2008 Woodie Awards
The Daily OrangeFB | Greetings from Florida
The future of SU's secondary has roots in the Sunshine State
By Andy McCullough
Posted: 10/15/08, 12:43 AM EST Section: Sports
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Except when it comes to football. High school recruits flow out of the state like a never-ending faucet, a tantamount to the abundance of speed and athleticism available. Mike Holmes, the sophomore Syracuse defensive back and Jacksonville, Fla., native, knows that much. He jumped into the Orange starting lineup last year after a solid - not spectacular - career at Mandarin High School.
"I would say it was definitely good advantage playing in Florida, because the type of caliber of athletes are high coming out of there," Holmes said. "I'm not sure why exactly it is or what it is, but that's one thing I noticed, coming from down there and then watching high school football up here.
"Size, speed, it's different."
By different, of course, Holmes means better.
High school football in Florida supersedes football in most states. Florida boasts 23 of ESPN.com's Top 150 high school football recruits for next season and competes with Texas and California for schoolboy supremacy.
Perhaps that's why Syracuse dipped into the Sunshine State to form its secondary of the future, recruiting players forged in the hyper-competitive high school scene. Four underclassmen defensive backs, including Holmes and sophomore safety Randy McKinnon, hail from Florida.
"Being back home," said McKinnon, who also grew up in Jacksonville, "it was a time you're almost playing against D-I athlete every game, every Friday."
All four have contributed this season. Holmes has started in the secondary every week. McKinnon, Holmes' roommate, started at free safety early in the season, before Bruce Williams returned from his summer sojourn at wide receiver. Redshirt freshman Keyvn Scott started once at safety and last week at corner, the position he played at the St. Thomas Aquinas School in Ft. Lauderdale. Dorian Graham, Scott's high school teammate a grade below, saw time against Penn State and West Virginia.
The Florida boys head to their home state Saturday, as the Orange (1-5, 0-2 Big East) take on South Florida (5-1, 0-1 Big East) at noon in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
The four underclassmen have shown their inexperience on the field - Holmes was picked on plenty earlier in the year; McKinnon was torched for a touchdown against Northeastern; Graham struggled against Penn State - but they are the future, even if they play in the present.
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Orange Man Group
posted 10/17/08 @ 1:37 PM EST
Andy,
Good article; one correction: "High school recruits flow out of the state like a never-ending faucet, a tantamount to the abundance of speed and athleticism available. (Continued…)
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