Look Out! Here Comes Saginaw's DeAnthony Arnett WR for the Class of 2011

DeAnthony Arnett has been working towards one goal for most of his life. He’s always wanted to be a wide receiver. Although his size doesn’t make your jaw drop, some of the plays he makes definitely do. This young man has had many people helping him learn the game along the way. Comparisons to other big time wide receivers that played at Saginaw High (namely Charles Rogers) is something that he embraces. Can DeAnthony be the next Charles Rogers or will he never meet those lofty expectations? Only time will tell. I do know one thing though; this kid is willing to work hard to meet his goals.

One thing that struck me right away was his mindset. This was especially true when I asked him about his personal goals. The first thing out of his mouth was about team accomplishments and then he looked towards personal accolades. “Team wise, make the playoffs…Saginaw High has missed the playoffs for the past six seasons. I’m confident that our team will make the show this year. As far as personal goals, I want to accomplish everything I set out to do and also make some Dream Teams along the way. I want to exceed people’s expectations for me and be talked about with guys like Charles Rogers when people talk about the great receivers to come out of Saginaw.” DeAnthony seems to put as much pressure on himself to succeed (if not more) than the people around him do. He is quick to point out that even though he has some great strengths, his game also has some weaknesses. “As far as strengths, I’m fast, quick, get off the ball really well, escape the jam easily, I have good hands, and good at route running…but I need to get stronger. I need to hit the weights hard, add some more weight to my frame, and get faster.”

He is definitely drawing interest. Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Iowa, Wisconsin, Okalahoma, and Michigan State have all expressed interest. Michigan and Eastern have already offered. Michigan State also offered after their camp on June 12th. DeAnthony has visited our Spartans, but not on an official visit to this point. Right now, he’s taking it all in and trying to look at all of the options. “I just want to wait and see what happens. I’m not in a rush to make a decision. I want to find the school that is the best fit for me. A lot of people say that I’m leaning towards Michigan, but that’s not true. That’s speculation on their part. I’m not saying that I’m not interested, but I’m not leaning one way or another at this point.”

Michigan State has expressed interest in this young man, so I wanted to see the interest he had in Michigan State. When asked about Coach Dantonio and the staff, he said, “They are a real good staff. Very cool guys. It feels like you’re at home whenever you go and visit. I’ve talked to Coach Treadwell and Coach Barnett has talked to me multiple times because he’s the recruiting coordinator for the area. That staff teaches you a lot of stuff. Coach Treadwell would tell me what I’m doing right and wrong after each play. I like it when the coaches are very honest and don’t lead you on.”

As of now, he’s looking forward to the upcoming season. There is a new coaching staff at Saginaw High, led by Gary Lee, which has instilled confidence in Arnett that his Trojans will make the playoffs. DeAnthony has a year of varsity experience under his belt as the #2 receiver, but is poised to take over that #1 position. I’ve seen him play and he definitely can change a game. He can go up in a crowd and come down with the ball, even when it seems nearly impossible. Not only will some lucky school get a great football player, but they will also get a good kid. We’ll have to keep our eyes open and see what DeAnthony has in store for his junior season.