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Rob Rolle, a 6'1" 175 pound defensive back from Delsea High School in Franklinville, NJ, signed a National Letter of Intent with the Villanova Wildcats football program today, he announced via Twitter (later confirmed by Villanova as the 13th NLI received). Rolle played all over the place, including quarterback, for Delsea - the same school that produced current Wildcats running back Austin Medley.
Officially a Villanova Wildcat! The #Cats gave a bright future ahead of us. S/O to everyone else who signed today. \\\/// ✌✌✌✌
— Q. Rolle ✌ (@quaddy_legrand) February 5, 2014
Rob Rolle committed to Villanova in mid-July, becoming the sixth verbal commitment of the 2014 class. In addition to good work on the gridiron, Rolle was a standout track & field athlete in the 4x100 relay and 110 hurdles.
Rolle was recruited to play in the secondary at Villanova, where he will join a unit that struggled last season against high-octane passing attacks. Rolle played cornerback in high school, so it's likely he starts out on the edge of the field. Here's the depth chart heading into 2014.
| Class | Name | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| (RS) Sophomore | C.J. Logan | 5'11" | 195 lbs. |
| Sophomore | Jason Ceneus | 5'9" | 165 lbs. |
| Sophomore | Trey Johnson | 5'11" | 160 lbs. |
The cornerback position suffered heavy graduation casualties - Craig James, Corey Reeder and Shane Harris are all gone. Trey Johnson and Jason Ceneus both earned playing time during their freshmen seasons, and should be ready for a bigger role this fall. There's not much experience returning.
This could mean early playing time for Rolle, who displayed knack for the big play in high school. That's a trait that has been common in recent years for the Villanova secondary. With how good Rolle is with the ball in his hands, he might find an opportunity as a return man on special teams too.
The rest of the Villanova secondary has primarily played at one of the three safety spots - but don't rule out a position change to provide some depth on the edges.
Quotable
"When I play football, all the personal goals go out the window," Rolle said. "My biggest thing is to help the team get the win and get another championship. It would be selfish of me to focus on personal goals and stats and yards. That’s not something anyone on our team does." via thedailyjournal.com
