For teams needing immediate help at the wide receiver position (I'm looking at you, Brent Pease and Joker Phillips), heading to the JUCO ranks makes a lot of sense. But the player largely considered the No. 1 prospect at the position this year in the junior college ranks – D'haquille Williams of Mississippi Gulf Coast – is technically off the board already and committed to Auburn.
Well, have no fear. Another top playmaker has emerged.
JaMichael Willis of Jones County outdueled Williams in a battle of two of the top offenses in JUCO football, as the Bobcats pulled off a stunning 52-42 upset of Mississippi Gulf Coast on the road in Perkinston, Miss. on Thursday night.
Willis nabbed nine receptions for 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the evening. This will only extend his NJCAA-leading totals to 33 receptions for 635 yards (19.42 ypc) and six scores through four games at the conclusion of this weekend's contests. Willis' output on Thursday night nearly matched his total from last year as a freshman at Jones County, where he was credited with 235 yards receiving and a pair of touchdowns on 25 receptions.
Listed at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds on the Jones County website, Willis originally hails from Birmingham. In high school, he appeared in the Sept. 27, 2010 edition of Sports Illustrated's "Faces In the Crowd" feature after being on the receiving end of six touchdown passes in a single game. During that season, his junior campaign at Gardendale High School, Willis totaled 62 receptions for 1,109 yards and 15 touchdowns. Not too shabby.
But aside from that, there's not much out there on what Willis did during his senior year of high school. Only a couple of video clips from his time at Jones County Junior College. Perhaps there is more to this story than what meets the eye. But through four games of his sophomore season for the Bobcats, Willis appears to be a big-time FBS receiver prospect for a team that needs a shot in the arm at the position.
Showing posts with label Coast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coast. Show all posts
Friday, September 20, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Rohan Blackwood
Over each recruiting cycle, there are always prospects who are sort of on the periphery of the scene. Recruiting services know about them, rank them, but always end up undervaluing them for whatever reason. Lack of an impressive offer list, failure to hit the camp/combine circuit, or just a regular case of being overlooked by the people whose job it is to rate football prospects. I really enjoy trying to find and identify those guys each year and watch them succeed as time goes on.
A prospect who has caught my eye this year is Brooksville Nature Coast athlete Rohan Blackwood. This guy is a real marvel to watch on tape, and his upside appears to be through the roof.
It should be added that these YouTube highlights are from his sophomore year. For updated clips, check here.
Sure, I'm a bit biased. I've made no attempt to hide my preference for trying to recruit as many prospects in the 6-foot-5, 220-pound range as possible. Blackwood, after skipping the summer AAU basketball circuit to focus on football in recent months, has put on 15 pounds since last season and moved into that size range heading into his senior season.
It should be noted that Blackwood hasn't been entirely overlooked. He is a three-star prospect on all of the services. But Scout is the only guy who has really jumped on board the bandwagon so far, rating Blackwood as the No. 60 player in the state of Florida. I'm confident he's better than that.
There's still weight to be gained and technique to be learned, but you can't teach the natural gifts Blackwood has. He recorded over 60 tackles and 15 sacks as a junior. He also recorded eight receptions for 130 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2012 on offense. And let's not forget the fact Blackwood averaged 15 and 11 on a 25-4 hardwood squad at Nature Coast last winter. I'm always a big fan of football prospects who excel at basketball as well. Again, the versatility comes into play. He could be a tight end, he could be a primary pass-rusher. The key is getting him on campus and to let things fall into place from there.
Colleges have taken note. Minnesota, Nebraska, South Florida, West Virginia and Wisconsin comprise his current top five. I can't help but think this guy should be getting love from the cream of the crop in the BCS, however. The fact that none of the "Big Three" have offered him boggles my mind. I'm convinced Rohan Blackwood will be a really nice pick-up for somebody. With added weight, more offensive responsibilities and big expectations, he could be one of the guys to see his recruitment really explode over the course of the fall.
A prospect who has caught my eye this year is Brooksville Nature Coast athlete Rohan Blackwood. This guy is a real marvel to watch on tape, and his upside appears to be through the roof.
It should be added that these YouTube highlights are from his sophomore year. For updated clips, check here.
Sure, I'm a bit biased. I've made no attempt to hide my preference for trying to recruit as many prospects in the 6-foot-5, 220-pound range as possible. Blackwood, after skipping the summer AAU basketball circuit to focus on football in recent months, has put on 15 pounds since last season and moved into that size range heading into his senior season.
It should be noted that Blackwood hasn't been entirely overlooked. He is a three-star prospect on all of the services. But Scout is the only guy who has really jumped on board the bandwagon so far, rating Blackwood as the No. 60 player in the state of Florida. I'm confident he's better than that.
There's still weight to be gained and technique to be learned, but you can't teach the natural gifts Blackwood has. He recorded over 60 tackles and 15 sacks as a junior. He also recorded eight receptions for 130 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2012 on offense. And let's not forget the fact Blackwood averaged 15 and 11 on a 25-4 hardwood squad at Nature Coast last winter. I'm always a big fan of football prospects who excel at basketball as well. Again, the versatility comes into play. He could be a tight end, he could be a primary pass-rusher. The key is getting him on campus and to let things fall into place from there.
Colleges have taken note. Minnesota, Nebraska, South Florida, West Virginia and Wisconsin comprise his current top five. I can't help but think this guy should be getting love from the cream of the crop in the BCS, however. The fact that none of the "Big Three" have offered him boggles my mind. I'm convinced Rohan Blackwood will be a really nice pick-up for somebody. With added weight, more offensive responsibilities and big expectations, he could be one of the guys to see his recruitment really explode over the course of the fall.
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