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| DARIAN ROSEBORO: Class of 2015 |
Written by: Langston Wertz, Jr. & Prospect-Central
High school sophomore football players are never ranked, but the early favorite for the #1 recruit in the Class of 2015 just might be 6-foot 5, 265-pound Darian Roseboro.
Roseboro started his sophomore year at Lincolnton right where his freshman year left off. Through the first nine games of the season he has 70 tackles, 7 sacks, 4 forced fumbles & recoveries and he's also been playing fullback & tight end as well.
As impressive as his statistics may be, Roseboro's measurable's are nothing to scoff at either. The 15-year old runs a 4.67 forty-yard dash and benches & squats over 400 lbs. With his size, strength and athleticism, it's easy to see why the sophomore's receiving such high praise.
It's certainly debatable if Darian Roseboro is the #1 recruit in the Class of 2015 or not, but he clearly has the potential to earn the top spot once the time comes. Athletic defensive ends are always ranked very high and Roseboro definitely fits the description. In fact the past four #1 recruits have all been defensive ends; (2011) Jadeveon Clowney, (2012) Mario Edwards, (2013) Robert Nkemdiche, (2014) Da'Shawn Hand. Whether Darian Roseboro is next on the list or not is anyone's guess, but he sure seems like a potential candidate to me. * Below is an article about Darian Roseboro written by Langston Wertz, Jr. from the Charlotte Observer.
Scott Cloninger has coached football at Lincolnton High for 13 years. He’s won 117 games there. He’s won a state championship. Last year, he sent nine players to college from a team that reached the 2011 N.C. 2AA state finals.
“No,” said Cloninger, whose team will play in Mecklenburg County Friday night at Lake Norman Charter School. “He’s a little bit different.”
Roseboro, 15, is a 6-foot-5, 265-pound sophomore defensive end. He has run 40 yards in 4.67 seconds, faster than many high school running backs. And Roseboro is unusually strong for a player his age. He can bench press 435 pounds. He said he can squat even more. A year ago, he was defensive most valuable player of the state championship game and he finished his freshman season with 107 tackles and seven sacks.
So when you’re talking about the top young players in North Carolina, talking about Roseboro – named a top 10 national “Future Star” by the MaxPreps recruiting website – is not a bad place to start.
“Man, he’s got a lot of talent, especially at a young age,” said Bessemer City coach Larry Boone. “If he continues to work and get better, who knows what he’s going to be able to accomplish.”
Boone’s team lost to Lincolnton 57-14 last season and will play the Wolves again in October. He knows Roseboro will be an even bigger handful this season.
“What kinds of problems does he cause?” Boone said, responding to a question. “He wreaks havoc. He’s in your backfield before you know it. He’s hard to block. He’s got good speed. He’s strong. Goodness, we just try to run away from him.”
A Former Pee Wee
For as big as he is today, Johnny and Angela Roseboro used to wonder if their youngest son would ever grow. Darian was 8 pounds at birth, but up until around sixth grade he was one of the smallest kids in school.
“His first year of Pee Wee football, he was 70 pounds with pads on,” Angela Roseboro said. “His teammates were all every bit of 100 pounds or more.”
Johnny Roseboro played football at West Lincoln as a running back before he transferred to Lincolnton his junior year and stopped playing. He saw his son take a liking to the game he grew up loving. Football bonded them. Darian, still growing, started playing on the line, and father and son would spend hours watching game films, trying to find advantages to exploit.
“I like studying players before the game,” Darian said. “I love seeing what their habits are. It’s like, do they stand up straight, or are they quick with their hands and feet? It’s like a game within a game.”
Great Work Ethic
Duke offered Roseboro a scholarship last month, Lincolnton’s Cloninger said, adding that Clemson is seriously recruiting his star lineman. Last summer, Roseboro attended team camps at Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Tennessee.
In addition to practice, he runs 2 1/2 miles every other day. He also runs the steps at the high school stadium and often does sprints after practice.
“He’s really determined,” Johnny Roseboro said.
In two games, Roseboro has 22 tackles, two sacks, seven tackles for a loss and a pass deflection. He’s also rushed 20 times for 68 yards as a fullback.
“When he gets the ball, he’s so hard to bring down, he’s like a tank,” said South Point coach Mickey Lineberger. “On defense, he’s very good at playing his position. When we try to roll out on passes or sprint out, he’s a very good pass rusher. Shoot, I think he’s an outstanding player with a very bright future.”
Roseboro said he plans to enjoy the ride.
“It makes the game fun because you know teams are gunning for you,” he said, “and you know you’re a target to those teams. And if you’re a threat, they’ll switch up their whole game plan for you. I want to keep being a threat. I had a pretty good year last year, but this year I’ve got to increase everything. Every year, I want to beat my stats from the year before.
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