'11 PA TE Ben Koyack (Signed Notre Dame LOI)

[Tate the Great]

Per ISD talked with Bubba earlier today

 

[BGIF]

Update

Update

RANKING
Rivals: , #5 TE, Rating 5.9, National #71, 250 To Watch
Scout: , #2 TE
ESPN: , #4 TE, National #79, 150 Watch List

Top 5!

 

[IrishInFl]

Rivals are tough on all recruits so far. Even people who work for Rivals disagree with the 250.

 

[johnnykillz]

BOOM!

 

[johnnykillz]

This kid is gonna create some unbelievable plays. He's nearly our quickest commit this upcoming season, and an inch shy of our tallest...

What a tremendous combination of size and speed.

 

[Riddickulous]

So.

I watched Ben's highlight film. Rare for a high school highlight tape, it was almost nine minutes long. Here's what I've picked up on.

Great size. A solid 6'4", 6'5" and if he doesn't weigh 240+ pounds I'd be really surprised. For his tremendous size, he has some really nice open field moves and has enough speed to break a long one if he gets some space.

His team has him running very short routes. There wasn't any more than two or three routes longer than ten yards.

Koyack is going to be a very good, very reliable possession tight end. In a couple of years, we might see a rehash of the Rudolph/Ragone combo with Koyack and '10 commit Alex Welch, who is slimmer and quicker.

 

[BGIF]

Updated

Updated

RANKING
Rivals: , #5 TE, Rating 5.9, National #71, Rivals 100
Scout: , #4 TE
ESPN: , #4 TE, Grade 81, National #78, ESPN 150

Scout dropped him from #3 TE to #4.

ESPN dropped him one slot in their Top 150

 

[RyCo1983]

haha I am curious as to how they can justify any ranking changes at all at the moment...camps haven't opened. practices haven't started.
the kids should be allowed to prove themselves a bit before they are ranked by these sites.

 

[Junkhead]

haha I am curious as to how they can justify any ranking changes at all at the moment...camps haven't opened. practices haven't started.
the kids should be allowed to prove themselves a bit before they are ranked by these sites.

They have to make themselves relevant. Has Koyack's skills dropped? Generally, the recruiting services are pretty good. They have to feel like they are doing something though, so they move recruits around for seemingly no reason to us. If ND wants them, I have no problem with it. If they drop after signing with ND, it's laughable, who cares.

 

[NDinL.A.]

RANKING
Rivals: , #5 TE, Rating 5.9, National #71, Rivals 100
Scout: , #4 TE
ESPN: , #4 TE, Grade 81, National #78, ESPN 150

Scout dropped him from #3 TE to #4.

ESPN dropped him one slot in their Top 150

WHAT?????? One slot!!!! That's an outrage! An outrage I tells ya!

Actually the true outrage is the fact that I got scared shitless when I saw the Koyack thread pop up first on the front page, thinking something bad had happened. One slot, 10 slots, it maters not. The truth is that Ben didn't make the rounds in the summer camps like other TE's did, and so it was more of those guys moving up rather than Ben moving down. No biggie really.

When he kills it this year at his h.s. and then at an all-star game, he'll move right back up. And of not, BK and co know what a stud they landed...

 

[BGIF]

haha I am curious as to how they can justify any ranking changes at all at the moment...camps haven't opened. practices haven't started. the kids should be allowed to prove themselves a bit before they are ranked by these sites.

Camps haven't opened??

There have been combines and camps running across the country throughout the Spring and Summer. It's the prime vehicle to get noticed and to move upward. If you're not being seen, somebody else is.

Recruits that get a high rating, commit somewhere, and stop the recruiting/camping/strutting their stuff oftimes slip in the ranking to recruits that are making noise. Much like teams on a bye week get passed in the polls.

Recruits get another shot in their senior season and then in the all star games.

 

[BGIF]

...
Actually the true outrage is the fact that I got scared shitless when I saw the Koyack thread pop up first on the front page, thinking something bad had happened. One slot, 10 slots, it maters not. The truth is that Ben didn't make the rounds in the summer camps like other TE's did, and so it was more of those guys moving up rather than Ben moving down. No biggie really.

When he kills it this year at his h.s. and then at an all-star game, he'll move right back up. And of not, BK and the co know what a stud they landed...

ESPN moved Seferian-Jenkins from TE to OT. I figured Koyack would move up. He didn't.

 

[TerryTate]

The Associated Press: Koyack hits right tune on the football field

Associated Press | September 1, 2010

Koyack hits right tune on the football field
(AP) – 2 hours ago
OIL CITY, Pa. — Ben Koyack hails from a family of musicians, complete with a music teacher as a mother.
As proficient with the trombone, piano and euphonium as he is with throwing, catching and running with a football, he was faced with a quandary as an incoming freshman three years ago.
Becoming the starting quarterback for Oil City High School's varsity football team would mean he couldn't be part of the marching band.
Three successful football seasons later, Koyack isn't regretting the fact he was deprived of the chance to march at halftime.
"It's one of those things that worked itself out," said Koyack, on The Associated Press East Region 25 list of top recruits. "It worked out nicely."
Koyack is one of the top tight ends in the country and will take his game to Notre Dame next year. But that's only part of his athletic resume.
The rare freshman who started at both quarterback and shortstop, Koyack was a state champion in the javelin last year. Koyack has played quarterback, tight end, defensive end, linebacker and wide receiver for the Oilers.
"He's 6-5, 235, runs a 4.5 and can throw the ball 70 yards," Oil City coach Matt LaVerde said. "Ben's just a really good athlete in whatever he does."
Since he was a little boy, Koyack has invariably been the biggest, strongest and fastest on the field. At the major Division I level, that won't necessarily be the case anymore. While, as LaVerde put it, "when he goes up against a big, 240-pound kid, he just destroys him," Koyack is committed to showing that intensity against even the most overmatched of defenders.
"I'm definitely concentrating on making sure I go my hardest every play, regardless of how big the big the guy across from me is," Koyack said. "I know I'll be doing that at the college level."
When Notre Dame hired coach Brian Kelly away from Cincinnati, Koyack was able to have the school with both the academics and offensive scheme he preferred.
"He was interested in Notre Dame as a school, and he liked Cincinnati's offense from watching them on TV," LaVerde said. "Once Coach Kelly took the job at Notre Dame, Ben was able to commit pretty quick."

 

[Irish Man3]

Great post. Im very excited about this kid and Welch. We just seem to continue to turn out solid TE's. If Kyle was to stay that would obv help out Ben's progression tremendously. There's nobody better to learn from then Rudolph.

 

[BGIF]

... when he goes up against a big, 240-pound kid, he just destroys him,"

He won't be facing many LBs much bigger than 240 pounds. Gonna me some interesting mismatches.

 

[Rocket89]

The Associated Press: Koyack hits right tune on the football field

Associated Press | September 1, 2010

Dear Lord, he could run the wildcat, run over people, run past people or fire a pass deep down field.

This kid looks soooo f-ing good.

 

[The Polish Irishman]

8 catches, 135 yards and a TD on Friday.

Welcome to TE U

 

[Junkhead]

8 catches, 135 yards and a TD on Friday.

Welcome to TE U

He better step it up, did he have a 95yd td? Sarcasm and mancrush on Rudy in effect!

 

[Junkhead]

Sorry, his number were exactly 9 catches for 181 yards and 1 TD. So maybe he did.

I guess those are acceptable numbers for a TE. I guess.

 

[GEORGIA DOMER]

I think ben was the primary on that pass, just slipped out of his hand a bit! lazer beam

 

[IHateMarkMay]

I read somewhere that Miami thinks they are TE U.... hahah

 

[GEORGIA DOMER]

MIAMI THINKS

MIAMI THINKS

I read somewhere that Miami thinks they are TE U.... hahah

did not know they did that down there at the U!

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Thank you for partially defending Nick O'Leary. He's just a kid, and it was just a finger. Wrong? Sure, but not suspension wrong. Also, what is the lesson when adults can blatantly cheat 17-year-old kids but the kid gets punished for holding up a finger? A slight reprimand was much more appropriate. All that being said, how perfect is O'Leary for TE U?! Jeremy Shockey. Kellen Winslow. Greg Olsen. O'Leary.
-- Brett Trembly, Miami, Fla.

Randy Shannon's honesty and the recruiting impact of Ole Miss' loss highlight Corey Long's weekly mailbag. - ESPN
Last Question.

Dilusional. No way their TE's are better than ND's.

 

[IrishinSyria]

In all fairness, its probably 1a and 1b. Shockey, Winslow, and Olsen are all sick.

 

[ACamp1900]

did not know they did that down there at the U!

let Miami, SC, Penn St. and others aruge over who s what "position U"...

let's just win some BCS games and re-establish the title of "The University of College Football in America"

it's true, it's pisses off ALL the haters (especially those from the south... )

it just works on so many levels.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Agree with ACAMP, but still, from Leon Hart to Kyle Rudolph it is Notre Dame who puts an unending string of big fast receivers who can run, catch, and block on the field and into the NFL [often all the way to the Hall of Fame]. Alex Welch and Ben Koyack are just two more great-ones-in-waiting who will continue what is really an astonishing tradition, which I'm not only proud of, but which did win us games and championships, and ain't a bad recruiting tool either.

 

[The Polish Irishman]

Dropped 2 spots in the latest ESPN 150

 

[The Polish Irishman]

Lost his 5th star on Scout

Not sure how, here how he performed in his games this year.

3 receptions, 36 yards, 1 TD
8 receptions, 135 yards, 1 TD
3 receptions, 34 yards,
4 receptions, 32 yards, 1 TD
4 receptions, 121 yards, 2 TD
5 reception, 95 yards, 2 TD
5 receptions, 73 yards, 1 TD
8 receptions, 152 yards, 1 TD


He is a beast.

 

[GreatGolson]

F*ck the ratings services.

 

[aubeirish]

F*ck the ratings services.

I agree, this guy is a stud.