Valley prospects getting increased recruiting attention

Spring evaluation period is about to start and as colleges start organizing their recruiting boards, there will be a dramatic increase in Arizona prep footballers that receive new scholarship offers.

This week has already been a busy one. The following prospects received their first offers.

Cornerback Ryan McKinley from Boulder Creek received an “offer” from Yale. I put offer in quotes because Ivy League programs don’t have athletic scholarships. Expect him to get several offers before the summer ends. South Dakota State may be the next to offer.

Tight end Grant Martinez from Notre Dame Prep got a big first offer from Oregon State.

Offensive lineman Patrick Joseph from Hamilton was offered by Arizona and Army last week.

One of my favorite players, defensive end Lorenzo Melvin from Desert Vista was one of several players offered by South Dakota State. At 6-2, 225, he is a ‘tweener but I expect his high-tempo play to garner more offers.

Rich Rodriguez liked diminutive RB Mauriece Lee from Marcos de Niza enough to offer him a scholarship.

Paradise Valley quarterback Ryan Finley unofficially visited Boise State and was offered.

Linebacker Andrew Curtis from Brophy received offers from Northern Illinois and South Dakota State on the same day.

Thunderbird has had great success over the past two years but have had very few players receive DI attention. RB Kani Benoit was offered by South Dakota State and will be the Chiefs’ first DI player since Dexter Davis.