43
YSU newcomers look to battle for playing time
Scott, Alessi, others look to battle for playing time
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
With Larry Scott starting his freshman year as a running back at Michigan State and Isiah Scott in his first year at wide receiver at Youngstown State, the Scott family will have to make some tough choices during Saturdays in the fall.
Fortunately, Isiah has the solution.
“Most of my brother’s games are on TV, so they can come here and catch his games on TV,” said Isiah, a Hubbard High graduate.
Isiah plans to give them something to watch. While YSU’s roster doesn’t have many holes, there should be some opportunities at wide receiver, where only seniors Andrew Williams (an honorable mention all-conference selection in the preseason) and Andre Stubbs (who has already played in 37 career games) have extensive experience.
“Every day, I’m going to compete just to maybe play early,” said Scott (6-3, 195), who had 27 catches for 470 yards and eight TDs last fall, earning special mention All-Ohio. “Even if it’s a senior, I’m going to compete with him because you never know what the coach’s predicament could be. I could be the next man up and I have to be ready for it.”
As a general rule, the farther away you are from the ball, the easier it is to play early, which is why receivers and defensive backs see the field before offensive guards and defensive tackles. While Isiah doesn’t have his brother’s bulk — Larry is two inches shorter than Isiah, but weighs at least 35 more pounds — he looks like he’s physically ready to play in the Missouri Valley, which isn’t always true of incoming freshmen.
In fact, only one true freshman from last year’s recruiting class saw extensive playing time: quarterback Hunter Wells, who played in 10 games with seven starts last year. Wells is now entrenched as this year’s starter and worked with Isiah, as well as the other receivers, for much of the last month.
“Hunter’s young, but I think he’s good,” Isiah said. “Everyone said he had a good season last year so I’m ready to touch the field with him this year. Hopefully I can.”
While most of the 29 freshmen who practiced for the first time on Tuesday are unknown to YSU fans, players like Scott and former South Range running back Joe Alessi and Springfield tight end Mark Schuler have been making headlines for years. The other local recruit, ex-West Branch offensive lineman Jake Zinni, doesn’t play a sexy position, but he should also familiar since his father played for Jim Tressel in the early 1990s.
Alessi, in particular, is an interesting case. He doesn’t have ideal size — he’s generously listed at 5-10, 190 pounds — but he put up eye-popping numbers with the Raiders, rushing for more than 4,000 yards and 65 TDs over the past two years. He was also a Division III state qualifier in the 100- and 200-meter dash in June.
“I’m just going to go out on the field and show what I can do,” Alessi said. “Hustle 100 percent of the time, don’t make any mistakes, don’t mess up on stupid things and just play ball like I know I can.”
YSU junior RB Martin Ruiz was a preseason first team all-conference selection and junior Jody Webb will see extensive time as his backup, but the Penguins are a little thin at the position, thanks to Ryan Moore’s spring ACL tear. Alessi could make the travel team as a backup/special teams ace.
“Anything they want me to do, I’ll do,” he said. “I just want to get out there.”
YSU coach Bo Pelini said the biggest adjustment for freshmen isn’t physical, it’s mental.
“Yeah, it’s a step up speed-wise and the size of the guys and the overall athleticism, but usually kids can adjust pretty quick because they were obviously recruited because they were that type of athlete,” he said. “The mental part is the big adjustment, to be able to absorb things in meetings and transfer it over to the practice field.
“Every single kid I’ve ever coached adjusts to it at a different speed. At the end of the day, it’s just like being a teacher. We’re not teaching arithmetic, we’re teaching football, but there’s different ways to reach guys and push their buttons and we have to figure that out.”