'05 PA QB Bill Stull (Pitt signee)

[Buckskin86]

blurb from Pitt paper on Bill Stull- he was at Pitt practice and it sounds like Walt Harris was giving him some special treatment

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/trib.../s_185590.html

Pitt coach Walt Harris invited this year's star quarterback, Seton-La Salle's Bill Stull, to view practice from the field. Meanwhile, the rest of the recruits -- which included Seton-La Salle receiver Carmen Connolly, Duquesne running back Shane Brooks and Upper St. Clair safety Sean Lee and Brown -- watched from the sidelines.

You could argue that it is foolish to give a player prima donna treatment after the way Johnson and Morelli handled it, but the Panthers are not apologizing for their approach. They retort that you can't treat the next player worse than the previous one, even when it ultimately backfires. Each year is a clean slate

[sears3820]

That rag sure doesn't care for Harris' recruiting tactics, wow!!

[gbearbuck]

Harris needs a QB in the class... his qb last year wound up going to PSU... I would think Pitt will go hard for this kid. (Is Palko the last qb they got? If so qb is a big need for them this year)...

[sears3820]

Pitt's last QB was in the 2003 class (Joe Flacco Audubon, NJ).

They also brought in Luke Getsy along with Palko in 2002.

[BuckNutty]

Originally Posted by gbearbuck

Harris needs a QB in the class... his qb last year wound up going to PSU... I would think Pitt will go hard for this kid. (Is Palko the last qb they got? If so qb is a big need for them this year)...

Palko is the last big time QB they got. They got a 2 star kid from PA last year. I still think Stull is ours if we offer.

That rag sure doesn't care for Harris' recruiting tactics, wow!!

Pittsburgh sportswriters are a joke. First they were all over Morelli and Johnson for wavering on their verbals saying they should have kept their word, then they hammer Walt Harris for not sealing the deal with them and now he can't recruit. Harris deserves better considering what he's done with that program.

[BuckNutty]

Stull now has an offer from North Carolina.

[CleveBucks]

Rivals video clips... if they're too dumb to password-protect them, I guess they're free for the taking;

http://media.rivals.com/images/prosp...stullbill1.wmv
http://media.rivals.com/images/prosp...stullbill2.wmv
http://media.rivals.com/images/prosp...stullbill3.wmv
http://media.rivals.com/images/prosp...stullbill4.wmv
http://media.rivals.com/images/prosp...stullbill5.wmv

Call me crazy, but I think he's going to be our #1 QB target by this summer. He doesn't display the 5-star brilliance that some do, but he shows a lot of talent right now and I think he'd be able to develop nicely for a couple years.

#1: Nice touch on a couple fades at the beginning. 2nd-to-last play is a rope on the run across his body perfectly placed for a TD.

#2: 2nd play is a real nice fade pass to #7, who is also impressive on these videos. I wonder who he is?

#3: Check out the one-handed catch by #7 on the first play. Who is this kid? 2nd-to-last is a real nice TD pass.

#4: 2nd-to-last play is a great throw. Rolling out left, chased by a lineman, throws a 40-45 yard strike across his body.

#5: first play, option keeper. Nice speed and puts a real nice move on the DB.

IMO he shows real nice touch on his passes. He can throw the fade well which is tough for most HS QB's. His arm strength is not 5-star caliber, but he still has a lot of room to fill out his 6-4 frame. Mobility looks good, above avg. QB speed.

Somebody that has a sub. can probably tell who has offered. IIRC he'll be at OSU Nike camp this weekend and OSU summer camp.

[Buckskin86]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/trib.../s_195441.html

The ultimate proof that word of Seton-La Salle's offensive exploits has traveled from the head of the Ohio to the heart of the Mississippi was revealed this past week on the banks of the Monongahela.
Ole Miss quarterback coach/passing game coordinator Kurt Roper, whose offense produced the NFL Draft's No. 1 overall pick in Eli Manning, came to the Metro Index camp at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex on the South Side to scout Seton's latest quarterback prospect, junior Bill Stull.

"When you've got a guy from Mississippi coming to Western Pennsylvania to recruit a player," Seton-La Salle coach Lou Cerro said, "that's impressive."

What college coaches can't help but notice is that fellow junior Carmen Connolly is the recipient of the majority of Stull's passes. Or that they are the latest in a series of Rebels to post preposterous numbers.

Seton-La Salle has produced the top passer and receiver in the WPIAL in three of the past four seasons, including last year, when Stull passed for 2,262 yards and Connolly finished with a WPIAL-record 85 receptions for 1,257 yards.

And they did so in only nine games.

Connolly and Stull are expecting to improve their statistics in record-setting fashion this fall, and used the Metro Index camp as the first exhibition of what they plan to be a season-long showcase.

"We have a chance to do some real good things," Connolly said. "Bill, just watching him at camps go beyond what the other quarterbacks are doing, it just gives me chills."

Passing the torch

The spread offense is not just a passing fancy at Seton-La Salle, which has a storied football history dating back to its days as South Hills Catholic.

The Rebels have been using four- and five-receiver sets since 1996, when they wanted to take advantage of the arm of Shane Patterson, who would become the first of three Seton-La Salle quarterbacks named to the all-state team in a six-year span.

In 2000, Bruce Gradkowski set a new WPIAL standard by passing for 2,978 yards in 10 games (the district, however, does not keep records). His top target, R.J. Soeder, had a WPIAL-best 84 catches.

Anthony Doria followed by leading the Rebels to the WPIAL Class AA championship and PIAA finals, passing for 2,892 yards in 15 games. He had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers to throw to in Mike Caputo and Joe DelSardo, who combined for 139 catches.

Cerro credits offensive coordinator Greg Perry for tutoring the quarterbacks and receivers in the complexities of the spread offense, which creates mismatches and can be confusing for opponents.

"If we didn't have Greg, these kids would be good," Cerro said, "but he puts them over the top."

Despite his numbers, Gradkowski was lightly recruited by Division I-A programs before signing with Toledo. Now, after finishing second in the nation in completion percentage (71.2) and throwing for a school-record 29 touchdowns, he's a Heisman candidate. And Doria started every game as a freshman at St. Francis (Pa.).

"They came through this program and put up some big numbers," Perry said of Gradkowski and Doria. "These guys see the numbers and see the success Bruce is having and can't help but wonder. They see a junior throwing for that many yards, then look back and see the history. That's opened some doors."

Their success has validated Stull. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds, was rated the top quarterback at the Nike Training Camp at Ohio State and is considered the state's best prospect at the position in the Class of '05.

He has been besieged by recruiters this month, already receiving scholarship offers in writing from Akron, Bowling Green, Duke, Indiana and North Carolina.

"Bill Stull has got a lot of tools; he's a Division-I quarterback, no question," Metro Index scouting director Joe Butler said. "He's a very good quarterback from an excellent football program. I think that helps. It's just an ongoing process there."

In terms of physical maturity, Stull is ahead of Gradkowski at the same stage. Perry raves about Stull's athleticism, footwork and arm strength. What Stull needs to improve is his reads and decision-making skills, as he had a 22-to-13 touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio last season, as the Rebels lost three straight and missed the playoffs.

"He definitely has the right attitude, and that's half the battle," said Gradkowski, who works out with Stull when home on breaks and was one of his counselors at the Metro Index camp. "His arm strength is definitely at that level. And he's going to build himself up."

By doing so, Stull could break Seton's records.

"They set the table and put Seton on the map first," Stull said of Gradkowski and Doria. "I'm trying to do my best, keep it going and pass along the torch."
Catching on

The interest in Stull has, in turn, opened doors for Connolly. The 6-1, 186-pounder has deceptive speed, sure hands and runs crisp routes.

Boston College, Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers, Tennessee and Wisconsin are among the schools that have visited Seton-La Salle this month to watch Stull. It just so happens that he's throwing to Connolly.

"It's definitely helping him out," Cerro said. "When we send film out, most of Billy's throws are to Carmen. You can see on film how good he is."

Although Connolly envisions himself more as a defensive player -- he's a three-year starter at free safety -- he has been wildly successful on offense. He rushed for 867 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore tailback, scoring five touchdowns against Center in a first-round playoff game.

"Carmen never played receiver until his junior year, then he has 85 catches in nine games," said Damon Rosol, Seton's strength and conditioning coach. "Everybody keeps talking about what a good defensive player he is, but I don't think he's scratched the surface of where he can be on offense.

"At the Ohio State and Metro Index camps, there wasn't a kid who could cover him."

That's because Connolly surprises defenders with his speed, which is in the 4.5-second range in the 40-yard dash, and his knowledge of the game. He is a first cousin of former Seton stars Gradkowski and Ralph and Joe DelSardo, as well as current Rebels player Shane Scanlon, and says every family occasion eventually turns into a sports-related competition.

"We know, and Carmen knows, that whatever position we put him at he's going to excel," Cerro said. "He's just a warrior. He's a natural leader who won't take 'no' for an answer."

To break the WPIAL record of 84 catches, set by Seton's R.J. Soeder in 2002, Connolly needed 14 catches in the season finale against Carlynton. So it wouldn't prove to be a distraction, he got them in the first half. After playing a pivotal role in a championship team a year earlier, Connolly wasn't as impressed with achieving his individual success.

"It was a good thing to do," Connolly said, "but it was kind of bittersweet because we didn't make the playoffs."

That is first and foremost in the minds of Connolly and Stull, who are hoping to erase the memories of last season's disappointments, along with some WPIAL records, when they put on the pads this fall.

"That puts us up on a stand," Connolly said. "When you think Class AA, you think of Seton-La Salle up there with powerhouses like Aliquippa and Washington."

They know that word is traveling fast, flowing along the rivers. From the Mon to the Mississippi and back.

Building on a legacy

Quarterback Bill Stull and receiver Carmen Connolly are eyeing another record-setting season at Seton-La Salle, which has boasted the WPIAL passing and receiving leaders three times in the past four years:

Passing

Player - Year - Yards

Bill Stull - 2003 - 2,262

Anthony Doria - 2002 - 2,892

Bruce Gradkowski - 2000 - 2,978*

Receiving

Player - Year - Catches

Carmen Connolly - 2003 - 85*

Mike Caputo - 2002 - 71

R.J. Soeder - 2000 - 84

* -- indicates WPIAL record

[starBUCKS]

I really hope this kid gets an offer. He seems like a great fit, wants to be a Buckeye and a pretty solid passer.

[CleveBucks]

That Connolly kid had some sick catches on Stull's highlight tapes.

I still say Stull has more upside than just about any QB we've got a shot at. Give him a couple years behind Zwick and he could be a good one.

Notice the article says he was the top QB at the OSU Nike camp. I thought Schoenhoft was? I'd take Stull anyday. Interesting that Ole Miss, mich, MSU, Tennessee, and Wisconsin have been in to see Stull. His stock continues to rise.

[LordJeffBuck]

I just watched the Rivals vidclips of Stull, and have the following comments:

1. He sets up well in the pocket, even on three-step drops, and does not get happy feet. He has a classic delivery from the pocket, with good balance and weight transference.

2. When he has to roll out, he has excellent quickness, and can throw well on the run; however, he is not a dual-threat QB.

3. He has only average arm strength, but good touch and anticipation on his throws.

4. He is small.

5. He plays at a small school (AA).

6. All in all, he reminds me of Doug Flutie, in that he is a small, mobile, heady QB who can throw equally well from the pocket or on the run.

I also watched the tapes of two other QB prospects whom OSU may be pursuing, Gene Delle Donne and Rob Schoenhoft. Both Delle Donne and Schoenhoft have more of a classic QB build (approx. 6'5", 225), but that is where the similarity ends. Delle Donne has an unusual delivery - he sort of hops when he throws, making him appear off-balance with his weight too far forward. His delivery works on the "touch" passes (which he seems to prefer), but seems to prevent him from delivering passes with a lot of zip. He is surprisingly mobile, and can throw from the run. On the other hand, Schoenhoft seems to be the classic "gunner", with a very strong arm and a prototype delivery. He can really wing it. He has decent mobility, but is definitely more of a pocket passer. However, his pocket presence is not quite as good as Stull's, and his feet seem slightly "happy" on occasion. Clearly, being from St. X, he plays against great competition in high school.

I couldn't discern from the tapes what "intangibles" each QB may possess.

To date, none of the three has an offer from Ohio State; Stull and Delle Donne seem high on OSU, but Schoenhoft likes Michigan, and may not even camp at OSU this summer. It will be interesting to see whether any of the three ends up at OSU (and OSU could certainly use one or more of them).

I would be interested in your thoughts on these QB prospects.

[wdg01]

LordJeffbuck,

You may want to check out Jake Christensen's videos too. The Bucks may be interested in him as well

[LordJeffBuck]

Thanks, wdg, I'll take a look.

[Buckskin86]

according to Insiders- premium Stull received his 8th offer from Wisky

The Stull's are listing Mississippi as a slight favorite over tOSU and others- maybe he is not getting much attention from tOSU???

Hopefully he still camps with us

[LordJeffBuck]

Stull as the next Eli? Doubtful - when OSU starts showing some love, Stull should come around. He needs to be in camp, though....