off the charts. Here's a smattering: 7,800 career rushing yards on 948 carries, 135 touchdowns, 828 points in 39 games.

Want a few more? Try 33 touchdowns of at least 40 yards, including 27 of at least 50 yards.

"Everything that could be done to stop him had been done," said Garden City coach Tom Flatley, who likened Gwaltney to NFL great Jim Brown, who played at Manhasset. "He's strong and gets a low body lean to run people over. He also has a unique side step and shakes off tacklers. His greatest asset could be his balance."

Flatley got an up-close view when Gwaltney took apart Garden City on Nov. 27 in a 43-14 victory in the Class II final at Stony Brook University's LaValle Stadium. In Gwaltney's only title game appearance, he raised the bar with a dynamic performance

But as Flatley and others in the capacity crowd of 8,500 found out that day, the real measure of Gwaltney was the great intangible: what he does for his team. And no statistic can truly measure that.

How do you measure the impact of a player who makes a mediocre offensive line become dominant? How do you put a number on a player who takes the heart out of the opposition midway through the first quarter? How do you measure the impact of a player who against a tough opponent in the biggest game of his life rushed for 237 yards and scored five touchdowns, including a leaping reception in the end zone?

On defense in the same game, he intercepted the first pass attempt of the game and caused a fumble on a sack that was returned for a touchdown.

As phenomenal as the statistics tell you Gwaltney is, they still don't do him justice. This is a once-in-a-generation player who took a football team on his shoulder pads and carried it to a title.

"He's the horse we rode to the championship," said Manning, who also saw former North Babylon halfback Ian Smart make his professional debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week. "We'd put the opposing offense to sleep, take them out of their rhythm and beat the crap out of the defense. He's the best we've ever seen."

Gwaltney will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 15. He is only the second player from Long Island to receive an invitation in the five-year history of the game.

"He's one of the best big backs in the country," said Tom Lemming, a renowned evaluator of prep football talent and contributor to ESPN Sports and USA Today. "Jason picks up an awful lot of yards after initial contact. He's a power back who also has been blessed with excellent vision and big-time moves."

Now they're lining up 11 recruiters in the box, and Gwaltney faces the decision of a lifetime. West Virginia hopes he doesn't change direction and accelerate away from Morgantown toward USC.

[ysubuck]

Walt Harris is going to interview for the Stanford job. He sees the writing on the wall.

Pitt getting a BCS game and Cal getting left out has the entire nation taking shots at the Big East. The Big East is a joke of a conference and the good coaches (ie Rich Rodriguez) are, one by one, going to be gone.

Who is going to watch Utah vs. Pitt? The Fiesta Bowl is going to be a ratings tank and that is going to translate into sponsors losing money. The Big East may not have a BCS bowl berth much longer and will be a non factor in the NC race each year.

I admire Jason Gwaltney for sticking with his commitment, but he certainly won't be getting the exposure he would be getting at a big time school.

I guess it doesn't matter. If you're good enough, the NFL will find you.

[crazybuckfan40]

Hopefully the light will come on that WVU will be looked on as a mid-major team in a couple of years, and then the highly rated recruits will not want to go there anymore. He would be trying to win national titles here or at USC. Why go to a lower tier team when you can go to a top notch program. Got me.

[BuckNutty]

Rivals Premium

Rivals had a nice time at UCF over the weekend and visits USC this weekend. Gwaltney is still committed to WVU but had this to say:

"I'd say Ohio State is the closest to changing my mind right now," he said. "That was a tempting visit. UCF is a place I could see myself because I would likely be a starter right away and try to turn around 0-11. But I'm still committed to West Virginia."

[crazybuckfan40]

If he keeps having these second thoughts about WVU then I think we will be the team to beat. I think USC is too far away. He could just be taking the trip to have a little fun in So Cal. Most kids want to stay around home. So I think with this update we have about a 40% chance.

[ysubuck]

Again I ask, how can a blue chip talent like Gwaltney be seriously considering WVU over schools like USC and Ohio State. I just can't figure it out.

I can't buy the immediate playing time argument because Ohio State has TWO tailbacks on the roster after December 29th. Gwaltney would be almost guaranteed a shot at a spot in the rotation.

Again, all due respect to WVU, but come on. Ohio State is close to home, national exposure every week, 105,000 fans screaming for you, playing in THE GAME for four years (who is WVU's rival? Pitt? ), alumni all over the country. Let's say that football doesn't work out...can WVU offer you the type of national employment connections that Ohio State alumni can? Not even close.

Someone help me out, because I want this kid in scarlet and gray and it's frustrating to me that WVU might be in the way.

[crazybuckfan40]

Yes it is very mind boggling, but his brother did give a verbal there and they did want to play together. So here is too hoping that he doesn't follow his brother.

[scooter1369]

Let's just start tossing around Rich Rodriguez's name to replace other coaches. There are plenty of opening to choose from. Pick one and spread the rumo..er I mean word.

[OilerBuck]

Originally Posted by ysubuck

Again I ask, how can a blue chip talent like Gwaltney be seriously considering WVU over schools like USC and Ohio State. I just can't figure it out.

Not everyone looks at it the same way. If all the blue-chippers came to the same schools, there would be tons of them on the bench. Kids can be looking at their specific areas of education, environment on campus (not all people are "big atmosphere" types), NCAA investigation status (cough cough), relationships with coaches and players, style of play...etc. There are a million factors.

I think it's admirable that someone doesn't get drawn in by the flash of USC or the big time atmosphere of tOSU if that isn't their style. He obviously likes something at WVU, who are we to tell him he'd be happier here?

[tsteele316]

Duane long on BN just siad that Gwaltny will not be going to WVU. Duane usually doesnt flaunt out predictions like that, so it will be interesting to see if he reveals where he got that from.


but if true, and osu is the one school that could change his mind, that sounds pretty good.

[crazybuckfan40]

I hope Duane is right and I hope he decides in our favor and not USC.

Also Has Wstripes said anything about him and where he thinks he is going. He usually has some inside info on USC recruits.

[tsteele316]

wstripes has been surprising absent around here lately. I would have though with Ashley's comments that he would come here and offer some insight on various things.

[ysubuck]

The blue chip players DO go to the same schools, though.

Oklahoma, Michigan, tOSU, USC, Fla. St., Fla., UGA., etc.


Like I said, if the kid decides to go to USC or Georgia or even, gulp, Michigan, I would understand. But I just don't understand what WVU has to offer in the way of outrecruiting a traditional power like OSU. The investigation argument is holding less and less weight with each passing day and with each syllable that comes out of Clarett's mouth.

[LloydSev]

Sure.. they do end up with a lot of talent..

but how about the 5 star back that Illinois has(Rashard Mendenhall)? Stewart could very easily goto Washington. Regardless of rank, Tyrell Sutton is a blue chip recruit. He's going to Northwestern. There will be others, as more blue chip recuits begin to commit later into the season... but plenty blue chip recruits goto smaller schools.