East Carolina Pirate Football Recruiting News: Class of 2004 Verbal Commitments

Last updated 02.15.04 with the late addition of DE/LB Wes Hofacker.

Zack Baker (6-2, 205), FS, Pima College, Tucson, Ariz. ... Has electronically-timed 4.5 second speed for 40 yards, according to Storm coach Jeff Scurran, which translates into roughly 4.3 seconds hand-timed. ... Pima went 6-5 in its third season under Scurran, who previously coached at Sabino High in Tucson, one of the area’s premier prep programs. ... Baker played at Sabino and is regarded as a hard-hitter who can help the Pirates immediately.

Steve Belford (6-4, 255), DE, Lake Worth High, Lake Worth, Fla. ... Committed Jan. 9. ... Coached by Lamar Landing. ... Regarded as a good pass rusher with excellent quickness and speed. ... Also considered an effective run stopper. ... All Palm Beach County. ... Trojans, which play on the 6-A level, were 3-8 in 2003. ... Belford won the team leadership award and was nominated for Prep Stars All American. ... Chose the Pirates over Central Florida and Central Michigan. ... Started as a junior. ... 4.7 seconds/40yards. ... Bench presses 330 pounds. ... Has frame to add weight and possibly move inside to defensive tackle. ... Turned 17 years old during 2003 football season. ... Had 78 tackles in 2003, including 18 for losses.

Pierre Bell (6-2, 205), RB/FS, West Craven High, Vanceboro, N.C. ... Shrine Bowl selection committed to ECU on Dec. 10 after receiving recruiting interest from North Carolina, N.C. State and Wake Forest. ... Chose the Pirates because he wanted to stay close to home and was attracted by the opportunity to play early in his college career. ... Ran for 1,642 yards and scored 17 touchdowns as a senior for a 13-2 team that reached the Eastern 3-A final. ... 5 interceptions on defense in 2003. ... Coached by Clay Jordan. ... 4.6 seconds/40 yards, 270 pounds/bench press ... Recruited by Jerry McManus of the ECU staff.

Quentin Cotton (6-4, 220) LB, Glenn High, Kernersville, N.C. ... Played one season for the 3-A Bobcats as a senior after transferring from High Points Andrews and led a 9-4 team in tackles with 120. ... Cotton had offers from Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, N.C. State, South Carolina and Wake Forest but may not qualify academically as a freshman. ... Also plays for the Glenn basketball team. ... Had a key late-game interception in North Carolina’s 21-12 Shrine Bowl win. ... Will play in the East-West All-Star game in Greensboro in July. ... Runs 40 yards in 4.65 seconds, according to Glenn coach Charles Cline. ... Received All Conference and All Northwestern North Carolina honors.

Zach Davis (6-4, 250), C, Trinity Christian, Jacksonville, Fla. ... 4.9-second speed for 40 yards. ... Committed to the Pirates in the summer of 2003 after considering Central Florida, South Florida and Vanderbilt. ... Rated at the lower end of spectrum as a Division I-A prospect by rivals.com. ... Son of former major league pitcher Storm Davis.

Davon Drew (6-4, 215), QB, New Bern High, New Bern, N.C. ... Led the Bears to the NCHSAA 4-AA final against Charlotte Independence in 2002 and 2003. ... Officially committed to the Pirates on Jan. 12 after receiving recruiting attention from Clemson and Maryland. ... Coached by former ECU player Chip Williams on the prep level. ... Completed 99 of 183 passing attempts as a senior for 1,709 yards and 20 touchdowns. ... Ran 101 times for 500 yards and 8 TDs in New Bern’s 14-2 season in 2003.

Jamar Flournoy (6-0, 220), S, Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College ... Had 102 tackles last season to finish fourth in the Jayhawk Conference. ... CollegeFootballNews.com rated Flournoy the fifth best junior college safety. ... Rated as the No. 66 prospect overall in the junior college ranks. ... A native of Valley, Alabama, Flournoy was largelt recruited by ECU defensive line coach Art Kaufman. He committed initially to Troy State. ... Former ECU coach Steve Logan once directed the Hutchinson program. ... May play linebacker for the Pirates.

Josh Grier (6-3, 315) DL, Atlantic High, Daytona Beach, Fla. ... Played several interior positions within team’s 8-man front and was second on the team in tackles with 78. He also registered three quarterback sacks, 12 tackles for losses, two fumble recoveries and blocked four passes. ... Coached by Skip Saunier. ... Occasionally lined up at tight end or fullback on offense. ... Runs 40 yards in 4.9 seconds. ... Also recruited by Central Florida, Eastern Kentucky and Bethune-Cookman. ... Made the Volusia County All Star team and was selected to play in the Central Florida All Star game in Orlando. ... Visited ECU the weekend of Jan. 17. ... His high school coach said Grier is on track to qualify academically.

Sean Harmon (6-3, 264), TE, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M ... Had 15 catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns for a 10-2 team in 2003 as the Norsemen repeated as conference champions. ... Harmon was signed by Oklahoma State out of high school at Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe. ... Grabbed 42 passes for 636 yards and six scores as a senior at Santa Fe. ... May be utilized more for his blocking at ECU. ... Bench presses 365 pounds.

Fred Hicks (5-11, 275), DG, Armwood High, Seffner, Fla. ... Had 105 tackles, 11 sacks and two fumble recoveries for touchdowns in helping his team to the Class 4-A state championship as a senior. ... Led the Hawks’ defensive front in tackles. ... Coached by Sean Callahan. ... Team finished 15-0 in 2003. ... Armwood is located outside of Tampa. ... Made first team all state on the 4-A level. ... Wanted to go out of state to school despite recruiting pressure from South Florida and liked the ECU setting. ... Also recruited by Louisville and Ball State.

Demetrius Hodges (5-10, 190), DB, Georgia Military College, Milledgeville, Ga. ... From the same program that produced former ECU receivers Keith Stokes and Derrick Collier as well as ex-Pirates noseguard Ronald Pou. ... Hodges is from Jupiter, Fla., and was coached by Bert Williams at Georgia Military. ... Regarded as a solid coverage defender in a system that played a lot of man-to-man. ... Physical enough for stops in run support. ... Expected to contribute as a junior for the Pirates in 2004. ... Team was 8-3 in 2003. ... Not as electrifying as Stokes as a returner but solid in that phase.

Wes Hofacker (6-2, 235), DE, Allen High, Allen, Texas. ... A late addition to the 2004 class after initially making a verbal commitment to Northeastern. ... Hofacker changed his mind after being recruited by Pirates defensive line coach Art Kaufman and making a campus visit. ... Projects as a linebacker at ECU. ... Despite missing a portion of his senior season for knee surgery, Hofacker had 60 tackles, six sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery for a 13-2 Eagles team which reached the state semifinals in the 5-A Division II playoffs. ... Allen High, about 30 miles north of Dallas, has an enrollment of over 4,000. ... Played varsity for three years and made first team all district as a senior. ... Runs a 4.7-second/40 yards and bench presses 300 pounds. ... Allen head coach is Joe Martin and defensive coordinator is Terry Gambill.

Chris Johnson (5-11, 175), RB, Olympia High, Orlando, Fla. ... Has run an electronically-timed 10.62-second 100 meters. “He’s a legitimate 4.4 for 40 yards,” said Olympia coach Mike Culligan, who sent offensive lineman Jeff Bumgarner to the ECU program from Olympia last year. ... Johnson missed all but his team’s last four games his senior season because of a fractured fibula but still managed to score eight touchdowns. ... He ran for over 1,000 yards as a junior. ... An Orange County All Star selection. ... Recruited by ECU defensive coordinator Jerry Odom. ... Titans went 7-3 this season on the 6-A level. ...
Johnson power cleans 265 pounds and bench presses 315. ... Strong test score will enhance potential for academic eligibility next season. ...
Also recruited by Connecticut and South Florida.

D'Mario Kelly (5-10, 205), SS, Norcross High, Norcross, Ga. ... Was defensive back of the year in Gwinnett County, which has 17 high schools. ... Made the North Georgia All Star team, playing three different positions in the North-South game. He started at strong safety, also played cornerback, and was used as an outside linebacker in passing situations. ... Was all county as a junior and senior. ... Played mostly defense for the Blue Devils, who were 5-5, but also saw some duty at tailback on offense. ... 4.4 seconds/40 yards. ... bench presses 300 pounds, squats over 500 and power cleans 275. ... Team played on the 5-A level, the largest class in Georgia and is located in the metro-Atlanta area. ... Coached by Keith Maloof, who called him “the hardest hitter on the team and a great open field tackler.” ... Also recruited by Clemson and Louisville. ... Visited ECU the weekend of Jan. 10. ... During his senior season, Kelly had 83 tackles, nine hits behind the line of scrimmage, three sacks, four fumble recoveries, four fumbles caused and two interceptions, one of which he returned 89 yards for a touchdown. ... As a tailback, Kelly ran 58 times for 405 yards and six touchdowns during his senior year. ... A 3-year starter in high school.

Durwin Lamb (6-2, 235), DE, Monsignor Pace High, Miami, Fla. ... First team all state. ... Coached by Joe Zaccheo. ... Team defeated Jacksonville Bolles 21-17 at Florida Field in Gainesville, Fla., in the state 3-A final. ... Big, strong and aggressive with the potential to add size and strength in college. ... Schools who pursued him included Tulane, Central Florida, Western Michigan and Florida Atlantic. ... Bench presses 290 pounds and does 40 yards in 4.6 seconds.

Shawn Levesque (6-4, 245), TE, Kilgore College, Kilgore, Tex. ... Second junior college tight end to sign with the Pirates, accepting a grant offer on Dec. 30. ... Rangers were 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the Southwest Junior College Conference, losing 21-7 in the playoffs to a Tyler Junior College team that Kilgore had beaten twice in the regular season. ... Hails from League City. Tex. ... Capable receiver with blocking skills Pirates have been looking for. ... Coached by Jim Rieves at Kilgore. Rangers tight end coach is Scott Chism.

J.J. Millbrook (5-11, 185), DB, Monsignor Pace High, Miami, Fla. ... Called “the steal of the century” by Coach Joe Zaccheo. ... Had a 93-yard punt return for a score and a 91-yard touchdown reception in the state final, a 21-17 win over Jacksonville Bolles for the 3-A championship on Dec. 13. ... Zaccheo said Millbrook is ahead of Maurice Sikes, a former Pace player who started at strong safety for the Miami Hurricanes, at the same stage. ... 4.47 seconds/40 yards. ... 260 pounds/bench press. ... played corner, strong safety, wide receiver and returner during his prep career. ... Played on a state champion basketball team as a junior.

Patrick Pinkney (6-1, 190), QB, Pine Forest High School, Fayetteville, N.C. ... Son of Reggie Pinkney, ECU defensive back 1974-76. ... Four-year starter for the Trojans, who are coached by Dean Saffos. ... Led his team to the third round of the NCHSAA 4-AA playoffs as a senior with wins over Raleigh Millbrook and Raleigh Broughton. ... A dual threat to pass or run. ... Passed for 1,692 yards with 11 touchdowns in 2003 with 1,130 yards and 17 TDs rushing. ... Committed during a visit on Jan. 10, 2004. ... Being recruited as a quarterback. ... Runs 40 yards in 4.6 seconds. ... Bench presses 285 pounds.

Joel Renaud (6-7, 325), OT, Reedley College, Reedley, Cal. ... Originally from Pompano Beach, Fla. ... A part-time starter in 2002 when he helped Reedley to a 12-0 record and recognition as national champions in the junior college poll. ... Said miscommunication with the Tigers coaching staff caused him to miss playing the 2003 season but that means he has three seasons of eligibility at ECU. ... Plans to enroll at ECU for spring semester of 2004 and said he was in good academic standing at Reedley. ... Liked coaches and the prospect of early playing time when he visited campus on the weekend of Dec. 13. ... Has a max of 335 pounds in the bench press and ran 40 yards in 5.2 seconds in the spring of 2002.

Tony Richardson (6-1, 205), LB, Washington County High, Sandersville, Ga. ... Received offers from Louisville and Middle Tennessee. ... Runs 40 yards/4.5 seconds. ... The Golden Hawks, coached by Rick Tomberlin, were 12-2 in 2003 with a loss in the state semifinals in the Georgia Dome to the eventual state champions. ... Had 59 individual tackles and six sacks as a senior. ... Ran the ball 26 times for 143 yards and 3 touchdowns on offense. ... Program has produced 58 college signees over the last 11 seasons. ... Washington County is the alma mater of three current NFL players.

Ted Riley (6-1, 190), DB, American Heritage High, Boca Del Ray, Fla. ... Called the “Wild card” by Coach Sam Bryant because of his explosiveness. ... Eastern Michigan, Florida Atlantic and Southern Illinois were among the programs recruiting Riley. ... Ran 33 times for 344 yards and 5 TDs for a 1-A team that went 13-1, reaching the third round of the playoffs in 2003. ... Ran a 4.48-second/40 yards at Nike camp. ... Bench presses 265 pounds. ... Returned two punts and three kickoffs for touchdowns as a senior. ... Projects as a defensive back for ECU. ... Had two interceptions in 2003 season.

Mark Robinson (6-4, 230), TE/DE, Lyman High, Longwood, Fla. ... Projects on the defensive side for the Pirates. ... Had 60 tackles, four forced fumbles, one interception returned for a touchdown and 10 sacks as the Greyhounds made the state playoffs for the first time since 1982. ... Made All Seminole County. ... Was second team All Central Florida as selected by the Orlando Sentinel. ... Coached by Bill Caughell. ... Team plays in District 5 on 5-A level.

Richie Santos (6-6, 290) OL, Deltona High, Daytona Beach, Fla. ... First-year Deltona coach Marc Lippens said Santos didn’t get a lot of exposure on an 0-10 team on the 5-A level but is “an outstanding football player, very agile with great feet — just what you want in an offensive lineman on that (Division I-A) level.” ... Was initially recruited by new ECU offensive line coach Robert McFarland to Central Florida when McFarland was on the Knights staff. ... South Florida, Connecticut and Syracuse also had interest but had not made offers when Santos committed on Jan. 20 after a campus visit on the weekend of Jan. 17. ... 5.1 seconds/ 40 yards. ... Bench presses over 300 pounds, squats around 400 and power cleans 335. ... Played in Central Florida All Star game in Orlando.

Chris Sellars, (6-4, 305) OL, New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell, N.M. ... Played his high school ball in Newport News, Va. at Woodside High. ... Sellers will join the Pirates as a junior with a potential redshirt year remaining. ... Played tackle and tight end for an option-oriented offense at NMMI. ... Team went 5-6 in 2003. ... “For a big man, he’s a great athlete,” said New Mexico Military Institute coach John O’Mera. ... 5.0 seconds/40 yards. ... Bench presses 375 pounds. ... Also recruited by Middle Tennessee State and the University of New Mexico. ... Visited ECU the weekend of Jan. 10. Player host was tight end James Myrick of Virginia Beach. ... Defensive line coach Art Kaufman was instrumental in his recruitment. ... “Getting back close to home and the players and coaches” were factors cited in his college choice. ... Will enroll in August. ... Father, Lorenzo, was in the Army. ... Chris Sellers was born in Germany and later moved to Virginia. ... Called a win over Dixie State in 2003 his biggest junior college thrill.

Zach Slate (6-5, 210), DE, Melbourne High, Melbourne, Fla. ... Bench presses 325 pounds, squats 405 and can dead lift 450. ... He runs 40 yards in 4.7 seconds. ... Has the frame to add more weight. ... Among the schools showing interest were Air Force, Ole Miss, Youngstown State, Syracuse, Tennessee and Florida. ... Has good swim and rip moves, according to Bulldogs coach Ajay Ulmer. ... Strong on containment. ...
Named All Central Florida. ... Should have no problem qualifying with a
3.2 grade point average and a 930 SAT score. ... His routine included 30 minutes nightly preparing for the vocabulary portion of the SAT.

Stacy Walls (5-9, 175), DB, Washington County High, Sandersville, Ga. ... Regional 100 meter champion last year and fourth in the state with a best time of 10.6 seconds as a junior. ... 4.4 seconds/40 yards. ... Speed translated well in Coach Rick Tomberlin’s football program as he performed well on both sides of the ball in 2003. ... 42 tackles with two interceptions on defense, returning one pick for a score. ... Had 127 carries for 1,201 yards and 16 TDs on offense as an I back. ... Had three punt returns for scores. ... Brigham Young, Middle Tennessee and Central Michigan recruited Walls.

Paul Walsh (6-5, 300), OL, North Florida Christian, Tallahassee ... A late addition to the 2004 class who was apparently waiting on an offer from Florida which never came. ... Graded out at 91 percent on 2003 blocking assignments and had an incredible 128 knockdown blocks, according to ecupirates.com ... PrepStar recruiting evaluators rated him among the top 100 players in talent-rich Florida. ... First team all state in the 1-A class in voting by Florida sports writers. ... Bench presses 340 pounds.

Jarret Wiggins (6-4, 215), DE, Camden High, Camden, S.C. ... Was a part-time starter on a state 3-A champion Bulldogs team as a sophomore. ... Team was state runner-up his junior year. ... Coach Jimmy Neal’s program was 9-4 in 2003. ... Faced mostly run-oriented offenses but has the ability to become an effective pass rusher with 4.9 second speed for 40 yards. ... Bench presses 290 pounds. ... Received offers from Vanderbilt and Duke before the Blue Devils changed coaches. ... Former ECU offensive coordinator Rick Stockstill began recruiting Wiggins last spring. ... An All Region selection. ... Visited ECU the weekend of Jan. 10.

Mike Williams (6-3, 287), OL, Boone High, Orlando, Fla. ... From the same program that produced ECU punter Ryan Dougherty. ... Committed early and appears set on joining the Pirates although other programs have continued interest. ... 2003 team was 9-1 and won the Metro Conference and district championship. ... Played in an I formation offense for Coach Phil Ziglar. ... “He’s a good run blocker with good feet,” Ziglar said. “He’s a good pass blocker, too. Everybody seemed to like the way he did things. He’s real aggressive.” ... Selected to play in a central Florida all-star game on Dec. 13. ... Candidate for the Georgia-Florida All-Star clash. ... ECU defensive coordinator Jerry Odom secured an early commitment. ... Williams knew Dougherty and liked the prospect of making an early impact with the Pirates.

Travis Williams (5-11, 175), DB, Atlantic High, Daytona Beach, Fla. ... Team went 7-3 on the 3-A level in 2003. ... Caught a lot of attention with a 4.3-second clocking at the Nike camp at Florida State. ... “I don’t know about 4.3, that’s flying,” said Atlantic coach Skip Saunier. “He can run. I would say he’s a legitimate 4.4.” ... Was selected to the Volusia County All Star team and the Central Florida All Star game in Orlando. ... Projects as a defensive back for the Pirates but his speed helped him produce 856 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns as a tailback his senior season. Williams also had 23 catches for 317 yards. ... His defensive totals included 46 tackles, four interceptions, one kickoff returned for a touchdown and one punt return for a score. ... Other programs recruiting Williams included Connecticut, Georgia Southern, Youngstown State and Bethune Cookman. ... On track to qualify academically, according to Saunier.

THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS COMMITTED TO EAST CAROLINA AT VARIOUS POINTS DURING THE RECRUITING PROCESS BUT HAVE SINCE WITHDRAWN THEIR PLEDGES OR OTHERWISE CHANGED THEIR PLANS:

Antonio Miller (6-2, 195), QB, Olympic High, Charlotte, N.C. ... Committed to ECU in July after being recruited by Kansas State, Maryland, Marshall, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. ... 4.5 seconds/40 yards, 225 pounds/bench press, 400 pounds/squat, 39 inch/vertical jump ... Has shown running and throwing ability as a 3-year starter and is rated No. 13 prospect in the state by rivals.com ... Chosen for Shrine Bowl. ... Completed 57 percent of his passes as a junior for 2,610 yards and 16 touchdowns. Also ran for 864 yards and eight TDs in earning team MVP honors. ... Trojans made the NCHSAA 4-A playoffs in 2003 despite a 4-6 record and were seeded No. 15 in the Western bracket, losing to A.C. Reynolds of Asheville in the first round. ... Miller is an honor roll student. [Did not sign with ECU on signing day and apparently has reopened the recruiting process.]

Willie Metcalf (6-7, 260), TE, Pima College, Tucson, Ariz. ... Played basketball at two junior colleges before arrriving at Pima where he was regarded as a big-time blocker by coach Jeff Scurran. ... Dayton, Ohio product originally signed with Ohio State and spent two weeks in Buckeyes’ preseason camp before he was ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA clearinghouse. ... Has one year of eligibility at ECU but is expected to immediately bolster the tight end spot. [Did not sign with ECU on signing day because of issues said to be related to the arrival of his junior college academic transcripts one day too late for spring semester registration.]

Brian Smith (6-5, 325), OT, Holmes Community College, Goodman, Miss. ... Mobile, Ala. product made a campus visit to ECU on the weekend of Dec. 13. ... Coached by Hugh Shurden who said Smith has developed his skills in two seasons with the Bulldogs but whose best football is likely ahead of him. ... Rated as a solid run blocker and pass protector. ... Helped Holmes to a 9-2 record in 2002 and the Mississippi junior college state championship. ... The Bulldogs slipped to 3-6 in 2003 but Smith was picked for a state junior college all star game in Booneville on Dec. 6. ... He has three years to play two seasons for the Pirates. [Did not sign with ECU on signing day.]

Sean Walker (5-11, 150), WR, Jefferson County High, Louisville, Ga. ... Runs a 4.41-second/40 yards. ... Received recruiting attention from Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Middle Tennessee after catching 27 passes for 510 yards and 5 TDs as a junior. Had two interceptions in 2002. ... Also plays golf and basketball as well as participating in track. ... Projected to qualify academically. ... Coached by J.B. Arnold. [Committed to Vanderbilt.]

Jonathan Warren (6-1, 190), S, Madison County High, Madison, Fla. ... May be the softest of ECU’s first wave of commitments. ... Cowboys coach Frankie Carroll confirmed that ECU offensive coordinator Rick Stockstill said it was likely Pirates would offer a scholarship but said Florida, Florida State, Arizona, Iowa State, Michigan State, Auburn and Tennessee were still in the picture. ... Team took a 12-0-1 record into the 2-A state final in Gainesville on Dec. 12. ... Had 15 interceptions as a sophomore. Hasn’t had as many since then because teams stopped throwing in his vicinity. ... Led team in tackles as a junior. ... Had roughly 500 yards rushing with 10 TDs as a senior. Also, 85 tackles, five sacks and four picks. ... Projects as an academic qualifier. ... Scheduled to visit ECU on Jan. 9. [Committed to Florida State.]