From Deep in the Heart of Texas - Roberts Decides on Statesmen

Rick Reedy HS (Frisco, TX) SR QB Peyton Roberts announced on his twitter feed today that he's decided to attend Hobart College. He stated:

Roberts comes from the 5A D2 level of Texas HSFB, which is pretty significant. His highlight reel shows the 6'1" 205 lbs QB can throw and run the ball effectively. RRHS ran a pro style offense, and it appears had elements of the popular RPO as well. He also played TE and punted during his HS career. Based on his profile, it appears as though he probably got on the coaches' radar as a participant in the Western NY QB Academy, outside of Buffalo.

Peyton will be the first Statesmen football player from the Lone Star state since Rio Schmidt '18 (I'm struggling to remember others, so drop a reminder in the comments if you do), and the only current player on the roster from Texas.

Please join me in welcoming Peyton and the Roberts family to the Hobart Statesmen one!

Thanks again for reading and go 'Bart!

Norwich's Walsh To Attend Hobart

Norwich HS SR RB/LB Drew Walsh declared from his twitter feed yesterday that he plans to attend Hobart College. While his SR year was cut short due to injury, Walsh did score 12 TDs for the Purple Tornado en route to rushing for 782 yards. He added 37 tackles, including three sacks, on defense.

My Hobart friend Matt Smith '94, who also grew up in Norwich, reports (via his dad) that Drew is "not only a good [football] player, but a good kid" to boot. With a 3.9 GPA and National Honor Society recognition, it sounds like the Statesmen are getting a great student athlete, to say the least.

You can see Walsh's highlight reel here.

A multiple sport athlete, Drew also starred on the hardwood for the Purple Tornado. As an aside, the NHS mascot apparently comes from the Binghamton Press saying Norwich "played so hard it seemed the team was whipped by a purple tornado" circa the 1930s (not unlike how the Statesmen gained their moniker).

As everyone knows, I'm partial to the #36, so I am happy to welcome the Walsh family to the Hobart one. Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

"The Juice" Will Be Loose in Geneva - Denham Picks the Statesmen

Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, NY) SR RB/CB Tim Denham announced on his twitter feed yesterday that he will be attending and playing football for Hobart College this fall. Denham said:

Denham is a fast and powerful runner (at 5' 11" and 195 lbs he has some size to ward off tacklers on contact, if they can catch) and strong cover corner that lowers the boom on would be ball carriers. You can check out his highlight reel here. In spite of the outstanding offensive tape, Denham was recruited by Coach Hadley so I could see him end up on defense.

Please join me in welcoming "the Juice" and the extended Denham family to the Statesmen one!

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Cardinal Hayes Cornerback Abdoulaye Diallo Selects Statesmen

Cardinal Hayes HS (Bronx, NY) SR CB Abdoulaye Diallo announced earlier today via twitter that he was "committed [to] continuing [his] academics and athletics at Hobart and William Smith".

Based on his highlight film Diallo is a strong cover corner with excellent field vision who accelerates to the ball. A sound tackler, Diallo has a knack for causing turnovers too.

Diallo (5'10" 170 lbs) seems to play bigger than he actually is and he should fit in well with the mold of DBs that Coach Hadley has worked with.

Please join me in welcoming Abdoulaye and the Diallo family to the Statesmen Football one!

Thanks again for reading and go 'Bart!

Bishop Ireton's Duckett Commits to Hobart

SR DB/WR from Bishop Ireton HS (VA) Tyler Duckett has announced he will attend Hobart College. His message to friends and family was:

Blessed to say I’m committing to continue my academic and football career at Hobart college thankful for all my coaches and trainers. Thankful for my teammates and Blessed for the opportunity to play these past 4 years.

His highlight reel shows his a hard hitting deep safety and a solid receiver. Standing 6'1 195 lbs he has good size and has good vision to find holes to cut towards the end zone.

Please join me in welcoming Tyler and the Duckett family to the Hobart one!

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Caldwell's Pierce Commits to Statesmen

James Caldwell HS (NJ) SR TE/HB Charlie Pierce announced on his twitter feed that he has committed to attend and play football at Hobart College:

Thank you for the love and support over the last 18 years as a chief. Although these are moments I will cherish forever, it is time to move forward. With that being said, I am 100% committed to playing football @ Hobart College. Go Statesmen!

Based on his highlight reel Pierce is a versatile athlete who can split out wide, block downfield and make acrobatic catches. At 6' 2" 245 lbs he is a big and strong receiver and runner who's hard to bring down. He will fit in well with the Colleges community service focus, as he is a volunteers at the Caldwell Fire Department and local non-profit organizations.

Please join me in welcoming Charlie and the Pierce family to the Statesmen one!

Thanks again for reading and go 'Bart!