'10 IL WR Kyle Prater (USC Verbal)

[FF08]

8-27 to 10-19 his reported weight goes up 10 pounds. He's 16-17 years old at that time. He's going to grow and add weight. If he can maintain the speed and leaping ability at 220 then you could find a role for him at wr. I don't see him as a traditional blocking TE, but I believe you run the risk of him growing out of one position without growing into another. If you run an H-back in the style of FL he's a good choice. If you don't, you get a slightly taller version of tsun's Greg Mathews IMO.

[Tresselbeliever]

Stoneburner is taller and a lot faster. I'm sure he'd be a pretty good weapon for someone but imo he's a poor man version of Jeff Cumberland. Julio Jones? not even close.

[Buckeyecty4]

Originally Posted by FF08

Looks

like a kid that will grow into a TE. I wouldn't offer as a WR.

Wow are you serious? He may not be Julio Jones, but he's one of the best WRs in the 2010 class

[FF08]

Originally Posted by Buckeyecty4

Wow are you serious? He may not be Julio Jones, but he's one of the best WRs in the 2010 class

Absolutely. The more I watch his video the more I understand why he doesn't have an offer list like Tai-ler Jones. It's not all speed. He's good at jump balls and that's how he was used. I looks most of his production came against about 3 teams, and one of them had a secondary that was not only inept (Failing to go out and cover him on the goal line.) but played with body language that indicated they were afraid of his size. He doesn't seem able to maintain his speed while cutting. OSU is probably going to take one or two WR's this year. I like what I saw of Tyrone Williams better, and I think he will grow into more of a hybrid/H-back. Justin Hunter is a better WR prospect IMO.

At this stage of the game WR U needs to concentrate on the high high end of the receiver pool and let scUM get commits from the Jeremy Jacksons. If Prater had some clips of him blowing kids up with blocks like Duron Carter I might have a different opinion. I look at Prater's frame and think he's going to grow into a tweener.

I'd actually like to see OSU concentrate on corners and convert them like they did with Ginn and Gonzales. That seemed to work out pretty good.

[Sportsbuck28]

Originally Posted by FF08

Absolutely. The more I watch his video the more I understand why he doesn't have an offer list like Tai-ler Jones. It's not all speed. He's good at jump balls and that's how he was used. I looks most of his production came against about 3 teams, and one of them had a secondary that was not only inept (Failing to go out and cover him on the goal line.) but played with body language that indicated they were afraid of his size. He doesn't seem able to maintain his speed while cutting. OSU is probably going to take one or two WR's this year. I like what I saw of Tyrone Williams better, and I think he will grow into more of a hybrid/H-back. Justin Hunter is a better WR prospect IMO.

At this stage of the game WR U needs to concentrate on the high high end of the receiver pool and let scUM get commits from the Jeremy Jacksons. If Prater had some clips of him blowing kids up with blocks like Duron Carter I might have a different opinion. I look at Prater's frame and think he's going to grow into a tweener.

I'd actually like to see OSU concentrate on corners and convert them like they did with Ginn and Gonzales. That seemed to work out pretty good.

The majority of the nation disagrees, the kid dominated the AA combine if you want proof him going up against elite competition.
TheWolverine.com - U.S. Army National All-Combine Team: Offense

Prater was named Rivals.com's most outstanding performer in the combine. He has excellent height, hands and body control. He also had a beautiful catch when he ran a comeback route in which he went up and snatched the ball away from the defensive back while keeping his feet in bounds.

No '10 WR in Ohio can touch him IMO.

[billmac91]

His ability to pinpoint the ball is all I need to see....kid is going to be a good one with that size, timing, and coordination.

[osugrad21]

Rivals$ (Arkansas)

Kyle says he has over 20 offers and the Razorbacks are a program on the rise.

[DontHateOState]

Originally Posted by Sportsbuck28

The majority of the nation disagrees, the kid dominated the AA combine if you want proof him going up against elite competition.
TheWolverine.com - U.S. Army National All-Combine Team: Offense


No '10 WR in Ohio can touch him IMO.

Not that I disagree with the Ohio receiver comment, but these combines are built for receivers like Prater. One on one where his jumping ability and size allows him to out-athletic most others.

Stoneburner dominated combines like these as well, yet he is getting ready to be a flex-TE here. If you're going to bring Prater in then you also need to bring in someone with jets for balance.

[Buckeyecty4]

Originally Posted by DontHateOState

Stoneburner dominated combines like these as well, yet he is getting ready to be a flex-TE here. If you're going to bring Prater in then you also need to bring in someone with jets for balance.

Not really. The whole "we need a speed guy to stretch the field" thing is overrated. Pretty sure the Arizona Cardinals proved that theory wrong this year. Big guys with great ball skills make speed irrelevant.

[ryan20]

Originally Posted by Buckeyecty4

Not really. The whole "we need a speed guy to stretch the field" thing is overrated. Pretty sure the Arizona Cardinals proved that theory wrong this year. Big guys with great ball skills make speed irrelevant.

Larry Fitzgerald was clocked in between 4.46 - 4.48 which isnt exactly slow.

I will give you Boldin who ran a 4.71.

Breaston ran a 4.41

[wadc45]

Rivals $

3/9

By EdgyTim...picked up offers from Virginia and Cal and says he will attend a 7-on-7 at OSU later this month...says Tennessee and Alabama might be close to offering and is considering checking out spring practices at Michigan and Ohio State and some other Big 10 schools.

[DontHateOState]

Originally Posted by Buckeyecty4

Not really. The whole "we need a speed guy to stretch the field" thing is overrated. Pretty sure the Arizona Cardinals proved that theory wrong this year. Big guys with great ball skills make speed irrelevant.

Fitzgerald and Breaston are fast. Breaston has jets, Fitzgerald is fast for his size.

You simply can't play with the same type of receiver at every position. How would our offense be if we had a bunch of 4.9 guys who were really tall? How versatile would that be?

[Buckeyecty4]

Originally Posted by DontHateOState

Fitzgerald and Breaston are fast. Breaston has jets, Fitzgerald is fast for his size.

You simply can't play with the same type of receiver at every position. How would our offense be if we had a bunch of 4.9 guys who were really tall? How versatile would that be?

Originally Posted by DontHateOState

Fitzgerald and Breaston are fast. Breaston has jets, Fitzgerald is fast for his size.

You simply can't play with the same type of receiver at every position. How would our offense be if we had a bunch of 4.9 guys who were really tall? How versatile would that be?

You are taking it to the extreme.

My point is that the need to have all these different types of WRs is overrated.. I'll have no issue with my team if they lined up Jake Stoneburner, Kyle Prater, and Duron Carter at WR... There isn't a true burner to stretch the field in that group..

Bottomline if you have size, hands, route running ability, and ball skills you are just as deadly as 4.3 guy in your ability to stretch the field.

[wadc45]

Midwest Recruiting Blog - ESPN

Prater to attend Nike Camp at Illinois

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Posted by Bill Kurelic

Wide receiver Kyle Prater (Hillside, Ill./Proviso West) is one of the top prospects in the Midwest. He is being recruited by schools all over the country and has close to two dozen scholarship offers.

The 6-foot-4 and 205-pound Prater moved into the starting lineup at the beginning of his sophomore season. He caught close to 25 passes and scored twice that season.

Prater caught 60 passes for 948 yards his junior season. He averaged 15.8 yards per catch and scored nine times.

Prater's scholarship offer includes Illinois, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Penn State, Michigan, Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Purdue, Kansas, Nebraska, Cal and Vanderbilt.

In addition to the schools that have offered, Prater said he is also interested in Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

"At this point I don't really have any favorites," Prater said. "I might have a Top 10 in May."

Prater hopes to attend spring games at Illinois and Penn State. He also wants to check out Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Purdue, Arkansas and some SEC schools.

Prater and two of his teammates, wide receiver Julius Shelby and defensive back Darryl Johnson, plan to attend the Nike Camp at Illinois June 6. Shelby and Johnson are drawing interest from some of the same schools as Prater.

[wadc45]

Scout $ - New Offers and Visits For Prater

3/18

By Trieu...has added offers from Oklahoma, Tulsa and Iowa State...plans to visit Illinois, Iowa and Ohio State...also wants to check out several SEC schools...still considering all schools.