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Late addition to the 2016 class. A big middle linebacker, Joel Dublanko. Curious to what was going on here, pretty highly rated.

http://247sports.com/Player/Joel-Dublanko-31133


http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2898414/high.../293086392

(04-15-2016 08:23 PM)socTHEgreat Wrote:  Late addition to the 2016 class. A big middle linebacker, Joel Dublanko. Curious to what was going on here, pretty highly rated.

http://247sports.com/Player/Joel-Dublanko-31133

Seems like a very odd recruitment...some big offers and officials at Michigan and Tennessee, but literally no buzz on the kid until today outside of that, and every recruiting service has him listed in a different position. IMG Academy is a good place to keep building a connection from though.

He played in an all star game and was not injured. This had to be a late grade and qualification issue that the other offers did not have a spot left. If so, good for us as long as he makes it to Camp Higher Ground.

Couple of articles on Dublanko. Looks like a good get.

http://thedailyworld.com/sports/local/jo...y-football

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/hig...48045.html

(04-18-2016 10:49 AM)MickMack Wrote:  Couple of articles on Dublanko. Looks like a good get.

http://thedailyworld.com/sports/local/jo...y-football

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/hig...48045.html

Great reads. Thanks for sharing. Didn't know the kid was from Aberdeen, Washington. May he have enough success to one day be known as the second most famous native son of Aberdeen.

No one has mentioned the new prep school recruit. Marcus brown a 315 lb interor dl. Supposedly beat out some heavy hitters.

(06-13-2016 10:34 AM)rosewater Wrote:  No one has mentioned the new prep school recruit. Marcus brown a 315 lb interor dl. Supposedly beat out some heavy hitters.

Looks like a good signing. Let's hope he keeps his grades in line. He's ready to roll this season.

http://cincinnati.247sports.com/Article/...i-45770789

(06-13-2016 10:53 AM)bearcatdp Wrote:  

(06-13-2016 10:34 AM)rosewater Wrote:  No one has mentioned the new prep school recruit. Marcus brown a 315 lb interor dl. Supposedly beat out some heavy hitters.

Looks like a good signing. Let's hope he keeps his grades in line. He's ready to roll this season.

http://cincinnati.247sports.com/Article/...i-45770789

Gain a year as a backup to Grand Daddy and he should be ready to roll.

Brown has the size, speed and strength to be a man-child at UC. I can't recall the last time UC had a DL with these measurable (he's about 20-30 lbs bigger than Derek Wolfe was during his time here).

Some services have him listed as high as 340lbs...that's almost too big, one can only hope he is able to maintain his flexibility, because at the very least he'll be able to clog lanes in the running game, which is something we have sorely missed.

Am I missing something or was Brown a 2-star coming out of HS? It's kind of hard to find any info on him. The only profile I could find of him (assuming its him) was a Rivals one where he was a 2-star. His 247 profile is blank and never having been rated by them.

(06-13-2016 12:33 PM)Marcus Wrote:  Am I missing something or was Brown a 2-star coming out of HS? It's kind of hard to find any info on him. The only profile I could find of him (assuming its him) was a Rivals one where he was a 2-star. His 247 profile is blank and never having been rated by them.

247 had him as an 82 3 star with an offer from ecu out of hs. He was projected at guard.

(06-13-2016 12:50 PM)rosewater Wrote:  

(06-13-2016 12:33 PM)Marcus Wrote:  Am I missing something or was Brown a 2-star coming out of HS? It's kind of hard to find any info on him. The only profile I could find of him (assuming its him) was a Rivals one where he was a 2-star. His 247 profile is blank and never having been rated by them.

247 had him as an 82 3 star with an offer from ecu out of hs. He was projected at guard.

Thanks. For some reason I've had trouble finding his profile.

(06-14-2016 05:55 AM)Marcus Wrote:  

(06-13-2016 12:50 PM)rosewater Wrote:  

(06-13-2016 12:33 PM)Marcus Wrote:  Am I missing something or was Brown a 2-star coming out of HS? It's kind of hard to find any info on him. The only profile I could find of him (assuming its him) was a Rivals one where he was a 2-star. His 247 profile is blank and never having been rated by them.

247 had him as an 82 3 star with an offer from ecu out of hs. He was projected at guard.

Thanks. For some reason I've had trouble finding his profile.

Actually, 247 originally graded him a 90, before apparently regrading him perhaps tied to his eligibility. Here's a new article on him. Sounds like a great get, especially this late in the process:

Quote:College football: Lely’s Marcus Brown signs with Cincinnati, Tra’Vaughn Young to Lake Erie
By Adam Fisher of the Naples Daily News
Updated: Yesterday 7:00 p.m.

Marcus Brown finally has a home in college football a year after graduating from Lely High School.

Brown, the former all-state offensive tackle, will play defense at the University of Cincinnati. He's on campus now taking a freshman introduction class and working out with the Bearcats.

"Everything felt right," Brown said about visiting the school last week. "The coaches were cool with me. The players were cool with me. I really wanted to get into school and get started working on my degree right away."

...After a promising prep career, when Brown was nominated for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he was academically eligible to play in college after graduating from Lely in 2015. He spent a semester playing football and studying at East Coast Prep, a postgraduate program in Massachusetts.

Brown returned home to Naples after the fall semester, but continued to take classes online and study to retake his ACT exam. In April, he passed his final class and became eligible for NCAA Division I teams.

"It's a blessing," Brown said. "It's really exciting to have the recruiting process done with. All my focus is on football and my degree. I'm going to put everything I have into this."

At 6-foot-4, 325 pounds, Brown will be a defensive lineman. He played on both sides of the ball at Lely and prep school, but has always preferred defense.

After playing at East Coast Prep, Brown had scholarship offers from Arkansas, Mississippi and Southern California. He planned to visit Arkansas after going to Cincinnati, but he liked the Bearcats so much he committed on his official visit.

Because of NCAA rules, Brown couldn't stay in Cincinnati. He had to return home and get his own ride back to campus to join the team.

...Both recently signed Trojans have familiar teammates at their new school. Brown heads to Cincinnati, where Immokalee graduate Tshumbi Johnson will be a junior receiver in the fall. At Lake Erie, Lely grad Adam Johnson will be a sophomore defensive lineman.

Brown and Young got inside information on their new programs from the players who are already there. Brown never played against Johnson, who was a senior in 2012 when Brown was academically ineligible his sophomore year. However, Brown said the former Immokalee star helped him feel comfortable with the Bearcats.

"He told me all about (the coaches and players) so when I got there for my visit I had an idea of what Cincinnati really is," Brown said.

And here's a longer piece from earlier this month detailing how he's overcoming his academic struggles. It's a pretty good read so I'll whet your appetite with this excerpt:

Quote:...RETURN OF THE 'MAN-CHILD'

When he wasn't face down in a textbook at East CoastCin Prep, Brown was starring for the school's football team. Once again, Brown played on both sides of the ball, helping East Coast to a 5-3 season.

"He was a man-child," said Davis, the team's defensive coordinator. "He did an awesome job taking his classes and being dominant for us on the field. I just knew with a little more time on his academics he was going to be a big-time Division I ballplayer."

The past year Brown grew an inch and slimmed down. He's now 6-4, 325, and expects to play defense at Arkansas (edit: not so fast my friend...).

"Defense is the reason I started playing football," Brown said. "I played offense (at Lely and East Coast Prep) because my teams needed me to. My passion is defense."

Davis said Brown has the potential to be an NFL player. The defensive coordinator knows professional talent — as the former head coach at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, Davis worked with Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd and Jarran Reed. All three defensive linemen were selected in the first three rounds of the NFL draft this year.

"(Brown) reminds me of Warren Sapp," Davis said. "He's got that body structure. He has a ton of upside. Any program Marcus winds up at, I guarantee they'll be impressed by him."

Finally out of the shadows of embarrassment and disappointment, Brown thinks being academically ineligible might end up being a good thing.

He got an extra year to prepare for college athletics and academics. He worked on his body and his mind. He discovered not to take anything for granted.

"I learned about sacrifice," Brown said. "The experience humbled me a lot. I didn't take school seriously before. Now I do.

"My mom is proud of me. I'm proud of myself. Not many kids can say they're going to college for free or to play football. It just shows you not to give up on your dreams. Stay hungry, stay humble, and your time will come."

WR Rashad Medaris (Indianapolis Pike) transfers in from Western Illinois.

He is Anthony McClung's younger brother

With realignment are recruits in a current holding pattern. Traditionally we have quite a few battles with ucf usf memphis etc. We all are not getting in. I also wonder if the staff is in a holding pattern with accepting verbals. With an invite there may be some bigger fish so to speak.

(07-28-2016 06:57 AM)rosewater Wrote:  With realignment are recruits in a current holding pattern. Traditionally we have quite a few battles with ucf usf memphis etc. We all are not getting in. I also wonder if the staff is in a holding pattern with accepting verbals. With an invite there may be some bigger fish so to speak.

I don't think k they can afford to do that regardless of what conference they're in. They should be operating as if we're going to be in the AAC, not changing their plans due to a potential affiliation change.

(07-28-2016 08:42 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(07-28-2016 06:57 AM)rosewater Wrote:  With realignment are recruits in a current holding pattern. Traditionally we have quite a few battles with ucf usf memphis etc. We all are not getting in. I also wonder if the staff is in a holding pattern with accepting verbals. With an invite there may be some bigger fish so to speak.

I don't think k they can afford to do that regardless of what conference they're in. They should be operating as if we're going to be in the AAC, not changing their plans due to a potential affiliation change.

Yea and it seems like he holds a few slots in the event that someone shakes loose.

New walk on, maybe a transfer from Oral Roberts.

EDIT, belongs on bball thread