Sawyers shines, but still doesn't have a college offer on the table

Despite some impressive statistics in his three-year varsity career, Carson High's Dylan Sawyers entered the 4A playoffs without a scholarship offer.

It's a fact that Carson head coach Blair Roman doesn't understand.

"Yes I am (surprised)," Roman said earlier this week. "A lot of schools are missing the boat on him. Whatever school ends up with him will be very happy. Every recruiter I've talked to likes him; likes his talent.

"Ever since last season, they (the recruiters) have been in a wait-and-see mode. It's part of the game."

Part of the reason is injuries. Sawyers missed four games in 2010 with a hip/groin injury which forced him to have surgery, and then he suffered a calf injury while preparing for the Douglas game which forced him to miss three games.

Also, Sawyers doesn't have the prototypical size that schools usually like to see, though his quickness, vision and ability to change direction make up for that.

"I definitely think they (the injuries) have had some effect," Sawyers said. "I know from a coaching standpoint they are not prone to having guys get hurt all the time. Hopefully they are looking at how I performed since I had surgery."

He started the season slowly, gaining 56 yards on 13 carries against Highland. He followed that up with a 23-carry 206-yard effort against North Valleys which included a career-best six touchdowns. He then went for 171 on 11 carries in less than a half against Hug and gained 132 yards and scored twice the following week against Manogue.

Nevada has shown the most interest in Sawyers, and UNLV came out over the summer but Sawyers said he hasn't heard from the Rebels for a while.

"It would be major if I got offered by them," Sawyers said. "If not, I'll look for other options. I want to take football as far as I can. I might go to a JC so I can get more exposure to bigger schools."

Roman said there are a lot of junior colleges out there who do a good job of moving guys to the next level, including his alma mater Butte College.

Then there is the question of where Sawyers would play at the next level. Sawyers said he's heard running back and defensive back mostly.

"If I had my choice it would be to play running back," Sawyers said. "That's where my passion is. I'm not against anything, I just want the opportunity to make plays. I know that coach (Chris) Ault was asking if I could play defensive back."

"I see him as a running back in a spread or I-back set," Roman said. "He hasn't been able to play defensive back because of injuries, but Dylan is as good as any defensive back I've seen. I also think he could be a slot receiver. He has great hands. People overlook that he is a good pass catcher. He's caught an average of 20 passes a year for us."

Sawyers said he would welcome that.

"I like to play in open space because it gives me an opportunity to make people miss," he said.

And, don't forget kick returner. He returned six kicks for 360 yards as a sophomore, and then teams started pooching the ball or just kicking it out of bounds. He had a 78-yard return against Del Campo last year. This year his only return was an onside kick recovery.