- Ohio
STATE CHAMPS! SCOUT TEAM: Ohio football recruiting notebook — GVSU hitting Ohio hard in recruiting, picking up Wills and Jostworth in holiday spree
Division II national champions in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 — the first two under now-Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly — the Grand Valley State University Lakers have had a wider recruiting footprint than many of their rivals in the GLIAC, venturing out into neighboring states for a ton of talent.
This year’s class is no different, currently made up of 11 recruits from Michigan, four from Illinois, two from Indiana and three from Ohio, the most the Lakers have pulled out of the Buckeye State since 2017.
At the start of December, the Lakers had just 11 players in their 2020 class — and a couple of notable defections to D-I bids — but all GVSU has done since then is nearly double the size of the class in December, with seven of those nine commits rolling in over the week-long span between Dec. 20-28.
Pickerington Central cornerback Quinn Wills (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) started the run on Dec. 20, followed by Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy tight end Garrett Jostworth (6-4, 223).
Cleveland Benedictine defensive tackle Thomas Jolly has been part of the class since August.
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Princeton twosome set destinations for next year
A pair of players from this year’s 6-2 Princeton Vikings squad have announced their destinations for next year.
Offensive tackle Amari Mathis (6-0, 275) committed to Division III Mount St. Joseph on Dec. 28, while running back Thomas Boyd (6-1, 225) announced on Christmas Eve he’d be heading to AHOP Christian Leadership Academy in North Carolina and reclassifying to 2022.
Teammate Mehki Lynn, a 2022 quarterback, received an offer from Miami University on Christmas Eve, as well.
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Sack artist Albert picks Charleston
Shelby defensive end Marek Albert (6-3, 225) committed to Division II University of Charleston on Christmas Day, after an injury-plagued senior season.
Albert was offered by Charleston just after Thanksgiving, and visited on Dec. 9.
Albert recorded 56 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 15 sacks as a junior, but hurt his collarbone in a Week 1 win, and didn’t return for the Whippets (10-1) until their playoff opener, helping open up the pass rush for a team that rolled all the way to the regional finals in Division IV.
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Bowling headed to Youngstown State
Youngstown State wide receiver coach Josh Sinagoga got a pre-Christmas present when Hamilton’s first-team Greater Miami Conference wideout, Daryan Bowling (6-4, 175), committed to the Penguins on Dec. 23.
Bowling had other offers from Army, Navy, Fordham, Grand Valley State, Tiffin and Marianm as well as interest from Toledo, Columbia, Yale, Akron, Miami (OH) and Cincinnati.
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Campbell Memorial’s Shaffer picks Grove City
Campbell Memorial standout James Shaffer committed to Division III Grove City College on Christmas Eve. The 5-foot-10, 193-pound running back and strong safety was a two-time first-team all-Northeast Ohio and all-conference defensive back, earning special mention all-Ohio honors in Division VI the last two years. Shaffer played in seven games for the Red Devils, racking up 92 tackles and three interceptions. Sporting a 4.0 GPA, he’s currently in line to be his class valedictorian, as well.
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Northview’s Motter picks Trine
Sylvania Northview quarterback Brandon Motter (6-foot-2, 173 pounds) committed to Division III Trine University on Christmas Eve, picking the Thunder over a number of other D-III opportunities.
