A Step Ahead: Jim Stefani's Underclassmen Football Recruiting Blog

Class of 2008: Some Elite Tight Ends

Terrelle Pryor TE/ATH/QB 6'6 215 4.50 Jeannette Pennsylvania


Pryor is a special, special prospect and one of the nation’s truly elite athletes. He started as a junior at QB and safety, and wants to play QB in college. He’s talented enough to excel at the position, just as he could also excel at OLB, DE, WR or TE. He’s that sort of athlete. I’m initially ranking him as a TE, and the nation’s best at that!...........Earned First Team All-State as an all-purpose offensive threat as a junior after earning Second Team honors on the other side of the ball after his sophomore season………..Talk about being a dual-threat QB. As a junior, he led his team to the PIAA Class AA title game by passing for 1,720 yards and 15 TDs and running for another 1,703 yards and 23 TDs. As a safety, he had 5 INTs and quite a few sacks heading into the PIAA playoffs…....As a sophomore QB, he completed 53-of-106 passes for 719 yards and 6 TDs, and rushed for 663 yards and 10 TDs. On defense, he started at DE and OLB………Pryor has unusual quickness and speed for a big man (he runs the sprints in track) and possesses a strong arm (can throw the ball 70 yards in the air). His coach compares him to Vince Young with his great size, rocket arm and superb athleticism……As a quarterback, he’s still a bit raw but made tremendous strides between his sophomore and junior years and would be ranked among the nation’s very best (albeit it in a down year for the position)…….I like him best as a receiver due to his great frame, speed, athleticism, hands and ability to go vertical and get the ball……..Also stars in hoops and is one of the nation’s better prospects in that sport as well. He projects as a wing man. He has early offers to play basketball from the likes of Connecticut, Michigan, Clemson, Penn State and Pitt……….As of early January he had offers for football from such programs as Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Florida, Pittsburgh, Clemson, West Virginia and Nebraska…….Wants to play both sports in college, and he’s unique enough to be able to do it…….Had initially committed to play basketball at Pittsburgh back in January 2006, but he recanted a couple of months later…….3.5 GPA through his sophomore year……Will be remembered as one of the best athletes ever produced by Pennsylvania and will be rolling in money sooner rather than later.


Blake Ayles TE/DL 6'4 235 Orange Lutheran California

Blake is one of the top overall prospects in California and among the nation’s elite tight ends……In consecutive years he has been named First Team Sophomore and Junior All-State by CalHiSports.com and as a junior he was also named First Team All-Area by the Los Angeles Times and First Team All-County by the Orange County Register……..Plays for a strong team loaded with talent and had the advantage of having USC verbal Aaron Corp throwing him the pigskin……..Was hampered a bit by a shoulder injury his junior season, but still managed to snare 43 passes for 617 yards and 3 TD……As a sophomore, he had 36 receptions for 469 yards and 6 TDs………Has a knack for making big plays at crucial moments against the best competition……Has a good frame with long arms, nice, soft hands and runs well……A real physical blocker, his motor is always running…..He has really started to fill out and should b equally effective catching the ball and blocking at the next level.……By the end of 2006 he had offers from such programs as USC (Aaron Corp and Michael Reardon are teammates headed there), UCLA, Nebraska, Notre Dame (he’s Catholic), Colorado, California and Arizona State.


Chase Clement TE/DL 6'6 240 4.70 Thibodaux E.D. White Catholic Louisiana

Clement is a two-way standout who some analysts consider to be the top prospect in Louisiana……Was an Honorable Mention Class 3A All-State selection as a junior MLB, tallying 79 tackles and 3 sacks. He added 12 receptions for 182 yards and 2 scores from his TE spot……Could play on either side of the ball in college, either at TE or DE…….He has a great frame and the speed and quickness to play effectively in space. In fact, he plays linebacker in high school, pretty unique for an athlete his size……A tough kid who not only has the computer numbers but who also always has his motor running…….Has solid strength, with a 325+ bench, 400+ squat and 285+ clean……31-inch vertical.....As a sophomore, he tallied 65 tackles, 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 INT…….He was very impressive at the 2006 LSU summer camp……Nice bloodlines as his uncle, the late former LSU lineman Eric Andolsek, played in the NFL……By late 2006 he had already received offers from LSU, Florida and Mississippi.


Austin Holt TE/LB 6'6 220 4.90 South Jordan Bingham Utah

Holt is one of the nation’s very best tight ends……He first became a national name after putting on an impressive display at the 2006 U.S. Army Combine and he followed that up with another outstanding performance at the 2007 combine……….As a junior, he was a consensus First Team All-State selection at TE after hauling in 21 passes for 372 yards and 4 TDs……As a sophomore, he had 3 receptions for 72 yards and a score…....He has an excellent frame that has room to fill out, soft hands and is particularly effective at adjusting his body to the ball in making the catch…….Sophomore year combine results include a 4.90 forty, 4.40 shuttle, 31.5-inch vertical and 18 bench reps…...May graduate early and enroll in college in January 2008……3.9 GPA and scored a 20 on the ACT as a sophomore……….As of mid-.anuary 2007 he had early offers from BYU, Utah, Oregon and Stanford:


Kyle Rudolph TE 6'7 220 4.70 Cincinnati Elder Ohio


Rudolph leads a strong contingent of Ohio tight ends and ranks among the nation’s best………..As a junior, he was named Second Team All-Southwest District for Division I in his first year as a starter, hauling in over 40 passes and scoring 8 TDs………His best football is ahead of him as he has great height and a frame with lots and lots of room to fill out. He also has great hops, so he’s especially effective in going up and grabbing lob passes over outmatched DBs……….Very athletic with solid speed……Once he focuses just on football and hits the weight room he should add the additional strength needed to effectively block at the college level…..Runs solid routes and has nice hands………. Stars on the basketball team and was already starting as a freshman in the playoffs. He’s receiving Division I interest in that sport as well…..3.2 GPA…….By the end of 2006 he had offers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Boston College, Virginia, Wake Forest and Akron.

posted by Jim Stefani @ 8:24 AM