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DUTCH FORK HS (SC) QB ALIAM APPLER TALKS ABOUT HIS VISIT TO UC
Earlier this week, I was able to talk to Aliam Appler about his visit to UC as he was in the building when the then No. 3 ranked Bearcats took on UCF this past Saturday. Appler, a 6-foot-5 quarterback in the class of 2023 attends Dutch Fork High School, located in South Carolina.
NM- Talk about your experience like this weekend at Cincinnati? What stood out to you the most, and what coaches have you been in contact with?
Appler- First off, I just want to thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I loved the campus, the school and facilities there were amazing. The atmosphere on game day was amazing, I couldn’t even talk to my mother, who was right next to me, because the fans were so loud. I have been in contact with quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli, we haven’t talked on a daily, but have been in contact recently. Coach Gino, is a great guy, I got to speak to him before the game, he was super nice and welcoming. I’m glad I got the opportunity to speak with him.
NM- The environment is very crazy right now on campus. Talk about what it was like to be on campus, around the then No. 3 team in the country, now No. 2 today. What would you say comes to your mind when you hear Cincinnati Football?
Appler- It felt amazing on campus, when I first got to campus, I was dropped off right in the middle of the tailgating section and it was so crazy. Everyone on campus was super nice, I remember multiple people came up to me asking, if I was being recruited here and they all tried to convince me to come to Cincinnati. To me it’s crazy to know Cincinnati is now ranked No. 2 in the country, I am really happy they are, because truthfully I have always looked at Cincinnati, but I have never had a way to talk to them. On September 1st, when I was eligible, they were the first school to message me and it was at 12:10 am. It’s amazing! I never really knew what I would think of Cincinnati before, but now that I have seen them in person, I think of them as the underdogs, because Cincinnati is an amazing team, with great players all the way around. They are up next to these big name schools and they belong up there. Hopefully I will get a offer here sometime soon.”
NM- That is awesome. I see you are a quarterback yourself, were you able to sit and talk to Desmond Ridder at all? If so, talk about what was that like as a recruit?
Appler – I sadly was not able to talk to Desmond Ridder. He ran past me a couple of times, but he was in the game day mode, you could see he was in the zone, so I never got the chance too.
NM- That is alright! I know you mentioned the fans and the atmosphere being electric at Nippert Stadium, what were your thoughts on how well the fans came out, especially seeing it live, as well as seeing them take over the big games on the road especially in South Bend when they beat No. 9 ranked Notre Dame?
Appler- Oh man, it was crazy. The fans seem so into the game. It was so loud and crazy, I loved every bit of it. Before the game even started the stadium was so loud. I had to shout to my mom and she was right next to me.
NM- The Ruckus is very contagious. I know you mentioned earlier, you were in the middle of campus with the fans tailgating, what were your reactions to having the College Football Playoff Trophy on campus, as Cincinnati is looking to become the first “Group of 5” team in the College Football Playoffs? How did it feel to see that trophy live from a recruit standpoint?
Appler- It was amazing, I’ve never seen the trophy in person, I have only seen it on TV and have always wanted to see it in person some day and now I have.
NM- My last question for you, talk about what is next for you during your junior season. What should coaches expect from you as a player, and what are you looking for when you take your next step to play at the next level?
Appler- I don’t have a specific plan yet. I’m just focusing on the season right now. I’m defiantly trying to stay in coaches thoughts, and getting my name out there, but overall I want to be a team player. I think coaches will see me as a leader and an team player. I try and do what is best for the team, I will do anything I can to win. I am hardworking no matter what happens, no matter the circumstances, I am a very positive guy. No matter what the score is, or what is happening I will always try to bring everyone around me up.
2020 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL AMERICA SOUTH CAROLINA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA TEAM POWERED BY SCOUTSMART®
POSTED BY: JEFF FISHER AUGUST 12, 2021
High School Football America is proud to announce its first-ever South Carolina Academic All-America Team for the 2020 high school football season. Our Academic All-America Team is powered by scoutSMART®, helping student-athletes get noticed at the next level.
South Carolina Academic All-Americans powered by scoutSMART®
Name Pos. School Class of
Anderson Aldridge RB Northwestern 2021
Jack Alkhatib OL Dutch Fork 2022
Nyziah Alston-Daniels RB C.E. Murray 2021
Jaxen Anciso DB Catawba Ridge 2021
Aliam Appler QB Dutch Fork 2023
(MORE)
INTERVIEW: 2023 QB ALIAM APPLER TALKS TRANSFER TO DUTCH FORK AND COLLEGE CAMPS
South Carolina high school football fans are in store for a show during the 2021 season. A new gunslinger is in town ready to take on 5A defenses hailing from North Carolina, and his name is Aliam (Uh-Lee-am) Appler.
Appler got his first spin at the varsity level during the 2020 season with New Hanover. During the Wildcats four-game season, their 6-4, 202-pound, quarterback connected on 32 completions for 447 yards with four touchdowns tossed. Under the bright and successful lights at Dutch Fork, Appler has found a new home. The new digs and ample instruction at college camps up and down the east coast promises for a breakthrough campaign sure to grab more recruiting interest to go along with his offer from Bowling Green.
In an RNG interview partnered with QB Hit List, Appler breaks down his offseason workouts and camp circuit as he prepares to take the field with the Silver Foxes this fall.
*Click the link for Aliam Appler’s QB Hit List profile page
Interview
Aliam, you went into the toolbox last season displaying the arm talents, throwing on the run, putting it in tight windows on a rope, and with some air under it letting your receivers run bring it down in stride. When you closed out your sophomore season, what was clicking for you as a passing quarterback?
I finally started getting the hang of running an offense. My first year I was on JV; I didn’t have that varsity experience yet. During my sophomore year on varsity, I started getting a hang on the high school game – reading defenses and going against tough competition.
Over the offseason you made the move to Dutch Fork; what style of offense will you be executing with the Silver Foxes this fall?
We have a lot of great players. We will can run and pass. Our offense is more of a Spread. We are a pass to open up the run. We will pass a lot with some great receivers; that will be fun.
Getting acclimated to your new teammates, how have you worked with your skill guys to prepare for the upcoming schedule?
Besides our practices this spring and summer, I am going out as many times as I can to throw with our receivers. Sometimes it is tough to get everyone. One of main receivers was hurt. I try to get as many receivers as I can to go throw, go through the routes, and getting the timing down.
With your mechanics, what have you been working on with your throwing motion?
My main thing at New Hanover, I was in a bad habit of only using my arm. At Dutch Fork, I learned I cannot do that anymore. Now I am using my whole body, my hips, and legs. I’ve been working on everything, but mainly my lower half and not side-arming it. I have gotten better at it.
What have you been doing to tie your footwork in with your arm motion?
After going to a lot of camps, not just college camps, I have been working on my footwork. And I have been working on my own, staying after practice working with my coach on my footwork. I know I have a lot to do; I am doing everything I can to fix that.
After all the hard work put into fine-tuning your skills, what are you ready to showcase this fall once the season begins?
I’m ready to show people who I really am. I am not a big talker, I don’t talk about myself a lot. My sophomore year was so short, I have not been able to showcase myself except at camps. Camps are helpful, but it doesn’t show what you can do in a game. Now that we are back to normal football, I want to show people what I can do.
You mentioned camps, did you compete at any national camps this year?
Yes, I went to an Under Armour camp, that was my first one this summer.
The big stage of an Under Armour camp, how did that go for you?
I think it went really well. That was my main point to start fixing my form. They said I did well, but they had more to say about my form. The camp was good; I saw a lot of people I have not seen in a while. They had great coaches there; they know what they are doing. I am excited for next year.
Which college camps did you go to?
I went to a lot: Toledo, App State, Clemson, Charlotte, and North Carolina. I have Coastal Carolina on Monday.
Clemson, how did that camp go?
That was fun. I think I did well. Clemson is a top program; they had great players there. (5-Star QB) Arch Manning was there. He was cool to meet after seeing the videos and highlights. He is a great quarterback and matches the five-star standards. It is always amazing to see the coaches and players at Clemson. It was awesome.
And the North Carolina camp, tell me about your performance at that camp; what all did they have you do?
At first, we went through the combine testing and did the 40s. After that we went into groups and did individual work as quarterbacks. Then we threw into a net, did a 3-step drop, and gap escape throwing into the net. We did a bunch of game scenarios, on the run, 5- and 3-step drops. Later on, we threw on air with receivers and did one-on-ones. The one-on-ones were great. I had a lot of fun there.
Let’s talk recruiting. Which schools are showing interest?
I have been in touch with a lot of colleges. Since I am a rising junior, they can’t call me yet. Toledo, I have been building a great relationship with Coach (Robert) Weiner (co-OC/QB), UNC Charlotte has shown interest, I camped there and took a visit. I did really well at the Charlotte camp. They are keeping their eye on me. They want to see my early season game film. App State and Coastal Carolina are showing interest and I have some phone numbers of Clemson and Notre Dame coaches.
Which program has offered you?
Bowling Green.
Picking up that first offer from Bowling Green, what was that like for you?
That was crazy. I had zero clue they were going to offer me. I went to a Toledo camp; Bowling is their archrival. Later on after the camp, their head coach and recruiting coordinator followed me on Twitter. I messaged them to say thank you, calling them to let them know who I was. They knew who I was; they had seen my film. On the call, they straight up said they were offering me. I had zero clue that was going to happen. I was speechless. All I could say was “thank you”. I had no idea what to say. My parents had never seen me speechless before.
Which schools did you visit this summer?
Toledo, App State, UNC Charlotte, and I might get one at Coastal on Monday.
Aliam, thanks for your time today. Wishing you success at Coastal Carolina on Monday.
Yes, sir. Thank you.
IN-STATE QB LOVED CLEMSON VISIT, MEETING ARCH MANNING
By Gavin Oliver | July 3, 2021 1:03 am ET
A standout in-state quarterback that visited Clemson to take part in the Dabo Swinney Camp last month was Dutch Fork High School (Irmo, S.C.) class of 2023 prospect Aliam Appler.
A rising junior, Appler was unable to camp at Clemson last summer after the camps were cancelled due to COVID-19, but he has participated in the Swinney Camp several times dating back to his middle school days.
Appler (6-4, 195) threw at the camp sessions on June 5 and 6, and as always, he had a blast on campus while slinging the rock around and interacting with Swinney and his staff.
“I always love going to Clemson,” Appler told The Clemson Insider. “Their facilities are amazing, and then I love seeing the coaches. It’s been two years, so it was good to finally get up and talk with them again, especially Swinney because he’s such a down-to-earth guy. He can just talk to you, and you won’t even feel like he’s this big-time, two-time national champ coach because he seems so humble. But yeah, it was really nice to come back out and throw and get to see everything again.”
Appler also enjoyed working out at the Swinney Camp with other talented signal-callers, especially top prospects such as New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman 2023 five-star Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning.
“It was cool to meet him in person,” Appler said of Arch. “He’s a very humble guy. He’s really cool. You’d think for this five-star, nephew of two great QBs in the NFL, that he’d maybe have a little (ego). But he was very cool, very relaxed and I could just talk to him after never even meeting him or seeing him in person. So, that was really cool. And he’s a great QB, too. He’s amazing. It was fun to watch him.”
Although Appler is not ranked by the major recruiting services at this time, Clemson’s staff put him in the ‘A’ group of quarterbacks with guys like Manning, and that gives Appler added confidence in his game and shows him that the coaches think highly of him.
“They put me in a group with four- and five-stars,” Appler said. “Like Arch Manning, they put me in a group with him, and I’m not ranked at the moment. I don’t have any stars or anything, so I think that was pretty cool to be with some of those top guys. I think it definitely gives me a little confidence and tells me that they’re at least looking at me. So, I’ll take it.”
Appler, who received his first offer from Bowling Green on June 27, would be ecstatic if he were to earn an offer from the Tigers in the future.
“Getting an offer from Clemson would be insane,” he said. “I know I’m still young, so I know I’ve still got a little bit of time.”
Clemson’s facilities are one of the aspects of the school and football program that appeals to him the most.
“Their facilities are amazing,” he said. “It’s definitely top in the nation.”
Appler also camped at South Carolina, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Appalachian State, Charlotte and Toledo in June.
Before transferring to Dutch Fork High School ahead of his upcoming junior season, Appler previously attended New Hanover High in Wilmington, N.C.
#STRECRUITING: THE NEXT BIG THING AT DUTCH FORK MIGHT BE QB ALIAM APPLER
By Phil Kornblut / June 10, 2021
Dutch Fork will feature a pair of wide receivers this season in Antonio Williams and Jalen Hyatt who are as talented as any receivers you’ll find in the country. The question for the defending 5A champions is who is going to get them the ball.
Rising senior Davin Patterson played sparingly behind starter Will Taylor last season. Joining the program this spring was 2023 prospect Aliam Appler (6-5 195), a transfer from New Hanover High School in Wilmington, NC. Not much is known about Appler as a thrower. His team played just four games in the spring and most of the time he turned and handed the ball off to a running back.
This month, Appler has gotten out to show college coaches what his arm is like. He spent a day at USC camp Friday, and he was at Clemson for two days on Saturday and Sunday.
“It was really nice. The facilities are really cool,” Appler said of his first trip to USC. “I got to get out and visit with the quarterback coach, which was really nice. I got to see the weight room and the locker room and all that stuff. I like South Carolina a lot. Overall, it was a really good camp. I liked it. I wasn’t able to talk to the head coach there. I know one of the recruiters and he’s sent me a couple of invites to their camps.”
Appler has been to Clemson before, so he was more familiar with how things work in the Upstate, and there’s some familiarity with head coach Dabo Swinney and quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter.
“Clemson is always awesome,” Appler said. “Their facilities are amazing. Their coaches are really cool because they will just talk to you. Dabo still remembers me from a couple of the camps I’ve been to. He’ll just come up and talk to me, which is really cool, just like the quarterback coach Streeter.”
Saturday at Clemson was not a good day to be a quarterback not named Arch Manning. The nation’s top-rated quarterback in the ’23 class was on display, and he definitely overshadowed Appler and the other quarterbacks in the building. But Appler said at the same time it was a good opportunity for him to be judged against one of the best.
“I was seen on Saturday and threw well with the four and five stars,” Appler said. “Arch clearly did show out. I have nothing but respect for the guy. I appreciated being in the group with them because as an unknown, people got to see me too. Sunday there were still some great QBs there, too.”
As for Clemson and a potential offer, Appler said there’s been no indication of that at this point, but it’s still early for him.
“I’m just not expecting much because I don’t want that to be my focus going into the season,” Appler said. “I’m trying not to get wrapped up in who is getting offers and who is not. I am confident my time will come. If I were to get offered, it probably would be senior year. I’m not trying to focus on that right now. They know who I am. Streeter follows me on Twitter, so he follows what I do. I’ll take it.”
Appler is going to camp at Wake Forest on Saturday and North Carolina Sunday. He has not been offered but said Toledo has been showing decent interest.
2023 QB ALIAM APPLER RECAPS 'AMAZING' VISIT TO CLEMSON
Aliam Appler worked out for the Clemson coaching staff over the weekend and the 2023 quarterback prospect more than held his own against some of the best in the country.
JUN 8, 2021
Clemson is becoming known for attracting generational-type quarterbacks. At the same time, with the help of quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, they've also got quite the reputation for developing young quarterbacks.
While there were a number of highly-touted quarterback prospects on campus working out for the coaches over the weekend, there were also a number of rising juniors who might not have that recognizable name, but absolutely have the look.
One of those players is Aliam Appler. The 2023 quarterback just enrolled at Dutch Fork in Irmo after previously playing in Wilmington.
"I just moved to Dutch Fork a month ago," Appler told All Clemson. I'm originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, I went to New Hanover High School."
Appler has camped at Clemson multiple times in the past so he is familiar with what the school has to offer and the rising junior said it's one of the more unique camps a player can participate in.
"Amazing as usual, I love going to Clemson camps," Appler said. "Like their facilities are amazing, the coaches are always really cool. Like coach Swinney, I love how he's always interacting with the players, like even the young guys."
Appler more than held his own while working out with several highly-ranked quarterbacks. While the 6-foot-4 prospect has yet to be ranked by the recruiting services himself, it's not something Appler spends much time worrying about.
"I'm only a sophomore, so I'm not stressing right now," Appler said. "Still got two years ahead of me and they can't even contact me until August, so not going to stress about it yet."
Appler routinely made plays while working out on both Saturday and Sunday and his arm strength and accuracy really stood out, not to mention his athleticism. The quarterback was happy with his performance but said he did come out of it knowing there are areas he still needs to improve upon.
"They liked my strength, and they like my accuracy too," Appler said. "I think I threw pretty well. But they told me what I need to work on, which is my arm because my elbow got low a lot."
The stop in Clemson was just one of many for Dutch Fork's new quarterback over the next few weeks.
"I have a bunch of more camps," Appler said. "I have Wake Forest next week and then more along the next couple of weekends and weekdays throughout June, and I have Coastal (Carolina)."
However, listening to Appler recap his experience over the weekend, the camps at Clemson really stand out and it's obvious he's made a lasting impression on the Tigers coaching staff as well.
"It's just always amazing because when I got here last time I was here, it was two years ago I think, and administrators still remember my name so I thought that was awesome."
DABO SWINNEY CAMP DAY 3 MORNING NOTEBOOK
By Sam Neumann | June 5, 2021 12:53 pm ET
Here are The Clemson Insider’s observations and notes from Saturday morning’s early session:
Arch Manning hasn’t made his grand entrance just yet, instead, all eyes were on Downey (Calif.) Warren 4-star QB on Nicholaus Iamaleava. Tigers offensive analyst J.P. Losman and quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter were keeping a close eye on D.J. Uiagalelei’s cousin.
Additionally, Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb 4-star QB Malachi Singleton and Zachary (La.) Zachary 4-star Eli Holstein and Irmo (SC.) Dutch Fork QB Aliam Appler were all on hand as this weekend is seemingly a big one for the gunslingers.
TOP PERFORMERS FROM UC REPORT CHARLOTTE
By BRIAN DOHN (247 Sports) ~ May 23, 2021
--Imro (S.C.) Dutch Fork's Aliam Appler, a class of 2023 quarterback, had a free, easy release and spun the ball well.
IN-STATE QB LOVES ‘EVERYTHING’ ABOUT CLEMSON
By Gavin Oliver | May 16, 2021 7:22 pm ET
Having secured a quarterback for the 2022 class in Austin (Texas) Westlake four-star Cade Klubnik, who committed to Clemson in March, the Tigers have been able to turn more of their attention to evaluating prospective signal-callers in the class of 2023.
One talented rising junior QB on Clemson’s recruiting radar is Aliam Appler, who recently moved out of North Carolina to the Palmetto State with his family. The 6-foot-5, 195-pounder will suit up for Dutch Fork High School (Irmo, S.C.) this coming season after previously playing for New Hanover High (Wilmington, N.C.).
Appler is attracting some interest from the Tigers and will work out at the Dabo Swinney Camp yet again this summer.
“I’m really excited because it’s been a while since I’ve been to the camp, since last year was cancelled (due to COVID-19), and I love the Clemson camp,” Appler told The Clemson Insider. “I have a blast every year at it. I think I’ve been there maybe three times, and it never gets old. I love going there, I love seeing the campus and getting to meet the coaches and all that. So, I’m definitely excited for it.”
2023 QB Aliam Appler (photo courtesy of Appler’s Twitter account)
Based on his interactions with the coaches at the camps in previous years, Appler feels Clemson’s staff is different than those at many other schools.
“I love the staff because they’re not like all the other coaches,” he said. “A bunch of the coaches are more quiet and kind of to themselves, while Clemson, they’re very active with their players. Even when I came to the eighth-grade camp, they were still talking to me even though I was nowhere near getting looked at yet. They’re very down-to-earth people, which is really nice.”
Clemson’s facilities have also impressed Appler, and his experiences on campus in the past have made him very high on what the Tigers have to offer in general.
“The facilities are amazing. Definitely one of the best,” he said. “I love the football stadium. I love the football weight room. Everything about it, I just love it.”
Although Appler has not yet netted his first offer, plenty of schools are showing interest, and he also plans to camp at South Carolina, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Charlotte and Toledo this summer as he looks to gain more exposure heading into his junior year.
What does Appler believe he can bring to the table for a college team at quarterback in the future?
“I feel like I’m definitely a leader,” he said. “I like to build people up, and I think I definitely do have some arm strength to me, too. Accuracy is definitely one of my strengths. I just need to work on my footwork a little bit more to truly boost it up. But there’s always stuff to work on.”
WILMINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOLER TO HONOR FORMER TEAMMATE JAYLON MCKENZIE AT SCHOOL DANCE
Updated: May. 16, 2019 at 5:45 PM EDT
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Aliam Appler wants to make one final completion to Jaylon McKenzie, a former teammate and football phenom who was fatally shot after leaving a party the day of his middle school dance.
Appler, an eighth grade student at Noble Middle School, made the decision to wear a black and red ribbon — a color combination meant raise awareness for victims of murder — to his upcoming dance to honor his fallen friend. And he’s getting his classmates involved also.
Appler and McKenzie met at the USA National Team U14 game and continued to play together in the Pro Football Hall of Fame 8th Grade All-American game. They weren’t familiar with each other until after the games and their play sparked a good friendship.
“We didn’t talk much in practice but during the game, when I threw two touchdowns to him, we started to bond a lot and we started to talk a lot," said Appler. “To think about almost a year ago, I was throwing a touchdown to him on the HOF field and .. yeah it’s just crazy. I can’t really think about it.”
Both players’ families became close after the two played together. When Appler first heard the news he reached out to Sukeena Gunner, Jaylon’s mom, and said they were in his thoughts and prayers.
The Noble Middle School dance is Friday, May 17.
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