'08 PA TE Hubie Graham (Illinois Signee)

[osugrad21]

Hubie Graham



Tight end / Linebacker
Scranton (PA) West Scranton

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 227 lbs
Forty: 4.7 secs
Bench max: 335 pounds
2006 stats (offense): 35 receptions, 615 yards, 7 TD's
2006 stats (defense): 158 tackles, 10 TFL's, 10 sacks

RP Discussion Links: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Pitt, Rutgers

[HotMic]

Scout $

7/6

Breakdown of Graham, who checks in at #10 in the PA state rankings.

[LordJeffBuck]

Rivals - 07/31/07

An article on several East Coast prospects.... According to Mike Farrell, Pitt is the team to beat for Graham, and Iowa is the dark horse candidate.

[GoRU]

The Times-Tribune - The main attraction

Starting with West Scranton’s Hubie Graham, who has received the most preseason attention, and the most scholarship offers, the position, this season, will feature some of the best talent in the conference.

A 6-foot-4, 235-pounder, Graham has cut down his list of potential schools from 26 to 11 scholarship offers on the table from UCLA, Iowa, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Minnesota, Syracuse and Michigan. He is a devastating blocker with solid pass catching ability and good speed, having clocked a 4.71-second time in the 40-yard dash.

“I think the emergence of the tight end in college football has helped out our area,” said Delaware Valley coach Keith Olsommer, a standout tight end at Penn State in the 1990s. “They are looking for tall tight ends and guys who can just flat out fly, like Hubie. They are all big enough and strong enough to handle their job along the line of scrimmage, as well.”

Clearly, Graham’s in a class by himself, but the next group has some talented athletes.

Lakeland’s Justin Virbitsky has scholarship offers from Duke, Temple, Buffalo and Akron. He is more what fans in this area are used to seeing in a tackle. A devastating blocker, the 6-4, 250-pound Virbitsky, who has been timed at 5.0 seconds in the 40, is often the catalyst for Lakeland’s powerful running attack.

Where Graham is the more prototypical tight end, the other four recruits are athletic enough to play tight end, but big enough and strong enough to play other positions on the offensive line.

“It’s a position that gets overlooked sometimes,” Olsommer said. “There have been some good ones go through our area. People are just starting to look for them to put pressure on safeties and cornerbacks. Everybody goes with speed on defense. That’s the trend. These are big guys and they are tough to tackle. Graham can flat out play, Virbitsky will just smash you at the line.

“They are kids, who are benefitting by the reputation of the area of producing tough, hard-nosed blockers.”

Graham, who enters the season as the No. 12 player at all positions in the state by Rivals.com, can clearly do it all. Playing with a high level of intensity at the end of last season, his emergence as an impact player catapulted West Scranton to its first District 2 Class AAA championship. He caught 35 passes for 614 yards with six going for touchdowns.

He gives the Invaders the ability to run the ball behind him and to spread the field, while creating matchup problems against a secondary.

“The new mold of the tight end is a versatile player,” West Scranton coach Michael DeAntona said. “They are kids who can line up next to a tackle, someone who can run routes and someone who can line up at an H-back and get them matched up with a linebacker or motion him and have a tight end leading like a fullback.”

[wadc45]

Rivals $

8/24

From the Pitt site...has officials set to Pitt (9/22), Iowa (10/13), UCLA (10/6) and Michigan (11/17). Fifth visit will be to either Rutgers, Georgia Tech or Illinois.

[wadc45]

Rivals $

10/16

From the Iowa site...Hubie's coach talks about Hubie's trip out to Iowa last weekend and talks about what makes him so special as a football player.

[illinidarrin]

someone of the Illini scout board posted a link from a newspaper that Hubie graham has committed to the Illini! He is a 4* TE. It's in the time Trunue today.

[jwinslow]

Scout Free

11/18

Committed to Illinois... over UM, FSU, GT, WVU, etc.

[wadc45]

The Times-Tribune - Graham headed to Illinois

BY JOBY FAWCETT
STAFF WRITER
11/18/2007

Hubie Graham is headed to the heart of the Big Ten.

Through intense recruiting pressure and after months of visits across the country to top college programs, West Scranton's prized tight end has made a verbal commitment to the University of Illinois and head coach Ron Zook.

“When I got to Illinois, I knew that was where I wanted to be,” Graham said Saturday.

“They are headed in the right direction. The people are great, the coaches are great. I feel I can play early there if I work hard and do what I have to do.”

Continued...

[ThaKid101]

Big time pickup.

[wadc45]

Scout.com: Hubie Graham Media Gallery

By Matt Alkire
Recruiting Analyst
Posted Nov 24, 2007

Hubie Graham’s contact with the recruiting services was shutdown for months while his head coach was taking calls for him, but after his recent commitment to Ron Zook and the Illinois coaching staff we were able to catch up with him for a video interview after his teams’ recent 39-16 playoff win over Blue Mountain High School to get his words on the commitment.

Continued...

[GoRU]

The Times-Tribune - Graham reaps both Hookey awards

West Scranton’s dominant tight end and defensive end, who is headed to the University of Illinois, made a clean sweep of the Hookey Reap awards as the top offensive and defensive lineman in Lackawanna County, presented by the District 11 American Legion.

Dunmore’s Tim Ruddy, who went on to Notre Dame and a Pro Bowl career with the Miami Dolphins won both honors in the same season, after leading the Bucks to the 1989 PIAA Class A championship.

West Scranton tackle Eric Shrive is the runner-up for the offensive award, while Lakeland’s Justin Virbitsky is the runner-up for the defensive honor.

“It’s just unbelievable,” said Graham, who repeated as the defensive winner. “I played defensive end before I played anything when I played as a sophomore. It’s amazing how fast it’s gone.

“This is such a great honor.”

On defense, Graham earned The Times-Tribune Defensive Player of the Year award with more than 60 tackles while leading the Invaders to a school-record 12 wins and a second straight District 2 Class AAA title.

As a tight end, the 6-foot-4, 231-pounder was an intimidating receiver, catching 30 passes for 709 yards and three touchdowns and earned first-team Class AAA all-state honors. He also was a devastating blocker for the Invaders, who featured All-Region running back Shawn Bodtmann.

“I definitely took pride in my blocking,” Graham said. “That’s something that coach (Michael) DeAntona stresses. We do play at West Side and we are known for our running game. You have to be able to block.”