Tag Archives: Football Recruiting News

Duke leads for OG prospect Lucas Patrick

April 29, 2010 Patrick Cacchio

BDN's look at offensive line prospects continues with a look at Lucas Patrick -

Lucas Patrick is a 6’4” 287 pound junior offensive guard from Brentwood, Tennessee. In 2009, Brentwood finished second in the Tennessean’s year-end mid-state poll, falling one game short of the state championship. Lucas received the team’s Junior Weight Room Award, anchoring an offensive line that helped senior RB Jeremy Coffey run for a school-record 1596 rushing yards.

On the field, Lucas says, “I like to be physical, come out and hit somebody.” With Brentwood’s option-style offense, Lucas is able to get downfield and make big blocks for the running game. He hopes that he is thought of as someone who “plays smart and is a team player.” For his senior year, Lucas is looking forward to becoming a leader on and off the field. “I want to get the best out of my teammates and be someone who makes them work,” he said. With Lucas leading the offensive line in the option-style attack, Brentwood has their sights set on a state championship in 2010.

For his college choice, Lucas is “definitely looking for a good academic school.” He prefers a campus that is “not small, but has a real sense of community.” And of course, he’s looking to compete on the field for an elite football program. As an offensive lineman, Lucas says he has learned to value “camaraderie among the players - where everyone’s got your back.” He’s looking for a coach who will be a person and a coach, not just a disciplinarian on the field.

“I have a top list of schools, and Duke is the top right now,” Lucas said about the schools he’s considering. He’s received interest from Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee, and also holds offers from Duke, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and Arkansas. This spring, Lucas enjoyed visits to Duke, Cincinnati, and Vanderbilt.

While he is admittedly “not a city boy,” Lucas was impressed with the way the Bearcats “compete on every snap, and really try to get better every play.” Vanderbilt is his hometown school, just fifteen minutes down the road from Brentwood, and Lucas has developed a strong relationship with offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell, who he sees as a coach who can help to “lead in football and in life.”

After discussing football and faith with Duke offensive line coach Matt Luke and team chaplain Mitch Mitchell, Lucas felt strongly that Duke was a place where he would fit, but he came away most impressed by the Duke players. “The players did not hesitate to talk with me, they didn’t even wait for a coach to introduce us. They came up and talked to me on the sidelines during practice,” he said of his visit to Duke for the spring game.

Lucas is in the first week of spring practice and is looking forward to visits from coaches during the spring evaluation period. He is waiting to hear how serious Tennessee is with their interest, and intends to make his college decision by the end of spring practice so that he can focus on his senior year. Lucas added that he definitely intends to attend Duke’s summer camp.

Duke Football

Offers are flying in for junior Duke prospect OT Shane Mertz

April 29, 2010 Patrick Cacchio

mertz dfb prospect — Mertz is expecting more offers in the near future.

Duke was the first school to offer a scholarship to Shane Mertz, a 6’8” 275 pound junior offensive tackle from Hazlet, New Jersey, and the offers have kept coming in. On Tuesday, he received an offer from Buffalo and on Wednesday, he received an offer from Rutgers, bringing his total to four, with several others showing interest. Coaches from North Carolina also visited him at Raritan High on Wednesday and left with video highlights from his junior year.

On the field, Shane is a fierce competitor who excels with sound footwork and natural athletic ability. Heading into his senior year, he’s working hard to “become a more complete, stronger player,” and he’s already gained 25-30 pounds this offseason. He takes great pride in his work in the classroom, and academics will be very important in his college choice. “I definitely want to be an engineer,” he added, “so I’m looking for a school with a really good engineering program.”

Shane is looking for a football program with prestige, and says that he plays his best under a coaching staff that will push him. “I would definitely prefer a more strict coach,” he said, “that’s what I’m used to - a staff that’s a pusher.”

Four schools have offered scholarships to the talented offensive line prospect, and Shane has been able to visit three so far this spring. Duke was the first school to offer and after visiting for their spring game, Shane said he “absolutely loved it there. The campus was great and I loved the whole coaching staff. That’s why I really want to go back.” Shane plans to visit Duke again in May for more of a “one-on-one visit.”

Maryland was the second school to offer the junior, and Shane has heard “nothing but great things about it. I’m really looking forward to visiting and am researching more about their engineering program.” Buffalo just offered a scholarship this week after Shane recently enjoyed a visit to campus for their spring game. Rutgers, the most recent to offer, is just 45 minutes from Shane’s home and is also his father’s alma mater. “He’s really been pushing me to be a big Rutgers football fan.” Shane plans to visit Rutgers again in May to meet with the coaching staff and learn more about their football and engineering programs.

Several other schools have shown increased interest this spring, and Shane is hoping to receive more offers in the coming weeks. Notably, UNC visited Raritan High this week; Shane hopes to impress his other suitors (which include Ohio State, Notre Dame, Northwestern, North Carolina, and Central Florida) through spring and summer camps and workouts. He plans to make his college choice around the end of the summer, but may wait until after his senior season so that schools have additional time to evaluate him.

Duke Football

BDN continues it’s look at Duke OL prospects with Marcus Aprahamiam

April 27, 2010 Patrick Cacchio

Marcus Aprahamian is a 6’5” 300 pound junior offensive tackle from Brookfield, Wisconsin. In addition to his efforts on the gridiron, Marcus is also a varsity track (shot put and discus) athlete at Brookfield Central High School, which produced Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns. Marcus has been selected in the preseason Top 100 by Offense-Defense Sports, was named first team all-conference as a junior, and is generally regarded as the top 2011 offensive line prospect in the state.

On the sidelines and in the locker room, Marcus is a “great leader with great work ethic,” but on the field he is “quick and relentless.” He prides himself on finishing blocks, and continues to work to build strength and quickness heading into his senior year. This fall, he hopes to help lead his team to a conference and state title; personally, he would like to earn first team all-state honors in his senior year.

With a brother playing tight end at Dartmouth and his father a Princeton alumnus, academics will be an important component of his college choice. Like his father, Marcus has an interest in law, but is mostly looking for a school where he can picture himself and is able to connect with the coaching staff. Marcus would also like to have an opportunity to compete for playing time in his first year.

Marcus currently holds three BCS scholarship offers, two from the Big 10 and one from the ACC. He will visit Minnesota on April 24, and has already visited Indiana and Duke. Marcus was able to visit Indiana twice, attending a basketball game at Assembly Hall during one visit. Reflecting on his visits to Indiana, Marcus said he “loved it there, I really liked the big school environment.” He also added that one of his high school teammates is strongly considering the Hoosiers.

He was able to visit Duke on April 1, touring the campus and football facilities with Coach Luke from 11AM to 5PM. His mother flew in and was able to tour the campus again with him the following day. Of his visit to Duke, Marcus said, “I really saw myself there.” Unfortunately, Marcus was not able to meet with Coach Cutcliffe during his visit. Marcus hopes to finalize his college decision early in the summer and then attend summer camp at his future school.

Duke Football

Duke Football taking a long look at OT prospect Grant Jones

April 25, 2010 Patrick Cacchio

Grant Jones is a 6’5” 301 pound junior offensive tackle from Lynchburg, Virginia, who has drawn interest from nearly every school in the ACC. Grant has been selected in the preseason Top 100 by Offense-Defense Sports, and was named first team all-conference, area, and state as a junior at Liberty Christian Academy. In addition to his football prowess, Grant also finished his junior year as the #7 overall wrestler in the country and enters his senior year third in the preseason rankings, though he says he is unlikely to pursue wrestling at the collegiate level.

Grant prides himself on his ability to finish blocks and leave his opponents on the ground; he also considers himself to be very strong in pass protection. His goal is to be thought of as a “competitor on every down.” He is always working to improve his technique, keeping his pad level low, and has really emphasized working on his explosiveness heading into his senior year. This fall, he hopes to win a state championship after losing in the title game last year. Personally, he would like to repeat his accolades as first team all-conference, area, and state.

When considering his college choices, Grant is looking for a school where he will get a great education over five years. He’s looking for a coaching staff with experience both on the field and on the sidelines, which he hopes will help to make him successful in life and in football. Mostly, though, Grant values “honesty and trustworthiness – I want a coach who will tell you where you stand and treat you fairly.” Growing up in Pennsylvania, Grant followed Penn State and Notre Dame football, but says that his childhood allegiances will have little to do with his own college career. “It’s a lot different looking at schools now,” he said.

Heading into the spring evaluation period, Grant expects to be evaluated by many schools in addition to the four who have already offered him a scholarship, those being Duke, East Carolina, Stanford, and Liberty. He plans to attend spring Nike camps at Penn State and Virginia Tech during the evaluation period, and hopes to showcase his skills for schools that have recently been in contact, which include Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson, NC State, North Carolina, Alabama, Ole Miss, Penn State, UCLA, and USC.

To date, Grant has visited Virginia, Maryland, NC State, and Duke. Grant said that he thought NC State has “great facilities and great coaching,” while he saw Duke as a program whose “stock is on the rise” and that “Coach Cutcliffe is a winner and he is going to get it done there.” Grant had high praise for Maryland’s Coach Friedgen and Virginia’s Coach London, describing them both as “honest and trustworthy” coaches; he added that both schools had “absolutely beautiful” campuses. With Virginia being only an hour from home, he said he was very familiar with the school and has been in touch with Coach London since his days at Richmond.

Grant hopes to make his college choice before his senior year.

Duke Football

OL prospect Marc Mustoe hopes to visit Duke this summer

April 24, 2010 Patrick Cacchio

Marc Mustoe is a 6’7” 273 pound junior offensive tackle from Arvada, Colorado. Duke is the first and only ACC program to offer the 2009 second-team all-league player from West Arvada High School.

Marc describes himself as a “tough, hard-working player, who goes all out every time, every play.” Going into his senior year, he’s hoping to work on his overall strength and speed.

For his college choice, Marc is looking for the right environment and fit, both academically and in a football program. He wants a school that will make him the best college football player he can be, while allowing him to earn a meaningful degree. Marc does not currently have a leader, but has visited Kansas State, Colorado, and Utah this spring. He found each school to have its own strengths, and mentioned he really liked the picturesque and inviting feel of the campuses he’s visited so far. He mentioned that location from home is not a big factor in his decision, but finding a church community close to campus is important to him.

Kansas State has been recruiting Marc the longest, but Duke has also been in contact often with the big junior, led by coaches Matt Luke and Matt Lubick. Marc mentioned that he had received letters of interest from each member of the Duke coaching staff, and that seemed to stand out to him. He’s working really hard to find a time to visit Duke, and is hoping to make the trip at the end of May or early June.

Marc is hoping to make a decision by the end of the summer and before the start of his senior football season. He’s looking forward to playing alongside standout tackle Paul Thurston, a rising star in the class of 2012 who already has interest from Texas, Oregon, Kansas, UCLA, and Colorado.

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Duke eyeing OL prospect Cody Robinson

April 22, 2010 Mark Watson

Cody Robinson is a 6’4” 305 pound offensive guard from Mc Minnville, Tennessee. He describes himself as a “high motor” player who thrives in fast-paced games where he can utilize his size and strength to make blocks. He bench-presses 445 pounds and squats 565 pounds, combined with a 4.92 second 40-yard time and 4.39 second shuttle. For his senior year, he says “every player dreams of winning a state championship, that’s my goal. I also want to just be the best football player I can, improving on my speed and strength.”

Cody hasn’t finalized his summer plans yet, but intends to attend camps at Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Duke, and Arkansas. He’s looking to find a school where he fits in with the players and coaches, and hopes to further evaluate that during camps and other visits.

Currently, Cody holds 8 scholarship offers, from Duke, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Tulane, and Chattanooga. He’s also been in contact with coaches from Tennessee, Georgia Tech, UCLA, and Arkansas. Location will not be a big factor in Cody’s decision, once he finds the school that is the perfect fit, whether it’s from the SEC, ACC, or PAC-10.

Duke and Vanderbilt have been recruiting him the longest, and he has visited both campuses. He has also recently visited Illinois, Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and Kentucky. On his visits, he’s found a couple schools that stood out because he felt he “naturally got along with the people there,” but he’s not ready to declare a leader. From the Duke staff, he’s been mostly in contact with offensive line coach Matt Luke and is looking to finalize his choice before his senior year.

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