Three programs battling it out for Koyack By Jesse McCormack/ThaRinger.Com * Photo via Scout.Com
4.2.10
Big time
tight ends are often some of the most sought after
prospects, mainly because there are so few of them out
there. Judging by his offers, it's suffice to say that
college recruiters have found one in Oil City, PA native
Ben Koyack.
Koyack discussed with ThaRinger.com how his past season
went, as well as what he feels he needs to work on to
become an even better prospect.
"The season went very well. The team made it to the
playoffs for the first time in ten years." He said. "I
believe I played well in the seven games that I could.
This year, I had 43 catches for about 750 yards and 6
touchdowns in 7 games.
"Blocking, and using my body more. I need to be able to
make plays happen for other people running the ball, and
I also need to realize that I'm a big body, and I
shouldn't be trying to juke out a corner. I should be
running at them with a head of steam."
An exceptional athlete, Koyack excels at several
positions, but believes he's found his home at tight
end.
"Quarterback is definitely a rush," he said. "But I'd
still have to say tight end (as to what position he will
play). Even though you get to control the plays more,
and be able to change the outcome, tight end is what
I've trained for, and what I excel at. I like it because
it's a hybrid position. You can't just be dominant at
one aspect of the game and start. You have to be able to
block and catch the ball. It's probably one of the
toughest positions to play."
Koyack, who is currently 6'5, 235 pounds and runs a 4.6
forty, sports offers from all along the east coast and
beyond
"As far as schools offering, pretty much all the main
ones around the east coast have offered, like Ohio
State, Penn State, Duke, Virginia Tech, and the
Carolinas." He said. "Also, ones away from there, like
USC, Cal, and Notre Dame.
"A bunch (of coaches are recruiting him)." Koyack said.
"From Ohio State, I have Peterson, Gillum, and Tressel;
from Penn State, it's mostly Coach McQueary; and from
Notre Dame, I talk with Coach Molner. I do talk to a lot
of other coaches from other schools as well."
Though many schools are after him, Koyack admits that
three are starting separate themselves, but still claims
he doesn't have a favorite.
"My three favorites at the moment would probably be
Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State." Said Koyack.
"Closeness to home is probably one of the main factors
behind that, because so far, those are three of the few
schools I've been able to visit. I really don't have one
(a favorite) at the moment, or picking a school would be
a lot easier."
Does Koyack feel any pressure to stay close to home?
"Pressure? Not really, but it would be nice. Being close
to home would allow me to come back and see my family
and friends, whenever possible."
Koyack talked about the possibility of playing with his
friends, as well as who he grew up becoming a fan of.
"Dallas Williams is basically my brother," He said. "And
we've always talked about going to the same school, but
I'm not sure if it'd be possible. Also, I have a buddy
down in Texas I talk to a lot, and we always talk about
how we're going to meet up someday in a game.
"I grew up watching Notre Dame, but I wasn't a huge
college football fan until about 8th grade, so I never
really had a favorite college team."
What schools are in luck with a visit from Koyack?
"I'm definitely going to check out Notre Dame, Ohio
State, and Penn State for the Nike camp sometime in the
near future." Koyack said. "I'm not sure though with the
other schools yet."
He then went on to discuss what his plans were for when
he steps foot on campus, what it's like being a highly
sought after recruit, his grades, as well as what he
does in his free time and what type of music he listens
to.
"I try to stay under the radar whenever possible."
Koyack said. "I don't wanna walk onto campus freshman
year, and have a huge hype. I'd rather be the surprise
than the disappointment.
"As of right now, with the exception of a few moments
here and there, it's not much different than being a
normal teenager. Sometimes, someone will say something
about going to college for football, and I just try to
ignore it. I don't want people to judge me for it. But
the recruiting process is definitely fun. While it can
be overwhelming, you have to find the good in it.
"The grades are looking real good right now. I've had
straight A's the last two report cards.
"I play a lot of poker with my friends, and we actually
have a ping pong club, which is extremely competitive.
In general, I just enjoy hanging out with friends when I
get the chance. Pretty much anything (music wise). Right
now, I've been listening to a lot of MGMT, Kid Cudi, and
even some Owl City. I like to listen to more abstract
stuff than the average football player."
Koyack comes in at #83 in ThaRinger.com's Top 250 for
the class of 2011 and projects as a four star prospect.
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