FORT SCOTT, Kan. – This past Saturday, two junior college teams from the state of Kansas battled in what turned out to be a 34-14 victory for Fort Scott over Dodge City. Even though Fort Scott and Dodge City entered the game with 1-3 and 0-4 records, respectively, there was still plenty of talent on both rosters.
Fort Scott freshman defensive end William Bland showed the potential to be a top national recruit next year.
FORT SCOTT
DE William Bland (2014): Interestingly enough, the 6-6/245 freshman was not listed on the roster prior to the game. A postgame roster listed his hometown as Cincinnati and the only record of a player by his name from Cincinnati is from the class of 2007, so it will be interesting to see if he is, in fact, the same person and what he has been up to. Regardless, he can play and I expect him to be a national prospect next year. He had five tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a batted pass in the game.
CB Antonio Carter: The 5-11/180 defensive back played both the pass and the run well. He had two pass breakups and an interception he returned for 42 yards for a touchdown but also forced a fumble on a big hit. He wasn’t flashy but he got the job done, which is a reason he has offers from Indiana, South Alabama and Toledo.
DE Demetrius Hill: Though listed at 6-3/255 the Indiana pledge looked a bit smaller than that. In fact, he was built a lot like an SEC-type outside linebacker. He was quick off the edge and tough for opposing offensive tackles to get their hands on. He could struggle against Big Ten offensive linemen because of his size but he has a good motor. He finished with seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and two pass breakups.
WR Terrence Hoskin (2014): The 6-2/190 redshirt freshman from St. Louis had a strong game as he showed a knack for finding the seam in the defense. He opened the scoring by getting behind the entire secondary for a 74-yard touchdown. He fumbled on the goalline on another play, though, so he needs to work on ball control. He is not incredibly fast and isn’t a big play threat, despite his long touchdown, he is a solid possession receiver. He finished with six receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown.
LB Marceice Jackson: The 6-3/240 inside linebacker was one of the bigger surprises of the game. Originally set to graduate last year and enroll at Minnesota he ended up a couple credits shy. Now on pace to be a December grad with two to play two, the Alabama native moves incredibly well for his size. He can cover in the middle but he is best as a downhill run-stopper. He is incredibly active and could be a steal for a team looking for a true MIKE linebacker. He had 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
CB Kevin Short: Though the size of a safety at 6-2/185, he is definitely a cornerback. He was all over the field on Saturday and shut down his side using his size to his advantage. He was particularly effective on special teams though. On a Fort Scott punt, he caught it on the fly inside the five-yard line to give Dodge City a long field. After helping force a three-and-out on that series, he returned the subsequent punt for a touchdown. He currently has offers from Kansas, Northern Illinois and South Alabama but look for that list to grow.
DT Justin Taimatuia: The Boise State commitment was very generously listed in the database at 6-2/285 prior to this weekend but he is actually much closer to 6-foot tall. Curiously, he does not start for the Greyhounds but they do utilize a lot of defensive linemen in the rotation. He was relatively quiet most of the game but did a pretty good job holding down the middle against the run. He had four tackles and a forced fumble.
Four-star defensive end Marcus Hardison had an impressive strip-sack in the game.
DT Marquis White (2014): A bounceback from South Florida, the 6-3/310 defensive tackle is still very new to the game of football. This is only his third season playing the sport. He was raw but has size you can’t coach and did a great job holding up the interior linemen against the run. Given another year to truly learn the nuances of the game, he has a chance to be a good one.
DODGE CITY
DE Marcus Hardison: It was hard to truly get a read on the 6-4/285 four-star prospect because he was playing out of position at defensive tackle. He does not have a strong enough base to stand up against the run in the interior. He did show flashes of why he has over two dozen offers, though, as he chased down the runner from behind a couple times. He was also an effective pass rusher when he was able to get into the backfield and had a big sack that resulted in a fumble. He is an Arizona State lean at this time.
WR Avonte Jones: You would be hard-pressed to find a better-looking wide receiver on the hoof than the 6-5/220 North Carolina product. However, he really struggled with his hands, dropping several balls thrown his way. He did finish with three catches for 50 yards though.
OLB Jeremy Springer: The 6-1/217 defender was another player playing out of place. He lined up as a defensive end, though he was playing as a standup end on most plays. He did a solid job of using his hands to create separation and was probably the most active defender for Dodge City. He had an impressive fumble recovery as well.
QB Jason Stewart (2014): The 6-3/216 Hargrave Military product had an up-and-down game. He was very good at times, showing nice touch on the deep ball, while also finding crossing receivers but he also forced a lot of throws and made poor decisions that resulted in interceptions. Though not usually a running threat, he was terrific on third downs in that aspect and finished as the game’s leading rusher with 123 yards. He was 25-52 passing for 272 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
- Brian Perroni
- National Recruiting Analyst - 247Sports