GVFootball.com

RB Zach Breen - Rockford High School (Rockford, MI)
By: Kyle Schwerin

Breen (3rd from left) signing his LOI to Grand Valley

It’s usually unforeseen that one college football team will pick up 3 different All-State running backs in one year. Grand Valley did it this year like it was no problem at all. James Berezik (Warren DeLaSalle), Greg Gay (Macomb Dakota) and Breen were all named All-State RB’s in the state of Michigan this year, and all 3 played their final collegiate games at Ford Field, competing for a state championship.

Although Breen already had a couple.

Zach capped off a career at Rockford HS that most kids dream of when they start playing high school football.

During his freshman year, Breen played on Rockford’s junior varsity team, running for 1100 yards and 25 touchdowns, and earned a spot on the varsity squad for the playoffs.

Then his sophomore year came, and Breen started showing the Rams what he would give them for the next couple years. Zach had 89 carries for 641 yards and 8 TD’s (a 7.2 ypc avg.) en route to a Division 1 state championship over Sterling Heights Stevenson. He also earned honorable mention all-area, as well as being named an all-stater for track.

Junior year seemed even easier. 129 carries for 1266 yards and 23 TD’s (a 7.1 ypc avg.) to go with 430 yards receiving and 4 TD’s on 22 catches led Rockford to their second consecutive state championship, this time over Canton. Hmm. I know a college football team that seems to be making a habit out of back-to-back championships as well…

Breen’s efforts in 2005 earned him 1st team all conference, 1st team all area, and honorable mention all-state, to go along with being the team MVP and MVP of the state championship game. Oh, and another all-state award in track again.

Then the awards really started flowing in after his spectacular senior season. 186 carries for 1404 yards and 19 TD’s (a 7.5 ypc avg.), 13 catches for 168 yards and 1 TD, and 12 kickoff returns for 388 yards (a 32.3 yards per return average) and 1 TD. And while the Rams didn’t rack up a 3rd straight state title, they were runners-up, capping off a spectacular run. The accolades for this season just need to be listed:

1st Team All-Conference RB (Ottawa-Kent Red)
1st Team Detroit Free Press All-State
1st Team AP All-State
1st Team Detroit News All-State
1st Team North All-Area Advance Team
Grand Rapids Press All-Area Dream Team
Team Captain
Team Offensive MVP
3-year Varsity Award

Oh, and to cap it all off…right now he’s aiming at studying dentistry at Grand Valley.

When asking how Zach’s Grand Valley visit compared to his other schools:

“GVSU just seemed to be the perfect fit because the players seemed to love playing there and the coaches seem dedicated to the players.”

He also had visits at Wayne State and Central Michigan.

And just to go along with our trend of this year’s recruits citing Grand Valley’s academics as a point of interest, Breen also had this to say when asked about his thoughts when it comes to Grand Valley:

“I can’t wait to get out there and play with the best in the nation. Also, I think it’s a great place to get a great education in all fields of study.”

With a 3.85 GPA, I don’t think Zach will have any problem succeeding both on and off the field.

Welcome to Allendale, Zach!

Zach Breen numbers:
Height: 5′10″
Weight: 192 lbs.
Max Bench: 300 lbs.
40-Time: 4.58 Seconds
GPA: 3.85
ACT: 25

LB Blair Hollis - Orchard Lake St. Mary’s HS (Eastpointe, MI)
By: Kyle Schwerin

Our 2nd day in a row highlighting a player who comes from the storied Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School…and another player who, to the benefit of all of us Laker fans, fell to GVSU from what should have been Division I.

As MichiganPrep.com’s Josh Helmholdt stated:

“It can be a blessing or a burden to be on one of the top high school football teams in the entire country. For outside linebacker prospect Blair Hollis of Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary’s, it is a blessing in a number of ways. Four of his teammates hold BCS Conference offers heading into the summer and the 5-11, 230-pound Hollis is a good bet to be the fifth sooner rather than later.”

Hollis joins teammate Ricky Thomas from OLSM, and both were forces on a defense that carried the Eaglets to an 8-3 record, and Hollis also was a viable option in the rushing game for Orchard Lake as he frequently got the goal-line carries to pound the ball into the endzone.

Hollis came to OLSM from Detroit St. Martin DePorres where he played as a freshman on a defense that went to the state finals but eventually lost to Unionville-Sebewaing and fellow GVSU Laker Lance Travis. Unfortunately, that was DePorres’ last season as the school was shut down. However, Hollis made the best of it and turned out to be one of the most productive players on one of the best high school teams in the country.

With that, we’re glad to have yet another Division I caliber prospect here at Grand Valley. Welcome to Allendale, Blair!

Some Blair numbers, courtesy of rivals.com:

Height: 6′1″
Weight: 221 lbs.
40-Yard Dash: 4.83 Seconds
Bench Reps: 30
Vertical: 27 Inches
Shuttle: 4.5 Seconds

DB Oji Cathey - Orchard Lake St. Mary’s HS / University of Louisville / Oakland C.C. (Farmington Hills, MI)
By: Kyle Schwerin

Unfortunately, we don’t have much on Oji since he’s kind of a special story as far as his football career goes.

The last known stats that could be found for Oji Cathey were all the way back in 2001 when he was 2nd on OLSM’s powerhouse football team for both rushing and receiving. Oji ran the ball 177 times for 1119 yards and 8 touchdowns (6.3 yards per carry) and also caught 12 passes for 255 yards and 4 touchdowns, trailing future Michigan starting defensive back Morgan Trent in the receiving categories. Oji was a junior that year when he helped lead his team to a 12-2 record and a runner-up finish in Division 4. He won the state championship his freshman and sophomore years when the Eaglets of OLSM went 13-1 and 12-2, respectively, taking home the crown in Division 4 over Grand Rapids South Christian and Coopersville. All of this occurring obviously before Orchard Lake St. Mary’s started playing up to Division 1.

Oji went to Louisville to start his collegiate career playing football, and after a year there, came home to spend the next couple years at Oakland Community College.

Cathey now joins the Lakers as a seasoned 23 year old who has been out of football for a couple years, but no doubt you can expect him to be ready to go when the season rolls around.

Welcome to Allendale, Oji!

Height: 5′10″
Weight: 172 lbs.

SS Andrew Lorman - Cary-Grove High School (Cary, Illinois)
By: Kyle Schwerin

Lorman, as most players in this year’s class, once again is one of those super-athletes. Coach Martin emphasized how many players in this class could run and jump with the best of them. Andrew is a perfect example.

Along with being a thousand yard rusher at fullback, being a defensive back, and labeled as “the fastest player on the team” when it came to football…he also is one of the school’s best basketball and baseball players.

Lorman this year took a break from playing fullback, only rushing for 634 yards and 9 TD’s on 85 carries as opposed to over 1100 yards his junior year, but that was to focus on the position he will be listed at here at GV, defensive back. On defense, Lorman was a game-changing safety, racking up 62 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 interceptions. He helped his team continue being a powerhouse in Illinois state football. His team during his senior season went 11-1, the defense giving up no more than 7 points for each of the first 11 games, until falling in the state playoffs, 15-14. He also caught five passes on the year for 89 yards and two touchdowns on the year.

Lorman’s best game of the season rushing the ball came against Dundee-Crown where he ran the ball 13 times for 99 yards and 4 touchdowns en route to a 56-7 victory. On defense, he racked up 10 total tackles in a game against Jacobs, and 9 total tackles and a pick against South.

While he wasn’t included in the recruiting press conference video because he hadn’t signed his Letter of Intent at the time of the conference, you can bet that being labeled the fastest player on an 11-1 state powerhouse and racking up 62 tackles from a defensive back position means he was a pretty fast ballhawk, and we can’t wait to see what he can do at the next level. Welcome to Allendale, Andrew!

Height: 6′1″
Weight: 208 lbs.

LB Brandon Allen - Joliet (Central) Township (Joliet, Illinois)
By: Kyle Schwerin

One of the many linebackers brought in with this year’s class, Brandon Allen brings probably more athleticism than any other player brought in. However, that whole linebacker thing might be changing.

Chuck Martin at the recruiting press conference commented that Brandon will be looked at for defensive back, defensive end, linebacker, and also wide receiver. A guy with his size and speed (4.4’s) can be put nearly anywhere on the field and be effective.

The Joliet basketball star shows his proficiency on the court as well, holding multiple school records, most notably the most offensive rebounds in one game with 13.

When presenting the class, Chuck Martin had some great things to say about Brandon. He mentioned that Brandon has “Sky’s the limit potential because he’s very raw and has a lot to learn about the game of football.” Considering he’s already good enough to be on the defending National Championship team, and still has a lot to learn…that says a lot about his skills. The Southwest Suburban Blue Division All-Conference linebacker should grow into yet another great Laker.

With that, we’d like to make the ball hawking (current) linebacker feel at home…Welcome to Allendale, Brandon!

Height: 6′4″
Weight: 205 lbs.

Today was another incredibly busy day at work (still here in fact) so we have no Showcase for today. Check back tomorrow for another look into a player that will be joining the team in the fall.

WR Marshawn Selby - Jackson HS (Jackson, MI)
By: Eric Stoike

Today’s 2007 Showcase comes to us from Jackson HS in Jackson, Michigan. During high school, he was a three sport kid playing football, basketball, and track. At 5′7″ and 160 lbs, he is on the small side as a running back but that did not stop him from gaining yards on the field. During his senior year, he racked up 973 yards in only 91 carries with 8 TD’s on the season. That’s almost an 11 yards/carry average!

Before leaving high school, he picked up a few accolades along the way. On September 16th, he was the Orthopaedic Rehab Specialists, PC Prep Athlete of the Week. This was in response to a game versus Grand Ledge where he ran for 2 long touchdowns and 223 yards on the night. His coach was describing him as “a great team player that runs the fullback trap to perfection.” By the end of the season, he was listed as the #68 running back in the state. The Detroit Free Press selected Marshawn as one of three running backs form Division 1 HS’s to be on the All State Division 1 Team.

Marshawn will step to a different tune here at Grand Valley in the wide reciever position. He was in fact the only WR on the signing class at this point (moves are inevitable in the future).

Welcome to Allendale, Marshawn!

OL Alex Ahee - Grosse Pointe North HS (Grosse Pointe Shores, MI)
By: Kyle Schwerin

Another one of the few linemen that were brought in with the 2007 class, Alex Ahee comes to us as one of the few players who actually didn’t have any Division I offers. However, that doesn’t mean he’s any less of a player.

Ahee is also one of the very few players in this year’s class who was listed on espn.com’s list of top offensive tackle prospects.

And he’s actually the highest rated player on there from this year’s class.

Ahee actually got a 66 ranking on espn.com, which equates to being a “Solid Prospect” who can develop into a solid Division I contributor, as well as being the 169th ranked offensive tackle in the entire country.

Here’s what espn.com’s analysis of Alex was:

“Ahee is a good sized prospect, but does look on film to be able to add good bulk. He does a solid job of quickly getting into a defender and makes good initial contact. He uses his hands, but needs to improve his placement. He can be very erratic with his hands and will wind up with his hands on the outside of a defender’s frame too often. He plays with adequate pad level and displays the ability to get some push off the line off the scrimmage in the run game. He is not an overpowering drive blocker, but works to move a defender out of the hole. He can play lower and work on his initial explosion to help him be more consistent with his push. He does a solid job of stepping down and being able to get position and wash a defender down. He does a solid job of working his way up to second level and getting a piece of moving targets. He needs to keep working on the angles he takes. He is adequate when asked pull, but is not overly fluid in his movement. He is a solid pass blocker. He has adequate ability to mirror a rusher. He does a solid job of using his hands, but needs to work on being more forceful and punching. He will at times be a bit of waist bender. He does show good awareness to pick-up a blitzer. He does stay patient when a rusher is trying to counter. Ahee is a solid football player. He may lack the natural athleticism to play left tackle, but shows some promise as a right tackle.”

When asked why exactly Alex chose Grand Valley when he had such good grades for a Division I prospect, he once again cited academics as many kids in this year’s class have:

“The main reasons I picked GV are the academics, the football program, and the size of the school. Also I talked with some GV football alumni and everything they told me sounded great.”

So while Alex didn’t have the Division I recognition, he sure has the Division I skills, and GV is happy to have him! Welcome to Allendale, Alex!

LB Brad Howard - Mishawaka HS (Mishawaka, Ind.)
By: Kyle Schwerin

With possibly the best linebacking corps Grand Valley has ever seen graduating after this upcoming season, it was essential that they go after some of the best at that position in this year’s recruiting class.

Brad Howard was part of that class along with Thomas and Cottrell who we have already showcased.

Howard comes to us from Mishawaka, Indiana where he was featured mostly as a fullback, and was actually listed on espn.com’s fullback recruiting list for the midwest. However, at season’s end, he was named as an all-stater at his GV-listed linebacker spot.

In this season’s recruiting press conference video, Howard showed that he had a nose for the ball and was a fantastic runner as a fullback. That’s not to take away from his linebacking abilities however, as he also proved to be a very solid and fundamentally sound tackler.

Howard’s high school football coach commented on his athletic ability and his passion to play multiple positions when he was talking to the South Bend Tribune:

“From the moment Brad stepped on the field, we knew he was a pretty good athlete,” Aldrich said. “He’s played a lot of different positions for us and done a fairly good job wherever we’ve put him.

“We just feel the place where he can help us the most is at middle linebacker. He’s got great vision and might be one of the quickest players we’ve ever had.”

Unfortunately, whether it be because of a lack of Indiana-football stats in general, or just Howard’s team, there’s not much information available on him and that’s all we can bring to you about him for the showcase today.

Height: 6′0″
Weight: 243 lbs.

Today’s showcase, Lawrence Kimble, comes to us from Mona Shores High School in Muskegon. Already in his junior year, he was making waves big enough for multiple Division I schools to come looking. He had looks from Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, and the University of Michigan.

Martin described Kimble as a “very explosive, great inside runner” during the press conference. Kimble’s high school coach said “He’s the best, most explosive running back I’ve coached in 10 years.” With accolades like these, there must be a reason.

The reason started to appear during a game versus Zeeland East in early October of 2005. In just 12 minutes of play, Kimble had already rushed for 220 yards and 5 touchdowns. He finished his portion of the game in the second quarter adding two more TD’s to the game. He finished the game with seven touchdowns and 324 yards which ties a state record for most touchdowns by one player in a single quarter at five. WOW!

In his junior season, he finished with 1,540 yards and 21 TD’s. At the Columbus NIKE Training Camp in May of 2006, he was rated in the top 5 at the running back position. Finally to end his high school career, he put up 1176 yards and 17 TD’s as a senior. Very impressive high school career at Mona Shores despite the teams overall record leaning towards the losing side.

Laker Country is definitely welcoming Lawrence to GVSU with open arms. There are plenty of records to break and set higher here! Welcome Lawrence!

Kimble in digits (courtesy of rivals.com):

Ht: 5-foot-8 (some articles have him at 6 foot though…)
Wt: 174 lbs
Forty: 4.49 secs
Bench reps: 25
Vertical: 31 inches
Shuttle: 4.06 secs