Syracuse Football: Get To Know Your Orange Man - #25 Jeremiah Kobena

The two-a-days roll on today, starting with freshman wide receiver/kick returner/speed mogul Jeremiah Kobena.  If you want to catch up on all of our previous profiles, click here.

Number:   25

Position:  Wide Receiver

Year:  Freshman

Height:  5'11"

Weight:  180

Hometown:  New York, NY

High School:  Cardinal Hayes

2010 Stats:  Jeremiah caught 9 passes for 97 yards and a TD at Milford Academy last year.

2011 Projections:  I'm a fan.  Jeremiah is a lot like Dorian Graham in terms of speed, but with less suspect hands.  I'm not sure what his role in the offense will be this year, but I suspect he will get some playing time.  I would also be surprised if he wasn't returning kicks and/or punts this season.

Here's what I wrote about Jeremiah in my post-Spring report card:

Jeremiah Kobena: (B+) — This kid can absolutely fly.  Kobena is going to find the field in some capacity this year, as he has some great experience in high school as a return guy.  I think that he can play a similar role to Graham in the offense, as a deep threat, and we may also see the team run some reverses for him, to get the ball in his hands in the open field.

How'd He Get Here?:  Jeremiah chose SU over Rutgers and Pittsburgh.  He cited the ability to be a part of the rebirth of Syracuse football as one reason for choosing Syracuse.  I'm sure Doug Marrone's NYC ties and general awesomeness didn't hurt either.  

What'd Scout/Rivals Say?:  Scout gave Kobena the requisite 2-star treatment, while Rivals was a bit more optimistic, giving Jeremiah 3-stars.

Money Quote:

"I really didn't want to go to a school already top five, prestigious wise, like for say, LSU. It's already prestigious. It's already up there.  I want to go up there where I can make a big impact. Compared to us (in New York), those kids down south are alaready developed. A lot of city kids don't get a lot of love from down south. Syracuse has been struggling the last four years. I feel lilke I can contribute there with my ability. I can contribute to the team a lot."

Links of Wonder:  Here's a recent Nolan article about the team's young receivers and the impact they can make this season.

What Does Doug Marrone Think?:  Marrone on the freshman receivers:

"Jeremiah Kobena we knew could run, and he was here in the spring. The other two kids, they’ve done a nice job."

Interesting Nugget O'Interest:  Kobena's success in track is pretty well documented.  The man can run a 10.7 in the 100-meter.  Also, his nickname is "Juice".  Why hasn't this been more utilized?

Let Us Get a Good Look At You:

Here's Kobena running some track:

Varsity Boys 100m Prelims Heat 2 CHSAA City Championships 5-23-2009 (via EDJPROV)