Although I admit there is some validity to the rankings produced by recruiting sites such as Rivals and 247Sports, I believe Paul Haynes' 2016 recruiting class is much better than the rankings indicate. While this class won't blow anyone away from a ranking standpoint, I believe the coaches have filled a need for speed.
In this recruiting class, two recruits with the most speed are Kavious Price and Mike Carrigan. Price, a 5-5, 155 pound wide receiver from Manatee High in Bradenton, FL., was a state finalist in the 100 meters and 200 meters and a state champion on the 4X100 meter relay team. Carrigan, a 6-0, 168 pound wide receiver from Godby High in Tallahassee, FL., was on the state runner-up 4X100 meter relay team and a city champion in the 100-meters. On the football field, Price had 40 catches for 842 yards and 12 touchdowns and Carrigan had 37 catches for 629 yards and 7 touchdowns. While you can find recruits with more impressive stats, you will find very few who can run 100 meters at 10.7 seconds and under as both Price and Carrigan have done.
The night before National Signing Day, Price received a late call from the University of South Florida hoping to get him to flip his commitment, but he kept his word and signed with Kent State.
Price is already being compared to Dri Archer, who was an electric receiver/ kick returner for Kent State and developed into an NFL third-round pick. The Golden Flashes plan to use Price in a similar fashion.
The man responsible for recruiting Acher was Doug Martin. But before Martin recruited Archer, Martin recruited another undersized player out of Pittsburgh Central Catholic by the name of Eugene Jarvis.
At 5-5 and 170 pounds, Jarvis believed Martin when he sat in Jarvis' living room on a recruiting visit and told him size didn't matter.
"To me, you believe what you see on the game film: He makes plays against everybody," Martin said. "When I met him in person, I could tell that he was a young man with a huge chip on his shoulder. He didn't think people believed in him. I knew if I got him that he'd go out every Saturday and prove people wrong, and that's what he's doing. That's a healthy chip to have on your shoulder."
As a red-shirt freshman, Jarvis rushed for 798 yards, then 1,699 yards as a sophomore and 801 yards in 2008 in an injury-plagued junior season. In 2009, he opened the season with 143 yards in the opener against Coastal Carolina before suffering a kidney injury against Boston College. Had it not been for his kidney injury, Jarvis would have finished his career as one of Kent State's best all-time running backs.
Archer was recruited out of Venice High School (FL) where he finished second in the 100 meters state track meet with a time of 10.49 seconds. Although the diminutive Archer was offered track scholarships from both Clemson and Arkansas, Kent State was the only school to offer him a football scholarship.
As a freshman, Archer played in 11 games and amassed over 500 yards, both rushing and receiving. However, it wasn't until his third season that he broke out and totaled 1,429 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground and had 561 yards receiving and four receiving touchdowns. His 23 total touchdowns led the MAC and set a single-season school record. Archer was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year and made the All-MAC first team as a running back and kick returner. He was also a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award and a consensus All-American.
No one knows if Price or Carrigan will have the kind of success as Jarvis or Archer but given that the Flashes are in desperate need of team speed, I believe it's fair to say that help is on it's way. Should these two track stars have productive careers on the field at Kent State, I just hope they don't forget that Coach Haynes was the one who did not give up on them when almost everyone else did. Moreover, I hope the fans give Haynes credit for recruiting these two players that no one hardly wanted.
In this recruiting class, two recruits with the most speed are Kavious Price and Mike Carrigan. Price, a 5-5, 155 pound wide receiver from Manatee High in Bradenton, FL., was a state finalist in the 100 meters and 200 meters and a state champion on the 4X100 meter relay team. Carrigan, a 6-0, 168 pound wide receiver from Godby High in Tallahassee, FL., was on the state runner-up 4X100 meter relay team and a city champion in the 100-meters. On the football field, Price had 40 catches for 842 yards and 12 touchdowns and Carrigan had 37 catches for 629 yards and 7 touchdowns. While you can find recruits with more impressive stats, you will find very few who can run 100 meters at 10.7 seconds and under as both Price and Carrigan have done.
The night before National Signing Day, Price received a late call from the University of South Florida hoping to get him to flip his commitment, but he kept his word and signed with Kent State.
Price is already being compared to Dri Archer, who was an electric receiver/ kick returner for Kent State and developed into an NFL third-round pick. The Golden Flashes plan to use Price in a similar fashion.
The man responsible for recruiting Acher was Doug Martin. But before Martin recruited Archer, Martin recruited another undersized player out of Pittsburgh Central Catholic by the name of Eugene Jarvis.
At 5-5 and 170 pounds, Jarvis believed Martin when he sat in Jarvis' living room on a recruiting visit and told him size didn't matter.
"To me, you believe what you see on the game film: He makes plays against everybody," Martin said. "When I met him in person, I could tell that he was a young man with a huge chip on his shoulder. He didn't think people believed in him. I knew if I got him that he'd go out every Saturday and prove people wrong, and that's what he's doing. That's a healthy chip to have on your shoulder."
As a red-shirt freshman, Jarvis rushed for 798 yards, then 1,699 yards as a sophomore and 801 yards in 2008 in an injury-plagued junior season. In 2009, he opened the season with 143 yards in the opener against Coastal Carolina before suffering a kidney injury against Boston College. Had it not been for his kidney injury, Jarvis would have finished his career as one of Kent State's best all-time running backs.
Archer was recruited out of Venice High School (FL) where he finished second in the 100 meters state track meet with a time of 10.49 seconds. Although the diminutive Archer was offered track scholarships from both Clemson and Arkansas, Kent State was the only school to offer him a football scholarship.
As a freshman, Archer played in 11 games and amassed over 500 yards, both rushing and receiving. However, it wasn't until his third season that he broke out and totaled 1,429 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground and had 561 yards receiving and four receiving touchdowns. His 23 total touchdowns led the MAC and set a single-season school record. Archer was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year and made the All-MAC first team as a running back and kick returner. He was also a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award and a consensus All-American.
No one knows if Price or Carrigan will have the kind of success as Jarvis or Archer but given that the Flashes are in desperate need of team speed, I believe it's fair to say that help is on it's way. Should these two track stars have productive careers on the field at Kent State, I just hope they don't forget that Coach Haynes was the one who did not give up on them when almost everyone else did. Moreover, I hope the fans give Haynes credit for recruiting these two players that no one hardly wanted.
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