Youth movement leads the way at Malvern Prep

The Malvern (Pa.) Prep Friars are in contention to be among the Philadelphia area’s best football programs this fall, bolstered by their experiences against out-of-state opponents like Baltimore’s Gilman and New Jersey’s St. Augustine Prep and Pope John XXIII.

After strong back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015, many pointed to departed veteran leadership as a cause for concern for the Friars. However, a core of young players has emerged at important positions to maintain a strong squad for Malvern Prep, led by junior quarterback Kevin Doyle. Doyle is the most highly-recruited player within the program, with offers from schools like Pitt, Michigan State, and Ole Miss, but he’s far from the only notable prospect on the Friars’ roster.

Underclassmen standouts like 2018 running back O’Shaan Allison, 2018 offensive lineman Joe Basiura, and 2019 receivers Quincy Watson and Tygee Leach have all shown flashes of the ability to play at the Division I level down the road. I spoke with with a handful of the Friars to discuss their ongoing seasons, college recruitments, and a looming matchup against Baltimore-area program Gilman, who they'll host on Friday night.

O'Shaan Allison is a running back with college interest from Power Five programs like Rutgers, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Purdue. Allison awaits his first offer, but the 5-foot-9, 195-pound standout in the 2018 class seems to be close to that point. Allison's recruitment has been delayed by a lack of junior game film due to a shoulder injury, but he'll be back on track this week.

On his junior season: “[Gilman] is my first game back from injury. I strained my shoulder in the second quarter of our first game, but now I’m back to come back out here with my team and just ball out. I just want to show off my moves and make something happen every time I get the ball. I want to make my linemen look good as they make me look good every play. So I just want to get out there and get a win. I’m pretty versatile. I can catch and I can make people miss, but I can also put down my shoulder and get the tough yards on third and fourth down.”

On recruiting: “I’ve been talking to Rutgers a lot and I’ll be there Saturday for their game. I talk with Pitt a lot and I loved it there, it was nice. I talk with Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Purdue, so I’m excited to see what happens at the end of the season. I’ve been to Rutgers the most for camps and visits, probably six or seven times, but this will be my first game. My relationships are pretty strong and we talk almost every day, so I’m excited to see my first game. I liked the urban area a lot at Pitt and I felt really comfortable there. [Virginia] was really nice too and I like those coaches.”

SEE ALSO: Allison visits Pitt, meets with former Panthers RB LaRod Stephens-Howling

2018 offensive guard Joe Basiura has been instrumental in setting up the run game for Allison, Doyle, and other teammates so far in this season and the 6-foot-3, 281-pound prospect has been hearing from schools like Pitt, Temple, Rutgers, Duke, Navy, and Penn, among others.

On his junior season: “I’m doing well at driving kids off of the ball and getting a good push. My pass-blocking has been good too. I’m still working on staying low and driving my feet, just a few things, and keeping my feet moving.”

On recruiting: “I’m looking at schools’ work ethic and the way they run practices. We run our practices fast-paced and have a lot of discipline, so that’s something I would expect from a college as well. I’ve been to Penn and Temple and I’ve talked with coaches from Pitt and Navy. I’d like to get out to Rutgers, Penn, and Duke this year.”

Quincy Watson is a 2019 prospect, so his recruiting contact has been limited, but the slot receiver has shown off quickness and burst that will make him attractive to college coaches. Virginia, West Virginia, and Rutgers have already taken interest.

On his sophomore season: “I play slot receiver and running back and I’d probably pick slot receiver at the next level. I’m an all-around athlete. I can play defense, offense, special teams, anywhere. I’m all around the field. I need to improve on my blocking, I need to help my teammates get in the end zone when the ball isn’t in my hands. I’m happy with how I’ve caught the ball and got yards after the catch with breaking tackles.”

On recruiting: “I’ve been to Rutgers, Virginia, and West Virginia. I’d like to hear more from Penn State, I like the traditions there and I feel like it fits me.”

Tygee Leach, like Watson, is just a 2019 prospect and still can't communicate directly with college coaches with any frequency. However, the 6-foot, 170-pound strong safety/wide receiver has shown off nice athleticism and catching ability early on in his career and has taken visits to Rutgers, Temple, and James Madison.

On his sophomore season: “I bring a lot of energy and effort to the game and I’m competitive. I do whatever the coaches need me to do anywhere I’m needed on the field. I’ve been playing wide receiver and strong safety, with a little bit of outside linebacker kind of, and I’d kind of like to stick with strong safety in college. I’ve been hustling and making big plays when needed, but I want to work on little fundamentals on defense and I want to improve my strength in the offseason.”

On recruiting: “I’ve been to Temple, Rutgers, and James Madison for visits so far. I’d like to hear from North Carolina and really any school that’s interested in me.”