Author Topic: Signing Day 2020  (Read 52340 times)

Offline go guins

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2455
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #15 on: December 18, 2019, 10:59:27 AM »
James Morrow. 6-6, 300 OL from Butler CC
I've played Butler CC before when I worked in Butler, nice course but I don't remember their FB team? In any case, we seem to have depleted is somewhat with this class!
Watching Penquins Football & Basketball since 1967!

Offline ytownchief22

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2676
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #16 on: December 18, 2019, 11:09:35 AM »
Stephon Jones. 6-2, 345 OL from ASA College.

Offline ytownchief22

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2676
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #17 on: December 18, 2019, 11:10:21 AM »
That’s all for the early signees.

Offline go guins

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2455
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #18 on: December 18, 2019, 11:16:15 AM »
That’s all for the early signees.
I count 23 which is a TON compared to last year's 8 wasn't it?
In any case, looks pretty well balanced, with some potential help in areas where we need HELP!  IE, OL, DE, DB  I noticed no QB's after signing about 8 over the last couple years.  Nice to see confidence in guys we have.
Watching Penquins Football & Basketball since 1967!

Offline go guins

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2455
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #19 on: December 18, 2019, 11:21:07 AM »
Stephon Jones. 6-2, 345 OL from ASA College.
this is the JUCO program that gave us the immortal Henry Yoboue.  (I say immortal in that he must be a statue by now, I've never seen him move!)  We have almost 700# of recruits from ASA in these two guys.  Glad I don't have to feed them!  At least Stephon appears to move on the field and we could use some straight ahead power at G occasionally.  Welcome Mr Jones.
Watching Penquins Football & Basketball since 1967!

Offline Wick250

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2537
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #20 on: December 18, 2019, 12:34:11 PM »
Pelini's press conference is accessible via the university website.  For a bit of good news, Bo did mention that Justus Reed weighed his options and has decided to return.

Offline go guins

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2455
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #21 on: December 18, 2019, 01:14:18 PM »
Pelini's press conference is accessible via the university website.  For a bit of good news, Bo did mention that Justus Reed weighed his options and has decided to return.
THAT is GREAT NEWS!  Our best player coming back for a senior season is WONDERFUL!   (wonder if he wants to go both ways and help out at OT too?)
Watching Penquins Football & Basketball since 1967!

Offline peteonastick

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 719
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #22 on: December 18, 2019, 04:18:52 PM »
At the 1:56 minute mark of the presser today, he is asked about Haeden, Bo wasn't sure who he was and had to look at his notes until he was told the last name - Gump - only local kid recruited.  Tells me a lot on how much he is involved in recruiting.  Not much...
THE DRIVE FOR 5

Offline ytownchief22

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2676
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #23 on: December 18, 2019, 09:46:00 PM »
At the 1:56 minute mark of the presser today, he is asked about Haeden, Bo wasn't sure who he was and had to look at his notes until he was told the last name - Gump - only local kid recruited.  Tells me a lot on how much he is involved in recruiting.  Not much...


Exactly

Offline The YO Show

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 1347
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #24 on: December 18, 2019, 10:10:25 PM »
Yeah I got that impression from around the 1 minute mark where he said we had a plan and the coaches executed it. "I really liked what we were able to do in this recruiting class. Carl really spearheaded the effort." Guess we will find out if Carl is a good recruiter. Because it certainly seems to me this is more his class than Bo's

Offline ytownchief22

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2676
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #25 on: December 18, 2019, 10:47:24 PM »
Big time commit just now for the Guins.

Demeatric Crenshaw, a 6-2 dual threat QB from Pickerington Central.

Offers from BC, Cincy, Toledo, Indiana, Kentucky and Louisville.

Offline ytownchief22

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2676
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #26 on: December 19, 2019, 07:15:22 AM »
Bo finally got his QB. Gem of the class. Was a 3 year starter and won 2 state titles. Huge get.

Offline Northcoast Penguin

  • Rock Hopper Penguin
  • *
  • Posts: 10
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #27 on: December 19, 2019, 07:37:31 AM »
Demeatric Crenshaw, a 6-2 dual threat QB from Pickerington Central.


Watched this kid play against Mentor in the 2017 Div I State Championship and the 2019 Div I State Quarter Finals.  This kid is the real deal.  Great Athlete, good size and speed...big plus for the program.

Offline Double ET

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 1831
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #28 on: December 19, 2019, 09:25:18 AM »
Article from Tribune/Vindy

Pelini excited about new recruiting class

YSU SPORTS
DEC 19, 2019

JOE SIMON
Sports Reporter
jsimon@tribtoday.com
 
 
YOUNGSTOWN — For someone who has never cared for the theatrics of National Signing Day, Youngstown State coach Bo Pelini sure seemed to be in a good mood Wednesday.


“Great day for the program,” said Pelini as he walked into the press conference. “Great day.”

This wasn’t the first time he felt that way.

Pelini was equally exuberant last year when the Penguins signed a large contingent of players — several of whom were from the Mahoning Valley. Pelini said with the last two classes, it wasn’t just the talent or character of the players, but the fact that YSU was able to address several areas that were in need of depth.

“I told you guys how excited I was about last year’s class, and we were able to redshirt most of those guys,” said Pelini, referring to the Penguins giving redshirts to every true freshman but corner Dee Ford. “We’ll see how this group plays out, but we’re talking about two classes in a row that I think are going to lay a foundation for this program going forward. I have not had that luxury.”

Pelini didn’t shy away from the reason why.

Going into his sixth year leading YSU, Pelini admitted he focused mostly on junior college and FBS transfers when he first took over because he wanted to win right away.

That paid off with a trip to the FCS Championship in his second year, but it also may have set the program back the last few seasons, with YSU finishing 6-5 in 2017, 4-7 in 2018 and 6-6 this past year.

“I felt like we were short-term fixing things for the first few years, trying to patchwork things together,” Pelini said. “Now we’re working under the premise that we’re building this program for the future — not only for the present but also the future — which is a good feeling when you sit in my seat.

“You’ve got to make those decisions,” he added. “When I first came in, I wanted to win right now. You want to win and you want to have a chance to compete.”

The first part of this year’s class (Wednesday was the “early signing period” with another set for February) is much different than last year’s.

There was only one area athlete on Wednesday’s list — Girard offensive lineman Haeden Gump — after YSU signed seven last year. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Gump will join fellow Indians Mark Waid, a soon-to-be redshirt freshman quarterback, and Michael Belcik, a sophomore wide receiver in the fall.

As Pelini praised Gump, he indicated that he anticipates more local players joining in February.

“He’s a big, physical kid,” Pelini said. “Tough, all about football. He represents this area really well, as far as what he brings to the table, and we’ll add some other local kids that we’re also talking to that’ll probably join our team as preferred walk-ons, that type of thing.”

Gump was one of seven offensive linemen on the signing-day list as YSU attempts to fill an area that has been decimated by graduation the last two years. Two of the linemen (Stephon Jones and James Morrow) were junior college transfers as the Penguins may be looking for them to take over right away after four starters graduated.

There were also four defensive linemen, four defensive backs, three linebackers, two tailbacks, one wide receiver, one fullback and a long-snapper on the 23-man list. Pelini said he has a better feel for how to build the roster now that he has spent five years at FCS level.

“We only got 63 scholarships to work with to sign 85 guys, so it’s like having a salary cap,” said Pelini, who gave much of the credit for this class to his brother, Carl, who has worked as the recruiting coordinator. “There’s a lot that plays into it, and lets face it, I wasn’t at this level (before). I was working at the full-scholarship level, so it takes a little bit of time for me to figure out that it’s a balancing act, and this is the best way to balance it.”

Pelini also touched on a few other topics.

Maybe the most important one was the return of defensive end Justus Reed. A senior in the fall, Reed will be in his seventh season of college football after several injuries resulted in two extra years of eligibility granted by the NCAA. Pelini said Reed, who led YSU and was tied for first in the conference with 12.5 sacks this year, considered leaving for the NFL Draft but instead chose to return.

Pelini also said some players will not be returning next year, but he did not specify which ones. He added that he has not yet evaluated the coaching staff to determine who may not be back in 2020 because his time was devoted to recruiting.

“I told you there were going to be some changes,” he said. “… We’re building for the present and the future, and there are just some kids that it was just time to move on from.”




Offline go guins

  • Emperor Penguin
  • *****
  • Posts: 2455
    • View Profile
Re: Signing Day 2020
« Reply #29 on: December 19, 2019, 09:52:17 AM »
MAXPREPS has Demeatric Crenshaw as the 25th best QB in the country and #1 in Ohio.  At lease 5 mid-major FBS offers.  This may be the best rated recruit we've ever had, at any position.  Listed starting the year at 6/2 205 finished the year 6/2 215 looks probably 6/0 225 which would be fine for me.  Definitely run first, but seems to have effortless accurate release on throws.  Some of Bo's "time to move on" players may be QB's.  Frankly with Reed coming back, all looks hopeful.
Watching Penquins Football & Basketball since 1967!