Earlier this season, McCluer North played at Kirkwood and the game featured two of the area’s top players.
Pioneers running back Jerod Alton led Kirkwood to a victory, and is committed to the University of Missouri.
North Stars wide receiver Harry Ballard, who was unstoppable throughout the game even when double covered, also ran back a kickoff for a touchdown in which he broke at least six tackles. He has committed to Kansas State.
Alton said on Twitter in August, “Proud to say I will continue my school and football career at the University of Mizzou.” He is being recruited as a wide receiver or defensive back, though, so his running back days will apparently end.
I’m still perplexed as to why Mizzou does not corner the market on the St. Louis area’s top African-American talent. When Earl Austin Jr. published his “Top prep players to watch in 2015” in late August, he included where several of the seniors plan to attend college and play.
Running back Tre Bryant of CBC, who scored 21 touchdowns last year in the Cadets’ state championship season, has also been nabbed by K-State. CBC is by far the best Class 6A team in the state and barring an upset should repeat as champions.
Bryant’s teammate, cornerback/receiver Lamar Anderson, has not committed, but ESPN Recruiting Nation has him receiving offers from Ball State, Bowling Green, Kansas and Western Michigan. Iowa and Iowa State are also recruiting the talented two-way player. Missouri was not listed.
Soldan International Studies defensive lineman Jaylen Bohannan’s coach told the Post-Dispatch in August that he had received a scholarship offer from Southeast Missouri State University and that Illinois, Northern Iowa, Syracuse and Wisconsin had shown interest. There was no mention of Missouri.
Roderick Campbell, a four year starter at defensive back for Chaminade and all-state candidate, is headed to Northwestern.
Dirion Hutchins, one of the area’s most talented defensive linemen at Francis Howell, committed to Bowling Green in Ohio.
O’Fallon (Ill.) running back Kentrail Moran is destined for the University of Illinois, and so is East St. Louis offensive lineman Trevour Simms.
Brendan Scales of Lafayette plays all over the field on offense, and is headed to Alabama to play tight end for coach Nick Saban.
Jeff Thomas of East St. Louis is a junior and one of the nation’s top receivers. ESPN Recruiting Nation reports that Missouri has offered him a scholarship, but so have Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Syracuse and Texas A&M.
There is no shame in losing an area player to another college, that’s not my point. But the emergence of running back Ezekiel Elliott at Ohio State University reminds the Tigers and Mizzou fans of his recruitment and the reported reasons why he chose the Buckeyes.
In March 2013, Ari Wasserman of the Buckeye Sports Bulletin interviewed Stacey Elliott, Ezekiel’s dad. He was reportedly not thrilled with the lack of coverage from the Columbia, Missouri, media. Meanwhile in Columbus, Elliott was already being hailed as a needed fixture on a team that would ultimately win the 2014 National Championship.
Wasserman wrote, “Mizzou lacked the same type of influence that Ohio State had. They used Elliott’s multiple visits to Mizzou and the fact that nobody wrote about it as an example. Stacey Elliott admitted that the passion, the coverage and just the overall following at Ohio State blows Mizzou out of the water. The Elliotts still admit to being blown away by how much support there is for the program. No matter where they go, people recognize Elliott.”
The sophomore running back went to Bloomington, Indiana, last week and without his effort and a final goal line stand the Buckeyes could have lost to the Hoosiers. Elliott rushed for 274 yards on 23 carries in the 34-27 win that keeps the Buckeyes atop the AP Top 25. Only former Buckeye and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George rushed for more yards in a game (314 yards.)
Elliott has rushed for 729 yards on just 100 carries this season and can be counted as “one that got away from Missouri” big time.
To land the Flyers’ Thomas and other cream-of-the-crop St. Louis area recruits it might take more commitment from the good folks down in Columbia – including those that cover the Tigers in the media.
Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on KETC channel 9’s most-popular show “Donnybrook,” and is also a radio commentator and author.
