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Today was ... not a good day to not be on Twitter through the evening hours, as Lance Leipold buttressed his 2016 recruiting class with a trio of recruits; a linebacker poached from Kent State, a local linebacker with speed, and a punter to replace the graduated Tyler Grassman
Matt Otwinowski
After UB has lost two linebackers this month, one who switched to Rutgers after receiving an offer from his hometown school, the Bulls pass the buck, flipping Otwinowski from Kent State.
An inside linebacker from La Porte, Indiana, Otwinowski's only offer was from the Flashes, to whom he committed last June. First, a hudl video:
He's not the most fluid in space, but Otwinowski in the above highlights diagnoses plays early and gets where he needs to be to make plays.
Rivals also indicates an offer from Air Force, but otherwise, Otwinowski seems pretty under the radar. Here's what Hustle Belt had to say upon his initial commitment to Kent.
Tyler Ringwood
Local guys are always important, and UB gets one here from the Monsignor Martin Athletic Association. While Canisius star Justin Jones committed to Robert Morris earlier this week, the Bulls pull one from Bishop Timon in outside linebacker Tyler Ringwood.
In the highlight video, you see Ringwood line up on the offensive side of the ball - at wide receiver! - and he boasts a 4.56 40 time, so he moves well for his size and may be a candidate for a move to safety. We can't find a whole lot on Ringwood on recruiting sites, so I might hold out the possibility that he'll be a preferred walk-on, though Zac Lefebvre has been similarly untouted and appears to have a scholarship waiting for him.
Taylor Sheets
Could a true freshman step into Tyler Grassman's large shoes? UB may have their punter of the future in Sheets. A Fort Mill, South Carolina native, Sheet is a 3-star recruit according to ESPN, and a high 2-star recruit according to 247sports.com. Sheets was invited to the Semper Fidelis All-America Game, which regularly features the best prep talent in the nation, after a strong effort at the Kohl Kicking Camp in Wisconsin. Sheets stands at 6-3 and weighs in at 205 pounds and can place kick, punt, and kickoff equally well which makes him a strong candidate to replace Grassman. Sheets has kicked for coaches from several Power-5 schools including: South Carolina, UNC and National Runner-Up Clemson.
Oh, and he holds the 4th-longest punt in South Carolina history (80 yards). That's cool.
I'd link hudl videos, but they're all shorter than 12 seconds. He's a punter and a kicker. You know what those plays look like.