Predicting how an 18-year-old high school senior football star is going to play in college isn’t a science, but that is how Bill Greene makes a living. Greene is the recruiting analyst for scout.com and is based in Stark County.
When it comes to the “can’t miss” player among the class of 2013 signees, Greene looks north to Ann Arbor.
Marlington’s Dymonte Thomas, who graduated early from high school and has already enrolled at Michigan, could be a contributor as a true freshman.
“I think he plays right off the bat,” Greene said. “He is suited to play special teams there from Day 1. I don’t know their depth chart, but he could end up starting at strong safety. He will be in the two-deep (depth chart) from Day 1 and it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up beating a guy out to start before the end of the season.
“He has a chance to be an All-Big Ten kid in time, and if he doesn’t get hurt, he’s an NFL candidate.”
Scout.com ranked Thomas as the top Stark County player followed by Massillon wide receiver-cornerback Gareon Conley and Tigers quarterback Kyle Kempt. Conley is going to Ohio State, mostly like as a receiver, but Greene doesn’t see him finishing there.
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, Greene said, will let Conley choose which side of the ball he wants to play. Greene thinks Conley is better equipped to play cornerback, but he likely will try receiver initially.
“Gareon wants to start out as a receiver,” Greene said. “But they have four or five receivers in this class. I think Ohio State wants him at cornerback. I wish he would play cornerback, go down there and guard those guys on scout team for a year every day in practice and he will be a better cornerback.”
Kempt’s recruitment was a journey. He committed to the University of Cincinnati before the season, but the Bearcats changed head coaches. When Tommy Tuberville came in, the new coaching staff waffled on Kempt and recruited a quarterback from the south.
Ultimately, Tuberville did not honor Kempt’s commitment. He will sign with Oregon State. Kempt grew up in Oregon and transferred to Massillon after his father, Mychal, was brought here as an executive with Diebold.
“I think it ended up the best it could have for Kyle,” Greene said. “He was raised near there and it’s a great system for him. It’s not a pro-style offense. They’re in the shotgun a lot. Mike Riley is a great developer of quarterbacks and he’s a player’s coach.”
Of all the signees from Stark County who will play FCS or FBS football, which one is the player with the least expectations now, but could have the biggest impact in college?
“I like the kid from Aquinas (Joel Rich),” Greene said. “I like him a lot. He’s a kid who if he played at McKinley or Massillon, he would’ve gotten more attention than he did. When I first saw him, I thought this kid could play at Ignatius. He’s really something. He has a chance to be really good at Boston College.”
