From the Vindy.
A total of 20 high school recruits and four transfers signed with Youngstown State. Of those, 16 are from Ohio and four are from Pennsylvania.
“It was the first opportunity for us to have them on campus to get evaluated in our camps,” Phillips said. “It was a chance for us to have them unofficially on our campus, for us to get into their schools, watch them play football, get into their homes. To build that relationship, it gets me a little excited.”
In Phillips’ first cycle, in-person recruiting activities were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving coaches to utilize other means to attract talent, including Zoom, phone calls and film. The last time he was able to recruit in person, in fact, he was with Cincinnati as an assistant.
Of YSU’s newest additions, six are defensive backs, four are linebackers, four are offensive linemen, three are defensive linemen, three are tight ends, two are quarterbacks, and there’s one tailback and one wide receiver in the group.
In addition, two Valley natives will join YSU’s ranks, as Springfield’s Beau Brungard and South Range’s Dylan Dominguez signed. Phillips said Brungard will compete at quarterback, while Dominguez is listed as a DB.
Of Brungard, Phillips said, “We brought Beau into our camps a couple times this summer, and really evaluated and assessed his throwing, his movement. He does have the “it” factor; I think he’s a winner. He shows it in how he plays each and every sport, he shows it when he’s walking down the hallway.”
He added of Dominguez, who worked out at tailback at YSU camps as well, “Dylan came to two camps, worked out as a running back, worked out as a defensive back, was evaluated. You know, you do the analytics, you do the testing. We felt that he’s just a good football player that comes from a good football program and has won a lot of games, so that’s what we’re looking for. That’s the formula.”
In the trenches, there was a clear emphasis on size. Along the defensive front, Michael Boyd Jr. checks in at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds; Nehemiah Dukes is 6-foot-2, 270 pounds; and Tico Jones, a 2-star prospect according to 247 Sports, is 6-foot-3, 255 pounds.
Meanwhile, on offense, Van Keen, a product of Stow High School who Phillips said will join the team early on Jan. 10, is 6-3, 305; Shane Keenan is 6-5, 275; Easton Korody is 6-foot-4, 280 pounds; and Desmeal Leigh is 6-foot-7, 260 pounds.
“What did we look for? We know in this league we got to get bigger, we got to get stronger,” Phillips said.
Jones is one of a few prospects rated by 247 Sports. Tailback Cephus Harris III is a 3-star prospect according to the service, while receiver Jack Kenneally, who stands at 6-6, 210 pounds, is a 2-star and linebacker Nathanael Sulka, of Chardon, is a 3-star recruit. Tight end Cole Sechrest, at 6-4, 220 pounds, is a three-star according to 247.
From the portal, YSU added two players from Independence Community College, the JUCO featured on the Netflix show “Last Chance U.” Those two are defensive back Ezekiel Blake (Soph., 6-foot-3, 185 pounds) and tight end Nate Damron, a native of Elyria (Jr., 6-foot-4, 240).
The Penguins also added linebacker Keon Freeman (Jr., 6-0, 230), a Whitehall native who played at the University of Charleston (WV), and defensive back Andrew Hardin (Jr., 6-2, 200), a Woodbridge, Va., native who last played at Monroe.
Phillips also noted the team is anticipating one more signing today, and hinted there are a few spots he’d still like to fill.
“Maybe another receiver, a mid-year receiver, I’d take from Santa, and you know, maybe two more offensive linemen that we can continue to make competitive, make our guys up front (be competitive). If Santa brings me those three things, it’ll be a great new year.”
