Football

I posted the video from camp below.

Here are some other notes that didn’t make the video…

J.D. Brookhart told me he wants to use six to eight receivers in his rotation. Crazy!

Devoe Torrence got about five touches during the scrimmage drills. You can tell he has the skills to break a long run, but the defense was in proper position. Torrence probably won’t lose yardage on many plays. He will wear No. 4.

Gary Pride got a lot of touches. Watch out for this guy. Brookhart just needs to find a way to use him.

Chris Jacquemain threw two interceptions — both to Brandon Anderson. One of the interceptions is on the last part of the video.

The quarterbacks didn’t play well according to my untrained eye. Brookhart said some bad routes that led to mistakes, too. In fairness, Jacquemain looked crisp in spurts. Matt Rodgers was so-so.

Larry Dawson of Akron North High School is on the updated roster. I meant to ask about him, but I forgot. Last I heard, he was choosing between Akron and Bowling Green, but he did not commit on Signing Day.

Dale Martin came to Akron because one of the Zips coaches had a good relationship with Martin’s high school coach. Also, Martin heard that his former high school teammate, Ryan Bain, was having a good experience as a transfer.

Dennis Kennedy ran hard today. He plowed through the defense once in a way that made Dan Kadar and I think back to the glory days of 2006, when Kennedy was All-MAC caliber.

Speaking of Kadar, special thanks go out to him for filming the clip and coming up with the idea. We plan to do that a few more times before the season begins.

Football

The team announced the arrival of blue-chip transfer Dale Martin from Louisville.

The running back was a four-star recruit according to Rivals.com and Scout.com when he came out of Bolingbrook, Ill. — the same high school as Ryan Bain.

Louisville fans are calling this a big loss. They speculated that Martin may have been frustrated by some injuries, and he did not like his outlook to get playing time early. Also, Martin committed to Louisville shortly before coach Bobby Petrino left for the Atlanta Falcons. After Petrino left, Martin had to be talked into keeping his commitment.

Martin’s highlight videos show me a speedy runner with a tremendous sense of balance. To take down Dale Martin, you must pop him AND wrap him up.

Martin had scholarship offers from Nebraska, California, Florida, Tennessee and many others. He will sit out 2008 and be eligible next season. GoZips.com lists him as a redshirt freshman.

The unusual part about the transfer is that the university announced it. Typically, you have to milk these things from coaches.

Notes…

The ABJ’s Patrick McManamon gave his opinion on the Devoe Torrence saga. It seems like he’s in favor of giving him a second chance. In the story, Mack Rhoades said Torrence would not be a Zip if there were other sketchy pieces of his past.

The university is appealing the $3 million price tag on Joe Nemer’s land. A move by the board of trustees suggests that UA might back off buying it at that cost.

Check by the blog tomorrow. I will be at football camp in the morning with Dan Kadar. We will shoot a nifty video and get some cool interviews for you.

Men’s basketball

The feds charged former Toledo player Sammy Villegas with fixing games.

He allegedly biffed two free throws against Wright State in 2006. In three games against the Zips, Villegas averaged about 20 minutes per game and shot 4-for-6 on free throws.

Football

A few people have asked me what I think about Akron taking on Devoe Torrence. To be honest, I really haven’t formed an opinion. I will talk it out through this blog post. Hopefully, I will have an informed take on it by the end.

Optimist: There is no disputing Torrence’s talent. With the logjam of running backs this season, Torrence’s arrival does not sound like a necessary gambit. Next fall, however, we could be talking about how sorely the Zips need a reliable back since Dennis Kennedy, Alex Allen and Andrew Johnson have left.

It would be the equivalent to the Zips having an All-MAC passer on the burner when Luke Getsy retired. Rather, Chris Jacquemain and Carlton Jackson played patty-cake on the way to a four-win season.

Pessimist: But what’s the point if Torrence gets in trouble? J.D. Brookhart’s team already has NCAA sanctions to deal with. And what about all of those troubled souls whom he ejected last fall? Isn’t this just replenishing the supply?

O: But let’s not get carried away. Torrence was never guilty of anything. There is no indication he will be a bad student or leave the program, which would hurt the team’s Academic Progress Rate.

P: That may be true, but you have heard from a few people that Torrence is cocky. That won’t play well on a mid-major team, especially if he leads the offense. Torrence showed that he is not the ultimate teammate when he refused to play linebacker after transferring to Washington High School from Canton South.

O: He’s cocky. So what? Go up and down that roster and I’m sure you’ll find some guys whose heads don’t fit in the Airdock. I want to see you complain about cockiness when Torrence is trampling MAC defenses for 200-yard games.

P: Come on, Optimist. This stinks of desperation. Brookhart knows he’ll get canned without a .500 season or better. Torrence is a band-aid — and one that has more infection on it than medicine.

O: I stand by Brookhart. And I stand by this decision. The coaching staff has a lot to lose if it doesn’t work. They investigated and thought it to be a prudent decision. How do you — or any fan — have the knowledge or experience to dispute that? The team knows it cannot have an image problem when it’s trying to sell tickets for InfoCision Stadium.

P: OK. You win.

O: That’s right, I win. At least we can agree that Paul Rodgers is the best singer of all time.

P: Amen, brother.

Notes…

It’s not looking good for the Zips landing Chaz Russell, the four-star junior college cornerback. He recently visited West Virginia and told Scout.com that the Mountaineers are No. 1 on his list. A decision will be coming on Monday, so there is still hope.

I should be back at football camp on Thursday. The team won’t practice in full gear until then, at the earliest. I plan to provide a video report with my old tag-team partner Dan Kadar, who is now working at Ohio.com.

New scholarship offers…

Anthony Meriwether, wide receiver, Midpark, Ohio
Offers: Akron
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 185
Speed: Not listed
Notes: I cannot find a darn thing on this guy. If you know anything, feel free to comment.

Jack Jamerson, defensive end, Washington, Pa.
Offers: Akron, Army, Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and Ohio
Height: 6-4
Weight: 245
Speed: Not listed
Notes: Scout.com calls him the No. 158 defensive end in the nation. He also has interest in Maryland, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Penn State and West Virginia.

Football

Coach J.D. Brookhart confirmed today that top-recruit Devoe Torrence has joined the team.

Before making the decision, the coaches investigated the opportunity and met several times with Torrence, who recently was acquitted of rape of a 12-year-old girl.

“We’ve always stayed in contact (with Torrence),” Brookhart said. “He was not signed because of an incident that the United States declared him innocent.

“We sat down and had a lengthy discussion. We investigated him, and we feel good about him.”

Brookhart sees Torrence as a running back, where the Zips have a wealth of depth. However, the coach would not rule out seeing Torrence play this season.

“Everyone’s going to get a chance,” the coach said.

Other notes from camp…

My attention was focused on the quarterback competition. Although Chris Jacquemain enters fall with an edge over freshman Matt Rodgers, I expect Rodgers to overcome the incumbent junior. In the 30 minutes of scrimmage action I watched, Jacquemain threw three interceptions, picked off by Miguel Graham, Amin Kabir and Brandon Anderson.

According to Brookhart, Rodgers is further along than any freshman he’s ever seen. That is saying a lot. And given that statement, it would be a crime to leave his potential sitting on the bench in favor of a junior whose ceiling is rather low. Today, Rodgers looked crisp on short passes. He didn’t take as many risks as Jacquemain. About Rodgers, Brookhart added: “He gets it. It takes awhile to get it.” In particular, Rodgers has learned the game very quickly. His recognition of protection schemes should benefit him.

Last year, when Jacquemain was floundering and Carlton Jackson was being a knucklehead, Brookhart’s dad told him, “This might be the first time since fourth grade that you haven’t been good at that position.”

The only no-shows on Sunday were walk-ons. One of those walk-ons still may show up tomorrow.

The most open competition is for free safety where Tyler Campbell and Jalil Carter are battling to start. Brookhart conceded that he is worried about the entire secondary.

Despite that, he’s sticking with his move of Andre Jones to receiver. “Andre is so good with the ball in his hands,” Brookhart said. “He is an exciting player.” Brookhart might have kept Jones at defensive back, however, if Bryan Williams flopped there.

Brookhart went out of his way to say Curtis Brown worked hard over the summer, after showing up to spring practice not in shape. Brown’s teammates helped to motivate him.

There are a few rule changes this year. First, horse-collar tackling is prohibited. Second, kicking the ball out of bounds starts the offense at the 40-yard line, rather than the 30. Third, the play clock is now 40 seconds. It starts after the play. It will be 25 seconds on a change of possession. Brookhart has always been good at predicting how rule changes will affect the team. He took advantage of the longer kickoff distance last season by working to get his special teams to a higher level.

Football

A reliable source tells me that Devoe Torrence, the nation’s No. 6 athlete who was recently acquitted of rape charges, will join the Zips for fall camp which starts Sunday.

If true, Torrence would be the most touted recruit ever to play for Akron. He had scholarship offers from Ohio State, Michigan and other BCS schools before his legal issues arose. Torrence committed to Ohio State, but never signed a letter of intent in February because the Buckeyes retracted their scholarship offer.

Torrence was charged with having sex with a 12-year-old girl. The judge declared that evidence was lacking, mainly because the victim admitted her tendency to lie.

Torrence, 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, played running back at Massillon Washington High School. Although some colleges felt he’d make a terrific linebacker, Torrence was slated to play running back for the Buckeyes, too.

Running a 4.55 in the 40-yard dash, Torrence is not the fastest or shiftiest rusher around, but it takes a lot of manpower to tackle him. He is a physical runner who sheds tacklers with ease. Rivals.com gives him four stars and calls him the No. 66 player in the nation for the 2008 class. Scout.com is less praising, saying Torrence is only the No. 102 running back.

As I stated, this is from a source that I trust, but I cannot verify the story myself. Given that Torrence joined the team in the past couple days, the 2008 roster does not reflect his addition.

If true, Torrence would join a crowded backfield that includes incumbent (sort of) Dennis Kennedy, University of Miami transfer Andrew Johnson, reliable Alex Allen and short-yardage runner Joe Tuzze. His fastest route to the field might be on defense.

Football

The Zips will hold an open practice and “Meet the Team” event the evening of Aug. 10.

The team released the rest of its practice schedule, but that is the only event that fans can attend. It is tentatively scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m.

New scholarship offers…

Eric Loper, cornerback, Sicklerville, N.J.
Offers: Akron and Buffalo
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 185
Speed: 4.5
Notes: Loper’s coach calls him an aggressive player. Iowa, Rutgers and Temple also have interest.

Marcus McNeal, wide receiver, Bradenton, Fla.
Offers: Akron, Illinois, Iowa State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, West Virginia and Marshall
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Speed: 4.37
Notes: McNeal says he loves football and probably wants to leave his home state to play it. Iowa State is one of the early favorites.

Jeremy Crayton, wide receiver, Piscataway, N.J.
Offers: Akron
Height: 6-0
Weight: 184
Speed: Not listed
Notes: Crayton only caught 14 passes last season as a junior. He performed well at a Nike camp in the spring, however.

Also this… ESPN.com listed the recruiting budgets for each MAC school. Akron is No. 3. That’s impressive.

Men’s basketball

GoZips.com conducted a thorough interview with Keith Dambrot, looking ahead at next year’s team. It’s a good read.

Football

The Zips are unhappy that the media picked them to finish last in the MAC East, according to the ABJ’s Tom Gaffney.

When you look at the MAC East, a last-place tally should not have been a surprise. Buffalo and Temple are improving quickly. Bowling Green and Miami played well with young teams last season. Ohio and Kent State… Well, that’s debatable.

With the wealth of mediocrity, it won’t matter to Akron how other teams are playing. The Zips must ascend, not wait for others to fall.

Akron will begin practices on Sunday. I plan to report from training camp as much as possible.

Football

The duel for junior college cornerback Chaz Russell has intensified, with the four-star athlete receiving scholarship offers from Memphis and Kansas State.

Meanwhile, Russell was scheduled to visit Akron’s campus last weekend. The Scout.com story (linked above) makes it obvious that the Zips are doing everything possible to land Russell, who could suit up this season.

With Akron’s lack of depth in the secondary, Russell’s commitment would mean a lot for the pass defense.

New scholarship offers…

Phil Walker, linebacker, Weston, Fla.
Offers: Akron, Kansas State, Central Michigan, Middle Tennessee State, Northern Illinois and Tulsa
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 210
Speed: Not listed
Notes: Boston College is Walker’s top school. One problem: The Golden Eagles have not offered him a scholarship. Rutgers is another school whose scholarship offer would probably draw a commitment from the Florida linebacker.

Shamari Benton, safety, Birmingham, Mich.
Offers: Akron, Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan
Height: 6-0
Weight: 194
Speed: 4.4
Notes: Benton is Rivals.com’s No. 69 safety in the nation. Benton planned to decide today, unless he received a surprise offer from a big school.

Steve Marck, tight end, Fairless Hills, Pa.
Offers: Akron, Syracuse and Buffalo
Height: 6-3
Weight: 225
Speed: 4.75
Notes: Marck was pleasantly surprised to see an offer from Akron show up in the mail last weekend, despite that he hadn’t talked to the Zips’ coaches much. An offer from Pitt is what Marck has really desired.

Football

(Sorry, I haven’t used a terrible pun in awhile.)

Akron bagged another recruit when Nolan Procter, a 5-foot-9 slot receiver, chose the Zips.

The finalists were Akron and Bowling Green for the Michigan athlete. He decided based on Akron’s offense, the coaching staff and facilities.

Football

Akron’s most famous alumnus went from cellar-dweller to playoff team when the Washington Redskins acquired Jason Taylor in exchange for a second- and sixth-round pick.

Taylor made headlines this offseason by making it to the finals of Dancing with the Stars. The Dolphins weren’t too enthused, and Bill Parcels wanted to dump Taylor.

A recent poll of NFL coaches asked which one player you would pick first if the entire league was eligible to be drafted. Taylor was one of only three players who received votes. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were the others.