Woodland Hills senior Dom Timbers is working for a roofing company this summer with a former high school teammate.

After his recent verbal commitment to Syracuse, Timbers will go from working on roofs to playing under one of the biggest roofs in college football.

Syracuse, which plays its home games at the Carrier Dome, has plans to utilize Timbers' 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash almost instantly as a freshman. Coaches have said they want to use him on special teams, returning kicks and punts. Of course, the offensive coaches want to see him in the backfield rushing the ball like he will do this year for the Wolverines. The defensive coaches also would not mind seeing Timbers in their secondary.

In addition to receiving recruiting competition from Colorado, Pitt and Penn State, Timbers was also looking at competition among Syracuse's special teams coach, running backs coach and defensive backs coach.

While doing some roofing this summer Timbers has been working with a former teammate. Timbers, who is from Braddock, played his first two years at Central Catholic before transferring to Woodland Hills. He is working alongside Nolan Krivijanski. Krivijanski played at Central with Timbers.

Timbers, who is 5 feet 10 and 185 pounds, is expected to be one of the most electrifying players in the WPIAL this season. Despite missing four games last season while waiting for his eligibility to be approved after his transfer, Timbers still managed to run for more than 500 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Wolverines were 0-4 without him and 3-2 with him in the regular season.

On special teams he accumulated more than 500 yards returning punts and kicks, including a punt return for a touchdown. In a 35-0 blowout against Plum, Timbers scored on touchdown runs of 32, 18 and 13 yards. In a closer game, a 41-36 last-second win against Fox Chapel, Timbers scored five touchdowns. He finished with 171 yards in that game.

Timbers would likely have staggering career numbers at this point had it not been for the four missed games his junior year and missing the majority of his sophomore season at Central after a knee injury.

Even with his verbal commitment to Syracuse, Timbers still plans on visiting Colorado in the coming weeks. It was Colorado that was one of the very first schools to notice Timbers in his freshman season at Central. High school seniors cannot sign a binding letter of intent until Feb. 3.

At Central in 2006 Timbers was the only freshman on the 83-player Vikings roster. After starting running back Lamont Smith went down with an injury, Timbers was thrown into the backfield where he started five games.

After recent struggles, the Syracuse Orangemen are hoping to turn things around this season. Former coach Greg Robinson was fired with two games remaining in the season and Doug Marrone was officially hired on Dec. 12. The WPIAL, specifically Woodland Hills, has emerged as one of Marrone's main targeted recruiting areas.

His first verbal commitment after taking the job was from Penn Hills linebacker Myles Davis. At Woodland Hills Marrone has already offered four current Wolverines scholarships.

Along with Timbers the Orange have offers out to Woodland Hills defensive tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith (6-1, 275), who is committed to Pitt, outside linebacker Mike Lee (6-3, 205) and offensive lineman Bruce Atkins (6-3, 235).

Despite missing four games last season while awaiting approval of his transfer, Woodland Hills running back Dom Timbers rushed for more than 50 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.