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By Kevin Gorman

Published: Saturday, September 15, 2012, 9:43 p.m.
Updated: Saturday, September 15, 2012

Nothing screams borderline Division I prospect like when a college recruiter asks for the first three games of senior film.

Then again, getting off to a good start can pay great dividends in the process.

“It's very important, especially for a lot of kids they had in camp who were bubble kids,” Scout.com analyst Bob Lichtenfels said. “Maybe they didn't do enough to earn a scholarship but intrigued the staff. Maybe they didn't have much film. Or had an injury.

“It's to see if the initial evaluation is spot-on, or if they only had a highlight film to go on and want to see game film. Every once in a while, a kid comes out of nowhere and blows up.”

These five players are blowing up so far:

Dorian Brown, 5-10, 195, RB, Baldwin: Entered the season with offers from Akron, Navy and Ohio. Only improved his stock by rushing for 536 yards and six touchdowns on 54 carries in first three games, including 174 yards against Penn Hills Thursday on Root Sports.

Dakota Bruggeman, 6-4, 205, QB-WR, Knoch: After three seasons as a seldom-used receiver in a run-first offense, Bruggeman completed 12 of 27 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns in the Knights' first two games.

“Coaches think, ‘If the kid is good enough to play D-I football, why didn't he start last year?' ” Lichtenfels said. “He's putting up pretty good numbers, and his size is intriguing.”

Danny Ferens, 6-1, 187, QB-S, Penns Manor: The District 6-A star and Steelers business administrator's son ran for 2,000 yards last year and had 293 yards and three scores in his first two games. He projects as a safety.

“He's very intelligent and he's tough,” Lichtenfels said. “If somebody takes a chance on him, they're going to look back in three or four years and say that he was a steal.”

DeSean Roberts, 6-0, 185, WR, Brashear: Mostly an outside linebacker last year, Roberts had 12 catches for 210 yards in the first two games and added an 18-yard touchdown grab Thursday against Westinghouse.

Devin Wilson, 6-4, 175, WR-DB, Montour: Wilson has 16 catches for 346 yards and four TDs and answered concerns about his 40-yard dash time with a strong showing in a Week 2 showdown at Central Valley.

“Everybody wanted to see Robert Foster and Jordan Whitehead, but he showed he has speed, is gritty and a competitor,” Lichtenfels said. “That Thursday night game was big for him, and he stepped up.”

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