| 01 September 2011
What a year it has been. The class of 2012 has been the most fun to watch in all of years of watching high school football in Ohio. Some will still argue that the 2001 class was better. There is a strong argument for that as that class was more well rounded. This class is defensive line, running backs and more defensive line with a little safety thrown in for some flavor. I would argue that the overall talent level is just deeper. I have had the privilege to watch about half this top ten since then were freshmen. One of the nice things about this class is you have so few players that have been moved down because of grades or questions about their off the field behavior.
Now that we are down to the top ten I am going to reverse the order to build the anticipation. Now to the Duane Long Report class of 2012 top 10:
10. Chris Wormley, DL, 6-5, 250, Toledo Whitmer
Before anyone calls me a homer, look at the national rankings on Wormley. When you look at their rankings, I believe most would question how I could have him top ten. First, that is not my style. To be a homer, I mean. I will always call them like I see them. Look at the rest of the Duane Long Report top 50. There are some Buckeye verbals who are alot lower than any homer would rank them. Locals saw Wormley up close at camp. He is such a physical specimen. My argument is this is a class full of physical specimens, and they have better films than Wormley. I have seen him be brilliant. He may have the best upside on the class. My problem is I have not seen him get better. I have seen some film of him as early as his freshman year. He is still the same football player. I do not see another good player in Wormley. I see a player with the potential to be an early entry NFL player or one that we never hear from again. He has to find the every down fire.
9. Kyle Dodson, 6-6, 310, OL, Cleveland Heights
This is the one player I look at in the top ten and say I am not satisfied with where he is. I think we have seen so little of Dodson that it is easy to forget him. He is a bonafide national kid at the most important position on the offensive line, left tackle. I have Kalis ranked ahead of Dodson overall but if you ask me who is the best left tackle in the class I would say Kyle Dodson and I would do so without having to think about it. He has the ideal frame. He is tall and very long with the feet of a player 100 lbs lighter. He plays with a nasty streak. He is a fine run blocker too. I am not going to be surprised if Dodson ends up being better than Kalis. It will not suprise me one bit.
8. Brionte Dunn, RB, 6-2, 225, Canton Glen Oak
I hate all the drama surrounding Dunn right now. It is taking away from what he accomplished on the football field last year. Getting better is at the core of recruiting. Seeing players get better over their high school careers is where upside begins. I saw Dunn as a freshman and was very impressed. In fact, he was the early number one player in the class. Big, powerful but explosive and with quick feet. He reminded me so much of Chris Wells. I did not see the same player as a sophmore. He did not look as explosive or as quick footed and elusive. His athlete season after his sophmore football season really moved him back up my rankings, then he had a monster junior year. Dunn is a classic big back. More like Eddie George than Chris Wells. He is not going to leave tacklers looking for their jocks out there like Wells could. He is going to get them off balance with a move then run through them. His film is full of plays where arms come out to grab him then fly off on first contact. Wells runs behind his pads and has an excellent burst. His top end speed is deceiving. He is a workhorse who has had 40 carry games. I am a little concerned about the pounding Wells took last year with all those carries. It eventually catches up with backs but for now he looks just fine.
7. Joshua Perry, DE, 6-5, 240, Olentangy
No player has come further in a short time than Joshua Perry. I remember being shocked that he was offered so early. I liked what I saw on film of him but there were other players I saw getting an offer before Perry. Now that I look back I see that Perry had just gotten better from his freshman tape. The evidence was in his sophmore film. I saw a much improved player. This summer he came to camp again. The observers I spoke to were amazed at what they saw. He looks to be 6-5 and right around 245, give or take a few pounds. One told me he ran a 4.58. The other said that was wrong. He had him at 4.56. I don't think there is much question about his position anymore. Perry is going to be a defensive end. He is tall. We see the condor-like wingspan. He still has room to grow. In the end it is very simple. You want to see players improve. Perry is doing that better than any player in the class.
6. Sevon Pittman, DE, 6-4 240, Massillon
The thing to think about with Se'Von Pittman is the fact that he is way behind the others because he has only been playing football for a few years. Talk about upside. Great body on this kid. I think he is going to be a strong side end. Mark Porter thinks he could grow all the wall into a three-technique tackle. When I look at how long and lean he is I cannot argue with that. I love his motor. Coaches will not have to be concerned about getting Pittman fired up. In fact, they may need to calm him down. He uses his hands extremely well especially when you consider how little football he has played. He plays the run just as well as he does the pass. When a defensive lineman factory like Alabama comes to Ohio for a defensive lineman, it speaks volumes. I love how he battles when he finds himself in traffic. So many players start thinking about the next play when they get tied up. Pittman seems to fight that much harder. With Pittman it goes back to upside. If I was asked to pick the player in the class with the most upside I would be tempted to say Josh Perry but I would say Sevon Pittman.
5. Kyle Kalis, 6-5, 305, OL, Lakewood St. Edward
Kyle Kalis is one the best line prospects it has been my privilege to evaluate in all my years of scouting players in Ohio. It is very simple. Kyle Kalis dominates whoever is in front of him. Kalis is a third and two player. What I mean by that is on third and two you run behind Kalis and he will get you three. He is playing for a high profile program so we see him alot, and he plays against better competition than most players. I am still waiting to see anyone hold their own, let alone get the best of Kalis. The only question that remains is whether he has the feet to play left tackle at the next level.
4. Warren Ball, RB, 6-1 195, DeSales
Some have gone back and forth on who is the best back in this class, Warren Ball or Brionte Dunn. I have not. Ever since I see Ball he has been my number one back. He is such a quick footed and elusive back. He has such great quick feet. He can change direction on a dime, and do so at top speed. He reads his blocking well and he has already learned what patience can do for a back. You can see Ball slow his roll for just a count to see where the next hole is. So many young backs cannot do that. Some never master it. Good size and power. Great speed. The one knock on Ball is durability. He has taken some knocks. It is especially concerning when you consider coach Wiggins spreads the ball around. Ball has not taken as much punishment.
3. Greg McMullen, DE, 6-5, 260, Akron Hoban
Tom Landry said, "the mark of professional is consistency". That is what I see when I look back over the time I have known about Greg McMullen. I saw him for the first time as a freshman. You could see this was going to be a player we would be talking about over the next three years. No player in the state has consistently performed on a high level like Greg McMullen. I remember seeing a full half of a game from early last year. McMullen was consistently disruptive. If he was not in on the play he was at least in position to make a play which means the opposition must always account for him. I never saw him blocked successfully in an entire half of football. McMullen is always physical. He beats up the blockers in front of him. Splits double teams. One of the most impressive things about McMullen is watching him play with both his hands taped up, one broken, for several games. That kind of toughness matters. Just a great prospect.
2. Adolphus Washington, DE/LB, 6-5, 245, Cincinnati Taft
I know this one will shock fans as I was on the Buckuts message board while watching the Taft - Friendship game where Adolphus Washington put on a show. He had 14 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. I know at least one play he was triple teamed. You thought he would be the number one player in the class. I am making this top 50 based on junior film, camps and combines. This game was the kick-off to a new season. Washington's performance will put him in position to reclaim the top spot in the Duane LOng Report class of 2012 top 50, a position he was in a good portion of the time that I have been ranking this class. I will determine that at the end of the year. Washington is a physical freak. Right now he is a rush end. He may grow into a strong side end or even a three-technique tackle. It will not matter. He has the frame to carry the weight and be just as athletic. He has a great first step and his closing speed is overwhelming. National top 100 prospects are both superstar players and superstar athletes. There is no doubt Washington fits the national top 100 criteria.
1. Ifeadi Odenigbo, DE/OLB, 6-4, 210, Centerville
I was watching Odenigbos film again. I noticed the same stuff that made him a top five player. I saw the explosive start. I saw the top end speed that more often than not shows him to be the fastest player on the field. I saw his relentlessness. I saw him run down Braxton Miller. I noticed a few other things in the film this time. First, his full film is over seven minutes long. You have to realize how many plays that is. By my count that was 51 highlight caliber plays by one player. I noticed how tough he was against the run. The kid is very strong. Stands up bigger people. Centerville plays big boy football. Odenigbo is going against big kids regularly. On a couple of plays he bull rushes bigger kids right back into the quarterback or ball carrier. I noticed what a good tackler he is. He hits and wraps. No arm tackling with Odenigbo. I mentioned that you pick up stuff during the recruiting process. I spoke to someone who has seen him up close quite a number of times. He assures me that Odenigbo is closer to the 205-210. A 205-210 player who looks 190 gives you an idea of just how big he can get. That piece of news moves him back to defensive end on my board where I originally projected him. I also make him the number one end in the class. Add in the off the field intangibles with his grades, his work ethic and high marks for character. Ifeadi Odenigbo is my number one prospect in the state of Ohio for the class of 2012.
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