In The Film Room Sam Acho
In The Film Room Sam Acho
Freebie by Tim Prister
http://notredame.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=565732
When one of our astute Irish Illustrated subscribers first informed me of
Sam Acho, the 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end from Dallas, I didn’t watch the footage right away because, after all, he hadn’t been offered a scholarship.
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It’s hard to imagine that Acho flew under the radar as long as he did. Scholarship offers from Southern California, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Stanford, and Virginia have suddenly made Acho a must see. His performance in USC’s Rising Senior Camp in June—a camp he wasn’t even invited to—really seemed to get the ball rolling.
Acho is a stud. Listed with 4.7 speed in the 40 (that’s what he ran at the USC camp), that may be accurate, but it’s hard to believe that it is. All I know is his 10-yard dash time is quite impressive. Coming off the edge at defensive end, Acho will run around you, he’ll jump over you or he’ll run through you. He seems to enjoy doing all three en route to the quarterback. His 34-inch vertical jump is a testament to his athletic skills. His 300-pound bench is solid but should improve if his work ethic in the weight room matches his intensity on the field.
Acho is very quick off the snap of the ball, and then he employs these short, rat-a-tat-tat steps that puts an offensive lineman on his heels. His body language screams, “I’m coming to get you!” Acho plays strong, mean and hard. He has a relentlessness about him. He plays with an anger, a fervor for contact. You might even say he plays nasty.
At tight end, he catches the ball and runs with abandon. Have you ever seen a tight end-around play? It’s a scary sight with Acho coming around the corner (although there’s one clip where he’s carrying the ball with one hand. Coach Weis wouldn’t approve).
The impressive thing is that he’s just tapping his talent if he’s listed as a three-star performer.
Notre Dame apparently has entered the running for Acho, who earlier this week called Southern California and Virginia the two schools he’s most interested in. In another statement, he said, “USC, Virginia and Stanford are up there.” He also said he’s excited about Nebraska.
Now Notre Dame is turning up the intensity, but the Irish reportedly have yet to offer a scholarship. The Texas Longhorns are another program that has shown an interest but apparently have not offered a scholarship either
Maybe the 6-foot-2 size isn’t tall enough for defensive end. (He could easily make the move to tackle/three-technique if necessary.) Maybe the 4.7 time has scared people away. You wouldn’t think the
3.5 grade point average, 1200 SAT and 26 ACT while at St. Mark’s High would be a hindrance.
Why is Acho just a three-star? Sometimes in the great football state of Texas, some guys get caught up in the numbers. I’ll be quite surprised if Sam Acho isn’t considered a four-star prospect in the weeks to come.
It doesn’t matter how many defensive ends the Irish have lined up. I wouldn’t hesitate snagging Acho. The Irish lose Victor Abiamiri and Chris Frome after this season. Travis Leitko is a short-timer upon his return. Ronald Talley and Justin Brown each have three years of eligibility heading into the 2006 season, but the Irish can’t get enough quality defensive line prospects. Justin Trattou could be a tackle, not an end. The Irish don’t know quite yet what will happen with Martez Wilson and Ben Martin.
If Acho is available, get him. This guy is a four-star talent…at least.
