Austin Longi (ATH, Greenwich HS)

[kris1]

Height: 5'9
Weight: 150
40-time: 4.38

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1909305/austin-longi

 

[sportsart]

Any reason he can't add 20 lbs to his frame? One would think he would have done that already, if he could have. Amazing player.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

What's his real 40 time?

 

[cryjeremiah]

Quick, yes, but that kid's body control and balance are really impressive!!

 

[uconnflyer88]

Sorry, but we don't need another player where the wind created by the linebacker makes him fall down

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Sorry, but we don't need another player where the wind created by the linebacker makes him fall down

Creepy post. Hard for me to fathom why someone would go out of their way to make a comment like this?

Especially from someone who went down with the USS Pasqualoni.

 

[noeynox]

I don't know that he is a legit 5'9" or runs 4.38, but he has great feet and quickness. In the Larry Taylor mold of kick returner and contributor.

 

[uconnflyer88]

Creepy post. Hard for me to fathom why someone would go out of their way to make a comment like this?

Especially from someone who went down with the USS Pasqualoni.

Not sure how this is a creepy post, McCombs was always tackled before the defense even got there because he was 175 lbs soaking wet.

Also not sure how it's going out of my way, someone posted this link and I commented....isn't that the purpose of this board? My comment was no more malicious than "What is his real 40 time?"

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

My comment was no more malicious than "What is his real 40 time?"

If you really believe that you're beyond help.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

I don't know that he is a legit 5'9" or runs 4.38, but he has great feet and quickness. In the Larry Taylor mold of kick returner and contributor.

I took this from a Greenwich Time article dated today, entitled "Athletes of The Year." The article includes various sports and players within Connecticut geography covered by Hearst.

"Austin Longi, Greenwich, junior (football, track): Hearst Connecticut Media Super 33 All-Star in football while rushing for 1,585 yards and scoring 33 touchdowns. ... Won the Class LL indoor track title in the 55-meter dash (6.61 seconds) and captured the FCIAC championship in the event for the second straight year."

In the kid's "defense," I would offer the following.

In the video, the three important games are West Haven, which he pretty much won single handedly, Trumbull, 330 yard rushing, and Staples, 230 yards rushing. Three LL teams with at least eight wins. Every game he has played has been against FCIAC or SCC teams.

It should also be noted that Coach Al didn't use him as the focus of the offense until the fourth or fifth game. Even after he became "the guy," he only averaged 11 or twelve carries from scrimmage. No, I don't know why.

He's obviously fearless. As a runner, he cuts back into the messy traffic. A lot of small, fast guys give ground and go out of bounds if they're losing the race to the corner. He catches the ball in traffic. No alligator arms. Finally, on defense, he will take on any ball carrier. Also confident. as a Sophomore, he returned a punt 99-yards. Hell, a Senior team captain who's the coaches future son-in-law takes the touchback.

About his size, weight and forty. At many high schools, "Program" heights and weights are fudged. That's probably true of Greenwich. However, I've been told that information shown for kids being recruited is honest, at least on the date of publication. It's been pointed out to me that T. J. Campbell and John Sullivan "shrunk" between their Jr. and Sr. seasons. "4.38?" All I can say is that he has documented track results; both in and outdoors. It would be stupid to post a forty time that grossly contradicted public record.

Finally, if this kid does project to 1A, and if he turned out to be as exciting as he looks on video, UCONN might end up with a "hook" to Fairfield County. As has been noted, kids from the gold coast have seen the academic light, and are flocking to UCONN. Maybe, this is the kid that excites the adult FB fans.

 

[noeynox]

I hope you didn't take that as a knock on the kid. He looks like a player, and I don't consider an insult to compare him to Larry Taylor, who was a legit FBS player and solid to major contributor for us despite his diminutive size.

Judging from the video alone, if he is 5'9", then it looks like a lot of those kids are like 6'2". Regardless and I say this about basketball players, two inches in height isn't going to make the kid any less of a player. As for 4.38, if he really ran that I would offer him a scholarship no questions asked based on that video. There are very few sub 4.4 forty guys, and this is evidenced by the NFL combine every year.

I like him. Looks like a player. I could envision him for UConn as a specialist or maybe at one of the service academies as a featured contributor.

 

[Confident Carl]

Sorry, but we don't need another player where the wind created by the linebacker makes him fall down

This kid plus 25-30lbs =Nick Williams II

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I hope you didn't take that as a knock on the kid. He looks like a player, and I don't consider an insult to compare him to Larry Taylor, who was a legit FBS player and solid to major contributor for us despite his diminutive size.

Judging from the video alone, if he is 5'9", then it looks like a lot of those kids are like 6'2". Regardless and I say this about basketball players, two inches in height isn't going to make the kid any less of a player. As for 4.38, if he really ran that I would offer him a scholarship no questions asked based on that video. There are very few sub 4.4 forty guys, and this is evidenced by the NFL combine every year.

I like him. Looks like a player. I could envision him for UConn as a specialist or maybe at one of the service academies as a featured contributor.

It's not an insult to question what his real size and speed are. Those are legitimate questions. Unfortunately there are some here who will be happy to take pot shots at a former player and future prospect.

I'll go out on a limb and if someone can prove me wrong then so be it. There are few, if any, 16 year old kids who can run a true sub 4.4 time.

 

[Stinger92860]

Sorry, but we don't need another player where the wind created by the linebacker makes him fall down

On what play did you see that happen?

 

[Jimdish255]

I can't believe how many guys looked like they had great angles on this kid and instead of cutting in or out he just ran right by them or between tacklers! So yeah he looks really fast, football and track fast.

 

[weyuo]

I agree the guy is on the smallish size for D-1 and I didn't really see him take a hard hit and get back up or fight through it. He might turn out to be a very good kick/punt returner but unless you see somebody really put a lickin on him you don't know if he'll cough up the pill or even get back up or..... bounce back up and be ready for the next play.

 

[kris1]

What's his real 40 time?

This might help clear things up.
http://fairfieldnffc.wix.com/nfffc#!showcase/c1x9v

Here were his combine results:
40-time: 4.4 (1st attempt), 4.59 (2nd attempt)
Pro Agility: 4.25 (left), 4.22 (right)
Vertical Jump: 31.1
Broad Jump: 9'1
Height: 5'8
Weight: 144

Results earned Longi an invite the the U.S. Army National Combine back in January of 2014.

 

[kris1]

This might help clear things up.
http://fairfieldnffc.wix.com/nfffc#!showcase/c1x9v

Here were his combine results:
40-time: 4.4 (1st attempt), 4.59 (2nd attempt)
Pro Agility: 4.25 (left), 4.22 (right)
Vertical Jump: 31.1
Broad Jump: 9'1
Height: 5'8
Weight: 144

Results earned Longi an invite the the U.S. Army National Combine back in January of 2014.

FWIW, DeSean Jackson is pretty good at his size.

 

[BNich]

I took this from a Greenwich Time article dated today, entitled "Athletes of The Year." The article includes various sports and players within Connecticut geography covered by Hearst.

"Austin Longi, Greenwich, junior (football, track): Hearst Connecticut Media Super 33 All-Star in football while rushing for 1,585 yards and scoring 33 touchdowns. ... Won the Class LL indoor track title in the 55-meter dash (6.61 seconds) and captured the FCIAC championship in the event for the second straight year."

In the kid's "defense," I would offer the following.

In the video, the three important games are West Haven, which he pretty much won single handedly, Trumbull, 330 yard rushing, and Staples, 230 yards rushing. Three LL teams with at least eight wins. Every game he has played has been against FCIAC or SCC teams.

It should also be noted that Coach Al didn't use him as the focus of the offense until the fourth or fifth game. Even after he became "the guy," he only averaged 11 or twelve carries from scrimmage. No, I don't know why.

He's obviously fearless. As a runner, he cuts back into the messy traffic. A lot of small, fast guys give ground and go out of bounds if they're losing the race to the corner. He catches the ball in traffic. No alligator arms. Finally, on defense, he will take on any ball carrier. Also confident. as a Sophomore, he returned a punt 99-yards. Hell, a Senior team captain who's the coaches future son-in-law takes the touchback.

About his size, weight and forty. At many high schools, "Program" heights and weights are fudged. That's probably true of Greenwich. However, I've been told that information shown for kids being recruited is honest, at least on the date of publication. It's been pointed out to me that T. J. Campbell and John Sullivan "shrunk" between their Jr. and Sr. seasons. "4.38?" All I can say is that he has documented track results; both in and outdoors. It would be stupid to post a forty time that grossly contradicted public record.

Finally, if this kid does project to 1A, and if he turned out to be as exciting as he looks on video, UCONN might end up with a "hook" to Fairfield County. As has been noted, kids from the gold coast have seen the academic light, and are flocking to UCONN. Maybe, this is the kid that excites the adult FB fans.

Are you a sports writer? That was a great post. I think the kids tape is very impressive. Certainly not physically imposing but neither was Tavon Austin and similar athletes.

 

[noeynox]

This might help clear things up.
http://fairfieldnffc.wix.com/nfffc#!showcase/c1x9v

Here were his combine results:
40-time: 4.4 (1st attempt), 4.59 (2nd attempt)
Pro Agility: 4.25 (left), 4.22 (right)
Vertical Jump: 31.1
Broad Jump: 9'1
Height: 5'8
Weight: 144

Results earned Longi an invite the the U.S. Army National Combine back in January of 2014.

There is kind of a big difference between 4.4 forty and a 4.6 forty, no? I know there are a lot of factors involved like a slow start on the second attempt or slow finger on the stop watch. I'm with jimmy here, there really are a very small number of sub 4.4 forty guys out there and that age that would be truly impressive.

Like I said I like what I saw. Wasn't trying to knock him at all.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

There is kind of a big difference between 4.4 forty and a 4.6 forty, no? I know there are a lot of factors involved like a slow start on the second attempt or slow finger on the stop watch. I'm with jimmy here, there really are a very small number of sub 4.4 forty guys out there and that age that would be truly impressive.

Like I said I like what I saw. Wasn't trying to knock him at all.

Yeah I'd certainly take a look at him as a return guy regardless of what his straight line 40 time. Kid is "football quick" and has some serious shiftiness in his game.

I was legimately asking what his real time was because in these handheld events a 4.4 can turn into a 4.7 in a hurry.

 

[Husky68]

This might help clear things up.
http://fairfieldnffc.wix.com/nfffc#!showcase/c1x9v

Here were his combine results:
40-time: 4.4 (1st attempt), 4.59 (2nd attempt)
Pro Agility: 4.25 (left), 4.22 (right)
Vertical Jump: 31.1
Broad Jump: 9'1
Height: 5'8
Weight: 144

Results earned Longi an invite the the U.S. Army National Combine back in January of 2014.

LM was listed at 5'8" 171lbs. Doesn't seem like getting to 175 or 180 is 3 years (red shirt sophomore) would be out of the question for a kid this tall. Marriner is listed at 5'9" and 191 lbs. Speed/agility is the limiting factor at this size on how good he can be. At 4.50 he would have been #11 running back 40 in NFL camp for 2014 at 4.4 he would have been # 2.

 

[Dooley]

There is always room on any roster for speed. Kick returner as a FR/SO then work his way into the offense somehow. Coach Balis could definitely add some muscle to his body in the right places to not take away from his explosiveness.

 

[LRock34]

He will probably be offered as a preferred walk-on if he camps at UConn. Knowing Diaco's obsession with size, it is highly unlikely that we will offer him a scholly. Under RE and possibly under PP he would have been offered but I don't see an offer coming from Diaco's staff. If Diaco had been coach in 2013 we may not have even offered Newsome - that would have been a mistake...but judging from this year's class and what ND fans have said about Diaco I just don't see it. FWIW, we were Newsome's and Larry Taylor's only 1A offers. These smaller guys can play at the 1A level, we've had plenty of examples over the years that prove that but most coaches still don't believe it.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

I agree the guy is on the smallish size for D-1 and I didn't really see him take a hard hit and get back up or fight through it. He might turn out to be a very good kick/punt returner but unless you see somebody really put a lickin on him you don't know if he'll cough up the pill or even get back up or..... bounce back up and be ready for the next play.

There are a number of plays that show him tackling; just tackling. That might provide what you're looking for. In his Soph year, he started on defense at 138 lbs. That's when I first noticed him. The thing I, and others, marveled at was that he never backed down or ducked a tackle. If anything, his fearlessness is going to get him hurt.