By Ed Letsinger, www.Hacksports.com
Special to MaxPreps.com
Kyle Rudolph of Elder and DeVier Posey of La Salle head the list of Cincinnati-area blue chip recruits expected to sign on Wednesday.
Rudolph, a 6-foot-7, 240-pound tight end who is headed to the University of Notre Dame, is rated as a top-20 player overall in the country and the No. 1-ranked tight end by most recruiting services. Rudolph, a USA Today All-American, caught 30 passes for 544 yards and 10 touchdowns this past season.
Posey, a 6-2, 190-pound wide receiver and Ohio State University recruit, is a top-25 national player and top-5 wide receiver who was a Parade Magazine All-American this past season. Posey caught 48 passes for 778 yards and eight touchdowns for the Lancers.
Other consensus blue chip recruits expected to sign include St. Xavier running back Darius Ashley (Louisville) and linebacker Fred Craig (Stanford); Lakota West wide receiver Bakari Bussey (Ohio University); Hamilton running back Kenny Veal (Toledo); Turpin offensive tackle Aaron Von Kuiken (Virginia); offensive lineman Rick Schmeig of Oak Hills (Purdue); offensive lineman Larry Black of Wyoming (Indiana); and offensive lineman Evan Davis of Colerain (Cincinnati).
Signing Day Extravaganza for St. Xavier, Colerain
Ohio Division I state champion St. Xavier and Region 4 finalist Colerain are expected to have a total of 25 players sign today. The Bombers are sending 13 players on to the next level while the Cardinals will send 12.
Staying Close to Home with the Bearcats
Six local players are expected to sign with the University of Cincinnati, including cornerback Ike Iloegbu of Harmony, tight end Nick Truesdell (Anderson), offensive lineman Evan Davis (Colerain), defensive lineman Brandon Mills (Colerain), wide receiver/kicker Danny Milligan (St. Xavier) and linebacker J.K. Schaffer (La Salle). The Bearcats finished the 2007 season ranked in the top 25 for the first time in school history. Their staff, led by head coach Brian Kelly, is making a concerted effort to keep some of the top local talent in town.
And the Winning Conference is…
At last count close to 100 local players were expected to sign with colleges. Of the Division I conference signings, the Mid American Conference did well in the area, snagging a total of 10 players. The Big East follows with eight.
Smart Guys Head East for the Ivy
Combining brain and brawn is the theme for six area players bound for Ivy League schools. They include St. Xavier’s John Hurley (Penn), Zack Imhoff (Cornell), Jon Scheidler (Cornell) and Nick Schneider (Yale). Nate Brown of Edgewood is headed for Brown. Ricky Otis of Elder will attend Holy Cross.
Ed Letsinger is the editor of Hacksports.com.
