’24 HS defensive stalwart may find himself on the offensive side in college
A friend of mine, who coaches on the FBS level in college, told me, not too long ago, “Football is a tall man’s game nowadays, brother.” We have no doubt that is accurate. Looks like some programs “in the know” are going to love Ben Fay. Fay is, “a tall man.” While Fay plays some basketball for Connor, he is more likely a football prospect as that is where his more impressive production occurs. Fay is used as an OLB for the Cougars but we have heard he is being recruited to play TE at the next level. He has frame for days (6’6,” 215-pounds), so this doesn’t surprise us.
HB Lyon, Scouting Division, KPGFootball
Ben Fay is a kid who most schools try to turn into a basketball player primarily. After all, he is 6’6,” weighs 215-pounds and is a very good athlete.
However, Fay has figured out there is a premium on being a tall football player over an undersized, low-post guy on the hardwood. Fay would be right.
College programs are after taller, lengthier prospects seemingly every year. Listen to this, and write this down, a program at some levels WILL NOT offer money to “out of frame” kids. These programs have a height, arm and leg length, head circumference, foot and hand size, and every other type of table into which its signees MUST fit for each of their position groups.
Being out of frame a half an inch is a foot to them. That doesn’t mean they can’t play, or that they can’t play at that level. It does mean, they will NOT initially spend money to learn that answer.
Stetson Bennett, UGA, walk-on; Baker Mayfield (Heisman Winner), Texas Tech, walk-on; Sean Bedford, GA-Tech, walk-on; J.J. Watt, Wisconsin, walk-on; Clay Matthews, USC, walk-on; and we could go on, but you get the point. We were looking at an OG just the other day at a visitation. Only thing out of frame for him; arms were short; walk-on.
Fay (in 2022) registered 76-tackles (1st) and three (3)-TFL’s
KHSAA statistical website
Well, Ben Fay has the right dimensions everywhere they measure. This probably makes him a Division-I take regardless of what he does on the Friday-night playing surface.
Luck for Fay, his Friday night production is equally prodigious. Fay, from his OLB post, registered 76-tackles (1st) and three (3)-TFL’s. These are solid statistics on a 2-9 football team, in 11-games of run, where the game plan is RUN THE OTHER WAY!
For his efforts, Fay made the All-Northern Kentucky Team on defense. Offensively, Fay caught a single pass but it was for a TD. Regardless, his height, length, and athleticism make him a definite candidate to play TE in college. Perhaps the best TE to ever play the game, Jason Witten, came to Tennessee to play DE.
Witten’s defensive attitude and characteristics made him a tremendous TE. He was mad as heck when Coach Philip Fulmer moved him over to the offensive side of the football.
For the record, Witten was also 6’6.” After 11-Pro-Bowls, 2 All-Pro selections, 1,226-receptions, 13,046-yards receiving, and 74-career TD’s it would appear the old ball coach was probably right. Here’s to hoping it turns out this well for Ben Fay.
This is Fletcher W. Long, reporting for KPGFootball, reminding you to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE!
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