Football Recruiting
Report
Monday, May 11, 2015
By Sammy Batten |
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Recruiting Wars: Offensive Line
By
Sammy Batten
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
(NOTE: This is the
fourth in a position-by-position series where we look at high school or
junior college prospects East Carolina has offered scholarships to
already in the recruiting Class of 2016. This time we focus on the
offensive line recruits.)
East Carolina will suffer some of its
most significant personnel losses after next season on the offensive line,
and starting to fill those voids is a priority as the Pirates pursue the
recruiting Class of 2016.
Tackles Ike Harris, Stewart Hinson,
Dontae Levingston and Tre Robertson, guard Quincy McKinney and center C.J.
Struyk are all scheduled to complete their eligibility after the 2015
season. ECU has already lost guard Will Foxx, who was dismissed from the
team in April for violating team rules, and will see center J.T. Boyd depart
after the '16 season. Those players represent eight of the 13 listed on the
Pirates' offensive depth chart entering spring practice.
The Pirates are searching far and wide to
find replacements for at least half of those in the 2016 recruiting class.
They've extended scholarship offers so far to offensive line prospects in
eight different states from as far away as Texas and as close as Chesapeake,
VA.
Here's a closer look at 16 offensive line
prospects who have already reported scholarship offers from ECU, and early
projections on how serious these players are about playing for Pirates. The
players are listed in alphabetical order.
TREMAYNE ANCHRUM, OG (6-3, 257)
McEachern HS, Powder Springs, GA
NOTABLES: Anchrum is a mobile big
man who has been timed at 5.0 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He plays tackle
at McEachern and following a strong junior season in 2014 he was selected to
play in the Georgia Junior Bowl all-star game in December. During one of the
year's most prestigious spring combines, The Opening in Atlanta, Anchrum was
named one of the top offensive line performers which includes most of the
best line prospects in Georgia.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Appalachian
State, Arizona State, Boston College, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Colorado, East
Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Indiana, Marshall, Nebraska, Syracuse,
Tulane, Wake Forest.
THE ECU ANGLE: Anchrum was
listing Syracuse, Nebraska and Wake Forest as his favorites in late April,
but he's only really beginning to sort through the large collection of
offers he's received. The Pirates have recruited well in Georgia and won't
give up without a fight on Anchrum. So consider him a MEDIUM INTEREST target
for ECU at this stage.
PARKER BOUDREAUX, OG (6-5, 291)
Bishop Moore Catholic HS, Orlando, FL
NOTABLES: This guy has reportedly
received over 70 scholarship offers, which covers more than half the
Football Bowl Subdivision. Boudreaux made his first splash on the recruiting
scene as a sophomore with a strong performance at the Nike SPARQ Spring
combine where he was timed at 5.13 in the 40-yard dash. It was during that
time frame he also started adding weight, going from 230 pounds to 270 by
the spring of his sophomore year. As a junior, he earned Class 5-A
second-team all-state honors and was named to the Orlando Sentinel's
All-Central Florida team.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Too many to list,
but in late April he trimmed the possibilities to Alabama, Auburn, Clemson,
Florida, Georgia Southern, Iowa, Mississippi, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Penn
State.
THE ECU ANGLE: Boudreaux actually
made an unofficial visit to ECU back in April 2014, which is also when he
received a scholarship offer from the Pirates. But since ECU didn't make his
Top 10 list last month we consider him a LOW INTEREST prospect.
JUSTIN CHASE, OT (6-6, 270)
Great Bridge HS, Chesapeake, VA
NOTABLES: You could say Chase has
grown up'' over the past year. He's added two inches and 40 pounds to his
frame since last summer. Despite the additional size, Chase still manages to
turn a 5.1-second 40-yard dash time. He achieved second-team All-PenSouth
Conference honors as a junior. Chase also plays basketball for Great Bridge.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Appalachian
State, East Carolina, James Madison, Old Dominion.
THE ECU ANGLE: Chase received his
most recent reported offer from ECU on April 18. Because he's from the
talent-rich Tidewater area, which is a hotbed of recruiting for the Pirates,
you can expect Chase to spend some time in Greenville this summer either at
camp or for an unofficial visit. He is a HIGH INTEREST prospect for ECU.
LANDON DICKERSON, OG (6-4, 305)
South Caldwell HS, Hudson, NC
NOTABLES: Dickerson had a strange
junior year that began with him playing for Hickory High School. He played
the first eight games of the year with Hickory. But when Hickory's head
coach abruptly resigned in October, Dickerson made the move to South
Caldwell where he played the final four games of the year. It was a major
transition for Dickerson, who went from blocking for a spread attack at
Hickory to a Wing-T formation at South Caldwell. His grandfather, Herman,
played football at Virginia Tech.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Alabama, Auburn,
Clemson, East Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest.
THE ECU ANGLE: Unfortunately, the
Pirates don't seem to be in play with this quality in-state blocker. He
lists Florida State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech as his
favorites currently, with Alabama also in the picture. Looks like a LOW
INTEREST prospect for ECU at present.
STONE FORSYTH, OT (6-6, 300)
West Orange HS, Winter Garden, FL
NOTABLES: First of all, what a
great name for a football player. But Forsyth is more than a name. A player
adept at pass blocking, he also has the size and power to pave the way for
the run game. Forsyth was named to the All-Central Florida second team by
the Orlando Sentinel as a junior, while also making the Florida All-State
second-team for Class 8-A.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Boston College,
Bowling Green, Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, Kentucky, New Mexico State.
THE ECU ANGLE: Forsyth really
likes Florida, but so far the Gators haven't offered a scholarship.
Otherwise, he appears wide open to any of the schools that have offered,
including ECU. We think that interest will increase for the Pirates as the
summer progresses, so we'll put Forsyth in the HIGH INTEREST category.
AUSTIN HESTER, OG-OT (6-5, 305)
Shaw HS, Columbus, GA
NOTABLES: Hester is a versatile
lineman capable of playing either guard or tackle. He's been highly
decorated during his prep career at Shaw, starting with the 2013 season when
he earned All-Bi-City honors from the Columbus Ledger after grading out at
92 percent on his blocking assignments. Hester again received All-Bi-City
status as a junior with an identical 92 percent blocking grade, and he also
added first-team All-Region 1-AAAAA honors to his resume.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Cincinnati, East
Carolina.
THE ECU ANGLE: The state of
Georgia, and specifically the town of Columbus, has proven to be fertile
recruiting ground for the Pirates recently. Current offensive lineman Des
Barmore and Quincy McKinney both prepped at Columbus schools, and ECU has
six players overall from the Peach state on the current roster. All those
factors make Hester a HIGH PRIORITY prospect for ECU.
ELIJAH JOHNSON, C-OT (6-6, 310)
DeMatha HS, Hyattsville, MD
NOTABLES: Johnson played left
guard for DeMatha as a junior, but he could play center or tackle at the
next level. He was one of the top players in the Washington, DC, metro area
last season, earning third-team All-Washington Area Catholic Conference
honors.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Boston College,
Connecticut, East Carolina, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Old Dominion,
Rutgers, San Diego State, Temple, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Western
Michigan.
THE ECU ANGLE: The Pirates were
among the first, if not the first, to offer Johnson a scholarship in March
2014. But he hasn't publicly expressed a lot of interest in the Pirates.
Rutgers, Wake Forest, West Virginia and especially Maryland seem to be his
top schools at present, even though he has yet to reveal a list of
favorites. But he's made multiple unofficial visits to Rutgers and Maryland
this spring, and seems especially fond of the latter where two of his
DeMatha teammates have already committed. Make Johnson a LOW INTEREST target
for ECU at this time.
DANARIUS JOYNER, OT (6-5, 260)
Cypress Bay HS, Weston, FL
NOTABLES: Joyner has been
overshadowed somewhat in recruiting because he plays on a Cypress Bay squad
that has five other players who have already received college scholarship
offers. He plays right tackle for the Lightning and uses his size to his
advantage. Joyner will obviously need to add more weight before he's ready
for the college level, but he has the frame and long arms to develop into a
solid blocker.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Arizona State,
East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Illinois State, Iowa State, Marshall.
THE ECU ANGLE: There's sparse
news available regarding Joyner's recruitment, but the Pirates should be in
the mix when the summer camp season is done. Let's place Joyner in the
MEDIUM INTEREST category for now.
JAVON KINLAW, OT (6-7, 288)
Goose Creek HS, Goose Creek, SC
NOTABLES: Originally a basketball
player, Kinlaw is a late bloomer and raw talent in football. He transferred
to Goose Creek as a sophomore from Friendship Collegiate Academy in
Washington, DC., and immediately became a starter at right tackle. As a
junior, Kinlaw also became an effective player at defensive end where he
made 40 tackles, three sacks and eight tackles for loss. He wants to play
defensive end in college, but most schools are projecting him as a tackle
prospect.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Alabama, Auburn,
Clemson, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Louisville.
THE ECU ANGLE: Florida appears to
be in the lead for Kinlaw with Clemson and South Carolina next in line. The
Pirates do have an in'' with Kinlaw in the person of former Goose Creek
player Mike Myers, now a nose tackle with ECU. But there's enough of that
SEC-type interest in Kinlaw that he's probably at LOW INTEREST prospect for
the Pirates.
PETE LEOTA, OG-OT (6-5, 295)
Asheville HS, Asheville, NC
NOTABLES: Leota is a right tackle
prospect whose recruitment has steadily gained steam over the past four to
five months. As a junior, he earned All-Western North Carolina honors from
The Asheville Citizen-Times and All-Mountain Athletic Conference status for
a team that went 12-2 and won the league title.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Appalachian
State, Boston College, East Carolina, Georgia Southern, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest.
THE ECU ANGLE: North Carolina was
Leota's early favorite, but the Tar Heels may not wait on his decision
before filling their offensive line needs. Boston College, South Carolina
and Virginia Tech are his other favorites. But ECU isn't out of the picture.
Leota came to Greenville for a Junior Day in February and the Pirates are
making a strong play for him. This is a HIGH INTEREST prospect for ECU.
ANDREW MARSHALL, OT (6-8, 360)
Milford HS/Globe Tech, Milford, DE
NOTABLES: This massive right
tackle prospect played at Milford High where he was an All-Henloen
Conference first-team pick on offense and a second-team selection on defense
as a senior. He had offers out of high school from Delaware State, N.C. A&T,
San Diego State and Temple, but opted instead for Globe Tech, a junior
college program located in the heart of New York city. He was a starter at
right tackle as a freshman for the Knights.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Akron, Buffalo,
East Carolina, Idaho, San Diego State, Temple, Vanderbilt.
THE ECU ANGLE: The Pirates were
the second school behind Temple to offer Marshall back in April. Although
Marshall has yet to establish any favorites, we believe ECU will be around
the top of that list when the time comes. Marshall is definitely a HIGH
INTEREST prospect for the Pirates.
JESSE MEYLER, OT (6-5, 285)
Episcopal HS, Alexandria, VA
NOTABLES: Meyler is an athletic
lineman whose footwork has been enhanced by competing in basketball. He's
also fairly fleet footed for a big man, having been timed at 5.18 seconds in
the 40-yard dash. But Meyler isn't all finesse. He's a powerful athlete as
well who can bench press 315 pounds and squat 465. He grew up in Toronto,
Canada, where he began his football career. But in order to improve his
skills against better competition, Meyler came South to the United States
prior to his sophomore year in high school.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Boston College,
Connecticut, East Carolina, Illinois, James Madison, Maryland, Northwestern,
Old Dominion, Pittsburgh, Temple, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wake Forest,
Wisconsin.
THE ECU ANGLE: Meyler seems to be
favoring institutions with high academic reputations like Northwestern,
Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. But the picture will become much clearer for him
after a series of unofficial campus visits this spring and summer. ECU fits
geographically for Meyler and could be the picture before all is said and
done with his recruitment. But for now it appears he's a LOW INTEREST
prospect for the Pirates.
CHRIS MORALES, OT (6-6, 315)
Fort Dorchester HS, North Charleston, SC
NOTABLES: Morales has been
overshadowed somewhat by playing on a team that has another highly regarded
offensive tackle on the left side in John Simpson, who already has offers
from schools like South Carolina, Clemson and North Carolina. But he's two
inches taller and is similar athletically to Simpson. Morales just lacks
Simpson's strength at this stage.
COLLEGE OFFERS: East Carolina.
THE ECU ANGLE: Because the
Pirates are his only offer, they're obviously the leader. He's expected to
attend ECU's football camp this summer at which time he could commit. For
that reason, Morales is a HIGH INTEREST prospect for the Pirates.
KEENAN MURPHY, C-OG (6-2, 295)
Crosby HS, Crosby, TX
NOTABLES: The Mauler,'' as he's
known to prep teammates, is a powerhouse blocker who can bench press 345
pounds and squat 565. He used that strength to achieve all-star status at
offensive tackle as a junior. Murphy was named to the District 21-5A first
team and the OldCoach Class 5A All-State second team.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Colorado, East
Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Missouri, Texas State, Texas Tech.
THE ECU ANGLE: The ECU staff
still has strong recruiting ties to Texas, but Murphy seems to be one
recruit destined to stay close to home for his college career. Texas Tech
probably has a slight edge on everyone else, although Murphy claims to be
wide open at the moment. We'll call him a MEDIUM INTEREST recruit for ECU
right now, but I have my doubts about his willingness to venture too far
from home to play at the next level.
NA'TY RODGERS, OT (6-5, 290)
McDonough HS/Iowa Western CC, Pomfret, MD
NOTABLES: Rodgers was one of the
nation's top-rated offensive tackle prospects as a senior at McDonough High
in 2013. Rivals.com ranked him the nation's No. 15 offensive tackle and he
was picked to play in the Under Armour all-star game. He eventually made a
verbal commitment to South Carolina, choosing the Gamecocks over offers from
Maryland, Oklahoma and Washington. But during his red-shirt freshman year in
Columbia he was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and consumption of
alcohol while being under 21 years of age. Rodgers was suspended, then
reinstated in December 2014. At some point soon after his reinstatement,
Rodgers announced his intention to transfer to Iowa Western where he'll play
his first and probably only season in 2015.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Arizona State,
East Carolina, Louisville, Mississippi, Missouri, N.C. State, Ohio, West
Virginia.
THE ECU ANGLE: ECU got in the
game with Rodgers with an April scholarship offer. Because the Pirates have
established a trend of successfully recruiting JUCO offensive linemen we
expect them to put a full-court press on for Rodgers. Plus, he's a guy who
could provide some immediate help in an area where ECU will need it in 2016.
Rodgers is definitely a HIGH INTEREST guy for the Pirates, and a lot of
other programs.
DAVE WILSON, OG (6-3, 285)
Bamberg-Ehrhardt HS, Bamberg, SC
NOTABLES: Wilson is one of those
hard-nosed athletes whose motor is already running at 100 percent. He's been
a prime contributor at Bamberg-Ehrhardt since his sophomore year when he was
named to the Times & Democrat's All-Area team due his 35 pancake blocks and
91 percent grade. Wilson achieved all-state status as a junior.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Charlotte, East
Carolina, Georgia, Kansas State, Louisville, North Carolina, N.C. State,
Virginia Tech.
THE ECU ANGLE: Wilson is wide
open when it comes to his college options, but is expected to make spring
and summer visits to Clemson, ECU, UNC, N.C. State and Virginia Tech. The
Pirates have a great success rate when getting recruits to campus, so the
fact he's said publicly he wants to make the trip to Greenville is a
positive sign. Mark him down as a HIGH INTEREST prospect for ECU.
Two offensive lineman offered
scholarships by ECU have already given verbal commitments to other programs.
Sean Pollard, an offensive guard from Pinecrest High in Southern Pines, NC,
has made a pledge to Clemson, while offensive guard Joe Sculthorpe from
Topsail High in Hempstead, NC, has chosen to play for N.C. State.
Next up in our series on ECU recruiting
prospects, we'll take a look at the defensive line.
E-mail Sammy Batten
PAGE UPDATED
05/12/15 02:50 AM.
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