DETAILS
Role: Author
Client/Org: Get 2 the Game (Bowstring Studios)
Date: 2013
Categories: Biography, Non-Fiction
Bigelow, Kenny | Defensive End | Eastern Christian Academy (Elkton, MD)
Rivals Ranking: 6 | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 322 lbs.
Rivals100 top-ten prospect Kenny Bigelow has learned a lot in his three years as a high school student-athlete. He admits that when he was a freshman and sophomore, his ego had swelled to an alarming level. Since then, mentors have taught him how to swallow fighting words that, as a freshman, would have flowed from his mouth. Now, Kenny allows his on-field football prowess to speak for itself.
The USC-commit shocked the recruiting community when he decided early on that he would become a Trojan. While Kenny is still open to college offers, it is now well known that he will most likely head out to California for his education.
Kenny attends Eastern Christian Academy with fellow Rivals100 star Khaliel Rodgers, where these two outstanding athletes are looking to lead their team on the path to a championship season this fall.
Breneman, Adam | Tight End | Cedar Cliff High School (Camp Hill, PA)
Rivals Ranking: 27 | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 228 lbs.
The #1 tight end in the country, Adam Breneman is a workhorse. That has propelled him to a future career at nearby Penn State University, the school that he dreamed of attending as a child. The recent hiring of Coach Bill O’Brien did nothing to sway Adam’s fierce loyalty for Penn State, and in fact, he is excited to learn from a coach who “knows how to develop the tight end”.
Adam ranks his top three things in life as faith, family and football. Two of those have interlocked in a storybook twist: his father, Brian, was an excellent tight end himself as a student-athlete, but was too short to attract the attention of top schools. Instead, he became a Division III All-American at Delaware Valley College. Now, Brian has been able to watch his son fulfill a dream.
Hackenberg, Christian | Quarterback | Fork Union Military Academy (Charlottesville, VA)
Rivals Ranking: 143 | Height: 6’4” | Weight: 215 lbs.
Christian Hackenberg is an elite athlete in every way – he excels at every sport he plays. He is a starter on Fork Union’s baseball and basketball teams, in addition to his preferred game of football. He credits his football and basketball coaches specifically as being his non-familial role models.
Christian made his college commitment earlier than many other players, and has enjoyed giving advice to fellow student-athletes who are still in the middle of recruitment. It has also been a bit of deja vu for his father Erick, who was a standout high school quarterback in his own right. His childhood dream had been to attend Penn State, but the recruiters shied away from his small size. Now his son is set to become a Nittany Lion, fulfilling a family dream.
Family has been key to Christian’s success, and not just from the advice he has been receiving from his father about athletics. He relies on both of his parents, as well as his grandparents, for words of advice and encouragement. From them, he has learned that “when you are given a great opportunity, everything you do is magnified, so it’s up to you to make good decisions”.
LaRue, Sebastian | Wide Receiver | Santa Monica High School (Santa Monica, CA)
Rivals Ranking: 162 | Height: 5’11” | Weight: 185 lbs.
Three major things are crucial to a college decision for top prospect Sebastian LaRue: a great campus atmosphere, an open coaching staff, and an opportunity for early playing time. One would think that his third requirement should narrow down the pool of Division I schools in his queue, but Sebastian is such a highly-regarded athlete that this is not the case.
Early influences in his life came from his mother and older brother, as well as his Pop Warner coaches, specifically coach Steve Johnson, who he still keeps in touch with even though he has not played for Johnson in years. Sebastian also relies on his current coaches–head coach Travis Clark, position coach Sean Weston, and offensive coordinator Andre Gaines–especially during the grinding process of recruitment.
Mitchell, Mike | Linebacker | Prestonwood Christian Academy (Plano, TX)
Rivals Ranking: 32 | Height: 6’4 | Weight: 216 lbs.
All of the Mitchell children seem to be born with natural athletic talent. This is probably due to father Ken Mitchell’s talent on the football field–he played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons during he 1970s. As the next generation of Mitchells has grown up, they have continued the tradition of excellence in athletics. The two oldest sisters have played collegiate basketball, high school sophomore Mickey Mitchell is a 6’8″ quarterback and basketball prospect, and the remaining four Mitchell children are all highly athletic.
High school senior Mike Mitchell will be the next family member to reach the NCAA. The #45-ranked football player in the nation, Mike is also being recruited for basketball. He is currently uncommitted, but plans to take into account both his athletic opportunities as well as his plan to major in business.
Oliver, Jake | Wide Receiver | Jesuit High School (Dallas, TX)
Rivals Ranking: 127 | Height: 6’4” | Weight: 194 lbs.
You can’t go wrong with a perfectionist, and wide receiver Jake Oliver counts himself as one. A high school career at Jesuit Preparatory School has helped him become a well-rounded student-athlete who is excellent with time management. That skill will come in handy when he joins the Texas Longhorns in 2013. Jake intends to continue his usual full academic workload, in addition to his football schedule. He also is a regular volunteer in community service.
Jake has had an excellent coach throughout his adolescence–father Gary Oliver was a three-year starter for Texas A & M, and followed that up with a few years as an assistant coach for the Aggies. It may be tough for Gary to cheer for the Longhorns now, but once his son takes the field, it won’t be difficult to root Jake on.
Randolph, Doug | Linebacker | Woodberry Forest School (Richmond, VA)
Rivals Ranking: 86 | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 215 lbs.
The Randolph family is full of success stories: mom is a dentist, daughter an ophthalmologist, father and oldest son radiation oncologists, and now younger son Doug is en route to a Division I football scholarship. While he has been verbally committed to Stanford University since the summer before his junior year, he has still been exploring options. Since Doug was such an early commit, Stanford coaches urged him to take plenty of visits, but they have yet to sway him.
A high school career at Woodberry Forest School has provided Doug with an excellent foundation for time management. He is fully prepared to begin his academic career, and intends to join the business program, no matter where he chooses to officially enroll.
Tunsil, Laremy | Offensive Tackle | Columbia High School (Lake City, FL)
Rivals Ranking: 7 | Height: 6’6” | Weight: 295 lbs.
It would be easy for Laremy Tunsil to fall victim to a large ego; after all, he is ranked #7 overall in the Rivals100. However, he regularly reminds himself to stay humble, and to have fun with the recruiting process. This has resulted in plenty of scholarship offers from a large number of Division I schools. Laremy intends to complete all of his allotted official college visits, and will wait until National Signing Day before announcing his choice.
The Tunsil family is an integral part of Laremy’s life. He is extremely close to his mom Desiree, his grandmother, and his younger brother. In addition to his family, he also relies on all of his coaches, especially head coach Brian Allen and offensive line coaches Shoop and Peeler.
These bonds have resulted in ranking relationships at a high level of importance for Laremy. In fact, he has readily admitted that he will choose a school based on perceived future relationships with his coaches. This has led to direct contact with top coaches such as Nick Saban, Will Muschamp and Rick Trickett.