'06 IN LB A.J. Edds (Iowa signee)

[gobucks19]

Originally Posted by madvillebuck

Source? Tough.

Gary H talked to him this afternoon. OSU will not offer at this time.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com

6/29/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Edds' Best Effort At OSU Camp Didn't Net An Offer

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A.J. Edds

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Gary Housteau
Date: Jun 29, 2005

Indiana linebacker A.J. Edds thought he might have performed well enough during camp at Ohio State to earn an offer but that wasn't the case. He found out Monday evening however that OSU would not be offering him a scholarship, at least for now. What other schools are still on his Edds' short list?
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<HR>When A.J. Edds of Greenwood Community High School and Greenwood, IN left Ohio State after participating in their one-day senior camp last Saturday, he felt pretty good about both his performance there and his possible chances to get offered a football scholarship.

On Monday evening, Edds got in contact with the OSU coaching staff.



“They did not offer me a scholarship. I had felt like they might offer but I wasn’t sure and as it turns out they did not,” Edds said by telephone on Monday evening. “It does not totally remove Ohio State from my list but obviously they won’t be one of my top schools. Right now all of the schools on my short list have all offered me a scholarship.”

Currently Edds boasts offers from Boston College, Stanford, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Illinois, Purdue and Iowa. Out of those nine offers on the table, Iowa, Purdue and Georgia Tech are the three schools that are on his short list at this.

Edds came to Ohio State’s camp with high expectations and he gave it his best effort but, at least for now, it didn’t work out.

“My mind set going in was to go out there and hustle through every drill and make sure you finish through the line and do the little things that kind of catch the coaches eye,” he said. “And then knowing it was going to be a long day, with the huge number of kids at the kids at the camp, I wanted to make sure I upheld that effort at the end when guys are dogging it a little bit. I just tried to do anything I could to try to catch the coaches eye and try to spark the level of interest there.

“I think I pretty much fulfilled everything that I told myself that I wanted to do. I performed pretty well in the drills and I tried to be really coachable and grasp what they would tell me and try to implement that the next time I would go through the same drill. So I think I did pretty well all in all. I think I performed just as well at Ohio State as I did at some of the other places.” <HR>


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Notre Dame, a school that Edds hasn’t camped at, is conspicuously absent from his list right now. Being from Indiana, Edds admittedly was very high on the Irish program at one point.

“Growing up, I think that every kid is a Notre Dame fan because of the heritage and the history and the tradition that goes along with it,” Edds said. “Initially, heading into my junior year before Coach Willingham was fired they were recruiting me as hard as anybody at that point. And then as the new staff came in they sort of wiped the slated clean and started anew. I was obviously still being recruited but I never felt that the level of recruitment from Notre Dame was ever quite the same as an Ohio State or a Purdue or an Iowa or some of the schools that are pretty serious about me or some of the schools that offered me.”

But Edds hasn’t officially eliminated Notre Dame from consideration at this point.

“I would say if anything would happen and there would be an offer, then there might be a spark of interest,” he said. “But a really important thing for me is being in the right fit and having the right feel for everything, and under the new staff at Notre Dame they’ve never expressed a big interest in me and I just felt like the recruitment was not quite there.

“So I wouldn’t say the door is totally closed (with ND) but the likelihood that they’ll be in the top four of five real quick is not real good if there would not be an immediate offer. By the start of football season I want to have it down to two or three and if somebody comes in and offers late like that, I don’t see there being a great possibility for them to get on to my short list.”

Wherever he does go, Edds knows that he’ll have to add some bulk to his rangy 6-4, 217 pound frame before he’s likely to earn some major playing time.

“All the schools that I have on my list all have great players and they’re all going to have great players. I realize, especially at linebacker, you can’t come in and play as a freshman unless you’re just one of the best in the country, one of thee best, especially physically,” he said. “You just can’t come in and physically be ready to play as a linebacker in your freshman year unless you pack on the pounds a little bit and get a little stronger. I realize that I’m not going to be able to play real early anywhere I go at the linebacker position.”

A three-year starter in high school already, Edds started out on the outside at linebacker and eventually moved into the middle on defense.

“My whole freshman year I played outside linebacker and half of my sophomore year I played outside,” Edds said. “Our inside guy went down with a bad knee about half way through that season and they moved me to inside. I really didn’t have any idea what I was doing initially, I just kind of flew to the ball. And in my junior year I played all inside and I had a better awareness and a better feeling of how to play the position last year.”

And at the college level, the versatile Edds, who also plays varsity basketball and competes in both of the hurdle events and runs in the 4X100 and 4X400 in track, thinks he’ll eventually grow into a Mike linebacker but he may just have to start out on the outside at the Sam linebacker position, if he indeed plays on the defensive side of the ball.

“Some schools are recruiting me as a tight end because of the way they use their tight ends and split them out almost like a slot guy and I catch the ball pretty well. For my size and my speed, I catch the ball and get up the field pretty well,” said Edds who caught 29 passes for 550 yards last season. “But I’m going to be an outside backer, I’ll be a Sam linebacker at the next level, if I go to a school that is recruiting me as a linebacker. Eventually I’ll get up to 230 and pack the strength on and, from what they’re telling me, inside backer is definitely in my future. And some people have even said that I might grow into a defensive end. So I’ll start on the outside at linebacker and see where the speed and the power and the strength take me from there.”

And to add to his overall appeal, Edds has been a long-snapper since the very beginning of his freshman year.

“Being a long-snapper has definitely boosted my recruitment, a lot of coaches don’t even realize that when I talk to them on the phone,” Edds said. “When I tell them I also long-snap that kind of catches a few of them off guard.”

But Edds tells all those same recruiters the same thing when they ask him at what position he projects himself to play in. “I’ll play whatever they would be needing me to play, in the class that I would be recruited in,” he said. “But it’ll probably be on defense at linebacker.” Edds, who would like to have his decision made by the middle of the season, has a 3.8 GPA and scored 1190 on the old SAT.


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[LordJeffBuck]

It sounds like AJ is close to an OSU offer, but that there are too many prospects ahead of him right now. JT has offered quite a few kids late in the process (like Donald Washington III and Brian Robiskie last season), so if AJ hangs in long enough, he might get a Buckeye offer as well.

He sounds like a great kid and an excellent student.

[JohnnyCockfight]

Maybe it's because I'm a big dork--I would have a hard time turning down a scholarship offer at Stanford if I were these kids.

[LordJeffBuck]

AJ's top three are Georgia Tech, Iowa, and Purdue (all offered); he likes Ohio State, but the Bucks have yet to offer. He doesn't want to rush into a decision.

Bill Kurelic - 07/10/05

Personal take: Even with several good offers on the table, and without an Ohio State offer, AJ is still high on the Bucks. If AJ doesn't verbal to another school in the near future, then he is probably close to receiving an offer from the Bucks, and the staff is telling him to wait on a few other kids.

[LordJeffBuck]

Iowa (offered) leads slightly over Purdue (offered), Georgia Tech (offered), Ohio State (not offered), and Notre Dame (not offered); Ohio State is waiting on AJ's senior year films.

Scout - Allen Wallace - 07/13/05

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

rivals.com$

7/21/05

Edds will be visiting Iowa later this month. His top three schools are Iowa, Purdue, and Georgia Tech. Iowa is the leader.

[wadc45]

While Iowa may not get the top talent in the country (although they certainly cleaned house last recruiting year), Ferentz is able to land guys like Edds who I think have a chance to go on to be great college football players. They may not be the kind of kids that are going to be playing on Sundays, but they are the kind of kids that can help you win Big 10 championships. I'm surprised Iowa hasn't gone after Becker as well...he and Edds would be a nice 1-2 on the inside and out.

[wadc45]

Rivals has rated A.J. as 3-stars.

[wadc45]

Free Rivals

8/17/05

From Rivals.com...A.J. is rated the #21 inside linebacker in the country.

[osugrad21]

Indy Star

8/21

Got it all: Greenwood linebacker-tight end A.J. Edds is rated the top senior player in the Indianapolis area by one scouting service, whose analyst said, "We like his size, his length, his speed and game savvy."

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL BEGINS TONIGHT
Just call him scholar-athlete
Educator parents have influenced top player

A.J. Edds file

• School: Senior at Greenwood High School

• Age: 17

• Family: parents David and Anne; brother Nick. Mother is youngest of 13, so extended family includes more than two dozen aunts and uncles and more than 100 cousins.

• Family football ties: Father played from 1969-72 at Indiana University; one uncle played at Illinois, two played at Indiana State and another played at Western Kentucky. Cousins Ben and Chris Schmidt play at Indiana State; cousin Luke Schmidt, a Jasper senior, is a Notre Dame recruit. "For Christmas and Thanksgiving get-togethers, there always is football talk and football watching. It's a cornerstone for us and the focus of conversation, at least for a while."

• Favorite subject: American history. "My dad was a history teacher, and every time we'd go on vacation we were always stopping at a battlefield or historic site or something. When I was little, I was like, 'Why are they dragging me to these places?' But as I've grown up and become more aware of everything our country has gone through and been influenced by, it has a more significant meaning to me."


By Pat McKee
pat.mckee@indystar.com


GREENWOOD, Ind. -- Greenwood High School football standout A.J. Edds is regarded as one of the top players in Indiana.

He's equally impressive off the field.

The 17-year-old aspiring lawyer and history buff carries a 3.9 grade-point average and is active in student council, National Honor Society community service projects and an Ambassadors group that offers new student orientation.

"As much as I love football, and it's something that's always been a cornerstone in our family, my parents have reminded me that I need to be a well-rounded person and not just a 'jock' or a 'meathead,' " Edds said. "If my grades weren't what they are, I might not be receiving the recruiting attention that I am."

A 6-4, 220-pound linebacker-tight end, Edds (pronounced "eeds") has narrowed his list of college choices to Iowa and Purdue. He is the highest-rated Indianapolis-area senior prospect by rivals.com as the 2005 regular season commences tonight.

"We're extremely proud of A.J., proud because his talents go beyond football," said Edds' father, David, who played football at Indiana University and was a coach before entering school administration; he is now superintendent of Greenwood schools.

"Education is what we do (A.J.'s mother Anne is a guidance counselor at Columbus East High School), so we wanted him to realize no matter how good he was as a football player, if he wasn't ready academically, it wouldn't mean anything after high school."

Edds, whose given name is Andrew James, has been a varsity starter since his freshman year. He emerged as a star as a sophomore following a game in which he set school records for solo and assisted tackles. Edds now holds Greenwood career records for solo (194) and total tackles (285).

"He's a can't-miss guy," said Woodmen coach Rick Wimmer, who previously was coach at Zionsville and Merrillville. "With his size and speed and athletic ability, (colleges) have shown interest in him as a linebacker, tight end or H-back or fullback. Then with his grades, he's the total package."

Mike Farrell, a national recruiting analyst for rivals.com, agreed. His service rates Edds as the No. 4 player in Indiana, behind only Notre Dame-bound running back James Aldridge of Merrillville, Michigan recruit Steve Brown of Columbus East and Edds' first cousin, Notre Dame-bound running back Luke Schmidt of Jasper.

"He's a smart player, and that jumps out on film," Farrell said of Edds, who had 70 solos, 69 assists, three sacks and four interceptions to go along with 26 catches, 544 yards and four touchdowns as a junior. "We like his size, his length, his speed and game savvy. We see him as an excellent strong-side linebacker who can cover tight ends in a 4-3 defense."

Edds, who lived in Columbus through the eighth grade and would have attended Columbus East if the family hadn't moved, credits his success to an early start in the game, inherited ability, hard work and good teammates.

"My brother played at Columbus East and you generally had to be in the fourth grade to start playing in the youth organization, but I started as a second grader because I was bigger for my age and they thought letting me play wouldn't be a big deal," Edds said. "Plus, my dad was an assistant coach.

"From there, I knew I had to work hard just to be able to keep up with the older kids. And while I've always been successful through middle school and early high school, I've continued with that mind-set. My dad has always told me, 'You can be as good as you want to be playing football as long as you keep working.' "

David Edds said he could tell that A.J. had the potential to be a special player from the year he began playing.

"I saw in the second grade that A.J. had talent, so we've tried to nurture him along the way," David Edds said. "All the way up, we've made decisions with the idea of preparing him to be a college football player, both athletically and academically, and he's responded."

With college football now a virtual certainty, Edds, who plans to major in business or management and later seek a law degree, has considered the possibility of someday playing in the NFL.

"I'm not saying I can go to the NFL after college, because just a select few make that," he said. "If you look at the positions I play, tight end and linebacker, those guys are almost freaks of nature. But if you can shoot to put yourself in position to have that possibility, that will just make me a more successful college player.

"And if I can continue with the same mind-set and ideals, that if you work hard and do what your coaches ask of you, just like my dad told me in middle school, I hope the possibilities are endless."

50 to watch


The Indianapolis area's best football players, determined by The Star's high school reporters after a survey of area coaches:

Rk. Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Yr.
1. LB-TE A.J. Edds Greenwood 6-4 220 Sr.
2. LB Andre Hatchett Warren Central 5-11 202 Sr.
3. DL Greg Middleton Pike 6-4 258 Sr.
4. FB Darren Evans Warren Central 6-1 210 Jr.
5. OT Cody Faulkner Hamilton Heights 6-5 300 Sr.
6. QB Dexter Taylor Warren Central 5-10 180 Sr.
7. C Jason Onyebuagu Warren Central 6-2 305 Sr.
8. WR Dana Harrell North Central 5-9 165 Sr.
9. RB Mario Swope Brebeuf Jesuit 5-11 185 Sr.
10. DB-P Jerimy Finch Warren Central 6-2 207 Jr.
11. WR Tyran Fakes Plainfield 6-4 199 Sr.
12. WR-DB Stephen Geller Avon 6-2 165 Sr.
13. QB Kyle Foster Cascade 6-4 210 Sr.
14. LB Cordale Williams Lawrence North 6-3 250 Sr.
15. DE J.D. Buckingham Center Grove 6-2 250 Sr.
16. DT Mike Peterson Cathedral 6-5 285 Sr.
17. LB Will Patterson Lawrence North 6-0 215 Sr.
18. LB Marcus Blakey Ben Davis 6-1 205 Sr.
19. QB-LB Tyler Haston Avon 6-3 200 Sr.
20. DB James Nussbaum Center Grove 6-2 205 Sr.
21. RB William Stubbs Cathedral 6-0 200 Jr.
22. RB-P Tanner Pickett Hamilton Heights 5-10 180 Sr.
23. QB Eric Golliday Southport 5-10 185 Sr.
24. RB Joe Holland Bishop Chatard 6-3 190 Jr.
25. WR-DB Chris Schweigel Sheridan 6-4 180 Sr.
26. RB-K Keenan Hampton Northwest 5-9 170 Sr.
27. WR-DB Chris Rutherford Tri-West 6-3 195 Sr.
28. QB Matt Rogers Indian Creek 6-2 184 Sr.
29. WR Jasmond Jones Broad Ripple 5-10 165 Sr.
30. OG Patrick Dalton Carmel 6-2 305 Sr.
31. LB Billy Perry Roncalli 6-2 215 Sr.
32. QB Tyler Bruce Tri-West 6-2 185 Jr.
33. DB Ben Gomes Ben Davis 5-9 165 Jr.
34. WR Antwain Weeden Arlington 6-2 185 Sr.
35. RB J.T. Owens Lawrence North 5-10 170 Sr.
36. RB-DB Kevin Ford Speedway 5-10 175 Sr.
37. QB Spud Dick Lawrence Central 5-10 185 Sr.
38. FB-LB Paul Strack Perry Meridian 5-11 185 Sr.
39. DB Darius Middlebrooks North Central 6-0 180 Sr.
40. OL-DL James Douglas Shelbyville 6-5 230 Sr.
41. OG Jordan Knudsen Ben Davis 6-2 220 Sr.
42. RB Kirk Cahill Roncalli 6-1 182 Jr.
43. RB Angelo Pappas Zionsville 5-8 177 Jr.
44. OG-DT Kreg Hunter Lebanon 6-4 290 Jr.
45. K-P Chris Summers Hamilton SE 6-1 170 Sr.
46. WR Adrien Robinson Warren Central 6-5 222 Jr.
47. WR-P John Baldwin Lawrence Central 6-4 190 Sr.
48. QB-DB Nick Purichia Ritter 5-10 165 Jr.
49. C-LB Matt Whyde Mount Vernon 6-3 235 Sr.
50. QB-P Mark Titus Brownsburg 6-4 195 Sr.


Call Star reporter Pat McKee at (317) 444-6182.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

rivals.com$

8/25/05

Iowa, Purdue and Georgia Tech are his final three schools. Iowa holds a slight lead at this point.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com (free)

10/11/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Four-Star Edds Picks Iowa

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Edds is the newest Hawkeye!

</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Chris Pool
Midwest Recruiting Analyst
Date: Oct 10, 2005

A.J. Edds, the No. 29 ranked prospect, in the Midwest, according to Scout.com, is expected to give Iowa his verbal commitment today. The 6-foot-4, 217-pound, linebacker/tight end, from Greenwood, Ind., will make things official during a press conference at his high school.
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“I found the right fit in the University of Iowa,” A.J. Edds said.

“I wanted to go to a place where I felt that I could set myself up to be the most successful and Iowa is that place.

“I’ve been to Iowa several times and I just feel comfortable with the program, the school and the coaches. I firmly believe that the Iowa coaches take an interest in everyone on the team outside the game, not just on the football field.

“Coach Ferentz told me I’m being recruited as a tight end but I’ve also been told that the defensive coaches want me on that side of the ball as well. I’ve been told that I could also end up at linebacker or even defensive end.

“I’ve never seen myself as a tight end until Iowa and Nebraska both offered me to play that position but I play tight end in high school and if that’s what Iowa wants me to play, so be it. Iowa has done a great job at producing top tight ends.”

Edds chose Iowa over Purdue. A.J. told Scout.com that he plans on taking his Iowa official visit in December.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>