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Recruiting Wars: Linebackers
By
Sammy Batten
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
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(NOTE: This is the sixth
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 linebacker
recruits.)
Two of the best linebackers in recent
East Carolina history will complete their college football careers at
the end of the 2015 season.
But due to the astute recruiting done
in recent classes by the ECU coaching staff the linebacker positions
should remain solid even after Zeek Bigger and Montese Overton complete
their eligibility next year. Before then, Bigger and Overton should
provide the Pirates some of the best linebacker play in the American
Athletic Conference in 2015.
The presence of 12 sophomores or
freshmen on the current roster at the linebacker have lessen the need to
sign a large number at those four positions in ECU's 3-4 alignment for
the recruiting Class of 2016. But with five juniors scheduled to follow
Bigger and Overton into the sunset in another year, the Pirates will
start the process of filling those spots.
We're expecting at least three
linebackers to be signed in the Class of 2016 with two of those
scholarships going to inside linebackers.
The Pirates are involved with several
big-time linebacker prospects. Here's a closer look at five players who
have reportedly been offered scholarships by ECU and our early
projections on how serious they are about playing for the Pirates. The
players are listed in alphabetical order.
TAVANTE BECKETT, OLB (6-0,
210) Indian River HS, Chesapeake, VA
• NOTABLES: Beckett began his
prep career at powerhouse Oscar Smith High School before transferring to
Indian River this spring. He earned first-team All-Tidewater honors from
the Virginian-Pilot newspaper as a junior at Oscar Smith after making
135 tackles, 16 sacks and blocking eight kicks (4 punts, 4 field goals).
Beckett will team with one of the nation's top inside linebacker
prospects, Jaquan Yulee, to give Indian River one of the best linebacker
tandems in the state.
• COLLEGE OFFERS: Charlotte,
East Carolina, Indiana, Marshall, Old Dominion, Temple, Virginia Tech,
Wisconsin.
• THE ECU ANGLE: The Pirates
just offered Beckett in May, so they're really just starting to forge a
relationship with him. He's stated his intentions to make Greenville one
of the stops during unofficial summer visits along with Virginia Tech
and Wisconsin. So you can rate Beckett a HIGH INTEREST recruit for ECU.
KEION JOYNER, OLB (6-3, 215)
Havelock HS, Havelock, NC
• NOTABLES: Scout.com had rated
the 16-year-old Joyner the No. 1 prospect in the entire nation prior to
the start of his junior year, but he has since been dropped by the 15th.
He earned that lofty status with a sophomore year performance that
helped Havelock claim the state 3-A championship. Joyner had 108
tackles, 7.5 sacks and intercepted two passes during the title run,
including six tackles in the 21-13 win against Concord for the
championship. Joyner followed up by making 86 tackles, 16 tackles for
loss and 5.5 sacks as a junior. He has been selected to play in the
Under Armour All-American game on January 2 in Florida. Joyner has been
timed at 4.58 seconds in the 40-yard dash and owns a 31-inch vertical
leap.
• COLLEGE OFFERS: Alabama,
Auburn, Clemson, East Carolina, Florida State, LSU, N.C. State, North
Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas A&M, Virginia Tech.
• THE ECU ANGLE: The Pirates
have proximity and a strong connection to the Havelock program going for
them, and they had Joyner on campus last September. But since February
he seems to have been focused on Florida State, LSU and UNC. Relatives
in Louisiana could make an impact in his final decision. ECU appears to
be on the outside looking in, but Joyner isn't ruling out any
possibilities at this stage. Still, he's looking like a LOW INTEREST
prospect for the Pirates for now.
CHASE PINE, OLB (6-4, 220)
Lafayette HS, Williamsburg, VA
• NOTABLES: Pine is a versatile
athlete who could fit into any number of positions at the next level.
He's so versatile he actually is expected to be the starting quarterback
at Lafayette as a senior. Pine has been clocked at 4.67 seconds in the
40-yard dash, a talent he exploited to make 65 tackles, 10 tackles for
loss, six sacks and an interception during his junior campaign.
• COLLEGE OFFERS: Buffalo,
California, East Carolina, Georgia, Marshall, N.C. State, North
Carolina, Old Dominion, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Toledo, Virginia.
• THE ECU ANGLE: The jury is
still out on Pine in regards to ECU. He has expressed an interest in
visiting Greenville this summer, but named an early five to start June
lacking the Pirates. Georgia, North Carolina, N.C. State, Pittsburgh and
Syracuse made up the list. But it's too early to truly mark Pine off
ECU's list, so for now consider him a MEDIUM INTEREST prospect.
KEITH SIMMS, OLB (6-3, 225)
Landon School, Bethesda, MD
• NOTABLES: Simms is a
playmaker on defense. He's scary quick, which enables him to come off
the edge to make sacks or drop back and defend the pass. Rivals.com
ranks him the nation's No. 22 outside linebacker prospect. Simms was a
first-team All-Interstate Athletic Conference pick as a junior.
• COLLEGE OFFERS: Boston
College, California, Charlotte, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Marshall, Maryland, Michigan State, Mississippi
State, N.C. State, North Carolina, Old Dominion, Oregon, Pittsburgh,
Rutgers, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Toledo, Virginia,
Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
• THE ECU ANGLE: Maryland is
the unofficial leader for Simms, but he has made a preliminary visit to
ECU so he's still a MEDIIUM INTEREST prospect for the Pirates. He's also
expected to make the rounds this summer to Virginia Tech, Michigan
State, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
JONATHAN SMITH ILB (6-1,
230) Scotland HS, Laurinburg, NC
• NOTABLES: Smith missed his
entire sophomore season after a freak accident during a 7-on-7
competition that left him with a broken knee cap. He bounced back to
have an incredible junior year in which he earned Southeastern 4-A
Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. He racked up 156
tackles, 22 tackles for loss, four sacks and intercepted a pass to lead
the Fighting Scots to a 12-2 record.
• COLLEGE OFFERS: Duke, East
Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan,
North Carolina, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Old Dominion, Virginia, Virginia
Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia.
• THE ECU ANGLE: Despite having
success over the years recruiting players from Scotland, the Pirates
didn't make Smith's final four schools of Duke, Georgia Tech, Michigan
and North Carolina. He'll visit Michigan later this month and is
expected to have a decision before the Fighting Scots start preseason
practice in August. For ECU, Smith is a LOW INTEREST prospect.
JAQUAN YULEE, ILB (6-1 239)
Indian River HS, Chesapeake, VA
• NOTABLES: Like Tavante
Beckett listed above, Yulee began his prep career at another school. He
spent his first two seasons at Lakeland High School before a coaching
change led him to make the move to Indian River as a junior. Glenwood
Ferebee, who had coached Yulee as a freshman in 2012, took over the
Indian River program after a stint at Hampton University. Yulee decided
to come over and play for his old coach and to improve his academics. He
averaged 12 tackles a game and was chosen co-defensive player of the
year in the PenSouth Conference as a junior.
• COLLEGE OFFERS: Alabama,
Clemson, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Michigan
State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Old Dominion, Temple, Vanderbilt,
Virgninia, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin.
• THE ECU ANGLE: Yulee is
scheduled to announce his college decision June 8, and it doesn't appear
ECU is in the running. He's expected to choose between Alabama, Florida
State, Michigan State and North Carolina, making him a LOW INTEREST
prospect for the Pirates.
Two other linebacker prospects who
held East Carolina offers were LaRonde Liverpool from Landstown High in
Landstown, VA, and Jonathan Pollock from Dr. Phillips High in Orlando,
FL. Liverpool made a verbal commitment to Wake Forest late last week,
while Pollock has given his pledge to Rutgers.
Next up in our series on ECU
recruiting prospects, we'll take a look at the safety positions.
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06/09/2015 01:28 AM |
