USAfootball

Quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends selected for 2012 U.S. Under-19 National Team

Quarterbacks TRENT HOSICK of Kansas City (Mo.) Staley High School and  BRAYDEN SCOTT of Tahlequah (Okla.) Sequoyah High School; wide receivers RODNEY ADAMS of St. Petersburg (Fla.) Lakewood High School, TAREAN FOLSTON of Cocoa (Fla.) High School, RASHAD KINLAW of Galloway (N.J.) Absegami High School, JESUS WILSON of Miami (Fla.) Christopher Columbus High School and DESMOND WYATT of Round Rock (Texas) Westwood High School; and tight ends DAKOTA JACKSON of Roanoke (Va.) Northside High School and DURHAM SMYTHE of Belton (Texas) High School have been selected to play on the 2012 U.S. Under-19 National Team, assembled by USA Football.

The team will compete in the 2012 IFAF Under-19 World Championship on June 30 to July 7 at Burger Stadium in Austin, Texas. The eight-nation tournament is conducted by the International Federation of American Football. Players and coaches will live at the University of Texas in Olympic Village-style accommodations. IFAF is composed of 62 nations spanning six continents that possess a national federation dedicated solely to American football.

The U.S. Under-19 National Team, comprised of high school athletes, will compete against national teams from American Samoa, Austria, Canada, France, Japan, Panama and Sweden. The United States won the inaugural IFAF Under-19 World Championship in 2009 in Canton, Ohio, earning the No. 1 seed this summer. The Americans open against No. 8 seed American Samoa at 8 p.m. CT June 30.

Hosick led Staley to its first state title last fall as a junior, scoring four touchdowns in the Missouri Class 5 championship game. The 6-foot-2, 221-pound QB finished the season with 2,403 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns to go with 1,422 yards passing and 10 TDs. He is verbally committed to play at Missouri.

Scott completed 158-of-253 passes (62.4 percent) for 2,270 yards and 26 touchdowns last fall. The 6-2, 200-pound junior quarterback has received offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Clemson and Houston.

Adams uses his exceptional speed to create space and has the ability to make plays downfield. Verbally committed to play at the Florida, Adams caught 25 passes for 819 yards (32.8 average) for 10 TDs as a junior last fall.

A running back and slot receiver, Folston rushed for 1,295 yards on 153 carries (8.4 average) and 17 touchdowns as a junior in 2011. As a sophomore, the 5-9, 185-pounder scored 13 touchdowns, gained 1,247 yards on the ground and helped lead the Tigers to a 14-0 record and a Florida state championship. His father, James Folston, played eight seasons in the NFL with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals.

Kinlaw has verbally committed to play at Notre Dame. He played quarterback and running back in high school but is expected to line up at wide receiver for Team USA. Despite missing half the season because of injury, he rushed for 486 yards and five touchdowns and also threw for five TDs as a junior last fall.

Wilson led the Explorers to a 10-3 record last year as a junior, a year after he caught 23 passes for 424 yards and five TDs. He has received offers from Florida State, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Vanderbilt.

Wyatt caught 55 passes for 1,120 yards (18.6 average) and 11 touchdowns during his senior season of 2011, earning District 16-5A All-Purpose Player of the Year. The son of University of Texas wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt is considering walking on with the Longhorns. He also has received offers from Southern Mississippi, Texas State, Lamar and Sam Houston State.

Jackson has signed a national letter of intent to play at Virginia Tech. During his senior season last fall, the 6-3, 250-pounder caught 22 passes for 360 yards while also starting at defensive end. As a junior, he caught 18 passes for 343 yards and four touchdowns with 14 tackles for loss and 5 1/2 sacks.

Smythe caught 24 passes for 249 yards with four touchdowns as a junior in 2011. The 6-6, 230-pound tight end has verbally committed to Texas.

USA Football will announce 2012 U.S. Under-19 National Team players in their position groups throughout May and June.

Team USA is led by STEVE SPECHT, head coach of Cincinnati St. Xavier High School. Specht led St. Xavier to Ohio Division I (largest school division) state titles in 2005 and 2007. He is 77-19 (.802) since becoming the head coach at his alma mater following the 2003 season.

A national team exemption granted by the NCAA allows high school seniors to play for USA Football and not have their participation count as one of their two permitted all-star game appearances. The IFAF Under-19 World Championship is recognized as a national team competition. 

USA Football is the sport’s national governing body in the United States and is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and NFL Players Association.

U.S. Under-19 National Team roster:

USA Football’s national team program is supported by corporate partners Marriott, Riddell, Sports Authority, Rawlings, Cutters, Gatorade, Upper Deck, Shock Doctor and St. Vincent Sports Performance.

About USA Football: USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, hosts more than 100 football training events annually offering education for coaches, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent nonprofit is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association. USA Football manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competitions and provides more than $1 million annually in equipment grants and youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Endowed by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football (www.usafootball.com) is chaired by former NFL team executive Carl Peterson.