Charles Williams of Bullard (Fresno) received his first two scholarship offers from Washington State and Idaho on Tuesday, May 12 (photo credit CentralValleyFootball.com)
Charles Williams of Bullard High in Fresno landed not one, but two football scholarship offers from Washington State and Idaho on Tuesday, May 12, ending the running back's anxiety of waiting for his first pledge.
Both offers came to Williams on Tuesday afternoon; with the Cougars of the PAC-12 Conference emerging as the first scholarship opportunity around 1 p.m. Two hours later, the Knights' leading rusher received his pledge from the Vandals out of the Sun Belt Conference.
"A lot of stress came off of me and my family," Williams said. "I just want to make my parents proud and happy after I graduate."
Williams said he credits his BHS coaches, the DB Guru coaches/players and his teammates on the Knights' football and track team for helping him during his recruiting process.
Last season, Williams dashed to 1,438 rushing yards on 217 carries and scored 20 touchdowns in 10 games for the Knights.
Williams said that he's not planning to commit to either school right away.
"I want to wait it out and see how it (the recruiting period) goes," Williams said. "It's because I still got some heads to turn and open a longer, better path for my career."
Blake Walker has spent the months of April and May talking to NCAA Division I football coaches from the Mountain West Conference and Big Sky (photo contributed).
As the weight goes down for Blake Walker, the recruiting period has picked up for the mountainous 6-foot-7, 302 pound Central Valley Christian (Visalia) lineman.
Walker - who was once listed at 320 pounds during the 2014-15 season - has had college football visitors swinging by the West Visalia campus during the NCAA Spring Evaluation Period. Coaches from nine different colleges have noticed a slimmer Walker.
"I'm down to 302, but I've gained a lot of muscle and I feel faster," Walker said. "I've been doing daily workout programs at school to build strength. Three mornings a week, I work out with Core Active (a training facility in Visalia) for agility and quickness."
Walker said NCAA Division I coaches from Fresno State, UC Davis, Sacramento State, San Diego State, Nevada, Weber State, Cal Poly, Utah State and Wyoming have chatted with him. He said "all the coaches are really friendly and positive, plus they liked my size." He adds that Fresno State "stands out so far."
Central Valley Christian is known in the 559 for its big boys up front. Ten linemen, including Walker, measured between 225 to 320 pounds last season as the Cavaliers finished the year as the Central Section Division IV runner-up (lost to Liberty of Madera 24-6 in the D-IV championship contest).
Walker is the most towering presence along the Cavs' front line. Central Valley Christian ran a majority of its running plays up the right guard's side. Walker's highlight film shows the Class of 2016 prospect shoving defensive linemen out the way so his running backs can move the chains.
While he's known for plowing the road for CVC's running attack, Walker has aimed to become quicker and more athletic for his upcoming senior season. Along with his agility and weight room workouts, he's watching highlight films of his favorite NFL offensive tackle to help fine tune his game.
"Joe Staley of the San Francisco 49ers has been my favorite to watch for the past few years," Walker said. "He looks like he plays full speed all game and he's a great down field blocker."
Walker isn't just receiving visits from different college coaches along with the rest of the returning CVC senior class, he's taken trips to UC Davis and Sacramento State during the schools' junior days. He'll be one of 13 returning seniors from last year's 11-2 Cavaliers team.
Brian Casteel has been on a hot streak with impressing people at Charter Oak High (Covina) and during 7on7 tournaments with his club team Rhare Breed Blue. Casteel is now on some major college football teams' radar (photo by Lorenzo J. Reyna).
Can Brian Casteel become a steal for someone?
There's lots to like about the Class of 2017 wide receiver from Charter Oak High School in Covina. From size, to speed all the way to fearlessness, Casteel has the makings of a heavily recruited wideout. So far, USC, Fresno State, Washington and San Diego State are among the schools talking to Casteel and wanting to know more about him.
Here's a closer look:
WHAT TO LIKE: He's a burner. He'll side-step or zoom past a cornerback and have his defender playing catch up. It takes him only three seconds to gain separation between him and his opponent. Catches the football with his hands extended out or with his palms nestled near his torso. Not only does he have quick feet, but has a head fake that can fool defenders with which way he's going. He's done his most damage as a deep threat but shows the fortitude to go inside on bubble screen passes and dart through the defense. Shows excellent balance after the catch and keeps his feet going after contact is made. He doesn't take his eye off of the football especially in double coverage or in jump ball situations in the red zone. Athletic enough to out-jump a cornerback in the end zone for possession of the ball.
WHAT TO BUILD ON: I noticed he's defeated most of his defenders when they play off of him. I'll need to see more of his ability to fight off press coverage and find out how physical he can be at the line of scrimmage. Also need to see more of his blocking ability.
OVERALL: I got a feeling that Casteel will be on a lot of major college football teams' short list when it comes time to fill the 2017 recruiting class. He looks like a young Jeremy Maclin (Kansas City Chiefs) right now.
Devron Davis of Merced College will soon make Papa John's Cardinal Stadium his home, as the cornerback announced his commitment to Louisville on Tuesday, May 5 (photo contributed).
Devron Davis of Merced College - who emerged as a highly recruited junior college cornerback in late April of this year - decided to end his recruiting process on Tuesday, May 5, by committing to Louisville.
Davis, who's a returning sophomore at MC, landed five scholarship offers from April 20 to April 25. But Davis said the opportunity to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference energized him.
"I'm extremely excited and I can't wait to beat Florida State," Davis said.
The 6-foot, 200-pound cornerback added that the UL coaching staff made an impression on him.
"They treated me like a regular person and gave me their full attention," Davis said. "All around, it was just perfect (for me)."
Davis' other offers were from Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Georgia Southern and Arkansas State.
Jerald Campbell said he can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that he'll no longer worry about landing his first scholarship offer after Weber State came through for him on Tuesday, May 5.
The versatile wide receiver, cornerback and return man was waiting on his first offer since the end of the 2014-15 season for Lemoore High. He had mainly drawn interest from the Ivy Leagues and service academies before the Wildcats emerged as his first pledge.
"It's a huge relief knowing I've been offered," Campbell said. "Now, I don't have to stress about it and I can finally just play football."
Campbell described his conversation with the Wildcat coaches "interesting."
Said Campbell: "They were talking to me about what I can improve on and how they'll be willing to get me to play on Sundays."
Campbell - who combined for 176 all-purpose yards and intercepted two passes last year - added that the Wildcat coaches are recruiting him for either cornerback or an athlete position.
Campbell said he doesn't plan to commit right away to the Football Championship Subdivision program. He wants to let the process play out. He adds that a number of people have helped him during this recruiting process.
"I want to thank God for answering my prayers and my mother and father for making me who I am today," Campbell said. "I would also like to thank every coach who has coached me to get better. Lastly, I thank all of my supporters because they're the reason I motivate myself to become the best student-athlete I can be."
FELLOW LEMOORE TIGER LANDS WEBER STATE OFFER
Jerald Campbell wasn't the only Lemoore High football player walking around the campus with a Weber State offer. Fellow teammate Allen Perryman received his first pledge from the Wildcats on Tuesday, May 5, as well.
Perryman stated on his Instagram page: "Beyond blessed to announce that I received my first scholarship offer to play football at Weber State University. Shout out to my bro Jerald on the scholarship too!"
Perryman, who lines up at wide receiver and safety, led the Central Section with 9 interceptions for the 11-1 Tigers during the 2014-15 season. Offensively, the Class of 2016 prospect caught 55 passes for 1,070 yards and scored nine times.
Chris Taylor-Yamanoha, who's played varsity football at Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) since his freshman year, announced his decision to commit to Louisville on Monday, May 4 (photo credit 24/7 sports).
Chris Taylor-Yamanoha, who stacked 16 scholarship offers during his recruiting period, decided to end his college search on Monday, May 4, by choosing Louisville.
The athletic 6-foot-2 wide receiver, safety and return man from Rancho Cotate of Rohnert Park, Calif., was offered by the likes of Boston College, Boise State, Fresno State, Arizona and Utah before deciding that the Cardinals out of the Atlantic Coast Conference was the right fit for him.
Here's a closer look at who the Cardinals are getting out of Taylor-Yamanoha:
WHAT TO LIKE: He catches just about everything with his hands. He does a consistent job of extending out his palms, waits for the football to touch his hands, then hauls in the reception. Athletic enough to pull down the one-handed grab or re-adjust himself for the air ball. He has a smooth explosion once the ball is snapped and gets behind the cornerback in a span of three seconds. Shows fearlessness and focus against both man and zone coverage. Has some slippery moves in the open field like a slot wide receiver. Not only does he show fluid feet, but he has a second gear with his speed and can turn short throws into long gains.
WHAT TO BUILD ON: Since he's a tall target, I'll need to see if he can catch the passes low to the ground. Also need to see his consistency with fighting off press man situations. At currently 174 pounds, he'll still need to add muscle down the road.
OVERALL: Taylor-Yamanoha is a big time pick up for Louisville. He's a big wideout with the acceleration and elusiveness of a slot receiver. He's clearly one of the hardest receivers to cover in Northern California.
Wesley Preece has started to see his recruiting period pick up, as the Rocklin High tight end has been offered by one Big Sky school and has received interest from two Mountain West programs (photo by Lorenzo J. Reyna).
(Editor's note: Wesley Preece received his second scholarship offer from UC Davis on the night of Monday, May 4, which was after the publication of this blog post.)
College football programs are beginning to discover big 6-foot-6, 225-pound target Wesley Preece on the recruiting trail, as some mid major programs have taken the visit to Rocklin High School in the Sacramento region to chase down the tall, powerful tight end.
One school located 32 minutes south of RHS recently became the first scholarship pledge for Preece: Sacramento State of the Football Championship Subdivision. The Hornets made their offer to the Class of 2016 prospect during the week of April 20.
“They just called me up. It’s really exciting. I talked to my parents about it. It’s a great opportunity,” Preece said.
He adds that he came away impressed by the Hornet coaching staff.
“They’re really nice guys. I went over there to visit them awhile ago. I really like what they bring to the table and how they run their program,” Preece said.
Sacramento State isn’t the only school making an early run at Preece. He said Nevada and Utah State of the Mountain West Conference are both asking more about him.
On the football field, Preece is utilized in a multitude of ways for the Thunder. On some plays, he lines up in a three point stance, blows right past a defensive end, runs his passing route toward the middle of the field then uses his frame and muscle to pulverize defenders after the reception.
But in other schemes, Preece lines up over a defensive back at wide receiver and shows his swift feet. He fools a cornerback with where he’s going by stopping his feet, re-routing himself, get open by trekking up field, then stampede his way into the end zone.
He often likes to compare himself to two of the most dominating tight ends in the NFL right now: Rob Gronkowski of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and Jimmy Graham of the Seattle Seahawks.
“I like to see myself that way (as Rob Gronkowski). I love watching him and Jimmy Graham. I’m trying to be like them,” Preece said.
Last season, Preece caught 18 passes for 274 yards and scored six touchdowns in the Thunder’s pistol offense.
Even though he’s starting to gain recognition on the recruiting trail, Preece has hit his offseason training hard with the attitude of improving his craft. He travels from Rocklin to Sacramento to lift weights and condition inside Game Fit, a gym located north of the American River in Sacramento.
He’s also a key contributor to Game Fit’s 7on7 team, as he emerged as the team’s top possession target and red zone threat. Game Fit recently finished their season on April 26 as a qualifier in Passing Down’s Best of the West regional, which is a tournament that invites the top 16 teams in the West to Fullerton College as they compete for the state 7on7 title. Game Fit earned their bid to the regional after finishing in the top four of PD’s Cen Cal tournament on April 12.
“All the guys in there (at Game Fit) work hard. The intensity we bring in the gym is what we bring out here (at tournaments),” Preece said.
Preece shared some of the skills he’s looking to build on.
“I’m working on executing my routes. Run them as fast as possible so I can get open,” Preece said. “I’m also working on getting physical because you don’t want anyone bossing you around at the line.”
While Preece is starting to earn his offers and letters, he still thinks he’s a sleeper prospect in a talent heavy Sacramento region. But he adds that he’s staying patient with the process.
Said Preece: “I feel a little bit (underrated), but I feel like schools will start coming to see me a lot more soon.”
