CITY LEAGUE PROSPECTS PICK UP FBS 0FFERS
City League schools aren’t exactly a popular landing spot for FBS coaches on the recruiting trail, but something that transpired last week might make you say “Holy Toledo!”
Toledo, one of the top programs in the Mid-American Conference, offered scholarships to six City League players. Not bad for a league that has just five teams. Five of those players announced their offers last Thursday.
“There’s a lot of talent in the city,” said Brashear sophomore Ta’Mere Robinson, one of the six who got offers. “All of those guys getting offers have been putting in work in the offseason to make sure the offers come out. That’s really it. We’ve got a lot of talent in the city. Some kids don’t make the grades. I guarantee you that if all those kids made the grades, we’d have more offers than the WPIAL.”
City League football isn’t what it once was. Just a decade ago, the league fielded nine teams. Fifty years ago, there were 13. Along with the drop in teams has come a plunge in players being recruited by Division I schools. Since 2000, only 16 have signed with FBS programs, making last week’s barrage of offers noteworthy.
Robinson getting an offer was no surprise. A 6-foot-4, 200-pound safetywide receiver, he’s one of Western Pennsylvania’s top recruits in the class of 2023 and also holds offers from Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia,
Michigan, Syracuse and William & Mary. When Brashear coach Don Schmidt relayed the offer news to Robinson after practice, he also told two of his other players they now had Toledo offers, too — junior linebacker-running back Kevin Smith and sophomore tight end-defensive end Kameron Cheatom. It was the first scholarship offer for both.
The offers weren’t restricted to players from Brashear or underclassmen. Toledo also offered Allderdice senior lineman Solomon Johnston (6-4, 300), University Prep senior linebacker-tight end Keith Norman and Westinghouse senior wide receiver-defensive back Darius Bruce.
“It’s there,” Schmidt said of the talent in the City League. “I’m glad we can keep those kids. There are so many other things out there that can draw them out of the city. I’ll do anything for a city kid. If anyone asks, I’ll sell those kids to help them. The talent is there. The athletes are there.”
Last season, the City League had two players sign with FBS schools. Westinghouse’s Dayon Hayes signed with Pitt and University Prep’s Michael Snowden with Toledo. Both were selected to the Post-Gazette’s Fabulous 22 team. Hayes was the most heavily recruited player from the City League since 1999 Perry graduate Rod Rutherford, who went on to play at Pitt.