Football Recruiting Report Wednesday, February 10, 2016 By Sammy Batten

Recruiting report card: Defense

Pirates load up in secondary

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By Sammy Batten
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The American Athletic Conference featured three offenses ranked among the nation's top 18 in passing yardage in 2015. Five of the league's starting quarterbacks whose passing yardage was among the top 45 statistically are scheduled to be back next fall.

That's all the information new East Carolina coach Scottie Montgomery needed to determine the recruiting priority on defense when he assumed the task of completing the Pirates' recruiting efforts for the Class of 2016 in late December.

“We know in this league, the American Athletic Conference, you're going to have to defend the pass,'' Montgomery said last week on college football's national signing day. “We wanted to go out and get some defensive backs who had tremendous length, speed and size, and built into that an understanding of the game of football.''

Montgomery was able to meet ECU's needs in that area by convincing four players who had verbally committed to the previous coaching staff to honor their pledge, and by scoring a major recruiting coup of his own late in the process.

For a closer look at what Montgomery and his staff achieved on the defensive side, 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 recruiting Class of 2017. Please note that all class designations referred to below indicate the player's status for the 2016 season.

DEFENSIVE END → C+

WHAT THEY NEEDED: We don't really know yet exactly what kind of defensive alignment ECU's new coordinator Kenwick Thompson will run, whether it will be the 3-4 used by the previous staff or something different. Either way, three of current defensive ends on the roster will complete their eligibility after the 2017 season, which means the Pirates could have used two recruits in this class.

WHO SIGNED: Raequan Purvis from 1-A state champion Plymouth, NC, had been recruited by the previous staff as a linebacker, but was told he was only their “third'' option, according to his prep defensive coordinator Cory Crossen. When the new staff arrived, Crossen re-sent Purvis's highlight video to the Pirates and got an immediate response from Thompson. Purvis had solid credentials at Plymouth where he made 157 tackles, 40 tackles for loss and seven sacks en route to the state title. He chose ECU over offers from N.C. A&T and Norfolk State.

HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: The Pirates took a gamble on Purvis, but it was one worth the risk. He has excellent quickness for a jumbo athlete, is still growing and will likely have a burning desire to prove all those schools that didn't offer him wrong. Those attributes are a formula for success.

“Raequan was this kid who weighed 228 pounds last year, so everyone was evaluating him like a 6-2, 220-pound linebacker,'' Montgomery said about Purvis on signing day. “I sent Coach Thompson to see him. He took one step out of the school, called me and said, 'Coach, I think he's 265 pounds.' We put him on a scale when he came here and he was just under 270. He's a late bloomer who was passed over.''

BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: In-state prospects Nick Coe from Asheboro and Jimmie Taylor from Jacksonville were extended early scholarship offers from the Pirates. Both had a passing interest, but it never got far as Coe signed with Auburn and Taylor with Virginia Tech.

WHO'S BACK: Statistically speaking, senior Fred Presley is the top defensive lineman returning for the Pirates. Presley played in all 12 games last season, starting the final nine, and finished fourth in team tackles with 44 and seventh in tackles for loss with four.

Three others saw action at end and on special teams in 2015. Darius Commissiong had 10 tackles in 10 games, while junior Mike Myers made six tackles in seven outings. Both were third teamers on the defensive depth chart for the regular-season final against Cincinnati.

Sophomore Shaun James is a promising athlete who was limited to one game last season.

WHO'S GONE: Two of ECU's most experienced linemen and top team leaders completed their eligibility last season. Terrell Stanley made a miraculous comeback from a car accident that wiped out his junior season to record 41 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks for the Pirates in 2015. He played in all 12 games and started seven, while Johnathan White logged eight starts in 11 appearances. White ranked right behind Stanley with 35 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.

NEEDS FOR 2017: No matter what defensive alignment the new staff settles on, the need for defensive ends should be significant in the Class of 2017. Expect a large number of offers to be extended in this area with the target number being to sign at least three.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE → C+

WHAT THEY NEEDED: After going light on defensive tackles in 2014, East Carolina needed to start re-stocking the position with the '16 recruiting class with at least one new addition.

WHO SIGNED: Jalen Price from Riverside High in Williamston, NC, was one of the first players to make a pledge to ECU. The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder produced 174 tackles in three varsity seasons, including 94 as a senior. He earned a spot on the North Carolina squad that defeated South Carolina in the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas last December. Price picked the Pirates over offers from Elon and N.C. Central.

Defensive coordinator Kenwick Thompson was a prominent influence on adding 6-2, 290-pound Alex Turner from Houston, Texas, to the ECU recruiting class. Thompson had been recruiting Turner at Vanderbilt before moving to Greenville, but the Commodores didn't have a scholarship available. When Thompson joined the Pirates, he quickly reconnected with Turner, who despite an injury-plagued senior year at Jersey Village High, was a second-team All-District 17-6A pick. Eastern Kentucky, Lamar and Tennessee State were recruiting Turner, but as soon as Thompson extended an offer to ECU it was accepted.

HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: Price is a space eater with surprisingly good footwork for his size. Both Price and Turner are powerful young athletes who live in the weight room and have room to add even more bulk. Very much like Purvis at the end position, these are two players overlooked by many schools. They'll be driven to be the best they can be.

BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: The previous coaching staff had two promising defensive tackle prospects committed in Rondre Knowles-Tener from Lynchburg, VA, and Jamil Dukes of Mooresville, NC. Dukes was a major talent and considered a recruiting coup for the Pirates when he pledged in late November. But both Knowles-Tener and Dukes re-opened their recruitment when ECU dismissed head coach Ruffin McNeill in December. Knowles-Tener signed to play for James Madison, but Dukes remains without a team for the time being even though South Carolina offered after he stepped away from the Pirates. Could Montgomery and company be trying to sway Dukes back to the purple and gold? Stay tuned.

WHO'S BACK: Senior Demetri McGill has appeared in 31 games for the Pirates over the last three seasons and started 10 times last season. McGill made 38 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Junior Demage Bailey (18 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss) is the next most experienced tackle, but only saw his first significant action last season when he played in 10 games and started two.

When talent became thin up front last season, the Pirates pulled the redshirt off Justin Brown, who wound up making five tackles and a tackle for loss and five games.

NEEDS FOR 2017: Signing two defensive tackles in the '16 class eliminates this as a pressing need. But ECU will still pursue another big body or two this year at tackle, and actually already has a Class of 2017 prospect interested in 6-2, 267-pound Marcus Hawkins from Freedom High in Morganton, NC. Hawkins received his first offer from previous staff last May and the next staff is expected to follow up on that interest.

INSIDE LINEBACKER → C+

WHAT THEY NEEDED: The Pirates graduated a big one at inside linebacker in Zeek Bigger, a three-year starter and defensive leader. Bigger was the only loss after the 2015 season, but four others will need to be replaced after 2016. Signing two to start replenishing the supply would have been ideal.

WHO SIGNED: Aaron Ramseur is the latest from a Shelby, NC, football-playing family that already has seen four other brothers advance to the college level. The youngest Ramseur (6-1, 215) helped Crest High School to a 32-0 record and back-to-back state 3-AA championships. He did so by amassing 258 tackles, 11 sacks, six forced fumbles and two interceptions during those two seasons. Ramseur capped his prep career by earning defensive MVP honors for the North Carolina squad in the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas all-star game in December. That's when the Pirates jumped in with an offer to win him over from Charleston Southern and Toledo. Ramseur was the first player to give a verbal commitment to Montgomery after he took over at ECU.

“Aaron Ramseur is from Shelby, a place I know well,'' said Montgomery, who also grew up in Shelby and attended Burns High School. “This kid was the Shrine Bowl (defensive) MVP and that did not go unnoticed. When you're playing against the best talent in North Carolina and South Carolina, and you come out as the MVP, we took high notice of that.''

HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: A lot of other schools thought Ramseur was too small to play linebacker at the major-college level and not fast enough for safety. But Montgomery looked past those shortcomings and saw a guy who made plays and major contributions to a championship program. Montgomery decided to roll the dice on Ramseur in hopes he'll provide those same attributes for ECU. This is a guy who could redshirt next fall, but would be a valuable asset immediately on special teams. It'll be another year though until the Pirates really need his services at inside linebacker due to the number of upperclassmen with experience ahead of him.

BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: East Carolina extended an early offer to four-star Jaquan Yulee from Chesapeake, VA, and in July 2014 was mentioned among his favorites along with Clemson, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. But ECU had fallen from his list by the summer of 2015 and he eventually committed to Alabama. Yulee would back out of that pledge and ended up signing with Marshall.

WHO'S BACK: Despite Bigger's graduation, ECU may still have more experience at inside linebacker returning than any other position on the field. Three players who started at least once last season and five who played in at least 10 games are back.

Headlining the group is walk-on junior Jordan Williams, who ranked second on the team in tackles in his first year as a starter. Williams started 10 of 12 games at the “BUCK'' position where he recorded 81 tackles, six tackles for loss, made two sacks and an interception.

Knee problems limited senior Devaris Brunson for a second straight season in 2015. Brunson played sporadically because of knee issues, appearing in six games and starting twice. Effective when healthy, Brunson made 13 tackles and a sack.

Senior Cam White, another former walk-on, finished last season as Zeek Bigger's backup and played in all 12 games (one start) at the “MIKE'' linebacker position (27 tackles for loss, two sacks), while the No. 2 behind Williams at “BUCK'' was junior Ray Tillman. Tillman saw action in 10 games and made 16 tackles.

A fifth returning contributor inside will be senior Darius Wright, who made 10 tackles in 11 games after joining the Pirates from the junior college ranks.

Injuries have limited the playing time for senior Drayvon Fairley, but he, too, could be a factor for ECU if healthy. Sophomore walk-on Cole Pickard (five games, 1 tackle), sophomore Joe Carter and red-shirt freshman Tony Baird will also be looking to make their mark at linebacker or on special teams.

WHO'S GONE: Even though his performance seemed to drop off slightly as a senior, Zeek Bigger was a team leader and true force on defense for three seasons. Bigger produced 333 tackles (10th on ECU's career list), 14.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions while starting 34 games during that span.

NEEDS FOR 2017: The Pirates will graduate six inside linebackers over the next two years, so at least three of those need to be replaced in the 2017 class.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER → B-

WHAT THEY NEEDED: The Pirates signed four outside linebackers in the 2014-15 classes, so this shouldn't have been a big focus in 2016. But one of those four previously signed – Markel Winters – is no longer with the program. The early exit and the final year of eligibility for Montese Overton changed things and made a two-man class of outside linebackers more important.

WHO SIGNED: South Central High, located just outside Greenville in the town of Winterville, sent the Pirates a promising prospect for a second straight year in Kendall Futrell (6-2, 215). Futrell was The Greenville Daily Reflector's Defensive Player of Year as a senior after making 101 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and a county-best 12 sacks rotating between linebacker and defensive end. He'll rejoin former prep teammate Shawn Furlow, a sophomore running back, at ECU next fall.

Chance Purvis (6-4, 220) had similar success at Lamar School in Meridian MS, as a senior. He was credited with 107 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and six sacks for a defensive unit that gave up just an average of 12.9 points.

HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: Futrell's coach at South Central compared him favorably to departing ECU outside linebacker Montese Overton because of his speed and ability to produce big plays. Overton also starred at South Central before becoming a prominent member of the Pirates' defense.

Purvis is a taller, leaner athlete who could potentially grow into a defensive end. As a linebacker, he excels at rushing the quarterback and disrupting passing lanes.

BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Keion Joyner played just down the road from Greenville at Havelock High, where he was a consensus four-star prospect entering his senior year. But when Joyner was suddenly dismissed from his prep team early in his senior year many suitors backed off. It was rumored the Pirates might have a chance to land Joyner at that point, but the interest was only fleeting. He wound up signing with Florida State.

WHO’S BACK: Ex-walk on Joe Allely, a junior, returns at the “WILL’’ position where he started nine of 11 games last season. Allely’s backup, sophomore Yiannis Bowden, is also back after showing flashes of big-play potential in 11 games in 2015. Bowden, who made three starts, had 19 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception.

Senior Dayon Pratt made one start last season and finished the year as the backup at the “SAM’’ spot.

Also seeing action in 2015 at the outside positions were senior Reece Speight (12 games), junior Pat Green (12 games, 17 tackles) and junior Randall Anderson (3 games).

They’ll be joined in the competition for playing time this spring by redshirt freshman C.J. Maybin and returning sophomore Massaddiq Walton. Walton is a physical beast who was ineligible last fall, but has re-enrolled at ECU and is expected to participate in spring drills.

WHO’S GONE: Montese Overton really came into his own as a senior, registering 70 tackles overall and leading the Pirates in tackles for loss (10) and sacks (7.5). The performance earned him second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors.

NEEDS FOR 2017: Even with Pratt and Speight leaving after 2015, the Pirates will still be fairly deep at outside linebacker. But seeking out two more good ones in 2017 will maintain the class balance. A pair right in ECU’s backyard have already been offered — 6-1, 220 Sherrod Greene from Rocky Mount High and 6-4, 180 Da’Shaun Johnson from East Carteret.

SAFETY → B+

WHAT THEY NEEDED: Signing one safety was the target since the Pirates only lost free safety Domonique Lennon to graduation.

WHO SIGNED: Javontay Smith, a 6-foot, 180-pounder from Columbus, GA, may well be the jewel of this recruiting class. Smith made a verbal commitment to North Carolina back in November 2014, but due to some admissions issues wound up re-opening his recruitment last month. The Pirates took advantage to sign Smith, who also had offers from Kentucky, LSU, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.

Kenyon Taylor (6-2, 170), from High Point, NC, was a triple-threat athlete at South Guilford High School. He led the Storm in receiving, returned kicks and played in the secondary as a senior. Taylor could wind up playing cornerback for ECU, but because of his height we think he’ll morph into a safety.

HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: Smith is a free safety with extraordinary instincts and a nose for the football. ECU’s depth may lead to a redshirt next fall for Smith, but he could certainly contribute early as well, if the new staff thinks he’s needed.

Taylor will need some time to mature physically and learn the safety position after playing so many places in high school. But he has the potential to develop into a playmaker down the road.

BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: With the priority not high at safety, there really wasn’t another major target who gave the Pirates serious consideration. Myles Dorn from Charlotte, NC, and several other safeties were offered, but never even visited campus.

WHO’S BACK: Four players who saw action in at least half of ECU’s games in 2015 return, including three who started at various times.

Junior Travon Simmons started every game at free safety and finished fourth on the team with 45 tackles. Simmons should be an all-star candidate next fall.

Senior DaShawn Benton got the starting nod for the last six games of the year at strong safety where he made 28 tackles and two interceptions. He replaced senior Terrell Richardson, who made the first six starts and played in all 12 games.

Junior Xavier Smith (3 games) and junior walk-on Trevian Hicks (8 games) are other safeties who saw action on special teams.

A boost to the safety spots could be provided by sophomore Blake Norwood. Norwood had positioned himself for playing time in 2015 last spring, but a hip problem kept him off the field all year. He is expected to be ready to go for spring practice.

WHO’S GONE: Domonique Lennon was a regular contributor at safety for three seasons and was a starter for most of his junior season. Lennon shared the free safety duties with Travon Simmons last season when he made 27 tackles in 12 games.

NEEDS FOR 2017: The Pirates will take some big hits at safety after the 2015 season when Benton and Richardson graduate. Replacing at least one of those via recruiting should the goal.

CORNERBACK → B+

WHAT THEY NEEDED: The focus was on securing at least two very strong corner prospects since two prominent seniors have departed. But based on the play at corner last fall the Pirates could have used an influx of even more new talent.

WHO SIGNED: Three players who were dual-position athletes in high school make up ECU’s cornerback recruiting class.

Keyshawn Canady (6-0, 185) was a big-play running back and cornerback for two-time state 1-AA N.C. state champion Wallace-Rose Hill. Canaday was a ballhawk on defense, snaring 16 career interceptions.

As a wide receiver-cornerback at Asheboro, NC, High School, Emmanuel Jones (6-0, 175) set the school career record for receptions (99), while also making 10 interceptions on defense.

Colby Gore from Myrtle Beach, SC, initially signed with the Pirates in 2015. But Gore waited until January 2016 to enroll. The 5-11, 170-pounder played receiver, cornerback and returned kicks for North Myrtle Beach High as a senior in 2014. Gore produced 12 interceptions over his final two prep seasons.

HOW ECU HELPED ITSELF: Canady, Gore and Jones are all three explosive, big-play athletes with great potential at cornerback. But because they’ve been spread thin doing so many things for their high school teams, they’ll need time to perfect the fundamentals of playing cornerback at the college level. A year or two down the road this group could be special.

BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY: ECU was one of the first programs to offer Hinds Community College cornerback Charvarius Ward last July. But by November Ward had backed away from the Pirates in favor of Southern Miss. He didn’t stick with that pledge long either, eventually signing with Middle Tennessee State last week.

WHO'S BACK: One starter is scheduled to return in senior DeShaun Amos, who opened the last seven games of the 2015 season as the “Field'' cornerback. Amos has a wealth of experience, having played in 37 career games for the Pirates. But he could face a challenge this spring to hold onto his job from sophomore Corey Seargent. Seargeant was one of the few pleasant surprises on defense last season as a true freshman when he made 12 tackles and an interception in nine games as Amos's backup.

Of course, Seargent could be moved to the “Boundary'' corner to battle junior Bobby Fulp (12 games, 15 tackles, 1 interception) to replace departed starter Rocco Scarfone.

Junior Travis Phillips (4 games), junior walk-on Chris Love (4 games) and redshirt freshman Nhyre Quinerly are other cornerback candidates heading into spring practice.

WHO'S GONE: Josh Hawkins and Rocco Scarfone were both starters at various points of the 2015 season.

Hawkins made 27 starts throughout an up-and-down ECU career, including 10 last year. He earned a reputation for making big plays and big mistakes, the latter of which dropped him behind Amos and Seargent on the Field corner depth chart by the season finale against Cincinnati. Hawkins ranked sixth in team tackles wit 42 and picked off two passes as a senior and finished his career with nine total interceptions.

Scarfone cracked the starting lineup as a senior for the first time after spending most of his first three seasons playing on special teams. He finished with 31 tackles while making seven starts in 11 games.

NEEDS FOR 2017: You'll always take a quality cornerback prospect if you can find one, so ECU will likely sign one or two in the next cycle. But by taking three in the 2015 class the Pirates will have five corners on the roster next fall who are sophomores, redshirt freshmen or true freshmen.

OVERALL DEFENSIVE GRADE → B-

Montgomery and his staff had to take chances on several defensive signees who weren't sought after by a lot of other major college programs, but that's what was available when the new coaches really got to work in January. If those gambles pay off, especially with the defensive back recruits, this will vindicate that Montgomery's staff has a legitimate eye for talent.

OVERALL OFFENSE AND DEFENSE GRADE → B

It's hard to imagine any staff with the limited amount of recruiting time this one had could do any better. They held on to an important core of players committed to the previous staff, then added 11 of their own in a one-month period. Major needs were addressed in the secondary and on the offensive line. Overall, it's an impressive debut for the Montgomery era at East Carolina.

Direct Links: Offensive Report Card | Defensive Report Card

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