Posted: Mike Couzens
Summer‚Äôs already really hot in the recruiting battle for one of the top lineman on the Atlantic coast. Syracuse already has one commitment from a basketball player in the Blue Hen State, and now there’s a fight on the football field as well.
Meet Trip Thurman. He’s pretty hard to miss at 6’6”, 300 lb. The lineman has been an All-Conference selection at both offensive lineman and defensive end his junior season at Dover (DE) High School.
Among the nearly 20 schools that are in on him are names from both the Big East and power conferences from around the country. Syracuse is battling Wisconsin, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Penn State, and Boston College among others.
Despite the tough competition for Thurman, SU stands a chance. Thurman spoke about a coach who he visited with and why he liked the experience:
“I just like how he builds relationships before he goes and offers guys like me. When I came down this spring we had a great talk and he really likes me.”
No, it’s not Doug Marrone. It’s actually former SU offensive line coach and current Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio. But there’s something behind the statement.
Remember what we heard about Marrone just a few weeks back from New Rochelle (NY) High assistant coach Keith Fagan?
“The first thing that Coach Marrone did was send assistants who cover those areas out to the high schools, letting us know that he cares about us, letting us know that whatever he can do for New York State High School football he would do.”
So Marrone’s not just in it for the player on the field, but also for the person off the field. That could be a crucial element in the chase to get Thurman to The Hill.
Here’s more on Thurman from earlier this year:
“Thurman, a 6-foot-5, 295-pounder, showed off the best feet on the day in drills and has excellent instincts. He has a great build with a powerful upper body and thick legs and he is very explosive and sudden. He struggled a bit in one-on-ones mainly because he was lunging, but with a slight adjustment he has the potential to be dominant.”
You can‚Äôt teach size but you can teach skill. Turner’s a young offensive lineman. Marrone is an experienced and passionate one. Sounds like a great match. The Fizz will be tracking his recruiting battle all summer.
