Football Recruiting
Report
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
By Sammy Batten |
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Recruiting report card: Offense
Running backs, receivers
push Pirates over the top
Recruiting Class of 2015 Thumbnail Sketches...
By
Sammy Batten
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
Landing the kind of big-play athletes
on offense during recruiting East Carolina needed would have hit a snag
at many schools that lost an offensive coordinator and offensive line
coach at a critical time in the process.
But with its “team'' approach, the
Pirates survived the January departures of coordinator Lincoln Riley to
Oklahoma and offensive line coach Brandon Jones to California to add a
talented group of skill players on college football's National Signing Day
last Wednesday.
Nine of the 17 recruits head coach Ruffin
McNeill announced as the newest Pirates are offensive players, and six play
skill positions.
“We feel we have a group that can give us
that long-play capability,'' McNeill said on signing day.
The athleticism of those players earns
McNeill and his staff high marks for their offensive recruiting Class of
2015. Here's our class grades and program evaluation by position, as well as
a look ahead to what the Pirates' needs may be for the Class of 2016.
Please note that all class designations
indicate the player's status for the 2015 season.
QUARTERBACK > GRADE B
WHAT THEY NEEDED: The late addition to
last year's class of JUCO transfer
Blake Kemp lessened the need to sign
two quarterbacks in 2015. But the Pirates still needed to land at least one
in this class with record-setting Shane Carden heading off into the sunset
following the Birmingham Bowl.
WHO SIGNED: East Carolina discovered
Carden in Texas, thanks to the coaching staff's connection with former Texas
Tech quarterback B.J. Symons. They went out West again to land
John Jacobs in Shawnee, Oklahoma,
who had an indirect relationship to the ECU program. Jacobs has been tutored
by well-known quarterback coach Joe Dickinson, who also worked at the high
school level with current Pirate quarterback Cody Keith. Jacobs, a sturdy
6-foot-2, 220-pound lefty, passed for 4,056 yards and 45 touchdowns, while
rushing for 1,653 and 23 scores over the last two seasons at Shawnee High
School. He chose ECU over offers from Troy and UAB (before program was
disbanded).
HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: Jacobs is the
typical “Air Raid'' quarterback. He makes good, fast decisions, gets the
ball out of his hand quickly and has very good mobility. Jacobs has been
mainly a touch passer in high school and that serves him well on deep balls.
But he'll need to develop a bit more zip when he arrives at ECU. The Pirates
landed another system guy in Jacobs who will provide depth at quarterback
initially, but could develop into a potential starter in time.
BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Kendall Hinton was
a dual-threat quarterback from Southern Durham High School, who the Pirates
had a lot of contact with early. Hinton came to Greenville for Junior Day in
2012 and stopped in again in December 2013, leaving impressed and with a
scholarship offer. By early April 2014, Hinton had ECU among his top three
along with Duke and N.C. State. That prompted then-ECU offensive coordinator
Lincoln Riley to stop by Southern Durham later in April. But by June, Hinton
had eliminated the Pirates and wound up choosing Wake Forest over N.C.
State.
WHO'S BACK: Mainly a trio of relatively
untested quarterbacks at the college level will battle to replace
record-setting Shane Carden for the starting job. The guy clearly out front
of the competition heading into spring practice will be red-shirt sophomore
Kurt Benkert. Benkert served as Carden's backup all last season, for what
that's worth. It didn't mean much actual playing time because Carden took 90
percent of ECU's snaps. But Benkert did see action in three games,
completing eight of 10 passes for 58 yards. Junior lefty Blake Kemp was
red-shirted last season after transferring in from the junior college ranks,
where he was known for his steady play and strong leadership. The wild card
in the competition to replace Carden, however, could be junior Cody Keith.
Keith was sidelined for the final six games of 2013 and all of last season
due to issues with his right elbow that required surgery. He saw action in
three games in '13 during which he completed seven of 11 passes for 57 yards
before being shut down. When healthy, Keith probably has the strongest arm
among the returning quarterbacks and program sources say he was slinging it
around pretty good in practice at the end of the regular season. The NCAA
has already granted Keith a sixth-year medical waiver, so he has two years
of eligibility remaining. How he performs in spring practice, though, will
determine if he can be a factor in the quarterback race for 2015.
WHO'S GONE: Shane Carden is statistically
the best quarterback to ever wear the purple and gold. Carden set
practically every school single-season and career record for passing and
most of the ones for total offense over a brilliant three-year as ECU's
starter. That's not bad for a guy who was a last-second addition to the
recruiting class right after McNeill and Riley arrived at East Carolina in
2010.
NEED FOR 2016: There will be no senior
scholarship quarterbacks on the ECU roster in 2015, but both Keith and Kemp
depart after 2016 so replacing one of them in the next class makes the most
sense. The Pirates have reportedly already extended scholarship offers to
four quarterbacks in the junior class – highly regarded Chazz Surratt from
East Lincoln High, Avery McCall from Dillon, SC, Reid Herring of Raleigh's
Millbrook High, and Travis Ramseur from Statesville.
RUNNING BACKS > GRADE A+
WHAT THEY NEEDED: The Pirates were only
scheduled to lose one scholarship running back to graduation after the 2014
season, but two more complete their eligibility in '15. Replacing one or all
three was the goal, depending on the quality of players available.
WHO SIGNED: East Carolina wound up with
three of the best backs in North Carolina, albeit from different years.
Technically,
Chris Mangus was part of last year's
recruiting class because he transferred from Virginia Tech to East Carolina
last fall. But it wasn't until well into September that McNeill confirmed
Mangus was enrolled at ECU. That was big news because the 5-foot-11,
180-pounder was rated the state's fourth-best running back by Rivals.com
behind Georgia signees Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall and Duke's Jela
Duncan, and No. 30 in the nation as a senior at Raleigh's Broughton High.
Mangus opted to leave Virginia Tech after two seasons due to a crowded
backfield picture. The No. 1 running back in the state in 2013 was
Havelock's
Derrell Scott, who wound up signing
with Tennessee. But after one season with the Vols, Scott decided he wanted
to play closer to home and chose to enroll at ECU last month. Finally,
Shawn Furlow, who Rivals.com rated
the state's No. 6 running back in a deep class for 2015, signed with the
Pirates, too. Together, the trio amassed 14,017 yards rushing in high
school.
HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: Mangus, who will
be eligible next fall, is an all-around back who can run with and catch the
football. In fact, there is a strong possibility the Pirates may use him at
an inside receiver position at times. Furlow is a read-and-react back who is
capable of running with power or speed. He does have a nice burst, but
essentially is a guy who always seems to be moving the chains forward. Scott
is the home-run hitter. He has the kind of speed, agility and moves that
made me compare him to former North Carolina star Gio Bernard as a senior at
Havelock. Of course, Scott will have to sit out the 2015 season under NCAA
transfer rules, but he'll have three years of eligibility remaining during
which I predict he'll become one of ECU's most productive backs ever.
BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Bryce Love of Wake
Forest was one of the state's top three running back prospects and regarded
as one of the top all-purpose backs in the nation. He had a built-in
connection with the Pirates because his older brother, Chris, is a walk-on
running back-receiver at ECU. The younger Love took that interest seriously,
listing the Pirates among his favorites throughout his recruitment. That
interest seemed legitimate early as Love attended Junior Day in Greenville
in March 2013 and took at least three other unofficial visits to ECU. But at
the finish, Love wound up choosing Stanford over North Carolina.
WHO'S BACK: Four very experienced and
talented backs return in 2015 for ECU, led by senior Chris Hairston.
Hairston ranked second in team rushing with 528 yards on 79 carries for an
impressive 6.7 per-carry average last season and was the starter for the
Birmingham Bowl against Florida. Sophomore Marquez Grayson was the Pirates'
No. 3 rusher with 289 yards on 47 carries (6.1 per carry) and scored five
times. Grayson was suspended for the Birmingham Bowl for violating team
rules and his status for spring practice hasn't been determined. But in all
likelihood Grayson will be back for the 2015 season. Anthony Scott displayed
the promise that made him one of ECU's recruiting coups in the Class of 2014
by gaining 268 yards rushing (4.9 per carry) in his rookie season. Junior
walk-on Cory Hunter also played in 13 games last season on special teams,
but did log seven carries for 18 yards and a score.
WHO'S GONE: Breon Allen had a productive
two-year run with the Pirates after transferring in from the junior college
ranks. Allen tallied 1,180 career yards and 11 touchdowns, including a
team-high 869 yards and eight scores as a senior. Unfortunately, Allen's
career ended on a sad note when he suffered a torn MCL in the practices
leading up to the Birmingham Bowl and was unable to suit up for his final
college game.
NEED FOR 2016: Signing Furlow, Mangus and
Scott beefed up ECU's depth at running back enough that there isn't a
pressing need for the Class of 2016. That might explain why Washington, DC,
area running back Abdul Adams, who gave a verbal commitment to the Pirates
before start of his junior season last April, backed off that pledge in
November. Adams is one of six rising senior running backs ECU has offered in
the '16 class, so you can probably expect at least one will wind up signing
next February.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS >
GRADE A+
WHAT THEY NEEDED: As long as there is an
“Air Raid'' style offense being run at East Carolina, receivers will always
be a priority in recruiting. Two to four was the objective this time around
with two starting receivers graduating at the end of 2014 and a third
departing the following year.
WHO SIGNED: One of Lincoln Riley's final
contributions to the Pirate Nation was securing a commitment from
Deondre Farrier from Orlando, FL, in
early December. Farrier was a one-time commit to both South Florida and the
University of Florida before Riley and his replacement Dave Nichols sold
Farrier on stepping in to help replace record-setting Justin Hardy. Farrier
produced some Hardy-like statistics as a senior at Lake Nona high School,
making a county-record 118 catches for 1,850 yards and 22 touchdowns. One
state north of Florida the Pirates also snared
Justin Strozier, who collected 36
catches for 915 yards and 12 touchdowns at Woodland High in Stockbridge, GA.
Greensboro native
James Summers passed for 2,874
yards, ran for 1,687 and accounted for 46 touchdowns in two seasons playing
quarterback at Hinds Community College the last two seasons. But ECU is
going to convert the 6-3, 210-pounder into a wide receiver. Summers is an
athlete very similar to a previous prep-quarterback-turned-receiver for the
Pirates, Jamar Bryant. Off-the-field issues kept Bryant from reaching his
potential at ECU, but he was a physically strong, agile athlete who had star
potential. The same is true of Summers.
HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: The Pirates have
landed a true playmaker in Farrier. He's the kind of athlete who can take a
bubble screen and turned it into a 60-yard scoring play in the blink of an
eye. I can see him breaking into the receiver rotation next fall and giving
ECU the kind of deep threat Davon Grayson was in his freshman year. Like
Farrier, Strozier projects as an outside receiver where he, too, has the
ability to beat people deep. But barring injury, I would expect the Pirates
to red-shirt Strozier. The same may be true for Summers while he learns the
ropes of being a receiver. But once he gets a handle on the intricacies of
the position, Summers could be the next Cam Worthy.
BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY:
Taz Richardson from Mauldin, SC,
wasn't exactly a big catch, but he did grab the attention of ECU's coaching
staff as a junior while playing with Pirate recruit Dre Massey. Richardson
caught 70 passes for 1,068 yards and nine touchdowns that season to earn a
scholarship offer from ECU. He made a verbal commitment to the Pirates in
May, but some off-the-field issues in November led to ECU and Richardson
parting ways. Richardson wound up signing with Tusculum.
WHO'S BACK: There's an abundance of
experienced receivers on ECU's roster with 10 players who caught at least
one pass last season scheduled to return. Five of those had 14 or more
receptions, starting with junior Isaiah Jones with 81 for 830 yards and five
touchdowns. Jones is the most likely candidate to take over as the Pirates'
go-to receiver in the wake of Justin Hardy's graduation because he's the
most consistent of the returnees. Sophomore Trevon Brown (14-264-4) showed
great potential as a big-play maker last season, but his development was
slowed by an injury. A healthy Brown could make a run at the school's
single-season touchdown receiving record. The same could be said about
junior Davon Grayson. Grayson's career started out with a bang in 2013 when
he caught four touchdown passes in his first six games. But a knee injury
derailed the stellar start and he didn't seem to be quite the same player
upon his return in 2014, even though he caught 25 passes for 257 yards.
Bryce Williams (6-6, 250) is also a nice large target to have around the
goal line (18-237-4), while former walk-on Jimmy Williams (22-254-1)
provides another steady pair of hands.
But the receiver talent doesn't end there
as senior Cedric Thompson (2-10), juniors Brandon Bishop (1-19-1) and DaQuan
Barnes (DNP), sophomores Terrell Green (1-8), Stephen Baggett (2-27) and
Quay Johnson (9-57) have all seen significant playing time with the Pirates.
Barnes, yet another of McNeill's recruited walk-on discoveries, was expected
to play a significant role last season after making nine catches for 103
yards and a touchdown in 2013. But instead a back injury forced him to the
sidelines for the entire season. Barnes' status for spring practice is
uncertain at this time, but he should be back for the 2015 season. Red-shirt
freshman Curtis Burston has also been reinstated after being suspended
indefinitely along with two defensive teammates after an off-the-field
incident in October. He, red-shirt freshman Malik Gray and sophomore tight
end Darren Dowdell will also be battling for playing time in the receiving
corps.
January rumors that former ECU receiver
Danny Webster might be returning to the program as a walk-on don't seem to
have much traction, according to my program sources. Webster was dismissed
from the program in February 2014 due to a series of off-the-field issues.
When he wasn't in trouble, though, Webster was a very productive receiver
for the Pirates with 95 catches for 894 yards and seven touchdowns in three
seasons. However, it appears his return is not imminent.
WHO'S GONE: Just the greatest pass
catcher in the history of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Justin Hardy went
from walk-on to an all-star performer who set the FBS career record with 387
catches. Like Carden in the passing statistics, Hardy broke practically
every school receiving mark and was simply one of the nation's best for four
straight seasons. Another former walk-on, Cam Worthy, also emerged over his
final season as a big-play performer for the Pirates. Worthy hauled in 55
balls for 1,016 yards and four touchdowns as a senior, a performance that
earned him an invite to the prestigious NFL Combine later this month along
with Hardy and Carden.
NEED FOR 2016: Bryce Williams and walk-on
Cedric Thompson are the only two seniors on the 2015 roster, but Grayson,
Jones and Jimmy Williams will be gone after the '16 campaign. Look for ECU
to attempt to secure replacements for at least three of those players. One
prospect to keep an eye on is 6-5, 195-pound Diondre Overton from
Greensboro's Page High School. He's the younger brother of Pirate linebacker
Montese Overton and is one of seven junior receivers reportedly with
scholarship offers from ECU already. The younger Overton caught 65 passes
for 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.
CENTER > GRADE C
WHAT THEY NEEDED: ECU tends to develop
rather than recruit pure center prospects. But with four players in the
program who have worked at center, including two who are underclassmen,
signing one in this class wasn't a huge priority.
WHO SIGNED: None of the three offensive
line signees have worked at center, but massive Georgia product
Darius
Anderson (6-3, 330) has the right makeup for the position.
Anderson, however, is expect to begin his ECU career at guard.
HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: ECU either didn't
help itself at all, or made an average addition depending on future position
changes. We're going with the average assessment in grading the position.
BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: About the only
true center ECU showed any interest in was Brandon Kennedy from Wetumpka,
AL. The Pirates offered the four-star prospect, but there never seemed to be
any serious consideration from Kennedy, who wound up signing with Alabama.
WHO'S BACK: Senior C.J. Struyk and junior
J.T. Boyd both have extensive playing experience at ECU. Struyk actually
started 11 of 13 games at center in 2013, but after battling back from a
shoulder injury appeared in just four games last season as the backup to
Taylor Hudson. Boyd started 11 of 13 games at right guard in 2014, but has
worked at center in the past. Hoping to enter the competition at center this
spring is sophomore Christian Matau and red-shirt freshman Erik Lenzen.
Matau's progress at ECU has been slowed by knee problems, but if the 6-3,
315-pounder can rebound enough to land a backup job it would be a big boost
to the Pirates' depth on the offensive line.
WHO'S GONE: Taylor Hudson started all 13
games at center in 2014 and earned first-team All-American Athletic
Conference honors. Hudson appeared in 39 games during his ECU career with 22
starts between the guard and center positions.
NEED FOR 2016: The Pirates have already
offered at least one pure center prospect in 6-2, 295-pound Keenan Murphy
from Crosby, TX. In addition to ECU, Murphy also has early offers on the
table from Colorado, Memphis and Texas Tech. Based on this offer, it looks
like the Pirates would like to take at least one center in the 2016 class.
GUARD > GRADE B
WHAT THEY NEEDED: Both starting guards
from 2014 and their backup will be returning, but two of those players will
be seniors next fall so signing at least one was the priority.
WHO SIGNED:
Darius
“Pancake'' Anderson was one of the top offensive line
prospects in Georgia at Mundy's Mill High School in Jonesboro. He was a
three-year starter at Mundy's Mill and earned all-metro, all-county and
all-region honors as a senior. Anderson committed to ECU over offers from
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Florida International, Georgia Southern,
James Madison, Middle Tennessee State, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern
Miss and Western Kentucky.
HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: Anderson's
nickname is self explanatory. He is a 6-3, 330-pound human bulldozer who
dominates in one-on-one situations. Best of all, he has a nasty attitude,
which sometimes takes time for young blockers to develop. After a red-shirt
freshman year, look for Anderson to quickly establish himself on the ECU
depth chart.
BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Leeward Brown from
Miramar, FL, was first committed to Miami. But after backing off that
pledge, Brown took a serious look at ECU, which had offered him right after
signing day in 2014. The 6-3 345-pounder listed the Pirates in his three
favorites along with Louisville and West Virginia in November. But as
signing day drew closer, that interest faded and he eventually signed with
Tulane.
WHO'S BACK: Junior J.T. Boyd, who was
mentioned above as a potential center starter, manned the right guard spot
most of the 2014 season and junior college transfer Quincy McKinney started
all 13 games on the left side. Tre Robertson, who'll be a senior in 2015,
was the backup for both guard spots and the starter at right tackle. Two
other guards who have seen plenty of action for ECU are senior Will Foxx
(eight games in 2014) and sophomore Larry Williams (13 games). Red-shirt
freshman Kyle Erickson will try to work himself into a backup role next
fall. Sophomore Christian Matau could also figure into the picture at guard.
WHO'S GONE: The Pirates didn't lose a
single player at the guard spots to graduation.
NEED FOR 2016: ECU will suffer some of
its biggest graduation losses at guard after the 2015 season with Foxx,
McKinney and Robertson completing their eligibility. Replacing at least two
of them in recruiting would seem essential, but the lack of early offers on
the table could be a sign the staff feels it has enough interchangeable
parts in the program to make do for now.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE > GRADE B+
WHAT THEY NEEDED: Tackle didn't seem to
be a major priority at the start, so signing one was about all that was
expected.
WHO SIGNED:
Justin Sandifer spent the last two
seasons helping protect ECU signee James Summers while he was playing
quarterback at Hinds Community College. The 6-5, 310-pounder earned
all-state and all-region honors as a sophomore at Hinds with SEC schools
like Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State in pursuit of his services. But
Sandifer wound up selecting the Pirates at the end of the process, due in
large part to the fatherly personality of head coach Ruffin McNeill. Another
late addition was
Dalton Montgomery from Corinth, TX,
who was recommended to the ECU staff by Oklahoma offensive line coach Bob
Bedenbaugh, who previously worked at Texas Tech. Montgomery was a two-time
all-district pick at Lake Dallas High School.
HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: The Pirates should
be able to plug Sandifer right into one the tackle spots, either as a
starter or second teamer. That will allow the Pirates the flexibility to
move Tre Robertson back to guard and J.T. Boyd to center, if needed. Either
way, Sandifer is one of those instant impact guys. Montgomery was No. 1
academically in his high school class and was recruited by several Ivy
League schools. So we know he's smart. But according to his prep coach,
Montgomery also has a “mean, nasty streak'' that should serve him well as
his body starts to fill out once he's in Greenville.
BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY:
Victor Johnson, from North Augusta,
SC, gave a verbal commitment to ECU in June after attending football camp in
Greenville. But by September he had decided to take back that pledge and
almost immediately committed to Appalachian State.
WHO'S BACK: Seniors Ike Harris and Dontae
Levingston manned the tackle spots for much of the 2014 season, while senior
Stewart Hinson (10 games) and Brandon Smith (5 games) worked in backup
roles. Harris, who has logged 25 starts over the last two seasons, should be
an all-star candidate in 2015. Red-shirt freshmen Des Barmore, Erik Lenzen,
Messiah Rice and Garrett McGhinn are other holdovers looking to make their
mark at tackle.
WHO'S GONE: Similar to the guard
position, the Pirates didn't lose any tackles to graduation.
NEED FOR 2016: Three tackles depart after
2015 – four if you include Tre Robertson – so this should be an area of
major focus for ECU. Two would seem to be the minimum number they'd attempt
to sign. Austin Hester, a 6-5, 305-pounder from Columbus, GA, is already on
ECU's radar. The Pirates have offered along with Cincinnati so far.
SUMMARY > GRADE A
I'm really not sure if East Carolina
could have done much better with the Class of 2015 when it comes to
offensive talent. The running back and receiver groups are as good as they
come, and the Pirates met every pressing need. As a result, the overall
offensive grade for the recruiting Class of 2015 is a major A.
E-mail Sammy Batten
PAGE UPDATED
02/10/15 04:13 PM.
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