It's funny what 137 days can do for a high school football player.
On June 12, Hoban coach Tim Tyrrell brought Tylan Boykin and his family into his office to discuss the future of the defensive back.
As a quarterback.
The first step toward immortality came Friday in a 39-7 postseason win over 16th-seeded Ellet.
It gave the top-seeded Knights (9-1) a Division II, Region 5 quarterfinal matchup with eighth-seeded Barberton , which beat ninth-seeded Shaker Heights 48-41.
"I knew I was getting recruited for defensive back and my frame doesn't truly fit quarterback," Boykin said. "But I had been playing quarterback all my life, so I knew I was ready. I just had to knock the cobwebs off. I talked to my dad about it. We were all in. I just wanted to get to Week 16."
Tyrrell left the option for Boykin to stay on defense, but knew he needed a presence behind center after last season's 28-21 loss to Toledo Central Catholic.
Understandably, the Knights jumped on the back of Mr. Football running back Lamar Sperling last season against the Fighting Irish and he responded with 356 yards and three touchdowns.
The problem was Central Catholic keyed on JacQai Long, who went 2-of-8 passing for minus-3 yards, was sacked twice and threw two interceptions.
His mother's job moved Long back to Hurricane High School in West Virginia , and Boykin has never looked back.
"He still thinks he's superman sometimes," Tyrrell said. "This week, he did a great job in practice and had a great game this week. He gave his receivers a chance. He knows his reads and he knows his RPOs. He's becoming a quarterback instead of being an athlete. He's doing that. He knows he needs to continue to do that for us to go to Week 16."
Boykin was solid against the Orangemen (3-8). He finished 6-of-9 passing for 150 yards and didn't throw an interception. Three of those six receptions went for touchdowns, with Jalen Hightower, Tayte Crable and Elbert Hill on the other end.
Not a bad night for the 6-foot, 165-pound junior they call "Juice."
"Anytime you're two dimensional, it's good," Ellet coach John Daraio said. "We talk about it all the time, quarterbacks that can also run from the pocket adds that third dimension. He's extremely athletic. He's a good kid, a good football player. I told our guys, 'You're playing a team that should win a state championship. Be excited that you get to be on the same field as them. You earned it."
For that matter, so has Boykin. He's 61-of-95 passing this season for 863 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has 300 yards rushing on 33 carries and has scored two touchdowns.
"He's grown a lot from Week 1 to Week 11," Hightower said. "He's a really hard worker. He sacrificed a lot for our team, having to take that role because JacQai left. Juice's work ethic just makes him such a good leader. That has helped us out as a team."
The fact he's a defensive back at heart helps as well.
When he's under center on a passing down, his eyes immediately shift to the positioning of the corners and safeties to see exactly what they might give him.
"It's the mental part of it," Boykin said. "It's grown a lot from Week 1 to Week 11. … From a DB's standpoint, I know how I line up on certain coverages or where my eyes go. Me being a DB and reading the other DBs, it's easy to tell what happens next. It's easier to let the ball go and trust what my eyes are seeing.
"Week 1 I felt a lot of hesitation after that first pass. Now, I feel more comfortable letting the ball go and trusting my receivers to go get it."
Despite the loss, Daraio took a lot of positives out of his first season as coach. It was a season that included the Orangemen upsetting City Series champion East in Week 10.
It's momentum he hopes Ellet takes into 2024.
"We're definitely excited about it," he said. "I sat down with our team and said, 'Year 1, what's the goal?' Everyone agreed it wasn't about wins, but making the playoffs. It's the fourth time in Ellet history and the first time since 2013 outside of COVID (when everyone made it). This was a big deal for us for what we wanted to accomplish in Year 1."
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: OHSAA playoffs: Hoban football thriving with Tylan Boykin at QB
