Let's look back at McCallister's evaluations for the Ohio guys coming out of high school a few years back...I think they're very good. He can't predict grade and criminal issues, so those are a push. The calls on Sims, D'Andrea, and Gonzo are telling. Also, calling Burgess the best defensive lineman in the state was bold--too bad Burgess was deadset on playing safety (what Michigan assured him he would play).
http://the-ozone.net/recruiting/03analysis_2.htm
John McCallister runs The McCallister Scouting Report, a scouting service he provides not to recruiting enthusiasts, but to recruiting coordinators across the country. McCallister makes his living by evaluating Ohio talent and selling his evaluations to recruiting coordinators at various universities.
McCallister shuns making his evaluations public, but in our experience he's good, very good. How good is he? Last year he told us (with the understanding that we wouldn't publish it) that Rob Sims was the best offensive lineman in the state, that Mike D'Andrea would have a lot to learn at linebacker, and that Justin Zwick and Doug Datish would most likely redshirt. He told us all that in July. Pretty much he hit it all on the head.
McCallister sent us his evaluations this year as well, with a note that said "Please respect my privacy on this." We've done so, but yesterday we talked to him, and here is what he had to say about some of the Ohio players we've covered in Part I and so far in Part II.
In the speed category, McCallister called Donte Whitner "simply the best football player in Ohio." McCallister ranked Curt Lukens the second-best DB in Ohio, but added that the strong safety candidate could easily grow into an OLB at the college level, much in the mold of Cie Grant, and added that Lukens has what he calls "special toughness."
OSU defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio agreed completely with McCallister on Whitner.
"I've been recruiting Ohio for eight years, and I think Donte Whitner is maybe the best defensive, the total package, that I've seen come out of the state as a high school player," said Dantonio.
"He's very much about business. I've been very favorably impressed with his attitude. He comes in and watches film, does all those kind of things to try and establish himself here as a young player. The three things it takes to be a great defensive back are judgment, tackling and change of direction. He's demonstrated that he can do that in camp and then on game film," said Dantonio.
McCallister ranked Darius Hiley and Tony Gonzales one and two in the state at wide receiver, though he adds that either of those players could play defense as well. That is very consistent with what Tressel said at his press conference, and what both those player said to us when we spoke to them. McCallister ranked Devon Jordan the fifth best receiver in Ohio, saying he has great hands. McCallister does not rank out-of-state prospects, so he did not have comments on Ashton Youboty or Ira Guilford.
McCallister raved about all three of
OSU's big speed players from Ohio. He ranked Irizarry and Frost one and two at tight end respectively, and like the
OSU coaching staff, rates Irizarry a tremendous pass catching prospect and Frost a prospect that could excel at any number of positions, adding that Frost could very likely get much bigger as he matures.
As much as McCallister like Irizarry and Frost, he really loved Reggie Smith. He called him "One of the toughest, quickest, and most aggressive defensive players in Ohio." Great burst, toughness and quickness were the attributes that McCallister liked in Smith.
In the "ones that got away" category, McCallister rates Shawn Crable the number one prospect in Ohio at outside linebacker, noting that it is very likely that Crable will grow into a defensive end. In a very surprising evaluation, McCallister likes Prescott Burgess as the best defensive line prospect in the state, just ahead of Buckeye signee David Patterson, but based more on potential than current ability. McCallister does not see enough speed in Burgess to be a DB, but sees him as an OLB initially who has the potential to grow into a defensive end.
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