NOTES: Legacy’s ‘unblockable’ Shaw shows what fuss is about
September 1, 2015 - 9:30 pm
Legacy football coach John Isola watched the highlight film from Derriyon Shaw's junior season and thought the transfer from Sugar Hill, Ga., was a talented player. But Isola needed to see it with his own eyes.
And for the past eight months, Shaw hadn't given him much to look at, quite frankly.
"We went up to camp in Colorado, and I really didn't see what I thought I would see in Derriyon. I'm like, 'He's got to be more than that for all the attention he's getting (from recruiters),'" Isola said. "I think he was holding back a little bit, and I was kind of on to him. I said, 'You know what's going to happen? This kid's going to get in a real game situation and we're going to finally see Derriyon Shaw.'
"And last Friday night, he was unblockable."
Shaw, a 6-foot-3-inch, 227-pound defensive end, showed why he is ranked as one of the state's top recruits during his debut with the Longhorns last week.
The senior unofficially finished with seven tackles and two sacks in Legacy's 27-26 loss to No. 4 Centennial.
"I was excited," Shaw said Tuesday. "I had my adrenaline pumping, ready to show Nevada what I could do."
Shaw is originally from the Las Vegas Valley and said his family moved to Georgia in 2010 to be closer to his uncle Edgerton Hartwell, a Cheyenne graduate and former NFL linebacker.
"My uncle is an inspiration to me, kind of my backbone of football," Shaw said. "He gave us a great football background. I love him for that."
Shaw, who recorded 61 tackles and 11 sackes for Lanier (Ga.) last season, is rated as a three-star prospect by Scout.com and a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. He projects as an outside linebacker/edge rusher at the college level.
Shaw currently has 13 scholarship offers and will take his official visits before making an oral commitment. Shaw said Tuesday that schools in the Pac-12 (Arizona State, Washington and Washington State) and Mountain West (Boise State and UNR) stand out at this point in this recruitment, along with North Carolina.
UNLV has offered Shaw, though a source said the Rebels likely are playing catch-up at this point in the process.
"He's a rush guy," Isola said. "He wants to go get the quarterback."
Shaw will have another chance to impress recruiters Friday when Legacy (0-1) travels to Arbor View for the "Battle of the Bulls" game. Arbor View features standout offensive lineman Keenen King, who has offers from a handful of Pac-12 schools.
"The aspect of coming here my senior year, that was kind of sketchy," Shaw said. "I didn't know anybody, but everything worked out for the best. My teammates, I love them."
POLL POSITION — Cimarron-Memorial's boys soccer team, fresh off winning the Southern Nevada Kick-Off Classic on Saturday, is No. 6 in the USA Today/NSCAA Super 25 Region VIII poll. Bishop Gorman sits at No. 12, while Green Valley also received votes.
Arbor View's girls team, the three-time defending Division I state champion, is ranked No. 4 in the region after opening the season 2-0.
RECENT COMMITMENTS — Bishop Gorman seniors Beau Capanna to New Mexico and Myles Denson to Arizona State, Basic senior Ryne Nelson to Oregon and Legacy junior Donta Williams to Arizona for baseball. ... Bishop Gorman senior Megan Jacobs to Utah, and Liberty senior Taylor Turney to San Jose State for women's basketball. ... Bishop Gorman senior Christian James to Utah for men's golf. ... Bishop Gorman junior Tavin Hays to Iowa State for women's soccer.
Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.