MASSILLON Two weeks ago, college coaches locked up the majority of the recruiting Class of 2012 as National Signing Day came and went. The Class of 2013, though, hasn’t been far out of their thoughts, either.
And, it turns out, neither has the football program at Massillon.
A pair of Tiger juniors picked up scholarship offers this week from Division I FBS football program. Gareon Conley was offered by the University of Michigan, while Kentrell Taylor was offered by the University of Toledo.
“It will pick up now through the summer,” Tiger coach Jason Hall said back on Signing Day of offers to juniors. “All those guys, their offers are going to pick up pretty quick.”
Conley has become a big target for Big Ten football programs of late. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound cornerback was offered by Northwestern University on Feb. 1.
Last fall, Conley stepped into the starting lineup at cornerback and performed exceptionally. His four interceptions — which included one returned for a touchdown — tied for the team lead, while his nine pass break-ups were three more than the next-closest total.
He led all Tiger cornerbacks with 26 first-hit tackles and three tackles for loss. He also had four assisted tackles, along with a sack.
Taylor has been a two-year letterwinner for the Tigers, but a full-time starter at inside linebacker last season alone. The 6-foot, 240-pound defensive standout had 48 first-hit tackles and a team-high 32 assisted stops to go with four tackles for loss, three quarterback pressures and two sacks.
Taylor caused a fumble, while also recovering one. He broke up one pass.
There are multiple Stark County ties with the Toledo football program, starting with the new head coach, former Perry High School and Mount Union standout Matt Campbell. Former Massillon All-Ohioans Jeff Meyers and Justin Olack also are members of the Rockets’ football team.
A third Tiger junior — quarterback Kyle Kempt — has offers from Tennessee, Toledo, West Virginia, Bowling Green and Stanford. The last one was offered by former head coach Jim Harbaugh, who’s now with the San Francisco 49ers, while Kempt was still a freshman at Aloha High School in Oregon.
