The kid was huge. Just 13 years old and already standing 6-8 he was about two heads taller than anyone else on the court. The middle school basketball team at Frankfurt International School (FIS) had never seen anyone like the kid from the now defunct Frankfurt Junior High. And he dominated. So I was told by a friend of mine by the name of Eddie, who I often played pick-up basketball games with about ten years ago at FIS. He was on that FIS middle school team and vividly recalls the first time he laid eyes on an army brat by the name of Shaquille O’Neal.
That same year LSU coach Dale Brown was conducting coaching clinics at various U.S. military bases in Germany. At one clinic he found himself “looking up at a young man, about 6 feet 8, smiling down at me."
"How long you been in the service, son?" Brown asked.
"I'm too young for the service, sir," came the reply. "I'm only 13."
A few years later, in the late 90s, there was an elementary school student at FIS who was tall for his age, soft-spoken but had great hand-eye coordination and good feet kicking the soccer ball around on the playground, especially considering that he was an American. That third-grader, Andrew Luck, would go on to have a pretty distinguished football career.
The above are just two examples why it makes complete sense for Jim Harbaugh to conduct satellite camps in remote locations where few American college football coaches have ventured. American Samoa has far more potential prospects than Harbaugh will ever find in Frankfurt, Germany, but they are out there for the picking and to be discovered.
So here are a few thoughts on camps- be they satellite camps or the recent series of regional Nike The Opening camps.
First, why not do a camp in Europe as well? Every August there is a combine at a U.S. military facility in Wiesbaden, Germany for not only prospects from DOD schools but also Germans playing the game. College coaches have not attended this event, in particular as it is in August. I would suggest that the staff contact the event organizers and have them move the combine/camp up to the June window when college coaches would be able to attend. Then have Michigan co-sponsor the camp as one of their satellite events. Even if there are not any legit prospects this year, a co-branding with the U.S. military is a win-win situation for Michigan.
Here is a link talking about the 2014 camp:
http://www.hsfootballeurope.net/football_camp-2014.php
Another idea I have been thinking about for camps has to do with various schools co-sponsoring camps. I think it would make sense for a group of high-end academic schools to hold day camps on their campuses that are limited to invitees with certain minimal GPAs. In other words, a special camp for high GPA students with a realistic chance to be accepted by the top P5 academic programs in the nation. There could be a series of one day camps at any combination of the following schools: Michigan, Stanford, Duke, Rice, Vanderbilt, Virginia, California, Northwestern UCLA, Georgia Tech. The participating schools would co-sponsor the camps. Sure, they would be competing for the same small pool of kids, but in my view getting as many high academic achievers as possible in front of coaches from such schools would be a net win for the schools because they would get a better chance to eyeball these kids and also discover hidden gems who were unknown beforehand. Just a thought.
With respect to the camp(s) in Samoa the two key names to know are the following:
Blessman Taala DL/OL/RB 6'3 276 Pago Pago Fagaitua American Samoa
One of the top prospects in American Samoa...................Sophomore starter at T & DT..................Great size, quick feet, powerful. Described as a "ManChild" Hidden gem.............UNLV, ORE ST offered him as a soph
I told MaxPreps about him over a year ago and they did a small feature on him.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3489084/blessman-taala
http://www.maxpreps.com/news/TR-2bc...la,-the-next-samoan-sensation-in-football.htm
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4776241/blessman-taala
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3797004/blessman-taala
Juliano Falaniko LB/DB/DL/WR 6'4 198 4.64 Pago Pago Leone American Samoa
February 2015: Juliano Falaniko 2017 Leone High School DL 6-3.5 198 4.64 4.44 32 24.6 73.59
One of the top Polynesian prospects..............Key freshman to watch................Youth league star...........Great size, athletic, physical, aggressive, good closing speed, great range. Two-way talent who is rapidly getting bigger and could project as a safety, OLB or even DE.............He tested well at the February 2015 Hawaii Nike Combine (73.59 SPARQ)............As of February Oregon was his dream school
HAWAII, ORE ST offered him as a soph
Michigan offered him a few weeks ago. I think that he played in Hawaii as a junior so I am not sure if he will be back in Samoa for the camp.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4779349/juliano-falaniko
With respect to Australia, this is the non-kicker/punter I would like to see attend:
Sio Sonny Nofoagatoto'a DL 6'2 275 Queensland Australia
Member of 2015 Junor Australian Gridiron Team..........One of 2 sophomores listed on the Pasefika football roster of Polynesian prospects in 2015 (DT)..............Ultimate sleeper prospect. Good size and moves well, strong and athletic. Polynesian prospect from Australia who also stars in rugby. Could be special...................Rugby star in the Queensland Secondary Schools Rugby League in 2015
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/5614727/sio-nofoagatotoa
I also have some observations about several of the recent SPARQ scores involving Michigan commits and targets at the regional Nike The Opening camps.
It should be noted that the SPARQ is comprised of test results from four events: 40, shuttle, power ball and vertical. These events are skewered more towards skill athletes with speed and explosiveness as opposed to strength. Also, the scores do not factor in height or weight, so the absolute numbers need to be looked at a bit holistically. The bigger the kid, the more impressive the SPARQ score is compared to kids who are smaller.
O’Maury Samuels still leads the nation with the highest SPARQ score of the year, with a remarkable 142.41 rating. Here are his test results:
Height: 5-10
Weight: 188
40: 4.48
Shuttle: 4.14
Power Ball: 43
Vertical: 44.5
SPARQ: 142.41
Rank: 1
A.J Dillon is ninth in the nation this far this year with a score of 127.53. Of note is that of the 8 kids ranked ahead of him the heaviest weighed only 216 pounds. In fact, you would have to go all the way down to the number 64 ranked Joshua Paschal to find a kid who was heavier (115.29 SPAR/253 pounds). Quite an impressive performance, indeed, for Dillon.
Height: 6-1
Weight: 239
40: 4.55
Shuttle: 4.29
Power Ball: 40
Vertical: 38.2
SPARQ: 127.53
Rank: 9
Benjamin St. Juste has the number 40 ranked SPARQ score in the nation with a 117.93, quite impressive for a 6-3 kid. His 3.93 shuttle is freakish for a 6-3 kid.
Height: 6-3
Weight: 189
40: 4.63
Shuttle: 3.93
Power Ball: 39
Vertical: 34.9
SPARQ: 117.93
Rank: 40
What about the Detroit area DBs Jaylen Kelly Powell, Ambry Thomas, Allen Stritzinger and Donovan Johnson? The numbers here are quite interesting. Johnson tested the best of the bunch and was also the most impressive in drills at the Columbus Nike as he walked away with camp DB MVP honors. He is the only one without a Michigan offer and the knock on him has been his lack of size. Interestingly, however, he measured in a 5-10, 176, and he plays corner and has a super 3.95 shuttle. Compare this to JKP, often listed as a 6-1, 195 safety, but he measured I at 5-11, 174, just an inch taller than Johnson but two pounds lighter. Certainly on the very small side for a kid being recruited as a safety and his 4.21 shuttle, while still good, is nowhere near the level of Johnson and St. Juste, two kids who show the hips to excel at corner. JKP’s film must be wowsers, because based on measurable Johnson is the superior prospect.
Stritzinger tested surprisingly well and remains a viable candidate to end up in the class. Not a true burner, but he shows the hip movement and size to play the corner spot.
Thomas put up excellent numbers, slightly less impressive than Johnson but he is 1.5 inches taller. Tons of DB talent in metro Detroit this year. Lets just hope that Johnson does not slip away and become the next version of Desmond King.
Donovan Johnson
Height: 5-10
Weight: 176
40: 4.43
Shuttle: 3.95
Power Ball: 32
Vertical: 37.2
SPARQ: 116.16
Rank: 56
Allen Stritzinger
Height: 6-0
Weight: 184
40: 4.67
Shuttle: 4.07
Power Ball: 38
Vertical: 34.4
SPARQ: 108.39
Rank: 141
Ambry Thomas
Height: 5-11.5
Weight: 174
40: 4.48
Shuttle: 4.18
Power Ball: 34
Vertical: 33.3
SPARQ: 100.71
Rank: Outside top 250
Jaylen Kelly-Powell
Height: 5-11
Weight: 174
40: --
Shuttle: 4.21
Power Ball: 30.5
Vertical: --
SPARQ: --
Rank: --
Another safety prospect Michigan is in a strong position to land is Markquese Bell. He put up solid numbers at the New Jersey Nike two weeks ago.
Markquese Bell
Height: 6-3
Weight: 194
40: 4.71
Shuttle: 4.46
Power Ball: 39.0
Vertical: 34.9
SPARQ: 97.44
Rank:
One of the big surprises for me was the performance of Carter Dunaway at the Columbus Nike. He is often viewed as a “throwaway” recruit in the class as he was a very early verbal and a legacy. Plus his team had a historically bad season. Surprise, surprise, he put up a GREAT SPARQ factoring in his size. The only person his length who tested better was superstar Ohio State OT verbal Josh Myers, who is 1/2 inch shorter but put up a monster 108.81 SPARQ, truly awesome for an OL his size.
Dunaway’s numbers were quite impressive. Great length, sub 5.0 forty, sub 4.5 shuttle, solid power ball and a 30+ vertical. I need to take a look at his frame to see whether he has the body-type to fill out and become a tackle down the road. If he can, watch out, he could be special.
Carter Dunaway
Height: 6-6.5
Weight: 231
40: 4.99
Shuttle: 4.40
Power Ball: 38.5
Vertical: 30.1
SPARQ: 90.33
Rank:
The Cass Techer who really shined (along with DPJ and Donovan Johnson) was OL prospect Jordan Reid. He was named the OL MVP based on his performance in drills, ahead of the aforementioned monster (and arguably the top OL prospect in the nation) Josh Myers and fellow Ohio State commit Jake Moretti. In fact, take a look at how Reid’s numbers (and Dunaway’s for that matter) stack up against the SPARQ’s of several of the most highly rated linemen in the nation:
Jordan Reid
Height: 6-4.5
Weight: 300
40: 5.19
Shuttle: 5.18
Power Ball: 39.5
Vertical: 27.8
SPARQ: 86.16
Rank:
Jake Moretti
Height: 6-5
Weight: 288
40: 5.14
Shuttle: 4.92
Power Ball: 38.0
Vertical: 25.5
SPARQ: 79.41
Rank:
Micah Parsons (Top DL in ’18 class and a PSU verbal)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 234
40: 4.76
Shuttle: 4.56
Power Ball: 36.5
Vertical: 30.8
SPARQ: 90.24
Rank:
Isaiah Wilson
Height: 6-6.5
Weight: 354
40: 5.60
Shuttle: 5.23
Power Ball: 34.0
Vertical: 26.0
SPARQ: 73.53
Rank:
Keep in mind, however, that SPARQ scores are just one indicatopr of whether a kid is a player or not. They may tell us more about how good of an athlete a kid is, but factors such as motor, work ethic, football IQ, instincts, ball skills, etc…. are not incorporated in the scores. Some kids simply do not test well but know how to play the game. Others may look like Tarzan, and play like Jane.
Jahan Dotson is an ’18 stud WR with offers from the likes of Alabama, Texas A&M, PSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Everybody wants him. But take a look at his test scores from the New Jersey Nike two weeks ago:
Jahan Dotson
Height: 5-11
Weight: 156
40: 4.73
Shuttle: 4.73
Power Ball: 31.0
Vertical: 29.1
SPARQ: 59.46
Rank:
Go figure.
That same year LSU coach Dale Brown was conducting coaching clinics at various U.S. military bases in Germany. At one clinic he found himself “looking up at a young man, about 6 feet 8, smiling down at me."
"How long you been in the service, son?" Brown asked.
"I'm too young for the service, sir," came the reply. "I'm only 13."
A few years later, in the late 90s, there was an elementary school student at FIS who was tall for his age, soft-spoken but had great hand-eye coordination and good feet kicking the soccer ball around on the playground, especially considering that he was an American. That third-grader, Andrew Luck, would go on to have a pretty distinguished football career.
The above are just two examples why it makes complete sense for Jim Harbaugh to conduct satellite camps in remote locations where few American college football coaches have ventured. American Samoa has far more potential prospects than Harbaugh will ever find in Frankfurt, Germany, but they are out there for the picking and to be discovered.
So here are a few thoughts on camps- be they satellite camps or the recent series of regional Nike The Opening camps.
First, why not do a camp in Europe as well? Every August there is a combine at a U.S. military facility in Wiesbaden, Germany for not only prospects from DOD schools but also Germans playing the game. College coaches have not attended this event, in particular as it is in August. I would suggest that the staff contact the event organizers and have them move the combine/camp up to the June window when college coaches would be able to attend. Then have Michigan co-sponsor the camp as one of their satellite events. Even if there are not any legit prospects this year, a co-branding with the U.S. military is a win-win situation for Michigan.
Here is a link talking about the 2014 camp:
http://www.hsfootballeurope.net/football_camp-2014.php
Another idea I have been thinking about for camps has to do with various schools co-sponsoring camps. I think it would make sense for a group of high-end academic schools to hold day camps on their campuses that are limited to invitees with certain minimal GPAs. In other words, a special camp for high GPA students with a realistic chance to be accepted by the top P5 academic programs in the nation. There could be a series of one day camps at any combination of the following schools: Michigan, Stanford, Duke, Rice, Vanderbilt, Virginia, California, Northwestern UCLA, Georgia Tech. The participating schools would co-sponsor the camps. Sure, they would be competing for the same small pool of kids, but in my view getting as many high academic achievers as possible in front of coaches from such schools would be a net win for the schools because they would get a better chance to eyeball these kids and also discover hidden gems who were unknown beforehand. Just a thought.
With respect to the camp(s) in Samoa the two key names to know are the following:
Blessman Taala DL/OL/RB 6'3 276 Pago Pago Fagaitua American Samoa
One of the top prospects in American Samoa...................Sophomore starter at T & DT..................Great size, quick feet, powerful. Described as a "ManChild" Hidden gem.............UNLV, ORE ST offered him as a soph
I told MaxPreps about him over a year ago and they did a small feature on him.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3489084/blessman-taala
http://www.maxpreps.com/news/TR-2bc...la,-the-next-samoan-sensation-in-football.htm
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4776241/blessman-taala
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3797004/blessman-taala
Juliano Falaniko LB/DB/DL/WR 6'4 198 4.64 Pago Pago Leone American Samoa
February 2015: Juliano Falaniko 2017 Leone High School DL 6-3.5 198 4.64 4.44 32 24.6 73.59
One of the top Polynesian prospects..............Key freshman to watch................Youth league star...........Great size, athletic, physical, aggressive, good closing speed, great range. Two-way talent who is rapidly getting bigger and could project as a safety, OLB or even DE.............He tested well at the February 2015 Hawaii Nike Combine (73.59 SPARQ)............As of February Oregon was his dream school
HAWAII, ORE ST offered him as a soph
Michigan offered him a few weeks ago. I think that he played in Hawaii as a junior so I am not sure if he will be back in Samoa for the camp.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4779349/juliano-falaniko
With respect to Australia, this is the non-kicker/punter I would like to see attend:
Sio Sonny Nofoagatoto'a DL 6'2 275 Queensland Australia
Member of 2015 Junor Australian Gridiron Team..........One of 2 sophomores listed on the Pasefika football roster of Polynesian prospects in 2015 (DT)..............Ultimate sleeper prospect. Good size and moves well, strong and athletic. Polynesian prospect from Australia who also stars in rugby. Could be special...................Rugby star in the Queensland Secondary Schools Rugby League in 2015
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/5614727/sio-nofoagatotoa
I also have some observations about several of the recent SPARQ scores involving Michigan commits and targets at the regional Nike The Opening camps.
It should be noted that the SPARQ is comprised of test results from four events: 40, shuttle, power ball and vertical. These events are skewered more towards skill athletes with speed and explosiveness as opposed to strength. Also, the scores do not factor in height or weight, so the absolute numbers need to be looked at a bit holistically. The bigger the kid, the more impressive the SPARQ score is compared to kids who are smaller.
O’Maury Samuels still leads the nation with the highest SPARQ score of the year, with a remarkable 142.41 rating. Here are his test results:
Height: 5-10
Weight: 188
40: 4.48
Shuttle: 4.14
Power Ball: 43
Vertical: 44.5
SPARQ: 142.41
Rank: 1
A.J Dillon is ninth in the nation this far this year with a score of 127.53. Of note is that of the 8 kids ranked ahead of him the heaviest weighed only 216 pounds. In fact, you would have to go all the way down to the number 64 ranked Joshua Paschal to find a kid who was heavier (115.29 SPAR/253 pounds). Quite an impressive performance, indeed, for Dillon.
Height: 6-1
Weight: 239
40: 4.55
Shuttle: 4.29
Power Ball: 40
Vertical: 38.2
SPARQ: 127.53
Rank: 9
Benjamin St. Juste has the number 40 ranked SPARQ score in the nation with a 117.93, quite impressive for a 6-3 kid. His 3.93 shuttle is freakish for a 6-3 kid.
Height: 6-3
Weight: 189
40: 4.63
Shuttle: 3.93
Power Ball: 39
Vertical: 34.9
SPARQ: 117.93
Rank: 40
What about the Detroit area DBs Jaylen Kelly Powell, Ambry Thomas, Allen Stritzinger and Donovan Johnson? The numbers here are quite interesting. Johnson tested the best of the bunch and was also the most impressive in drills at the Columbus Nike as he walked away with camp DB MVP honors. He is the only one without a Michigan offer and the knock on him has been his lack of size. Interestingly, however, he measured in a 5-10, 176, and he plays corner and has a super 3.95 shuttle. Compare this to JKP, often listed as a 6-1, 195 safety, but he measured I at 5-11, 174, just an inch taller than Johnson but two pounds lighter. Certainly on the very small side for a kid being recruited as a safety and his 4.21 shuttle, while still good, is nowhere near the level of Johnson and St. Juste, two kids who show the hips to excel at corner. JKP’s film must be wowsers, because based on measurable Johnson is the superior prospect.
Stritzinger tested surprisingly well and remains a viable candidate to end up in the class. Not a true burner, but he shows the hip movement and size to play the corner spot.
Thomas put up excellent numbers, slightly less impressive than Johnson but he is 1.5 inches taller. Tons of DB talent in metro Detroit this year. Lets just hope that Johnson does not slip away and become the next version of Desmond King.
Donovan Johnson
Height: 5-10
Weight: 176
40: 4.43
Shuttle: 3.95
Power Ball: 32
Vertical: 37.2
SPARQ: 116.16
Rank: 56
Allen Stritzinger
Height: 6-0
Weight: 184
40: 4.67
Shuttle: 4.07
Power Ball: 38
Vertical: 34.4
SPARQ: 108.39
Rank: 141
Ambry Thomas
Height: 5-11.5
Weight: 174
40: 4.48
Shuttle: 4.18
Power Ball: 34
Vertical: 33.3
SPARQ: 100.71
Rank: Outside top 250
Jaylen Kelly-Powell
Height: 5-11
Weight: 174
40: --
Shuttle: 4.21
Power Ball: 30.5
Vertical: --
SPARQ: --
Rank: --
Another safety prospect Michigan is in a strong position to land is Markquese Bell. He put up solid numbers at the New Jersey Nike two weeks ago.
Markquese Bell
Height: 6-3
Weight: 194
40: 4.71
Shuttle: 4.46
Power Ball: 39.0
Vertical: 34.9
SPARQ: 97.44
Rank:
One of the big surprises for me was the performance of Carter Dunaway at the Columbus Nike. He is often viewed as a “throwaway” recruit in the class as he was a very early verbal and a legacy. Plus his team had a historically bad season. Surprise, surprise, he put up a GREAT SPARQ factoring in his size. The only person his length who tested better was superstar Ohio State OT verbal Josh Myers, who is 1/2 inch shorter but put up a monster 108.81 SPARQ, truly awesome for an OL his size.
Dunaway’s numbers were quite impressive. Great length, sub 5.0 forty, sub 4.5 shuttle, solid power ball and a 30+ vertical. I need to take a look at his frame to see whether he has the body-type to fill out and become a tackle down the road. If he can, watch out, he could be special.
Carter Dunaway
Height: 6-6.5
Weight: 231
40: 4.99
Shuttle: 4.40
Power Ball: 38.5
Vertical: 30.1
SPARQ: 90.33
Rank:
The Cass Techer who really shined (along with DPJ and Donovan Johnson) was OL prospect Jordan Reid. He was named the OL MVP based on his performance in drills, ahead of the aforementioned monster (and arguably the top OL prospect in the nation) Josh Myers and fellow Ohio State commit Jake Moretti. In fact, take a look at how Reid’s numbers (and Dunaway’s for that matter) stack up against the SPARQ’s of several of the most highly rated linemen in the nation:
Jordan Reid
Height: 6-4.5
Weight: 300
40: 5.19
Shuttle: 5.18
Power Ball: 39.5
Vertical: 27.8
SPARQ: 86.16
Rank:
Jake Moretti
Height: 6-5
Weight: 288
40: 5.14
Shuttle: 4.92
Power Ball: 38.0
Vertical: 25.5
SPARQ: 79.41
Rank:
Micah Parsons (Top DL in ’18 class and a PSU verbal)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 234
40: 4.76
Shuttle: 4.56
Power Ball: 36.5
Vertical: 30.8
SPARQ: 90.24
Rank:
Isaiah Wilson
Height: 6-6.5
Weight: 354
40: 5.60
Shuttle: 5.23
Power Ball: 34.0
Vertical: 26.0
SPARQ: 73.53
Rank:
Keep in mind, however, that SPARQ scores are just one indicatopr of whether a kid is a player or not. They may tell us more about how good of an athlete a kid is, but factors such as motor, work ethic, football IQ, instincts, ball skills, etc…. are not incorporated in the scores. Some kids simply do not test well but know how to play the game. Others may look like Tarzan, and play like Jane.
Jahan Dotson is an ’18 stud WR with offers from the likes of Alabama, Texas A&M, PSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Everybody wants him. But take a look at his test scores from the New Jersey Nike two weeks ago:
Jahan Dotson
Height: 5-11
Weight: 156
40: 4.73
Shuttle: 4.73
Power Ball: 31.0
Vertical: 29.1
SPARQ: 59.46
Rank:
Go figure.
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