This is a slightly revised version of the list I posted on May 23rd...
1. Ebenezer Ogundeko DE
2. Augustus Edwards RB
3. Laray Smith RB
4. Tommy Hopkins OL (UConn)
5. Malique Belfort WR
6. Ousmane Camara DE
7. Folo Fatukasi DT
8. Alex Officer OG
9. Devan Carter RB
10. Cam Stapleton TE
11. Chris Laviano QB
12. Nick Sorrenti FB/LB
13. Stephon Johnson ATH
14. Aaaqil Sheppard LB
15. Aaron Jones OLB
16. Delvin Brennan OL
17 Travon Reid DB
18. Eddie Robinson WR
19. Shaquille Brooks LB
20. Jordan Fuchs WR
A few comments...
NY players in general do an awful job getting recruited. Few go to the big camps, many do not even make their film available. I don't think a bunch of them even have film. This needs to be addressed. The camps SU is holding in different areas of the state help address this weakness and are a smart move. The other issue is that many of the best football players in NYS also play other sports, which hinders their ability to focus on football skills and limits their ability to attend camps and get the attention they deserve.
Smith is the fastest kid in New York right now. One of the fastest in the Northeast. Has the height to play a number of positions, needs to fill out a little to play RB but he has the frame and I think he has star potential. Definitely could be a big time playmaker at the BCS level.
Hopkins has legit OT size. Ended up switching Officer and Tommy after watching Tommy's film, which I thought was more impressive. He did a much better job dominating his man physically. I like his nastiness, looks like he wants to crush his guy on every play. Surprised DM did not offer him. I think UConn got a good one here.
Haven't seen any film of
Belfort...this ranking for him is based on his offers and his measureables.
Really like
Camara's film. Quick, athletic, strong. Excellent raw ability. Not sure where he will end up. I think he wants to play MIKE but he is already around 250, so that seems unlikely. I think he ends up on the DL.
Am a fan of the film of DT
Folo Fatukasi as well. Big tough kid who physically dominated his man, hit hard, good tackling technique. Would love to see both these guys with offers.
I like
Officer's film. Moves well, has good balance. I think agility is his biggest strength right now. Has a nice frame but I was not overly impressed with his raw power/aggressiveness. Did not get a big push back on the DL he was blocking, not good for a guy his size. Not big enough to play tackle for Syracuse but he could become a starter at OG or C after a couple of years learning techniques and getting stronger.
Glad to see
Devan Carter get an offer from Syracuse. Have been a big fan of his for a long time now. Love big guys who can run.
Nick Sorrenti is a football player. Tough guy, strong, played a huge role getting his team to the state finals in the Dome. He can play for my team any time.
Stephon Johnson is the best prospect out of Buffalo in this class. Really fast, one of the top athletes in the state, could play WR or CB for us. No idea what his grades are...they have been a consistent problem for players out of that city in past years.
Aaaqil Sheppard is a tall rangy LB from New Rochelle. Very athletic, I like his tackling, I like his speed, I like his aggressiveness. Would be a great blitzer in a Shafer defense. Best LB prospect I have seen in the state.
Aaron Jones is one of those kids that plays two sports...he is also a fine lacrosse player for Chittenango. There is no film of him I can find anywhere. I saw him play only because Chittenango played in the Dome in the state finals. Played at a small school with poor competition, has not gotten great coaching, but he is another big kid who can run. Will probably end up playing lacrosse in college. It is a shame because he could be a really good football player at the college level.
Travon Reid (sometimes listed as Travon Reid Segure) is one of the top athletes out of NYC in 2013. Has been compared to Brandon Reddish. Watching his film, I see more of Steven Rene than Brandon. Really small. The NY Post says he has an offer from Syracuse. Not sure that is true. Looks like a smaller version of Charles Davis, but not nearly the prospect Charles is. Don't see how we could take both players in the same class.
Eddie Robinson is another two sport athlete. One of the best basketball players on Long Island, he will probably play basketball in college. But he has nice size, good speed, runs great routes and has terrific hands.
Jordan Fuchs is another basketball player, a D1 prospect for CTK and he will almost surely play basketball in college. But this kid is a terrific athlete who could be an outstanding WR in college. At 6'7, 210 pounds, he is an intriguing player. If he grew up in Louisiana, he would be a HS AA prospect at WR. Would love to see SU get him to one of their camps and evaluate him.
Caleb Scepaniak was an early favorite of Tom Lemming, who named him one of the top 50 sophomores in the country in 2010. That appears to be an embarrassing call by Lemming...
