After fielding consideration (but no offers) from Illinois State, North Dakota State, and Indiana, S Anthony Sheko from Simeon High School near Chicago has verbally committed to the Ball State Cardinals, adding yet another solid recruit to a decent class in 2015. With Sheko added on, the number of Cards in this recruiting class increases to 20.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="xx-lc"><p>I've Decided To take My Talent To Ball State Unversity ⚫️⚪️ For The Next 4 Years Of My College Career <a href="http://t.co/VwSNXfpa0E">pic.twitter.com/VwSNXfpa0E</a></p>— BuckBoy (@sheko_bands) <a href="https://twitter.com/sheko_bands/status/559428809506967553">January 25, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Sheko, who stands at 6'3", 198 lbs., played strong safety and wide receiver with Simeon HS, and it looks like he will probably play the safety spot in college, with his prototypical frame, as the tall safety fad in the pro levels seems to be slowly seeping into the collegiate ranks. Hudl has Sheko's 40 yd. dash listed at 4.7, putting him in a pretty good range for a hard-hitting safety.
When asked about deciding on Ball State, Sheko said he had visited Ball State over the weekend, and that "the players, the academic program, and the university" really made an impression on him. Sheko is especially excited because "the coaches are great, the campus is awesome, [and] I feel comfortable around the players... they have a good program I want to major in." Sheko also made the note that no other school had an offer on the table, saying that IU, ISU, and NDSU were waiting until the end of his academic semester.
Coach Lembo loves having versatile players, and having a converted running back at safety that could be used as a potential possession receiver in an emergency is a pretty handy player to have on the roster. Some pundits even say he could end up as a hybrid nickel-LB in the Cards' defensive system, or as a linebacker, as he has a lot of room to grow. It will be interesting to see if Sheko gets a good amount of playing time immediately, or if Coach Lembo waits to develop him first. Regardless, Sheko should be a contributor.
If you're a Cardinal fan, you should be pretty excited, as Sheko certainly looked like a man among boys in his highlights, which you can check out for yourself in these highlights courtesy of Hudl.
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