STAR SEARCH
Class of 2022 lacks the top-end talent or depth of its predecessors
If you had to use one word to describe the major-college talent overall this year in the WPIAL and City League, it would be “average.” The class of 2022 has no player rated among the top 250 in the country by Rivals.com and only six WPIAL players have committed to Power Five conference schools so far. It’s highly questionable if the 2022 class will reach last year’s total of 10 Power Five recruits. But only two years ago, the WPIAL and City had only six Power Five recruits and 15 who signed with FBS schools. This year’s class will certainly have more than 15 FBS recruits. Last year’s class had 23 FBS recruits.
But don’t get the idea there isn’t major-college talent in the district this year. It’s just that there isn’t a large quantity of those players.
The Post-Gazette has put together a list of its top 15 prospects who will be seniors this season in the WPIAL and City League. The top three players are linemen.
It should be noted these are the top “prospects,” and not necessarily the top 15 “players.” There is a difference between the two. Sometimes the best players aren’t the best college prospects. However, performance on the field was also considered when compiling the list. 1. SEAN FITZSIMMONS, CENTRAL VALLEY, DL, 6-3, 280 — Much of college recruiting is based on potential. Maybe a player or two in Western Pennsylvania is considered to have more potential and were recruited a little more than FitzSimmons. But when you put potential together with being a “player,” it’s hard to argue with FitzSimmons being No. 1 on the Post-Gazette list this season.
“These dudes that get these star ratings, I just disregard that,” FitzSimmons said. “Colleges see a big ol’ kid who might be 6-7, 300 with a little athleticism and think they can make him an offensive tackle. I have confidence in myself. I think I should be No. 1, no matter what everybody else thinks. It’s more than being a prospect. I think I’m more of a player.”
FitzSimmons has been terrific as a player for two-time WPIAL champ Central Valley. The past two seasons, he had 26 sacks and 62 tackles for loss. He had 18 sacks and 36 TFL for a PIAA championship team last year while making the Post-Gazette Fabulous 22. FitzSimmons will play for his hometown team in college, committing to Pitt in April. Syracuse, Wake Forest and Duke were his other Power Five offers. He would’ve undoubtedly had more offers had he waited to make a decision.
2. TYREESE FEARBRY, PERRY,
DE, 6-5, 225 — Fearbry is a physically gifted player who is tall, athletic and has long arms. He has seen his recruitment soar in the past year. Earlier this month, Fearbry committed to Penn State over his other finalists, Pitt, Auburn and Kentucky.
“It’s hard finding a guy that big who can move,” said DeWayne Brown of 2/10ths Speed & Agility. “He’s a weakside defensive end, outside linebacker type. He’s 6-5, runs a 10.8 (100-meter dash) and a 4.5 (40-yard dash). The kid is athletic. They will be able to do so much with him.”
Fearbry is the second big-time recruit from the City League in the past three senior classes. The other was also a defensive end — Westinghouse’s Dayon Hayes is now at Pitt. Fearbry is the highest-ranked player from the City League or WPIAL in the class of 2022, according to both Rivals and 247 Sports. Rivals ranks him No. 13 in the state and 247 Sports has him No. 6. Rivals also rates him the No. 21 weakside linebacker in the country. He will become the first Perry player to sign with an FBS school since Cameron Holland signed with North Carolina in 2007.
3. DONOVAN HINISH, CENTRAL
CATHOLIC, DL, 6-2, 275 — Just like his older brother, Kurt, Donovan is a standout defensive tackle for Central Catholic, wears the No. 51, and will play in college at Notre Dame. He also mulled offers
from the likes of Pitt, Virginia Tech and Coastal Carolina. A season ago, he was a starter on Central Catholic’s team that won the WPIAL Class 6A championship. Rivals ranks him the No. 16 senior in the state and No. 39 defensive tackle in the country. Hinish comes from an athletic family. His dad, also named Kurt, played football at Slippery Rock. His sister, Kadin, was a heptathlete at Slippery Rock. The younger Kurt starts at Notre Dame and will play his final season there this fall.
“He comes from a good pedigree,” Brown said of Donovan. “Being around his dad and brother, he has no choice than to be the way he is. He comes from a football family. Donovan is just following in line from what he knows.”
4. PATRICK BODY, GATEWAY,
DB, 6-2, 175 — Body’s father, Patrick Body Sr., played a year in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. The son is a two-way standout for Gateway, playing receiver on offense. But his future will be as a defensive back. He committed to Cincinnati two weeks ago and will probably play safety for the Bearcats. He turned down offers to play for his hometown team (Pitt) and also West Virginia. Rutgers and Illinois were his other two finalists.
Body said he didn’t want to stay close to home for college and also, “The coaches there [at Cincinnati], they all like me and I have a good relationship with them. Plus, I think they can use me early in my career and I’d like to play early on.”
5. CADE YACAMELLI, PENNTRAFFORD, WR, 6-0, 200 — There’s little question that Yacamelli is good enough to play at a Power Five school. As for what position the Wisconsin recruit will play at the next level? Now that’s a difficult question. Yacamelli was an all-conference running back last season. He will play that position and safety this fall, but it’s not hard to imagine him playing slot receiver in college. Even Wisconsin coaches are unsure as to Yacamelli’s future.
“When I went there for the camp, they listed me as a slot receiver, but then moved me to running back and then to safety,” Yacamelli said. “[Offensive coordinator Joe] Rudolph told my dad, ‘The wide receivers coach loves him. The running backs coach loves him. And the safeties coach loves him. We’re in a pretty unique position.’”
Yacamelli, who rushed for 680 yards (he averaged 8.7 yards per carry) and scored 10 touchdowns in 2020, also had offers from Army, Navy and Air Force. He’s the first Penn-Trafford player to commit to a Power Five school since 2005 graduate Jason Kacinko, who began his career at Purdue and then transferred to Pitt.
6. JEREMIAH HASLEY, PINERICHLAND, LB, 6-3, 225 — Hasley became the latest player from powerhouse Pine-Richland to commit to a Power Five school when he chose Duke. An outstanding student who carries a 3.9 GPA, Hasley is also an ultra-productive player. As a twoway starter on Pine-Richland’s undefeated PIAA Class 5A championship team in 2020, Hasley amassed 60 tackles, including 11½ for loss, and as an H-back/wide receiver ranked third on the team with 23 catches for 338 yards. Air Force, Army, Harvard and Columbia were among the other schools to offer. Duke offered after Hasley visited the school last month.
“They love how quick I play,” Hasley said. “As a 6-3, 225-pound kid, not a lot of kids that height and weight can move like that. They knew I could move on film, but to see it in person, they were glad to see it.” 7. JALEN KLEMM, PINERICHLAND, DE, 6-5, 260 — Klemm is the only player on this list that will be a first-year starter this fall, but what he lacks in experience he makes up for in potential. The son of Steelers offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, Jalen didn’t begin playing football until his sophomore year when he was a 190-pound quarterback-safety at North Catholic. He has since gotten a lot bigger and has transitioned to playing along the offensive and defensive lines.
“I’ve just been working,” he said. “I’ve put on weight each year trying to get bigger and stronger. At this point I can’t play safety anymore.”
Klemm’s offer list is impressive. It consists of more than a dozen schools, including Nebraska, Arizona State, N.C. State and Harvard. Klemm said he plans on taking unofficial visits to N.C. State, UCLA, Kansas State, Washington and Indiana later this summer.
8. JACOB PORTER, NORTH
ALLEGHENY, DE, 6-2½, 210 — You don’t often see a defensive end with Division I college offers finish fourth in the 100-meter dash at the WPIAL Class 3A track championships. But that’s what Porter did this past season, running the event in 11.22 seconds. College coaches have to like seeing that speed and athletic ability from a defensive end. “I’ve always run track as long as I can remember, which is a little crazy,” Porter said.
You may have heard of Porter’s father, former Steeler linebacker Joey Porter. Joey played at Colorado State and Colorado State has offered Jacob. Akron and Old Dominion have also offered. Jacob attended camps at Pitt and Penn State this summer. His brother, Joey Porter Jr., is a DB at Penn State. “Talking to colleges, I think some of them are waiting a little to see how my senior season goes,” Jacob Porter said. 9. BRANDON LAWHORN MOORE, KISKI AREA, OT, 6-5, 290 —
Lawhorn Moore is known as “Beef.” You can see why. “I’ve been called that since sixth grade,” Lawhorn Moore said with a laugh. He has been a starter since his freshman year when he was 6-2, 275. He also will play nose guard for Kiski Area. “My goal this year is just to improve in everything I do,” Lawhorn Moore said.
Lawhorn Moore has scholarship offers from Buffalo, Kent state, Bowling Green, Old Dominion and a few FCS schools. He said he will probably wait until after the season to make a decision.
10. NICK BRYAN, THOMAS
JEFFERSON, OL-DL, 6-3, 275 — One of the premier offensive tackles in the WPIAL, Bryan has lost only one game over the past two seasons playing for back-to-back PIAA Class 4A champion Thomas Jefferson. He started for the Jaguars last season and was named to the all-conference team. Kent State was the first school to offer Bryan, and that’s where he committed last month. His other top schools were Massachusetts and Marshall.
“It was the one where I felt most at home,” Bryan said of Kent State. “I felt comfortable with how rugged the offensive line coach is. He’s old school, and I like that.”
11. CHARLIE KREINBUCHER,
BUTLER, TE, 6-5, 225 — Kreinbucher has size and athleticism. Maybe the best place to see it so far has been on the basketball court. Kreinbucher has been on Butler’s varsity basketball team since his freshman year and he can be a handful to deal with inside. He’s strong and leaps well. Butler’s football team hasn’t had much success recently and is now playing in District 10. But the PostGazette still considers Butler a WPIAL school because it is in the WPIAL for every other sport.
Kreinbucher’s size, mobility and athleticism attracted some Division I offers and he made a commitment in June to Akron. Some FCS schools, including Robert Morris and Lehigh, also offered. If he puts on a few more pounds in college, he could do some good things someday for Akron in the Mid-American Conference. 12. DEVIN WHITLOCK, BELLE VERNON, WR, 5-8, 165 — One of the area’s most dynamic two-sport stars was a Fabulous 22 pick in football in 2020 and has already scored more than 1,000 career points in basketball. The speedster plays quarterback and defensive back at Belle Vernon, but likely projects as a slot receiver in college. If he were a few inches taller, he very well could be a major-college recruit. His production speaks for itself. As a junior, Whitlock rushed for 1,082 yards, passed for 528 and intercepted 5 passes, returning 3 for touchdowns. He accounted for 27 touchdowns overall.
“Devin will be an absolute steal for any school that gets him,” Belle Vernon coach Matt Humbert said. “From a football standpoint, he has all the skills to match anyone on a Friday night. The equalizer is his coachability and toughness. Those are the two things that any program that gets him will benefit from.”
So far, Whitlock’s only offers have come from FCS Youngstown State and Division II Notre Dame College, Livingstone and East Central (Okla.). He plans on visiting Youngstown State and James Madison this week.
13. MIKE WELLS, NEW CASTLE,
LB, 6-3½, 220 — A sleeper in the class of 2022. He has played a number of different positions in football and also is an excellent basketball player. With his athleticism and strong body, you’d think Wells would be recruited more. He also plays quarterback and receiver. Teams are interested, but no one has pulled the trigger with a scholarship offer. Those offers could come during the season. He’s too athletic and too big not to get recruited.
“Because he played AAU basketball, he missed a chance to go to some college camps. He just needs to be seen,” New Castle coach Joe Cowart said. “I think he’s a hostage of COVID-19 with college coaches not getting out last year to see players. ... I don’t think there’s any question interest will pick up. He’s played so many positions for us and he’s been good at all of them. Guys are trying to figure out what he is. Well, he’s a large athlete who has great ball skills, can run, catch, hit, tackle. If I’m coaching, I want guys like him.”
14. LANDON ALEXANDER,
CENTRAL VALLEY, RB, 6-0, 190— Alexander burst onto the scene last year with a big season for the WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A champs. Central Valley had some Division I recruits who were seniors, but Alexander shined by rushing for 1,443 yards on 133 carries (10.8 average) and also scoring 20 touchdowns. He has only one scholarship offer so far from Massachusetts, but more could be on the way with another big season. Alexander also will be a full-time player at defensive back this season.
“I’m more of a team player. I think last year was my time to shine and blow up for colleges,” Alexander said. “I think I grabbed a lot of colleges’ attention. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing. I’ll show that I’m just not a one-year player.”
15. PHAROH FISHER, SERRA
CATHOLIC, DB, 6-0, 190— Several schools are trying to reel in Fisher, a standout wide receiver-defensive back who projects as a cornerback or safety in college. An all-conference pick his junior season and also an excellent student, Fisher plans on announcing his college choice Aug. 26, and said that Army, Navy and Columbia are all in the mix. He has taken unofficial visits to Army and Navy.
“They’ve been recruiting me as a corner, nickel and safety since I have the size to play all of them,” Fisher said.