Future Rutgers QB Tom Savage of Philadelphia Cardinal O’Hara and Notre Dame-bound RB Theo Riddick of (Sommerville) Immaculata will be among the big-name stars on display Thursday night in the Big Time Football Showcase at Rutgers Stadium.
Some 270 of the nation’s top prep football players, including Saddle Brook LB Steve Beauharnais, who holds an offer from Rutgers, and many other Passaic and Bergen stars, will compete in the event. It is open to the public (for a fee) and highlights will be simulcast on CBS College Sports TV (formerly CSTV).
Among those coming with offers from Rutgers are Verona LB Carlo Calabrese and Union DE Michael Larrow, “whom Lemming calls the biggest sleeper in the state.”
College coaches are not allowed to attend the event because of a new NCAA rule, but can watch the players run the 40-yard dash and participate in various positional drills on TV.
sb”What’s unique is it will help the kids get recognition,” said recruiting expert Tom Lemming of CBS. “College coaches will be watching. It will be televised all over the country. It’s a real good collection of the top kids in the East, especially New York, New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.”
Chris Melvin, Chuck Mound and Nick Lubischer, who did such a great job putting the Elite College Combine together over the past few years, helped make this event after the NCAA rules changed.
Check below for a list of the Passaic and Bergen kids invited. And come back on Thursday for my feature story on the Big time Showcase.
PASSAIC
Brendan Murphy – Passaic Valley
Dan Farley – DePaul
James Jurowicz – DePaul
TJ Kowal – DePaul
Shakim Phillips – DePaul
Danny Deighan – Lakeland
Tyler Johnson – Lakeland
Dante Burton – Paterson Catholic
Maurice McDonald – Paterson Catholic
Chris Fonti – Wayne Hills
Bryan Ogden – Wayne Hills
Sam Stallard – Wayne Valley
BERGEN
Rob Eckrote – Bergen Catholic
Brett Knief – Don Bosco
Trace McDermott – Don Bosco
Matt Strizak – Don Bosco
Ryan Cobb – Don Bosco
Pat Murray – Don Bosco
Dillon Romain – Don Bosco
Malcolm Bush – Hackensack
Phillip Bigelow – Queen of Peace
Ross Krautman – Ramapo
Dylan Reid – Ramsey
Steve Beauharnais – Saddle Brook
Gabriel Hernandez – St. Joseph
Leniel Brown – Teaneck