Class of 2019 S Dorian Hewett (TX) Committed to USC

[CuseLegacy]

I mean if we are being honest there’s been a few...a lot when he first took over which are different circumstances but still the case nonetheless, that class alone there were at least 8 kids the staff told they were going in a different direction and they no longer had a schollie to Cuse...like I said more understandable given the circumstance but still happened that way...even just literally last cycle the linebacker Jack Smith who was committed for awhile we told him we were moving in a different direction. We are outsiders and may not think it represents the program well but you gotta understand it’s a business and these coaches need wins for job security. You are limited to the amount of spots per class and if a kid comes up that you need a spot for cause he is More talented someone has to be left out...happens everywhere. Same way with recruits and schools, kid can be committed to Syracuse forever but if a program like Alabama comes calling late, do you blame the kid for leaving?

The lot you refer to is the normal turnover when a new coach takes over a program before signing day. Those don't count as they were Shafer commits. I will give you Smith although I don't know if anyone on here really knows what happened with him.

 

[CuseLegacy]

It was fact checked and while i do like him as an athlete , there are a few things that make you scratch your head:
* being this talented and fast in a recruiting hotbed, why one offer, a d2 offer this late in the cycle?
* while i trust Dino's eye, previous staffs would have been highly scrutinized given his lack of offers in such a hot recruiting state.

I hope its a situation that somehow we were the first to discover him and he picks up other big-time offers and i eat crow.

It's not that late in the cycle. A lot of kids don't blow up until their senior season.
If it does happen just let me know how you like your crow.

 

[blizz]

Skepticism is good and warranted.

The people who offer their opinions and observations should be respected. The people who cheerlead... what do you expect? It's a fan site. Same team, can we just be nice?

Did anyone take a minute and consider how offers get reported? There are kids who keep their mouth shut.

Lastly, speed cures quite a few ills. Texas is fast. If you see a kid in Texas running away from everyone...he fast.

 

[Symphony Steve]

I think pretty much everybody IS nice on this site. Believe me, if you're out of the mainstream on other sites, the pushback is ruthless. Don't drink the Kool-Aid and you're a traitor to the cause

I think people can disagree here, and don't get bullied b/c of it. I credit the mods.

 

[Orijinal]

Count me in with Hewett and all camp offers, even to kids who have no other offers. There was a kid named Ben Lewis a few years back that Marrone offered after seeing at camp. This kid was on no one's radar, had no star, and he became a productive receiver

 

[PhatOrange]

A couple of North Shore notes. According to various sites we've offered 3 kids at North Shore this cycle. Both kids (a DE and CB) have committed to Texas Tech. TT did not offer Hewett. Hewett is without a doubt a long shot but he's also without a doubt fast and we still need to upgrade the speed across the board. I also trust Martin down there. Lifelong football coach in that district.

4 track times I found: Kid can fly.
100 Meters
11.07
10.92
10.73 PR
10.86

North Shore's 2020 and 2021 classes are stacked. With kids already having drawn offers from Alabama including a 5 star RB and 4 star OT in their 2020 class.

I found 3 pics of Hewett from last year. #10

 

[PhatOrange]

Anyone know how tall Babers is? In a twitter pic Babers - I'd guess - has about 2 inches on him.

 

[supp]

A couple of North Shore notes. According to various sites we've offered 3 kids at North Shore this cycle. Both kids (a DE and CB) have committed to Texas Tech. TT did not offer Hewett. Hewett is without a doubt a long shot but he's also without a doubt fast and we still need to upgrade the speed across the board. I also trust Martin down there. Lifelong football coach in that district.

4 track times I found: Kid can fly.
100 Meters
11.07
10.92
10.73 PR
10.86

North Shore's 2020 and 2021 classes are stacked. With kids already having drawn offers from Alabama including a 5 star RB and 4 star OT in their 2020 class.

I found 3 pics of Hewett from last year. #10


View attachment 135415View attachment 135416View attachment 135417

He doesn't really qualify as an under-the-radar kid. He goes to a big Houston high school that's carefully picked over by Texas schools and even invites the attention of the national programs. A number of explanations for taking him come to mind. One is that he's a bit of a reach but is higher on the coaches' list than the other kids they feel they have a realistic shot at...for now. That could change a la Jack Smith. The second is that he's a reach but they feel he gives them a foothold in a high school and area that they plan to recruit heavily in this and future cycles. He could be, as you imply, a pied piper-type guy who could help to bring better prospects to Syracuse over the next few years. The third possible explanation is that he's not a reach and other schools know that too but grades complicate his recruitment. Again, here the coaches are taking a flyer with the hope that he pulls off a miracle in the classroom or that he remembers the gesture when he gets cleared after a spell in prep school/juco. The fourth explanation is that everyone missed on the kid except us. This explanation will be easy to prove if he blows up in the Fall. But if he does, I think the odds of him making it to campus reduce dramatically.

All in all, it's hard to either get terribly excited or terribly down about this kid just yet. We've been down this road a bunch of times before with this staff and with previous ones. Remember Xzavier Gaines? We will probably always take some flyers. The key is to make sure you put enough talent elsewhere on the roster so that you're not over-reliant on those gambles. And if they do pay off, the odds are that it's going be to be a special year or couple of years.

 

[PhatOrange]

He doesn't really qualify as an under-the-radar kid. He goes to a big Houston high school that's carefully picked over by Texas schools and even invites the attention of the national programs. A number of explanations for taking him come to mind. One is that he's a bit of a reach but is higher on the coaches' list than the other kids they feel they have a realistic shot at...for now. That could change a la Jack Smith. The second is that he's a reach but they feel he gives them a foothold in a high school and area that they plan to recruit heavily in this and future cycles. He could be, as you imply, a pied piper-type guy who could help to bring better prospects to Syracuse over the next few years. The third possible explanation is that he's not a reach and other schools know that too but grades complicate his recruitment. Again, here the coaches are taking a flyer with the hope that he pulls off a miracle in the classroom or that he remembers the gesture when he gets cleared after a spell in prep school/juco. The fourth explanation is that everyone missed on the kid except us. This explanation will be easy to prove if he blows up in the Fall. But if he does, I think the odds of him making it to campus reduce dramatically.

All in all, it's hard to either get terribly excited or terribly down about this kid just yet. We've been down this road a bunch of times before with this staff and with previous ones. Remember Xzavier Gaines? We will probably always take some flyers. The key is to make sure you put enough talent elsewhere on the roster so that you're not over-reliant on those gambles. And if they do pay off, the odds are that it's going be to be a special year or couple of years.

I think it would be really hard to be 'under the radar' in that area and at least Texas Tech has already been in there this cycle. LSU has pulled kids out of North Shore the last 2 seasons. I referred to him as a longshot - I think we're just taking a flyer on a fast kid who's in an area we want to recruit. But then again he must have some ball skills; certainly feel better about the whole camp thing and they took the commitment.

I didn't think about grades though but that could certainly be a possibility. Jake Smith or Jawhar Jordan.

 

[Trueblue25]

Few thoughts -

Perhaps this kid isnt being brought in to play safety.

We’re now trying to establish footholds in Texas territory, as with some wins we should be able to pry more kids from Texas Tech, Baylor and Houston. A&M and UT will take who they select.

I am very happy with this recruit. He has another year to grow. He’s already ACC fast. He’s helping establish a connection/relationship with a talent factory. He may come in and end up on O or D, its yet to be confirmed.

More Texas.

 

[PhatOrange]

Few thoughts -

Perhaps this kid isnt being brought in to play safety.

agreed

 

[CuseLegacy]

2018 Region Outlooks: 6A Region III — Cy-Fair's title defense, Katy and North Shore hope young QBs make strides

Galena Park North Shore
The Mustangs showed that even with significant youth in key positions, they still have the ability to be a contender in Region III as they managed a run to the third round of the playoffs while being led by a freshman QB. That freshman QB is no ordinary freshman as Dematrius Davis put up some impressive numbers in the Mustangs three playoff games and heads into 2018 with confidence and now some varsity experience under his belt. Three starters are back on the offensive line. RB Zach Evans had a strong sophomore season earning first team all-district honors and is back as well, so expect a big uptick in offensive production in 2018. The anchor for North Shore remains its fearsome defense which brings back productive defensive lineman in Jordan Revels and Tony Bradford along with a talented young secondary.

 

[OrangeAl]

This kid may be a reach. If we sign ten more "reaches" then we're on shaky ground. But, if the rest of the class fills up with blue chips, we're entitled to a reach.

 

[orange_in_VA]

This kid may be a reach. If we sign ten more "reaches" then we're on shaky ground. But, if the rest of the class fills up with blue chips, we're entitled to a reach.

On paper, the entire class is a reach except for Cornelius Nunn and Courtney Jackson. It will be a battle to hold onto to those guys. We need to win some games badly

 

[SUFan44]

On paper, the entire class is a reach except for Cornelius Nunn and Courtney Jackson. It will be a battle to hold onto to those guys. We need to win some games badly

This.

 

[RF2044]

On paper, the entire class is a reach except for Cornelius Nunn and Courtney Jackson. It will be a battle to hold onto to those guys. We need to win some games badly

False.

Not that star rankings are the end all / be all, but 2Forty7 rates our class of "reaches" as three stars, across the board:

Syracuse 2019 Football Commits

Three star recruits are our program's bread-and-butter. If anything, this speaks to our coaching staff's ability to identify athletes who can compete in the ACC, regardless of whether they are known commodities or not rated by recruiting services. Because once they come onto the radar, they are being rated at the three-star level -- not just the token 2-star because they have a P5 offer.

When you step back, the situation isn't nearly as dire as some of you are claiming it is. This staff knows how to identify talent, and they are lining up talent that has the size / speed / athleticism needed to compete at this level.

 

[CINYer]

Does anyone Know if he had a position change or a more senior player in front of him? Even still the #44 rated safety in Texas... I'll take that and see how it shakes out. Give me the athlete and I'll find a spot for him. The sky isn't falling, and last I knew, kids can still grow, even into their College years, or does that only apply to BB players? 5'11" or 6' doesn't really matter much if you ball out, there were smaller players that have...just relax and see and pass judgment on the finished product.. the hand ringing is premature, and premature anything isn't a good thing..just my two cents...:noidea:

 

[money3189]

Good points in this thread. I will say this, coaches see hundreds of film and camp peformances per year. They know what to look for in their scheme but it doesnt mean they don't reach on players. They miss on kids who've had multiple p5 offers and they've missed on camp kids. There's good reason to be skeptical. He has speed and coaches liked him after a camp performance. He might be a good reach. I'm just a little annoyed because we have settled a lot on camp kids and missed out on top targets. NC St, Wake and BC are doing pretty well. All will change. We just have to win this season.

 

[orange_in_VA]

False.

Not that star rankings are the end all / be all, but 2Forty7 rates our class of "reaches" as three stars, across the board:

Syracuse 2019 Football Commits

Three star recruits are our program's bread-and-butter. If anything, this speaks to our coaching staff's ability to identify athletes who can compete in the ACC, regardless of whether they are known commodities or not rated by recruiting services. Because once they come onto the radar, they are being rated at the three-star level -- not just the token 2-star because they have a P5 offer.

When you step back, the situation isn't nearly as dire as some of you are claiming it is. This staff knows how to identify talent, and they are lining up talent that has the size / speed / athleticism needed to compete at this level.

It's not about star rankings. It's about offers. In the modern recruiting game, there aren't a ton of under the radar guys out there that are above average ACC starter quality not getting offers from anywhere. I understand taking a few per class. You can't make a class out of kids with no other P5 offers and hope to compete against Clemson, FSU, NCState and even the lower end of our division (peer schools). This board blasted Shafer for classes that didn't even look this bad on paper. I'll say it again. We need wins. Badly. Brohm had a 7-6 season at Purdue and has a top 25 recruiting class at the moment. Purdue!!!

 

[IthacaBarrel]

It's not about star rankings. It's about offers. In the modern recruiting game, there aren't a ton of under the radar guys out there that are above average ACC starter quality not getting offers from anywhere. I understand taking a few per class. You can't make a class out of kids with no other P5 offers and hope to compete against Clemson, FSU, NCState and even the lower end of our division (peer schools). This board blasted Shafer for classes that didn't even look this bad on paper. I'll say it again. We need wins. Badly. Brohm had a 7-6 season at Purdue and has a top 25 recruiting class at the moment. Purdue!!!

The same Purdue that just soaked $150 mil into their football facilities or something close. Syracuse will never compete with these public schools on the facilities and really never have. Top 50 recruiting classes, develop the kids for our scheme and coach them up. Those waiting for top 25classes are going to be waiting a long long time and I don’t really care who the coach is as we have had plenty...recruiting here is a very very tough sell, very tough

Winning will help some but like I said, we aren’t even swimming in same water as the bigger public schools

 

[kcsu]

This.

Two current players two vastly different HS rankings and two completely different college careers.

Jack Pickard: NJ prep all everything. Shaffer and the entire staff drove through a blizzard to impress and eventually land this stud who has basically never seen the field.

ED: After missing out on every QB on their recruiting board this same staff sifts through over a hundred no name kids and comes across a player from Oregon who is a great all around athlete.

The bottom line is that so much of this is an inexact science. I personally like camp offers. I believe that having the chance to see a player first hand trumps film. Is this kid a stretch. On paper of course. So was Eric.

 

[RF2044]

It's not about star rankings. It's about offers. In the modern recruiting game, there aren't a ton of under the radar guys out there that are above average ACC starter quality not getting offers from anywhere. I understand taking a few per class. You can't make a class out of kids with no other P5 offers and hope to compete against Clemson, FSU, NCState and even the lower end of our division (peer schools). This board blasted Shafer for classes that didn't even look this bad on paper. I'll say it again. We need wins. Badly. Brohm had a 7-6 season at Purdue and has a top 25 recruiting class at the moment. Purdue!!!

Babers and staff have done a terrific job turning over the Shafer roster, and bringing in bigger, faster, more athletic kids. The results are beginning to tangibly be noticeable -- last year, we were able to compete on the field against Clemson, and on the road against traditional powers like LSU, Miami, and FSU. When has that ever been the case?

Rome isn't built in a day. The types of recruiting classes we bring in are generally going to take a year or two to coach up until we start seeing results. But make no mistake: comparing this to a Shafer class is not an accurate perspective. Shafer's last class was criticized -- and justifiably so -- because the majority of them were D1AA type of prospects, as was borne out when Babers took over, dismantled the class, and sent them packing. For comparison, the "reach" edge rusher / OLB we got from Canada was described as a high major SEC caliber talent had he played in the US and not been an unknown. Therein lies the difference, no matter what the offers suggest.

IthacaBarrel is right -- our recruiting is going to look a lot more like Boise State than Penn State in the sense that we're going to identify good athletes who fit our systems, instead of reeling in oodles of 4 and 5 star prospects. But this staff has shown that they recognize good athletes, and they've done a fairly good job of upgrading the roster in a short time.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

People are using the terms "reach" and "under the radar" in this thread interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Jay Bromley is the pro type for under the radar. Lightly recruited area not known for developing HS football talent. Not a camper or someone promoted by local media and/or self-promotion. Showed very well against other college level prospects in post season all star gams. Very good, raw measurables. Someone like Sam Clausman was the pro type for reach. Major HS with high D1 talent all around him. Coaches constantly coming in and out of his school and reviewing his film and the film of his teammates (where he probably showed up). No other major offers.

Right now, based on offers and, imo film, Hewitt is a reach. An early one at that. He does have some good raw measurables though and seeing him in person is a positive.

As an aside, i don't buy the foothold argument. When have we ever turned grabbing a few lightly recruited recruits from a school/area into grabbing a blue chip type. (Maybe Qadir White?) We never got the more sought after prospects from Aquinas, the DC privates, Western PA, etc., despite landing several middling recruits. HS kids like to go to school with their friends. Competitive HS kids like to one-up their friends.

 

[CuseLegacy]

Just a fyi that I got off the Texas 6A football forum. Yes they have a forum for high school football in Texas.

North Shore@Katy, 8/31 Legacy Stadium, 6:30 pm

07-25-2018, 02:11 PM


A little early but will give us something to talk about leading up to probably the best opening game of high school football in the state. North Shore brings back 11 returners with 7 on offense and 4 on D. They will be led by all world Junior Zach Evans who rushed for 1,467 yards and 27 td's last year as a sophomore. Our super soph QB Dematrius Davis has been slinging it in camps and select 7 on 7 with his fellow soph WR Shadrach Banks. They are both Preseason MaxPreps Sophomore All Americans. The O Line is athletic and huge. 3 of them return and they average 6'1 and 295... The NS D is led by 2 D1 lineman, a Junior MLB that already has 8 D1 offers and what might be the best secondary in the state. Katy returns 6 starters. 4 on offense and 2 on D. Of course Katy has Deondrick Glass who has been a starter since his freshman year and Coach Joseph says the healthiest he has been. That means trouble for opposing teams. There QB might be the best passer at Katy in a long time and is only a sophomore. He is 6'0 already so seeing down field should be no problem. The D may have only 2 returners but Coach Joseph is one the best Defensive coaches in the state. They will be ready... So what say you... This game should be epic.

 

[PhatOrange]

FWIW, i'm not one of those people. But I also remember, to the contrary, the demigods of this very board (or prior incarnations) touting the Meldrum-baumbach-mckenzie o-line haul as the turning point, then guys like Mike Mele, etc.

I though that OL trio was fairly highly thought of by the recruiting sites at the time.

Tucker Baumbach was from Bishop McDevitt, a powerhouse in PA, and also had offers from UVA and Maryland

Meldrum was a 3* OT from the Tidewater area. Don't recall offers but had grade issues and had to prep at Hargrave. He earned Big East All-Freshman honors. Knee injuries did him in otherwise he may have finished strong under Marrone.

Jim McKenzie - was from a Philly Catholic powerhouse. Was a 2 star but had offers from Kentucky, Colorado, Rutgers, West Virginia. 1st Team 4A All-PA, Big 33 game etc. Kid started like 30 games here.

I think it was fair to tout all 3 of these kids. Nobody knew just how bad the coaching staff was at the time. Who can forget the picture of the OL standing on the sideline. You think they'd have been that fat and out of shape under this regime?

Even Mele was fair to be optimistic. According to rivals he was a 3 star LB with offers from Michigan State and Cincinnati.

By large people want to be optimistic and why not? Its a sports team. It's easy to look back and say you were wrong. Nobody looks back and says you were right. Erv Philips comes to mind about being right (board demigods gushed about him) Rivals gave him 2 stars and an offer from Temple. I think the fans that gushed were right. And he was also a camp offer if I remember correctly.