Better success on the field led to more attention from college recruiters, Mahon said, and now four players – sophomore running backs Kaleb Johnson and Keyshawn Stephens, junior wide receiver Daryan Bowling and Moeller transfer Malik Verdon – have Division I offers.
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“Four kids on the team with Division I offers at the same time, I can’t tell you the last time that happened, maybe 2002 or 2003,” said Mahon, a Hamilton alum. “They’re obviously excited to be rewarded for putting a lot of time and effort in, and really it’s a by-product of going to the playoffs and having more successful seasons. A lot more kids get offered, a lot more kids get recognized when the team does better and that’s a product of the fall we had.”
The past two weeks have been especially busy on the recruiting front for Hamilton.
Johnson picked up an offer from Michigan State to go along with others he had received from Pittsburgh, Iowa State and several Mid-American Conference schools. Bowling received his first offer from the Naval Academy last week and also added one from Army.
Verdon, a dual-threat quarterback who is being recruited as an offensive athlete and free safety, recently received offers from Toledo, Georgetown, Navy and West Virginia to go along with an already long list of mid-major schools recruiting him. Stephens has offers from Miami University and Liberty.
Mahon isn’t surprised that more offers have started coming in this spring, especially since colleges shut down in March and haven’t allowed teams to hold spring practices or games.
“A lot of college coaches are sitting by the phone and checking email and watching film more now than they normally would because normally they are in the midst of spring football but they don’t have that now,” Mahon said. “There is more time to evaluate recruits so I think it’s nice. I’m having a lot of conversations with coaches, more than I’ve ever had in the spring. As far as recruiting goes, that helps a lot.”
Mahon described Johnson as a “big, physical running back for a sophomore becoming a junior.” He’s 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and ranked fourth in the Greater Miami Conference for rushing with 878 yards and nine touchdowns, while playing alongside a two-year all-GMC first team player in Stephens, who added 775 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mahon said Stephens is good at eluding tackles but also is a very good cornerback as well.
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Bowling, who is 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, ranked third in the GMC with 557 yards receiving and is a “natural wide receiver, a long strider who can run and jump and sees the ball in the air well,” according to Mahon. Recruiters like him as a deep threat as well.
Verdon hasn’t played a game on the gridiron for Hamilton yet after transferring during basketball season, but he’s a 6-4, 200-pound athlete who can play just about any position, according to Mahon. He saw limited action at quarterback with Moeller last fall and had 240 yards rushing.
“These are exciting times and I’m hoping like heck we’re going to have a full season this fall because kids are getting rewarded for their success and we want to see that continue,” Mahon said. “Those four will play a lot both ways and won’t come off the field much. They are very gifted athletically, which makes them so highly recruited.”
Mahon said he misses being with the players, but he has checked in with many of them and has seen some videos they’ve been posting of their own workouts at home. He believes the time away will give everyone a “newfound interest” and practices should be especially competitive whenever they get underway for the fall.
“When they do give us the OK to get going back up again, I think there is going to be a lot of excitement,” Mahon said. “When guys are in sports year-round and have a break like this, it gives them renewed interest. I’ll be just as excited to see everyone and get right back at it when that time comes.”
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