Any recruiting news?

[orangeandbrown]

Zips get commitment from Texas quarterback
By Gary Estwick
Beacon Journal Sportswriter


Quarterback Sean Hakes of Fort Worth Nolan Catholic (Texas) has orally committed to the University of Akron. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior choose the Zips over Mississippi, Colorado State and Bowling Green.
Hakes led his team to back-to-back Texas private school state championships. This season, he passed for 1,069 yards and 14 touchdowns and ran for 378 yards and 11 touchdowns in a run-oriented offense. He runs a 4.6 40.
``Hopefully at Akron, I'll be able to show off my arm as much as my legs,'' he said.
Hakes is considering enrolling at Akron in January.
``That's our goal, to get up there in January,'' he said. ``If not, I'll be up there in May.''
Hakes wanted to move to the Midwest to be closer to his family. He was born in Columbus but moved to Fort Worth at age 4. His older brother, Scott, is a student at Ohio University.
Bowling Green was considered a favorite until Hakes visited Akron after the Mid-American Conference Championship game.
``I was really blown away,'' he said.

"I was really blown away" says quite a bit. Akron's facilities are top notch these days. It's a good thing the Sebo Center is getting started...

Also, per Mike Rasor on the Akron Zips blog linked to the Beacon Journal...

If you expected a few national TV games would get Akron a bunch of top-50 overall recruits, you were wrong. It will take about five years of prominence to get the most coveted players. Rest assured, Akron is certainly improving its recruiting classes each year.

However, and this is a big however, I've heard rumblings that Chris Wells came in for a visit. Yes, the same Chris Wells who is the eighth best recruit in the country -- for any position. He is a running back from Garfield. His less-than-stellar senior season may have put in question his ability to start for four years at Ohio State, where he has verbally committed.



The Zips are also talking with several other recruits who are top 100 in the country for their positions. Desmond Brentley is among them. He is a quarterback from Pennsylvania who has been compared to former Bowling Green and Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh Harris. Scouting reports say he's a little inexperienced, but has potential to be a sleeper among a much-heralded high school QB class.

Dang! I believe Brookhart will build a winner at Akron.

[1987alum]

Dang! I believe Brookhart will build a winner at Akron.

I believe he already has.

[orangeandbrown]

Fine point 87. I meant a real winner, like a conference power, consistent threat, road to the East runs through Akron. That kind of thing.

[1987alum]

Fine point 87. I meant a real winner, like a conference power, consistent threat, road to the East runs through Akron. That kind of thing.

Gotcha! 8)

[Flipper]

To add to what hammb has said, other MAC schools BG and UT included are in on and actually sign kids in the top 100 at their positions frequently.
There are so many top 100 lists out there, you usually find a few variations, prticularly at the bottom of the spectrum.

I do think Brookhart is moving things in a very positive direction though.
One thing that he has done that I think is a great idea is putting his assistants through sales training. I've been in sales and marketing for awhile. You would be amazed at how big a difference learning how to effectively structure a sales call makes. I know I was...

[Falconboy]

Zips get commitment from Texas quarterback
By Gary Estwick
Beacon Journal Sportswriter


Quarterback Sean Hakes of Fort Worth Nolan Catholic (Texas) has orally committed to the University of Akron. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior choose the Zips over Mississippi, Colorado State and Bowling Green.
Hakes led his team to back-to-back Texas private school state championships. This season, he passed for 1,069 yards and 14 touchdowns and ran for 378 yards and 11 touchdowns in a run-oriented offense. He runs a 4.6 40.
``Hopefully at Akron, I'll be able to show off my arm as much as my legs,'' he said.
Hakes is considering enrolling at Akron in January.
``That's our goal, to get up there in January,'' he said. ``If not, I'll be up there in May.''
Hakes wanted to move to the Midwest to be closer to his family. He was born in Columbus but moved to Fort Worth at age 4. His older brother, Scott, is a student at Ohio University.
Bowling Green was considered a favorite until Hakes visited Akron after the Mid-American Conference Championship game.
``I was really blown away,'' he said.

"I was really blown away" says quite a bit. Akron's facilities are top notch these days. It's a good thing the Sebo Center is getting started...

Also, per Mike Rasor on the Akron Zips blog linked to the Beacon Journal...

If you expected a few national TV games would get Akron a bunch of top-50 overall recruits, you were wrong. It will take about five years of prominence to get the most coveted players. Rest assured, Akron is certainly improving its recruiting classes each year.

However, and this is a big however, I've heard rumblings that Chris Wells came in for a visit. Yes, the same Chris Wells who is the eighth best recruit in the country -- for any position. He is a running back from Garfield. His less-than-stellar senior season may have put in question his ability to start for four years at Ohio State, where he has verbally committed.



The Zips are also talking with several other recruits who are top 100 in the country for their positions. Desmond Brentley is among them. He is a quarterback from Pennsylvania who has been compared to former Bowling Green and Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh Harris. Scouting reports say he's a little inexperienced, but has potential to be a sleeper among a much-heralded high school QB class.

Wow, a recruit is blow away by Akron's facilities? So what has Akron done latley that their facilites are so great. Man I can' believe we are so behind teams like Akron who haven't been good up just recently. All I'll say is we better get out act together quick as far as facilites go or we'll be left in the dust by these schools that we use to dominate routinely.

The sad thing is that any updates and major upgrades to facilities and such are mainly far into the future from being reality. Akron and other schools have had thier faciltiies upgrades done by now or a few years ago and are now reaping the benifits. Its going to be easily 3 or 4 years from now before we are going to see major differences in our overall facilities beyond the Sebo Center. Man, Akron killing us in the facility department.

[TG1996]

So what has Akron done latley that their facilites are so great.

....(stuff, stuff, stuff)....

Man, Akron killing us in the facility department.

Color me confused.

Maybe by "facilities", he meant that he likes having a crack den so close to the locker rooms. If that's the case, we don't need him here anyway!

[Falconboy]

So what has Akron done latley that their facilites are so great.

....(stuff, stuff, stuff)....

Man, Akron killing us in the facility department.

Color me confused.

Maybe by "facilities", he meant that he likes having a crack den so close to the locker rooms. If that's the case, we don't need him here anyway!

I'm just saying that its kind bizzare that Akron would be having better overall facilities than us when Akron has done squat until this year. It just seems as far as the Mac schools facility upgrading goes we are extremley late to the party in my opinion.

[1987alum]

So what has Akron done latley that their facilites are so great.

....(stuff, stuff, stuff)....

Man, Akron killing us in the facility department.

Color me confused.

Maybe by "facilities", he meant that he likes having a crack den so close to the locker rooms. If that's the case, we don't need him here anyway!

I'm just saying that its kind bizzare that Akron would be having better overall facilities than us when Akron has done squat until this year. It just seems as far as the Mac schools facility upgrading goes we are extremley late to the party in my opinion.

Have we heard this from numerous recruits or only one? Let's not jump to conclusions about our facilities based on one recruit's comments. Are we at the top of the MAC in regard to facilities? No. Are we at the bottom? Methinks not. Do we need to improve them? Yes. Are we in the process of doing just that? Clearly. Am I don't answering my own questions? Who knows?

[Flipper]

Akron has some nice facilities

http://gozips.collegesports.com/facilit ... e-art.html

Building the Sebo Center (like we're really gonna do that) will keep us competitive with other programs in the MAC. A number of other schools have "football" buildings like the Sebo Center, but very few have bothe footbal buildings and indoor facilities. Akron does, WMU does, Kent does...I think. Not sure about the rest....I know UT doesn't have an indoor facility and that NIU is going to build a Sebo center of their own.

[hammb]

that NIU is going to build a Sebo center of their own.

Now that just pisses me off! I thought Sebo was actually a committed alum, but if he's giving money to the other MAC programs too, I say we tell him to just shove it! We don't need his sympathy cash!

[/joke]

[Falconfreak90]

Akron has some nice facilities

http://gozips.collegesports.com/facilit ... e-art.html

Building the Sebo Center (like we're really gonna do that) will keep us competitive with other programs in the MAC. A number of other schools have "football" buildings like the Sebo Center, but very few have bothe footbal buildings and indoor facilities. Akron does, WMU does, Kent does...I think. Not sure about the rest....I know UT doesn't have an indoor facility and that NIU is going to build a Sebo center of their own.

Akron has a state of the art indoor facility now and outdoor practice areas with all the bells and whistles. They put about 300 Mil into the U of A campus in the last couple years. I've seen these up close and in person...they are impressive. Saw Big Jon Mazur at the BG/Kent game and even he said UA's new facilities would rival any BCS team....

hammb,
I only posted that about Wells cuz I was very skeptical about it. Wells is THEE man in the Akron area and will be going to OSU. Just thought I would post that cuz it seemed so far fetched.

[TG1996]

I'm just saying that its kind bizzare that Akron would be having better overall facilities than us when Akron has done squat until this year. It just seems as far as the Mac schools facility upgrading goes we are extremley late to the party in my opinion.

I hear ya, and I was wondering about Akron's facilities, too. I was just laughing at the contrast between "what has akron done?" and "man, akron's killing us with their facilities!"

and that's funny stuff, hammb... I bet if we all pitch in a little bit of money from this site, we could all kick Sebo's ass!!!

[hammb]

hammb,
I only posted that about Wells cuz I was very skeptical about it. Wells is THEE man in the Akron area and will be going to OSU. Just thought I would post that cuz it seemed so far fetched.

Yeah, that's the most optimistic pro-Akron recruiting article I've ever read, I think It made me laugh though when it said something about Akron fans expecting to pull in top 100 guys. I love the MAC, but I would be shocked if the conference ever had, or ever will, get a top 100 recruit. That's setting your bar way out of your league, IMO.

[JohnnySwoop '85]

Back in the mid 90's when I was getting one of them fancy Advanced degree's Akron's campus was a pit...but some improvements have been made that I have noticed while taking my daughter to her practices and swim meets.
Practice field is one of those soft-cushion fake turf one's that is all the rage now, and their Union even features a Starbucks, their rec center is new but all in all it's still on a par with ours. I mean come on, a racquet ball court is a court.

But what do you want to bet that they keep their tours for recruits confined to the campus and don't drive out to the Stadium..."and over here we have the Home locker room built in 1948"....or more so have them attend visits in season to show them that yes they too can play in front of 2500 people every other Saturday.