A look at the Valley’s top recruits

By Joe Scalzo

Nine of Ohio’s top 32 football recruits will play for Mahoning Valley schools this fall.

Trivia time.

Which two Mahoning Valley schools each have two of Ohio’s top 30 college prospects from the class of 2010?

A lot of you would guess Mooney and Ursuline, and it’s a good guess.

Both schools boast at least four players in the top 200, according to a recent list compiled by ScoutingOhio.com, Bucknuts and JJ Huddle.

Both schools have won two state titles this decade.

Both school have high-profile prospects headed to BCS programs, with Ursuline senior Jamel Turner, the state’s No. 3-ranked prospect, committed to Ohio State and Mooney senior Braylon Heard (ranked in the top 20) committed to West Virginia.

But it’s wrong.

The answer? Warren Harding and Hubbard.

Harding seniors-to-be D.J. Williamson (a Michigan recruit fresh off a Division I 100-meter dash title) and Mike Dorsey (a West Virginia recruit) are both ranked in the top 20. Raiders senior Davion Rogers (West Virginia) is ranked in the top 35.

Hubbard’s Andre Givens (top 25) and Kurtis Drummond (top 30) are undecided on colleges, but both have multiple offers and should head to BCS-level schools.

Add in Boardman’s J.T. Moore (Ohio State) and Liberty’s Antonio Kinard (Michigan) and the Mahoning Valley boasts nine of the top 32 recruits in Ohio and 22 of the top 200.

“It’s very top-heavy this year,” said ScoutingOhio.com director Mark Porter. “Cincinnati and Youngstown have the best classes. Columbus is down and Cleveland is about average.

“It’s a good year for the Valley.”

The rankings aren’t perfect but it confirms what many area observers already know: This year’s senior class is loaded.

High-profile recruits such as Fitch QB Jon Ballard, Poland RB Luke Wollet, Ursuline QB Dawalyn Harper (who committed to Toledo), Ursuline RB Allen Jones, Mooney QB Alex Zordich and Mooney RB Ray Vinopal were all impact players last fall.

Moore (whose younger sister Darryce is headed to OSU for basketball) was the first area player from this year’s senior class to commit, verballing last September.

Since then, eight others have joined him, including new teammate Ryan Phillis, a transfer from United who is headed to Indiana.

It continues a recent trend across the country as more players take advantage of early offers and college coaches look to lock up top recruits well in advance.

“To have this many done before the season starts is amazing,” said Porter.

In years past, athletes needed to have a strong senior year to earn a top scholarship, but the Internet has streamlined the recruiting process. Sites like ScoutingOhio.com post film of hundreds of top players, giving coaches an early peak at up-and-coming recruits. The best players also make the rounds at summer camps, giving college coaches a chance to compare the game film with the real thing.

“In the old days, coaches may have looked through the newspaper but now you have sites like Rivals.com and Scout.com that are so in-depth,” said Porter. “And in the Mahoning Valley, twice a year every coach in Mahoning and Trumbull County gets together and does sort of a speed-dating thing, where they go from table to table and present every player on their team to college coaches.”

On-field performance still plays a part in recruiting, but recruiters often value prospects over players. Rushing for 200 yards a game looks nice in the newspaper and may help high school teams win, but it won’t necessarily impress scouts.

“That’s always tough to explain to parents,” said Porter. “College coaches always tell me that they almost have to draft the next great NFL prospect. They’re asking themselves, ‘Will this kid fit that prototype?’

“They’re looking at how a kid might grow over the next three or four years. He might be all gangly and lanky now, he might not have great stats, he might not even start or contribute. But if he projects out as a great prospect, that might not necessarily matter.”

Of course, the best players are usually a player and a prospect. Turner, for instance, has piled up more than 20 tackles for loss each of the past two seasons, helping the Irish to back-to-back Division V state title games. And anyone who watched Heard play last fall understands his impact on offense and defense.

Off-field issues also play a part in the process. The NCAA has cracked down on colleges in recent years, revoking scholarships from programs that have poor graduation rates. With so much at stake, colleges can’t afford to take on too many risks.

“When we’re doing our rankings, we take things like grades and character into account,” said Porter.

Over the past five years, Porter has learned what colleges look for, and he’s trained himself to spot the differences between a good player and a top prospect. He spends the fall going to as many games as possible, and spends his summers going to camps.

It’s a lot of work, but it’s his passion.

“It’s hard to believe we’re only a few weeks away from the season,” he said. “I’m dying for it to get here.”

scalzo@vindy.com