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Influx of new mates hops
aboard new-look Pirate ship
Bonesville.net Staff Report
�2004 Bonesville.net
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There were some eleventh hour surprises as East Carolina unveiled a
28-player football signing class at the Murphy Center on Wednesday.
The NCAA limit is 25 signees per class each year but two junior college
players already enrolled will count toward last year's total, and not all of
the signees announced on Wednesday are likely to qualify academically.
Charlotte Olympic quarterback Antonio Miller, a 3-star prospect according to
Rivals.com, did not sign with the Pirates. Miller, who was recruited by Rick
Stockstill who has joined the staff at South Carolina, is apparently
undecided and plans to continue his recruiting process. Miller backed up ECU
signee Davon Drew of New Bern in North Carolina's Shrine Bowl victory.
Also missing was tight end Willie Metcalf of Puma College in Tucson, Ariz.,
whose absence apparently relates to academic issues. Offensive lineman Brian
Smith of Holmes Community College in Goodman, Miss., also did not sign.
The Pirates added two junior college players and offensive lineman Paul
Walsh of Tallahassee North Florida Christian late in the first full
recruiting effort for coach John Thompson's staff. The 2003 signing class
was assembled after Thompson took the ECU job on Dec. 20, 2002.
Linebacker Jamar Flournoy of Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College and tight
end Sean Harmon of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M brought the number of junior
college players signed by the Pirates to seven.
"Obviously we're excited," Thompson said. "This is the culmination of the
hardest working staff I've ever seen. We obviously addressed some needs on
the offensive and defensive fronts and we signed seven defensive backs.
"We feel we got some junior college players who can step in."
Many of the signees came from successful programs and may help the Pirates
develop a winning attitude after a 1-11 season in 2003. The prospect of
early playing time in a struggling program was an incentive for many ECU
prospects.
With the arrival of a large, ambitious recruiting class and a new offensive
coordinator, Noah Brindise, who will be allowed to install a new system, the
Pirates could look much different in 2004.
The
geography has certainly changed for the Pirates
with 16 of the 28 players signed originally coming from the Sunshine State
of Florida. ECU will only bring in three in-state signees.
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02/23/2007 01:24:54 PM
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