The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Football Adds 24th Signee
02/07/2005
KENT, Ohio -- The Kent State University football recruiting class grew by one on Monday (Feb. 7) when head coach Doug Martin announced the signing of running back Eugene Jarvis (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic H.S.). Jarvis becomes the 24th student-athlete to sign a national letter of intent to play football for the Golden Flashes, starting next fall.

“Eugene Jarvis is a fantastic playmaker and is a great addition to our program,

Definetly has the stats, post-season awards, & big-school competition. I wonder what his measurements are and why he didn't sign last Wednesday?

I'd have to guess that a bigger program had him on the line until they got all of their recruits signed and then had no spots for him. Then, he would have had to evaluate his next level of choices. Hope he works out. Lots of pub from what I can see.

From what I heard, he verballed to Akron even tho his mother always wanted him to go to Kent. Akrons site on signing day, listed him as signed and delivered. I was disappointed because I think this kid is a big timer in some program and Martin really wanted him. He is only 5'6" tall, but his coach says that he has Barry Sanders moves and speed. We now have 2 of the fastest backs probably ever by KSU. I think that he is 4.3 in the 40.
I would really like to know the story of how this Akron recruit got shifted to us. There is a story here somewhere. This makes our class better for sure.

If your a rivals.com member by any chance he has 7 videos on there....has some great moves but he looks so tiny...the one good thing is he can take a hit and his low center of gravity gives him some silly balance....has got some sick speed too as he runs north/south just as well as he can take it outside....also was showed doing kick and punt returns and has good vision and was smart on a few plays and waited for his blockers....i think just the fact that he is so short and only weighs 160 or so kept the big schools off him....i think he will do some good stuff here and give the offense a little different look than keys will bring...overall i am glad he joined us...welcome to the flashes

Wait, I totally missed the name. He's that kid. Please someone post this on the main board. The Akron guys were crowing about taking him from us the other day. :rofl:

As FlashFan said, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" Mama slapped him up side the head and said, "Boy, what you thinkn about going and become a Zip for?" :rofl:

The review from The Insiders . Another review talks about his commit to Akron. There is a story here for sure; maybe we'll never know.

Hope Coach Martin sends his mom flowers. Thank you, Mama!!

Quote:Jarvis amassed 2,196 yards on 266 carries and scored 38 touchdowns as a senior. Jarvis was a repeat selection 1st team all-state team, and WPIAL Quad A player of the year as he helped lead Pittsburgh Central Catholic to a (16-0) record and a PIAA state championship.

Jarvis carries 2.6 GPA

As a junior Jarvis was named WPIAL Quad A Player of the Year and 1st Team All-State by every media outlet. He ran for 1,683 yards and scored 39 touchdowns as a junior. He also caught 17 passes for 359 yards.

2.6 GPA

. Jarvis"Everyone talks about my size, but that just makes me work that much harder to prove them wrong."

Coach's Comments"People can say what they want about Eugene's size, but you can't argue about his productivity," Art Walker Jr. said.

Scouting report:Amazing talent with great speed, good hands, and Barry Sanders-type moves. Runs tough despite lack of ideal size. Also excels in the return game.

I have been told from someone who knows better than I that Coach Martin loves CMU's Jerry Seymour. He is as small as they get, but he runs tough and catches the ball out of the backfield. This kid might be in the mold. Who cares about his size anyway? If he led his team to a state championship in Penn. and was considered the Player of the Year in Western Pa twice, he must be good.

The previous article mentioned the possibility of grayshirting, which means he is having trouble qualifying. That would be why major schools backed off. I wonder where his scores fall for Kent State. The Flashes have had success with partial qualifiers in the past (Alston, Anthony Henriquez), but I would hate to lose him for a year if he is that good.

C'mon guys, do some research. Jarvis has the grades to play now, he is not a partial qualifier. This came down to what a kid wanted and what Mom wanted and momma won out. Credit the KSU coaches for landing a big-time recruit here and not giving up even though an announcement was made on signing day by the kid.

Jarvis picks Akron
By Kevin Gorman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, February 2, 2005

Once Eugene Jarvis elected to play in the Mid-American Conference, he was torn over whether to pick Akron or Kent State as his college destination.

So Jarvis chose to do what Central Catholic did in winning WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA championships this past season: He placed it in his gut and followed his heart.

The 5-foot-6, 165-pound running back, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Co-Player of the Year, elected to sign a national letter of intent today with Akron.

"It was a lot of things," said Jarvis, who also counted Temple as a finalist. "You've got to look at the offense, things like that. I run well out of the I-formation and they're a balanced team. I can see myself in that offense. I can see Akron doing some things in the future.


"They're going to find ways to get me the ball. I'm going in as a running back and they're going to motion me out to find ways to get me the ball."

Jarvis also received early scholarship offers from Pitt, West Virginia and Bowling Green - all of which were later pulled. And Akron's offer came on the condition that Jarvis enroll next January as a grayshirt.

"It was a tough decision. The grayshirt was hurting them, but I've got to look through that. It gives me time to get acclimated to college life," said Jarvis, who doesn't turn 18 until October. "The grayshirt is one thing, but I'm going to school in the fall regardless. By January, I'll have a scholarship. There's always a chance somebody won't qualify and I'll join the team in August."

Jarvis finished his career with 4,375 yards, fifth all-time among WPIAL rushers. He ran for 2,196 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior, setting a WPIAL finals record with 221 yards against Gateway and tying a PIAA finals record with five touchdowns against Neshaminy.

Jarvis was a three-time All-Quad East selection who rushed for 1,683 and 32 touchdowns as a junior, when he led the Vikings to their first WPIAL title in school history.

But Jarvis' mother, Lela Leonard, had her heart set on him attending Kent State -- until he decided otherwise.

"Everything came down to me," Jarvis said. "She's not making the decision. I've got to go to school there, to play football there. So she's supporting me."

He has a 2.6 GPA. Not great, but not bad. Actually, maybe Akron changed their mind about him. Sometimes progrrams use greyshirt to discourage kids they have already offered.

Somebody whisper to Jarvis "Akron changed their mind on you" before every Zips game. Okay?:D

The staff did a nice job landing Keys and Jarvis.

[quote]The most exciting high school running back in all of western Pennsylvania has decided to play his college football at Kent State.

Two-time WPIAL player of the year Eugene Jarvis signed a letter of intent Monday morning, allowing Kent State to secure the prize of its 2005 recruiting class a full five days after national signing day.

Jarvis, the star of Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s undefeated 2004 PIAA Class AAAA state championship team, had verbally committed to play at the University of Akron. But when the Zips started talking “grayshirt

He was offered by Pitt but another kid of similar stats and ability signed first and we took the offer away...he is very talented but honestly was waiting for offers from Miami, michigan, florida etc...you get the idea...after he found out there is not much of a "market" for a little guy I think he was hurt...he chose Akron but they gave him a grayshirt. ( which IMHO is one step up from an offer being pulled) Your kind of telling a kid we will give you a ship if someone moves on but you were not quite good enough to give a ride to right away, it a colleges back up plan...I believe he really thought about this and his mom felt the same way...take the fullride guaranteed money instead of paying for college for a year when you could have it paid for...He is a Darin Sproles type....or maybe even better yet and Astron Whatley

It is my understanding that you offer grayshirts when you have no grants left for the current year. This actually gets a grant allocated to the following years class. Akron probably had no grants remaining after Jarvis was waiting for a really big offer. Martin was smart and kept 2 grants available. He now has 1 more. Maybe another surprise.

We may never know the actual story on the love triangle between Eugene Jarvis, Akron and Kent State. Everyone involved will have their own spin.

Don't you wish you were a fly on the wall when Jarvis made those final two phone calls?

Definetly puts an interesting twist to our rival with Akron.

Grayshirting is becoming more and more prevalent. OSU has used it with Todd Boeckman, QB, St. Henry, and a couple other guys. It allows a coach to squeeze in more players than they have openings for. They usually do it with guys they know desperately want to go to your school and they are going to redshirt them anyways. The kid can practice in the summer I think, but can't during school, and he's got to pay his way the first year.

It's good for the school, but not necessarily the kid.