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2019 WPIAL Rankings: 30-26

Western Pennyslvania's football history is a long and storied one and the area continues to pump out top talent year in and year out. Here's a breakdown of the top prospects in the WPIAL and Pittsburgh's City League in the 2019 class.  

MORE READING: Pitt has another successful June in recruiting | Big Board: Offensive Backfield | Big Board: Receiving Corps | PODCAST: Pitt has experience where it matters most | Big Board: Defensive Line | Cole Beck names his top five | Big Board: Offensive Line

Honorable Mention: James Diven, Luke Thomas, Cody Ross, Logan Clark, Avante McKenzie, Cade Hoke, Mateo Vandamia, Corey Melzer, Dominic Dodson. No order.

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30. Drew Engel - Canon-McMillan

It's unclear if Canon McMillan safety Drew Engel will stay at safety or grow into a linebacker as he physically matures, but the 6-foot, 195-pound prospect has solid size and an impressive nose for the football. Engel has above-average ball skills for a player of his age and does it all for Canon-Mac. If you made me pick now, I'd venture a guess that Engel grows into a linebacker at the college level, but only time will tell. He reps on the offensive side of the football as well. Check out his sophomore highlights below:

29. Mike Coleman - Woodland Hills

Size is a concern for Pittsburgh (Pa.) Woodland Hills cornerback Mike Coleman, who's almost certainly not as big as his listed 6-foot and 165 pounds, but the skilled defensive back has quickness and instincts. As a corner, if you have those two traits and a willingness to work hard on the technical side of the game, the rest can figure itself out. Coleman will need to add mass and strength, but he has potential.

28. Hollis Mathis - Penn Hills

There are throws that you'll see Penn Hills (Pa.) quarterback Hollis Mathis make that make you think he could be a top ten prospect in the WPIAL, but the rising junior will need to garner more experience and get more reps under his belt in his first year as starter. If he can do that and continue to work on decision-making, the physical skills are there for Mathis to continue blooming. This year, he'll have an impressive arsenal of skill players to utilize on the Penn Hills roster and the team should see a significant improvement this fall.

27. Marcus Barnes - Jeannette

Jeannette (Pa.) standout Marcus Barnes could play at a wide variety of positions when he arrives at the college level and the term "athlete" is fitting. The knocks on Barnes are that he plays relatively poor competition and that he's on the skinnier side, but his speed and athleticism make a lot of those questions go away. Barnes has the potential to rocket up to the top ten of this list at year's end if he can harness his athleticism and put together a strong junior season. He'll be a critical part of a talented Jeannette trio that should strike fear into the hearts of opponents.

26. Daequan Hardy - Penn Hills

Daequan Hardy is yet another player in the absurdly talented skill position groups at Penn Hills this fall and the speedster has the tools to be among the best of the bunch. At 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Hardy can fly. He's not just a straight-line runner though, he has burst and quickness. I don't know if Hardy will fit better at cornerback or wide receiver at the next level. He's probably a little better as a receiver today, but I think the ceiling is likely higher at cornerback. It will be exciting to watch his career unfold.

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