By Andy Kovar
Recruits often graduate high school early and leave for college. This season, all four of the early enrollees are on the defensive side of the ball.
The recruits coming a semester early include defensive tackle Watson Tautuiaki, defensive end Tarell Basham, cornerback Dyquan Stewart and cornerback Jarid Brown.
Recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach Brian Haines stressed the importance of enrolling early.
“It’s good for them to get in here and learn the terminology, what we do, how we do things, and being able to operate at a high level,” he said.
Haines added that there was an emphasis in recruiting to get players on the defensive side of the ball as 13 of 22 recruits lace up on defense.
“I still remember Neal (Huynh) and Carl (Jones) leaving on a cart at Ball State,” he said. “When that happens, you don’t expect to lose two guys, but when you do, you need guys to step up and it’s hard for guys to step up when you don’t have them on the roster.”
Tautuiaki is a junior-college transfer from Los Angeles Harbor College. and will look to fill Huynh’s role of stopping the opponent’s rushing attack in the middle of the defensive line.
Basham, a Hargrave Military Academy product, will look to rush the edge of the defensive line and create havoc in the backfield.
Stewart played safety at Fork Union Military Academy this past season when Steve Addazio moved on to coach Boston College.
“I could have ended up at a lower division school like a Division II or even Division III school,” Stewart said. “This is more than I could have ever dreamed for.”
Brown was Stewart’s teammate at Fork Union where the two played in the same defensive backfield.
“It feels wonderful, man, finally playing at a Division I program,” he said about lacing up the cleats at Peden Stadium. “This has always been my dream.”
ak840511@ohiou.edu
