Sonny Abramson Evaluation

Matt Alkire, National Director of Football Operations

 

It’s Friday morning in the Alkire War Room and as I open my email and look at film, Christmas has come early in the way of Sonny Abramson career highlights. Ask and ye shall receive. The 6-foot-2 gunslinger from the Garden State has been committed to the Cavaliers for months now so frankly, I haven’t talked to him much, but getting to see him run yet another new offense this year makes me want to do a career scouting report. Why you ask? Because there is something so very wrong with me that it feels very right.

 

Abramson’s football IQ, toughness and the overall quality of his throws have always not just impressed me, but absolutely wowed me. He went out and literally chose the schools he wanted to approach, didn’t play what I call the “recruiting game” and ended up right where he wanted, in Wahoo Country. After working on the media side of recruiting for five years, I admire that. Not many players brave that trail. Let’s talk football.

 

One of the things I have always been extremely impressed with concerning Abramson is his ability to use both progression reads and coverage reads, and he’s been doing them both since his freshman year. The key here however is that when he is in his progressions, he doesn’t stare down receivers and his ability to process information quickly and find a target is uncanny. Also, I love the ball fakes incorporated into his game to fool safeties and linebackers. Abramson throws receivers open quite often, a skill that I don’t see often at this level. While he is quick delivering the ball, I rarely see him go to his first read though. Typically watching a progression read signal caller, I’ll see the ball forced into coverage to a first option. The few times I see that here is on deeper breaking routes when the ball is placed where the receiver can run open and make a big play.

 

As for his coverage reads, Abramson is outstanding. I sat and talked to him once asking him “what do you do if this player does this”, half expecting a two-minute long answer. I was delivered a 40-minute long running diatribe that I needed a compass and a Sherpa to find my way out of. You see a lot of Abramson throwing to spots on film with great ball placement when receivers are coming out of breaks and this is showing that ability. Frankly, to see him doing both at such an advanced level as a sophomore in high school was pretty impressive.

 

Sonny does have a live arm. He’s not Ryan Leaf. I don’t expect him to kneel on the 20 yard line of your local stadium and throw one over them there mountains like Uncle Rico, but seeing him hit a receiver 40 yards downfield from the opposite hash on the outside shoulder scores an A+ in my book every time. I will say something here though. While a strong arm is important, throwing a catchable ball is just as important and that is where Abramson really excels at his craft. Whether from a static position in the pocket or throwing on the run, his ball has a tight spiral and his ball placement is nothing short of excellent. You see no float on his passes and also, he’s not killing worms out there. He can roll out of the pocket, draw coverage and loft a fade with great touch into the back of the end zone.

 

I spoke about ball placement. That is true accuracy. I don’t care about your completion percentage. Does the ball arrive to the receiver in a position where he can catch it and turn up field and is it also in a position where the defender cannot make a play on it? That is true accuracy. Years ago, Tom Brady had one of the most prolific seasons in the history of the NFL with Randy Moss at wide receiver (I’m not comparing Brady to Abramson). Arguably one of the best quarterbacks to every touch a pigskin, Brady was throwing beautiful balls to Moss, but when his receivers were covered, he was chucking the ball out of bounds at a high rate. I can remember reading an article from a prominent sport’s writer that Brady was “losing his accuracy” with great receivers because he was tossing the ball out of bounds. Throwing the ball out of bounds is a good thing. You don’t take sacks and you don’t cause turnovers. I watch Abramson and the ball is either going to a receiver or a water boy.

 

In this day and age, intangibles are getting thrown to the side for talent far too often. I have a reputation when it comes to quarterbacks and honestly, it’s that I don’t often like them much. I grew up playing in a Wing-T where our quarterback couldn’t throw the ball further than 15 yards with any accuracy, also played defensive end and our 325-pound offensive linemen were afraid to look at him funny. Call me old school.

 

I work with very few quarterbacks because of this. I watch Sonny Abramson stand in the pocket, get speared helmet to helmet, not shy away and hit a receiver on a post route for a touchdown and I want to put pads on and play for him. Admittedly, that would be a pathetic endeavor. I’ve watched the young man since he was in 7^th grade and he is a throwback. He takes hits, gives hits, fights for extra yards and is a leader. I’ve never heard of him complaining. He’s quick to praise his teammates and even quicker to avoid spotlight. I’m not sure you could walk into Sparta, N.J. and say something bad about him and come out unscathed. That’s the type of guy a team will follow into war, a player that leads by example. A prominent quarterback coach sent me a hilarious picture two years ago detailing what was wrong with Sonny Abramson after watching him throw among the nation’s elite. The negative points were, “pads too big, no gaudy jewelry, not enough Nike Combat gear and must buy neon colored shoes”. Those are all negatives on the Abramson scouting report.

 

The last thing I want to talk about is Abramson’s mobility, which I’ll break down in two phases. First is pocket mobility and second is overall mobility.

 

Sonny does have outstanding mobility. He moves around in the pocket with the best of them. Now, when you read about mobile quarterbacks, you’re going to think of the Michael Vicks of the world. He’s awful in the pocket. I’m talking about guys like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck. Quarterbacks that feel the rush … scratch that … anticipate where it could come from, step into the pocket and fire at their targets. They escape sacks, buy receivers and extra second to break their stems and get that ball downfield. Abramson has excellent mobility, feel and pocket presence. I haven’t seen better in high school football.

 

Next is his scrambling/running ability. This is obviously a completely different monster. Abramson isn’t a quarterback you’re going to put in a run first offense. He is however an athletic kid that will give you the option to run many different offensive schemes with. The read option is en vogue in college football right now. I don’t see Abramson having any trouble running it. As a senior, he was basically thrown back into having to run the ball quite often for Pope John and he can move.

 

He isn’t a quarterback that is going to chose to run often, but when he does break the pocket, he can make a difference. I watch his film and immediately I think of a specific play. Earlier this season, Irish running back C.J. Prosise took a handoff and blast through defenders 91 yards to the end zone, inciting a near riot in the stands at Notre Dame. One would think with all of the great tailbacks in the history of such a storied program, this would be commonplace. The truth of the matter is the last run of over 80 yards by anyone on a Notre Dame roster was nearly a decade ago, and that player was Brady Quinn with an 82-yard scamper against the USC Trojans.

 

Brady Quinn. No further typing necessary.

 

I’ve never been one to mince words. I think back to the best players I’ve seen in person living in the Northeast and I can name them for you. The defensive linemen have been Bjoern Werner, Sharrif Floyd, Adrian Robinson and Aaron Donald. The best cornerback I’ve ever seen was Demetrious Nicholson. The best offensive line prospects I’ve ever seen were Eric Shrive and Mike McGlinchey. You ask for linebackers and I give you Brendan Beal. My running backs would have to be Tavon Austin, Derrick Jones and David Williams. If I could have taken any tight end I saw in person it would have been Hubie Graham. Some of those guys didn’t fare so well, some you’ve never heard of and some … well I’m sure you’re saying “duh”.

 

I can say this without any hesitation, Sonny Abramson is the best quarterback I’ve ever seen in the Northeast and frankly, I’d take him over any I’ve seen on film as well. Am I saying he’s better than everyone else? No, he’s just exactly what I’d want in a quarterback if I wanted to go win a National Championship and that is the goal of every single program in the country.

 

After sitting here all morning watching this film and seeing Abramson go through different receivers, different lines, different offenses, playing injured and just playing consistently outstanding football, that’s my guy. I don’t do rankings people. I wouldn’t pretend to understand how to do them. I’ve watched the big boys though and he’s a big boy.

 

I guess the best way to put it is this, if I’m making a decision with my job on the line for a quarterback in this class, this is the kid I’d go with. Not my usual “scouting report”, but anytime I am forced into talking quarterbacks, it gets a little weird. Someone go find me a defensive end to talk about before I go crazy now.

 

Here are his “Career Highlights” so you can get a taste of what he has done.

 

Sonny Abramson Career Highlights 

Eyes Downfield: Jacques Perra, QB at Roseville Area HS (MN)

 

By, Matt Alkire – National Director of Football Operations

The Roseville Area Raiders haven’t necessarily been regulars in the state playoffs lately. As a matter of fact, they haven’t won a conference championship since Bush was in office and their last playoff run was during the Clinton administration. This year hopes are high though. The Raiders return many starters and among them is starting signal caller Jacques Perra, a 6-foot-3.5, 210-pound gunslinger with a wealth of experience under his belt.

 

Perra took over the reigns at the Roseville, Minn. school as a sophomore much like many other players being offered scholarships around the country. Last season as a junior, he completed 150 of 270 passes for 2,054 yards and 15 touchdowns. He added 315 yards and six scores on the ground.

 

It was a long road to get to this point though. Perra explained his maturation process to us and how he became the teams’ leader.

 

“My freshman year I only played on the freshman team – not junior varsity – so going straight to varsity as a sophomore was a big jump,” Perra stated. “I ended up top ten in the state in passing yards that season and was first in all-purpose yards within our conference, so I caught on pretty quick in terms of individual performance. I did know most of the seniors pretty well and had already build close relationships with them. We had some solid talent around us, so while I had a lot to learn as a leader I think I did a good job in moving the offense up and down the field and helping out while the team captains did their jobs on a day to day basis.”

 

As anyone who has played the sport knows however, going from star player on the team to a captain and team leader is a much different dynamic. It demands respect from every single player on your team and also, ultimate sacrifice. Not all star players are true captains on the field. Perra talked about moving into his ultimate role as one of the leaders of the Raiders.

 

“Starting my sophomore year affected things because the guys that were older than me began to look up to me because of my performance on the field,” Perra explained. “It allowed me to start to be a vocal leader, however I quickly learned that I do a better job of simply leading by example and action both on and off the football field. When I say that, I don’t just mean in the classroom either. I do carry a 3.85 GPA, but I play three sports as well and really push myself in conditioning in the offseason which the guys started to follow.”

There are different styles of leadership and Perra expanded on how he feels he fits best.

 

“I’m definitely not the Ray Lewis of the team out there screaming in the huddle before kickoff, I can say that,” Perra added. “I don’t yell at people, but when we get in the huddle it is my job to make sure everyone is in the right place and knows their assignments. Honestly, it came pretty natural to me. During the offseason I went to team passing camps and watched the quarterback before me handle the team, so I simply did the same things he did and invested time and energy into helping my teammates the best that I could. This never became an area that I struggled in at all thankfully.”

Speaking of where Perra struggles and where he excels, his film is readily available in this article.

Perra's Junior Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdmuqdzGBik&feature=youtu.be

 

He is a quarterback that is very accurate on short and intermediate routes. His ball placement ranges from very good to excellent at times. Perra is generally quick to get the ball out of his hands and will also do false stare downs of other receivers to throw off safety coverage, something that helps him in the seams of his spread offense. He is generally accurate on the run, although I’d like to see him square his shoulders more to drive on the ball instead of float his passes to receivers. While his timed 40-yard dash speed may not be highly impressive (4.8), you do see a player that will be able to buy his receivers time and move around and out of the pocket at the next level which is a plus. He’s not a scrambler by any means, but the athleticism is there.

 

Improvement areas with Perra are in his mechanics and his deep ball. Frankly, fixing the mechanical flaws would fix 95-percent of what I don’t like on film. Perra tends to throw the ball almost exclusively with his upper body and many times off his back foot, leading to the ball floating. You see a lot of low velocity passes. That makes him a very accurate quarterback, but at the next level he’ll be vulnerable to interceptions. He needs to get his lower body involved and step into his passes. Again, his deep ball comes up short quite often. This is simply a lack of drive on the ball as he’s not using his legs. Some work with a quarterback coach could make him into a very precise passer with a much more zing on his passes.

 

Perra does play with his eyes downfield at all times even though he could run quite a bit of the time which is the sign of a true quarterback, something I was most impressed with. He spoke about that in our time together.

 

“This past year I think I got a lot better at keeping the play alive instead of staying in the pocket and just hitting my check down,” Perra stated. “The year before I was dumping the ball off, so this year I worked on getting out of the pocket when it broke down and finding receivers that got open a lot more. That just resulted in a lot more big plays downfield for us. The other thing that I like about having some mobility is being able to draw the intermediate coverage to me as I approach the line of scrimmage and then dumping the ball off to that receiver that has been freed up so they can make plays with the ball in their hands after the catch.”  

Perra says he loves running over linebackers in high school. Apparently it’s one of his favorite things to do. We asked him if he’ll continue that in college.

 

“I don’t think I’m necessarily a true dual-threat like these running quarterbacks are at the elite level, but I’m confident I’d be able to get out of the pocket and do some things with my feet that maybe others wouldn’t be able to do. Obviously I wouldn’t be trying to run over any linebackers though, no. That’s not something I’m attempting.”

 

Apparently his 3.85 in the classroom also carries over to common sense as well.

 

After going 4-6 last year, the goals for this season are pretty clear for Perra and the Raiders.

 

“We need to win our conference, simple,” Perra said. “It will be our first conference championship in eight years. Also, we want to be in state this year as it’s been 15 years since this school has gotten to celebrate that. For me personally, the results will come as long as our team does well as will the colleges which have been recruiting me hard. My senior season is about the last three years of hard work coming to fruition for our team. I’m really only worried about our record at the end of the season, not my individual stats.”

 

Perra will be looking for a college as well and he’s looking for either a small private school or just going all out and attending a Big Ten school for the life experience. His passion is Business Management, so strong ties in the community for his major is the plus. He wants to stay where he goes to school after graduating to contribute.

 

Love of the Game: Daniel Rushing, Midlothian High School

By, Matt Alkire 

Midlothian High School utility man Daniel Rushing is a young man that simply loves the game of baseball. When talking to prospects, many say they are devoted to the sport they play, but when talking to them rarely do you find one that you feel has a soul completely consumed by the game – as if the dirt and chalk of the diamond are coursing through their veins. This 6-foot, 170-pounder from Waxahachie, Texas is one of those unique players and it pours through his every word. 

“You know, baseball is only dull to dull minds,” Rushing told us. “It takes someone that really appreciates all the games that are played inside the game to grasp the full excitement of it. You have to be mature to play baseball, but you still have to have a lot of little kid in you to play this game.”  

“A quote I love about baseball is from Pete Rose. He said he would walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball and that’s how I feel about the sport. I emulate the way he played because that was a man who would sprint to first after a walk and just played his butt off on every single play because he loved it.”  

Rushing’s favorite players all seem to share the same traits or have a story behind them.  

“When I was in the Dominican Republic playing I got to hear Robinson Cano’s story which is really impressive,” Rushing added. “When the Yankees originally wanted to sign him they only offered him $30,000 and his parents told him not to take it. Cano didn’t care. He just wanted to get on the field and prove his worth and now he’s one of the best in baseball, if not the best 2^nd baseman. I’m not a Yankees fan by any means, but then I look at someone like Mariano Rivera who has essentially thrown one pitch for 15 years and just remained absolutely dominant with it. That’s amazing. He’s one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball in my opinion and he’s just been perfect at one thing, what he does. I also look up a lot to Mike Trout who is a great five-tool player and Bryce Harper because when that guy gets on the field he just leaves everything out there no matter what the results are.”  

 

Rushing definitely has fire in his belly, so you can sense the maturity, but there is a kid in him as well. He loves talking about his teams.  

“I’ve played for the Duncanville Texans which is my select team since I was 7 years old and we’ve pretty much had the same players and had the same coach since that time,” Rushing explained. “Coach (Rey) Lopez has taken us to the USSSA Triple Crown and Super Series tournaments on a yearly basis and the man taught me most of my baseball. He’s just a very understanding and extremely laid back guy who approaches everyone differently by getting inside them and figuring out what makes them tick to get the best out of them. Coach Lopez is definitely a players’ coach and he knows the game better than anyone I’ve ever seen before. My favorite moment playing under him was when we came in first place in the AAYBA World Series in Flower Mound when I was 14 years old.”  

The Waxahachie native went on to talk more about his beloved skipper.  

“We just have a cool relationship in the way we respect each other because even though I grew up playing for him it’s more of a friendly relationship than what you’d see out of a player and a coach,” Rushing offered. “If there’s something I see and that I think he doesn’t see, it’s acceptable to point it out to him and know he won’t be offended. He’s always open to suggestions that will make us a better team.”  

Rushing also batted .309 and had a .465 on base percentage for Midlothian High School this past year. He spoke to us about his time with the Panthers.  

“I’ve played varsity since my freshman year and became a full-time starter in center field as a sophomore,” Rushing said. “I got moved to right field as a junior and this year I’m going to play center and third base. I also pitch which I believe is actually what I’m best at.”  

As for a repertoire, the 6-footer does have some nasty stuff to get over the plate for a guy who isn’t a number one.  

“I throw a four-seam, two-seam, curve, straight change, circle change and am developing a knuckle ball that is getting pretty nasty. I haven’t been clocked on my fastball since I was 14 years old and it was at 81 MPH back then, so I’d guess I’m at 85 or 86 right now. If I wanted to get it up there I’m sure I could top out around 88 on a good day.”  

His coach Ray Hydes has different philosophies and a different style of coaching, but Rushing says it does benefit the way he plays.  

“Coach (Ray) Hydes works really well playing small ball,” said Rushing. “It definitely benefits me because I’m pretty fast and get good jumps to steal bases, but I have some power as well. He’s definitely a guy that coaches with emotion and takes a different approach, so it’s constructive for me to be able to combine that with what I learn from Coach Lopez who is much more laid back.”  

 

 

Rushing’s senior season will be very important determining where he goes for college and he has lofty goals which he communicated to us.  

“I want to hit .500 with 30 double and 10 home runs this season. During football season I improved on my max bench press and squat by 30 pounds each which I think will really help with my power. As a team, we need to get into the state championship tournament this season. It’s going to be difficult because we only have four seniors on the team though. I should be pitching and playing the field to help out. Last year we were beaten in the first round which was disappointing, but as funny as it sounds I think our immaturity in terms of youth might be our greatest asset this season. Sometimes when you’re young you just don’t know any better and got out and play without a care.”  

As for college, Rushing is looking to see where he stands in the race of baseball. His goal is to play this season and see how the dust settles after he’s gone against the best of the best and then play at the highest level possible. The Lone Star product is open to junior college so he can continue to get develop his craft. As he told us, his commitment is to being, “the best baseball player I can be.”  

Rushing sports a 3.7 GPA and scored a 23 on his ACT, so academics are important to him. In speaking with him you can definitely tell that baseball is of equal significance as well though. He simply wants to, “follow his dream”.

 

 

 

All In The Family: Christian Giubilato (S) The Haverford School

 

By, Matt Alkire

 

While coaches on the East coast are making the rounds during the evaluation period this spring they’re going to have a pleasant surprise in store for them when they stop by The Haverford School. The safety class in Philadelphia is already looking good, but Christian Giubilato is a player flying under the radar simply because he has always been thought of as a nationally elite lacrosse player. Well, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete had one heck of a junior year for the Fords and that film is already really impressing coaching staffs that have seen it.

 

View Christian Giubilato's Highlight Film 

 

To say that is a surprise would be lying of course if you know the Giubilato family. Those who do understand that Christian comes from a line of genetic freaks and tough guys that do what normal people can’t, but for those outside of Southeastern Pennsylvania – it’s something to look at.

 

Christian’s father started his football career at the University of Delaware with K.C. Keeler as a teammate before transferring to Penn State where he played fullback. That alone would be enough, but he was also an undefeated member of the Nittany Lions’ boxing team.

 

After his time in State College, Giubilato Sr. turned to AAU boxing where he won the Sunshine Games in Florida, among many other events. He helped trained Joe Frazier and to make some extra cash on the side, sparred with six boxing champions over the years in Larry Holmes, Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, Randall “Tex” Cobb, Tyrell Biggs and Tim Witherspoon. Oh yeah, he’s also run 10 marathons, including the New York Marathon six times in a row.

 

Christian’s older brother Mark was a 6-foot-3, 232-pound quarterback out of St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia who I personally scouted coming out of high school. Never allowed to play defense at his school, he ended up turning down a scholarship to play quarterback at Temple University. Had he played linebacker for The Prep, it’s my opinion that he would have been a 20-30 scholarship player.

 

Mark started for Pittsburgh as a redshirt freshman at Pittsburgh, earned a scholarship and was a standout once again at fullback as a sophomore last season in front of two potent rushers. He could easily be an NFL prospect in a few years – that is if the Panther staff doesn’t end up moving him to linebacker first given his mid 4.5 speed.

 

The reason for going into this background of athleticism in the family you ask? Everything seems to come naturally to a Giubilato.

 

 

Christian is ranked among the Top 100 overall players in the country for the Class of 2014 right now. His Mesa Fresh club team won the National Championship in Florida last year. Before he transferred to The Haverford School he was at Conestoga High. In 2012 they also won a State Championship in lacrosse – their third in a row – Giubilato was a star midfielder.

 

At this point however the youngest of the clan is about ready to put down the stick and grab the football permanently, something we spoke to him about.

 

“I’m not 100-percent that I definitely won’t play lacrosse, but at this point I really do think I’ll just put my sole focus on football because of seeing what my brother and father do,” Giubilato said. “I just picked up the stick in sixth grade and started playing lacrosse for fun, but football is really a way of life and I enjoy it a lot more. I set high standards for myself and you have to work so much harder and push yourself so much more to play at a high level in football. Plus, people think it’s so unachievable to play Division I Football and I’ve heard it since eight grade, so frankly I want to prove that wrong.”

 

To speak bluntly, Giubilato could easily have his tuition paid for on a full lacrosse scholarship. He’s following his heart however and going at it on the gridiron instead. This past season he transferred from Conestoga High School to The Haverford School to play under Coach Michael Murphy and was a standout at running back and safety for the Fords.

 

“It was a shame only being able to play five games because of transfer rules, but being able to see what I’m capable of in those contests was great,” Giubilato explained. “I was glad to see I could make such a huge difference for my team on the field and it makes me so excited for next year because I want to go out and really dominate.”

 

To be clear, Giubilato simply was not allowed to play against other Inter-Ac League teams because he transferred. It is a league rule, he did nothing wrong. In his performances this year, he was dominant against outside competition.

 

“It was the first time I ever played running back, but I just got out there and used what I have with quick feet and toughness and did well,” Giubilato stated. “I got the ball for the first time against Penn Wood and went downfield 80 yards in seven carries for a touchdown and just fell in love immediately. Everything really just came naturally to be honest with you. Coach Murphy would just yell my name, they’d throw me the ball and I ran.”

 

Enter the Run, Forrest, Run jokes at this point.

 

 

 

While Giubilato did do well at running back and as a return man, his spot at the next level is going to be at safety where he was very effective this year. We asked him what he likes about that position.

 

“Safety is just great because I like having responsibility on the field and I’m the deciding factor of where there is going to be a touchdown or not. I like to be the savoir on defense if that makes sense. Being able to sit back there and grab interceptions is great and as you know, my favorite thing is having someone come over the middle on a post or slant and just knock right through them. Anyone that knows me is aware I’m going to absolutely hammer someone if they come across the field or if I’m up in run support and that is my favorite part of the game. I love playing a physical, brutal style of football and force turnovers.”

 

This offseason Giubilato does have one thing as a focus and that is getting his body right. He will be working out just about every day in the offseason and his goal is to add 15-20 pounds of muscle and continue to get faster, something that his family has absolutely no problem doing.

 

Also for the first time, he does not have to play lacrosse and focus on that sport which will give him time to add weight. He is looking to come into his senior year at Haverford at a cut 6-foot-2, 200+ pounds.
 

As for recruiting, the youngest of the tribe will have time to look at colleges which he has already started to do.

 

“I’ve already gone to games at Maryland and Pittsburgh several times,” Giubilato mentioned. “I’m going to be visiting Maryland, Penn State, and Temple for sure and am still setting up several other schools for this spring.”

 

We asked him what he is looking for in a school.

 

“I want to play at a good football program with a coaching staff I get along with obviously, but I think what’s most important is a campus and environment that I am really comfortable with,” Giubilato explained. “Academics will play a key role and I don’t want to go really far away from home, but I am pretty open to everything right now. I just want to be available to help my family if I need to just like my brother does who is at Pittsburgh.”

 

 

Giubilato’s future is definitely at safety. Watching him open his hips in the open field and run with receivers is really an impressive thing. He is extremely fluid and it’s very easy to see the lacrosse skills translate to the gridiron when he’s locked onto a wide receiver or tight end. Giubilato saying he is 6-foot-2 right now may also be cutting him a little bit short and we expect he’ll be at least an inch taller within a year. That really allows him to not only drape whoever he is covering, but also get a great jump on the ball and high-point deep balls. He has very good hands and after turnovers his vision in the open field make him a threat to take it the other way.

 

He does speak about loving to hit and frankly, I love watching him do it. Christian will come down hill and absolutely throw his body through people. His head is up, you see square shoulders and a boom is lowered. You’ll see him anticipate routes over the middle and break up passes by simply exploding through would be receivers. Giubilato does bring a very, very physical presence to the field.

 

What we’d like to see out of Giubilato by next season is a player in better shape. Because he had to focus on lacrosse and play for two teams in the offseason, he came into football without a ton of strength in his legs. You can see burst out of him, but he seems to run out of gas on long runs. He definitely has speed, but we just know from seeing him that he wasn’t in the right kind of shape last year. If Giubilato comes back for his senior year anywhere close to 200 pounds and in football shape, it’s my opinion that he is a definite FBS-level prospect. There is just too much size and athleticism to overlook there.

 

Christian Giubilato carries a 3.4 GPA at The Haverford School.

 

 

 



Desire to Win: Josh Manchigiah (DB) Papillion LaVista South HS

By, Matt Alkire


Papillion LaVista South High School product Josh Manchigiah is one of the brightest freshman prospects in the nation. The 6-foot-1, 172-pound cornerback from Papillion, Neb., has been an Eastbay All-American three straight years, plays on Team USA and is already drawing interest from SEC programs as a 15-year old. Equally as impressive as his gridiron performance, Manchigiah carries a perfect 4.0 GPA in the classroom at this time. We spent some time with
him recently talking about his first varsity season and the past few years of his life in football.

“My high school coaches are great, as are my teammates. I moved up to varsity after my first freshman game where I had three touchdowns and two interceptions and became a starter at cornerback by our fourth game,” Manchigiah stated. “I got to contribute a lot at wide receiver too and they also put together specific packages for me which allowed me to contribute to our offense in special ways.”

Most of us who played football at the varsity level moved up during our sophomore or junior years and admittedly, it can be nerve wracking. Manchigiah expressed what it felt like for him as only a freshman.

“My first emotion was to be nervous and when I went out for my first start I was apprehensive, but you do pick up on the speed of the game pretty quickly,” Manchigiah stated. “We played the state runner-ups in my first start, but after that game I definitely got my feet under me fully and started playing much better.”

Also, younger players tend to be a bit less cerebral in their approach to the game. They have more of a reactionary style of play. Rookies wait to see what is coming and then approach. Manchigiah is already anticipating.

“The first read I make on every play is the tackle so I can figure out if it’s a run or pass and we play a lot of man, so at that point I’ve got to mirror my guy,” Manchigiah mentioned. “I definitely prefer to jam people up at the line, getting in their face and frustrating them. Most of our off coverage is Cover 3 and I do it well, but I really do like getting press because I feel like I know which hand to jam with, exactly when to open my hips and how to time things well. If you open those hips up too early you’re giving a free release, so I keep them on the line longer.”

He talked about how he felt he did this year.

“I felt that once I got used to it that I was in on a lot of tackles, broke up passes when I had the opportunity and picked off some passes,” Manchigiah added. “I know I can do much better next season, but getting the experience of playing varsity as a freshman was a big plus. I learned a lot of things this season that will help me into next season, the most important of which were getting used to the speed of the game and not getting too down when our team doesn’t do too well (Papillion LaVista South posted a 2-7 record this season).”

Manchigiah has been an Eastbay All-American three times now, playing in 7^th and 8^th grade and participating this year on their Under 15 team. He talked about those experiences.

“Oh wow, it’s always been a great experience. I always love participating with the best players in my grade from around the country because it makes me a better player. It’s a great honor to be recognized as an All-American, I always love my coaches there and I get to meet players from places I never thought I would.”

As a member of Eastbay’s Team USA, the 15-year old recently played Canada in January. In the summer of 2012, playing on USA Football’s U15 Team USA, he went up against Sweden with his teammates.

“It was interesting playing Canada because they have a very different style of offense with an upback and some pretty big running backs,” Manchigiah explained. “They also didn’t throw the ball a lot and it was just a change from what you’re used to in the States. Their offense is basically like a Pistol and then they also bring that upback behind the linemen, so it was just very different.”

“Team Sweden is definitely coming along as a program as they only ran about four offensive plays, but they had some size and were physical up front. I’m friends with a bunch of those guys on Facebook and it was fun just to interact with them because it’s completely different in Sweden than it is here. They’re absolutely hilarious guys to talk to.”
Academically, Manchigiah is very sound with a 4.0 GPA and takes all Honors classes. This year alone he completed Honors English, Biology, United States History and Geometry. Most freshmen don’t elect to take one.

“I feel I should be the best I should be and push myself and my parents have very high expectations, so I feel like if I really challenge myself I’ll do better. I pick up a lot in class and just retain things well.”

In fact, the Papillion native plans to continue taking as many Honors courses as he can for the rest of high school which will put him in a position to attend any college he wants.

At this point like most freshmen however, he admits he has no idea what he wants to do in life. Manchigiah was able to talk about what he wants in a school.

“I want to feel like I fit into the school and their program and just make sure I’m making a 40-year decision, not a four-year decision,” Manchigiah told us. “Academics are going to definitely play an equal role to athletics in my decision. I want to play for a very good football team, but I have to succeed on and off the field at the next level. Distance doesn’t really matter to me at all, so if I need to move out of my comfort zone in the State of Nebraska I can do that. If I stay here at home, that’s fine as well.”

Manchigiah does love football and he went into depth about his favorite parts of the game.

“I love the competition of the game whether it’s healthy competition within the team or under the lights on Friday,” Manchigiah expressed. “I have a desire to win in everything I do whether it’s football or not. I like scoring touchdowns and hitting people because frankly, I just love to see their reaction when I lay them out. You have to love that feeling you get after a big hit. I’m definitely not a “Deion” who is afraid to tackle, I’ll come up and make a bit hit from cornerback.”

While we had the young man talking about what he likes, we asked him what he thought he did well on the field. Also, we asked Manchigiah to take a look at his craft and tell us what he needs to improve.

He told us he felt he was best at making plays on the ball when it is in the air, reading the quarterback and being able to anticipate where he will throw the ball and tracking receivers. Manchigiah also was very proud of his ability come up and be physical hitting people, whether it was after shedding blocks in run support or out on the edge.

As for improvement, the Papillion LaVista South product told us he really does need to improve his straight line speed. “I feel like there were a few times this year some wide receivers got away from me a bit on go routes.” He’ll be with a speed coach this offseason to work on that issue. Also, he brought up a very astute observation, his hand strength. “There were two times this year that I could have had another interception or pass break up and the wide receiver got the ball because I couldn’t rip it away. That’s unacceptable.”

Manchigiah unofficially visited LSU and Texas A&M in the fall and was invited to their camps this summer. 
 

In Pursuit: Shane Simmons (DE) DeMatha Catholic High School

By, Matt Alkire

At just 15 years old, Laurel, Md., product Shane Simmons has accomplished a lot already in his short career. He recently came back from the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio, Texas where he played in the Eastbay Youth All-American Bowl. He already holds offers from Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. While in Texas, the US Army and All American Games named him the Dennis D. Cavin National Youth Football Player of the Year.

It is impressive that Simmons was the captain of the DeMatha Catholic High School freshman football team and that he led the team sacks, tackles and points scored. It is equally remarkable that the young man made the varsity roster as a freshman for the Stags and then went on to make an impact in the games that he played in, given that they’re traditionally a national powerhouse. But perhaps the most striking thing about this young man is that instead of letting things go to his head, he has remained surprisingly humble.

 

“I just work hard at what I do and whatever honors or offers come to me I appreciate,” Simmons stated. “It was the first time that they gave out this award, so it really meant a lot to me to be the first person to receive it. I was really humbled by it. As far as the offers go, it’s something I’m glad to be given, but my focus is on my school work and on my team at this point. I’m only a freshman, so those really don’t apply to me yet. It’s just really early in the process.”

 

Last summer, Simmons played for Team USA Football against Sweden and was also selected to play as an Eastbay All-American by FBU to play against Canada in the Alamo Dome which took place this past weekend.

 

“The team from Sweden had some really strong players and Team Canada was also really talented and it was just a great opportunity which I enjoyed,” Simmons said. “I have half of Team Sweden on my Facebook right now and we still keep in touch. They’re really into the NFL, so it’s cool to talk to them about it.”

 

 

In the offseason Simmons works out with ex-NFL player LaVar Arrington and also is a force to be reckoned with at Madden. His team of choice is the Washington Redskins with Ryan Kerrigan at defensive end under his control to his opponent’s demise.

 

“Coach Arrington works with me on my technique, my hands, speed, lifting … everything really,” Simmons added. Having such an outstanding teacher must bring some awesome benefits. We asked Simmons what wisdom Arrington passes down to him the most. “He really tells me it’s all about explosive movement, quickness and using your hands. I just focus on my movement skills a lot.”

 

This season he has a lot to look forward to at DeMatha.

 

“We want to win a championship this season and I have a lot of talented teammates, so as a group I think we’ll be able to accomplish that goal,” Simmons mentioned. “The older guys definitely help me out with learning the plays and a lot of the sophomores have been helping out a lot too. We have a young team, but we’re strong and everyone really gets each others’ back on and off the field.”

 

“Coach (Elijah) Brooks treats us like his own kids and always has our backs too. He’s really consistent with us at all times and I like that he definitely cares about every single one of his players on and off the field. I had gotten to know Coach Brooks before I came in and then when I got here this year I felt completely comfortable. He exposed me to my teammates, the high school and coaches and immediately made me feel at home and like one of the guys.”

 

It’s a bit odd to talk to Simmons having talked to thousands of young, elite players in my time covering football. Typically you get scripted answers that have been hand fed by parents or coaches or a sense of false modesty. With Simmons, you almost feel a comedic side to him on along with his acceptance that the skills he’s been blessed with are just that, blessings.

 

It was funny speaking to him about his two favorite NFL players.

 

 

“I love J.J. Watt because he’s just everywhere and is really fast for a big guy. He just brings a great physical presence to the game. Then there is Jared Allen who does all the same things as J.J. and on top of that, he’s got a great moustache – and you have to love a great moustache.”

 

We agree Shane, we agree. A quality moustache instantly strikes fear into offensive tackles.

 

One of the things I ask my players to do is self assessment and to be critical, not hold back. Often they do. Simmons was quick to offer what he thinks he does well and what he needs to get better at.

 

“I definitely think I’m quick off the ball and a swift player,” Simmons offered. “I’m loose in the hips and react to the ball really well. When I look at my game I really want to work on my speed and flexibility though. That’s something that I keep pushing when I’m with Coach Arrington in the gym.”

 

When scouting a freshman in high school most of the time you’re simply getting a gauge for a player’s upside, however Simmons is an exception. He already brings tremendous size to the table at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds and has a very long, lean build that you can see is going to continue to get bigger. Already off the edge, it is pretty apparent that the young man possesses the agility to be able to change directions quickly enough to stand up and play linebacker at the next level. He can open up his hips and does a great job in pursuit. I bring this up because while many will immediately file him as a 4-3 defensive end I think some teams will love him as an outside ‘backer in the 3-4 with his length and athleticism.

 

View Shane Simmons' Highlight Films

 

You see an arsenal of pass rush moves starting to develop from Simmons at an early age which is good. He’s pushing himself to learn and not just trying to get by on his natural gifts. Often times he simply overwhelms his opponent and flies into the backfield, but Simmons is generally under control and does level off and get to the quarterback. I like that he’s showing pretty consistent wrapping in his tackling. That’s one thing that seems to be out the door in football these days, especially with linemen. His ability to adjust and either have his hand on the ground or come out off the fly is a benefit as well.

 

Again, digging into a freshman for a hard opinion in terms of technique is tough. To state what is brutally obvious, Shane Simmons is an absolutely excellent athlete off the edge that really shows some special ability. The talent that sticks out most to me at this point is his capacity to redirect and explode without taking extra steps already. If he continues to add muscle mass and continues to be a quick-twitch athlete, the sky is the limit.

 

Breaking down what a 15-year old wants to do with their future can be tough, but Simmons has that figured out already. Frankly, we did have to laugh at the blunt nature of his answer.

 

“I think I’d like to major in Business and go work on Wall Street,” Simmons told us. We asked him what drove him to thinking about Wall Street and his answer was very simple, “money”. “I’d like to be a tycoon”, Simmons replied through the phone line in a tone where you could hear his smile.

 

As for the type of school the DeMatha product is looking for, it doesn’t sound like he is too particular. Simmons wishes to receive a good education in a diverse community that has a strong football program. He stated that he does prefer a larger campus and that distance won’t play a factor in his recruiting.

 

After viewing his film and getting to know Shane a little bit, we’re sure plenty of coaches will be glad to accommodate those wishes!