2019 FB Recruiting

[VULB#62]

Thanks for the update on ht/wt 72. Much better numbers.

Good digging, 24. I watched some of the jr. video and what also impressed me was his receivers going for the ball. He was well complemented that's fer sure. There also were a number of clips where receivers were wide open out of the backfield which may speak to your comment about competition quality. I'd love to know his 40 time (his most recent time, not his junior time) cuz in one clip I recall he ran through an opponent's secondary and actually out-sprinted them to the EZ.

Personal style and preference comments: I would love to see us find a legit double threat QB. We will never be super talented like USD, so we need to create matchup advantages. In our last two coaches we tried to do that almost exclusively via passing by semi-mobile QBs (Ben Lehman was the exception and I miss his presence every season). The reviews are quite mixed on that. Especially, when both coaches (Dave less so) did not put D on the same level as O. Sorry, that's the LB in me.

Most PFL teams have ganged up on our receivers and used rudimentary rushes for pressure. They seldom honored our rush game. That's easy-peasy defense. What if you force PFL teams to honor BOTH the rush and pass game. That's gonna make it harder to stop us because opponents are now forced into a matchup game and we then can dictate the matchups. Yay!   

On tape, this kid is more along the lines of a mobile QB who can get away from pressure and, when a QB keep is called, he seems to be able to execute.

He also seems to have good field vision, some creativity, and finds open guys while on the run.

BUT....... yes, these are highlights. Who knows? Just glad they got another QB commit. Hope we get some under the radar OL and/or WRs before the summer.

On D, I'm gonna keep my mouth shut. Fox is an 11 year DC at Dayton and those teams have been pretty darned good in that regard over those years. He knows what he needs on that side of the ball. I only hope MLB can give him what he needs to go out and get those kids.

Holy crap. I didn't realize how much I wrote. Sorry

[valpofb16]

Saylers brings roster to 98,

What I gathered on film and research, he was often the tallest player on film, at 6'2 that shows size of talent around him

Team was rated in top 1,000 of maxpreps went 12-2 and was #85 in Ohio.

What this likely means?

We are getting a QB who played for the cream of the crop in lower division Ohio football. Kid looked like he had a great arm and tools, will have a couple years to adjust to speed and talent.

Good recruiting grab overall, I'll take a small school winner over a mega school bottom feeder any day

[JD24]

I agree with VULB62's comments about preferring a dual threat option in the offense and I've been wishing Dave would use Duncan in this regard since sometimes I think I prefer him running than throwing. It's possible that last year with Seewald on the ropes that the staff didn't want to risk Duncan being injured running too often.

Saylers appears to have the skillset to be a dual threat even if he was listed as a pro style QB but he's going to have to put on some weight in all likelihood or there'd be a risk of injury. He was a basketball player as well on a pretty good team and he was pretty good himself apparently. I also thought of the possibility of a position switch with him as well as a 6'2" WR with some wheels may work out pretty well although there is a lot more to playing WR effectively than too many people don't realize.

[bbtds]

He was a basketball player as well on a pretty good team and he was pretty good himself apparently.

Can he shoot the 3?

[valpofb16]

I've always thought Duncan should move to WR. 6-4 190 and ran a 4.5 40 last fall. Unfortunately due to injury they only played around with it in the spring.

[VULB#62]

Kripe, 4.5?  Why didn't we use his wheels more when he was at QB?  Never mind, I think I know — it didn't fit into that extremely complex system that only thinks of QBs as pure passers. Runners run. QBs pass. Goes back to what JD24 and I said on numerous occasions:  you adjust your system to the available talent. You don't stubbornly try to shoehorn your talent into situations that don't allow them use thier natural gifts. I hope Fox is more flexible and can do that correctly.

[valpofb16]

New Recruit: WR Solomon Davis Brighton HS Brighton, Tenn. 5-11 180 , National HS Rank: 8,543

Roster stands at 99, 11 slots open for camp

Edit: Jacob Floresca from Plainfield East has decommitted, brings roster down to 98, makes sense due to change in need of LB numbers

[JD24]

Edit: Jacob Floresca from Plainfield East has decommitted, brings roster down to 98, makes sense due to change in need of LB numbers

I was having trouble understanding how he was playing LBer at the listed 6-2 190. That's be relatively thin for a WR.

[valpofb16]

New Commit: Jakob Berkemeier WR 6'4 195 Oak Hills, Cincinnati Ohio

Team National Rank: 3288

Roster now is 99

[VULB#62]

Height can overcome speed deficiencies if the kid has guts and some spring in his leap. Hope he has route discipline.

[JD24]

Basketball player on a good team. Football player on a bad team.

He does not appear to be skinny and I question either the height or the weight. Basketball players at WR often turn on how much they can deal with contact in college. But his background is good. Didn't seem to bother him in HS. College can be a different ballgame. Looks like he was used in the slot a lot in HS.

[valpofb16]

If I remember right Edinboro used a lot of the tight end in the slot, he could be a TE/WR type guy, Bittner and Sutter had very similar measurables their freshman year

[JD24]

I don't disagree with the thought that he may be a move TE but in terms of offense, Edinboro completed 13 passes to TEs last year, 4 passes the year prior and 8 in 2016 while Limbach was there. So it doesn't appear that he uses the TE as a receiving threat all that often (although it was effective last season in terms of yardage).

In terms of this guy's position, on his highlights there was a play in which he was blocking downfield I guess to show that he could block. However on the play used, the DB ran the guy right to the ball carrier and he made the tackle. It was just a weird play to use to demonstrate his blocking ability.

[vu72]

New QB commitment:
Trent Salyers of Wheelersburg OH

Great article about his signing.

https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/sports/38063/salyers-signs-w-valpo

[VULB#62]

Well rounded, multi-sport, smart and football smart, and apparently tough with a high pain threshold. Wonder if he got D-II or NAIA offers but was holding out for FCS?  As wondered about previously, his W/L record and stats should have opened a few eyes at the FCS level at least.  Also wonder how he got past Dayton's recruiters. I really hope he competes immediately and pushes the veterans right away. Evidently he can throw and his coach mentioned good reads. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking...... maybe he's  the double threat that opens up the offense for Coach Fox. Regardless, great to have him at Valpo.

[JD24]

Well rounded, multi-sport, smart and football smart, and apparently tough with a high pain threshold. Wonder if he got D-II or NAIA offers but was holding out for FCS?  As wondered about previously, his W/L record and stats should have opened a few eyes at the FCS level at least.  Also wonder how he got past Dayton's recruiters. I really hope he competes immediately and pushes the veterans right away. Evidently he can throw and his coach mentioned good reads. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking...... maybe he's  the double threat that opens up the offense for Coach Fox. Regardless, great to have him at Valpo.

It's possible he may have been holding out looking for an offer playing basketball thus the late recruit to football. There was nothing I could find indicating this athlete was offered anywhere in football which I just find odd for the QB of a successful program.

[valpofb16]

New Commit: Austin Martins OLB 5'10 205 Modesto Junior College , California

Oristemba HS: 5003 Nationally. (2016)
Led team in rushing/tackles

Very fast player , undersized but a playmaker

Roster stands at 100

[valpofb16]

Final Class

15   Ashton Ruszkowski   QB   QB   6'1   180   FR.   Granger, Ind.   Saint Joseph's
5   Trent Saylers   QB   QB   6'2   175   FR.   Wheelersburg, Ohio   Wheelersburg
21   Drew Engle   RB   RB   5'10   190   FR.   Lorain, Ohio   Clearview
23   Jordan Curtis   RB   RB   6'0   180   FR.   Round Lake Beach, Ill.   Grayslake North
2   Oscar Lopez   WR   WRY   6'1   200   Jr.   Newton, Ma.   Revere (Vermillion City JC)
2   Anthony Holmes   WR   WRX   5'5   170   FR.   Brentwood, Tenn.   Ravenwood
6   Jordan Bingham   WR   WRZ   6'2   200   FR.   Indianapolis, Ind.   North Central
21   Solomon Davis   WR   WRZ   5'11   180   FR.   Brighton, Tenn.   Brighton
81   Jacob Berkemeier   WR   WRZ   6'4   195   FR.   Cincinnati, Ohio   Christian Hills
63   Joe Monahan   OL   OC   6'1   260   FR.   Hinsdale, Ill.   Hinsdale Central
72   Stone Dixon   OL   LG   6'3   270   FR.   Cincinnati, Ohio   Moeller
72   Drew Parrish   OL   RT   6'3   230   FR.   New Lenox, Ill.   Lincoln Way Central
75   Jackson Laird   OL   LT   6'5   265   FR.   West Bloomfield, Mich.   West Bloomfield
78   Stephen Schmanski   DL   DT   6'4   325   FR.   Bath, Mich.   Bath
97   Daniel Files   DL   NT   6'3   305   FR.   Lake Orion, Mich.   Cranbrook-Kingswood
7   Austin Martins   DL   WDE   5'10   204   Jr.   Newman, Calif.   Oritsemba (Modesto JC)
44   Sean Curry   DL   WDE   6'2   210   FR.   Lansing, Mich.   Holt
50   Trejuan Purty   DL   WDE   6'0   225   R-So.   Maryville, Tenn.   Maryville High School (East Tennessee St.)
90   Chase Bibler   DL   SDE   6'4   240   FR.   Clovis, Calif.   Buchannon
9   Tarie Saunders   LB   MLB   6'0   220   FR.   Detroit, Mich.   South Field
10   Alex Conlin   LB   SLB   6'2   210   FR.   Louisville, Ky.   DuPont Manual
8   Evan Annis   CR   CRU   6'0   208   FR.   Hilliard, Ohio   Hilliard Davidson
7   Akil Mitchell   DB   FCB   5'10   175   FR.   Chicago, Ill.   Whitney Young
8   Jalen Allen      DB    FCB   6'1   185   FR.   Indianapolis, Ind.   Arsenal Tech
20   Austin Chilton   DB   BCB   6'2   185   FR.   Windermere, Fla.   West Orange
2   Donovan Earles   DB   FS   6'0   175   FR.   Chicago, Ill.   Morgan Park
9   Cameron Brown   DB   SS   5'10   190   FR.   Gilbert, Ariz.   Casteel
6   Malek Williams   DB   SS   6'0   175   FR.   Muncie, Ind.   Muncie Central
18   Colton Kraus   DB   SS   5'9   175   FR.   Racine, Wis.   Racine
10   Patrick Oliva   P   P   5'11   165   FR.   South Bend, Ind.   Saint Joseph's

30 New Crusaders, several Cecchini's recruits. Ruzskowski is more mobile while Saylers a pocket passer. Both backs are Morgan type of player. 5 WR 4 after signing day great job by new staff to assess a need. No Tight Ends (Berkemeier?).  4 OL after big class last year, had horrible retention. Monahan + Dixon could be in rotation sooner than later. DL not thrilled by our DT's film. Bibler looks like the real deal. Martins and Purty are undersized but very fast, Curry is a wild card could make sense to move to tight end. LB's recruited for 3/4 Saunders will need to get faster, Conlin a solid fit. Annis could see the field early at CRU. DB's are a mixed bag Brown, Allen look ready to go. Oliva will likely get reps early out of necessity.

Overall good job by Fox to retain many of the recruits while also adding 12. Very balanced class numbers wise.

[JD24]

http://www.valpoathletics.com/football/news/2019-20/19151/valpo-football-adds-12-to-recruiting-class/

Go Coach Fox. Very impressive.

Little concerned with the undersized DEs. I may be misremembering but this is a 4-2-5 defense meaning the ends should have significant outside contain responsibilities and DEs who may be fast and/or quick may also be neutralized in the run game by OLmen who may outweigh them by up to 100lbs.

Hope those WRs can contribute right away. The JC transfer looks like a good get. I think we see a lot of 10 personnel making the TEs lesser of a concern.