It will be hard to top the talent that was on display one year ago at this event, but there stands a very good chance of that happening as almost every one of the top 30 players in Western Pennsylvania has committed to the event. Toss in the nation’s top wide receiver Logan Heastie and his side kick Tahj Boyd and players from six other states and you have all the ingredients for a top shelf event. Let’s take a closer look at what we can expect to see on Sunday.
Quarterbacks:
Fresh off of a standout performance at the Akron 7 on 7
(Danville) quarterback Andrew Shoop is looking to build on that showing and
establish himself as one of the top prospect in the region at his position.
(Hampton/Va./Phoebus) gunslinger Tahj Boyd will make the trip North. The West
Virginia commit is also out to improve his status. (Washington/DC/Ballou)
dual-threat quarterback Emmanuel Yeager holds an offer from the Pittsburgh
Panthers and is hungry for more. (Willoughby/Ohio/South) standout Patrick Nicely
is out to prove that he is the best quarterback in Ohio this year. Making the
trek clear from New Jersey is David Kenney (The Peddie School) is a great
athlete, but he wants to show people he is also a very good quarterback
prospect. (Strong Vincent) prospect D.J. Barney was on the fast track to stardom
last year after solid showings in the combines and camps, but an injury forced
him to miss most of his junior season. It will be interesting to see how Barney
bounces back. Barney played wide receiver at the Akron 7 on 7 and looked very
natural doing it.
Running Backs:
Jordan Hall (Jeannette) is ready to step out of the tall
shadow of Terrelle Pryor and show people that he is deserving of his early
offers from Penn State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan and Penn State. Last
year, Monte Ashby (East Allgheny) came to the event as a member of the Duquesne
Dukes squad, but things have changed and Duquesne is no more. Ashby was one of
the best backs in the WPIAL last season. Brandon Rice (Columbus/Ohio/Walnut
Ridge) has an impressive film and now he is ready to show everyone that he is a
legit prospect. Fullback Chris Snook (Medina/Ohio/Highland) is on the rise and
could rise even higher with a solid performance. He may also workout at
linebacker.
Wide Receiver/Tight
End:
This is a spectacular group headlined by Scout.com’s No.1
rated prospect at the position Logan Heastie (Chesapeake/Va./Great Bridge). The
West Virginia commit still has some doubters and is always looking for
competition to prove them wrong. (Beaver Falls) star Todd Thomas will come put
his skills on display. He may be the best overall athlete in the WPIAL this
year. Bryan Underwood (University Heights/Ohio/Cleveland Heights) just picked up
another offer recently from Kansas. He has been rising up the charts lately with
offers from Texas Tech, Cincinnati and many more. (Washington/DC/Dunbar) product
Deon Long is also rising on many teams radar as of late. He has offers from West
Virginia, Michigan State and Duke. (Pickerington/Ohio/Central) wide receiver
Patrick White is one of our favorites in the Midwest and he wants to show that
he deserves to be mentioned with the nation’s elite. Cameron Contreras (Woodland
Hills) is ready to put himself on the map with a strong showing. The Wolverines
were young last year, but Contreras gained the respect of a lot of WPIAL
coaches. Anthony Young-Wiseman (Bethesda/Md./Walt Whitman) recently picked up
his first offer from West Virginia and he wants more. Young-Wiseman may workout
at wide receiver and safety to show his versatility. Jerrard Hunter
(Washington/DC/H.D. Woodson) is going to get offers in time, but he knows he can
accelerate the process with a strong showing.
The tight end corps is thin, but (Thomas Jefferson)
standout Brock DeCicco is expected to be in attendance. We don’t know if he will
work out as of yet, due to the concussion he suffered last weekend. Arthur
Fontaine is expected to make the trip all the way from Massachusetts. The
(Dartmouth) standout wants to face competition and he will find it here.
Virginia standout Logan Thomas (Brookville) was expected to make the trip, but
may not be able to due to a family emergency.
Offensive Line:
This may be one of the deepest overall groups of offensive
line talent that we have ever compiled in one place. Pete White
(Washington/DC/St. Johns College) holds a handful of offers, but hasn’t gotten
the respect that he wants and that can change. Colin Rodkey (Gateway) may be the
best lineman that Terry Smith has produced during his tenure. Rodkey tends to
get overshadowed by all the skill players at Gateway, but not in this type of
atmosphere. The headliner may be (Toledo/Ohio/St. John’s Jesuit) standout and
Ohio State pledge Jack Mewhort. The big, nasty lineman is out to show that he is
an elite lineman. (Thomas Jefferson) tackle Pat Eger holds an offer from West
Virginia and is out to earn more. Adam Schneid (Avon Lake/Ohio) could be the
sleeper among the tackles.
Defensive Line:
The big linemen on the offensive side will be challenged by
this group that includes one of the best looking specimens in the WPIAL Tyrone
Ezell (Munhall/Pa./Steel Valley). Ezell holds offers from Colorado, Illinois,
Pittsburgh, Rutgers and others. Zac Costlow (Steubenville Central Catholic) and
Zakee Bashir (Walnut Ridge) are a pair of Ohio prospects who could make some
noise. We’re very excited to see Jared Veruto (Endicott/NY/Union-Endicott) at
defensive tackle and Jack Lowney (Archbishop Carroll). (Trinity) defensive end
Jack Jamerson and B.J. Stevens (Gateway) will be two local prospects to watch.
Linebacker:
No linebacker group starts off without talking about Dorian
Bell (Gateway) he is a five-star for a reason and will hopefully, be at
100-percent after suffering a slight muscle strain last weekend. (McDowell)
standout A.J. Fenton is fresh off of picking up a pair of Big Ten offers
(Wisconsin and Indiana) and now wants more. Fenton may also take some reps at
running back. (Manheim Township) prospect Nick Sizemore is one to watch. He
should be closing in on an offer soon. (Penn Hills) star Dan Mason will be at
our event for the third straight year. He is also nursing a minor injury
suffered in track. Darrell Mason (Youngstown/Ohio/Ursuline) is one of the most
talked about prospects in Ohio. The standout running back is looking to silence
his critics. He also may workout at running back. Emmitt Terrell (State College)
has been under-the-radar, but that could change with a good showing.
Defensive Back:
Loaded, that is all I can say about this group. Traveling
coach Don Cox is going to go nuts over this crew. Corey Brown (Gateway) had an
incredible performance at Akron. The states top two-way threat will be back at
it this weekend. Deonte Flemings (Strong Vincent) also had a strong performance
in Akron and once again he will look to be the star. E.J. Banks (Montour) is out
to show that the gifted safety/quarterback can play corner. Courtney Bridget
(Baltimore/Md./Calvert Hall) is as lockdown as you’ll see from a 6-foot-2
cornerback. Jolil Thrash and Samuel Knott are two very gifted players from
(Washington/DC/H.D. Woodson) who are expecting to shine. Abdul Smith (Perkiomen
School) is as consistent of a guy as you’ll find. He is just steady and doesn’t
get beat. (Youngstown/Ohio/Ursuline) corner Dale Peterman holds an SEC offer
from South Carolina.
Underclassmen Flavor:
The defensive backs have me excited, but the group of
underclassmen descending upon Pittsburgh is off the charts. Some of these names
you won’t know, but trust me you will. A big reason why Pittsburgh Central
Catholic won a state championship was the play of D.J. Myers and Jeff Knox, both
will show why they may be the top two players in the state in 2010. Remember the
name Paskorz? Steve Paskorz who is now a linebacker at Notre Dame was at our
events and now it is his not so little brother Jordan Paskorz turn to shine The
6-3, 225-pound standout from (Hampton) is ready to star on his own. (Clairton)
wide receiver Kevin Weatherspoon is a slick as they come. He already reminds us
of a young David Harvey. Speaking of David Harvey, the next big thing at (Penn
Hills) is Brandon Ifill. Remember the name because you’ll be hearing it a lot.
Miles Dieffenbach (Fox Chapel) has a chance to be very special at center. He is
the son of George Dieffenbach the tennis coach at the University of Pittsburgh.
Miles is an avid tennis player, so you know he has feet.
Two-way star Jordan Thomas will be coming to us via
(Endicott/NY/Union-Endicott) and he is the real deal. Several schools will vie
for his signature next year. At (Trinity) Ed Dalton always produces players, but
Kenny Wilkins may be on another level. He catches your eye as soon as he enters
a room. Jamel Turner (Youngstown/Ohio/Ursuline) defensive end may be the best
defensive lineman in Ohio next year. Shane Rugg (Johnstown/PA/Bishop McCort) has
a chance to be one of the best linemen to come out of that area in some time.
Penn State legacy Mike Hull (Canon-Mcmillan) is expected to make an appearance.
Hull is an old school warrior and one guy we are excited to see. The one
everyone wants to see is Paul Jones (Sto-Rox). Jason Ruscitto has a gem in this
kid and this will be the chance for his prize to shine.