Looking to make a name for himself on the recruiting radar, Jacobs (West Dundee, Ill.) quarterback Bret Mooney has been doing his best to leave it all out on the field.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound signal caller stepped into a starting role this year for the Golden Eagles and finished the season with 2,100 yards passingwith 17 touchdowns. He also accounted for three rushing touchdowns.
“I’m mostly a pocket passer, but if there’s pressure, I can get away from it pretty well,” said Mooney. “My fastest 40-time is 4.72 and I got a 4.78 three times in a row at a camp I went to. I can do a little bit of both, but primarily, I’m a thrower.
“I had a great time this year. I was curious to see how I would stand out and it worked out well. I had a pretty good year and I’m almost positive that next year I’m going to have a way better season. I’m going to work hard to get better.”
After backing up an all-conference quarterback his freshman and sophomore year, the talented junior was able to sit back and study the game from an observer standpoint. Even though this has definitely helped his game, Mooney also credits a former Purdue quarterback for helping him fine tune his mechanics.
“Scott Hoffman is my quarterback coach,” said the Jacobs standout. “I’ve been working with him on footwork and accuracy for the past couple of years since eighth grade. My arm strength is definitely something that helps me, but my accuracy has improved a lot with the deep ball.”
Though he has yet to hear from many schools at this time, the quarterback has taken the initiative to let himself be known.
“Last year I went to the Iowa and Purdue camps,” said Mooney. “Playing college football and getting a good education has always been my dream. I’ve gotten on mailing lists for a few schools, but nothing really big.”
He's also hoping to catch the attention of the Irish.
“Obviously they’re number one in the country right now, so their football team is prospering and their education is great, so that’s definitely something I’d be interested in.”
2014 DT Heating Up
Carrollton (Carrollton, Ga.) defensive tackle Dontavius Russell is known to be a dominant force in the trenches that the opposition had to game plan for, but just because the enemy might throw the kitchen sink at him don't look for the talented 2014 prospect to start complaining.
“It's hard to describe what type of player I am, but I know I'm really good at taking on double teams,” said Russell with a laugh. “I honestly feel I could make plays all the time if I wasn't double teamed, but I love the battles every play. I had 34 tackles, quite a few of those were tackles for losses, and three or four sacks on the season. I really don't like being double teamed, but I know by taking it on I'm freeing up a linebacker or somebody else on the team to make a play.”
This type of attitude has allowed the 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman to already started drawing offers from a couple the top schools in the nation.
“I currently have two offers right now from Florida and Georgia Tech,” he shared. “I'm also hearing quite a bit from Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Louisiana-Lafayette and a few others.”
One program he has yet to hear from is Notre Dame, but it doesn't mean he doesn't know anything about the Irish, especially their fierceness on defense.
“I really like Notre Dame quite a lot,” claimed the Carrollton standout. “I love to watch their nose guard (Louis Nix) play because he plays the same position I do. Their defensive line really does a nice job controlling the ballgame. I'm hoping to hear from them sometime in the future.”
Russell helped the Carrollton Trojans to an 8-4 record this season and is looking forward to possibly make in a deep run in the playoffs in 2013.
“I'm looking forward to being more of a leader for our team next season,” he stated. “This year I was almost picked to be a captain on defense, but one my teammates beat me out for. He did a great job and I learned a lot. I'm looking forward to help lead the defense next year.”
While recruiting is just getting started for the powerful lineman, Russell already knows what he'll be looking for in a college program.
“I'm honestly looking to get a good education out of football,” said the talented junior. “I'm also looking for a good atmosphere and someplace I feel comfortable at.”
