More '09 Player Profiles

by:Matt Jones02/04/09
Chris Matthews, Wide Receiver, 6-5, 210, Jr-JC, Paramount, Calif. (Dorsey/Los Angeles Harbor College) — Among the nation’s top 10 junior-college prospects, and the No. 2 wide receiver, as ranked by Rivals.com … Big receiver posted big numbers at Los Angeles Harbor College … Caught 80 balls as a sophomore, good for 1,235 yards and 11 touchdowns in only nine games … His 80 receptions was tops among all 72 California junior colleges that compete in football … First-team All-California … Caught 32 passes for 529 yards and four TDs as a freshman …. Has been timed at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash … Coached by Andrew Avillar and Brett Peabody … Played his high-school football at Dorsey HS in Los Angeles … Was a tight end in high school. Demetri Merritt, Defensive End, 6-3, 222, Fr-HS, LaGrange, Ga. (LaGrange) — A linebacker and defensive end in high school, he projects as a defensive end in the collegiate ranks … Totaled 88 tackles as a senior, including six quarterback sacks, three tackles for loss, one caused fumble and two fumble recoveries … Two-year member of the all-area team … Listed as the nation’s No. 36 weakside linebacker by Scout.com … Helped take LaGrange to an 11-3 record and state semifinals his senior season … Coached by Steve Pardue … Among the number of recent LaGrange players at Kentucky that includes former All-Southeastern Conference linebackers Wesley Woodyard (now with the Denver Broncos) and Braxton Kelley, former wide receiver/current student coach DeMoreo Ford and current cornerback Randall Burden … Merritt is a teammate of current Wildcat signees Qua Huzzie and Tristian Johnson. Kevin Mitchell, Offensive Lineman, 6-7, 295, Fr-HS, Winston, Ga. (Alexander) — First-team all-state for Georgia Class AAAA by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution … Sizeable offensive line prospect … Has a frame that can continue to add weight and strength … Also a good athlete for a player his size, as he has been timed just under 5.0 seconds in the 40-yard dash … Three-year starter at Alexander HS in Douglasville, Ga. … Started at tight end as a sophomore, tackle as a junior and guard as a senior … Two-year selection to the All-Douglas County team …Coached by Kenny Palmer … Also played basketball at Alexander. Terrell Mitchell, Tight End, 6-6, 220, Fr-HS, Hiram, Ga. (McEachern) — Highly regarded tight-end prospect … Listed No. 24 nationally at his position by Scout.com … The nation’s No. 35 tight end by Rivals.com, No. 65 overall in the talent-rich state of Georgia … The No. 24 prospect in Georgia as listed by SuperPrep … Considered to have all-around skills as a pass-catcher and blocker … Notable athletic ability includes a best time of 4.65 seconds in the 40-yard dash … Had 26 catches for approximately 450 yards and eight touchdowns his senior season at McEachern HS in Powder Springs, Ga. … Played multiple positions, seeing time at tight end, wide receiver, H-back and defensive end … Had an overall blocking grade of 92 percent, an excellent figure … Named All-Cobb County as a senior … Coached by Kyle Hockman, who is a brother of former UK quarterback Ryan Hockman … Also played basketball and ran track. Ryan Mosby, Linebacker, 6-0, 205, Fr-HS, Heath, Texas (Rockwall-Heath) — Brings excellent athletic ability to the linebacker position … Highly productive performer who had 107 tackles his senior year at Rockwall-Heath High School in Rockwall, Texas … Helped lead his team to a 13-1 record, reaching the quarterfinals of the Class AAAA state playoffs … Also had five quarterback sacks and four fumbles caused … Named to the all-district team … Played at Greenville (Texas) HS prior to his senior year at Rockwall-Heath … Had approximately 110 stops as a junior, featuring 23 tackles for loss and 10 sacks … Rivals.com has him listed as one of the top 75 outside linebackers in the country … Has the athleticism to play safety in college if that is his best position … Coached by Mickey Moss. Ryan Mossakowski, Quarterback, 6-4, 201, Fr-HS, Frisco, Texas (Centennial) — All-America quarterback as selected by SuperPrep and PrepStar magazines … Threw for 6,834 yards and 49 touchdowns over his final three seasons at Centennial High School in Frisco, Texas … Totals would have been higher but he missed some of his senior season because of an injury … Best year came as a junior, when he passed for 2,963 yards and 19 touchdowns … Strong arm and accuracy are shown by his 67.4 completion percentage during his senior season … Known primarily as a passer, but he also has good mobility … Rushed for 787 yards and 19 touchdowns his last three years … Ranked as one of the nation’s top-25 quarterbacks by SuperPrep, Scout.com and Rivals.com, and his listings would have been even higher had he not missed part of his senior season … The No. 18 overall prospect in Texas by SuperPrep … Named first-team “All-Combine” at the U.S. Army All-America Junior Combine … Coached by Mark Howard … Also an outstanding baseball outfielder, he is considered to be a professional prospect in that sport. Martavius Neloms, Cornerback, 6-1, 185, Fr-HS, Memphis, Tenn. (Fairley) — First-team all-state in Tennessee Class AAAA as a senior … Led the state in interceptions with eight pickoffs, returning two for touchdowns … Only began playing football his junior year at Fairley High School in Memphis … His achievements are amazing for someone who has played football just two years … Has shown remarkable aptitude for the sport and, of course, has tremendous upside for the future … Also named all-metro by the Memphis Commercial-Appeal … Made six interceptions as a junior … Played in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game following his senior season and had an interception in that contest, helping his Red team post a 14-0 shutout … The No. 30 prospect in Tennessee by Rivals.com … Coached by Rahnmann Slocum.

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