Wednesday, March 15, 2017

More Recruiting News!

Hobart College Football OC Jon Drach continued tweeting this week about more incoming recruits for the Class of 2021. The majority in this group hail from NY and NJ but there are a few from New England schools represented as well. 

Let's meet these 12 new Statesmen student athletes! Starting and introducing below in alphabetical order is:


Coach Drach describes Isaiah as "quick as a cat" and "strong as an ox". He does have a good first step and reminds me of Troy Johnson '15 as far as his playing style and stocky build goes. You can check out Boone's highlight reel here.


Fusco is viewed as "versatile" and able to "play both sides of the line" so his final position may not be determined until preseason camp, but his highlights make me think he may be best suited for DL or DE, but that'll be the coaching staff's call.

 

Giacobbe is the first New Englander in this group and one who Coach Drach says is a "physical WR [that can] catch the ball in traffic and stretch the field". His ability to line up in several positions and break off to take the top of a defense makes him a perfect fit with the "Team Air Show" offense Drach likes to run. Mike's highlights can be seen here.


Josh played LT for Alexander HS but could move inside guard in college. He has good technique as a blocker and Coach Drach calls Hylkema "Western New York strong". Josh's highlight reel can be seen here.


Leonhardt is a solid LB from just outside of Boston. He scrapes, pursues to the ball and hits his opponents hard. Coach Drach referred to him as "savage", and he certainly seems to play that way. He also can long snap which may get him some varsity experience as a FY. His highlight reel can be seen here.


At 6'5" Maute brings some size and accuracy to bear for the Statesmen. He completed basically every two of three of his passes as a SR QB, going 168 for 254 (66%+) for 2,755 yards with 28 TDs and only six INTs. He is a drop back style of passer that's a great fit for Hobart pass friendly (or as Coach described "grip it and rip it") offense. His highlight reel can be viewed here. 


Post comes from nearby Canandaigua so it's no surprise Coach described Joe as a "Finger Lakes talent staying close to home." CAHS runs a 4x4 defense similar to Hobart's which will help Post in getting up to speed at the collegiate level. Joe sees the field well and can close in fast. His highlight reel can be seen here. 


Another nearby get, Chris Reed is a "coach's kid" and brings a nice combination of "instincts, toughness and power" according to Coach Drach. Reed could get some looks early on given his size and football smarts. He can also long-snap, which may give him some varsity experience as a FY on special teams as well. His highlight reel can be viewed here.


Thomas is a tall receiving threat at 6'4" who apparently has a "defensive mindset" given he likes to deliver "punishment" to would be tacklers. That mindset was likely developed as a DE for BHS but I am not surprised Coach Drach is happy to have Salamida paving the way in the running game plus being a jump ball threat downfield as a TE. Thomas' highlight reel can be viewed here.


Simmons stood out to me for two reasons, first being the somewhat obvious 6'8" and 320 lbs tale of the tape. What I also noticed was he hails from the same HS as all-time Statesmen great Tyre Coleman '15. Coach Drach raved that Corey is "brawler up front" and a three sport athlete, starring on the gridiron, hardwood and diamond. He is an honors student to boot, and will likely look to compete to back up SO OL John Deveney at LT (which is where he played in HS) or compete elsewhere (perhaps at RT) as a FY.


Cal could be the future answer to the question of who will take over at FS for Hobart after the graduation of Matt Cragg '17? Tall, with a long stride and a good tackler, Sullivan will likely learn the playbook as an understudy to an upperclassman unless he really impresses in camp. His highlight reel can be seen here. It's been a few years since the Statesmen had a DB as tall as Cal, where the coaches often referred to the secondary as the "itty bitty committee" for the last couple of seasons, but that moniker will go out the window with the addition of Sullivan. This player brings both "speed and length" which is exciting, especially for a key defensive position (FS) Hobart will need to reload at in the fall.


Another tough nosed New England defensive player, P.J. Tziachris brings "size and strength off the edge" according to Coach Drach. Hobart will likely see more players like P.J. come to Geneva thanks to Asst Coach Orlando Patterson '10. Orlando was LB who also attended Tabor and who tallied 29 tackles while tying for the team lead in sacks with 3.5 and second on the team with 4.5 TFL his senior season (2009). He added an INT to go with two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.

For more on P.J., you can check out his highlight reel here.

While that's a ton of information to digest, don't lose your appetite because a very big scheduling announcement is imminent. More on that once the contract is official!

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!


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