Two PCL boys doing well at Temple

[green_beans]

Russo is 2-0 as a starter.. did a nice job..

2 from LC.. are also in the mix - Vince Piccozi was a walk-on, now a red shirt soph starting at tackle and his younger brother Nick has made the team as a walk-on TE.. great job to all

meant to say three..

 

[roxychknpoxy]

There's more than that ... 3 SJP, I think a LS and CE also

 

[phillysportz]

Benny Walls (SJP) had an interception last night, he starts at safety for Temple

 

[coverandmove1]

Can anyone fill me in about Russo, how does this kid play at wood, finish second in elite11 qb competition and can't get a sniff until now , and at Temple?

 

[RoverNation05]

College football is really damn hard and there are a lot of really good kids all over the county?

 

[coverandmove1]

great in depth answer rover, i meant more like attitude, academic concerns, parents to involved, lost interest, got into body ink, etc, etc

 

[tulla]

great in depth answer rover, i meant more like attitude, academic concerns, parents to involved, lost interest, got into body ink, etc, etc

But I think Rover's answer is on target. There are lots of very good high school players who simply aren't good enough to make it in college football or just don't find themselves in the right situation. This is especially true of QBs. I think of Skyler Mornhinweg and Nosovitch from ACC. Let's see how long Russo starts.

 

[coverandmove1]

tulla, there are but this kid finished second in an elite all encompassing qb competition, certainly would get some looks from more prominent schools, no?

 

[Soup13]

great in depth answer rover, i meant more like attitude, academic concerns, parents to involved, lost interest, got into body ink, etc, etc

Cover - First Golden then his former assistant Rouhl did an outstanding job recruiting top talent, local talent. Terry Smith too before he rolled back to PSU. The OC had ties to the qb that started and I think the other qbs in the locker room. I think they are all were very very average at best. Russo is 2-0 and will get better every game. head coach in my opinion is not good. Losing to Nova and Buffalo with all that talent is ridiculous. Russo Stats were deceiving and had alot of drops on him too. Collins has not embraced alumni and coming from a mediocre ass Florida means zip these days. Anyway, coaches always try to play their guys but had to make a move to Russo because their horses were not good ...

 

[RoverNation05]

Glib answer because “why is this really good high school player not already an amazing college player” is a pet peeve of mine. Russo was a three star recruit coming out. That’s an EXCELLENT high school football player at the state level. But there are literally hundreds of them a year. Even at a place like Temple, the vast majority of the recruiting class (and all four classes on the roster) are that talented. It’s not a surprise that he sits when he first gets there then is the starting quarterback as a redshirt sophomore. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t they just graduate a multi year starter? I don’t have any inside info, but that’s a pretty normal progression, so I doubt his “problem” is anything more than everybody at that level is on scholarship and for good reason.

Having played a Division I sport (non-major conference) when you walk in on day 1, everybody was the best player on their high school team. A lot are the best ever to come out of their high school, or at least are in that conversation. And when you walk in as a freshman, you might be really good, but everybody above you is good and has been in the weight program for multiple years and knows exactly what the coach expects in practice (the most shocking difference for a freshman athlete is how mentally exhausting practice is), knows how to study film with their coaches, etcs. That stuff isn’t automatic. And at that position, it’s all cranked up tenfold. Sure there are exceptions, but Russo has pretty much followed the natural progression of good high school athletes who go Division I.

 

[coverandmove1]

gotcha, looking at who he competed against in elite11 finals, haskins from osu, shea Patterson, kid at Tennessee, something to me just doesn't fit, look i hope he blossoms at temple, local school, local kid, wish him the best. Maybe he caught fire during that qb competition, certainly a 3 star recruit and ranked 600 nationally probably shouldn't get that far. Thats what has me baffled, probably has intangibles coaches love, got size at 6'4 230, why TU.

 

[roxychknpoxy]

I watched Russo a number of times in HS. I thought he should have gotten more interest based on combination of factors discussed. But from a recruiting standpoint, these things can happen very quickly and a vacuum and in a short period of time a player find some self on the outside looking in for really no reason at all. Due to the breath of players out there, it often is simply about timing. Ferguson from LS is another example of a player who I thought could've played at a number of schools. Shurmur, like Morningwwg, had lineage. Frankly, I enjoy watching them all and wish them all the best. As a footnote, the current SJP QB will be in similar territory and then some.

 

[coverandmove1]

Certainly sjp kid has alot of interest in him already and only a sophomore. Another kid that comes to mind with regard to under recruitment is Udinski from NP , couple yrs back...he still at Virginia union?

 

[RoverNation05]

He definitely showed out at a really good camp. But I think what you put on tape is what schools really value. I think that’s probably what set Russo’s water line. Looking on 247, Rutgers was the only Power 5 school to offer.

Ferguson only had one year on tape, which is hard. He started as a redshirt freshman at Maine, which is usually a nationally relevant FCS program and had a strong first year. He’s going to be a big time guy there.

 

[Salvucci]

Russo a very nice player, very strong arm. Could be a 3 year starter at Temple. He did first comiite to Temple and Les Miles (LSU) visited Wood right before Signing day, but he chose to stay home. A lot of QB recruiting is done early for top programs soph and Junior year for sure, and if they get a kid to accept then fewer big time opportunites. Elite 11 is summer before senior year. Also, did not have a huge junior year. Also, the college game has evolved to many big time programs want dual threat or put a premium on mobility, again limiting more big time opportunities. Only so many schools looking for Pro style QB's. Certainly less than 5-10-20 years ago. He got his shot as a red shirt sophmore, which is great, and remember Temple was on the upswing when he was looking at schools. Wish him the best.

Cover....Have you watched a college football game lately, has to be 70% of D1 college players have ink....And I'm no tatoo guy....

 

[coverandmove1]

love the conversation gents, great points, just messing about the ink...

 

[SPEED&JUMP DR.]

Sometimes kids just fall in love with a coach , a school , or just wants to play close to home. Ed Oliver , at Houston ( same conference as Temple ), is the consensus #1 defensive player in the country. He could have went anywhere but he chose Houston because it was close to,home and his family can watch him play.

 

[newman107]

I don’t think you can question Russo’s attitude. Though it was a few years ago, and people can change, he won the starting QB job over Tommy Garlick with his play on the field. Didn’t complain, just went out and played better.