Zips offer five more scholarships
Posted May 15th, 2008 by mrasor
Football
The coaching staff has returned from a post-spring break. Now is where you will see recruiting really pick up.
If you have never followed recruiting as a fan, it is pretty exciting. There is always a chance Akron will pick up a player or two who seemed destined for BCS spotlight.
At this time of the year, I like to see J.D. Brookhart and his staff target unknown players and build a relationship from Day One. It worked for Keith Dambrot and his staff when Zeke Marshall’s stock exploded.
- Here are five new scholarship offerees…
Justin Jones, tight end, Conyers, Ga.
Offers: Akron, Alabama-Birmingham and East Carolina
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 240
Speed: 4.8
Notes: You all have wondered what LeBron James would look like on the football field in college. Jones is the same size. UAB was the first school to offer Jones a scholarship. Jones says he will weigh the dorm life aspects heavily when choosing.
Brandon Heath, offensive tackle, West Chester, Pa.
Offers: Akron and Villanova
Height: 6-5
Weight: 305
Speed: 5.4
Notes: Heath also has interest in Michigan State, Penn State and Virginia.
Dan France, defensive end, North Royalton, Ohio
Offers: Akron, Indiana, Vanderbilt, Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green
Height: 6-6
Weight: 275
Speed: 4.9
Notes: France could play defensive end, tight end or offensive tackle in college. Miami and Indiana lead the pack because of the RedHawks’ campus and academics and the Hoosiers’ conference.
Abdul Smith, cornerback, Pennsburg, Pa.
Offers: Akron, Auburn, Cincinnati, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Louisville, Maryland, N.C. State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, Wisconsin and Florida International
Height: 5-11
Weight: 180
Speed: 4.5
Notes: Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia and Illinois have a good chance to land Smith, who wouldn’t mind staying close to home. If Akron gets him, the NCAA should investigate.
Devon Smith, athlete, Waldorf, Md.
Offers:
Height: 5-7
Weight: 140
Speed: 4.4
Notes: Smith does not look like a college football player. One good hit and… I don’t want to think about it. But what Smith lacks in size, he makes up for with speed. He has been timed at 4.19 in the 40-yard dash. Smith is just one of the players Akron has targeted from Waldorf, Md. Another was Kahlil Permenter, a safety who declined big-time scholarship offers because of an injury. Perhaps Smith could persuade Permenter to resurrect his career.
