After great conversations with @coach_dobes and @Coach_McCorkle I’m fired up to announce my commitment to Dartmouth College!! Thank you to the entire staff for this life changing opportunity. Excited to join the family!!! #BLEEDGREEN @DartmouthFTBL @LandanYount @coachirishodea… pic.twitter.com/IewFdShka8
— Tyler Kessel (@TylerKessel12) August 16, 2023
Kessel is a 6-1½, 215-pound linebacker from Summit High School in New Jersey, only about 15-20 minutes from Morristown, where fellow linebacker commit Johnny Riley (who announced yesterday) lives. Kessel had 120 tackles last year with 20 for a loss, including five sacks.
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So now the recruiting class as we (think we) know it looks like this:
• DE Jackson Ashford, 6-2, 250, IMG Academy/Bradenton, Fla.
• WR/DB James Elliott, 6-2, 195, Willison Northampton/Leeds, Mass.
• LB Tyler Kessel, 6-1 ½, 215 Summit HS/Summit, N.J.
• OL Anthony Ndika, 64, 290, Loomis Chaffee/Nigeria
• LB Johnny Riley, 6-3, 210, Delbarton/Morristown, N.J.
• WR Luke Rives, 6-0, 170, Stratford HS/Houston
• OL Ryan Turk, 6-4, 280, Loyola HS/Los Angeles
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From the pro prospects section of a Pro Football Network story headlined, Syracuse Orange Preview: Roster, Prospects, Schedule, and More (LINK):
Isaiah Johnson, CB
After racking up 55 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, a pick-six, and seven deflections in 2021 at Dartmouth, 6’3″, 205-pound cornerback Isaiah Johnson transferred to Syracuse. There, he logged 53 tackles, a pick, and a deflection on the boundary in 2022.
Johnson is a leggy defender who projects best in zone coverage. He’s physical at stems with his length and frame density and can pass off receivers while maintaining his positioning.
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The University of Louisville's 247 Sports site has a piece headlined Louisville Football: The 50 Most Important Players of 2023, 31-35, that includes a familiar name (LINK):
NO. 34 JOHN PAUL FLORES | OFFENSIVE LINE
Class: Redshirt Senior
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 305
Jody Demling's ranking (No. 44)
Michael McCammon's rankings (No. 20)
The Virginia transfer has benefited from the experience of spring practice and has built a better understanding of the offensive playbook.
The 6-foot-4 redshirt senior began his career at Dartmouth and garnered multiple all-league honors during his time there.
Flores has been heavily in the rotation throughout fall camp and has an opportunity to fill a key role up front this season.
Flores '22, of course, was a starter at Dartmouth before first playing at Virginia as a grad transfer and now at Louisville.
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And what would a day be like without a Shane Cokes '23 mention? Today we have two.
First, from a Colorado Buffaloes Wire story headlined, Shane Cokes bringing versatility to Colorado's defense (LINK):
The Colorado Buffaloes were in dire need of playmakers along the defensive front, and they went looking all over the country to make sure they had all of their bases covered ahead of the 2023 season. One of their best finds has been Shane Cokes, who comes to Boulder via Hanover, New Hampshire.
And this from a Denver Gazette story under the headline, CU Buffs defensive line working to get in peak shape, build ‘strength in numbers’ (LINK):
“I think the biggest thing is ‘want to,’” Cokes said. “I think in the spring, it might’ve been a little less, just given the situation. Now with everyone coming in, we all have that common goal of winning that championship and individual goals of just being great. Seeing that from everyone has been the most exciting thing for me.”
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Flo Football, which streams New Hampshire football games online (including the Dartmouth game next month) has a piece headlined New Hampshire Football In 2023: What To Know About The Wildcats HERE.
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EXTRA POINT
I can't say the forecast has improved but practice starts Saturday and will keep me busy seven days a week until Thanksgiving. With that in mind, we are going to make the best of my last several free days. Mrs. BGA and I are packing up the VW poptop camper and heading out in a few hours. Scrabble, Boggle and books will fill the time between predicted rainstorms.
Don't worry, the new laptop will be coming as well, making it something of a busman's holiday. As long as my little hotspot thingie picks up a signal in the BGA Mobile Headquarters, BGA Daily will be posted the next two mornings. And BGA Premium will have the Penn preview tonight as well as the Princeton preview tomorrow night.
