New Opportunity For Ambles

The Houston Cougars added another piece to their recruiting haul from the 2013 recruiting class on Monday as they received the National Letter of Intent over the fax machine from Arizona Western three-star receiver Markeith Ambles who likely bacame the final member of the 2013 recruiting class to actually sign a NLI.

There is no secret with Ambles and his past stop at USC, it was highly publicized as events like it usually are when former five-star players don't live up to the hype that surrounds such a ranking. Most recently Rivals' very own Rob Cassidy had this piece on Ambles and his past and possible future. The questions will continue to surround the talented pass catcher until he proves himself and evidently Cullen Blvd. will be were he gets his next chance.

"We do a tremendous amount of research on all of our recruits," said head coach Tony Levine after Monday's practice in regards to Ambles' past. "Regardless of if it is a high school player coming in or a junior college kid coming in or if it a young man that has gone to a four year school and then to a junior college the research we do in the background checks are all the same and certainly if we are not ever satisfied with anything we find on any student athlete, you won't be asking me about him because he will not be here."

Levine shared the staff's excitement about landing their second player in the last couple weeks to an already impressive 2013 recruiting class.

"We're excited about the addition of Markeith Ambles and we said on signing day that we weren't necessarily done with this class," he said. I give our coaching staff a lot of credit we have continued to work on the 2013 class."

"He has got great hands a great ball skills and great body control," Levine added of Ambles. "He has got tremendous speed especially for his size and we did a lot of research on him as a person and as a student and an athlete. We think he can be a dynamic playmaker in what we do offensively and this summer can't get here quick enough."

The addition of Ambles to a receiving group with a lot of youth fits right into what Levine and staff have been searching for to round out the class.

"We had talked for months about trying to find an older veteran receiver to come in and join this class and we feel like we found him," said Levine "To add a player of Markeith's ability and age, at 21, to our program is really exciting."

The member of the coaching staff that is most likely to get the most contact with Ambles once he reports in June will be outside receivers coach Brandon Middleton who already knows what he is expecting from the newest addition.

"We expect to get play making out of him," said Middleton following Monday's practice. "The outside position is basically where our playmakers are out there on the outside where they have one-on-one battles. He has that big body that can run and have some explosiveness, including some run after the catch which is something I think we lacked last season. We didn't really have that guy after the catch that could take it the distance. I think he brings an instant impact in that regards with that skill set."

"I don't get into stats a lot because I do not know the offenses they are in when I see those," Middleton added in regards to Ambles junior college accomplishments at Arizona Western. "What I did see from him in last year's film is are certain attributes in coming off the ball, which shows his explosiveness, and him running by people which is what we need especially on the outside in order to stretch the field."

Despite Ambles only having three months to learn the Houston offense, Middleton is not concerned with his newest pupils abuility to get ready and make an instant impact.

"He is an older guy and he has had to learn offenses everywhere he has been, so as soon as he gets here we are going to catch him up to speed and that way he can hit the ground running in August," he said. "I know he is going to be ready and based on numbers we have here and what I have seen on his film he should be expected to play, and play a lot."

The latest chapter in Markeith Ambles life begins on June 1 when he is expected to report to Cullen Blvd. and he will be looking to make the most of his newest chance and to erase the doubt of his past actions.