Michael O'Connor re-opens recruitement

How is the news of the Houston Texans hiring (now) former Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien relevent to Ottawa football?  It means that a local quarterback that had previously committed to Penn State is now reconsidering his decision, according to NJ.com, by way of pennlive.com.

NJ.com is reporting that heralded quarterback prospect Michael O'Connor, thought to be a key piece of Penn State's 2014 recruiting class, is delaying his official decision until June, which essentially means he is re-opening his recruitment.

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O'Connor was expected to enroll at Penn State in January (Jan. 13) but Bill O'Brien's decision to leave Penn State for the Houston Texans has obviously affected his thought process.

Todderick Hunt of NJ.com spoke with Victor Tedondo, who Hunt writes is a mentor of O'Connor's. Tedondo is the founder and director of the Gridiron Academy in Ottawa, according to Hunt.

Rutgers, Michigan State and UCLA are all interested in O'Connor, according to Tedondo.

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"It's been a terrible week for (O'Connor), to be honest with you,'' Tedondo told NJ.com.

"There have been a lot of distractions. He's a kid who left home at 15 years old and he's been a lot of different places with different coaching staffs. He pushed himself and took extra classes last summer to graduate early because his intention was to go to Penn State in January. And obviously, it once again didn't work out. So it is frustrating for him and his parents.''

Tedondo added: "One thing I know for sure, (O'Connor) told me (Wednesday) that he will not be going to school (at Penn State) in January because he's not sure what he's getting himself into. So he is going to delay his decision until June. I think after tonight he's gonna start planning some stuff out (as far as visits).

The interview being referred to can be found in its entirety here.

Want to know more about O'Connor?  About a year ago, IMG Academy had the following to say about him when he joined them.

“Michael is a great young man who possesses all the qualities we are looking for in our student-athletes that we want leading our team in its first season,” remarked Chris Weinke, Director of Football, IMG Academy. “I believe he has the ability and makeup to be one of the premier high school quarterbacks in the country.”
A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, O’Connor began playing football at the age of seven. He started his high school football career with Ashbury College in Canada, where he threw 51 touchdowns to only seven interceptions in his sophomore season. Seeking a bigger challenge to develop his game, O’Connor opted to play in the United States at Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tenn.) for the 2012 season, helping lead the team to a 7-3 regular season record and a berth in the Tennessee D-II-AA playoffs. O’Connor enrolls at IMG Academy as a junior this spring, and will be a member of the class of 2014.
- See more at: http://www.imgacademy.com/latest-headlines/2013-01-04/standout-canadian-born-quarterback-michael-o%E2%80%99connor-joins-img-academy#sthash.uePo8Esc.dpuf

“Michael is a great young man who possesses all the qualities we are looking for in our student-athletes that we want leading our team in its first season,” remarked Chris Weinke, Director of Football, IMG Academy. “I believe he has the ability and makeup to be one of the premier high school quarterbacks in the country.”

A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, O’Connor began playing football at the age of seven. He started his high school football career with Ashbury College in Canada, where he threw 51 touchdowns to only seven interceptions in his sophomore season. Seeking a bigger challenge to develop his game, O’Connor opted to play in the United States at Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tenn.) for the 2012 season, helping lead the team to a 7-3 regular season record and a berth in the Tennessee D-II-AA playoffs. O’Connor enrolls at IMG Academy as a junior this spring, and will be a member of the class of 2014.

O'Connor also played for the Orleans Bengals in NCAFA.  In any event, he may or may not end up at Penn State, but he remains one to watch for fans of local football.