Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Or maybe it’s just a reflection of where
Skip Holtz’s priorities are for his first recruiting class at East
Carolina.
Either way, the Pirates continued to stock offensive talent
in their Class of 2005 this week by adding verbal commitments from Rocky
Mount quarterback
Terrell Hudgins as well as
running back Dominique Lindsay and wide receiver Kyle Johnson from
Charlotte.
The trio joined Florida quarterback
Rob Kass as four of the first
five players pledging to ECU since Holtz took over for John Thompson in
December. New Bern defensive back
Chris Mattocks is the fifth
member of that quartet.
The early emphasis on offensive talent, especially at quarterback,
has been out of necessity for Holtz because of the untimely exit of last
year’s starter
James Pinkney from ECU due to
academic problems.
Hudgins won’t be ready to compete for Pinkney’s spot next fall, but
he will bring some valuable athleticism and a penchant for helping his
teams win – in any sport.
As a junior, Hudgins was picked as the most valuable player on an 8-3
football team, for a basketball squad that won 20-plus games and for the
successful Gryphons’ baseball club. In his final prep season, Hudgins
sparked the football squad to an unbeaten regular season for the first
time in 40 years.
“I think that says quite a bit about him,’’ Rocky Mount football
coach B.W. Holt said. “He’s a winner, and I really think his best days
are ahead of him.’’
The 6-foot-2, 212-pounder has some pretty good days behind him on the
football field, too.
Hudgins served three seasons as Rocky Mount’s starting quarterback
and set school career records for passing yards (5,524), attempts (587),
completions (292) and touchdowns (61). He capped his career by throwing
for 1,687 yards and 22 touchdowns in leading the Gryphons into the third
round of the 4-A playoffs.
Despite those impressive statistics, major college recruiters paid
minimal interest to Hudgins before Holtz arrived at ECU. Elon
University, a I-AA program, had been the only school to offer Hudgins a
scholarship until his official visit to Greenville on Jan. 21. Patrick
Pinkney, a red-shirt freshman who may be the leading contender to start
at quarterback for the Pirates next fall, was Hudgins’ host for the
weekend.
“Coach Holtz said he thought I was a great athlete and that he wanted
me to come to ECU,’’ Hudgins said. “He asked me if I needed time to
think about it. I said, ‘Yes,’ but really I just wanted to tell my
mother first. So when we were walking out I told her I was going to
accept. I went back and told him I wanted to be a Pirate.’’
Hudgins describes himself as a quarterback “who makes people go
‘Wow!’’’
“I have a great arm, good speed and I just make great plays,’’
Hudgins said. “I make plays that when most people see them they don’t
have too many words to describe it except, ‘Wow!’’’
The departure of James Pinkney left ECU with only Patrick Pinkney and
red-shirt freshman Davon Drew as the only scholarship quarterbacks on
the roster. Like Kass, Hudgins expects to join that competition for the
starting job next fall.
But Holt said even if Hudgins doesn’t work out at quarterback, he’ll
still be an asset to the ECU program.
“I would think they’d probably look at him at quarterback,’’ Holt
said. “If I were a betting guy, I’d say he’ll probably be red-shirted,
and he needs to be.
“But there are a number of places he could play. He could be an
outside linebacker. He could be a wide receiver or a defensive back. He
could put on 45 pounds and be one heck of a tight end because he’s got
great hands.
“I’m sure he’d like to play quarterback, though. But more than
anything he wants to be on the field.’’
Lindsay was a major cog on the Independence High School team that
extended its national-best winning streak to 77 straight and won a fifth
consecutive state 4-A championship this season. He led a pass-oriented
Patriots team in rushing with 1,084 yards and 17 touchdowns on 121
carries.
The 5-101/2, 185-pounder broke into the Independence lineup as a
junior, producing 1,875 yards and 32 touchdowns while splitting time at
tailback.
“That’s pretty amazing considering our quarterback threw for over
4,000 yards each of those seasons,’’ Independence coach Bill Geiler
said.
Lindsay had also been mainly a I-AA or Division II target with
Appalachian State, James Madison, Eastern Kentucky, Catawba and Wingate
offering scholarships before the Pirates came calling.
“Most schools are trying to get the 6-1, 220-pound guys running
4.4s,’’ Geiler said. “That’s not Dominique. That’s not what he does. He
has great vision as a runner and can make very quick cuts. He is very
hard to tackle. I don’t think he’s been tackled one-on-one in two years.
“He’s 5-101/2, 185 pounds and his body fat is about one or two
percent. He’s just cut. But he’s not big. He doesn’t look like a big
running back.’’
Because Lindsay has played in a passing offense at Independence,
Geiler believes he'll fit perfectly into Holtz’s backfield at ECU.
“I think he felt like Coach Holtz is going to use him the way we
liked to in our offense,’’ Geiler said. “We run a one-back set and throw
to him some. He catches the ball real well, and he blocks well.’’
The Pirates also landed a quality receiver in Johnson, a 6-2,
185-pounder who played at Hopewell High in Charlotte.
Johnson played two seasons at Hopewell after moving with his family
from Minnesota. His father is a former chaplain for the Minnesota
Vikings football team and he served as spokesman for Reggie White’s
family after the NFL great’s death last month.
The younger Johnson distinguished himself as a senior at Hopewell by
catching 42 passes for 720 yards and six touchdowns. He also produced
six interceptions playing defense.
“He passes the look test,’’ Hopewell coach Mike Bradley said. “He
looks like an athlete. He’s real fluid and runs well. He returned two
interceptions for touchdowns this season and he averaged about 10 or 15
yards running with the football.’’
Johnson fielded scholarship offers from Appalachian State, Richmond,
Western Carolina and Wingate, according to Bradley.
“He was lining up an official visit to North Carolina, but
cancelled,’’ Bradley said. “Everybody kind of started to learn about
Kyle after he ran a 4.38 at one of the Shrine Bowl combines last summer.
That speed gives him the ability to turn a 6-yard curl pattern into a
60-yard play. He has big-play potential.’’
