GW Signees

[DanvilleSportsHead]

Didn't see anybody post it so I thought I would. Congrats to 4A North Player of the Year Hunter Byrnes on signing to play in Charlottesville at UVA and Malyk Dandridge (middle linebacker) on signing with D2 Catawba College in Sailsbury NC. Good football players with greater character. Danville is proud! Good luck to these 2 wonderful young men along with Malik Clements who signed to play at Cincinatti back in February!

 

[shauntclair]

Didn't see anybody post it so I thought I would. Congrats to 4A North Player of the Year Hunter Byrnes on signing to play in Charlottesville at UVA and Malyk Dandridge (middle linebacker) on signing with D2 Catawba College in Sailsbury NC. Good football players with greater character. Danville is proud! Good luck to these 2 wonderful young men along with Malik Clements who signed to play at Cincinatti back in February!

I assume this means he is a preferred walk-on. You do understand he does not need to sign anything for this. It means he will report with the team on August 1st rather than late August with the other walk-ones and guarantees him a spot on the team in 2015. He has to pay his own way in school.

That said, I wish him luck. He has earned the opportunity to make his own choices and there is no question he has talent. Also, good luck to Malyk and Malik. GW will miss them.

 

[DanvilleSportsHead]

Stauntclair lets just be happy for the young man. Walk on, preferred walk on, or 5 star recruit, don't think it matters. Kid wasn't even supposed to start at QB for GW these past 2 years. People that is unfamiliar with GW football do not understand the amount of work this kid has put in. Not saying you meant anything by it but this is a great accomplishment even if he has to "pay his way through school" or never gets a snap in Scott Stadium. Let's be happy for him and all of the young men in our area who are furthering their education playing the sport that they love.

 

[shauntclair]

Yes, I am happy that he has made a decision to attend a fine school. I am jaded in the treatment of walk-ons at most schools. As I've watched their progress over the years, I see them come and go all the time. Good players having to put in the daily work but going weeks at a time between actual reps. Rarely getting any real opportunities to show what they can do while the Coach's that "don't have time for walk-ons" work with the schollies.

There are success stories. VT gives their walk-ons a real shot and embraces them. ODU is similar. Santana Moss was a walk on. Clay Matthews was a walk on. But at most schools, the worst insult you can get from a Coach is "You're playing like damn walk-on". That's the attitude. Practice squad fodder and little more.

The kid has talent. You're not directly responsible for around 50 TD's in a season if you're not. I simply wish he had gone to a DII or NAIA where he could have gotten some money, an education and a real opportunity. Not to say that won't happen at UVA but it is far more likely all he'll get is disillusion and disappointment. I don't want to see that happen to any kid. It impacts them for life while the Coach's forget about you and reel in next year's crop of wanna be's. That's the real life of a walk-on, preferred or not and I find it a tragic misuse of these young men who work so hard towards a dream School's hold out like a carrot in front of a Donkey so they can fill out their empty spots on the Practice Squad.

But I really wish him the best and all success in the future.

 

[anon_vu6vqwsr4nf3b]

Stauntclair lets just be happy for the young man. Walk on, preferred walk on, or 5 star recruit, don't think it matters. Kid wasn't even supposed to start at QB for GW these past 2 years. People that is unfamiliar with GW football do not understand the amount of work this kid has put in. Not saying you meant anything by it but this is a great accomplishment even if he has to "pay his way through school" or never gets a snap in Scott Stadium. Let's be happy for him and all of the young men in our area who are furthering their education playing the sport that they love.

You should know by now that it's impossible for him to just congratulate someone and move on. Always gotta give his holy opinion.

 

[shauntclair]

You should know by now that it's impossible for him to just congratulate someone and move on. Always gotta give his holy opinion.

Ask Andre Mealy if what I said is true or not. Maybe you'll believe him. GL to the Lions in 2015.

 

[anon_vu6vqwsr4nf3b]

Man who cares? That's not the point of this thread. Every time someone makes a post about a kid signing to play somewhere you just have to come downplay it and turn the thread into something it wasn't meant to be. Why is it so hard to just say congrats and THAT'S IT?

 

[hamspear]

George Aston Sherando 2013 walk-on Pitt. true Sophomore number 1 on the depth chart , and I will not tell you what the coach at Pitt says about him and how he compares to the players he has seen go to the NFL from Pitt since he has been there.

 

[hamspear]

players at the 4A level don't always get the looks that 5 and 6A schools get. And some take advantage of the chance they have been given.

 

[shauntclair]

George Aston Sherando 2013 walk-on Pitt. true Sophomore number 1 on the depth chart , and I will not tell you what the coach at Pitt says about him and how he compares to the players he has seen go to the NFL from Pitt since he has been there.

Nice to hear about George. They had him listed at FB/HB, even on the Spring game roster. I've been following him and saw he did well on Defense in the Spring game. One of the strongest HS kids I've ever seen with a natural nose for the ball. Goes sideline to sideline as well as any linebacker I can recall. They must have been trying him on Defense during Spring practices and realized what they had. It's also nice that Pitt has modeled their walkon program after Wisconsin's, who have sent 16 of their walkons to the NFL, including JJ Watt. I just wish this was more the norm rather than the exception. Well done and yes, I did not want him to go to Pitt as a walkon. I thought he was best suited for FBS. I did not know the Pitt walk-on program had changed under the new Coach and was concerned he would never be given a proper chance. Always happy when a kid and a program proves me wrong.

And you're right about the 4a's being often overlooked. I read how PITT became interested in him. They would never have know he even existed without that family connection and that's a shame. So many good players passed by every year.

Good luck to George in the future.

 

[shauntclair]

Man who cares? That's not the point of this thread. Every time someone makes a post about a kid signing to play somewhere you just have to come downplay it and turn the thread into something it wasn't meant to be. Why is it so hard to just say congrats and THAT'S IT?

so a commentary on walk-ons, which it was, is inappropriate? You're entitled to your opinion. Have you spoken to Mealy yet?

 

[DanvilleSportsHead]

Stauntclair, come on man. Let's not throw "shade" to any young man. I wish your Courtland guys the best this year. Everybody isn't lucky enough to get offered by a D1 school, hell, even D2 and it's hard work once they get to that level with keeping up with the course work and football (year around thing /a lot of wear and tear on the body). You guys are blessed with Jabari, Green, and Grant who will all be good players at the D1 level. Let's encourage our young men, not marginalize their accomplishments.

 

[DEVILSLB99]

players at the 4A level don't always get the looks that 5 and 6A schools get. And some take advantage of the chance they have been given.

Says who? Just because the kids you think should be playing D1 aren't getting the looks you think they deserve doesn't mean 4a is overlooked. If you can play, have the measurables, and grades they will find you and see you no matter where you play. This whole 4a is overlooked thing is garbage no one wants slow 200 pound Lbs that are solid hs players. I know the college coaches have been to the 4a schools down here. Looking forward to seeing someone from the OSU staff for the 2nd time this spring. But I'm sure that's because we aren't a “true” 4a team.

 

[freeatlast2013]

Its easier to find those kids that will not be overlooked, that have possible potential, in your area Devils99 ! No expert here but in a larger area in Virginia you will possibly get more looks than in Shenandoah Valley or western Virginia? Not as many people cover those areas if anybody! You will have One recruiter at least from a team like Virginia Tech that will handle Tidewater region, and one that will handle DC metro area which includes Maryland, Virginia DC area. There are more camps in those areas and it is easier although I have to say it is not impossible! Some of it may have to do with coaching staff and how well the relationship is with area coaches . Just a thought!

 

[DEVILSLB99]

IMHO a lot has to do with the coaching staff. If I'm coach whoever in say Staunton, VA where the closest major airport is probably Richmond or DC I know college coaches probably aren't going to come there. Now with that being said I'm making sure my kids go to combines in the Richmond area and the DC area to get recognition taking my team to as many camps as possible flooding the coaches with clip from Hudl, Youtube, Krossover, or whatever service that we are using. I'm also getting with the other coaches in my immediate area whether they are in same district or conference and doing the same thing so that IF a college comes out there it's to see more than one school not just mine. That's the problem college coaches don't want to ride to way out west for one school when they can see a lot in a highly populated area, but if you give them a reason to come they will come. Curious where do kids from the Valley and out west usually go to play FBS football if they go play? Tennessee, VT, and UVA?

 

[cutnjump]

Its easier to find those kids that will not be overlooked, that have possible potential, in your area Devils99 ! No expert here but in a larger area in Virginia you will possibly get more looks than in Shenandoah Valley or western Virginia? Not as many people cover those areas if anybody! You will have One recruiter at least from a team like Virginia Tech that will handle Tidewater region, and one that will handle DC metro area which includes Maryland, Virginia DC area. There are more camps in those areas and it is easier although I have to say it is not impossible! Some of it may have to do with coaching staff and how well the relationship is with area coaches . Just a thought!

I think most areas have a recruiter assigned, particularly by in state schools. There are relationships with coaches. Not only the school staff but, opposing coaches as well and that is particularly useful with borderline or under the radar guys. If an opposing coach with a good relationship with a recruiter tells the recruiter to look at a player from another school because he thinks they might be a fit that is going to catch the recruiter's attention. Another factor is program history. I am not talking about the program's win/loss record but, the track record its players have at the next level. If a school has consistently turned out prospects that produce at the next level recruiters feel much more comfortable going back to that well again which is a reason the four Salem kids at VMI and Fox at VT need to have some success and build off the Barnettes and Fisher at UR. If they do, Salem will get more looks going forward at levels higher than D-3 where they have traditionally placed most of their players(no I am not disregarding Foley, Parker, Miles, Haley, etc. just saying it wasn't the norm in recent times). If a kid can play they are going to be found no matter the level.

 

[shauntclair]

Saw the last two posts. Won't try to add or take away but have to generally agree. Recruiters are not just going around to random games around the State to find some gems. Schools just don't have the resources to do these things. LSU, Alabama, OSU, USC, etc just don't send recruiters willy nilly around the country. Players are not simply discovered, as it seems many on this board believe. The single biggest factor in recruiting is the reputation of the HS Coach and the relationships they have established over the years with Colleges. That's almost always square 1 in the recruiting process. When you find a Pizza Parlor that delivers a great pie every time, Dominos comes off your speed dial list pretty quickly.

 

[shauntclair]

Stauntclair, come on man. Let's not throw "shade" to any young man. I wish your Courtland guys the best this year. Everybody isn't lucky enough to get offered by a D1 school, hell, even D2 and it's hard work once they get to that level with keeping up with the course work and football (year around thing /a lot of wear and tear on the body). You guys are blessed with Jabari, Green, and Grant who will all be good players at the D1 level. Let's encourage our young men, not marginalize their accomplishments.

I did not marginalize any accomplishments by anyone. I simply clarified what a walk-on actually is, what they receive and how they are normally treated. No, I do not encourage any young man to move blindly forward. I do encourage an informed choice.

You how no idea how hard it is to do school and football at the same time. Basically imagine two full time jobs. You start at 5:30 in the morning and go to 9pm. Then you have to study to keep up with your classes. No BS. That's why ball players are strongly encouraged to NOT take any difficult areas of study. Chemistry, Math, Engineering, pre-med, Pre-law......no. Recreational Management.....yes.

Who is playing for Courtland this year has absolutely nothing to do with this. And the kid that I believe is their best skill player, George Cheetham, has no offers at all because he's a few inches smaller than the others. He's the strongest, fastest and most vicious one of all those DI kids. Same on defense. And no, I would not recommend him to go somewhere as a preferred walk-on either.

 

[anon_vu6vqwsr4nf3b]

so a commentary on walk-ons, which it was, is inappropriate? You're entitled to your opinion. Have you spoken to Mealy yet?

You regurgitate the same stuff we already know about walk ons and preferred walk ons every time a thread is made to congratulate players. Do we really need to have this discussion every single time?

 

[shauntclair]

You regurgitate the same stuff we already know about walk ons and preferred walk ons every time a thread is made to congratulate players. Do we really need to have this discussion every single time?

As usual. You're wrong again. But that's just the expectation at this point.

 

[anon_vu6vqwsr4nf3b]

Dementia sucks.

 

[hamspear]

FYI Shauntclair, George Aston did not play one down on defense in the Pitt Spring game. Only plays at fullback at this time.
Devils, I will need to disagree with you on the point you made about players being overlooked. pre 2013 Sherando players never got the attention they do now in the past two years. Sherando is crawling with recruiters these days. And I am just not talking about the line out the door waiting to talk to a very good Linebacker. when teams get attention , the players get attention. That's how it works.

 

[DEVILSLB99]

FYI Shauntclair, George Aston did not play one down on defense in the Pitt Spring game. Only plays at fullback at this time.
Devils, I will need to disagree with you on the point you made about players being overlooked. pre 2013 Sherando players never got the attention they do now in the past two years. Sherando is crawling with recruiters these days. And I am just not talking about the line out the door waiting to talk to a very good Linebacker. when teams get attention , the players get attention. That's how it works.

Not always the case because there are plenty of kids that play on losing teams around here that get college scholarships. Do I think team success is important..yes it can be the farther you go the more chances you have of exposure, but there are 0-10 teams putting kids in college.

 

[shauntclair]

FYI Shauntclair, George Aston did not play one down on defense in the Pitt Spring game. Only plays at fullback at this time.
Devils, I will need to disagree with you on the point you made about players being overlooked. pre 2013 Sherando players never got the attention they do now in the past two years. Sherando is crawling with recruiters these days. And I am just not talking about the line out the door waiting to talk to a very good Linebacker. when teams get attention , the players get attention. That's how it works.

A very recent post game blog had him with 4 tackles so I'm confused. Did he see time at H Back? Did you see the game? I didn't notice anything in the post game stats or write ups. The most updated depth roster I could find came out shortly after the Spring game. There are two H Backs listed. According to other reports there are 4 walk-ons behind them, Aston being one of them. Most of the information I've been able to get comes right from the articles on the PITT Football WebSite. Also, PITT doesn't list any FullBacks, only HBacks and RB's.

"when teams get attention, the players get attention. THAT'S HOW IT WORKS." This may have a degree of merit but "that's how it works", I will need to 100% disagree with. All due respect. In my experience, it's the relationship between Coach's and recruiters that is responsible for 95% or more of the business. If the Coach says the kid is good and can play at the required level, they check grades, see some film and contact the kid. If the Coach up sells a kid, the relationship dies. If you have a line of recruiters out the door at Sherando, then you have players that are worthwhile. If you didn't, you'd have no recruiters at the door just because Sherando is written above it. That's the way it works.