Hampton DE Elijah Conliffe lands more college offers
by Jamaar Hawkins, recruit757
Ocean Lakes quarterback Tyler DeSue is a name that is very familiar in the recruiting circles. He picked up an offer from the University of Virginia in the eighth grade and has seen interest from nearly every school on the East in the meantime. This past Friday, West Virginia entered the race for the sophomore, extending an offer to DeSue.
“The West Virginia coaches called on Friday and apparently spoke to my coach. He told me to give them a call and West Virginia offered me right over the phone,” DeSue said of the Mountaineer offer.
“West Virginia is definitely the type of school that would fit me. They run an Air Raid which is perfect for me. Of course I love to pass,” he added.
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound DeSue plans on visiting the West Virginia campus during a 7-on-7 tournament in June with his Virginia Thoroughbreds travel team. The West Virginia visit will be among of string of camp stops the quarterback plans on attending during the summer period when colleges typically host one-day prospect camps.
Surprisingly, the offer is only the second standing one for DeSue despite the early interest from the Cavaliers coaching staff. DeSue also mentioned a previous offer from Miami (FL), but with a new coaching staff in Coral Gables, DeSue is unsure about his current standing with the program. Ohio State has also inquired about DeSue. He also mentions interest from Oregon, USC and UCLA to add some West Coast flavor to his recruitment.
“It’s a big relief to get another one. Sometimes you think if something is wrong or if schools will want you. So it feels good to get this one,” DeSue added.
DeSue admitted the offer from UVA served as added pressure upon entering high school, with expectations the incoming freshman would immediately grab the Dolphins starting quarterback job. He struggled to grasp Ocean Lakes’ fast-paced spread offense after operating out of the wing-T in middle school. It was not until the tail end of his freshman season did DeSue feel comfortable with the Dolphins offense. A self-admittedly “raw” athlete as a freshman, backing up ex-starter Brenden O’Neil allowed DeSue to pick up on the nuances of the offense.
“Brenden’s not really a talker, so just sitting back and learning from him was big for me. Kind of towards the end of my freshman year I was able to pick up on some things and really feel comfortable. The pressure went away,” DeSue noted.
With O’Neil graduating in June of 2015, DeSue split time under center with senior Kody Cunningham this past season. While he did not harbor ill feelings towards Cunningham, DeSue did privately question the decision since the mental aspect that he lacked as a freshman was apparently behind him.
“It was just frustrating sharing the job when you have an offer from UVA, you know? Most freshman quarterbacks don’t come in and start anyway so that wasn’t a surprise to anyone. But definitely last year. I thought I had the potential to start. I mean Kody is really good, but I think it makes college coaches ask questions when you’re sitting on the bench,” DeSue noted.
Tyler DeSue won’t have an opportunity to win the Dolphins starting job as a junior. He has already stated his intention to join former Ocean Lakes head coach Chris Scott at Bishop Sullivan Catholic, along with a host of former Dolphins next season. There may still be some competition at the quarterback position, but Desue looks like a sure bet to lead the Crusaders for the next two seasons.
“It will be a culture shock going from a school with 2,000 students to maybe 400. But I’ll finish this year at Ocean Lakes then head over to Bishop. It will definitely be interesting with so many new faces on offense and defense,” DeSue added.
– Jamaar Hawkins
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