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RB Erik Haw (official thread)

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I think there is a serious case of 'scarlet colored glasses' going on here. Frosh RBs who come in and play are still the exception rather than the rule.

MC was the Offensive POY out of HS. Haw and Pittman were not rated in the top 30 in the country at their position and neither was rated as highly as Ross out of HS. The gurus don't always get it right, but IMO projections of Haw playing right away and beig a stud are more wishful thinking than anything else. Nobobdy lives up to their HS game tapes in college. And there is this blocking thing they are expected to do.

I am looking forward to what these guys do at OSU - but not necessarily this year.

Hope I am wrong. Hope even more that Lydell makes us forget they are on the team.
 
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oh8ch i'm not trying to argue with you but please don't bring up Haw nor Pittmans rankings in an argument. If you have seen Haw or Pittmans film you know their rankings were bogus. Haw was ranked by the insiders in the 50's and Pittman was ranked in the 30's. Pittman played some of the best H.S. football competition in the country. Haw IMO was every bit as good as any back in the country except for maybe Petersen. Haw was a steal and will be a hell of a RB at OSU.
 
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Any big ten caliber running back should run roughshod through a Columbus city league schedule. Not trying to belittle these guys because I certainly hope they turn out as good as everyone here seems to think they are, but I imagine the school you play for has a big role in recruiting rankings...
 
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Caution is appropriate

I think most of us have been around football enough to be aware that freshman RBs (any position, really) have a huge adjustment to make. With that in mind, it is unlikely that Haw (and to a lesser extent Pittman - who had the benefit of spring practice) will be all that their first year. That being said, there is reason for some cautious optimism:

1. I have seen Haw play in person twice. And I have seen quite a few other great HS backs as well (although unfortunately not MC). Haw has the best football speed I have seen in person. He is an honest 205-210 and at least 5'11" if not 6'. He is physical and has good vision, although is not as nifty with his feet as MC or even Pittman. Regardless of rankings the kid is an absolute stud RB.

2. One of the reasons Haw wasn't on the ranking radar is he played FB for about half his junior year. That bodes well for his blocking ability, although blitz pickups are as much mental as physical. There is no question he is a much better blocker as I write this than Pittman (who I also love as a RB).

3. There is a new RB coach. Rightly or wrongly, Spencer was perceived as a coach who would bench Barry Sanders, Gale Sayers, and Archie Griffin in favor of another RB who blocked better than them. We don't know that Doc will weight his rating of the RBs blocking ability as highly as Spencer is rumored to have done. I am not saying that blocking isn't important, but there comes a time when you have to remember why there is "running" in running back.

All in all I really look forward to this season. Where others see reason for doom and gloom because of the inexperience of this team, I see reason for optimism that this will be an enjoyable season. The talent is there, IMO, and there is nothing like watching enthusiastic youngsters earning their spurs.

Edited for typos only.
 
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I have seen haw in person during his teams playoff run. he is d-1 size right now.I expected to see a skinny legged speed back due to his known fast times in the 40, but was very surprised to see that he had legs like a lb'er! they are a notch below clarett's tree trunks, but he has the potential to be very similar in build and running style to jamal lewis. In fact, most people who have seen him and know what there talking about, usually see the jamal lewis comparison right away. I was at 1st in awe of his speed, but as the game wore on, it was easy to see he not only had the build and speed to hit the corner, but also run straight up the middle and either bull-doze the line if nothing was there or many times find just enough daylight to make something out of nothing. the most impressive part of his game was the fact that even when he got surrounded in the backfield, due to bad blocking, he found a way to fall forward and most of the time make it back to the line of scrimmage. I was very impressed with pittman's spring game performance, man he's a slasher! BUT; I still truely believe that haw will be the "ONE"!
 
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luckobucko said:
Any big ten caliber running back should run roughshod through a Columbus city league schedule. Not trying to belittle these guys because I certainly hope they turn out as good as everyone here seems to think they are, but I imagine the school you play for has a big role in recruiting rankings...
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That may be, but I thought he had some big games in the playoffs against non-city league competition. I'll have to look it up.
 
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RB Erik Haw (merged with recruiting thread)

http://www.1460thefan.com/tf.php?story=dispatch/2004/08/14/20040814-F1-01.html

Haw hopes to make up ground in freshman competition
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

For the second time in a little more than a year, Erik Haw is trying to catch up to Tony Pittman.

At Ohio State’s football camp in June 2003, Pittman, an Akron Buchtel running back who already had committed to OSU, had just finished running the 40-yard dash.

Haw asked what Pittman ran (4.39 seconds), then proceeded to stun onlookers with a 4.21 effort. Within two weeks, the Independence High back was offered a scholarship and committed to OSU, as well.

Now both players are freshmen in preseason camp, locked in another race of sorts — a race to avoid being redshirted.

There might be room for only one of them in a tailback mix led by starter Lydell Ross and top backup Maurice Hall. With fullback Branden Joe also proving he is a capable ball carrier, the coaching staff would prefer to redshirt Pittman or Haw.

Pittman has a clear head start. He graduated from Buchtel in January, enrolled at Ohio State and took part in spring practice. In the spring game, he gained 105 yards on 21 carries in about three quarters of action.

Afterward, coach Jim Tressel said he was "very impressed" with Pittman, praising his ability to keep his pads low and run north and south.

Tressel added, "I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he didn’t get to contribute (this season)."

That led Pittman to enter preseason camp feeling comfortable.

"Spring gave me the momentum I needed," he said. "Now I don’t have any nerves, no jitters or nothing. I’ve learned the plays already."

Meanwhile, Haw entered fall camp from a standing start. Talking about his prospects for this season, he mentioned being redshirted without being asked.

"I’m trying to get acclimated to the game, trying to get some reps in practice and see what I can do," Haw said. "I’m not worried whether I get redshirted or whether I get to play this year."

He quickly added that being redshirted would not be his choice, although "patience is a virtue."

Just by their presence, Pittman and Haw are having an impact. Having been hindered by nagging injuries last season, Ross is determined to have a standout senior season.

He knows Tressel will play a freshman if the talent dictates it. Ross was in line for the No. 1 tailback job in 2002 when Maurice Clarett showed up.

"It’s good for me to be a front-runner and for people to be down there trying to get ahead of me and take my spot," Ross said. "I don’t want to lose my position, so they just make me work that much harder."

Pittman got off to a rough start in the spring when he stayed on a campus bus one stop too long and ended up at the veterinary school. He called the coaches from a pay phone to tell them he would be late to practice.

He showed up eventually, though, and he realizes how much his spring experience helped him.

"Spring was a slower pace, because the coaches actually took time to break it down with you," Pittman said. "But now, you’ve got 17 days to learn the whole playbook — everything is going quick."

Had he not enrolled early, "I’d be clueless right now."

Haw hopes he doesn’t fit that description.
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I think we have two quality backs in these two. I don't think it matters who redshirts because they can both contribute.

The thing is, whoever redshirts will compete again next year with an incoming freshman or two.
 
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daddyphatsacs said:
4.21 forty? That is absolutely blazing!! Hopefully he can hit the hole hard, because he'll be 10 yards upfield before you know it.
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Eric should be able to hit the hole hard and he should be in good shape as a blocker as well... long before we ever heard about his speed, he was playing full back in high school up to his senior year. The kid has no problem squaring the pads, lowering the shoulder, and pushing the pile forward between the tackles.

Both Eric and Antonio have another very important quality in a RB... very good vision downfield.
 
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thebkb said:
If nothing else, Haw should be a return man (Kick offs) I don't know that it's wise to burn up a year just for that, however. I'm looking very forward to when Haw is "the man" should he reach that level (which I think he will).
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If any of the freshmen are going to be return men, it should be Ginn. Don't burn a year of eligibility just to return kicks (Ginn will get to play other than returning kicks, so it wouldn't be "burning" a year for him, whereas Haw probably won't play if he's fourth string).
 
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