We are back with our fourth installment of our look at the top 105 prospects
in the Class of 2006 in Ohio high school football. This list was published in
the May edition of Ohio High magazine, which will be on newsstands and in
mailboxes any day. Recruiting editor Duane Long produces these rankings and
comments on each player.
We started this series with a look at the players ranked from No. 51 to No.
105. The second installment looked at players ranked No. 31 to No. 50. Then, we
looked at players ranked from No. 21 to No. 30. Today, we’ll examine the
players ranked from No. 11 to No. 20.
11. **** Kurt Coleman 5-11
190 CB/WR Clayton Northmont
Talk about coming out of nowhere. In February, Kurt
Coleman was just another name on my list of players to look at. Now, he is a
four-star player with an early offer from Ohio State. He also has offers from
Boston College, Wisconsin, Purdue and Eastern Michigan. After seeing him, I can
now see why his name was on my list.
Coleman had 10 interceptions last year. He took two back for
scores, and two others returned for touchdowns were called back due to
penalties. He played some corner last year, but mostly safety. It looks like he
will get a look at corner first. Big corners are highly prized these days with
all these big receivers we are seeing.
Coleman was also a very effective receiver, catching 16
passes for seven touchdowns. But it seems everyone wants to take Coleman’s
good size and 4.4 40 and put him on defense. Coleman had 91 tackles last season
and is said to have put three players out of the game against Piqua.
As soon as I saw Coleman, he immediately reminded me of E.J.
Underwood, one of the most naturally gifted corners I have seen in Ohio high
school football. This kid has a bigger frame and very long arms. He could be
very special.
12.
**** Jeff Cumberland 6-6
222 TE/DE Columbus Brookhaven
Cumberland first got my attention after a four-sack
playoff performance as a sophomore but really stood out this year as a tight
end. Cumberland is athletic and quick and has big hands and a really good frame,
but he needs to add weight. I think he can get to the 240-245 pound range with
no impact on his speed and athleticism.
Cumberland is a good overall athlete as he is a fine
basketball player, but he understands he will be a football player on the next
level. He also has good feet and runs very well. I am looking forward to getting
a 40 time on him. He says he runs a 4.5; after seeing him on film, I won’t
argue that, and it is the difference between he and Josh Chichester. Cumberland
had 19 catches last year for 375 yards and seven touchdowns in an offense that
did not feature the tight end. Brookhaven enjoyed a perfect 15-0 season on its
way to the Division II state title.
This is still a very raw prospect. I think we are just now
starting to see what kind of player he can be. Cumberland was offered in early
March by Illinois and Minnesota, with Ohio State, Miami (Fla.), Florida,
Oklahoma, Maryland, Clemson, and Indiana all considering following suit.
13.
**** Josh Chichester 6-8
200 TE/WR West Chester Lakota
West
Chichester is a high school receiver, and a very good
one, but his size could result in a move to tight end. That is where I think he
could be a very special player and why I have him rated this high. As a junior,
he had 27 catches for 603 yards (22.3 average) and scored 11 touchdowns.
Chichester has receiver skills. He makes plays on the ball at
its highest point like the fine basketball forward that he is. In fact, he is as
highly rated as a basketball player as he is a football player. Which sport
Chichester plays in college is up to him, but Lakota West football coach Larry
Cox believes Josh will choose to play football. He needs to fill out and get
stronger, but that is all he needs as a football player.
Chichester shows the hands that we see with top basketball
players, and he uses his hands to catch the ball rather than cradling it or
using their chest like kids that grew up as football-first athletes. Chichester
had early football offers from Boston College, Cincinnati and Iowa, among
others.
14.
**** Ryan Palmer 6-6
280 OL Canton GlenOak
In an ordinary offensive line class, Palmer is likely the
No. 1 player at his position. In a class as deep and talented as this one, he is
ranked fifth. This is a kid that is the epitome of the mantra for recruiting
offensive linemen out of high school – feet, frame and runs great.
All these linemen are going to get bigger, but I think Palmer
or Aaron Brown may end up being the one who gets the biggest. I would not be
surprised to see Palmer get another two inches taller, and he has plenty of room
to fill out. Like with Aaron Brown, Palmer has the least developed body, but
neither is carrying excess weight.
Palmer is the least experienced of this stellar offensive
line crop in Ohio this year. He just became a starter last year as a junior. He
plays guard in high school but has that long-limbed frame and the excellent feet
that coaches are looking for in a tackle.
I think Ryan will be surer of himself this year. Sometimes,
kids are their own worst critics, and Ryan is one of those kids. I think a year
of starting and all the hype that comes with being a top recruit are going to
the best thing for him. The sooner he starts to believe he is this good, the
better he is going to be. Four years from now, with some time in the weightroom,
plenty of reps and a dose of confidence, we could look back and say Ryan Palmer
was the best from this class.
15. **** Bill Nagy 6-5
295 DT/OL Hudson
Most are going to look at Bill Nagy as an offensive
lineman, but in my opinion that is because of his size. A kid this big as a high
school player is going to be projected to be an offensive lineman by the time he
gets on a college football field, but I think Nagy is a better defensive
lineman. He has an excellent first step and reads the game well. He does a
really good job of shedding blockers and uses his hands very well. He has good
technique already. He uses a rip and a swim move to good effect and has a good
motor. As a junior, he had 52 tackles and eight tackles-for-loss.
I know Bill prefers defense, and maybe that is why I see him
as more effective as a defensive tackle. He is simply playing harder on that
side of the ball. I know he plans on shedding some weight to get offers as a
defensive lineman. He is a highly motivated, mature player with Ivy League
grades, so don’t count him out. He is a basketball player and plays third and
first base in baseball. Playing third base at 295 pounds speaks volumes about
this kid’s feet. Northwestern is in with an offer, and Nagy (3.4 GPA) also
stopped by Michigan and Notre Dame in February at their invitation.
16.
**** Jacob Ballard 6-7
255 ATH Springboro
I can’t remember the last time I called a player of
this size an athlete. In fact, off the top of my head, I can’t remember ever
calling a player this big an athlete, but Ballard is one.
When we talk about physical specimens in this class, the name
Robert Rose is the one that immediately comes to mind. Ask me for another name
and I would quickly say Jacob Ballard. That is not the only thing he has in
common with Rose. Both are raw prospects with such tremendous upside that down
the road when we have the gift of hindsight, both may look more like top five
prospects than top ten.
Ballard is a legit 6-7. The body is one that a coach can go
any number of directions with. He plays tight and defensive end in high school.
Ohio State and Notre Dame, among others, think he could be a defensive end. I
think he could be a great offensive tackle or possibly a tight end. He is a good
blocker right now and in time could be a great one. A 6-7, 280-pound tight end
that has the athleticism and the hands to be effective in the passing game but
is a good in-line blocker is the kind of match-up problem that keeps defensive
coordinators up nights. That is very intriguing. We are also seeing 6-6 and 6-7
defensive tackles these days, so that is another possible option. There are so
many possibilities with this kid.
Ballard has offers from Boston College, Miami (Ohio) and
Cincinnati as I write this, with Ohio State, Notre Dame, Iowa and Purdue showing
strong interest. An offer from the Buckeyes is highly likely to be accepted on
the spot. I would not be surprised if we see that offer after a good camp
showing this summer. He attended OSU’s spring game.
17.
**** John Ryan 6-5
240 DE Cleveland St. Ignatius
We are used to seeing quarterbacks come out of St.
Ignatius, but the linemen, particularly defensive ends, have been making a
greater impact at the college level in recent years. We had Pat and Mike Massey
come out of St. Ignatius, both now Michigan Wolverines, and here we have the
next in line.
Ryan plays with the kind of intensity that makes great pass
rushers. He has a great motor and comes off the edge hard. He has a nice first
step, the frame to fill out to 255 or so and has some nasty in his game. Ryan
has a reported 4.7-second 40 and will also play tight end next year as top tight
end prospect Jim Ramella has graduated. This year’s top ten is a pretty elite
group, but John Ryan is one of a short list of players that I think could
threaten to break that group up. Ryan has offers from Notre Dame, Michigan
State, Syracuse, and Boston College, among others.
18. **** Kallen Wade 6-5
210 DE Cincinnati Withrow
Wade is the most productive of this good-looking class of
defensive ends, with 13 sacks as a sophomore. He is long and lean like another
recent Cincinnati defensive end, Woodward’s Ray Edwards, who is a starter at
Purdue. Wade is a better football player and playmaker than Robert Rose right
now but just doesn’t have the body. Wade looks like he could top off at about
245 whereas Rose is 238 already. Wade is more advanced than Rose but is still
raw himself.
Wade shows good instincts and a good motor. He does a really
good job of using his imposing reach to keep blockers off that lean body. There’s
a lot of upside here, and if he can add the weight without affecting his speed
and athleticism, this is a future All-American just waiting to happen. Wade was
invited to junior day at Ohio State and as of press time had offers from Notre
Dame, Boston College, Illinois, Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio) to go with interest
from Ohio State, Florida, Minnesota, Duke, Northwestern, Purdue and Michigan
State. Wade ended the suspense, though, in late April by verbaling to Notre
Dame.
19.
**** Arvell Nelson 6-4
190 QB Cleveland Glenville
There may not be a coach used to seeing more talent
walking around his school’s hallways than Glenville’s Ted Ginn. So when Ginn
got so excited during a conversation with me about Arvell Nelson’s off-season
progress, it definitely got my attention.
Last year, Nelson did not throw a lot of passes as it was his
first year as a starter, and at times, it showed. He finished with 722 yards
passing on 43 completions in 78 attempts and 8 touchdowns in four games. But
since then, Nelson seems to have put in the work, studying his playbook and
learning the offense in the off-season. He seems more confident, and that means
everything with an athlete, but no position needs confidence more than
quarterback.
Nelson has all the physical tools you want in a quarterback.
He has a big arm – even bigger than Nate Davis, which is saying something. He
is even more athletic than Mike Hartline. He is a multi-dimensional threat.
Experience is all he needs.
By the time summer camps are over, Nelson could be the new
No. 1 quarterback in this outstanding Ohio class for 2006. I would have him a
few places higher if his grades were in order. He is likely to make it but has
his work cut out for him.
20. **** Robert L. Williams
5-11 160
CB Cincinnati Withrow
I watch Williams’ tape over and over again. I just can’t
get over how this kid seems to find the ball and get his hands on it. Uncanny is
the word I come up with.
Every coach tries to teach his defensive backs to go after
every pass as if it were his, and Williams does that. He challenges every ball
and seems to come down with more than his share. Once he gets the ball is when
the magic starts. I don’t have his interception return average, but I am sure
it is in the double digits. Even with fumbles, Williams seems to be the one that
comes up with the ball. But this is not just a ball hawk. Williams is an
excellent tackler. He will not shy away from contact.
Williams is most adept in the open field and may be the best
punt returner in Ohio. He is worth a scholarship just to return kicks. Williams
received an early offer from Boston College and Notre Dame will have likely
followed suit by the time you read this. Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State,
Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio) and Kent are also showing interest. He is the most
underrated player in Ohio. Williams attended OSU’s spring game.
Click here for a link
to the third installment with a look at players ranked between No. 21 and No.30.
Click here for a link
to the second installment with a look at players ranked between No. 31 and No.
50.
Click here for a link
to the first installment with a look at players ranked between No. 51 and No.
105.
For more information on Ohio High magazine, click the
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