One of the best defensive players in Mid-Roosevelt Nix is now a an Atlanta Falcon, after reaching a deal with the team as an undrafted free agent.
Nix is a bit of an enigma. He was one of the most productive defensive tackles in NCAA history. His 64 career tackles for loss rank fourth in NCAA history. His 12 career forced fumbles rank seventh. He tallied 24 career sacks, was a four time First Team All-MAC player and won the Conference's defensive player of the year award as a freshman after totaling 43 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and four fumbles forced. He did it all despite being only 5-foot-11 and never topping 260 pounds.

As a freshman, the year he came in and wrecked havoc on the MAC, he weighed just 237 pounds. But while he succeeded at an elite level in college in spite of his size, it's his size that ultimately made him such a low-level prospect.
Nix will not be able to play defensive tackle at the NFL level. It doesn't matter how explosive he is (and trust me, this guys first step is to destroy) he'd get bullied by the 310+ pound NFL offensive lineman. Because of that, Nix dropped down to about 248 and started tackling drills as an interior linebacker.
His agility isn't quite where you'd like it to be, but his 6.97 second 3-cone drill shows he's far from a lutz. Nix's measurables will never jump off the tape at you, but he understands how to break offensive lines, and can tackle with the best of them. He reads offensive lines, and attacks the ball carrier, and would be a disruptive linebacker in the running game.
The question is, can he drop back in coverage? It's not something he did at Kent State, and the technique isn't there. He needs to develop the footwork, the ability to read the quarterback, and increase his speed some to keep up with tight ends and receivers going across the middle. But he has the instincts to pick up the position and learn it and become a serviceable (at worst) inside linebacker.
Another spot where Nix makes sense is at fullback. He's a bulldog, and would make an excellent lead blocker. He's fearless, and while he hasn't played offense, his tenacity and football instincts would make it highly likely he could succeed as an NFL fullback.
But in Atlanta, Nix could be a valued asset of the defense after some work on getting him up to speed at the linebacker position.

Kent State's Roosevelt Nix Signs With Atlanta

For Information on July NCAA Certified Showcases Click Here

2014 Elite Summer Camps

*** Each location will feature both a Boys and Girls Camp (separate events) ***

*** Click on Links below for locations, directions, etc. *** (Coming Soon)

May 31-June 1 - Greensboro, NC
May 31-June 1 - Chicago, IL
May 31-June 1 - Washington, DC
May 31-June 1 - Las Vegas, NV

June 7-8 - Atlanta, GA
June 7-8 - Dallas, TX
June 7-8 - Baltimore, MD
June 7-8 - New Orleans, LA

June 14-15 - Charlotte, NC
June 14-15 - Los Angeles, CA
June 14-15 - Houston, TX
June 14-15 - Philadelphia, PA
June 14-15 - Kansas City, MO

June 21-22 - New York, NY
June 21-22 - Columbia, SC
June 21-22 - Seattle, WA
June 21-22 - Miami, FL

June 28-29 - New Jersey
June 28-29 - St. Louis, MO
June 28-29 - Raleigh, NC
June 28-29 - Detroit, MI

July 5-6 - Nashville, TN
July 5-6 - Lake Wales, FL
July 5-6 - Bay Area, CA
July 5-6 - Boston, MA
July 5-6 - Washington, DC

August 2-3 - Fort Lauderdale, FL
August 2-3 - Dallas, TX
August 2-3 - Indianapolis, IN
August 2-3 - Birmingham, AL

August 9-10 - Atlanta, GA
August 9-10 - Moreno Valley, CA
August 9-10 - Austin, TX
August 9-10 - Denver, CO

August 16-17 - New York, NY
August 16-17 - Wilmington, NC
August 16-17 - Jacksonville, FL
August 16-17 - Phoenix, AZ

These camps are ONLY for those players, who are serious about playing college basketball. All Camps are for Boys and Girls (separate events) and only rising 8th graders and older. The two-day camp format will be intense and players will be instructed by many of the top individual instructors in the country. Please visit our staff page for other coaches who will be running these events, all of which have coached at the Division I level.Some of the top players from each camp will be invited to our NCAA Invitational Events taking place during July of 2014. These events are Invitation only and feature many of the top college coaches in the country (we had over 200 last July).Instruction will be given by ONLY current and former college basketball coaches. Campers will perform drills and skill work that they would be doing if they were current college players.The Camp will include but not be limited to on court instruction (speed dribbling and full court moves off the dribble; half court and transition shooting; passing with a purpose; using and defending screens; ball screen actions; 3 on 3; controlled scrimmages); detailed discussion on how to put yourself in the best position to get recruited; nutrition and diet; academic evaluation and goals; and the various basketball opportunities at all collegiate levels.At the end of each Camp, every participant is given a detailed evaluation of what they do well and what they need to work on in order to reach their dreams of playing collegiately. We will then send these evaluations out to every college coach in the country. This can be a huge help to your recruiting.There will be games played during the event (the end of the day Saturday and Sunday) and college coaches as well as recruiting services will be invited to attend.Each Camp is Two Days long, hotels and meals are the responsibility of each camper. A player may decide to attend just one day; however we highly recommend attending both if possible.Every camper will receive an official Maximum Exposure Basketball T-Shirt.Camp cost is $165.00 per player (for both days) or $100.00 per player (if you just attend one day). An $85.00 deposit is required to reserve your spot. These camps will fill up extremely fast! Make sure to register now so you don't miss your chance to participate!
Sample Itinerary
Saturday
Noon Check in/Registration
1:00 PM Lecture "Putting yourself in the best position to be recruited"
1:30 PM On court development
2:15 PM Playing in the full court
3:00 PM Break / Q and A
3:15 PM Playing in the half court (2 on 2; 3 on 3)
4:15 PM Lecture "strength, conditioning and diet"
4:45 PM Controlled Scrimmage
6:00 PM Dismissal
Sunday
10:30 AM Registration and Instruction for one- day campers who didn't attend Saturday
11:00 AM Lecture "Opportunities in the various levels of basketball"
11:30 AM On court development
12:30 PM College basketball drills
1:30 PM Break/ Q and A
1:45 PM Lecture "How are you working out?"
2:15 PM On court development
2:45 PM Controlled scrimmages
4:00 PM Dismissal

To Register Online for Boys' Camps Click HERE!

To Register Online for Girls' Camps Click HERE!

To Register via Mail for Boys' Camps Click HERE!

To Register via Mail for Girls' Camps Click HERE!

If you have any questions please contact us: info@maximumexposurebasketball.com or 704-664-9845

We hope to see you this Summer!

Nathan Strock passes for three touchdowns as the White team rallies past the Blue team to win 21-20 in Kent State's Spring Game. More to follow.

GOLDENFLASHESTV: Spring Football (see link)

Kent State Spring Football

KENT, Ohio -- Josh Boyle on the final play of Saturday morning's Spring Jersey Scrimmage at Dix Stadium to clinch a 39-26 for the Kent State offense over the defense.

The Reardon-to-Boyle connection was the only touchdown of the day and it secured the offense the right to wear the blue "home" jersey in practice for the first time in two years.

"It's good for them to be able to see that they can move the football," said Kent State head coach Paul Haynes. "There are still a lot of things we have to do better on that side of the football, but it is also good for them to get a win under their belt."

The defense held the lead for most of the scrimmage, jumping ahead early behind interceptions by sophomore safety Jake McVay.

"There were a lot of good things and a lot of things we have to work on," said Haynes. "I liked the enthusiasm on defense. They made a lot of plays. When you talk about (creating) turnovers, those were the things we didn't do very well last year. At least we got some today.

"On the flip side of that, we can't turn the ball over (on offense). We'll get back to the film, grind it out and take a look. We'll finish out spring ball this one more week and then play the Spring Game. After that we'll tell the guys where they are at this point."

A first-down throw on third-and-short by redshirt freshman Anthony Melchiori booted a 40-yard field goal to give the offense the lead for good at 25-23.

Melchiori was a perfect 2-for-2 on the day, adding a 37-yard kick earlier in the day. Sophomore Brad Miller connected from 32 yards on his only field goal attempt of the day.

Kent State will hold its annual Spring Game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 at Dix Stadium. The event is free and open to the public (see link).



This post was edited on 4/19 9:55 PM by nashvillegoldenflash

Offense beats Defense 39-26 in Spring Jersey Scrim

Here's a preview of the 2010 MAC Baseball Tournament.

I'm not responsible for any errors.

2010 MAC Baseball Tournament HQ

By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer

KENT: Nate Terhune doesn't mind being known as "a fat guy who scored a touchdown."
Being labeled a college football "freak" would be even better as far as Terhune, a Kent State junior nose tackle, is concerned.
It was versatile Dri Archer who made national headlines with his speed. But with Archer sidelined for part of the season with an ankle injury, it was Terhune who made the top plays of the day on ESPN's SportsCenter [/I]for his 61-yard touchdown on a fake punt.
It wasn't just the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder rumbling down the left sideline in a victory over Ohio that made the play so worthy, but the fact that Terhune hurdled a Bobcats defender at the 40-yard line that made the long run all the more spectacular.
"It's one of those things you do and don't even realize it happened until you see it later," Terhune said.
Second fake punt
The spectacular special teams play was the second time Terhune successfully ran a fake punt for the Golden Flashes. The previous season as a redshirt freshman, he picked up a first down on a 31-yard gain on his first career carry in KSU's 31-24 victory over Towson.
"I was an offensive lineman in high school," Terhune said. "So I never got to score."
In the midst of spring camp for the upcoming season, Terhune is already being touted by KSU's athletic department as a candidate for CBSsports.com's Freak List: The 20 Craziest Athletes in College Football. Last season, Archer ranked No. 7 on the Freak List that also featured South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Terhune's freakish talent? Owning an extraordinary range of flexibility.
Surprising results
As part of KSU's preseason conditioning, players are put through a series of tests to measure things such as strength and flexibility. The more flexible a player is, the lower his score. Thus, receivers and running backs tend to have lower scores than linemen.
"Most D-linemen score around 15," KSU strength and conditioning coach Antoine Sharp said. "Terhune came in at six, six and a half, which is incredible for his size and position. For most of those big guys, the limiting factor is their ability to bend."
Quick to heal
Terhune's flexibility is a big factor in needing just four weeks to come back from a broken leg. After breaking his right fibula at LSU in the third game of the season, Terhune was told he'd be out at least four to six weeks. Even coach Paul Haynes figured he was done for the season. Instead, Terhune made it back to the field for the Flashes' final six games.
"That could have been a much worse injury if he didn't have such good flexibility attributes," Sharp said. "When you're dealing with a broken bone, a lot of things come into play as far as how fast they heal ? their nutrition, their rest, how they take care of themselves. On top of that, he was determined to come back, so he did everything he was told."
And then some.
"I kept asking to do more," Terhune said. "But a lot of times, they wouldn't let me. But that's probably good, because I might have caused more damage down the road trying to do too much too soon."
Back in the game
So when he made it back midway through the season, it was Terhune causing damage to the Flashes' opponents.
"Right now what I've done so far doesn't seem like a big deal," Terhune said. "But later once my college career is over, I can look back and relish having made that play -- and hopefully, a few more to come."

This post was edited on 4/16 6:56 PM by nashvillegoldenflash

Nate Terhune

The Flashes are currently leading the MAC East with a 7-2 record (see link).

Mid-American Conference

Saul Phillips, who guided North Dakota State to an upset of fifth-seeded Oklahoma in the NCAA tournament and 26 wins this season, was hired Sunday as Ohio University's men's basketball coach.

Phillips succeeds Jim Christian, who left after two years to coach Boston College. Christian was 49-22 at Ohio.

Phillips was 134-84 in seven seasons at North Dakota State. He now joins a school that went 25-12 this season and made it to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament quarterfinals.

"I simply cannot wait to start working with our players and helping them reach their potential," he said in a statement. "I want our fans and my players to know that I will pour maximum energy and enthusiasm into Bobcat basketball."

Phillips was an assistant at North Dakota State for three seasons before becoming head coach. Before that, Phillips was the director of basketball operations for three years at Wisconsin under Bo Ryan.

Phillips played at Division III Wisconsin-Platteville under Ryan and in 1995 captained the Pioneers' undefeated national championship team.


Ohio hires Phillips away from North Dakota State

As a Boston College fan, I would like to think that BC could find a better coach than Jim Christian but perhaps not. At any rate, Boston College has interviewed Christian to replace Steve Donahue (see link).

BC eyes Jim Christian

When Manhattan toppled Iona in the MAAC title game and led defending national champ Louisville into the final minutes of its opening-round NCAA tournament game, Steve Masiello figured to be one of the most coveted coaches on the market this spring.
Less than a week later, it's not even certain that Manhattan will take him back.
Masiello was all set to replace Stan Heath as the new coach at South Florida when the school's background check revealed that he had not actually graduated from Kentucky in 2000 as his resume claimed, ESPN.com reported Wednesday morning. Masiello's bio at Manhattan and from when he was an assistant at Loiuisville both refer to him as having graduated from Kentucky in 2000 with a communications degree.
The question now becomes whether Manhattan policy demands that its head coaches must have bachelor's degrees in order to be eligible to work at the school. This is common practice among Division I institutions who want their head coaches to be able to set an example for their players about the importance of graduating.
A Manhattan spokesman did not immediately return an email from Yahoo Sports seeking clarification on if the school requires its coaches to have a degree. The email also asked if the initial resume Masiello had submitted falsely indicated he had graduated from Kentucky and if the school had made any decision regarding whether he would be welcomed back.
The school later released a statement that it had placed Masiello on leave while investigating the status of his degree (see link).


Steve Masiello lies on his resume

With three players averaging more than 18 points a game and one of the fastest full-court offenses out there Ohio's going to have its hands full against the VMI Keydets tonight (see link for a preview of the game).

CIT Quarterfinals Ohio vs. VMI

The Mid-American Conference and University of Masachusetts reached an agreement forcing UMass to leave the league as a football-only member after the 2015 season, it was announced Wednesday.
UMass had been a football-only member of the MAC the past two seasons and primarily a member of the Atlantic 10 in its other sports.
Last month, the MAC offered full membership to UMass, but the school declined. Per UMass' agreement with the MAC, if it turned down full membership from the MAC, the school would only be able to remain a football-only member for two more seasons.
"This is not the outcome we anticipated when UMass was admitted as a football-only member," MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher said in a statemtent Wednesday. "However, circumstances changed regarding our football membership and this is a result of those circumstances."
In each of the Minutemen's first two years in the MAC, in 2012 and 2013, they were 1-7 in MAC play and 1-11 overall.
UMass will remain in the MAC East Division in 2014 and 2015.
In 2016, the MAC will be a 12-team conference consisting of Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and Ohio in the East; and Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan in the West.

UMass to exit MAC

Cincinnati Princeton WR Elijah Ball went up to Kent State's junior day this weekend and walked away with an offer. His profile is linked below.

Elijah Ball profile

Oh how I miss Gary Waters. I can't say that about Jim Christian or Geno Ford but I can say that about Coach Waters because I miss "The Waters Way" (see link).
This post was edited on 3/7 3:07 PM by nashvillegoldenflash

The Waters Way

It looks like Darrel is having a slow start at Purdue. The Boilermakers lost to Cincinnati in their first game 42-7 and yesterday defeated Indiana State by only 6 points. Indiana defeated the same team by 38 points. Looking at the remaining schedule, I don't see Purdue winning another game this year.

TheFotoLife.com
"Map your Life in Photos"

Hello Kent St Fans ,
My name is Brian and I just started my own social network called The FotoLife.com. It is a new revolutionary way to store, share and organize your photos online for personal or business use. You will never forget a memory or experience again. It brings many of the features you may already use on multiple sites to one location. It is an idea that a buddy and I came up with about 3 years ago and have been developing ever since. We have put a lot of time and work into this idea over the past few years and are looking to get users on the site now and get some feedback. It would be greatly appreciated if we could get the support from our fellow Kent St Fans by having you all sign up for the site at www.Thefotolife.com. It is completely free to try and would love for you and anyone you know to try it out. It is a one time sign up then you can use it whenever or however you want because it has so many different uses.
It's main purpose is an online digital photo album that allows you to store all your photos in one private secure location. It can be used for personal or business use. It is a great free way to promote your business to potential clients and open a store to sell your products or services. As a personal user, you can use it as a digital photo album for you to organize and share your memories with whomever you like. You can track all your travels, events and memories through photos on a map with the time and location of where the picture was taken so you never forget a memorable experience. You have complete control over who sees what you post. Through our privacy settings, a photo posted our site can be seen by everyone on the site or you can keep it to just yourself or you can share it between just a couple of your friends because the power is all yours. We also have a basic app that you can fid in apple stores. It is just a photo uploader and allows you to edit and post photos to your map. The site is much more than just a photo site or a virtual mall though and has an unlimited amount of features. It has a lot of similar uses to sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Ebay, Google Plus, Google Maps, Google Circles Groveshark, Weather Channel, Amazon, and so many more. Here is a list of a few of our most used features below that may help you or your company out:
- Create a Personal Profile (Similar to Facebook)
- Create a Business Profile
- Open a Store
- Post Photos on a Map based on Location of the Photo
- Write Blogs for your Business or have a Personal Journal for Yourself
- Write Testimonials and Reviews on Stores
- Rate Photos, Blogs, and Businesses on a Five Star Rating Scale
- Check Traffic
- Check Weather
- Listen to Music
- Personalize a RSS Feed (Allows you to follow all your most visited Websites in one News Feed)
- Create Events with a Time and Location and Invite Users to Come to the Event
- Search People, Places, and Events
- Group Friends into Groups that you Create (Allows Posts to be Shared only between the People you Choose)
- Privacy Settings (Allows you to Control who sees each and every Post you make)

Here is a short promotional video that may give you a little better idea of what the site can do with a few screen shots from the website itself so you can see how it looks:
http://vimeo.com/52970337

There are many more capabilities to TheFotoLife.com, but it is easier for you to just go check it out for yourself. So please help us out and go sign up for www.TheFotoLife.com and be sure to tell anyone you know to visit www.TheFotoLife.com as well! Also be sure to check out our app in apple stores today! Don't miss out on the next big thing that everyone is joining and Start Living TheFotoLife today! Please feel free to email me at brian.thefotolife@gmail.com with any questions or concerns and I will be more than happy to answer those for you.

Also please be sure to like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheFotoLife
and follow our Twitter Page at https://twitter.com/thefotolife

Thank you for taking the time to read this,
Brian, CEO and Founder of TheFotoLife.com


P.S. If you do sign up and are having trouble understanding how to use it please be sure to check out this tutorial video that will explain how to use the site:http://vimeo.com/53351710



http://www.thefotolife.com

Conventional wisdom was that Kent State running back Dri Archer would have one of the best 40 times at the NFL Scouting Combine and he came through Sunday, blazing to an official clocking of 4.26 seconds in his first attempt. It was the fastest time of the day.


Archer, who was one of the best sprinters in the state of Florida in high school, had boldly predicted he would break Tenneseee Titans RB Chris Johnson's combine record of 4.24, saying his personal best was a 4.21.
Archer fell just short Sunday, but the razor-thin margin was close enough to make the record-holder sweat a little.

Dri Archer turns in a 4.26-second 40-yard dash

All I can say is wow.

http://www.fatmanwriting.com/2014/02/kent-state-running-back-dri-archer.html

Junior college transfer Cody Hamlin set the tempo early for Arizona on Sunday afternoon, allowing just one run through seven innings as the Wildcats captured the opening weekend series with a 7-1 victory over Kent State at Hi Corbett Field.

"Felt good to get the first start out of the way and get the win," Hamlin said. "I think just command of the ball, getting a lot of strikes and pounding the zone helped out a lot."

Hamlin (1-0), a former Scenic West Conference Player of the Year, struck out three batters and allowed just four hits in his Wildcat debut (see link).


Arizona takes opening weekend series

Big first inning dooms Wildcats

Danny Passovoy
GOAZCATS.com Baseball Staff Writer

It was over before it even began.

Zarley Zalewski collected four RBIs as part of an 11-run first inning and Kent State put the game out of reach early Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field.

In the end, the Golden Flashes (1-1) finished with nine hits and had seven of their nine players record an RBI in the first inning of their 14-3 win over the Arizona Wildcats (1-1).

"Give credit where credit is due," UA head coach Andy Lopez said after the game. "[Kent State] came out really prepared to play. Obviously the first inning was a ballgame. It's OK if you got Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens, but it's tough to chase 11 runs."

The last time the Wildcats allowed at least 11 runs in an inning was April 29, 2009 in a 20-3 loss to Arizona State.

Wildcats starting pitcher Tyler Crawford (0-1) lasted just 1/3 of an inning, allowing five hits and seven earned runs over 25 pitches.

"I thought [Crawford] was very non-competitive. Not much presence. Didn't look like a starter, that's for sure," Lopez said.

Lopez went to the bullpen early, enlisting right-hander Nathan Bannister out of the pen. However, the sophomore suffered a similar fate. Bannister lasted just 1/3 of the inning as well and allowed four runs on 27 pitches.

"I don't think Bannister pitched all that poorly. I think Crawford set such a bad presence and tempo that kind of carried into Bannister's performance," Lopez said.

Left-hander Cody Moffett entered the game as the third pitcher in the first inning and actually had some success on the mound. The Gilbert, Ariz., native allowed just one run in 3 1/3 innings on the hill.

"[Moffett] was effective, but he wasn't anywhere near what I thought he would be in terms of velocity," Lopez said. "He's had a back injury for the last four or five weeks, little bit of a back tightness. Up until 10 days ago he wasn't even really throwing very much. He's still getting healthy."

The 'Cats clawed their way out of their scoreless deficit against Kent State starter Nick Jensen-Clagg, scoring on RBI singles from Kevin Newman and Riley Moore, and drove in another on a sacrifice fly by Newman in the fourth.

Newman finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

However, Lopez' offense was met with a swift response from Kent State. Cody Koch added an RBI single for the Golden Flashes in the third and Troy Summers scored on an error by third baseman Cody Ramer in the sixth to make the game 13-3.

Jensen-Clagg allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings, but finished a retired batter shy of qualifying for the win. Kent State reliever Eric Lauer (1-0) picked up the victory in 2 2/3 innings on the mound.

Former UA closer Mat Troupe got his first action of the season, coming to the mound in relief of Luke Soroko in the seventh. The junior gave up an RBI single and two walks - the run was charged to Soroko - but also fanned four batters in two innings.

"It's great to have him back," catcher Riley Moore said. "Me and him go back since freshman year, since summer in the Cape. I feel like there's a connection out there between us that just works."

Arizona responded to a T.J. Sutton RBI in the seventh with two RBI singles in the eighth to make it 14-5, but that's the closest the Wildcats would come in this one.

"Put it behind you and move on until tomorrow," Moore said. "We all know we don't like the taste of this and that was the post game speech for us. We need to flush it and come back tomorrow strong."

First pitch in the rubber match of the season-opening three-game series is scheduled for noon.



Big first inning dooms Wildcats

Coaching legend Don James, who was Nick Saban's coach at Kent State and has been repeatedly cited as Saban's biggest influence, died Sunday. He was 80 years old.
James was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He spent the bulk of his coaching career at the University of Washington, which announced the news of his passing.
James coached 18 seasons as Washington, leading the Huskies to six conference championships and the 1991 national title. During his 22 seasons as a head coach, he amassed a record of 178-76-3.
Born in Massillon, Ohio, James played quarterback at Miami (Fla.) and earned his master's degree at Kansas. He held assistant coaching positions at Florida State, Michigan and Colorado before landing his first head coaching gig at Kent State in 1971.
James was Saban's head coach at Kent State during Saban's final two seasons as a Golden Flashes player. Though Saban wasn't exactly itching to become a coach, James offered Saban a role as a graduate assistant in 1973.
"I didn't grow up wanting to be a coach," Saban said in Sept. 2011. "He recognized that and asked me to be a coach, to be a graduate assistant, when I didn't have any intentions of being that.
"The only reason I did it was that my wife had another year of school. So I couldn't move and take a job. I had to stay there and do something, so I did it. I really enjoyed it and continued to do it, got hired full time and went on from there."
When James was hospitalized in September, Saban offered his condolences to James, whom he called a "great mentor."
"Don James probably did more than anybody in this profession to influence me," Saban said in 2011. "From an organizational standpoint, our program is run a lot the same that Don James ran his program. Very well-organized, efficient, defining things that are expectations for players, coaches and everyone in the organization.
"He was always personal and inspirational to players and people around him. A great leader. He certainly impacted me and I certainly appreciate all he's done, and will continue to do. Every time I call him and ask him something, he gives me a lot of good input." (see link)

Don James

From footballscoop.com:

With National Signing Day less than 24 hours away, prospects and schools around college football are in a mad dash to get all their seats filled before the music stops playing. With so much movement over such a small time frame, it can be a very confusing time.
In speaking with sub-FBS coaches, one of their biggest frustrations is with concept of the preferred walk-on. Kids will often turn down scholarship money at smaller schools to take a spot as a preferred walk-on at a larger state school although, in many cases, they're not exactly sure what they're stepping into.
We reached out to 10 FBS player personnel staff, operations staff and coaches across the nation to see how their program handled preferred walk-ons. Nine out of the 10 staffs we spoke with use the "preferred concept" and to those nine, the clear difference between a preferred walk-on versus someone who simply walks-on is that the preferred means he is guaranteed a spot on the 105 man roster day one of camp, while other walk-ons will have to go through tryouts to see if they can earn a spot on the roster.
Nine out of the ten staffs that we spoke with used the preferred walk-on concept. At each of those nine, preferred guys were guaranteed a spot on the 105 but none of the nine said that preferred guys were guaranteed a spot on the traveling squad. We heard of a few unique cases where the player (perhaps a son of a coach or something) was effectively guaranteed a travel spot but sounds like this is rarely the case going into August.
One coach added that preferred guys "may also be invited to summer school to train with the team. Some conferences allow the institution to pay for summer school without penalty."
We asked if most of the preferred guys were effectively guaranteed a spot on the roster for week one and most said they were, but two coaches cautioned, "it's the real world, nothing is guaranteed."
"It's hard to guarantee anything because you do not know what will happen, but you have to be up front and honest with the preferred walk-ons that are willing to pass up a scholarship. We have had a number of preferred walk-ons earn scholarships and also a few that didn't have what it takes to compete for one."
In the most traditional sense, a preferred walk-on is a player that has scholarship offers from small FBS or FCS schools that hopes to play his way into a scholarship at a Power Five school. "Most of the time they will be rewarded in their second season on the team so he doesn't get counted backward or forward," one coach told us. "If you look at a lot of the top teams, they have a great walk-on program."
One staff member whose team doesn't use the "preferred" concept told us, "We think it's kind of a poor way to lead a kid on. The 105 is always such a fluid number that any incoming walk-on we tell that we are not sure if they will be in the 105, but we always bring the walk-ons that have been with us in first and then bring a walk-on in depending on the needs we have for scout team purposes or if we need a body due to injury. It's just too hard to use a term and not be able to put any merit behind it because there is definitely confusion on what it means just another thing we have created as coaches to make things more difficult on ourselves."
One response that we got from a coach who clearly has had to manage people before offered this...and we liked it, "Preferred walk-on means you join the team and are a part of the team - are treated the same and receive the same benefits (academic support, equipment, coaching, etc.) as everybody else with the exception of at the cash register - they will have a bill. Nobody around the team should be able to tell the difference between a preferred walk-on and a scholarship player," another coach cautioned. "A program that is good for walk-ons would be one that walk-ons are only preferred. When a program has a class system - scholarship, preferred walk-ons, walk-ons - is a bad situation for walk-ons."
At the end of the day, it's pretty clear that for those that offer "preferred" spots, they are telling the players that they are on the day 1 roster; but like anything else, they need to earn their reward thereafter and there certainly are no guarantees.
A former player text us last night the following, "I was a preferred walk-on at a division 1 program. To the program, all it meant was that I was part of the 105. To me, it meant so much more: the extra time to develop myself, extra time to build relationships with teammates and coaches, and extra time to be a part of something great!


Coaches explain

KENT, Ohio ?[/B] Kent State kept local talent close to home with seven Northeast Ohio natives announced in its 2014 recruiting class Wednesday on National Signing Day. In all, the Golden Flashes added 11 players on defense, eight on offense and one kicker.

The 20-member class comes from five different states with 15 Ohio natives. Two players will join the Flashes from Miami, Fla., along with one from Nevada, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Eighteen members served as team captains in high school.

The group includes 11 all-state selections, four players on state championship teams, five players with state runner-up finishes and six players with academic honors.

Offense[/B]

GEORGE BOLLAS, QB, 6-3, 205[/B]
Aurora, Ohio
Aurora High School

Notables:[/B] Chagrin Valley Conference Offensive MVP as a senior and all-state selection…Team captain…Led Aurora to state semifinal appearance and 12-2 record as a junior… Greenmen also won state playoff game in 2013, finishing 10-2…Earned all-conference and all-district first team honors as a senior…Former high school teammate of Jake McVay…Two-time all-academic team selection for Chagrin Valley Conference…Wrestled for two seasons at Aurora, qualifying for the state tournament as a sophomore…Father and grandfather both wrestled at Ohio State.
Stats:[/B] Rushed for 1,323 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior, throwing for 1,355 yards and 13 touchdowns…Ran for 1,072 yards and 16 touchdowns in junior season and threw for 1,483 yards and 14 touchdowns.

LUKE GRANDJEAN, WR, 6-3, 185[/B]
North Canton, Ohio
Hoover High School

Notables:[/B] Two-time all-state second team selection…Team captain…Named to All-Stark County (Repository) First Team in junior and senior seasons…Northeast Inland All-District First Team…Beacon Journal All-Star Team…All-Federal League First Team…Helped Hoover to a playoff appearance in 2012…Played two seasons of basketball and lacrosse at Hoover…Scored 35 goals career goals in lacrosse…Uncle Charlie Grandjean played at Kent State and is member of Varsity "K" Hall of Fame…Will be seventh member of extended family to attend Kent State.
Stats:[/B] Made six interceptions as a junior…Caught 34 passes for 623 yards and six touchdowns in 2012…Threw for 1,402 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013, while rushing for 970 yards and 14 touchdowns.

ZAQUON TYSON, WR, 5-9, 155[/B]
Miami, Fla.
Norland High School
Notables:[/B] Helped Norland win a state title in 2011 …Team captain...Earned MVP of both Georgia vs. Florida and Private vs. Public All-Star Games…Joins linebacker Darius Redmond among Miami natives on Kent State roster.

Stats:[/B] Made 30 catches for 550 yards and four touchdowns as a senior.

MILES HIBBLER, RB, 5-10, 185[/B]
Troy, Ohio
Troy High School

Notables:[/B] Two-time All-Greater Western Ohio Conference First Team selection…Earned all-state honorable mention…Two-time All-Southwest Ohio District First Team selection… Team captain…Helped Troy to state playoffs as a sophomore…Earned three varsity letters in football and four in track & field…Was a two-time state qualifier in the 4x100.
Stats:[/B] Ran for 1,644 yards and 21 touchdowns on 235 carries as a senior…Ranks seventh among Troy's all-time rushing leaders.

STEFANO MILLIN, OL, 6-5, 245[/B]
Massillon, Ohio
Perry High School
Notables:[/B] All-Federal League honors as a senior …Team captain...Also a standout wrestler at Perry…Was a two-time state tournament qualifier…Two-time place winner at both Iron Man and Beast of the East tournaments.

Stats:[/B] Recorded 18 career sacks and 25 tackles for loss

COLLIN PROUTY, OL, 6-5, 280[/B]
Dresden, Ohio
Tri-Valley High School

Notables:[/B] Two-time All-Ohio Second Team selection…Two-time Muskingum Valley League Offensive Lineman of the Year…Two-time all-district and all-region selection…Team captain…Three-year letterwinner…Helped Tri-Valley to playoff wins in three different seasons…High school teammates with Nathan Strock…Named Eastern Region Track & Field Athlete of the Year and finished fifth in the state in discus as a junior…Father played football at Muskingum.

NATHAN PUTHOFF, OL, 6-5, 287[/B]
Columbus, Ohio
St. Charles High School
Notables:[/B] All-Ohio First Team selection…Offensive Team MVP…Was also a first team selection on all-conference, all-district and All-Metro teams…Helped St. Charles to a playoff appearance…Father and uncle both played football at Ohio…Will be seventh member of family to compete as a student-athlete in the Mid-American Conference…Also competed in baseball and track & field.

Stats:[/B] Totaled 73 pancake blocks as a senior and 24 as a junior.

CONNOR SHINSKY, OL, 6-6, 260[/B]
Butler , Pa.
Knoch High School

Notables:[/B] All-Greater Allegheny Conference First Team selection on offense in junior and senior seasons…Also an all-conference second team selection on defense …Team captain…Helped Knoch to a pair of playoff appearances, including a WPIAL runner-up finish in 2011…Knoch finished 12-1, winning a Section 3 championship…Named to Butler Eagle Sweet 16 and Pittsburgh Post Gazette North Finest 22…Also played basketball at Knoch.
Stats:[/B] Totaled 45 tackles and six sacks as a junior


Defense[/B]
JON CUNNINGHAM, DT, 6-0, 265[/B]
Bedford, Ohio
Bedford High School

Notables:[/B] Earned all-conference honors in junior and senior seasons… Team captain…Also wrestles at Bedford…Was a state qualifier as a junior…Freestyle/Greco Roman state champion… Father played football at Toledo…Mother attended Kent State
Stats:[/B] Made 77 tackles, including 55 solo stops…Scored two touchdowns.

KALIL MORRIS, DT, 6-3, 280[/B]
Columbus, Ohio
Bishop Hartley High School
Notables:[/B] All-Ohio First Team (defense) in junior and senior seasons…Three-time all-district and All-Central Catholic League First Team selection…Team captain...All-Metro First Team…North-South All-Star Game selection…Helped Hartley to state championship game appearance as a senior and state semifinal appearance as a junior…Back-to-back undefeated regular seasons…Also played basketball at Bishop Hartley.

Stats:[/B] Made 161 career tackles with 15 sacks, five forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered.

ZACK SINGER, DT, 6-3, 290[/B]
Las Vegas, Nev.
Bishop Gorman High School
Notables:[/B] Earned all-state honors in all four seasons…Helped Bishop Gorman to four state titles and four Top 25 national rankings…Team captain…Played both ways and rarely left the field…Competed in both baseball and wrestling at Bishop Gorman, finishing fourth at state wrestling tournament.

Stats:[/B] Made 37 tackles as a senior.

JAMES ALEXANDER, LB, 5-11, 219[/B]
Miami, Fla.
Miami Jackson High School
Notables:[/B] Two-time All-Dade County First Team selection…Team captain…Helped Jackson to a Regional title as a junior…One of two Miami natives in recruiting class (Zaquon Tyson)…Was also a captain on Jackson's track & field team where he earned all-county honors and qualified for the state meet.

Stats:[/B] Recorded 351 career tackles and 15 sacks…Scored two defensive touchdowns…Recovered seven fumbles and forced three…Broke school record for tackles in a season with 145.

MARQUES MOORE, LB, 6-2, 200[/B]
Springfield , Ohio
Springfield High School

Notables:[/B] Named to All-Greater Western Ohio Conference First Team…Received invites for National Underclassmen (NUC) All-American Game, NUC Ultimate 100 and Texas vs. the World Game…Also competed in basketball and track & field at Springfield…Two uncles and a cousin all played in the NFL.

Stats:[/B] Blocked three punts…Made two interceptions…Recorded 34 tackles and recovered a fumble

MATTHEW SOMMERS, LB, 6-2, 220[/B]
Kent , Ohio
Roosevelt High School

Notables:[/B] Two-time Portage Trail Conference Defensive Player of the Year…Earned All-Ohio Second Team honors as a senior and special mention as a junior…Team captain…Three-time all-conference first team selection…Helped Roosevelt to three conference championships…Joins Evan Shimensky as third Roosevelt player on roster…Also played lacrosse at Roosevelt, earning all-district honors in two seasons.
Stats:[/B] Totaled 421 career tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, six forced fumbles and an interception…Holds Roosevelt records for tackles in a season and tackles in a career.

ELDIN ANU, CB, 5-10, 165[/B]
Columbus, Ohio
Westerville Central High School
Notables:[/B] All-Ohio Second Team selection…Earned all-region and all-district first team honors…Team captain…Named to Ohio Capital Conference Second Team…Helped Westerville Central to Cardinal Division title in OCC…Also competed in track & field, earning all-state honors…Born in Cameroon .

Stats:[/B] Made 53 catches for 718 yards and seven touchdowns…totaled 1,075 all-purpose yards…Recorded four interceptions, 58 tackles and 13 pass breakups.

QUAN ROBINSON JR., CB, 6-1, 170[/B]
Cleveland, Ohio
Glenville High School
Notables:[/B] Senate League All-Star…Team captain…Three-year starter at quarterback…Led Glenville to state title game in senior year and three Senate League titles…One of two Glenville players (Erik Simpson) joining Glenville grad Chris Overton.

Stats:[/B] Threw for 1,945 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior…Ran for 500 yards and 14 touchdowns.

JERRELL FOSTER, CB, 6-0, 180[/B]
Cincinnati, Ohio
Winton Woods High School
Notables:[/B] Earned all-district honors…Team captain…All-City selection...Helped Winton Woods advance to the third round of the state playoffs…Will join Cincinnati natives Kevin DeWalt.

Stats:[/B] Intercepted three passes as a senior, totaling eight pass breakups.

MARCUS ELLIOTT, DB, 6-1, 200[/B]
Toledo, Ohio
Whitmer High School
Notables:[/B] All-Ohio First Team selection as a senior and second team choice as a junior…Team captain…Two-tine selection on all-district, all-conference and All-Blade teams…Team MVP…Helped Whitmer in four playoff appearances, three regional championships, two state semifinal s and one state final appearance…Will join Whitmer grads Nate andNick Holley…Was a four-year letterwinner in track & field…Also lettered in basketball.

Stats:[/B] Made 259 career tackles and 10 interceptions…Holds school record for interceptions in a season with eight…Scored three touchdowns, including 86-yard kick return…Totaled 13 career tackles for loss and eight forced fumbles.

ERIK SIMPSON, S, 6-0, 175[/B]
Cleveland, Ohio
Glenville High School
Notables:[/B] All-Senate League First Team selection…Team captain… Two-year starter at cornerback…Helped Glenville to state title game in senior year and three Senate League titles…One of two Glenville players (Quan Robinson) joining Glenville grad Chris Overton…Also lettered in track & field…Ranked second in his class academically…OHSAA Academic All-Ohio.

Stats:[/B] Made 54 tackles with six pass breakups and one interception in senior season…Receivers he covered did not catch a pass during his junior season.

Specialist[/B]
SHANE HYNES, K, 5-10, 150[/B]
Clarkston, Mich.
Clarkston High School
Notables:[/B] Two-time all-state selection…Helped Clarkston to state championship as a senior…All-Metro Detroit First Team selection…Two all-county honors… Clarkston went 42-3-1 in last four years…Will join former Clarkston teammate Matt Dellinger…Also played baseball.

Stats:[/B] Kicked a school record 53-yard field goal as a junior…Made eight field goals as a senior…Totaled 63 kickoffs for touchbacks as a senior…Had the longest punt in school history (81 yards) as a senior.


2014 National Signing Day

KSU is currently 11th and Western Michigan is 1st (see link). I'm disappointed with the ranking but hopefully the recruits will be better than expected.



This post was edited on 2/3 10:33 PM by nashvillegoldenflash

2014 Team Rankings