BY DAVE SCHUTTE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
John McCallister, editor of the McCallister Scouting Report, named Wyoming running back Richard Hall the No. 1 college football prospect in Ohio for the 1998 season.
"If Hall played for Cleveland St. Ignatius, no one would touch him until he was four yards down the field," McCallister said. "He's that good, but he needs to improve his grades."
The acknowledged guru of Ohio high school football talent, McCallister recently changed the name of the publication from Ohio Prep Scouting Report.
Cincinnati players are well represented in McCallister's publication, which will be released in July. He lists four of the top 15 from the Cincinnati area.
Besides Hall, Lebanon running back Kelton Lindsay, who's committed to Ohio State, Winton Woods running back Brandon Miree and quarterback Andy Mignery are in the top 15 players.
Hall, a 6-foot, 185-pound tailback, rushed for 2,187 yards on 172 carries during the 1997 regular season. He scored 204 points and gained a city-best 2,689 all-purpose yards.
Although Lindsay, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound running back, is ranked the third best player, McCallister looks for him to play cornerback at Ohio State.
Miree may not be a running back in college, either.
"Brandon (Miree) is a possible inside linebacker in college," McCallister said. "He has outstanding speed with outstanding blocking skills."
The biggest surprise was the No. 15 ranking given to Mignery, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound quarterback.
"I know Andy only played one year at quarterback," McCallister said. "But he has a strong arm and a great attitude. He's such a great athlete that he can play a number of positions."
Overall, 12 of McCallister's top 25 players are running backs and three are quarterbacks. Six are defensive players.
