A player current East Carolina offensive lineman Peyton Reeder took under his wing two years ago is now poised to become a Pirate himself.

During Reeder’s senior season at Metrolina Christian Academy in Indian Trail, NC, sophomore defensive lineman Preston Broadway was asked a week before the season opener to move to offensive guard to replace an injured starter. Broadway took over the guard position next to Reeder, the team’s left tackle.

“We tried to coach him up as much in practice as possible,” Metrolina head coach Thomas Langley said of Broadway. “But Peyton did a great job of teaching him everything he knew. I definitely think Preston would say Peyton had a big impact on him moving forward as an offensive lineman.”

And as a major college prospect.

Broadway, a 6-foot-3, 280-pounder, became part of a big month in recruiting for the Class of 2026 when he made a verbal commitment to the Pirates on June 15. He was one of 11 prep prospects to make their pledge to ECU in June, including three other in-state recruits.

Four games into his senior season — and third as a starter — Metrolina Christian had gotten off to a disappointing 1-3 start against a challenging schedule. But Broadway has been a bright spot, playing both guard and tackle for the Warriors, according to Langley.

“His performance has been stellar,” Langley said. “I think he had 16 pancake blocks (against Covenant Day on Sept. 5). He’s just a guy who does not stop trying hard. Every play he’s physically trying to put somebody on their rear end, or on their back. He gives the effort it takes to do that every play.”

Broadway didn’t, however, develop into an offensive line mauler overnight. He came to Metrolina as a ninth grader in 2021 as a defensive lineman and spent that season on the school’s junior varsity. Broadway moved to the varsity as a sophomore in 2022, making 12 tackles in 10 games playing mostly at defensive end.

But despite Broadway’s production on the defensive side of the ball, Langley didn’t feel he was playing to his potential.

“It was just one of things you’re trying to figure out why he’s not better at it,” Langley said. “I don’t know if that makes sense. But he had the size – he was probably 6-2 or 6-3 by then and 230 or 240 pounds. You were like, ‘Man, he should be able to make plays.’ But it wasn’t computing technically. He was getting blown off the ball way too easy for someone who had that ability.”

Broadway would reclassify academically and play a second sophomore season for Langley in 2023. He would, again, begin preseason practice on the defensive line. But a week before the season opener at North Raleigh Christian Academy, an injury to the starter at left guard prompted a career-making transition for Broadway.

“We put him at left guard beside Peyton,” Langley said. “He really hadn’t done much O-line for us at that point. He ended up playing every snap that year on the O-line. You could really see it start to take over. Whatever wasn’t computing for the D-line started computing on the O-line. Obviously, he’s a very physical mature person, so it fit right in for him. It’s just taken off from there.”

With Reeder moving on to East Carolina in 2024, Broadway emerged as an all-star performer. He produced 85 pancake blocks and didn’t allow a sack all season to earn first-team All-Western Conference and N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association all-state honors. Broadway began the year with an astounding 24 pancake blocks in the opener against North Raleigh Christian.

In addition to his football prowess, Broadway is also a stellar wrestler. He compiled a 19-3 record as a junior and was the NCISAA runner-up in the 287-pound class.

“He is a really athletic guy for his size,” Langley said.

Athleticism runs in the Broadway family. Preston’s late father, Bill Broadway, was a basketball star at Charlotte Country Day School and earned a scholarship to play collegiately at The Citadel (1985-88). Younger brother, Rhett, is a promising defensive-offensive lineman at Providence High School in Charlotte (Class of 2029).

East Carolina’s recruitment of Peyton Reeder allowed the Pirates to get an early glimpse of Broadway. Their interest led to an invitation to the Pirates’ spring football game in 2023 and subsequent visits for games and other on-campus functions followed.

“As a young lineman, anyone who shows you interest strikes a chord,” Langley said. “He went up on a visit and then went to (ECU’s) camp that summer. That’s when the offensive line coach Matt Mattox) liked him enough to offer him a scholarship before his junior season. That’s how it started with him.”

Schools such as Charlotte and James Madison were also pursuing Broadway, but three days after his official visit to ECU on June 12 he offered his verbal commitment to the Pirates.

Now Broadway will reunite with his former mentor, Reeder, at East Carolina in the fall of 2026.

Langley said the Pirates are getting a blocker with similar skills to Reeder’s.

“I think the similarities would be the aggression,” Langley said. “Both were pretty athletic guys with good feet. Peyton kind of had a basketball background before he started playing football, so he has always moved well. I would say that about Preston too.

“Differences? I think Preston may be a little more athletic than Peyton was. And that’s not a knock on Peyton because at 6-3, 300 pounds he’s pretty athletic. But I think Preston may be a little more athletic, and at this point a little stronger, than Peyton was at a similar time.”

Although the Pirates haven’t been specific about what position Broadway will play, Langley believes he could handle any spot, including center.

“I think he’s athletic enough to play tackle, but I don’t know if he’s got the length they want at tackle,” he said. “But he would make a phenomenal center. He could play any of the positions, honestly.”

Broadway isn’t expected to be an early graduate from high school, so he’ll likely report to East Carolina next summer.