Player Profile: Western Beaver ATH Dustin Creel
by Wade Perry
Posted May 14, 2011 4:28 am
2012 class, College Football Recruiting, Dustin Creel, Western Beaver football
Photo courtesy of HSIPHOTO.COM
FinestPreps continues to crank out the coverage of some of the top high school football prospects in America.
Tonight we take a look at a player who’s really flying under the radar but is oozing with a jaw-dropping amount of versatility.
He’s an athlete from the state of Pennsylvania who has the ability to return kicks, punts, play receiver, or defensive back.
Heck, he’s even lined up at quarterback a couple of plays.
Who is the do-it-all playmaker to make it on FinestPreps.com?
That would be none other than Western Beaver (Industry, Pa.) athlete Dustin Creel.
Blessed with exceptional size at 6’2, 190 pounds, Creel is a classic example of a player who can truly do it all out there on the gridiron.
He’s a playmaker that makes things happen anytime he has the football in his hands and that’s why Western Beaver’s (Industry, Pa.) football coaches are smart to find a variety of ways to get the football to him.
His 40 time is listed at 4.6 on his Rivals.com profile but it’s clear when watching his tape that Creel plays much faster than than his listed time.
The gifted athlete is blessed with what you call “field speed”.
His all-around skill set on the gridiron is just flat out impressive-he’s got excellent leaping ability, body control, ball skills, field vision, speed, and his cutting ability is oustanding as well.
He’s got one of the most complete skill sets you will find out of any member of the 2012 recruiting class.
There are more than a few dazzling plays that you’ll find on his highlight tape below.
One of the more impressive plays is when Creel takes a jet sweep handoff at his own 46 yard line, runs to run the corner but is met by a defender who grabs the back of his jersey.
Creel stops dead in his tracks, shaking the defender completely and leaving them rolling on the ground.
Then the wide receiver makes another defender miss before navigating his way through a sea of white jerseys; racing all the way down to the 29 yard line before being brought down.
Western Beaver utilized Creel’s running ability often in the jet sweep play–he rushed for 349 yards and five touchdowns on 49 carries (7.12 yards per carry).
The versatile playmaker even lined up at quarterback–one play in his tape he drops back at the 44 yard line, pump fakes, then takes off right down the middle of the defense–racing all the way down to the three yard line before being brought down.
As a wide receiver, Creel also displays his combination of ball skills, leaping ability, and body control on more than a number of plays.
There’s one play (1:29 into the tape) where he leaps for the football and still snatches it out of the air while rotating his body.
He crashes to the turf in the end zone for the remarkable touchdown grab.
As a receiver, he hauled in 30 catches for 382 yards (12.73 yards per catch) and three touchdowns.
Creel is a complete football player as well because he’s as good on defense as he is on offense.
One play in his highlight tape–he blitzes from the left side of the formation and gets to the quarterback virtually untouched.
He lays a bone-rattling hit on the quarterback–forcing him to cough up the football.
As a cornerback, Creel’s ball skills are absolutely outstanding when the football is in the air.
Last season–he snatched up four interceptions for Western Beaver.
Not only that–once the football is in his hands he’s a threat to take it to the house.
One play in his highlights–he extends his hands to snatch an interception at the 49 yard line–then races down the sideline for a 51-yard touchdown return.
Creel had 117 total return yards last year off of his four interceptions–that’s a little less than 30 yards per return.
The talented athlete also recovered two fumbles and had three passes defended last season.
A special teams demon as well–Creel was a dynamic kick and punt returner last year for Western Beaver.
Even though he only had six kick returns–he shredded teams for 237 kick return yards (39.5 yards per return) last season.
As a punt returner he only had six returns as well–but he got 72 yards (12.0 yards per return).
Blessed with one of the most complete football skill sets in the state of Pennsylvania–it’s surprising that Creel currently doesn’t have any scholarships from Division I-A programs.
He’s drawing interest from a variety of schools–including Penn State, UConn, Eastern Michigan, Pitt, and Akron.
Whichever coach decides to take a chance on Creel–they will be handsomely rewarded with a gifted playmaker who is a football player in ever sense of the word!
Look for the recruiting process to heat up for the versatile playmaker as time passes!
Wade Peery is the senior writer for FinestPreps.com. He can be reached by e-mail at wadepeery@yahoo.com. All comments and feedback are welcome.
Check out the junior highlight tape of Creel below–courtesy of FinestPreps.com!
Read more recruiting articles by Wade Perry
Follow Wade Perry on Twitter: @
Email Wade Perry: Wadepeery@yahoo.com
Add Wade Perry to your Google+ Circle
TAGS:
2012 class, College Football Recruiting, Dustin Creel, Western Beaver football