Tag Archives: Dade Christian Football

Duke is a finalist for star Miami student-athlete Ryan Janvion

Dade Christian's Ryan Janvion has narrowed his college choices down to Duke, Vanderbilt, and Wake Forest

The strength of the new Duke defense relies on a group of dynamic athletes at the safety position to slow opposing offenses. Duke’s safeties are led by seniors Matt Daniels and Lee Butler, which means that the Blue Devils will have to reload at the position in 2012. The Duke coaching staff has secured a verbal commitment from Jacksonville safety Dwayne Norman and hopes another athletic Florida safety will join him in the Blue Devils’ class of 2012. Ryan Janvion, a 5’11” 175 pound athlete from Miami, recently took a visit to Durham and came away impressed. A four-year starter for Dade Christian HS, Janvion has played all over the field in his high school career, but is focused on playing strong safety at the college level. A star on the field and in the classroom (4.0 GPA), Ryan has narrowed his college choices down to Duke, Vanderbilt, and Wake Forest. As the prototypical elite student-athlete Duke targets, the Blue Devil coaching staff is hopeful that Ryan will fill one of their few remaining available scholarships in the class of 2012. [private]

 

BDN: Can you tell us a little bit about your high school career and your strengths on the field?

I’m definitely being recruited most heavily as a strong safety. Colleges feel like I can be the best threat at that position because I can be involved in both the run and the pass game. My high school career has been great, I’ve been a four-year starter at Dade Christian, I started as a freshman. I actually started my 8th grade year during the spring, and that really helped me to get to the point where I am now because I was starting to define where I was going and I got used to playing the game of football early and that gave me an advantage over a lot of people. The game started slowing down for me each and every year and I’m at a point now where I just want to dominate on the field and be an unstoppable force and a game-changer.

BDN: What are some of the things you’re working on as you head into your senior season?

I’m definitely hitting the weights hard, trying to put on as much muscle mass as I can, well not so much that as just getting the strength portion in, continuing to get stronger. Since I know where I will be playing as a college player, I’ve started working on position-specific drills to improve my footwork, making sure my backpedal is right, my plant foot, different things that a safety would use on a gamefield. My hips, making sure my hips are flexible allowing them to turn and stop and do all the things to be able to cover good receivers, that’s what I’ve basically been doing. And also just working on speed because speed kills, you never want to neglect your speed. That’s probably one of, if not the, most important parts of the game, especially playing in the ACC football league.

BDN: Where do you stand with your recruiting process in regards to schools and scholarship offers?

I have a lot of offers, but the thing that made it really easy in my case, so to speak, was the academic standpoint. I definitely am one of those guys who is very serious about my academics, I’m a 4.0 student and I have straight A’s and I’m at the top of my class, so academics is really important to me. I definitely was only really looking at the schools that have the academic part to it as well, so that just kind of narrowed schools down for me just like that. And then I was able to narrow it down to my top 3 schools which were Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, and Duke, and that’s who I just visited this past week, I just got back today.

BDN: That’s a perfect segue into my next question about your visits, but before you talk about that, can you talk about what stood out to you about each of your three finalists?

They have great programs. They offer me a great opportunity to play early as well. Wake has been a special one, they were my first offer and they’ve been on me since my sophomore year. I’ve gotten to know my recruiting coordinator very well. I also have a teammate who plays at Wake Forest who was a great help to me my freshman year. His name is Daniel Mack and he was the one who really just carried me through high school football my freshman year. It was really new to me and I was one of the youngest players on the field, so me and him definitely have a great relationship.

BDN: That’s great to have a mentor like that. Can you talk a little about your visits, what you got to see and what stood out to you?

Well my first visit was to Duke. Duke’s campus is beautiful. The coaches actually had left on a retreat so when I saw the campus I didn’t get to see any of the coaches, but they actually came down just to see me the next day. I got to meet Coach Cutcliffe again, and my recruiting coordinator, Coach Lubick, and my position coach, Coach Knowles, my safety coach. Coach Cutcliffe is….wow, he’s amazing. He’s so wise and he knows what he’s doing. He’s a great head coach and he’s definitely going to do big things with that program. I had a great talk to him, I talked to him for over two hours and he really feels like I can be a part of something big at Duke.

BDN: I’m guessing you drove over to Wake Forest after Duke?

The next day I went to Wake. I had a sit down, the same talk with Coach Grobe. They’re both…I honestly really can’t pick a head coach between Coach Grobe and Coach Cutcliffe, they’re both tremendous guys, they’re very wise, they know what they’re doing and they know how to win. That’s definitely going to be a tough decision on my part. I’d have to look at the whole spectrum. Wake also has given me a great opportunity to play early. Two of their main guys at safety are graduating this year coming up, so that gives me an opportunity to step up and play early. Their campus is definitely beautiful. They were the first campus that I ever saw, I got to go up there and visit my sophomore year when I went to a camp, so this was my second time going and I was able to bring my dad and stuff. That was a really good visit to.

BDN: That’s a long drive from Winston-Salem to Nashville, so I’m hoping you flew. What did you think of Vanderbilt?

Yeah definitely, we flew. I didn’t expect to see what I saw at Vanderbilt. Their campus is really just in the middle of Nashville and it’s not closed off in any way. There’s main streets running right through their campus, and not just one, multiple streets. It was cool they were taking me on the golf cart and I was like “man, there’s no gates or anything like that.” The buildings are nice, I met the coaches, I have a great relationship with my recruiting coordinator over there as well, Coach McGriff. I met the head coach and he showed me his background and stuff like that and he’s looking to do big things at Vanderbilt, and we’ll see how that goes.

BDN: You’ve obviously narrowed things down to three great schools, so how do you plan to narrow things down and make a decision from here?

Well I’m looking to make a decision soon, like before school starts. I already took my unofficial visits to my top 3 schools so now it’s basically just coming here and first of all getting some rest, because I’m exhausted, so I can think straight and then I’ll take it over with my parents and my family and see what school is the best for me. Every time I went up there on my visits they would go through all this stuff and they would remind me that this is one of the most important decisions in your life. It’s not just the next four years, it’s actually the next forty years, because it’s what you’re going to do after school that matters so you want to get a good education and not regret your choice. You have to be selfish in this decision. You can’t think about disappointing somebody or trying to impress somebody. You have to look out for yourself in this decision because at the end of the day it’s about you. It’s about where you want to go to college. That’s where I’m at right now.

BDN: I know you’re exhausted and I really appreciate you taking a few minutes to speak with us. Thanks a lot, Ryan, and best of luck to you.

Definitely, no problem.

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Duke is a finalist for elusive dual-threat QB Bilal Marshall

Bilal Marshall was the first 2012 QB with a Duke offer and remains a top target

Yesterday, BDN featured an interview with new Duke QB target Thomas Sirk, more of a traditional pro-style quarterback prospect with a 6’5” frame. Historically, Head Coach David Cutcliffe has had great success with quarterbacks from this mold, with Peyton and Eli Manning serving as exhibits A and B. Given recent trends in the game of college football and the success Duke had in 2010 with freshman Brandon Connette, the Duke staff would love to add a dual-threat quarterback to the class of 2012. Recent players like Cam Newton at Auburn and Darron Thomas at Oregon have been elite program-changers, and the Blue Devils have targeted a dual-threat prospect from Florida in hopes of similar success. At 6’3” and 170 pounds, Bilal Marshall, has an agile frame and a natural athleticism that makes him the elusive playmaker Duke needs. Duke was among the first to offer Marshall early in 2011, and have remained aggressive in their pursuit of the Dade Christian star throughout the spring and summer. After a dozen scholarship offers, Marshall has landed on four top schools, and the Blue Devils have made the cut. BDN first spoke with Bilal back in February, and recently caught up with the talented athlete after his trip to Durham. [private]

 

BDN: I know your recruitment has really picked up since we last spoke; how many offers are you up to now?

Right now I’m at 12 offers from several schools such as Wake Forest, Duke, Kansas, Purdue, Boston College, Tulane, Northwestern, FIU, Rutgers, and a couple more I can’t think of right now.

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit this summer?

This past weekend I was just at Wake Forest and Duke.

BDN: How did those visits go for you?

It went great, I got a great feel for the city and the coaches. It was a great thing.

BDN: What other visits do you have planned?

Towards the end of July, I’m going to be taking a trip to Purdue and Kansas to see what I can find out there.

BDN: Where would you say you are in your recruiting process?

I’m pretty much towards the end, I’ve narrowed it down to those four schools right now.

BDN: So you’ve narrowed it down to Wake Forest, Duke, Purdue, and Kansas? And are all four schools recruiting you as a quarterback?

Yes. And yes.

BDN: In addition to your visits in July, what else do you have planned for the summer?

Just footwork, that’s basically it, just getting stronger each day and working on my feet.

BDN: What are your plans for narrowing things down and making your decision?

Yes, I’m going to take my officials in the fall to get a football game aspect of it, to see how the atmosphere is during the game, what it’s like if I were to play football at those schools and then after that I’ll make my decision.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Bilal and best of luck to you.

Alright, I appreciate it.

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Duke offers QB Bilal Marshall, who has an ACC favorite early

ACC schools are lining up for QB Bilal Marshall

Bilal Marshall is one of the top quarterback prospects in the state of Florida and one of the top dual-threat prospects in the country. At 6’3” and 170 pounds, Marshall has a good frame and a natural athleticism that makes him an elusive playmaker. Several ACC programs are recruiting the standout signal-caller from Miami’s Dade Christian, and one school has stood out to him early. Highlights of his sophomore season can be viewed here.

BDN: Can you start off by describing the strengths and weaknesses of your game for someone who hasn’t had a chance to see you play?

Well, I play quarterback and I’m a dual-threat. When everything is locked up, nothing makes a defense more mad than when a quarterback goes and gets a first down himself. I can run the ball pretty well, I had over 900 yards rushing myself this year and I can throw the ball good. I think that I’m very accurate and I’ve got a good arm. That’s pretty much it there.

BDN: Being a quarterback, is there a particular player in the NFL or in college that you compare yourself to or have studied closely?

Well, right now it’s Darron Thomas, the quarterback for Oregon. I feel like we have a very similar type of play.

BDN: What are some of the things you’ve been working on this offseason?

Well the main thing the college coaches tell me is to keep working on my feet. They say my feet have gotten better from my sophomore year. I’ve gotten a lot better. They just want me to keep working on it so that it will help me make better throws. That’s the main thing I’m working on this whole offseason – footwork.

BDN: I know you had a great year last season and made the playoffs. What are your goals for your team and yourself individually for the fall?

For my senior year, number one is to win a state championship. I’ve got my last chance to do it. I want to probably have over 3,000 all-purpose yards, and try to mentor some of the young kids that’s coming in and try to help the legacy of my school keep going on.

BDN: What are the most important things you are looking for in a college?

Definitely academics. Whatever is going to fit me for my future because making it to the NFL is a one in a million chance, so that main thing is academics.

BDN: Is there a particular field or program that you’re interested in academically?

Right now it’s open. I don’t know yet. I’m still in the process of trying to figure out what I want to do in life.

BDN: What schools have you recently heard from? Who were the first schools to contact you?

Wake Forest has always been on top for me. They’ve been out ahead and coming to talk to me every once in awhile, coming to my school. I have a great bond with the recruiting coordinator, with Coach Ray McCartney. They offerd me early in my year. I have just recently got an offer from Duke and from Boston College. Right now, I feel like Wake Forest has really been after me and so has Rutgers.

BDN: Which schools have you had a chance to visit so far? What schools do you definitely plan on visiting later this year?

The only school I’ve been to is an unofficial visit to Wake Forest, I’ve been to one of their camps. I’m going to be going to a Junior Day at UM [Miami] this weekend and a Junior Day at Clemson April 9. And I’ll probably make the spring game for Wake Forest in late April.

BDN: Are there any schools that you haven’t heard a lot from or that you’re hoping to receive an offer from soon?

Definitely Clemson. I’ve grown up watching them play. I like to watch them play because of their explosive plays. I could definitely see myself in that program, but whatever happens, happens.

BDN: You also mentioned that Rutgers, Duke, and Boston College have offered you. How much do you know about those schools and do you plan on visiting or learning more?

Well it’s still early. I’m still trying to build a bond with those other schools. I’ve only talked to Duke maybe three times. Rutgers has been on me also, they’re probably right behind Wake Forest, with talking to me and being in contact with them all the time. Boston College I’ve only met the recruiter once, but they told me they’ll keep in contact with me.

BDN: Do you have any plans for what camps you will attend at this point?

Too early right now. I’m not sure if I will be attending any college camps, but it feels like probably the Manning Passing Academy, depending on financials. It’s an expensive trip.

BDN: It’s still very early in the process, but ideally, when would you like to make your college decision?

I’ll probably make my decision by Signing Day next year. I won’t be committing anywhere before then.

BDN: Is there anything else that you think is important for college football fans to know about you?

I’m just one person that’s willing to do anything for whatever program I’m with. I feel like I’m a great kid, I’m willing to help out anybody. And I just love to win, so whatever program I’m in, I’ll do my best to lead that team to 10 wins on the season or more.

BDN: Thanks a lot, Bilal and best of luck to you.

No problem. Alright, thank you sir.