DL John Simon (official thread)

[Oneshot]

Originally Posted by sandgk

I don't know it "looks" like it is possible



Dude has some serious man-child thing going on.

That ain't the body of a defensive tackle.

He looks like he could be a linebacker... Hell, he could be a terminator.

[Buckskin86]

Cardinal Mooney?s John Simon picks Ohio State

Published:Friday, December 28, 2007

By Joe Scalzo (Contact)

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN ? Mooney junior defensive lineman John Simon wasn?t planning to commit to a college so soon, but when he visited Ohio State during a bowl game practice a few weeks ago, he knew he?d found a home.

?There?s a lot of great schools out there,? said Simon, who verbally committed to Ohio State on Wednesday night. ?Ohio State really stuck out. I saw how they got out in the community and helped out and how hard they trained.

?I decided to wait two weeks and my feelings didn?t change, so I said, ?Why wait any longer???

Mooney defensive coordinator Ron Stoops said Simon’s strength and work ethic help separate him from other players.

“He’s just a phenomenal athlete,” said Stoops. “He’s built like a rock. If you saw him without his shirt on doing ab exercises, he’s built like a running back or a linebacker. He’s a freak to be in as good of shape as he is.

“He’s got what college coaches refer to as a great motor. He’s always running hard, playing hard and chasing guys down from behind. Those are things you can’t always coach and it’s a great asset to have on the defensive line.”

?We?re excited he?s going down to Ohio State,? said Fecko. ?He?s going to be close enough that we can watch him closely. Obviously, Coach Tressel does a good job with all the student athletes there, getting the most of out of them on the field and paying close attention to make sure everything is going right off the field.?

Cardinal Mooney’s John Simon picks Ohio State

[JCOSU86]

Congrats, John. Welcome to the Buckeye family.

[wadc45]

Rivals $

12/27

Film from the game against Coldwater.

[RB07OSU]

ScoutingOhio:

Junior film. Great leverage, EXTREMELY strong, great athleticism, good closing speed, and good first step (but it can improve). He is a great specimen and I see John as a DT all the way with his use of leverage. He is extremely effective inside and gets great penetration. Top player in Ohio for '09 and again, a 5 star prospect.

[WayneWoodrow]

Originally Posted by wadc45

Rivals $

12/27

Film from the game against Coldwater.

Wad, maybe it's just me but I think Simon plays way too high. Yes he is strong and quick, but I didn't see him get any penetration whatsoever off the snap in this film. When he got into the backfield, it was due to using his quickness. I do agree though that combined with his strength, if he stayed low off the snap, he would be even more devastating.

Maybe Grad can give more insight and tell me if I'm just crazy.

[wadc45]

I wouldn't disagree with that...especially when comparing Simon's film to Goebel's film...my reaction was more to his combination of size, strength and speed. But it's obvious he has room for improvement one of Johnny best attributes is his desire to constantly better himself...

Agreed, 21 is the expert when it comes to film review...

[osugrad21]

Originally Posted by WayneWoodrow

Wad, maybe it's just me but I think Simon plays way too high. Yes he is strong and quick, but I didn't see him get any penetration whatsoever off the snap in this film. When he got into the backfield, it was due to using his quickness. I do agree though that combined with his strength, if he stayed low off the snap, he would be even more devastating.

Maybe Grad can give more insight and tell me if I'm just crazy.

Originally Posted by wadc45

Rivals $

12/27

Film from the game against Coldwater.

Originally Posted by RB07OSU

ScoutingOhio:

Junior film. Great leverage, EXTREMELY strong, great athleticism, good closing speed, and good first step (but it can improve). He is a great specimen and I see John as a DT all the way with his use of leverage. He is extremely effective inside and gets great penetration. Top player in Ohio for '09 and again, a 5 star prospect.

Originally Posted by wadc45

I wouldn't disagree with that...especially when comparing Simon's film to Goebel's film...my reaction was more to his combination of size, strength and speed. But it's obvious he has room for improvement one of Johnny best attributes is his desire to constantly better himself...

I think everything posted above is true at one point or another in those films. Johnny's potential is tremendous...but he is a long way from being "polished" enough for the college game. However, he is a pup yet...and there is usually a substantial jump in technique during going into the senior year.

All of his major positives have been covered...so I won't reiterate those. What I see that needs to be worked is his extension...he drives through the smaller OL instead of shooting those hands for separation and control. Also, his lateral movement needs some work...its adequate right now, but the great ones are smoother in transition...they explode out of the change. Johnny acknowledged he will be working on his quickness in his last update so I imagine this has been said to him already.

He is a tremendous HS player and potentially a great college player. I look forward to seeing how he improves going into his senior year.

[bucksdomination]

With all these '09 recruits rolling in, and referencing possible improvments in Johnny's technique and ability....

What are the regulations for allowing HS players to attend practices/get instruction from our coaching staff.

Would it simply be an issue of tOSU legal liability (which could easily be handled via waivers and permission forms), OR are their defined regulations from the NCAA as to how involved HS players can be in off-season training and instruction?

Similarly, is it safe to assume that Eric Lichter will contact Simon (and all our '09 recruits) and inform them of the tOSU S & C program, or would he keep that a secret UNTIL the student signs the LOI?

Just thinking that if you could address some issues EARLIER (i.e. SR. year), Simon and all of our recruits would be that much further ahead when they step foot on campus.

Just not sure if these things would constitute NCAA violations. Would the parameters (via the NCAA) change when the student signs the LOI, or does the staff have to wait until the student is officially enrolled and on campus before sharing information?

Thanks.

[osugrad21]

Originally Posted by bucksdomination

With all these '09 recruits rolling in, and referencing possible improvments in Johnny's technique and ability....

What are the regulations for allowing HS players to attend practices/get instruction from our coaching staff.

Would it simply be an issue of tOSU legal liability (which could easily be handled via waivers and permission forms), OR are their defined regulations from the NCAA as to how involved HS players can be in off-season training and instruction?

Similarly, is it safe to assume that Eric Lichter will contact Simon (and all our '09 recruits) and inform them of the tOSU S & C program, or would he keep that a secret UNTIL the student signs the LOI?

Just thinking that if you could address some issues EARLIER (i.e. SR. year), Simon and all of our recruits would be that much further ahead when they step foot on campus.

Just not sure if these things would constitute NCAA violations. Would the parameters (via the NCAA) change when the student signs the LOI, or does the staff have to wait until the student is officially enrolled and on campus before sharing information?

Hands-on coaching is limited to camp...Im sure there is a gray area for some very vanilla advice, but beyond the NCAA regulations (which honestly Im not sure on specifics), it wouldnt be a good idea to start molding the kid while he is in someone else's system.

Most HS seniors who are committed can/do receive a workout plan for the particular phase of the lifting/conditioning program.

[RB07OSU]

"Good first step" is somewhat questionable...he has the athleticism and tools but he needs some work on technique of course as grad said. He just has all the tools to do it all and the technique will come. I think his natural position is DT and when he plays there, it seems he uses his leverage and first step so much better. He just looks a bit hesitant at DE and he just seems more comfortable at DT, which is where I see him creating more penetration.

[OSUBucks22]

I'm a little late to the party here, but welcome to the family John!

[daddyphatsacs]

Great snag, welcome aboard!

As far as what I saw in the last Rivals film........the kid is just scratching the surface for what he can be. From what I saw he needs to utilize his strength at the LOS a bit more, he seems too interested in playing hand tag at times. For a guy with his athleticism and speed, he can simply overpower people and make plays. The best way for a DL to make life hell on the offensive side of the ball is to simply blow them up at the LOS. I have confidence that he can do this, but he is a long way away from being an immediate impact player.

[mendensa]

Boy, I leave town for a week and the Bucks are piling on committments for 09' already. Those strength numbers are off the charts. @ 4.7, he's moving too at 265. Get him to columbus and w/ the S&C guys and he will be wrecking havoc in every opponents backfield for the next 3-4 years. Great early get. Love to get a stud cornerstone to the class this early in the recruiting process.

[bucklifer]

He doesn't seem to have a lot of beast to me. Honestly, I like the film I've seen on Whitner more.

It's a little troubling that a HS kid with all that size (which is odd) can't push people around. I see him as being a solid contributor and perhaps eventually as a starter. However, I don't think he is going to be a dominant force at the tackle position.