Archives for March 2017

Here we are Motsag Sports subscribers with another recruiting spotlight on 2021 Quarterback prospect Jackson Allen from Hattiesburg, MS.  We know this is a bit off but the youngster is impressing people. College football, indeed all of college sports starts paying attention at such young ages. Jackson isn’t the first and won’t be the last. But the composure these young people possess is startling as this interview suggests.

It’s virtually impossible to identify big time success at such a young age and we don’t pretend to be able to project that. But we thought it interesting to hear from a youngster who has gotten some buzz. He obviously has matured to a point where he can talk like a talented yet respectful lad who understands the path ahead. We will be interested in following his development.

R.T:  With it being so long until you sign your letter of intent, what schools are you currently hearing from?

J.A:  Well the past few years, I have had Mississippi State show interest, and mainly that’s it, but I think with me just getting my film out there to colleges and me performing well my freshman year will really help me out as far as interest goes.

R.T:  Are there any schools that you are highly interested in at this moment?

J.A:  I have grown up a Mississippi State fan, so Mississippi State has been my number 1 school and I love how Dan Mullen works with quarterbacks.  I think he is the best in the business at progressing quarterbacks, but I also love Alabama.  I love how their offense is, they will spread the defense out from the shotgun but they will also go from under center and work their offense from there.  So those are my 2 favorite schools right now.

R.T:  What offers do you currently have?  Which offers would you like to have prior to your National Signing Day moment which is quite a bit in the future?

J.A:  At this point, I don’t have an offer.  I’m only in the 8th grade, but I think if I perform well my freshman and sophomore years, the offers will come flowing in.  I think it is just the competitor inside of you that want to have every D1 scholarship in the country going into signing day.

R.T:  What factors do you consider “musts” for the schools that you are interested in?

J.A:  My number top 3 “must” would be:  1.  Being able to compete for the job as a freshman right when I get on campus.  2.  Would be the right system for me as a quarterback.  And number 3:  Would be, being comfortable with the coaching staff and my position coach.

R.T:  Being from Hattiesburg, MS, did you become a quarterback because of Brett Favre?  If not, who would you say influenced you to?

J.A:  Being from Hattiesburg, MS and when I have to introduce myself to coaches and or media, the first question I get is, “does Brett Favre living in your town influence you to play quarterback?”.  My first response is “no” because the funny thing is, I did not wanna play quarterback until my 3rd year of tackle football, which would be my 5th grade year, and the reason I never got to play a different position is because my dad forced me to play quarterback and it turned out amazing, so I give all the credit to my dad!

R.T:  What type of quarterback are you?  What are your strengths and weaknesses?  What can you improve on?

J.A:  I don’t hold myself to a specific type of quarterback.  I believe I can do it all.  I can throw it, I can run it, I can throw it on the run, I can manage the game, and I can make the players around me better. My biggest weakness is flexibility and I’m not the strongest in my core but I’m working hard to fix those things so I can find something else to critique about my game. 

R.T:  What type of leader are you on the field?  And off the field?

J.A:  On the field, I am a very intense leader.  I feel like I know when to get onto a player and then when to just tell them you’ll get it next time, and I think that separates me from other guys.  Off the field, I’m a little bit more laid back, but I do good in the classroom, and I encourage my teammates and classmates to do the same.  

I have something new and exciting for you Motsag fans, an interview with Class of 2019 recruit Julius Buelow from Kapolei High School in Hawaii.  Buelow is 6’7″, 314 lbs., and is currently an Offensive Tackle for Kapolei High School, but he is comfortable when placed outside his natural position, whether it is on the offensive or defensive side of the ball.

R.T:  First off, how would you describe your unofficial visit to Ohio State?  What stood out to you during the visit?

J.B:  The visit to Ohio State was awesome.  The campus is huge and the football facilities are impressive. The football building was really busy the day we went and I got to meet a lot of the coaches, trainers, and players.  The atmosphere stood out to me, there is a lot of energy there and you can tell people are working hard to be the best.

R.T:  I know that the 2018 recruiting cycle has just begun, but what schools are currently “high” or “sticking out” to you?  And why?

J.B:  This is a hard question to answer.  I’ve been to a few different schools and they each have different things to offer.  So I really need to figure out what I’m looking for as far as what I might want to study, the football program, and maybe even the type of campus, but I’m only a sophomore, so right now I’m trying to learn about different schools, so I know what kind of options I might have.

R.T:  What offers do you currently have and what offers are you striving to obtain/that you covet?

J.B:  Right now I only have some verbal offers, nothing official yet.  Not sure yet, same as last question, just trying to check out as many programs as I can, so I can have a better idea of what I’m looking for.

R.T:  When would you consider cutting down the list of offers?  Do you have an idea on when you will commit?

J.B:  I probably won’t commit until my senior year, 2019, unless I figure out what I want really early, and that school feels the same way about me.  But it’s a big decision, so I don’t plan on making it quickly.

R.T:  Being from Hawaii, how comfortable are you about moving far from home?  Does weather play a factor?

J.B:  As long as I have family kind of close by, I have no problem moving away from Hawaii for college.  I always wanted to go to the mainland for school.  I like the cold so that doesn’t bother me, by cold, I mean 30’s – 50’s.  Don’t know yet how I will do if it’s colder than that lol.  Just gotta make sure I have the right clothes and that there’s an indoor practice field haha.

R.T:  What factors play a key part in your recruitment?  Coaches, facilities, playing time, etc?

J.B:  Yes, all of those, and one of the biggest factors is going to be if the school is highly rated for the major I’m in, and also if they have a lot of options if I decide I want to change my major.  But the O-Line Coach is going to be one of the main factors for me, and the culture of the program.  I want to be somewhere that will prepare me for life after football.

R.T:  What are your strengths and weaknesses?  What are you looking to improve during your junior and senior years in high school?

J.B:  Strengths – my size, footwork, and technique.  Weakness – lack of experience, didn’t start playing until 8th grade and never had playing time until 9th grade.  Looking to improve everything that has to do with me as a player and a person.