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Recruiting News - 02/09/05

3yardsandacloud

Administrator Emeritus
<font color="#b90000">Wednesday, February 9, 2005</font> Recruiting News - 02/09/05


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Video: David Ausberry 2006 WR - Rivals PREMIUM

Video: David Ausberry 2006 WR

Link to Video


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Huskers offer top California tight end prospect (Konrad*Reuland) - Rivals PREMIUM

February 8, 2005
Huskers offer top California tight end prospect
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Duane 'Roz' Rossiter
HuskersIllustrated.com *
The Nebraska coaches made a strong bid to get some of the top high school tight ends this recently completed recruiting cycle. They fell short of getting one of the premier high school prospects. You can be sure that Coach Bill Callahan will want to get a tight end this year (Konrad*Reuland). One might be coming.


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Kyle Sheehan Was Immediately Sold On Purdue - Rivals

February 8, 2005
Kyle Sheehan Was Immediately Sold On Purdue
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Brian Neubert
GoldandBlack.com

Kyle Sheehan wasted no time bringing the recruiting process to an end. Really, it hadn't even started.Grayson H.S.

Kyle Sheehan was getting quite a bit of recruiting interest before committing to the Boilermakers."It's great to not have it loom over your head for the whole year," said Sheehan, the Boilermakers' first commitment for 2006. "Ö I'll get to just play and have fun this year."

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive tackle from Loganville, Ga., was offered by Purdue via his high school coach in recent weeks and on signing day last week, called assistant coach Brock Spack to formally accept, a whole year before he can make his pledge official.

"It's great football and a great education," Sheehan said. "You can't get any better than that."

He has not actually been to Purdue, but is planning an April visit. He is no stranger, though, to Boilermaker football. His grandfather, Terry Sheehan, played at Purdue, as did his uncle, Dan Sheehan.

"I watch Purdue every time I get a chance," said Sheehan, referencing last season's Notre Dame and Wisconsin games. "I've been a Big Ten fan my whole life. I just love that style of play, all those battles in the trenches."

Sheehan describes himself as the sort of player best suited for such things.

"I've always been taught to hustle, by both Coach (Mickey) Conn and my defensive line coach here," the Grayson High School standout said. "I never quit. You have to keep your motor running, because that's what people notice. I try to be a hard-nosed player."

But in committing to Purdue so early, Sheehan didn't really give anyone else much of a chance to take notice.

Purdue was his first offer, but Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Ohio State, along with a couple Ivy League schools, were among those expressing interest in the 4.0 student.

Sheehan says his commitment will last all the way to Signing Day, '06.

"I've always been taught to be a man of my word," Sheehan said. "Once you commit, your word is your bond, and you can't go back on that. If you do, it says something about your integrity."
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Disappointment: Part of Game - Scout

Disappointment: Part of Game
By Mark Harrington
Date: Feb 9, 2005

College football has essentially become a two-season sport. The first season is obvious to fans and includes kickoffs, touchdowns and field goals. The second includes such unique terms as “verbals,” “redshirts,” “letters of intent,” “dead periods” and “official visits.”

The interest in recruiting continues to grow leaps and bounds with each passing season, presumably due to the future impact it has on teams and also due to the fact that it gives fans an excuse to follow and even obsess over their squads into the off-season. Now, with letter-of-intent day just passed, jubilation and disappointment are to be expected with every team.

It is inevitable that with recruiting comes heartbreak and disappointment for fans, coaches and even prospects. After all, prospects are basically choosing a partner in the form of a university and athletic program for the next step of their athletic careers and, more importantly, their lives. At the same time, these prospects are also rejecting universities, in some cases up to 40 or more. Though prospects tend to simply make their decision based on what is right for them and where they feel most comfortable, fans of rejected schools often don't see it this way and can take the rejection as an insult against their school, program or, in extreme cases, even themselves.

What's In A Choice?

Recruiting is actually a lot like the countless reality romance shows we see today. A prospect lines up all of his choices and proceeds to narrow his list based on an infinite set of factors. You name it and it can play a role in the decision, from climates and campuses to facilities and fans. Sometimes they like the idea of helping a program return to glory, like when Derrick Williams picked Penn State this year. Other times they want to go with a recent winner, like when Walker Ashley opted for USC.

There are a million and one variables that can sway a prospect’s decision, and frankly that can be tough for coaches to address and plan for. Sometimes schools have always been the favorite of the prospect — they have dreamed since they could walk of playing for a school. That was the case with Steve Quinn, who initially committed to the Nittany Lions this year, but, after receiving an offer from his “dream” school, Notre Dame, changed his mind.

Sometimes the school is a favorite initially, but the program makes a move that causes the prospect to change his mind. That happened with Jerome Hayes after Fran Ganter left the PSU coaching staff and entered into an administrative role with the program. Hayes all but eliminated the Lions from consideration until a late push by the current staff — and by PSU commitment Justin King — convinced him Happy Valley was the place to be.

Other times it is a last-minute decision. The point is every prospect and situation is different and has to be dealt with accordingly. When the list is finally whittled down to a handful of schools, the probability increases for a “yes” and hence so does the interest and anticipation of fans. Yet for those schools left behind, who have invested large amounts of time, money, effort and, to some degree, emotion, rejection can be a tough pill to swallow. Many fans of unselected schools feel like jilted lovers who have fallen for prospects and the idea of what they can do for their program’s futures. In many cases excuses or conspiracy theories develop, from “he was afraid of the competition on our team” to “he led us all on” to “he was just using us to get an offer from that other school.” In some cases these reasons may be correct, in others they could not be further from the truth.

It is interesting when multiple stories from multiple sources will come out on a prospect on the same day and each will list a different school as the leader of the pack. Is this a case of loyalty clouding the truth and folks reading between the lines, of the prospect telling the fans what they want to hear or of a simple case of miscommunication?

Commitment Issues?

Though the term “commitment” has lost some of its meaning within recruiting realms, with prospects changing their minds regularly on which school they will attend, the athletes are not the only ones changing their minds. In fact, last recruiting season Ohio State rescinded a scholarship offer to Florida wide receiver Da-Juan Morgan. The reason for this change of heart given by OSU was that Morgan did not rank in the top half of his graduating class, despite his grade point average of 3.25, a reason which is suspect at best to some.

Morgan promptly accepted an offer from North Carolina State, which seemed to have no issue with his academics. On the other hand, some feel that the Buckeyes were hopeful to ink superior receivers on signing day, like New Jersey's Dwayne Jarrett and Pittsburgh's Devon Lyons, and were simply looking to cut players loose to ease a numbers crunch with remaining scholarships.

This past season, Anthony Barksdale, an All-Long Island fullback from Farmingdale, N.Y., received an offer from North Carolina, only to have it rescinded after he refused to commit early. The bottom line? It seems in some circumstances commitments can be soft on both sides of the equation and prospects too can feel disappointment when it comes to recruiting. The jilting can go both ways.

A Tale of Two Stars

Penn State has had its share of triumphs and disappointments in recent recruiting seasons. From Williams and Gaither to Cushing and Hayes to Henne and Morelli, it is easy to identify specific cases where the Nittany Lions experienced the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.

On the one hand you have Williams, a top prospect nationally who reportedly had over 40 offers and ultimately chose Penn State. It was viewed as a huge victory for the Nittany Lions.

On the other hand you have Jared Gaither, who was from the same high school as Williams and also reportedly had over 40 offers. He ultimately chose Maryland over Penn State. It was viewed as a significant defeat for the Nittany Lions by many fans.

In the end, both Williams and Gaither did the same exact thing for themselves. They just chose the program that they felt was the best fit for them and their future. However, looking at this situation related to Penn State, Williams is viewed as a hero and Gaither is viewed as something less by Nittany Lion fans.

This is all part of the recruiting game. Prospects make their own decisions in the manner that they deem fit for themselves, much like the offers the programs extend. It is a simple premise that sends shockwaves throughout the college football world. Despite the “guarantees” and ”sure things” which seem to be commonplace in recruiting, the bottom line is that the decision is their own make to make, just like every other kid going to college across America, whether they play linebacker or play the violin. It is impossible to second-guess a situation with so many variables.

The Bottom Line

Unfortunately, despite the continual teaching of this lesson with names like Kendra, Simms, Jones, Evans, Nicol, McCabe, Steffy, Henne and Walker, fans continue to invest their emotions and buy into the predictions.

Will some of the predictions prove to be right? Absolutely, after all, if you guess heads or tails on 10 coin flips, chances are you are going to get a few correct. However, just because you get a few right does not mean you have the ability to guess the next 10 flips with certainty. In the same manner, when a recruiting prediction comes through, it does not mean that anyone can predict the thoughts and decision-making process of a 17-year-old with any semblance of regularity.

Now all sights are focused on then next set of high school seniors-to-be, the athletes who will make up the recruiting Class of 2006. Penn State is said to be already involved with many top-caliber recruits, so let the excitement begin to build.

As you go through the process though, remember, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, because disappointment is all part of the game.


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Tradition attracts Homan to Buckeyes - Dayton Daily News

Tradition attracts Homan to Buckeyes

Coldwater linebacker commits to OSU

By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News

Ohio State picked up its second football commitment in the class of 2006, but it didn't take much of a recruiting pitch.

Coldwater High School junior linebacker Ross Homan has been rooting for the Buckeyes since watching first cousin Bobby Hoying start at quarterback for the team in the mid-1990s.

Homan, who is considered the top junior linebacker in Ohio, was being recruited by Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin, but jumped on an offer from OSU after attending junior-day festivities over the weekend.

"I guess it came down to their state-of-the-art facilities and their overall tradition," he said. "Playing in front of 105,000 fans will be great."

Homan, who led the Cavaliers to the Division IV state semifinals last season, would like to emulate OSU star linebacker A.J. Hawk.

"He can hit people in the face, and he reads plays so fast," Homan said.

Coldwater coach John Reed believes the 6-foot-1, 233-pounder has many of Hawk's attributes. Homan has been clocked in the 40-yard dash at a swift 4.57 seconds.

"He's able to get from point A to point B quicker than anybody I've ever seen, and I've been at this for 35 years," Reed said. "Physically, he's been blessed, no question about it. And his work ethic is unbelievable."

Reed also pointed out that Homan is a 4.0 student.

"He's an outstanding player and an even better person," Reed said.

The Buckeyes also have gotten a verbal commitment from Akron running back Chris Wells, who made the Rivals.com junior All-American team.


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Prospect Ranking - Rivals 100

Prospect Ranking

Rivals.com The Rivals100 2006***Rivals100.com | last sorted on 2/9/2005

The Rivals100 signifies the top 100 players in the nation as ranked by Rivals.com recruiting analysts Jeremy Crabtree, Bobby Burton, Mike Farrell, Brian Gates, Jon Kirby, Bill Kurelic, Tim OíHalloran, Jeremy Patterson, Rick Kimbrel, Tim Watts, Brian Stumpf and Greg Biggins. This first list for the class of 2006 is a pre-evaluation list and the players have not been ranked and are listed in alphabetical order.

Name Pos. Ht/Wt Hometown Schools

Josh Adams RB 5-11/170 Cary (NC) list
James Aldridge RB 6-2/200 Merrillville (IN) list
Austen Arnaud QB 6-3/205 Ames (IA) Ames list
Marcus Ball LB 6-0/200 Stone Mountain (GA) Stephenson list
Andrey Baskin WR 6-3/198 Camden (NJ) list
Deon Beasley DB 5-10/160 Orange (TX) West Orange Stark list
Chris Bell WR 6-3/205 Norfolk (VA) Granby list
Justin Boren OL 6-4/295 Pickerington (OH) North list
Navorro Bowman LB 6-0/210 Suitland (MD) Suitland list
Aaron Brown OL 6-6/280 Cincinnati (OH) Princeton list
Jake Bscherer OL 6-7/270 Sturgeon Bay (WI) Wisconsin
Neil Caudle QB 6-3/202 Hoover (AL) Spain Park list
Adrian Clayborn DT 6-3/260 Webster Groves (MO) list
Parrish Cox DB 6-1/185 Waco (TX) University list
Jamie Cumbie DE 6-7/255 Morris (IL) list
Charles Deas OL 6-5/300 Ft. Lauderdale (FL) Dillard list
Pat Devlin QB 6-3/194 Exton (PA) Downington East list
Ricky Dixon WR 6-3/210 Reserve (LA) East St. John list
Cordera Eason RB 6-1/215 Meridian (MS) list
Jai Eugene DB 6-1/180 Destrehan (LA) list
Josh Freeman QB 6-6/216 Grandview (MO) list
C.J. Gable ATH 6-1/190 Sylmar (CA) Sylmar list
Clifton Geathers OL 6-7/280 Carvers Bay (SC) list
Brandon Graham LB 6-2/235 Detroit (MI) Crockett list
Jermaine Gresham TE 6-7/230 Ardmore (OK) list
Darian Hagan Jr. DB 6-1/175 Los Angeles (CA) Crenshaw list
Keven Hagans WR 6-2/195 Franklin (WI) list
Sherrod Harris QB 6-3/185 Arlington (TX) Bowie list
Percy Harvin WR 6-1/188 Virginia Beach (VA) Landstown list
Jovon Hayes DT 6-3/300 Los Angles (CA) Dorsey list
Brandon Heath ATH 6-0/175 Palm Beach Lakes (FL) list
Akeem Hebron LB 6-2/190 Gaithersburg (MD) Good Counsel list
Corey Hobbs DT 6-5/320 Oviedo (FL) list
Jamere Holland RB 6-0/175 Los Angles (CA) Taft list
Jonathan Hollins DE 6-4/240 Baton Rouge (LA) Redemptorist list
Jamar Hornsby DB 6-4/195 Jacksonville (FL) Sandalwood list
Javarris James RB 6-1/205 Immokalee (FL) list
Stafon Johnson RB 6-0/189 Los Angeles (CA) Dorsey list
Micah Johnson DE 6-2/267 Ft. Campbell (KY) list
Carl Johnson OL 6-6/325 Durham (NC) Southern list
Eddie Jones DE 6-3/225 Kilgore (TX) Kilgore list
D.J. Jones OL 6-6/300 Omaha (NE) Central list
Demetrius Jones QB 6-3/185 Chicago (IL) Chicago Morgan Park list
Jason Kates DT 6-2/324 Harrisburg (PA) Bishop McDevitt list
Sergio Kindle LB 6-4/225 Dallas (TX) Woodrow Wilson list
Orie Lemon LB 6-1/215 Houston (TX) Yates list
Antonio Logan-El OL 6-5/307 Forestville (MD) Forestville Maryland
John Maddux DB 6-4/175 Philadelphia (PA) West Catholic list
Daniel Mafoe DT 6-4/310 Carson (CA) Carson list
Byron Maxwell DB 6-1/185 North Charleston (SC) Fort Dorchester list
Taylor Mays DB 6-3/210 Seattle (WA) O'Dea list
Jacques McClendon OL 6-4/325 Chattanooga (TN) Baylor Tennessee
LeSean McCoy RB 5-10/193 Harrisburg (PA) Bishop McDevitt list
Gerald McCoy DT 6-4/280 Oklahoma City (OK) Southeast list
Damon McDaniel WR 6-0/192 Virginia Beach (VA) Landstown list
D'Andre McDaniel DB 6-2/180 Tallahassee (FL) Godby list
Prince Miller DB 5-10/180 Duncan (SC) James F. Byrnes list
Jarrell Miller LB 6-3/235 Highland Springs (VA) list
Chane Moline RB 6-1/230 Mission Viejo (CA) Mission Viejo list
Knowshon Moreno RB 5-11/205 Middletown South (NJ) list
Richard Murphy RB 6-2/195 Rayville (LA) list
Demarco Murray RB 6-0/185 Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman list
Mitch Mustain QB 6-3/200 Springdale (AR) list
Reggie Odom DT 6-3/275 Deland (FL) list
Konrad Reuland TE 6-6/235 Mission Viejo (CA) list
Jeremy Ricker QB 6-1/194 Harrisburg (PA) Bishop McDevitt list
Myron Rolle DB 6-2/204 Princeton (NJ) The Hun School list
John Romero OL 6-5/280 Tucson (AZ) Salpointe Catholic list
Robert Rose DE 6-4/240 Cleveland (OH) Glenville list
Evan Royster RB 6-0/190 Centreville (VA) Westfield list
Ricky Sapp DE 6-4/225 Bamberg (SC) Bamberg-Ehrhardt list
Stephen Schilling OL 6-5/280 Bellevue (WA) list
Marcus Sims LB 6-1/215 Tallahassee (FL) North Florida Christian list
Jaious Singleton RB 5-9/195 East St Louis (IL) East St Louis Senior list
Chris Slaughter WR 6-3/185 Fort Valley (GA) Peach County list
Raymond Small ATH 6-0/190 Cleveland (OH) Glenville list
Connor Smith OL 6-6/300 Cincinnati (OH) Colerain list
Andre Smith OL 6-5/302 Birmingham (AL) Huffman list
Brandon Spikes LB 6-4/230 Shelby (NC) Crest Senior list
C.J. Spiller RB 5-11/185 Lake Butler (FL) Union County list
Matthew Stafford QB 6-3/210 Dallas (TX) Highland Park list
Phillip Strozier DB 6-0/185 Kansas City (MO) Rockhurst list
Ian Symonette OL 6-9/330 Houston (TX) St. Pius list
Milton Talbert DE 6-3/220 Hattiesburg (MS) list
Tim Tebow QB 6-3/225 Jacksonville (FL) Nease list
Marcus Tillman DE 6-3/235 Meadville (MS) Franklin County list
L.T. Walker DT 6-4/275 Wynne (AR) list
A.J. Wallace DB 6-1/195 Pomfret (MD) McDonough list
J.B. Walton OL 6-3/261 White Plains (MD) Lackey list
Chaz Washington DT 6-4/290 Destrehan (LA) list
Walter Watts OL 6-3/275 Los Banos (CA) UCLA
Chris Wells RB 6-1/228 Akron (OH) Garfield Ohio State
Jared White WR 5-11/170 Mobile (AL) Williamson list
Justin Williams WR 6-2/180 Folkston (GA) Charlton County list
Jermaine Williams DE 6-4/255 Phoenix (AZ) Maryvale list
Tony Wilson WR 6-0/180 Daytona Beach (FL) Mainland list
Brandon Wood DE 6-1/240 Buchanan (GA) Haralson County list
Al Woods DT 6-5/325 Elton (LA) list
Sam Young OL 6-8/280 Ft. Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas list
Terrell Zachery WR 6-0/175 Wadley (AL) list


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OSU leads for another star junior - Rivals PREMIUM

February 9, 2005
OSU leads for another star junior
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Bill Kurelic
BuckeyeSports.com Recruiting Analyst *
Having already landed commitments from two of the top juniors in the state of Ohio, and with at least three others saying the Bucks are their leader or co-leader, yet another in-state star says Ohio State stands at the top of his list.


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Pettrey To Become Reluctant Walk-On - Rivals PREMIUM

February 9, 2005
Pettrey To Become Reluctant Walk-On
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Chris Nida
BuckeyeSports.com Staff Writer *
A year ago at this time, Aaron Pettrey was under the impression that his Buckeye career would be getting under way just about now. A 2004 graduate of Raceland (Ky.) Raceland-Worthington, where he was a standout placekicker, Pettrey was offered a scholarship by Ohio State last winter but was asked to "grayshirt." Apparently, though, Pettrey's scholarship offer was based on the assumption that kicker Josh Huston would graduate along with Nugent.


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Bellaire's Davis Gets Football, Basketball Looks - Scout PREMIUM

Bellaire's Davis Gets Football, Basketball Looks
By Steve Helwagen
Date: Feb 9, 2005

Bellaire, Ohio, quarterback Nate Davis attended Ohio State's Junior Day festivities this past weekend. Davis talks about the interest he has received from coaches in both football and basketball. He also shares what the OSU football staff said about its plans at quarterback. Click here for more.


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Coach's Corner: A Look At The 2005 Class - Scout PREMIUM

Coach's Corner: A Look At The 2005 Class
By Bill Conley
Date: Feb 9, 2005

Former OSU recruiting coordinator and Bucknuts.com contributor Bill Conley looks at Ohio State's recruiting class for 2005. Conley also discusses the top priorities for the Buckeyes in 2006. Click here for more.


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Kicker stuck in limbo but still committed to Buckeyes - Columbus Dispatch$

Kicker stuck in limbo but still committed to Buckeyes
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The people of Raceland, Ky., are starting to wonder about Aaron Pettrey.

It’s a small town, so everyone knew the kicker was supposed to be a grayshirt at Ohio State, meaning he was to enroll at Ohio State last month after he finished high school in June.

But as the calendar turned to February and people still saw Pettrey around town, the questions began.

What are you still doing here, son?

"I get asked about it all the time," Pettrey said with a sigh yesterday from his parents’ home. "It’s been real hard."

Despite the change in plans, which might result in Pettrey temporarily paying his own way, he remains committed to Ohio State.

"That’s been where I’ve wanted to go for a while," he said, "so I’m going to do whatever it takes."

Pettrey was recruited last year and agreed to grayshirt rather than sign a letter of intent last February. He would have competed for a job starting this spring.

But since then, Buckeyes kicker Josh Huston has applied for and is likely to receive a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA to make up for time lost to injuries.

Now, Ohio State will have Huston and second-year kicker Jonathan Skeete on scholarship this fall.

Not wanting to use a third scholarship on a kicker, the Buckeyes recently told Pettrey he would have to walk on this fall if Huston’s extra year was approved. He then potentially could go on scholarship in January 2006.

Pettrey said some people around Raceland have suggested he’s getting the runaround from Ohio State.

"Me and my dad talked about me going somewhere else," he said, "but I didn’t want to do it. I want to get up there (to Columbus). I came up to some games and I really liked the place."

Pettrey, 6 feet 3, 195 pounds, was a three-sport athlete at Raceland High School. In 2003, he connected on 8 of 13 fieldgoal attempts, including a staterecord 58-yarder.

Buckeyes coaches can’t officially comment on Pettrey because he has not signed with the university.

"The only thing I’m allowed to say about Aaron is that we are very interested in him," coach Jim Tressel said.

Pettrey has busied himself by taking courses at Ohio University’s branch campus in Ironton, just a 10-minute drive across the Ohio River from Raceland. He needs to take courses in order to beef up his chance of being admitted at OSU, which apparently is not a done deal.

If he does get in, Pettrey hopes to come north over the summer and work with Ohio State’s long-snappers and holders before fall camp begins. In addition to Huston and Skeete, Pettrey also would be competing with walk-on Ryan Pretorious.

To save money during fall quarter, he said he will live with his uncle, Rick Pettrey, in Dublin.

Having endured two delay-ofgame penalties already, so to speak, Aaron Pettrey hopes he finally can escape the prying eyes in Raceland.

"I have one high-school buddy left in town," Pettrey said. "We hang out about every day. I’d better be up there in the fall."

Turano gone ?

While Huston’s petition for a sixth year is considered a done deal, Ohio State officials say they now are assuming punter Kyle Turano, who also was hopeful of getting a sixth year, will not return.

That would leave Pickerington native A.J. Trapasso as the lone scholarship punter. Tyson Gentry and at least one other fellow walk-on would compete with Trapasso for the job.


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UO recruit comes in a winner (Ryan Williams) - Portland Tribune

UO recruit comes in a winner

By KERRY EGGERS * * Issue date: Tue, Feb 8, 2005
The Tribune
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* *Where’s the beef? Plenty of it spent Friday nights last fall playing football for Mission Viejo (Calif.) High.
* *Eight Mission Viejo players earned Division I scholarships, including five linemen — 6-5, 240-pound defensive end Ryan Williams at Ohio State; 6-1, 245-pound defensive tackle Chase Moline at UCLA; 6-5, 295-pound offensive guard Kevin Bemoll at California; 6-4, 290-pound offensive tackle Gregg Peat at Oregon State; and 6-2, 245-pound defensive end Nick Reed at Oregon.
* *And the Diablos were ranked only third in the nation by USA Today. Southland (Texas) School and Independence High of Charlotte, N.C., must really have been something.
* *“We had a pretty good group,” says Mission Viejo coach Bob Johnson, whose team went 14-0 and won the CIF Southern Section championship.
* *Reed was at center stage, though you wouldn’t hear that from him.
* *“Nick doesn’t say much,” says Johnson, a quarterback guru and father of ex-NFL quarterback Rob Johnson. “Quietest guy ever. Very humble. You won’t find a better student-athlete. Dependable. Off the charts in that category.”
* *Oh yeah. Reed, one of 23 players the Ducks signed to a letter of intent last week, can play a little football, too.
* *“They got a big-timer,” Johnson says. “He is way up there in playing ability. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him start early in his career (at Oregon). He’s too focused, too zeroed in on the sport. Nick is a guy who succeeds. He doesn’t leave a stone unturned.”
* *Even with all the talent around him last season, Reed stood out.
* *“He is dominant, about as good as they come,” says Jason Negro, coach at one of Mission Viejo’s rival schools, Trabuco Hills. “He’s strong, and is just so fast, so quick off the line. It’s a lethal combination.”
* *Last Wednesday’s official signing was anticlimactic for Reed, who verbally committed to Oregon last summer.
* *“I’ve been a Duck since July, so signing day wasn’t a big thing for me,” he says.
* *Reed says he had scholarship offers from UCLA, Oregon State, Colorado, Colorado State, Brigham Young and Wisconsin. He made unofficial visits to UCLA, Oregon State, Colorado, Wisconsin and Washington before deciding early.
* *“I didn’t want it to interfere with my football season,” he says. “I felt like I fit (at Oregon) the best. I liked all the coaches. I’ve never been a college football fan, but when the recruiting process started, Oregon was at the top of my list.”
* *Reed says if it’s up to him, he won’t redshirt next season.
* *“I’m going to go in there in August (for training camp) being positive, thinking I’m going to play,” he says. “If I can play next season, I will play.”
 
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