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Recruiting Wars: Offensive Line
By
Sammy Batten
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
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(NOTE: This is the
fourth in a position-by-position series where we look at high school or
junior college prospects East Carolina has offered scholarships to
already in the recruiting Class of 2016. This time we focus on the
offensive line recruits.)
East Carolina will suffer some of its
most significant personnel losses after next season on the offensive line,
and starting to fill those voids is a priority as the Pirates pursue the
recruiting Class of 2016.
Tackles Ike Harris, Stewart Hinson,
Dontae Levingston and Tre Robertson, guard Quincy McKinney and center
C.J. Struyk are all scheduled to complete their eligibility after the
2015 season. ECU has already lost guard Will Foxx, who was dismissed
from the team in April for violating team rules, and will see center J.T.
Boyd depart after the '16 season. Those players represent eight of the
13 listed on the Pirates' offensive depth chart entering spring
practice.
The Pirates are searching far and
wide to find replacements for at least half of those in the 2016
recruiting class. They've extended scholarship offers so far to
offensive line prospects in eight different states from as far away as
Texas and as close as Chesapeake, VA.
Here's a closer look at 16 offensive
line prospects who have already reported scholarship offers from ECU,
and early projections on how serious these players are about playing for
Pirates. The players are listed in alphabetical order.
TREMAYNE ANCHRUM, OG (6-3,
257) McEachern HS, Powder Springs, GA
NOTABLES: Anchrum is a mobile
big man who has been timed at 5.0 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He plays
tackle at McEachern and following a strong junior season in 2014 he was
selected to play in the Georgia Junior Bowl all-star game in December.
During one of the year's most prestigious spring combines, The Opening
in Atlanta, Anchrum was named one of the top offensive line performers
which includes most of the best line prospects in Georgia.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Appalachian
State, Arizona State, Boston College, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Colorado,
East Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Indiana, Marshall, Nebraska,
Syracuse, Tulane, Wake Forest.
THE ECU ANGLE: Anchrum was
listing Syracuse, Nebraska and Wake Forest as his favorites in late
April, but he's only really beginning to sort through the large
collection of offers he's received. The Pirates have recruited well in
Georgia and won't give up without a fight on Anchrum. So consider him a
MEDIUM INTEREST target for ECU at this stage.
PARKER BOUDREAUX, OG (6-5,
291) Bishop Moore Catholic HS, Orlando, FL
NOTABLES: This guy has
reportedly received over 70 scholarship offers, which covers more than
half the Football Bowl Subdivision. Boudreaux made his first splash on
the recruiting scene as a sophomore with a strong performance at the
Nike SPARQ Spring combine where he was timed at 5.13 in the 40-yard
dash. It was during that time frame he also started adding weight, going
from 230 pounds to 270 by the spring of his sophomore year. As a junior,
he earned Class 5-A second-team all-state honors and was named to the
Orlando Sentinel's All-Central Florida team.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Too many to
list, but in late April he trimmed the possibilities to Alabama, Auburn,
Clemson, Florida, Georgia Southern, Iowa, Mississippi, Notre Dame,
Oklahoma and Penn State.
THE ECU ANGLE: Boudreaux
actually made an unofficial visit to ECU back in April 2014, which is
also when he received a scholarship offer from the Pirates. But since
ECU didn't make his Top 10 list last month we consider him a LOW
INTEREST prospect.
JUSTIN CHASE, OT (6-6, 270)
Great Bridge HS, Chesapeake, VA
NOTABLES: You could say Chase
has grown up'' over the past year. He's added two inches and 40 pounds
to his frame since last summer. Despite the additional size, Chase still
manages to turn a 5.1-second 40-yard dash time. He achieved second-team
All-PenSouth Conference honors as a junior. Chase also plays basketball
for Great Bridge.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Appalachian
State, East Carolina, James Madison, Old Dominion.
THE ECU ANGLE: Chase received
his most recent reported offer from ECU on April 18. Because he's from
the talent-rich Tidewater area, which is a hotbed of recruiting for the
Pirates, you can expect Chase to spend some time in Greenville this
summer either at camp or for an unofficial visit. He is a HIGH INTEREST
prospect for ECU.
LANDON DICKERSON, OG (6-4,
305) South Caldwell HS, Hudson, NC
NOTABLES: Dickerson had a
strange junior year that began with him playing for Hickory High School.
He played the first eight games of the year with Hickory. But when
Hickory's head coach abruptly resigned in October, Dickerson made the
move to South Caldwell where he played the final four games of the year.
It was a major transition for Dickerson, who went from blocking for a
spread attack at Hickory to a Wing-T formation at South Caldwell. His
grandfather, Herman, played football at Virginia Tech.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Alabama,
Auburn, Clemson, East Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, N.C. State,
North Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake
Forest.
THE ECU ANGLE: Unfortunately,
the Pirates don't seem to be in play with this quality in-state blocker.
He lists Florida State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech as
his favorites currently, with Alabama also in the picture. Looks like a
LOW INTEREST prospect for ECU at present.
STONE FORSYTH, OT (6-6, 300)
West Orange HS, Winter Garden, FL
NOTABLES: First of all, what
a great name for a football player. But Forsyth is more than a name. A
player adept at pass blocking, he also has the size and power to pave
the way for the run game. Forsyth was named to the All-Central Florida
second team by the Orlando Sentinel as a junior, while also making the
Florida All-State second-team for Class 8-A.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Boston
College, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, Kentucky, New
Mexico State.
THE ECU ANGLE: Forsyth really
likes Florida, but so far the Gators haven't offered a scholarship.
Otherwise, he appears wide open to any of the schools that have offered,
including ECU. We think that interest will increase for the Pirates as
the summer progresses, so we'll put Forsyth in the HIGH INTEREST
category.
AUSTIN HESTER, OG-OT (6-5,
305) Shaw HS, Columbus, GA
NOTABLES: Hester is a
versatile lineman capable of playing either guard or tackle. He's been
highly decorated during his prep career at Shaw, starting with the 2013
season when he earned All-Bi-City honors from the Columbus Ledger after
grading out at 92 percent on his blocking assignments. Hester again
received All-Bi-City status as a junior with an identical 92 percent
blocking grade, and he also added first-team All-Region 1-AAAAA honors
to his resume.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Cincinnati,
East Carolina.
THE ECU ANGLE: The state of
Georgia, and specifically the town of Columbus, has proven to be fertile
recruiting ground for the Pirates recently. Current offensive lineman
Des Barmore and Quincy McKinney both prepped at Columbus schools, and
ECU has six players overall from the Peach state on the current roster.
All those factors make Hester a HIGH PRIORITY prospect for ECU.
ELIJAH JOHNSON, C-OT (6-6,
310) DeMatha HS, Hyattsville, MD
NOTABLES: Johnson played left
guard for DeMatha as a junior, but he could play center or tackle at the
next level. He was one of the top players in the Washington, DC, metro
area last season, earning third-team All-Washington Area Catholic
Conference honors.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Boston
College, Connecticut, East Carolina, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Old Dominion, Rutgers, San Diego State, Temple, Wake Forest, West
Virginia, Western Michigan.
THE ECU ANGLE: The Pirates
were among the first, if not the first, to offer Johnson a scholarship
in March 2014. But he hasn't publicly expressed a lot of interest in the
Pirates. Rutgers, Wake Forest, West Virginia and especially Maryland
seem to be his top schools at present, even though he has yet to reveal
a list of favorites. But he's made multiple unofficial visits to Rutgers
and Maryland this spring, and seems especially fond of the latter where
two of his DeMatha teammates have already committed. Make Johnson a LOW
INTEREST target for ECU at this time.
DANARIUS JOYNER, OT (6-5,
260) Cypress Bay HS, Weston, FL
NOTABLES: Joyner has been
overshadowed somewhat in recruiting because he plays on a Cypress Bay
squad that has five other players who have already received college
scholarship offers. He plays right tackle for the Lightning and uses his
size to his advantage. Joyner will obviously need to add more weight
before he's ready for the college level, but he has the frame and long
arms to develop into a solid blocker.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Arizona
State, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Illinois State, Iowa State,
Marshall.
THE ECU ANGLE: There's sparse
news available regarding Joyner's recruitment, but the Pirates should be
in the mix when the summer camp season is done. Let's place Joyner in
the MEDIUM INTEREST category for now.
JAVON KINLAW, OT (6-7, 288)
Goose Creek HS, Goose Creek, SC
NOTABLES: Originally a
basketball player, Kinlaw is a late bloomer and raw talent in football.
He transferred to Goose Creek as a sophomore from Friendship Collegiate
Academy in Washington, DC., and immediately became a starter at right
tackle. As a junior, Kinlaw also became an effective player at defensive
end where he made 40 tackles, three sacks and eight tackles for loss. He
wants to play defensive end in college, but most schools are projecting
him as a tackle prospect.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Alabama,
Auburn, Clemson, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Louisville.
THE ECU ANGLE: Florida
appears to be in the lead for Kinlaw with Clemson and South Carolina
next in line. The Pirates do have an in'' with Kinlaw in the person of
former Goose Creek player Mike Myers, now a nose tackle with ECU. But
there's enough of that SEC-type interest in Kinlaw that he's probably at
LOW INTEREST prospect for the Pirates.
PETE LEOTA, OG-OT (6-5, 295)
Asheville HS, Asheville, NC
NOTABLES: Leota is a right
tackle prospect whose recruitment has steadily gained steam over the
past four to five months. As a junior, he earned All-Western North
Carolina honors from The Asheville Citizen-Times and All-Mountain
Athletic Conference status for a team that went 12-2 and won the league
title.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Appalachian
State, Boston College, East Carolina, Georgia Southern, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest.
THE ECU ANGLE: North Carolina
was Leota's early favorite, but the Tar Heels may not wait on his
decision before filling their offensive line needs. Boston College,
South Carolina and Virginia Tech are his other favorites. But ECU isn't
out of the picture. Leota came to Greenville for a Junior Day in
February and the Pirates are making a strong play for him. This is a
HIGH INTEREST prospect for ECU.
ANDREW MARSHALL, OT (6-8,
360) Milford HS/Globe Tech, Milford, DE
NOTABLES: This massive right
tackle prospect played at Milford High where he was an All-Henloen
Conference first-team pick on offense and a second-team selection on
defense as a senior. He had offers out of high school from Delaware
State, N.C. A&T, San Diego State and Temple, but opted instead for Globe
Tech, a junior college program located in the heart of New York city. He
was a starter at right tackle as a freshman for the Knights.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Akron,
Buffalo, East Carolina, Idaho, San Diego State, Temple, Vanderbilt.
THE ECU ANGLE: The Pirates
were the second school behind Temple to offer Marshall back in April.
Although Marshall has yet to establish any favorites, we believe ECU
will be around the top of that list when the time comes. Marshall is
definitely a HIGH INTEREST prospect for the Pirates.
JESSE MEYLER, OT (6-5, 285)
Episcopal HS, Alexandria, VA
NOTABLES: Meyler is an
athletic lineman whose footwork has been enhanced by competing in
basketball. He's also fairly fleet footed for a big man, having been
timed at 5.18 seconds in the 40-yard dash. But Meyler isn't all finesse.
He's a powerful athlete as well who can bench press 315 pounds and squat
465. He grew up in Toronto, Canada, where he began his football career.
But in order to improve his skills against better competition, Meyler
came South to the United States prior to his sophomore year in high
school.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Boston
College, Connecticut, East Carolina, Illinois, James Madison, Maryland,
Northwestern, Old Dominion, Pittsburgh, Temple, Vanderbilt, Virginia,
Wake Forest, Wisconsin.
THE ECU ANGLE: Meyler seems
to be favoring institutions with high academic reputations like
Northwestern, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. But the picture will become
much clearer for him after a series of unofficial campus visits this
spring and summer. ECU fits geographically for Meyler and could be the
picture before all is said and done with his recruitment. But for now it
appears he's a LOW INTEREST prospect for the Pirates.
CHRIS MORALES, OT (6-6, 315)
Fort Dorchester HS, North Charleston, SC
NOTABLES: Morales has been
overshadowed somewhat by playing on a team that has another highly
regarded offensive tackle on the left side in John Simpson, who already
has offers from schools like South Carolina, Clemson and North Carolina.
But he's two inches taller and is similar athletically to Simpson.
Morales just lacks Simpson's strength at this stage.
COLLEGE OFFERS: East
Carolina.
THE ECU ANGLE: Because the
Pirates are his only offer, they're obviously the leader. He's expected
to attend ECU's football camp this summer at which time he could commit.
For that reason, Morales is a HIGH INTEREST prospect for the Pirates.
KEENAN MURPHY, C-OG (6-2,
295) Crosby HS, Crosby, TX
NOTABLES: The Mauler,'' as
he's known to prep teammates, is a powerhouse blocker who can bench
press 345 pounds and squat 565. He used that strength to achieve
all-star status at offensive tackle as a junior. Murphy was named to the
District 21-5A first team and the OldCoach Class 5A All-State second
team.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Colorado,
East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Missouri, Texas State, Texas Tech.
THE ECU ANGLE: The ECU staff
still has strong recruiting ties to Texas, but Murphy seems to be one
recruit destined to stay close to home for his college career. Texas
Tech probably has a slight edge on everyone else, although Murphy claims
to be wide open at the moment. We'll call him a MEDIUM INTEREST recruit
for ECU right now, but I have my doubts about his willingness to venture
too far from home to play at the next level.
NA'TY RODGERS, OT (6-5, 290)
McDonough HS/Iowa Western CC, Pomfret, MD
NOTABLES: Rodgers was one of
the nation's top-rated offensive tackle prospects as a senior at
McDonough High in 2013. Rivals.com ranked him the nation's No. 15
offensive tackle and he was picked to play in the Under Armour all-star
game. He eventually made a verbal commitment to South Carolina, choosing
the Gamecocks over offers from Maryland, Oklahoma and Washington. But
during his red-shirt freshman year in Columbia he was arrested on
charges of disorderly conduct and consumption of alcohol while being
under 21 years of age. Rodgers was suspended, then reinstated in
December 2014. At some point soon after his reinstatement, Rodgers
announced his intention to transfer to Iowa Western where he'll play his
first and probably only season in 2015.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Arizona
State, East Carolina, Louisville, Mississippi, Missouri, N.C. State,
Ohio, West Virginia.
THE ECU ANGLE: ECU got in the
game with Rodgers with an April scholarship offer. Because the Pirates
have established a trend of successfully recruiting JUCO offensive
linemen we expect them to put a full-court press on for Rodgers. Plus,
he's a guy who could provide some immediate help in an area where ECU
will need it in 2016. Rodgers is definitely a HIGH INTEREST guy for the
Pirates, and a lot of other programs.
DAVE WILSON, OG (6-3, 285)
Bamberg-Ehrhardt HS, Bamberg, SC
NOTABLES: Wilson is one of
those hard-nosed athletes whose motor is already running at 100 percent.
He's been a prime contributor at Bamberg-Ehrhardt since his sophomore
year when he was named to the Times & Democrat's All-Area team due his
35 pancake blocks and 91 percent grade. Wilson achieved all-state status
as a junior.
COLLEGE OFFERS: Charlotte,
East Carolina, Georgia, Kansas State, Louisville, North Carolina, N.C.
State, Virginia Tech.
THE ECU ANGLE: Wilson is wide
open when it comes to his college options, but is expected to make
spring and summer visits to Clemson, ECU, UNC, N.C. State and Virginia
Tech. The Pirates have a great success rate when getting recruits to
campus, so the fact he's said publicly he wants to make the trip to
Greenville is a positive sign. Mark him down as a HIGH INTEREST prospect
for ECU.
Two offensive lineman offered
scholarships by ECU have already given verbal commitments to other
programs. Sean Pollard, an offensive guard from Pinecrest High in
Southern Pines, NC, has made a pledge to Clemson, while offensive guard
Joe Sculthorpe from Topsail High in Hempstead, NC, has chosen to play
for N.C. State.
Next up in our series on ECU
recruiting prospects, we'll take a look at the defensive line.
E-mail Sammy Batten
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06/09/2015 01:28 AM |
