Top-5 underrated prospects
February 6th, 2008, 7:29 pm · Post a Comment · posted by ADAM MAYA, OCREGISTER.COM since 2006
Here is a list of players who seem to have been overlooked in the recruiting process:
1. Andrew Abbott (Mater Dei, DB) unsigned – This Mater Dei athlete can also play a receiver. His size (5-9, 160) might have deterred colleges from paying attention, but Abbott proved himself in the Southern California Bowl and Mater Dei’s biggest games — Who do you think caught that 97-yard touchdown from Matt Barkley against Servite with Matt Kalil hanging on his leg? He also had the game-clinching interception against Centennial of Corona. His plan as of now is to wait for a better offer, and perhaps he will get one. Remember,
Oregon snagged Tustin running back Javes Lewis last year in June.
2. Robbie Boyer (Mater Dei, WR) unsigned – After a meeting with UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, he did not get the scholarship offer. Boyer was both possession receiver and playmaker in the Monarchs offense. He also didn’t shy away from going over the middle, making him the county’s best receiver in 2007. He looks headed toward a walk-on tryout at UCLA or USC, where his cousin, Matt Barkley, is committed to play in 2009.
3. Wes Fletcher (Valencia, RB) Idaho State – Did he not rush for nearly 6,000 yards? Fletcher is not undersized (6-0, 215) nor slow (4.50 40), so I’m surprised bigger schools were not in the picture. I saw both he and UCLA-bound Derrick Coleman (Troy) and didn’t see a great disparity between them. But Fletcher said he is happy with his destination.
4. Ryan Saumur (Cypress, LB/DB) Northern Arizona – There wasn’t anything Saumur couldn’t do. Playing at Cypress kept him out of the recruiting limelight, but he is a gamer. I could see him playing at a bigger school.
5. Blake Hyepock (Orange Lutheran, QB) Wesleyan – By the numbers, he had the second best season of any quarterback in the county. Yes, better than Nick Crissman. He didn’t just manage games for Orange Lutheran, he was a big part of their run to the Pac-5 semifinals. Hyepock (6-0, 180) doesn’t have ideal size, but haven’t we learned that lesson already?
Adam Maya/OCVarsity
