One look was all it took to sell Detric Allen on playing for the East Carolina Pirates.

Allen is one of North Carolina's top college prospects for 2010 at South Stanly High School. South Stanly is in the town of Norwood, located in the southern Piedmont area of the state and only a few hours drive West of Greenville.

Despite the drivable distance, the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder had never laid eyes on The Emerald City until the final week of July.

What he saw on an unofficial visit to Greenville and the ECU campus was a revelation to Allen.

“I was surprised what I saw and I heard,'' Allen said. “I wasn't expecting a stadium that big or the weight room to be as big as it was. I didn't know the campus was that big either. The community overall was great and I just felt like I fit in down there.''

The feeling was so strong that Allen decided to make a verbal commitment on July 28 that gives the Pirates their highest rated prospect yet for the recruiting Class of 2010.

Both Rivals.com and Scout.com have awarded Allen three stars and Scout has him rated the nation's No. 68 safety prospect. East Carolina was one of the first schools to extend a scholarship offer to Allen back in March, and had to beat out the likes of Arkansas, Duke, Louisville, Virginia and Wake Forest.

“East Carolina was one of the first ones to recognize my talent and give me a chance,'' Allen said. “I didn't really want to go out of state to play, so that was a factor.''

Allen is a multi-talented athlete who has played a variety of positions at South Stanly since being promoted to the varsity during his freshman year. He started at safety the remainder of the season after being pulled up to the varsity, then became a starter at both safety and quarterback as a sophomore.

Recruiters began to notice Allen after he completed 109 of 187 passes for 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore. He also rushed 51 times for 623 yards.

Allen was well on his way to repeating those statistics at quarterback last season. He completed 79 of 119 passes for 1,109 yards and 11 touchdowns (rushed 68 times for 712) before being slowed by an ankle injury that led South Stanly coach Luke Little to insert Desmond “Desi'' Brown in at quarterback.

Brown, who committed to ECU in late June, remained at quarterback when Allen recovered. Allen promptly moved to wide receiver where he caught 14 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns.

East Carolina has recruited Allen as a cornerback, but he's also capable of playing receiver, according to Little.

“He only played half a season for us at wide receiver last year, but he's really taken off this summer at that position,'' Little said. “I wouldn't be surprised if they (ECU) ended up trying him at both, and play him at whichever one they need him at.

“He'll be our slot guy this year. He'll get six or seven carries a ballgame along with his receiving.''

Allen's football career got started in the area youth leagues where he played alongside his cousin, Terry Shankle. Shankle was one of the state's top-ranked defensive back prospects in 2009 at South Stanly and entertained offers from the likes of Clemson, Florida and Tennessee before signing with North Carolina in February.

“We played on the same teams every year growing up,'' Allen said. “Terry was mostly a receiver and changed when he got to high school. I was a running back when I was younger. We were always competitive with one another and I think we pushed each other to be better.''

Allen said he's also been challenged by his current teammate, Brown. But when it came time to make his college decision, Allen wasn't affected by Brown's pledge.

“I talk to Desi a lot, but I didn't really talk to him much about my decision,'' he said. “I talked to my family mostly about where I wanted to go.''

Both Allen and Brown are excellent students, too. Allen carries a 3.8 grade point average and has already scored over 1,000 on the SAT, according to Little.

Allen has done so well in high school academically that he'll complete his degree requirements in December. He hopes to graduate early and enroll at ECU in January 2010.

“I'm really thinking about going to college early,'' he said. “I want to major in business management, and I could get a head start on that and my football career.''