It’s certainly transfer season in college football, kind of like a mini NFL free agent signing period. Notre Dame landed the top QB recruit in Gunner Kiel yesterday, and Illinois sophomore Jay Prosch transferred to the Auburn Tigers.
Prosch is ranked among the top fullback prospects in the 2014 NFL Draft class. The move that will allow Prosch to be closer to his family in the Mobile, Ala., area, including his ailing mother. Prosch was named a first-team All-American by Pro Football Weekly on Dec. 12 and was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree this year.
“Jay Prosch has decided to transfer to Auburn and will be there for the current semester,” Illini Head Coach Tim Beckman said. “He will have an opportunity to be much closer to his mother, who continues to face health issues. We wish Jay the best as he makes this move.”
Prosch served primarily as a blocking back the past two seasons, registering two carries for nine yards in his career. In 2010, he helped pave the way for Illinois’ single-season rushing leader, Mikel Leshoure, and the Big Ten’s top rushing offense.
In the offseason, Prosch was named to Bruce Feldman’s 2011 “Freaks” list, which highlights college football’s top workout warriors. Prosch was the only Big Ten player on the list. He was also named a workout warrior by ESPN.com. According to strength and conditioning coach Lou Hernandez, Prosch is the first Illini football player to hang clean over 400 pounds. Prosch played linebacker and offensive guard in high school, but has made the transition to fullback by upping his weight from 245 to 255 while at the same time dropping his body fat from 11 percent to nine percent.
The Illini offensive line (and the entire offensive unit in general) really went downhill in the second half of this past season. During the 0-6 streak that followed the 6-0 beginning, the defense actually got better, as the offense fell apart. The blocking up front deteriorated, and losing Prosch will not help.
But 2012 is a new day, with a new regime in place
For more on Prosch go here
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
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