'09 MI RB Edwin "Rock" Baker (Michigan State Verbal)

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Oak Park (MI) Oak Park

Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 195 lbs
Forty: 4.37 secs
GPA: 3.3
ACT: 17

Scout.com: ScoutTV: Oak Park junior RB Edwin Baker

By Allen Trieu
Midwest Recruiting Analyst
Posted Oct 30, 2007

There is a debate raging in Michigan over who is the state's top junior back. Battle Creek Central's Larry Caper has laid claim, but a growing number of folks think Oak Park's Edwin Baker might not only be the top junior back in the state, but in the midwest.

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Rivals $

2/18

From the Purdue site...has offers from Michigan State, Purdue and Georgia and thinks Texas could be next. Talks about his contact with the Purdue staff, who was the first to offer.

[GoRU]

Spartans beat out U-M, others for top running back recruit | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Oak Park junior running back Edwin Baker committed to Michigan State on Tuesday.

The 5-foot-11, 210-pounder with offers from Michigan, Texas, Purdue and Georgia was impressed at a MSU’s junior day Saturday and decided to eschew the “national recruiting thing,” Oak Park coach Tim Hopkins said.

“He liked the fact they were committed to him with some of the things they will be doing in the running game. I told him if you are cool with it, I’m cool with it.”

The commitment is non-binding and other schools have until next February to change Baker’s mind, but Hopkins said that Baker is resolute.

“He just wants to concentrate on having a championship senior season with Oak Park,” Hopkins said.

Baker is one of the top running backs in the nation for 2009. Rivals.com has not released their 2009 position rankings yet but some national recruiting analysts have Baker ranked in the Top 5 nationally among running backs.

[HotMic]

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4/10

From the Michigan Varsity site. Baker says that even though childhood favorite Tennessee has offered, he is solid with MSU.

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Rivals.com Football Recruiting - Five-Star Academies produce plenty of highlights

Headliner: Edwin Baker, RB, Oak Park, Mich.

Four-star running back Edwin Baker was already one of the nation's top running back prospects. But getting an accurate measurement on him of 5 feet 9 1/2 and 204 pounds at the East Lansing Academy helped solidify his position as one of the best of the best. Not only does his film look great, his frame looks great to play in the Big Ten.

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Rivals $

6/24

Recaps his experience at the MSU camp.

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Rivals.com Football Recruiting - First look: Day One Top Gun RB analysis

Edwin Baker, 5-9, 195, RB Oak Park (MI) Oak Park

Assets: Very quick, with above-average change of direction and very powerful movements.
What was most impressive at camp: Gave 110% on all drills and showed up first at the opening meeting.
On the Hoof:Baker has tremendous biceps and calves that most body builders would desire. Lives up to his nickname back home: "The Rock."

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Rivals.com Football Recruiting - Top Gun Showcase: Final Offense Hot 11

RB Edwin Baker
5-9/195
Oak Park (Mich.) High

He was one of the most complete players in the three-day camp. Baker always was the first to arrive at player meetings and asked coaches several questions, showing he's a real student of the game. He's quick and built like a body-builder with biceps and calves that would make Hulk Hogan envious. He should be a great every-down back for Michigan State.

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ESPN - Sunshine State stocked with backs in the '09 class - Football Recruiting

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio landed his workhorse of the future with the state's top runner Edwin Baker (Oak Park, Mich.). A kid who could crack our top-10 with a healthy senior season, Baker consistently breaks through first contact with his powerful lower-body and can also make first defenders miss with his good foot quickness. The future Spartan has deceptive speed needed to pull away in the second level as well.

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Flash: Oak Park RB Edwin Baker will run to MSU after this season | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

August 26, 2008

We were actually there for when the Flash, er, Edwin Baker, first manifested his powers.

After his 210-yard rushing performance against Troy last season, Oak Park coach Tim Hopkins declared Baker was the "best running back in the Midwest."

Kind of a bold statement for a guy wasn't on many recruiting service lists at the time.

Since then, Baker has exploded up the charts like a rocket and now he is considered the No. 40 player in the land by rivals.com. Scout.com doesn't have him ranked as high, but he is a top 150 player on its Web site.

As for the Knights this season, they are trying to get to the playoffs after narrowly missing last season.

If The Flash can outrun the various villainous teams of the Oakland Activities Association, they just might.

By Vince Ellis

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ESPN - More skill prospects than ever in Michigan and Wisconsin - Football Recruiting

Top recruit

Edwin Baker, running back
Oak Park, Mich.
Verbal commitment: Michigan State

What do the top two players in the state of Michigan have in common? Both are running backs, and both are going to Michigan State to play college football. It's not often that two high-caliber players at the same position and in the same class want to compete with each other. Baker and Larry Caper (Battlecreek, MI./Central) have decided to do just that for the Spartans.

Baker is a thick, tough, explosive running back who has great balance and upper-body strength. He displays excellent vision in finding the smallest of creases and then accelerates through the line of scrimmage with a head of steam. He is athletic enough to bounce the ball out or cut it back without losing speed in the transition. Baker is tough to bring down in the open field and can run through arm tackles. Once in daylight, Baker kicks it in to a second gear and has shown the ability to leave defenders in the dust.

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MSU-bound RB Edwin Baker an All-American | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Gary Malerba/Special to the Free Press.

Oak Park High School senior running back Edwin Baker, 17, was selected to play in the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl Friday, Oct.10, 2008.

Michigan State class of 2009 running back commitment Edwin Baker received an impressive honor recently when he was selected to play in the United States Army All-American Bowl. The game, which is held at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on January 3rd, will be broadcast live on NBC at 12 noon CST.

The Army All-American Bowl features many of the top football recruits in the nation.

The alumni roster reads like a who’s who of college and NFL players. Current NFL stars like Reggie Bush, Kevin Jones, Lendale White, Steve Smith, Donte Whitner, Jason Avant, Vince Young, Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson are just a few of the players who participated in the game.

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