Author: Moderator

Dathan Hickey is a 6’1″, 180 lb. defensive back from Bristol Central High School in Bristol, Connecticut.  Hickey is one of the best all-around athletes to come out of Bristol Central since Aaron Hernandez.  He dominated high school opponents on both sides of the ball as a running quarterback and cornerback, but prefers to play defense and will likely wind up as a defensive back at Yale.  Hickey has all the traits of a lockdown defensive back with his combination of size, speed, agility, and balance.  He will match-up well with some of the taller receivers in the Ivy League.

Nick Henkel is a 6’5″, 185 lb. quarterback from Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut.  Henkel is not only a local recruit, but also the son of a Yale baseball player and the grandson of a Yale football player.  He has prototypical size for the position allowing him to easily scan defenses over the offensive linemen’s heads.  Henkel is shifty enough to gain yardage when the pocket collapses, but his first instinct after dodging a defender is still to throw the ball downfield.  He has a great feel for when to sling the ball with authority into tight coverage versus when to lob the ball over the defensive back’s head with a high arcing pass.  Although he is right handed, Henkel looks fluid throwing the ball while rolling to his left or right.

Jaylan Granberry is a 5’10”, 180 lb. defensive back from Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Nashville, Tennessee.  Granberry has the speed and cover skills to play corner and the tackling ability to play safety.  He is a ball hawk whether it is intercepting a pass, forcing a fumble or picking up a loose ball and taking it to the house.  He could be one of the fastest defensive backs on the Yale roster and uses his agility and power to deliver big hits.  Yale coaches are likely salivating at the thought of using Granberry in a number of roles.

Tate Goodyear is a 6’4″, 275 lb. defensive lineman from Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Goodyear has elite size for an interior defensive lineman with some recruiting websites listing him as heavy as 300 lbs.  He is stout at the point of attack and makes good use of his hands to disengage quickly from blockers.  He is a very powerful athlete that crushes ball carriers when he gets a head of steam.  Goodyear also shows good pursuit skills tracking down running backs in the backfield.

Brett Gerber is a 6’4″, 225 lb. linebacker from Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida.  Gerber is a tackling machine who led the state of Florida in total tackles in 2015.  He has prototypical size for the linebacker position and could even transition into a defensive end at the next level with a few additional pounds on his frame.  Gerber uses his speed and agility to slide by blockers untouched and pursues ball carriers relentlessly.  One can clearly see that he is a coach’s son when analyzing his tackling fundamentals.

Nick Gargiulo is a 6’5″, 275 lb. offensive lineman from Somers High School in Lincolndale, New York.  Gargiulo is a versatile recruit with the size to play tackle and the pulling ability to play guard.  His hand usage in pass protection is phenomenal as he generates a forceful punch to slow down pass rushers.  Gargiulo blocks through the whistle and doesn’t seem content with a play until his opposition is pancaked.  He’s very effective on screens as he has the speed to beat defenders to the point of attack to set up his running back for a huge gain.

Shane Frommer is a 5’11”, 190 lb. linebacker from King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham, Massachusetts.  Frommer was a two-time state champion in high school and achieved success on both sides of the football.  He will most likely play linebacker or strong safety at the college level utilizing his speed and explosiveness to stifle opposing offenses.  Frommer has powerful legs and sound tackling skills as he continues driving his legs after the initial contact.  He understands the importance of leverage and always seems to get lower than his opposition on film.

Kyle Ellis is a 6 foot, 188 lb. safety from Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Georgia.  Ellis is a big hitter and loves to get physical in run support.  He has good play recognition skills and is able to fly to the ball before blockers get a hand on him.  In pass coverage, he looks comfortable playing man or zone coverage.  His speed and agility allow him to close in on receivers in a hurry.  Reno picked up another solid defender in Kyle Ellis.

Isaiah Dunham is a 6’2″, 200 lb. defensive back from FJ Reitz High School in Evansville, Indiana.  Dunham has great height for the position and a good feel for where the ball is in the air on deep routes.  He looks natural lined up at cornerback playing man coverage displaying fluid changes of direction and the ability to play the ball and not the receiver.  His sticky hands should allow him to snag a few interceptions from opposing Ivy League quarterbacks in the coming years.  His size and speed are reminiscent of another Dunham, DB Geoff Dunham ’12.

Josh De St. Jean is a 6’5″, 288 lb. offensive lineman from La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana.  De St. Jean has a big frame and can really move as evidenced by his tight end routes on film.  In fact, he’s athletic enough to play offensive line, defensive line or the tight end position in college, although I believe Reno will utilize him at left or right tackle.  He has a nasty streak and loves to pancake defenders.  Josh is most effective when down blocking from the tackle position as he wipes out multiple defenders at the line of scrimmage.