Football Recruiting Report
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
By
Sammy Batten |
![](../../../../images/StaffPix/SammyBatten_62x106.jpg) |
Shrine Bowlers
get a taste of the regimen
By
Sammy Batten
©2012 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
SPARTANBURG, SC — They
aren't returning home with a victory, but four future East Carolina
Pirates left here Saturday better acquainted and anxious to become
college teammates next fall.
Lake City, SC, linebacker
Devaris Brunson, Havelock cornerback A.J. Coplon, Charlotte Vance defensive
end Kirk Donaldson and Statesville linebacker Tristan Mumford are senior
high school prospects who have verbally committed to East Carolina and will
hopefully sign with the Pirates in February. The quartet represented their
states Saturday at Gibbs Stadium in the 76th annual Shrine Bowl of the
Carolinas all-star game against South Carolina.
A fifth ECU commit, New Bern
offensive lineman Christian Matau, was also picked to play in the game but
withdrew because of injury.
The Sandlappers scored two
late touchdowns to pull out a 26-19 victory over the Tar Heel squad. But the
week-long experience, which included an inspirational visit to the
Spartanburg Shriners Hospital for Children, allowed the future Pirates to
start forging a bond. That was especially true for Coplon, Donaldson and
Mumford, who were teammates for the first time on the North Carolina team.
"It's been nice to meet those
guys this week,'' Donaldson said. "We're getting to know each other here, so
when we get to Greenville we should already have a good relationship.''
"I've been getting to know all
of them pretty well,'' Mumford said. "We've been talking a lot about ECU and
about the work it's going to take when we get there.''
The players got a taste of the
college football lifestyle during preparations for the Shrine Bowl. They had
to learn new offensive and defensive schemes during four rounds of two-a-day
practices, some of which took place under cool temperatures and drizzling
conditions at Spartanburg High School. After meals and activities, players
sat through position meetings in the evenings.
The competition on the
practice field was intense at times as the players, who were all stars on
their high school teams, tested themselves against the best in their
respective states.
"This is definitely a higher
level than high school,'' said Coplon, who two weeks prior helped Havelock
win the state 3-A championship. "All these guys are talented. You have to
give your best on every drill and every practice to keep up.''
Donaldson and Mumford both
earned starting positions for the North Carolina squad, although Donaldson's
opportunity came on offense. The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder held down the tight
end position despite not playing there at all during his senior season at
Vance.
Working at defensive end and
outside linebacker, Donaldson made 60 tackles and eight quarterback sacks in
helping Vance to a 9-4 finish this season. The Pirates have recruited
Donaldson to play outside linebacker.
"I didn't play tight end this
whole year,'' Donaldson said. "When I got here, it (playing tight end) was
kind of a surprise. But we're playing for a higher cause here (proceeds from
game go to Shriners Hospitals for Children). So I was happy to jump over to
offense to help our team.''
Mumford may have made the
biggest impression among the ECU recruits during Shrine Bowl week.
The 6-1, 225-pounder played
fast and physical at inside linebacker for the North Carolina squad after
spending the 2012 season at Statesville splitting time between quarterback
and linebacker. Mumford threw for 1,904 yards, rushed for 677 and accounted
for 34 touchdowns on offense, while still managing 70 tackles and five sacks
on defense for the 13-2 Greyhounds.
Davie County's Doug Illing
served as linebacker coach for the North Carolina squad. Illing said Mumford
was one of the easier choices he made in picking linebackers for the Shrine
Bowl squad.
"He's just good from day
one,'' Illing said. "Physically, he's fast and he's a physical linebacker
who plays downhill, and he's a great athlete. So you get a linebacker who is
235 playing inside, he can take the pounding of offensive linemen, plus he
can run to the edge on the running backs, too. He's a good fit for that
spot.
"That's what is going to make
him a special player because he's played just about every spot on the field
in high school. You're going to put him in one spot and practicing him every
day on fundamentals and stuff, he's going to be a superstar at that spot in
college.''
Brunson also drew accolades on
the South Carolina side for his speed and ability to make plays from an
inside linebacker spot. The 6-foot, 206-pounder is expected to play outside
linebacker at ECU, if he makes it to Greenville.
Although Brunson says he's
still committed to the Pirates, he remains open to other options. N.C.
State, which recently hired Dave Doeren from Northern Illinois to replace
Tom O'Brien, could be one of those options.
"I'm still open to any school
that's still talking to me,'' Brunson said. "I still talk to N.C. State.
"But I'm still committed to
East Carolina. I've been talking to their coaches and they've told me about
the different recruits they're getting out of North and South Carolina, so I
think it's going to be a good class.''
Coplon, too, said he's
committed to ECU, but was hoping more offers would come his way after a
strong week at the Shrine Bowl where he rotated at cornerback.
"I hope to perform well and
get more offers, and see what I can do,'' he said. "I guess you can say I'm
kind of looking around.
"But I have been impressed
with East Carolina this season. I have a good feeling about the program
there, and about where these guys I've been playing with this week could
take the program.''
One player in the game who
isn't committed to East Carolina, but is entertaining an offer from the
Pirates was South Carolina running back Harold Atkinson. A 6-1, 210-pounder
from Carolina Forest High in Myrtle Beach, Atkinson also has scholarship
offers from Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota and N.C. State.
Atkinson said during the
Shrine Bowl week that he won't likely come to a final decision before
national signing day in February.
"I'm aware of my options,'' he
said. "I'm looking to make my decision closer to national signing day. I've
been on one official visit to ECU and I'm looking forward to going to a
couple of official visits in January.
"It (ECU) was great. I really
like that school. They are a team that's really high on my list. They made
me feel at home. With the coaches, I never felt out of place, and that's
what I'm looking for.''
Atkinson added that seeing
Vintavious Cooper rush for more than 1,000 yards this season for the Pirates
was also a drawing card.
"When you make your decision
you definitely look for ways you are going to be played,'' Atkinson said.
"ECU running the ball is definitely what I'm looking for. Any school that's
willing to give me the ball, that's what I'm looking at.''
Atkinson and all the other
recruits will get another chance to watch Cooper and the Pirates on December
22 in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl against Louisiana-Lafayette.
"I'm going to be excited to
watch that on TV,'' Donaldson said. "They've had a great season and winning
a bowl would be a great way to finish it off.''
E-mail Sammy Batten
PAGE UPDATED
12/18/12 01:55 AM.
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