West Virginia RB Jason Gwaltney (official thread)

[Buckskin86]

Jason Gwaltney, North Babylon, Babylon, NY
The top junior (soon to be senior) running back prospect in New York State and the top junior (soon to be senior) in Long Island. Jason is a 6-foot-2, 225-pound running back that made third team All-State and first team All-Long Island as a sophmore. Street and Smith’s magazine picked him as one of the three juniors to watch from New York State this past season. Jason ran for 1,621 yards on 197 carries and 30 touchdowns in 2002 even though he missed the last two games of the season with a broken leg. Jason also averaged an amazing 202 rushing yards per game and scored 5 td's at least 3 times in a game.
The second sophomore to earn All-Long Island status in 41 years. Gwaltney, a Hansen Award finalist, had great field vision and breakaway speed. His lateral quickness and ability to avoid big hits were vital to his success. "The potential for greatness is there,” coach Terry Manning said. "He could break every conceivable record that's out there. He's that good.” Gwaltney missed the last two games of the season with a broken leg, but is expected to make a full recovery.

STATS

Career
2001- 9 Games (890 Yards 15 TD's)
2002- 9 Games (1,621 Yards 30 TD's)
2003- (2,601 Yards 45 TD's)

Career- a staggering 5112 yds and 90 TD's

This year he broke the Long Island record of 79 TD's in a HS career and is only 729 yds short of setting the yardage record. Plus he still has one more year to play. He has been playing on varsity since he was a freshman.

Supposedly PSU, scUM and even USC are in on him

[daddyphatsacs]

His lateral quickness and ability to avoid big hits were vital to his success.

We need to offer this guy. The ability to avoid the big hit is what make a good back great.

[BuckNutty]

86, surprisingly enough I was able to do it.

People can argue why we can't go oos and get a big time WR, but there is no excuse for not landing a big time RB at Ohio State.

[Buckskin86]

I read an article about him a month or so ago and he said that Keshawn Johnson was one of his favorite players (I think because he played for the Jets)- no accounting for taste

I think this was one of the reasons he was interested in USC- I know PSU is working it pretty hard- they landed Matt Hahn who was the other great Long Island runner this year

But if he came to tOSU he could compete for a starting job as a Freshman after Ross leaves. Hopefully he gives us a look.

[Buckskin86]

He was named as one of Insiders 5 juniors to watch in '05- the other 4 include

Derrick Williams- tOSU has offered
Eleanor Roosevelt, QB/WR/DB, 6-1, 185

Jonathan Stewart
Timberline High (Wash.), RB, 5-11, 215

Rashard Mendenhall- already verbaled to Illinois
Niles West (Ill.), RB, 5-11, 215

Ryan Perrilloux
East St. John High (La.), QB, 6-3, 210

5 to watch in '05

[Buckskin86]

Incredibly he committed to WVU along with his brother

http://westvirginia.theinsiders.com/2/234968.html

The Mountaineer football coaching staff certainly did not rest on the laurels of their excellent 2004 recruiting season, as they have hauled in a great pair of players to start off the Class of 2005.

All everything running back Jason Gwaltney, and half-brother Scooter Berry formed a potent backfield tandem for North Babylon High School in New York last year, and are poised to rewrite even more records this year. And although seemingly half the country was pursuing Gwaltney, he and Berry have decided to bring their talents to West Virginia in 2005.
Despite missing some games with injuries during his career, Gwaltney has alredy piled up a heap of records as a tailback. He has rushed for 5,112 yards, 90 TDs and scored 546 points during his first three years. As a junior, he averaged 202 yards per game and scored five touchdowns in three different games. He piled up those numbers despite missing two games with a broken leg.

Berry, who is Gwaltney's half-brother, paved the way for many of those yards from his fullback position. He powered North Babylon's offense to an average of 443 yards per game, and on defense as a linebacker recorded 63 tackles, four sacks and two fumble recoveries. He was also an all-Long Island selection.

I can only assume he wanted to play with his bro and WVU offered them both

A bit of a shocker!!

[IUbuck]

o well lets hope we can land wells or king

[Buckskin86]

even though he is committed to WVU-Rivals is saying that tOSU has offered and is coming on strong for Jason

at PSU Nike he ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash, had a 4.28-second shuttle, jumped 35 inches and did 25 bench reps.




http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewpros...p?pr_key=26616

Long Island (NY)
North Babylon

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 220 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.45 seconds

http://scout.theinsiders.com/a.z?s=7...05&nid=1166165

Biography:
Rushed for 5,112 yards, 90 TDs and scored 546 points during his first three years.
JR Stats: 297 carries/2601 yds/45 TDs; 11 rec/169 yds

Coach's comments: "He's a power back with good speed--good enough to run by people. But he'd rather run over you. He's gained all of his yds against defenses who know he's coming at them. It's like he's running against eleven in the box all the time. This guy is a lights-out player. A stud."

"I'm strong and I have great lateral quickness. I have good vision for a big back. I'm a power runner and will run you over. I want to read the LB better and work on my pass protection. I need to improve my leg strength and have better explosion."

BPs 390/SQs 415/VJ 33

2.7/860 SAT

[OSUsushichic]

We've been offering some RBs, so I'm wondering if Maurice Wells isn't as sure of a thing as people think.

[CleveBucks]

that dude's built like a brick shithouse. how solid is he on WVU? You gotta think he'd at least give OSU a look if we go hard after him.

[Buckskin86]

We've been offering some RBs, so I'm wondering if Maurice Wells isn't as sure of a thing as people think.

OSUsushichic- I don't think Wells is a sure thing. His mom seems to like tOSU but I am not so sure Mo is as enthusiastic- I think USC (and petey's plane), FSU, Gtech and probably others will take this recruitment down to the wire. As Nutty said- "hopefully mom wins out in the end"

It also appears to me that tOSU would like one small fast back and one big back (Gwaltney could be the latter).

that dude's built like a brick shithouse. how solid is he on WVU? You gotta think he'd at least give OSU a look if we go hard after him.

Cleve- he still says he is committed to WVU- but tOSU is going after him hard, so who knows what can happen- still a verrry looong time until signing day

[ice750]

wvu has known about jason gwaltney since he was in jr. high and let him know at the end of his freshman year of high school that he had a scholarship if he wanted it, gwaltney looks up to amos zereoue and has talked quite a bit to amos zereoue and avon cobourne
couple that up with the fact that north babylon high is also where wvu got one of their receivers a few years ago in rashaun vanterpool, gwaltney also knows rashaun and talks to him, rashaun's younger brother rocky vanterpool aslo plays football for north babylon as a receiver and all they do is talk wvu football
gwaltney is very much a lock for wvu, now his half brother scooter berry didn't really talk up wvu all that much untill he took a visit to wvu with jason

north babylon high..their offense is the power I..they only throw the ball 2 to 3 times a game if they have to. it is scooter berry clearing the way for jason gwaltney there are no tricks with what they do and everyone they line up against knows this, they all try to stop jason and so far they haven't done it

http://www.ice750.com/jgcoach.mp3

jason has been playing on the varsity team since about the halfway point of his freshman year of high school...
i know we can't wait untill he is in morgantown wearing the gold and blue

[LordJeffBuck]

Thanks for the info, Ice. We Bucks fans were still holding some hope that Jason might reconsider his early commitment, but that looks very unlikely now.

[ice750]

he let it be known to the coaching staff at wvu that he will still take a few visits, and i can't blame him for doing so, wouldn't you? he wanted to committ to wvu earlier but his coach held him off untill he at least came down to wvu and met everyone

i couldn't believe it when we got this kid so early,

but i know you guys will have plenty more good quality recruits, even though i'm not a buckeye fan no-one can argue with your records they speak for themselves

good luck this coming year..hopefully we can see each other in the orange bowl at the end of the season

[LordJeffBuck]

Thanks, Ice, and welcome to the Planet. Unlike some sites, we welcome fans from other schools, as long as they are rational, non-flaming posters (like you). Best of luck this year, and congrats on landing Gwaltney.