In-State Class of 2013 Recruiting Notes
March 5th, 2012 by Chris HorneHere are some notes on class of 2013 football prospects from around the Commonwealth…
Commitments and Offers
- Five members of the state of Virginia’s class of 2013 have given verbal commitments. In addition to the Stone Bridge (Ashburn) signal caller Ryan Burns, who committed to Stanford this past Saturday, Clover Hill (Midlothian) linebacker/safety Holland Fisher (Virginia Tech), Fork Union quarterback Christian Hackenberg, Henrico cornerback Cequan Jefferson (Virginia Tech) and Woodberry Forest linebacker Doug Randolph (Stanford) have also pledged.
- California is the latest to offer Bayside (Virginia Beach, VA) tailback Taquan “Smoke” Mizzell. The Marlins star now boasts 13 offers in total.
- Chancellor (Fredericksburg, VA) athlete Chris Holmes has picked up an offer from West Virginia, Rivals.com reports. The 6’2″, 185-pound junior was previously offered by East Carolina, Marshall, Ohio and Old Dominion.
Holmes is drawing offers for football, but he is also a standout basketball player. He was named the 2011/2012 Battlefield District Player of the Year.
- North Stafford (Stafford, VA) safety Anthony Shegog has picked up an offer from West Virginia to go along with East Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Christchurch School Prospects
Christchurch School (Christchurch, VA) enjoyed a banner year in 2011, capping an undefeated season with a VISAA Division 2 state championship title. Numerous seniors will move on to play college football on some level, including two — offensive linemen Win Homer (Boston College) and Will Smith (Wake Forest) — on the major FBS level.
Seahorses head coach Ed Homer loses some key cogs from last year’s championship squad, but talented players are returning. In terms of Division 1 potential, rising senior athlete Jordan Wallace may be the headliner. Wallace earned second-team all-state honors at running back last season, despite the fact that he missed the second half of the regular season with a high ankle sprain.
“He was gone for four weeks,” Homer said of Wallace. “He had 1,000 yards rushing, and he had only played half the season. He returned a punt for a touchdown in the championship game. His grades are so solid, so he’s serious about wanting to do well. He has been busting his butt to do a good job on and off the field.”
The 6’1″, 180-pound Wallace, a good athlete who also plays basketball at Christchurch, has potential at running back, wide receiver, defensive back, and return specialist on the college level. He has made visits to Boston College and Pennsylvania so far, and Homer says Virginia and Virginia Tech may show more interest down the road.
6’3″, 220-pound quarterback Alex Girven has also visited Boston College and Penn. In addition, the junior prospect has also been to Duke, Maryland, N.C. State and Towson. Girven has interest in Virginia and Virginia Tech and may camp at one or both later this year.
“He’s quick and mobile. He runs about a 4.85-second 40. He has a good arm and a good release,” Homer said of Girven.
“Coaches are doing their evaluations, so right now it’s a wait-and-see situation. I think he is a D1-level talent, but quarterback is the hardest. There are only so many quarterbacks a school can sign.”
Brendan Cole and Ashby Lewis have the potential to be high-level college prospects as well. The latter was a first-team all-state performer last season, but he is recovering from a serious knee injury.
“Brendan is 6’2″, 205 pounds, so he’s a big defensive back,” Homer said. “He played corner this year for us and was very, very good. He’s a big enough kid where he’s probably not going to play corner in college, so I’m thinking of making a move to put him at safety next year. He also played slot wide receiver and tight end for us this past season. He’s a kid who could develop into a good outside linebacker. He’s a good receiving tight end. He’s an incredible basketball player, but he’s a football guy.
“Ashby is all speed, intensity, and work ethic,” Homer said. “He’s a cornerback/wide receiver. He’s a legit 4.5-second 40 guy. He’s very strong. He’s very solid. He just does what he’s told. He’s really a talented guy, but he tore an ACL in the state semifinals. When he’s healthy, Ashby is one who goes to a combine and is in the top five in running. He’s a great man-to-man coverage guy. He has great make-up speed. We’re not going to push his rehab, certainly. When he’s ready to get back out there, I’ll take him to camps and combines.”
Zach Rhodes and Kris Wilson Awaiting Offers
College coaches continue to monitor Richmond area offensive line prospects Zach Rhodes (Thomas Dale H.S. in Chester) and Kris Wilson (Varina H.S), but none have offered so far. The next step for the 6’6″, 300-pound Rhodes is to impress at college camps this summer, and Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech are possible stops.
“The big thing they want to see is if his speed has improved,” Dale head coach Kevin Tucker said.
Rhodes earned second-team all-Central District honors in 2011. Wilson, who stands 6’4″ and weighs 290 pounds, earned second-team all-Capital District honors for his play this past season. He claims interest from a host of schools, including Delaware, Duke, Ohio State, Old Dominion, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
“UVa, Virginia Tech, and Ohio State” are the schools showing the most interest, Wilson says.
“UVa and Virginia Tech want me to come up for a visit. Ohio State, too,” he added.
Wilson has seen action on both sides of the line for the Blue Devils, but most college coaches are recruiting him for his ability on offense. He starts at offensive tackle but could play guard in college.
“I got faster during the year, and my footwork got better,” Wilson noted of his junior season performance. “I dropped better, moved around better, and I was more physical.”
Wilson continues to work on his agility. He is also busy in the weight room, looking to get stronger before the 2012 season rolls around.
