Western Mustangs land top offensive recruit Yannick Harou (Video)

Western University has landed one of the top offensive recruits in the nation.

After deliberating for quite some time, Yannick Harou has decided to commit to Western University. Harou says academics and the strength of the football program is what sold him on the decision to commit to the London, Ontario school.

“I chose Western for a few reasons,” explains the star running back. “First and foremost, I really liked the smaller campus and class sizes at King’s College.”

“I was also very impressed with Coach Marshall and Coach Bertoia.”

As for the Mustangs, the team is ecstatic about the news.

“Yannick is an outstanding talent and we are excited he has decided to attend Western,” comments Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall. “He is a smooth runner with outstanding agility.”

Mustangs offensive line coach Chris Bertoia is equally excited at the news Harou has decided to bring his extraordinary talents to the football program.

“We’re very excited that Yannick made the decision to attend our school and join our football program,” says Bertoia. “Yannick had great success both individually and with his team at St. Andrews College.”

“He is an all-around good young man.”

During his high school career with the St. Andrew’s College Saints of the Canadian Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA), the running back has worked on developing his game to become an elite offensive force on the field.

While the 5’10, 195 pound running back played two seasons for the Saints, he was team MVP twice and served as a team captain. Additionally, he was the recipient of the Addison Award which is given for career achievement. Previous to the Saints, Harou spent two seasons with the D’Arcy McGee Gee Gees. During his time there, the running back was team MVP twice.

Bertoia credits the Saint’s coaching staff for preparing Harou for the next chapter of his football career. Moreover, the Mustangs football program is looking forward to having the offensive star into the fold.

“Coaches Len Gurr, Michael Carroll, and Fabian Rayne did a great job developing and preparing Yannick for CIS football,” adds the Mustangs offensive line coach. “He is an electric player whose skill set will help him to contribute in our backfield and on special teams in the return game.”

“He is great addition to our football program.”

With the Saints, the star running back has played a pivotal role in the success of the team. Furthermore, he’s had a positive, yet profound effect on and off the field.

“Yannick has been the heart and soul of our football program for the past two years,” explains Saints head coach Len Gurr. “Not only does he hold every rushing record in the 113 year history of St. Andrew’s football, but he was instrumental in helping lead our team to a CISAA championship and Metro Bowl appearance this past season.”

“He is a quiet leader and fierce competitor who sets an outstanding example for his teammates with his practice habits and will to win.”

Gurr says that the Mustangs had Harou on their radar for some time. However, the football program initially stepped back from actively pursuing Harou.

“The coaches at Western have always been extremely high on Yannick,” explains Gurr. “To their credit, they refrained from recruiting him given the presence of Tyler Varga and the realization that Yannick deserves to be on the field making an impact.”

Since he was heavily being recruited by many schools in the nation, the star running back took his time deciding which one he would eventually play for in the future. While considering all options available to him, the situation at Western changed with the departure of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Rookie of the Year Tyler Varga. Consequently, it opened the opportunity for the Mustangs to get the ball rolling in their quest to successfully recruit Harou.

“Once circumstances changed at Western, they aggressively pursued him and were able to sell him on the university, the city of London, and of course the exceptional football program,” recalls Gurr. “Tyler Varga is a generational back, but Yannick is a great player in his own right and I have no doubt he will accomplish great things in the Mustangs backfield.”

Video of Yannick’s Football Highlights:

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