By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)
Throughout January our SuitePreps section will be rolling out profiles for some of the top football recruits in Massachusetts, all leading up to National Signing Day on February 4th. We continue today with one of the most overlooked players in the state this year, Shepherd Hill athlete Drew Jean-Guillaume.
Drew Jean-Guillaume
Shepherd Hill Regional High School
Athlete (QB, RB, DB)
5'10'', 200 lbs.
College Choice: Central Connecticut State
Senior Highlights
Rankings:
ESPN Scouts Inc.- 2 stars, 63/100, #25 in MA, #185 ATH
Ranking Note: ESPN, like most recruiting services, grades on the "star scale," awarding players between 1-5 stars, but it also grades on a 1-100 scale to place players more precisely.
Strengths: Speed, toughness, leadership
Areas to Improve: Comfort
I'm not going to lie, after going back and watching my field level film of Jean-Guillaume from 2013, then clicking through his Hudl page, I can't really find a weakness with this kid. He's a star sprinter who will never be caught from behind (posted an absurd 10.8 in the 100 meters), but also runs tough between the tackles and displays good vision. DJG also owns one of the state's nastiest stiff arms and does a great job of staying low and securing the ball in a crowd.
Now, is he the biggest guy? No. Is he the strongest guy? Not quite, but watch the way he finishes some of his runs on film and let me know which DB wants to get in his way when he gets to the second level. Oh yeah, and many of those runs came as Jean-Guillaume was battling an ankle injury the second half of the season.
How on Earth did this kid only get two Division I FCS offers? How does he not even have a recruiting profile up on 247 or Rivals? Perhaps schools were nervous about taking an option quarterback and converting him to some other position, or maybe they thought his eye-popping stats (over 11 yards per carry) were the product of Shepherd Hill's outstanding offensive line?
Look, the Rams had one of the best lines in the state, and SH's Double Wing is a well oiled machine at this point, but DJG was the perfect guy to lead that offense. Now, will he be able to adjust to playing running back, the position that Central Connecticut State has recruited him for?
Physically, there is no reason why he shouldn't, but it will be all about getting comfortable taking the handoffs rather than giving them. All about listening for audibles and checks instead of calling them.
But even if Jean-Guillaume never grows into a true running back, his quickness in and out of breaks made him an ideal candidate to play corner, a position he has good size and speed for.
DJG has the look of a diamond in the rough, the only thing is, he shouldn't have been in the rough! The kid has led one of the state's most dominant attacks the last two seasons and produced some of the Commonwealth's most memorable highlights during that run.
Whether it be because of schematic fit, his highly touted teammates up front or a perceived lack of competition, Jean-Guillaume may be the most overlooked player in Massachusetts' Class of 2015. Credit Central Connecticut State for finding a kid that can help them a variety of ways down the road.
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