Quendel Ellison and Nick Lepak are not cut from the typical high schooler mold. The Auburn football standouts, in fact, stand out, on and off the field.
Jennifer Meyers / The Citizen
Auburn football players Quendel Ellison, left, and Nick Lepak will be attending the Scout.com All-American Combine at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J. on Sunday. Over 40 scouts from Division I-A and I-AA football programs will be at the combine.
Auburn football players Quendel Ellison, left, and Nick Lepak will be attending the Scout.com All-American Combine at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J. on Sunday. Over 40 scouts from Division I-A and I-AA football programs will be at the combine.
Ellison, a 5-foot-10 battering ram, is seemingly as broad as he is tall. The junior running back's time in the weight room has resulted in a 200-pound, jagged frame capable of slicing through any defensive line. With the added muscle, Ellison has shed the commonplace image of a wispy high school tailback without losing any quickness or versatility.
Lepak, on the other hand, stands out, or rather stands above the masses. The 6-foot-4, 345-pound offensive lineman is a running quarterback's dream and a pass rusher's nightmare. Lepak, a sophomore offensive lineman, has shattered the Auburn weight-lifting records, including a recent post of 365 pounds on the bench press.
Some observers, including Auburn head football coach Dave Moskov, might point out Ellison and Lepak have the builds of college, not high school, athletes. While both still have a season or two left with the Maroons, the collegiate levels have come calling and it's time to show off their Division-I talent.
Today, Ellison and Lepak will compete at the Scout.com All-American Combine at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J. There is expected to be more than 225 high school athletes on hand and more than 40 Division I-A or I-AA football scouts in attendance.
“It's a premier D-I combine,” Moskov said. “It's used as a recruiting service. There's over 10 of them nationwide. This one covers the entire Northeast - New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. It's a pretty good cross section of talent.”
The combine format is very similar to the one the NFL puts on. The athletes will be tested in the shuttle run, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, 3-cone and standing broad jump. These five drills measure a player's quickness, coordination, flexibility, body control and leg explosion.
“I think my speed and strength play to my favor,” said Ellison, who's already clocked a 4.4 40-yard dash. “I'll be nervous, but I've got to stay focused and give a good show.”
While Lepak hopes to impress the scouts, he also intends to use the combine as a measuring scale. Being only a sophomore, he has plenty of time to hone his abilities and will attend these combines in the years to come.
“The main thing I'm looking forward to is seeing who else is going to be there,” Lepak said. “I want to see what other people bring to the table. That's the main thing. I'm not really focused on college right now. I just want to do the best I can. Being still young, I know what I have to do.”
Lepak already has the frame of an offensive lineman, but as a sophomore Moskov expects him to grow -- in more ways than one.
“He's broken all our school strength records and he's only a 10th grader,” he said. “He's already an all-league lineman and he's got two seasons left. He could very well be 6-5, 6-6.”
Despite his size and obvious potential, Lepak never expected to be invited to such a prestigious combine at such a young age.
“I'm still kind of shocked I was chosen,” he said. “I'm only 15, still a sophomore. Usually seniors are the main grasped. I'm really privileged. I had no idea I would have a shot, no idea truly. When I got the letter I was very happy and knew I had to keep doing what I've been doing.”
Ellison, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns his junior campaign, is being recruited by a host of top-caliber Division-I football teams. He was also invited to attend a breakfast and a spring football game at Rutgers University on Saturday before the combine.
“Quendel's got real good size and exceptional speed,” Moskov said. “This year I think he'll be one of, if not the fastest tailback in Central New York. There's already been a host of D-I schools interested in him - Virginia Tech, UConn, Rutgers, Boston College, Syracuse - a nice sampling of schools. When teams like Virginia Tech call, that's a pretty good sign.”
Ellison is keeping his options open and most likely won't commit to a program until sometime after his senior season.
Lepak, on the other hand, stands out, or rather stands above the masses. The 6-foot-4, 345-pound offensive lineman is a running quarterback's dream and a pass rusher's nightmare. Lepak, a sophomore offensive lineman, has shattered the Auburn weight-lifting records, including a recent post of 365 pounds on the bench press.
Some observers, including Auburn head football coach Dave Moskov, might point out Ellison and Lepak have the builds of college, not high school, athletes. While both still have a season or two left with the Maroons, the collegiate levels have come calling and it's time to show off their Division-I talent.
Today, Ellison and Lepak will compete at the Scout.com All-American Combine at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J. There is expected to be more than 225 high school athletes on hand and more than 40 Division I-A or I-AA football scouts in attendance.
“It's a premier D-I combine,” Moskov said. “It's used as a recruiting service. There's over 10 of them nationwide. This one covers the entire Northeast - New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. It's a pretty good cross section of talent.”
The combine format is very similar to the one the NFL puts on. The athletes will be tested in the shuttle run, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, 3-cone and standing broad jump. These five drills measure a player's quickness, coordination, flexibility, body control and leg explosion.
“I think my speed and strength play to my favor,” said Ellison, who's already clocked a 4.4 40-yard dash. “I'll be nervous, but I've got to stay focused and give a good show.”
While Lepak hopes to impress the scouts, he also intends to use the combine as a measuring scale. Being only a sophomore, he has plenty of time to hone his abilities and will attend these combines in the years to come.
“The main thing I'm looking forward to is seeing who else is going to be there,” Lepak said. “I want to see what other people bring to the table. That's the main thing. I'm not really focused on college right now. I just want to do the best I can. Being still young, I know what I have to do.”
Lepak already has the frame of an offensive lineman, but as a sophomore Moskov expects him to grow -- in more ways than one.
“He's broken all our school strength records and he's only a 10th grader,” he said. “He's already an all-league lineman and he's got two seasons left. He could very well be 6-5, 6-6.”
Despite his size and obvious potential, Lepak never expected to be invited to such a prestigious combine at such a young age.
“I'm still kind of shocked I was chosen,” he said. “I'm only 15, still a sophomore. Usually seniors are the main grasped. I'm really privileged. I had no idea I would have a shot, no idea truly. When I got the letter I was very happy and knew I had to keep doing what I've been doing.”
Ellison, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns his junior campaign, is being recruited by a host of top-caliber Division-I football teams. He was also invited to attend a breakfast and a spring football game at Rutgers University on Saturday before the combine.
“Quendel's got real good size and exceptional speed,” Moskov said. “This year I think he'll be one of, if not the fastest tailback in Central New York. There's already been a host of D-I schools interested in him - Virginia Tech, UConn, Rutgers, Boston College, Syracuse - a nice sampling of schools. When teams like Virginia Tech call, that's a pretty good sign.”
Ellison is keeping his options open and most likely won't commit to a program until sometime after his senior season.
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lover of gmac wrote on Apr 24, 2006 10:43 AM: