 TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
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Linebacker - Toledo signed three linebackers, mostly for the outside linebacker positions. Tyson Patrick (Trotwood, OH) is very underrated in my opinion. He had 99 tackles as a junior in high school in 2005 and then 115 tackles and four forced fumbles as a senior in 2006. He was named Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. At 6-2 and 220 pounds he has good size, but speed is his main attribute. He has been timed at 4.6 seconds in the forty yard dash, which is pretty good for a linebacker. He can play both inside and outside linebacker, but I would expect to see him on the outside and flying around with that speed on defense for Toledo. Dreylon Pree (Steubenville, OH) had 70 tackles and 4 sacks as a senior. At 6-2 and 200 pounds he has average size for an outside linebacker. He has been selected to play in the North-South All-Star Game and the Big 33 All-Star Game. Disi Alexander (Canton, OH) is another 6-2 and 200 pounder for the outside linebacker position. He was 1st Team All-Ohio as a senior in 2006 and was named the District Defensive Player of the Year. He had 142 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss and 8 sacks, to go along wth 5 forced fumbles and 2 blocked kicks. He has been selected to play in the Big 33 All-Star Game. Position Grade - B- Secondary - After signing a lot of players for the secondary last year, there was not much of a need in this recruiting class. Toledo picked up one player for the secondary in safety Tamawi McGhee. McGhee (Steubenville, OH) rushed for 1,885 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior running back in 2006. He also played linebacker on defense. He is very fast and has been timed at 4.4 seconds in the forty yard dash. With all of the running backs in the program, Toledo plays to use McGhee as a very fast safety. He could even be Tyrrell Herbert's replacement at free safety after he graduates. Not many signed here, but not really a need either. McGhee's speed is exactly what Toledo needs in the secondary. Position Grade - B- Special Teams - Toledo has a couple of kickers and a punter that will be a senior in 2007, but they found a very good player that can both kick and punt and just had to take him. Brett Brodbeck (Brentwood, TN) made 14 of 16 field goal attempts as a junior and senior in high school. His longest made was 53 yards, and his second longest was 49 yards. As a senior in 2006, 22 of his 26 kickoffs were touchbacks. There's no doubt that he has a strong leg. He was rated the top kicker in the state of Tennessee after his junior season by ProKicker.com and is the strong leg that Toledo has missed since Todd France graduated. He also has very decent speed as he has been timed at 4.6 seconds in the forty yard dash. Decent speed at kicker add another dimesion to special teams at Toledo. Todd France took a fake field goal attempt for a touchdown in 2001 and Alex Steigerwald did the same thing last season for the Rockets. Brodbeck was also the punter at his high school and could doing some punting for Toledo if needed. Position Grade - A- Overall - Overall this was a very good recruiting class. It was heavy on offense, in contrast to last year's class that was heavy on defense. There are some potential stars in this class, and everyone is a solid player with a lot of potential. Head Coach Tom Amstutz told me yesterday that he sees at least seven guys in this class that will battle for starting positions next season. That's a pretty quality class that meets the needs of the team. Overall Class Grade - B- Have a question or comment for Brian? Email |