Ron Johnson commits

[FrostyNuggets]

If we can just figure out a way to get a commitment from Charles Jefferson we will be in great shape.

I thought they only flew him in for games.

 

[CAHUSKY]

No idea where that 40 time came from. He's got a Hy-Tek verified track time best of 11.65 in the 100m and 24.22 in the 200m from the spring 2013 that he ran in Florida. No recent times, because it was football season obviously. That info is available to anyone with an internet link that knows where to look. His 200 time almost a year ago, in spring 2013, would have placed him among the top 50 or so at the division 1 indoor meet UCONN went to in Albany a few days ago. It's not high end NCAA track championship speed, or even AAC conference championship speed in track.....but it's division 1 speed for football without a doubt, and that's with times posted almost a year ago now. Chances are he's faster now, and at 5'11" 210 - those are more than adequate measurables for a division 1 back.

Are you comparing his outdoor times to indoor times? Since he's from Florida im assuming he's never run indoors and that his times are outdoor. If so, his times wouldn't rank in the t0p 950 high school sprinters in in the 200m or among the top 580 in the 100m as listed on MaxPreps and they only include times from California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

 

[Confident Carl]

4.95 40 but clearly fast enough on a few of these runs

Newsome's speed will blow that away. Johnson's 4.95 40 speed is pretty slow unless he can consistently pick get you 5-6 YPC in the trenches. If Joe Williams comes back, I have a gut feeling that he will be really good next year. He's supposed to be a burner too. McCombs and DeLorenzo do a decent job but they don't have break away speed either. I am counting on Arkeel Newsome becoming the superstar that he is projected to be.
CHECK OUT ARKEELS HIGHLIGHT VIDEO:

 

[huskymedic]

Newsome's speed will blow that away. Johnson's 4.95 40 speed is pretty slow unless he can consistently pick get you 5-6 YPC in the trenches. If Joe Williams comes back, I have a gut feeling that he will be really good next year. He's supposed to be a burner too. McCombs and DeLorenzo do a decent job but they don't have break away speed either. I am counting on Arkeel Newsome becoming the superstar that he is projected to be.
CHECK OUT ARKEELS HIGHLIGHT VIDEO:

Geez - thanks, haven't seen them before.

 

[Palatine]

Arkeel's gift is burst. He can really accelerate through a hole. Give him a crease and he's through it before the defense reacts. Very Terry Caulley of him. He doesn't have Caulley's top end but few do.

 

[sportsart]

There is zero chance his 40 time is 4.95.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Are you comparing his outdoor times to indoor times? Since he's from Florida im assuming he's never run indoors and that his times are outdoor. If so, his times wouldn't rank in the t0p 950 high school sprinters in in the 200m or among the top 580 in the 100m as listed on MaxPreps and they only include times from California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

When I want to get an idea of how fast somebody is when it comes to straight running, and I can't actually see it with my own eyes, I don't look at anything except actual sanctioned track meet results that are computerized timing systems. I don't know what MaxPreps is. Kid ran a computer recorded 24.22 in April 2013 outdoors, ran an 11.65 in February 2013 outdoors, and was slower at an 11.8 at the same April meet in the 100. Outdoors. Three days ago, the UCONN mens track team competed in an event in Albany NY, Indoor, and that 24.22 would have placed him 54th out of 63 entries in the 200m. As I said, not top end speed, but his times are from a year ago, and would get him seeded in a division 1 meet right now. If you want to argue differences between outdoor and indoor, then fine, but that's getting to minutiae. The distance is the same, and the computer timing systems are accurate and reproduceable.

THe important thing about this kid, when it comes to speed, is how much he's dropped his times as he's growing. He's a hell of lot faster in 2013 than he was in 2012, and it's highly likely that hes faster in 2014 than he was in 2013.

 

[Carl Spackler]

For comparison sake: right now, the top 20 times cutoff in the American Athletic Conference in the 200m indoor men's event for spring 2014 so far to date, is a 23.19. That's just over a full second faster than what this kid ran in april 2013, and it was run by a senior at USF named Landon Hargrove 2 days ago at a meet at Penn State, and he's not anywhere near the bowling ball size of 5'11" 210 and is four years at least developmentally older.

Just be careful as to where you get info from. Try to evaluate it as to it's quality.

 

[CAHUSKY]

When I want to get an idea of how fast somebody is when it comes to straight running, and I can't actually see it with my own eyes, I don't look at anything except actual sanctioned track meet results that are computerized timing systems. I don't know what MaxPreps is. Kid ran a computer recorded 24.22 in April 2013 outdoors, ran an 11.65 in February 2013 outdoors, and was slower at an 11.8 at the same April meet in the 100. Outdoors. Three days ago, the UCONN mens track team competed in an event in Albany NY, Indoor, and that 24.22 would have placed him 54th out of 63 entries in the 200m. As I said, not top end speed, but his times are from a year ago, and would get him seeded in a division 1 meet right now. If you want to argue differences between outdoor and indoor, then fine, but that's getting to minutiae. The distance is the same, and the computer timing systems are accurate and reproduceable.

THe important thing about this kid, when it comes to speed, is how much he's dropped his times as he's growing. He's a hell of lot faster in 2013 than he was in 2012, and it's highly likely that hes faster in 2014 than he was in 2013.

Indoor times at 200 are significantly slower (they don't run 100m indoors). World indoor record is 19.92 and outdoor record is 19.19. In track, .73 is a big difference (NCAA indoor/outdoor difference is .84). Add .73 to the times you saw from Albany and you might have a better comparison. A kid running 11.65 and 24.22 is decent for high school but its not exceptionally fast. The 100m time is better than the 200m for sure. As you mentioned, perhaps he will improve his speed significantly again this year and turn out to have decent speed.

MaxPreps is a high school website that tracks the top track and field times from a number of states. http://www.maxpreps.com/leaders/track-field-spring-13/sprints,100 meter/stat-leaders-11.htm

 

[Carl Spackler]

Indoor times at 200 are significantly slower (they don't run 100m indoors). World indoor record is 19.92 and outdoor record is 19.19. In track, .73 is a big difference (NCAA indoor/outdoor difference is .84). Add .73 to the times you saw from Albany and you might have a better comparison. A kid running 11.65 and 24.22 is decent for high school but its not exceptionally fast. The 100m time is better than the 200m for sure. As you mentioned, perhaps he will improve his speed significantly again this year and turn out to have decent speed.

MaxPreps is a high school website that tracks the top track and field times from a number of states. http://www.maxpreps.com/leaders/track-field-spring-13/sprints,100 meter/stat-leaders-11.htm

I understand that. Good points. Don't forget that running with a helmet and pads is a lot different too, and whether you are on turf or on grass. Lots of stuff to to consider. The kid is a division 1 prospect for sure, and I for one, am very glad to have him coming, as well as every other member of the class of 2014.

This is a pretty good website too.

http://www.tfrrs.org/index.html

 

[BNich]

Who cares how fast he runs. He runs through defenders, by defenders and over defenders. He's got size, weight and a solid speed component. Football speed is all i care about. He carries the weight well. Runs hard and puts points on the board the HS level. Get him in a college strength and conditioning program. He should maintain and hopefully even build some speed. He should be a bruising, dynamic RB for the huskies in the years to come.

 

[SAMCRO]

I thought they only flew him in for games.

See that Mustang? U.C.L.A. gave Jefferson that car when he was a sophomore.

 

[CAHUSKY]

See that Mustang? U.C.L.A. gave Jefferson that car when he was a sophomore.

Jefferson's brother: My brothers gonna s hit, my brothers gonna kill us
Jeff Spicoli: come on man, is he gonna s hit or is he gonna kill us
Jefferson's brother: first he's gonna s hit, then he's gonna kill us.

Fast Times is actually playing at the local Cinemark this week in honor of its 30th anniversary (at least im guessing that's why its playing). They are playing a bunch classics in any event.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Who cares how fast he runs. He runs through defenders, by defenders and over defenders. He's got size, weight and a solid speed component. Football speed is all i care about. He carries the weight well. Runs hard and puts points on the board the HS level. Get him in a college strength and conditioning program. He should maintain and hopefully even build some speed. He should be a bruising, dynamic RB for the huskies in the years to come.

I agree with this perspective. As for his time in the 100 or 200 or anything else . . . and how fast they compute out to be . . . .and whether it's indoor or outdoor? He's going to sign with UConn. Not Florida. Not Florida State. Not Auburn. Not South Carolina. Not Georgia. UConn. That tells me he is not a burner and if he is there is some other "projection flaw" in his game . . . . otherwise he'd be signing with one of the above mentioned (or other similar) programs. The only hope for UConn is that he "develops" into something special or that he was very much "under valued" by the "big boy" coaches.

 

[jackl]

I agree with this perspective. As for his time in the 100 or 200 or anything else . . . and how fast they compute out to be . . . .and whether it's indoor or outdoor? He's going to sign with UConn. Not Florida. Not Florida State. Not Auburn. Not South Carolina. Not Georgia. UConn. That tells me he is not a burner and if he is there is some other "projection flaw" in his game . . . . otherwise he'd be signing with one of the above mentioned (or other similar) programs. The only hope for UConn is that he "develops" into something special or that he was very much "under valued" by the "big boy" coaches.

What a downer you are maybe he also wants a great education.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I can't wait to hear about the kid on Feb. 5 - as well as all the other members of the 2014 class.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

What a downer you are maybe he also wants a great education.

Yeah because all of the schools I mentioned are horrible. Recruits at each place are told that "you're gonna love the football here, but unfortunately our academics just don't match up with a school like Yale . . . I meant UConn."

BTY, I'm hoping that this kid turns out to be a Donald Brown clone. Not knocking him. Just saying . . . that people have to be realistic on the recruits that UConn gets in the AAC vs programs in the P5 conferences - for now at least. Hoping that the one big thing Diaco can do is to elevate the recruiting platform. And, who knows, maybe this is the starting point. Hope so.

 

[J187Money]

As a point of reference I ran 11.8 and 24.8 in high school and never even got points in a meet against any real school. It isn't D1 speed. Not saying he doesn't have D1 speed, but those times don't indicate as such.

 

[joey3$trike$]

@ Carl. Outdoor times and indoor times are different. Lots of indoor tracks are only 200 meters(especially high school) well in Ct, hence more turns. I think Wilton was like 125 meters are something, it sucked running the mile and going around a billion times. I'm not sure how big the Albany indoor track is in Carl's post, but it's normally slower in indoor. Don't forget about the wind factor in outdoor which can greatly affect your time. Plus .5 seconds is big in track and field. I'm happy they got a bruiser running back, thunder and lightning comes to mind with Arkeel.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Look here is the ECAC Division 1 Outdoor track and field results from May 2013. 100 m and 200 m. I already said that these times are not championship times, but and 11.65 run outdoors, at a high school meet, computer timed and verified, seeded would have been 36 out of 37 runners that did actually compete in a division 1 championship meet in the spring of 2013. I don't see how this is not division 1 speed. It's not going to score points and get him a scollie as running track, but he's actually a football player.

http://www.tfrrs.org/results/30699_1938810.html

1. Page, R.J. SR-4 Boston U. 10.63 -0.3 1(1)
2. Charles, Fan Fan JR-3 BYU 10.72 0.1 2(1)
3. Mahlung, Nickolei SR-4 LIU Brooklyn 10.74 0.7 3(1)
4. Hortelano-Roig, Bruno JR-3 Cornell 10.74 -0.3 1(2)
5. Drinks, Jesse SR-4 Connecticut 10.75 -0.3 1(3)
6. Reilly, Connor SR-4 Dartmouth 10.77 0.7 3(2)
7. Williams, Tarell JR-3 Liberty 10.77 0.1 6(1)
8. Vaughn, Adrian JR-3 George Mason 10.80 0.7 3(3)
9. Oliveira, Tyler SO-2 Rhode Island 10.81 0.1 2(2)
10. Diessongo, Thierry SO-2 CCNY 10.81 -0.3 1(4)
11. Cowie-Clarke, Haysean FR-1 Coppin State 10.81 0.1 2(3)
12. Steele, Reginald JR-3 Pittsburgh 10.83 0.7 3(4)
13. Adarquah-Yiadon, Jedidiah SR-4 Cornell 10.83 0.1 2(4)
14. Spencer, Javon JR-3 Maryland-Eastern Shore 10.86 -0.5 4(1)
15. Wallace, Marcus JR-3 Maryland-Eastern Shore 10.86 0.1 2(5)
16. Dorsey, Jeremy JR-3 Coppin State 10.87 0.1 6(2)
16. Smith, Kevin SR-4 Connecticut 10.87 0.7 3(5)
18. Wright, Kemuel SR-4 Cheyney 10.87 -0.5 4(2)
19. Guscott, Nicholas SR-4 Rhode Island 10.91 -0.3 1(5)
20. Ewart, Adian JR-3 St. Francis (N.Y.) 10.93 0.1 6(3)
21. Smith, ConRoy JR-3 Liberty 10.94 -0.3 1(6)
22. Nelson, Lavondre FR-1 Princeton 10.97 -0.3 5(1)
23. Waite, Ramone SO-2 Maryland-Eastern Shore 10.98 -0.5 4(3)
24. Williams, Eric JR-3 LIU Brooklyn 10.98 -0.3 5(2)
25. Del Duca, Frank JR-3 Maine 10.99 0.7 3(6)
26. Kenney, David JR-3 Connecticut 11.00 -0.3 5(3)
27. Mitchell, Saquan SO-2 Wagner 11.01 0.1 6(4)
28. Nubret, Nyls SR-4 Maryland-Eastern Shore 11.02 0.7 3(7)
29. Otieno, Martin JR-3 Lehigh 11.05 0.1 2(6)
30. Hynes, Ryan FR-1 Cornell 11.06 0.1 6(5)
31. Mindlin, Josh SO-2 Pittsburgh 11.07 0.1 2(7)
32. Buskey, Brett SO-2 Dartmouth 11.08 -0.3 5(4)
33. Morris, Kareem JR-3 Albany 11.09 -0.3 5(5)
34. McCollin, Justin JR-3 Cornell 11.14 -0.3 5(6)
35. Douse, Kadeem SO-2 Rutgers 11.20 -0.3 1(7)
36. Riley, Kamal JR-3 Bucknell 11.27 -0.5 4(4)
37. Porteous, John SO-2 New Jersey Institute 11.79 -0.5 4(5)

As for the 200: 24.22 in spring 2013 would have been quite slow for a division 1 regional championship meet. results link below from teh ECAC D1 chamiponship in may 2013.

THis has all been covered.

THe good news is that a football field is only 100 yards long, it's now 2014, and that kid is still growing and improving as a football player.

We really are struggling for conversation around here. Losing football sucks. How long till game day?

http://www.tfrrs.org/results/30699_1938855.html

 

[joey3$trike$]

Look here is the ECAC Division 1 Outdoor track and field results from May 2013. 100 m and 200 m. I already said that these times are not championship times, but and 11.65 run outdoors, at a high school meet, computer timed and verified, seeded would have been 36 out of 37 runners that did actually compete in a division 1 championship meet in the spring of 2013. I don't see how this is not division 1 speed. It's not going to score points and get him a scollie as running track, but he's actually a football player.

http://www.tfrrs.org/results/30699_1938810.html

1. Page, R.J. SR-4 Boston U. 10.63 -0.3 1(1)
2. Charles, Fan Fan JR-3 BYU 10.72 0.1 2(1)
3. Mahlung, Nickolei SR-4 LIU Brooklyn 10.74 0.7 3(1)
4. Hortelano-Roig, Bruno JR-3 Cornell 10.74 -0.3 1(2)
5. Drinks, Jesse SR-4 Connecticut 10.75 -0.3 1(3)
6. Reilly, Connor SR-4 Dartmouth 10.77 0.7 3(2)
7. Williams, Tarell JR-3 Liberty 10.77 0.1 6(1)
8. Vaughn, Adrian JR-3 George Mason 10.80 0.7 3(3)
9. Oliveira, Tyler SO-2 Rhode Island 10.81 0.1 2(2)
10. Diessongo, Thierry SO-2 CCNY 10.81 -0.3 1(4)
11. Cowie-Clarke, Haysean FR-1 Coppin State 10.81 0.1 2(3)
12. Steele, Reginald JR-3 Pittsburgh 10.83 0.7 3(4)
13. Adarquah-Yiadon, Jedidiah SR-4 Cornell 10.83 0.1 2(4)
14. Spencer, Javon JR-3 Maryland-Eastern Shore 10.86 -0.5 4(1)
15. Wallace, Marcus JR-3 Maryland-Eastern Shore 10.86 0.1 2(5)
16. Dorsey, Jeremy JR-3 Coppin State 10.87 0.1 6(2)
16. Smith, Kevin SR-4 Connecticut 10.87 0.7 3(5)
18. Wright, Kemuel SR-4 Cheyney 10.87 -0.5 4(2)
19. Guscott, Nicholas SR-4 Rhode Island 10.91 -0.3 1(5)
20. Ewart, Adian JR-3 St. Francis (N.Y.) 10.93 0.1 6(3)
21. Smith, ConRoy JR-3 Liberty 10.94 -0.3 1(6)
22. Nelson, Lavondre FR-1 Princeton 10.97 -0.3 5(1)
23. Waite, Ramone SO-2 Maryland-Eastern Shore 10.98 -0.5 4(3)
24. Williams, Eric JR-3 LIU Brooklyn 10.98 -0.3 5(2)
25. Del Duca, Frank JR-3 Maine 10.99 0.7 3(6)
26. Kenney, David JR-3 Connecticut 11.00 -0.3 5(3)
27. Mitchell, Saquan SO-2 Wagner 11.01 0.1 6(4)
28. Nubret, Nyls SR-4 Maryland-Eastern Shore 11.02 0.7 3(7)
29. Otieno, Martin JR-3 Lehigh 11.05 0.1 2(6)
30. Hynes, Ryan FR-1 Cornell 11.06 0.1 6(5)
31. Mindlin, Josh SO-2 Pittsburgh 11.07 0.1 2(7)
32. Buskey, Brett SO-2 Dartmouth 11.08 -0.3 5(4)
33. Morris, Kareem JR-3 Albany 11.09 -0.3 5(5)
34. McCollin, Justin JR-3 Cornell 11.14 -0.3 5(6)
35. Douse, Kadeem SO-2 Rutgers 11.20 -0.3 1(7)
36. Riley, Kamal JR-3 Bucknell 11.27 -0.5 4(4)
37. Porteous, John SO-2 New Jersey Institute 11.79 -0.5 4(5)

As for the 200: 24.22 in spring 2013 would have been quite slow for a division 1 regional championship meet. results link below from teh ECAC D1 chamiponship in may 2013.

THis has all been covered.

THe good news is that a football field is only 100 yards long, it's now 2014, and that kid is still growing and improving as a football player.

We really are struggling for conversation around here. Losing football sucks. How long till game day?

http://www.tfrrs.org/results/30699_1938855.html

I would like to see the tailwind and or headwind which matters in short distance races. Look in football talk a 11.65 would be yards away from first or even 30th. It's not bad by any means just not elite speed/for an rb. In high school kids would run 11.1/10.9 etc. this is from what I remember in Trumbull anything around 11.3 was pretty damn good and maybe grabbed a point or 2. But like you said losing football sucks, and the next game involving a husky would be the senior bowl, in Alabama on Saturday. Go Shamar!

 

[Carl Spackler]

I would like to see the tailwind and or headwind which matters in short distance races. Look in football talk a 11.65 would be yards away from first or even 30th. It's not bad by any means just not elite speed/for an rb. In high school kids would run 11.1/10.9 etc. this is from what I remember in Trumbull anything around 11.3 was pretty damn good and maybe grabbed a point or 2. But like you said losing football sucks, and the next game involving a husky would be the senior bowl, in Alabama on Saturday. Go Shamar!

I kind of regret posting what I found on this kid. The kid isn't going to be getting a scholarship for running track, he's getting a scholarship for playing football. The only things I could find, were his 100 and 200 times from 2012, and 2013, and I figured it was a good starting point, because I tend to only deal in real verifiable info, and don't pay attention at all to recruiting websites.

I was happy to see how much he had dropped his times, because if he's dropping time like that from being a soph to a junior, goes to figure that he's faster now in 2014 too. And 11.65 in a 100m is not slow. It's not fast either. I'm not sure what people think the cutoff should be here, but it appears that some think there should be one, from some of the responses. That's just not the case. If a kid can run, with full gear on, and play the game, they can play. If they are competing in track, that means they are in shape, year round, and if they are dropping times in track, that means they are in shapeyear round, working out, and motivated.

Glad to have him, as well as everybody else. I'm out on this.

Shamar will be in the league in the fall. How he does this weekend, will go far in determining how much he's going to get paid to play.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

No idea where that 40 time came from. He's got a Hy-Tek verified track time best of 11.65 in the 100m and 24.22 in the 200m from the spring 2013 that he ran in Florida. No recent times, because it was football season obviously. That info is available to anyone with an internet link that knows where to look. His 200 time almost a year ago, in spring 2013, would have placed him among the top 50 or so at the division 1 indoor meet UCONN went to in Albany a few days ago. It's not high end NCAA track championship speed, or even AAC conference championship speed in track.....but it's division 1 speed for football without a doubt, and that's with times posted almost a year ago now. Chances are he's faster now, and at 5'11" 210 - those are more than adequate measurables for a division 1 back.

Thank you. 4.95 seemed impossible.

 

[Hoophound]

Thank you. 4.95 seemed impossible.

As someone who's seen him play, he is big, strong and fast. Most impressive is his ability to bounce left to right and keep going after being hit. He is a powerful kid with great balance.

I have no worries about his speed although I doubt he's as fast as an Arkeel Newsome. He is a big, tough back that can break away and go after being hit multiple times. Definitely more like Donald Brown than I can think of that UConn has had.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

5'11" 205 lb RB from Naples, FL. Attended Palmetto Ridge.

Ronnie E. ‏@Ronniboi05 1h
After meeting with the bossman last night, I decided to commit to UCONN #HuskieNation #3

Ron Johnson?? Didn't he played the professor on Gillian's Island?? (Could have said... Isn't he the 6 time NASCAR champ?)

Anyway, Welcome Ron...You might Freeze at Storrs, but enjoy the ice cream for me... (I miss the ice cream and it is COLD in FL)