Interview: Los Angeles Valley RB Anthony Wyche Readies for Sophomore JUCO or Division-I Season

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

The biggest question surrounding Los Angeles Valley freshman running back Anthony Wyche is will he be a one-year top talent at the junior college level or will he be a two-year? The 2016 recruiting season might be over for most, but for Division-I programs looking to fill needs after spring ball, academically qualified and talented players like Wyche will be a hot commodity with teams in need before summer camps start up in August.

The downfall with any sport is injury and every spring college football teams will suffer through the ordeal. The hope is, any injury is short-term and never season or career ending. If an injury should happen and a team is left with a void at any position, the fallback is to always look to the junior college ranks for the best available talent at the position of need. This is where Wyche becomes a person of serious interest.

During Wyche’s true freshman season, he rushed for 820 yards off 146 carries sporting a 5.6 yard per carry average on his way to 15 touchdowns scored in 10 games played. The chiseled 5’9”, 189 pound, back showed his every down nature pulling in 10 receptions for 110 yards with one touchdown helping the Monarchs to their first bowl game in years. Wyche’s contributions could go beyond lining up out of the backfield and onto special teams as a kick returner. Although muscle bound, he has great quickness in space with explosion out of his cuts and has breakaway speed notching a 4.46 in his 40-yard dash.

Wyche was almost a one-year player at Los Angeles Valley after his freshman season had concluded, but the Philadelphia area native needed three more units to transfer to a Division-I program. All of that has been taken care of making him a Class of 2016 recruit able to sign with the school of his choice at any time.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I caught up with Wyche after a morning workout to go over his freshman season, his offseason workouts, and his availability to Division-I programs as a possible 2016 signee.

Interview

Anthony, you split time in the backfield last year but still put up a great stat line. Over the course of the season what were some of the areas of your game that got better?

“I felt like I improved my game speed throughout the season. The other thing I started to do well was learning how to read the defense. Last year that was new to me. I learned how to look at a 3-man or 4-man front and see how the linebackers were set up so I knew where to go. That will help me improve my game for this year. I also started developing different strategies to get away from defenders. I’ve been working on my cut drills a lot. I’ve been working on everything. I’m really focus on improving all areas of my game.”

What are your offseason workouts like so far this spring?

“Right now we are in the weight room. I just came from a 6:15 a.m. workout. We did cone drills and a lot of change of direction drills. Coach has us out at 6:15 a.m. every day. One day we are heavy in the weight room and then the next day we are banging out low weight with high reps. I’ve been working on getting a little bit bigger but a lot stronger.”

Where is your bench press and squat max at right now?

“My bench is 275. My squat is not where I want it to be but I’m at 455. In a couple of weeks I am aiming to be at 500.”

From our previous talks, I know you have posted a 4.46 on your 40-yard dash, have you ran another timed 40-yard dash since then?

“No. I have not ran a 40 lately. I’m not sure where my 40 time would be right now. I know I have not gotten any slower. I work out my legs and do explosive drills to work on my speed all the time.”

Which schools are showing recruiting interest in you or were leading up to National Signing Day?

“I feel really good about the connection I have with Utah State right now. Boise State, Hawaii, Portland State, Iowa State, South Alabama, UAB (Alabama-Birmingham), New Mexico, UTEP (Texas-El Paso), and some D-I AA schools like St. Francis, UC Davis, Stephen F. Austin, and a Michigan school I am blanking on right now have all shown interest.”

Do you think some of these programs might be close to offering you right now?

“I think so. I feel like I am in the process of getting one right now. I know a couple of schools are looking over my transcripts making sure I have all of my units, stuff like that. I’ll find out soon. I think I could have had some offers at the end of the season but I had to take more units, I was three units short. I had to stay here to get my units squared away. The coaches said they would stay in contact with me. Boise State is still in contact.”

You said you needed three more units. Is all of that taken care of now?

“Yes. All of my ducks are in a row now. I’ll be ready to leave after the spring or I can stay for another year if it does not work out.”

How is everything else in the classroom?

“Everything is great. I have a 3.59 GPA. All of my math is finished. Currently, I’m in English 103. That’s the second class I have to take. After this semester my English requirements are done.”

Are you going back to Philly anytime soon to see family and friends?

“No. I’m staying away from home to focus on school and football. I’m shutting down everything outside of school and football. I’m trying to get somewhere, so my focus is on what I am trying to do with football and school.

“I’ve been here through the winter in the weight room working. Me and some other teammates, we go out onto the field and run some routes. We are doing all the extra work when we can to get better for next season. We do drills on our own all the time.”

When does spring ball officially start up?

“We’re working out now. Every Wednesday we do one-on-one drills and cone drills. Practices will get more intense in the next couple of weeks. Some people are getting back into it with workouts after the break. We are all getting back into the motion of football conditioning.”

When do the pads come on for you guys?

“The pads do not come on until August. We do not have full-contact practices in the spring.”

Photo credit: recruitingnewsguru.com; Anthony before a LA Valley practice.

Photo credit: recruitingnewsguru.com; No. 23 Anthony Wyche gets a nice gain for LA Valley.