Four Days Left, Plenty of Work Remains
Conor Nicholl
The football office was absolutely buzzing this morning.
Head coach Shannon Currier was guiding around a running back recurit, defensive coordinator Aaron Rasset and offensive coordinator Aaron Vlcko broke down film and special teams coordinator/recuriting coordinator Daric Riley had his cell phone attached to his ear.
Only four days left until National Signing Day - a day that will impact the next few years of the Currier Era.
Rasset said the squad is looking at a small recuriting class - only about 15 people are expected to sign because only seven seniors graduated last fall.
Not including the several tranfers - including a Junior College All-American quarterback, only three have verbally committed to Truman, Rasset said. One of those recurits -- kicker/punter Mickey Masucci -- was mentioned in the Post-Dispatch this morning. Masucci, the First Team All-Metro kicker, has a boot for a leg, connecting on seven of 12 field goals (including a 49-yarder) and averaging 59.6 yards per kickoff. Only six of 39 kickoffs was returned.
The Post said other state schools, including Missouri, Northwest, Central Mo and Missouri State, were pursuing Masucci. He also had walk-on offers from other top-flight Div. I schools, including defending national champion Texas.
In a 30-minute conversation this afternoon, Danny Heitert of STC Grid Report, the Mel Kiper of St. Louis football recruiting, said Masucci could be a breakthrough prospect for the Bulldogs. Few top players from the St. Louis area had Truman on their radar screen, but Masucci could pave the way.
Heitert said Masucci will help on both sides of the ball.
"He's a little bit above the curve for Div. II kickers," Heitert said. "He may be able to help immediately. He's got a very fast leg and can change the entire thinking for their offense. If they can get the ball on the 30-yard line, they have a chance for points. He also put the ball in the end zone on kickoffs."
That was something Mark Kamphoefner couldn’t do with regularity. Kamp certianly had a leg – he set the school record last season with a 53-yard field goal – but only averaged 53.8 yards/kickoff. Wind may have played a factor in some kickoffs – especially in Week Three against Northwest Missouri State – but Masucci should certianly upgrade the kicking game.
The Post-Dispatch also reported CBC defensive back Isaiah Mares committed to Yale after considering Columbia, Penn and Truman. Heitert said Mares was the best talent from the St. Louis area that highly considered Truman.
“He was probably going to the Ivy Leagues,” Heitert said. “He just was waiting on academic scholarship money, since the Ivies can’t give athletic scholarships. He was strongly considering Truman, though.”
Rassert said the squad is looking at signing four defensive backs, but will probably have to go outside of the area to find one.
Heitert also mentioned his grades for Truman players as they entered college.
Unlike SCOUTS, Inc. 1-9 scale or Truman’s 1-4 scale, Heitert’s system uses a letter grading system. An A or A- means the player could make the two-deep roster on a Div. II team in his first year of a five-year career, a B or B+ means making the two-deep in their second year and a C or C+ means in their third year.
C Mike Shelden (Shelden’s dad played football with Heitert) B/B+
One of the squad’s top players, graded out near 80 percent this past season, two-time All-MIAA
DE Courtney Jordan B
True freshman Recovered fumble against Winona State in Week 1, played in seven games, one sack
WR James Perry B
Earned MIAA recognition in 2003, No. 2-3 pass catcher throughout career
FB Cameron Poole C+
No playing time in 2005
WR Aaron Lowe C
Four catches in three years
The football office was absolutely buzzing this morning.
Head coach Shannon Currier was guiding around a running back recurit, defensive coordinator Aaron Rasset and offensive coordinator Aaron Vlcko broke down film and special teams coordinator/recuriting coordinator Daric Riley had his cell phone attached to his ear.
Only four days left until National Signing Day - a day that will impact the next few years of the Currier Era.
Rasset said the squad is looking at a small recuriting class - only about 15 people are expected to sign because only seven seniors graduated last fall.
Not including the several tranfers - including a Junior College All-American quarterback, only three have verbally committed to Truman, Rasset said. One of those recurits -- kicker/punter Mickey Masucci -- was mentioned in the Post-Dispatch this morning. Masucci, the First Team All-Metro kicker, has a boot for a leg, connecting on seven of 12 field goals (including a 49-yarder) and averaging 59.6 yards per kickoff. Only six of 39 kickoffs was returned.
The Post said other state schools, including Missouri, Northwest, Central Mo and Missouri State, were pursuing Masucci. He also had walk-on offers from other top-flight Div. I schools, including defending national champion Texas.
In a 30-minute conversation this afternoon, Danny Heitert of STC Grid Report, the Mel Kiper of St. Louis football recruiting, said Masucci could be a breakthrough prospect for the Bulldogs. Few top players from the St. Louis area had Truman on their radar screen, but Masucci could pave the way.
Heitert said Masucci will help on both sides of the ball.
"He's a little bit above the curve for Div. II kickers," Heitert said. "He may be able to help immediately. He's got a very fast leg and can change the entire thinking for their offense. If they can get the ball on the 30-yard line, they have a chance for points. He also put the ball in the end zone on kickoffs."
That was something Mark Kamphoefner couldn’t do with regularity. Kamp certianly had a leg – he set the school record last season with a 53-yard field goal – but only averaged 53.8 yards/kickoff. Wind may have played a factor in some kickoffs – especially in Week Three against Northwest Missouri State – but Masucci should certianly upgrade the kicking game.
The Post-Dispatch also reported CBC defensive back Isaiah Mares committed to Yale after considering Columbia, Penn and Truman. Heitert said Mares was the best talent from the St. Louis area that highly considered Truman.
“He was probably going to the Ivy Leagues,” Heitert said. “He just was waiting on academic scholarship money, since the Ivies can’t give athletic scholarships. He was strongly considering Truman, though.”
Rassert said the squad is looking at signing four defensive backs, but will probably have to go outside of the area to find one.
Heitert also mentioned his grades for Truman players as they entered college.
Unlike SCOUTS, Inc. 1-9 scale or Truman’s 1-4 scale, Heitert’s system uses a letter grading system. An A or A- means the player could make the two-deep roster on a Div. II team in his first year of a five-year career, a B or B+ means making the two-deep in their second year and a C or C+ means in their third year.
C Mike Shelden (Shelden’s dad played football with Heitert) B/B+
One of the squad’s top players, graded out near 80 percent this past season, two-time All-MIAA
DE Courtney Jordan B
True freshman Recovered fumble against Winona State in Week 1, played in seven games, one sack
WR James Perry B
Earned MIAA recognition in 2003, No. 2-3 pass catcher throughout career
FB Cameron Poole C+
No playing time in 2005
WR Aaron Lowe C
Four catches in three years
posted by Anonymous at Friday, January 27, 2006
1 Comments:
Nice post Conor. Glad to hear we're getting a really good/perhaps better replacement for Kamp. And a junior college All-American QB! Yay! A little confused however about the player's grades on the bottom. Were these his predictions when they entered freshman year or as of today? But, good post overall.
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