Mike D'Andrea

It's an outstanding year for talent in the Buckeye State with such super prospects as RB Maurice Clarett of Warren-Harding, OL Doug Datish of Warren-Howland, QB Justin Zwick of Massillon-Washington, LB Bobby Carpenter of Lancaster, WR Roy Hall of Lyndhurst-Brush, DL Quinn Pitcock of Piqua, and RB DeShawn Wynn of Reading, to name a few. However, without a doubt, the No. 1 prospect at this stage is LB Mike D'Andrea (6-3, 235, 4.52, Avon Lake).

He's a superior athlete with the size, speed and instincts to make a mark as a true freshman in college next season. During my visit to the Cleveland area this past May, I was amazed at how many people knew about D'Andrea and how many opposing players were praising his ability.

I've been in this business a long time, and I've always been skeptical about players who receive an extraordinary amount of hype. However, after viewing No. 5 on film, I could see what all the talk was about. D'Andrea's film shows a player with great range and tremendous hitting ability. He's rarely caught out of position and is a very active and aggressive player who can play the run as well as anybody in the Midwest. A sure tackler, he does a good job of avoiding blocks and is also terrific when running down players from behind. As a junior he recorded 122 tackles, six sacks, 12 tackles for losses and one INT at outside linebacker, and he outplayed the more heralded senior All-Americans Pat Massey and Pierre Woods.

On offense D'Andrea caught 23 passes for 285 yards and three scores at tight end, proving to be an efficient and sure-handed receiver. However, he will make his name and fortune on defense because he is without a doubt the most talented defensive player in the Midwest. He was voted the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Defensive Player of the Year as a junior. In track he has thrown the shot put over 62 feet and the discus 175 feet.

He's the type of player who must be accounted for at all times and shows extraordinary acceleration and great body control. If he stays healthy, there's no doubt he will wind up playing on Sundays.

As of mid-August he had four favorite schools: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan and Nebraska. He plans on taking his time and going on all of his visits. Early on, Ohio State appeared to be the clear-cut leader; however, the other three schools have made up a lot of ground, and now it's too close to call in the battle for the signature of the nation's No. 1 linebacker.

Tom Lemming is editor of Prep Football Report. For information on how to subscribe to Prep Football Report's three yearly magazines and five newsletters ($60 for the magazines and $90 for both magazines and newsletters), fax your name, address and fax number to 847-842-1313 or write to P.O. Box 59113, Schaumburg, Ill. 60159. For year-round recruiting updates, call Tom Lemming's Prep Football Hotline at 900-860-9888. Calls are $1.79 per minute, and callers must be 18 years old or have parents' permission.