Between graduation and transfer portal losses, East Carolina’s interior offensive line group took some significant hits during the offseason.
But the Pirates are off to a fast start replenishing that unit, having already received verbal commitments from prep lineman Jonathan Stokes, from Randleman, NC, and Karson Jones, a transfer from the University of Houston.
ECU received the pledge from Jones on April 29, just days after making official visits to Greenville and Western Michigan. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder from Lubbock, TX, also weighed offers from Massachusetts, Old Dominion and Sam Houston State before settling on the Pirates.
Jones entered the portal on April 17 after spending two seasons at Houston, where he played in two games last season. He’s a former three-star prospect who had offers from Houston, Kansas, New Mexico, Stephen A. Austin, Texas Southern and Utah State out of high school.
With two more interior offensive lineman departing after spring practice — Qae’Shon Sapp has moved on to Southern Methodist and Kendarius Small is still looking for a new home — ECU still needs to make more roster additions. The Pirates currently have offers out to a reported 11 high school interior line prospects, although one of those, Tai Buster from Kannapolis, NC, has already committed to Auburn.
Here’s a brief look at the nine interior offensive line prospects who haven’t committed to other schools but have been offered scholarships by ECU. These offers are based on public reports or comments by the prospects themselves because the school cannot comment on scholarship offers.
GAVIN CRAWFORD, Good Counsel HS, Olney, MD (6-4, 285) – 247Sports.com has Crawford rated as a three-star prospect who as a junior played alongside incoming West Virginia freshman offensive guard Kyle Altuner. The Pirates began actively recruiting Crawford with an offer back in August 2023. He’s now garnered 20 offers, but he narrowed that list down to five schools in March — Duke, Florida, Maryland, Syracuse and West Virginia. Crawford has official visits scheduled with the Terrapins (June 14) and Mountaineers (May 31) as well as UCLA (May 17).
MICHAEL GIBBS, Hoggard HS, Wilmington, NC (6-4, 300) – A prep tackle, who can also play guard or center, Gibbs was named to the All-Mideastern 3-A/4-A Conference first team and third-team all-state as a junior. The Pirates jumped in early with an Oct. 5, 2023, offer to Gibbs, who promptly attended a Junior Day at ECU in late January. Since then he’s taken two unofficial visits to N.C. State and Penn State, and one each to Duke, South Florida and Virginia Tech.
JAYLEN GILCHRIST, Salem HS, Virginia Beach, VA (6-4, 290) – A four-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com, Gilchrist netted an ECU offer over a year ago on Jan. 18, 2023. But on April 12, 2024, he revealed the top seven contenders for his services that featured Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, Penn State, South Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech. He has official visits scheduled for South Carolina (May 31), Georgia (June 14) and Maryland (June 21).
KENNETH MCMANUS, St. John’s HS, Washington, DC (6-2, 290) – McManus was a first-team All Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and second-team All-DC MET pick as a junior at St. John’s. ECU offered McManus early in the cycle, back on April 27, 2023. But the Pirates haven’t yet been part of a busy spring visit schedule for McManus. He’s visited Marshall (Feb. 1), Pittsburgh (March 8), Temple (March 28) and Rutgers (April 20) on unofficial trips. Those schools, along with ECU, Akron, Boston College, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Duke, Howard, Maryland, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Temple, Toledo and USF, have offered.
TAKAYLEN MUEX, Duncan Fletcher HS, Neptune Beach, FL (6-4, 315) – “T.K.” earned all-First Coast honors from The Florida Times-Union as a junior. ECU jumped in with an offer to Muex in the middle of that campaign on Oct. 11, 2023. Appalachian State, Campbell, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Georgia Southern, Liberty, Louisville, Marshall, Syracuse, Tennessee Tech, Troy, Tulane, Central Florida and Western Kentucky have also offered. Muex has taken unofficial visits this spring to UCF (Feb. 4), FAU (March 23) and Syracuse (April 20).
KEVIN PEAY, Lancaster HS, Lancaster, SC (6-3, 305) – Peay was a first-team all-state 4-A pick as a junior. A three-star prospect, according to 247Sports.com, Peay holds scholarship offers from Duke, Charlotte, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Liberty, Marshall, Memphis, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Virginia Tech and Western Kentucky. ECU joined that group on Jan. 28, 2024, with an offer. Peay has set official visits with Georgia Tech (June 6-7), Purdue (June 11-13) and Pittsburgh (June 13-15).
ISSAC SOWELLS JR., Louisville Male HS, Louisville, KY (6-2, 295) – The son of former Indiana and NFL offensive guard Issac Sowells Sr., distinguished himself as a junior by earning first-team all-state honors. He’s accumulated more than 20 scholarship offers, including one from ECU on Oct. 15, 2023. Currently, Sowells Jr. has official visits set for South Carolina (May 31), Kentucky (June 7), N.C. State (June 14) and Miami (June 21).
ANDREW STARGEL, Roswell HS, Roswell, GA (6-4, 284) – Stargel has produced 102 knockdown blocks over the past two seasons as a starter at Roswell. As a junior, he had 71 of those to earn All-North Fulton honors from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, first-team all-region and honorable mention all-state 6A. ECU entered the pursuit of Stargel on Jan. 24, 2024, with an offer. But his focus, at this point, seems to be on UCF (official visit scheduled May 31), Pittsburgh (official set June 8) and Kentucky (official June 21).
NATHAN TVEIT, Oviedo HS, Oviedo, FL (6-3, 290) – Tveit will be a four-year varsity starter and three-year team captain by the time his senior season comes to a close. He earned All-Seminole Athletic Conference first-team honors as a junior for an Ovieda offense that averaged almost 40 points a game. East Carolina has been involved with Tveit since Jan. 26, 2023, when the Pirates extended a scholarship offer. Georgia Tech, Liberty, Maryland, N.C. A&T, Purdue and Texas A&M have also offered. Tveit has made unofficial stops at Georgia Tech, Maryland and Purdue this spring.
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