Pivotal Year For NC State and Coach Tom O’Brien
by Jay Parchman, recruit757.com
Travis Hughes of Kempsville is an NC State target (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
North Carolina State Coach Tom O’Brien built a strong program at Boston College. He resigned following the 2006 season and travelled south for the 2007 season where he replaced Chuck Amato at NC State. The Wolfpack have sandwiched a 6-7 season for 2008 with a record of 5-7 for both 2007 and 2009. The 6-7 season in 2008 did include a bowl appearance, which resulted in a loss to Rutgers.
In spite of the stumbles, one big equalizer for the fans NC State’s defeat heated rival North Carolina in all three of Coach O’Brien’s attempts. Still, defeating a rival can only carry a coach so far if the remainder of the season is so-so. Coach O’Brien recognizes that this year is the time to finally show sound progress and finish with at least a winning season.
With only five commitments so far, NC State certainly has room to sign a player from the 757 in February. But it is not easy to gauge the amount of effort the Wolfpack have made locally under Coach O’Brien as they have not signed a local player from high school since Jay Smith, a 2007 graduate of Lake Taylor.
Previously, back to the 2003 class, the Pack signed one local player each year with the exception of 2004. Hank Sawyer’s Lake Taylor program also provided the signature of Phillip Holloman (DB) in 2003. 2005 saw the Pack ink Jerrail McCuller of Atlantic Shores. The 2006 class saw the Pack sign Rashad Phillips, a TE prospect from Landstown under the tutelage of Chris Beatty.
In terms of actual scholarship offers, State is recruiting the heavyweight local players such as Demetrious Nicholson of Bayside and Travis Hughes of Kempsville. As of now, it does not appear that Coach O’Brien is penetrating the area for less publicized talent. Rex Harrison (now of Kempsville) has mentioned that he’s on the Wolfpack’s list. As of last week, there was no solid offer but it could come. In fact, many more Wolfpack offers could roll out once top of the list guys commit to other schools.
Online reports have been quick to criticize O’Brien’s current recruiting class, but it’s a little early to start with that kind of criticism. There’s still a lot of work to be done.
Coach O’Brien has taken longer than anyone wanted to build NC State back to the days Dick Sheridan and other successful coaches in Raleigh. Don’t bet against them having a successful season in year four despite the many critics. Tom O’Brien can flat out coach and this is the year for him to prove it in the win column.
- Jay Parchman
Tyrod Taylor’s Backup Is…
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Tyrod Taylor’s entering his crucial senior season. It’s crucial for Taylor in leaving his final mark on his legacy at Tech, and his performance is crucial for the success of Tech’s season. Virginia Tech opens the season September 6 (Labor Day Monday) with a much anticipated match up against nationally ranked Boise State.
As important as Taylor is to the Hokies, they have to also have a back up plan. That plan was announced Monday as redshirt freshman Logan Thomas. Thomas beat out third year sophomore JuJu Clayton for the job. Thomas is a veritable freak of nature at 6-6 and 242 pounds with 4.6 speed. If he can execute at the position, Thomas would certainly create some interesting matchup problems for opponents. He’d be almost as big and potentially faster than some of the defensive ends he’d evade on the field.
This season, Virginia Tech hopes that they’ll never find out.
Tech Quarterbacks Coach Mike O’Cain was quoted by wire services as saying “JuJu, just like I told him, the good Lord didn’t give him everything that he gave Logan. So you kind of err toward the side of ability and upside.”
Thomas’ selection as backup quarterback ends his chance to contribute in other areas for the time being. “If we choose to play Logan a little bit at tight end, that increases his chance of getting dinged,” Coach O’Cain said.
JuJu Clayton (6-1 220) hails from Richmond and only played in mop up duty last year, appearing in five games and completing only one pass in five attempts.
Tech’s 757 Haul for 2011 Impacted by Two Factors
by Jay Parchman, recruit757
WR Quinta Funderburk (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
With notable exceptions, Virginia Tech has been THE force to overcome in attracting the top flight quality recruits from The 757. There have been notable exceptions over the years such as Percy Harvin electing to play at Florida from the 2006 class, but as a whole, Hokies’ fans have to relish the traction they enjoy with local football talent.
For the 2011 class, some leakage has already occurred. One reason may very well be a hiccup. Once again, Tech is limited in the number of scholarships they will offer. Some say that Tech will only sign about 15 players in February which is a similar number to the total from the 2010 class.
The limited number of scholarships available showcases the quality of the program that Coach Frank Beamer has built. The Hokies are having little attrition in comparison to other programs, which is a positive. Another factor is that Tech has been successfully redshirting many of the recruits as freshmen, another feather in the cap of Coach Beamer. The only downside is that such class balance puts the Hokies in a situation where they are once again limited in the total number of new players they can accept.
Yet another key factor in Tech’s recruiting is the immediate impact of Mike London’s arrival at the University of Virginia. While UVa’s local recruiting had begun to really suffer under Al Groh, Coach London verbally noted that The 757 would be his area of emphasis in obtaining players.
Coach London’s strategy has been quickly implemented. UVa has commitments from three local players who were also offered scholarships by Tech. Clifton Richardson (ATH 6-1 195) of Menchville, Kameron Mack (WR/S 6-5 200) of I.C. Norcom, and David Watford (QB 6-2 180) of Hampton have all pledged to play in Charlottesville.
Among Tech’s 11 verbal commitments thus far, only one, Dewayne Alford (DE 6-3 220) of Nansemond River is a 757 prospect. Alford has already announced an intention to greyshirt, which means that his scholarship commitment actually counts against the 2012 class. At the present time, Tech has three outstanding offers to 757 players. Many others have interest in Tech, but offers from Blacksburg have been limited since most of the class has already verbally committed.
Of the three confirmed local offers, none of them seem to be leaning towards the Hokies. Quinta Funderburk, the tall long armed WR at Oscar Smith recently narrowed his list to six with the Hokies left out. Funderburk seems to be determined to go out of state as all six of his final choices are elsewhere.
Demetrious Nicholson of Bayside and Travis Hughes of Kempsville still hold offers from Virginia Tech, but recent interviews with recruit757 had Tech in the mix but not at the top for either player. Hughes has spoken glowingly of Butch Davis’ program at North Carolina. Nicholson is said to be leaning towards North Carolina as well.
It would be a mistake to dismiss any quality local player from eventually playing in Blacksburg. But it is also obvious that the word is out on the quality of football in southeastern Virginia. Tech seems to be facing increasing competition in inking those players.
- Jay Parchman
Maryland In Transition With Coaching & Recruitment?
by Jay Parchman, recruit757
Maryland Head Coach Ralph Friedgen (AP Photo)
Ralph Friedgen soon begins his tenth season as the head coach in College Park, Maryland. He entered with a bang going 31-8 in his first three seasons. Since then, however, a cumulative 35-38 record has followed in years four through nine. The bottom was reached last season at 2-10.
Joker Phillips (Kentucky) and Jimbo Fisher (Florida State) each begin the first season as a head coach after serving multiple seasons as an assistant with the designated tag of “coach in waiting”. James Franklin has been granted that same title with 2011 expected to be the last season for Friedgen. Many Maryland fans, however, are growing impatient with the direction of the program.
Examining impact to the recruiting efforts in The 757 is not easy to determine. Three local quality local players were inked for the 2007 class. Each remains at Maryland: Running Back Haroon Brown of Phoebus, O-Lineman Maurice Hampton of Phoebus and Defensive Back Trenton Hughes of Kempsville.
However since then, Maryland’s recruiting success and efforts are hard to pinpoint. The Terps offered scholarships to at least eight local players for the 2008 class and did land a big time prospect at WR with Kerry Boykins of Oscar Smith, but they were shut out locally in the 2009 class from their six offers that can be accounted for. Maryland’s recruiting efforts in The 757 were nearly fruitless for the 2010 class, but they did land one key player in Mario Rowson, a DB prospect from the talent laden Lake Taylor program.
The recruiting surge of new Virginia coach Mike London and staff seems to have impacted the Terps this year. Of the present six offers, two have already committed to play for the Cavaliers – Clifton Richardson and Caleb Taylor. Another, Daquan Romero of Phoebus, states he’ll play for North Carolina.
But good news might still be on the way. The Terrapins have made the trimmed list of five of Travis Hughes (6-1 220), LB prospect from Kempsville. The #1-rated Southside player according to the Virginian-Pilot, Demetrious Nicholson of Bayside, includes the Terps on his long list of suitors. The Terrapins have been recruiting Quinta Funderburk, the long, tall, WR prospect from Oscar Smith. Maryland did not appear on Funderburk’s recent final five.
All of the above players are blue chip caliber recruits and are among the most notable. Maryland is most certainly recruting the area more deeply than it appears.
The Terps are looking to tap the Lake Taylor talent pool again as Maryland Offensive Line Coach Tom Brattan is calling on the Norfolk School to land WR/DB Deandre Moore (6-1 185). It’s still too early in the recruiting season to call Moore’s recruitment, but Maryland is definitely in the mix.
With quite a bit to go, Maryland has their opportunities to make a large dent in the local 2011 class as they did with the 2007 group. A winning season would certainly help. Maryland draws a favorable schedule from the Coastal Division of the ACC. They play Virginia, Duke and Miami from that side of the ledger which is certainly more favorable than drawing three Top 25 teams in Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
With the right bounces, a bowl season could be in reach. That kind of achievement would certainly be favorable for the Terps’ recruiting efforts.
It would also help Coach Ralph Friedgen keep his job.
- Jay Parchman
Tar Heels’ 757 Talent Drive
College Beat
by Jay Parchman, recruit757
Daquan Romero and Phoebus Coach Stan Sexton (photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Head Football Coach Butch Davis has reeled in several highly rated recruiting classes in his tenure at UNC. With a defense rated by many to be the best in the country this fall, there is a lot of optimism entering his fourth season. Pinpointing the efforts to the 2011 class, he already has three highly-rated commitments from the state of Virginia including one from The 757, Daquan Romero (DE 6-0 210) of Phoebus. Romero will likely make the move to linebacker, but his importance to the Tarheel class of 2011 is quite notable.
The Tar Heels are heavily involved with two more uncommitted 757 stars in Demetrious Nicholson (CB 5-11 170) of Bayside as well as Travis Hughes (LB 6-1 230) of Kempsville. Both Nicholson and Hughes are among the best that the state has to offer in 2011 so the Tar Heels are also facing a lot of competition for the two.
At this point, the Tar Heels have not made the cut for two other highly rated local players, Lafonte Thourogood (QB 6-3 225) of Ocean Lakes and Quinta Funderburk (WR 6-5 205) of Oscar Smith. The recruitment isn’t over for either one, and Carolina could always come back into play. With two commitments at QB already, Everett Golson of Myrtle Beach and Marquise Williams of Charlotte, UNC’s needs there are already met. The successful recruitment of Thourogood is unlikely at this point unless the Ocean Lakes star accepts a move to another position, something he’s stated that he’s unwilling to do. Funderburk has only listed out of state schools in his narrowed down list, so it’s possible he could have a change of heart and decide to play closer to home. Chapel Hill’s out of state, yet an easy drive from the Hampton Roads area.
Travis Hughes of Kempsville (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
With a rather high commitment count already, it is doubtful that UNC will mine The 757 more deeply for the Class of 2011. It is less likely that they will extend new offers to quality players such as Gavin Williams (5-8 160) of Kempsville. Williams was an Army All-American last season at DB, and he might assist in providing the services of his Kempsville teammate, Travis Hughes, if the two could be had in a package deal.
Regardless, Butch Davis’ staff is not allowing a top player from The 757 to commit to another school without a fight. Expect the Tar Heels to continue to press for commitments from the local players on their board. There’s still more moves to be made before Carolina is finished with their work in The 757 this recruiting season.
- Jay Parchman
Seven on Seven Big For ODU, Local Talent
Coach Bobby Wilder watches the final (Photo: Kellen Owings/recruit757.com)
Despite the exhausting triple-digit temperatures, ODU coach Bobby Wilder still came away impressed with the talent on display at the first ODU 7 on 7 Tournament held at the school’s state-of-the-art facilities. “I was very excited with the teams that were here, I was excited with how they competed,” Wilder said.
“It was a challenge for the kids and the coaches, it was 102 degrees with the heat index. It was a long day. They started at 8 am with warm-ups, and here it is 4 o’clock and they’ve been going non-stop. I’m very impressed with how they competed.”
Wilder was also very impressed with the coaching on display during the tournament.
“I think its very evident now, as you watch and you can see the level of coaching that goes on in the state of Virginia. I’m more impressed every year with what I see. They’re running some very sophisticated schemes out here, both offensively and defensively, and it shows. Kids play at a fast pace, and they execute well.”
Holding the games at ODU’s practice fields and Powhatan Stadium, with the semi-finals and finals played on Foreman field, gave players the chance to see the facilities first hand. It’s a significant recruiting tool, and a great way to give the Monarchs an advantage when it comes to in-state recruiting.
“I’ve said this since the day I was hired, I want to finish third in the state in recruiting when it comes to where kids want to go,” Wilder said. “Virginia and Virginia Tech, however that sorts out, (one of them) is going to be number one, but we want to be number three. That’s a tall order when you’re talking about JMU and Richmond, who have won National Championships and William and Mary who were in the Final Four last year. Then you have Hampton and Norfolk State right here, VMI and Liberty. There are eight Division 1-AA programs in the state, and we are trying to be at the head of the class in recruiting.”
Booker T. & Maury coaches before the final (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
“In order to do that, you have to hold events like this on your campus; you got to get the kids to your campus so they can see it. Now kids come here and there’s a real “WOW” factor. I heard so many positive comments from players, parents, and coaches about our practice facilities. Then this stadium; we were third in the nation last year in attendance. We have one of the nicest venues in the country at 1-AA. Getting these kids here so they can see this is a huge recruiting tool for us”
Wilder says its important getting all the players out to see the facilities, even the ones who have their sights set on the Division 1-A level. The 757 is rich with skill position talent that draws interest from top colleges all over the country, and a 7 on 7 is a great way to see that talent on display.
“We saw 10 kids that are 1-A players and have already been offered by Virginia, Virginia Tech. But having (the players) here, just in case it doesn’t work there, even though it may look like we’re next in line, that’s OK. We want to be next in line. Just having them on our campus is so important.
With the stadium and facilities being such a big recruiting tool, Coach Wilder and his staff will be holding as many events as they can on campus.
“We plan on having another 15 teams starting Sunday (7/18) at our 4 day team camp, which goes from 6 to 9 p.m. the next four nights. Again, we get these kids over here practicing, and we get to evaluate them. During a quiet period, getting them on our campus is a huge advantage. We already had one one-day (camp), and another next Saturday with 200 kids. So between the one-days, the 7 on 7 tournament, and the team camp, we’re trying to get them here as much as we can,” Wilder said.
Getting players from The 757 helps the program twofold. Not only do the players help the program’s on-field success, but Wilder says having home-grown talent increases the programs presence in the area and helps attendance.
Coach Wilder and Coach Bill Dee of CNU (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
“Right now, out of the 90 players we have on our roster, 40 of them are from the 757. They grew up within 20 miles from campus. That was another goal I set when I was hired, along with the staff, was that we were going to represent this area.”
“On top of that, over two-thirds of our team is from the state. There are roughly 350 football playing schools in the state. We can find the majority of what we’re looking for right here at home. That’s the goal; we want to be made up primarily with kids from Virginia and even more so kids from this area.”
“I really believe that there’s a strong following, a strong presence of the local community when they see so many of these kids that they’ve watched play from Pop Warner to middle school to high school and they see them playing at Foreman. I think it’s had an impact on attendance and how people in this area feel about this football program. We’re gonna keep pushing that and keep trying to get these kids on our campus.”
That effort won’t stop anytime soon, Wilder said.
“We’re gonna keep doing this, we keep growing it every year. This year is the first year of our team camp. This is the first year we’ve done the 7 on 7 here on our campus. It was on Larchmont (Elementary School grounds), we didn’t have the facilities all done, and last year we didn’t have the stadium. So it’s a little better every year and we’re just gonna keep building on it.”
- Kellen Owings
College Camps Benefit Kids, Community, Universities
ODU players coach kids at Monarch Football Camp (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
It’s camp season and everyone wins. Colleges throughout the region provide the backbone for camps that build confidence and teach skills to local kids. Additionally, college camps like the ones taking place at William and Mary, Hampton and Old Dominion allow kids to rub elbows with pros that provide star power and a positive example.
The camps are great for the kids, great for the community, and great for the colleges that put them on.
Football is a great game that teaches teamwork, leadership and the value of hard work. The community benefits when players grow into community leaders. There’s also the side benefit of getting kids out from in front of the television or computer and onto the field excercising. Involvement in team sports is rewarding in many ways.
The colleges benefit as well. They provide community service through the camps, but also get the benefit of showing their campus and facilities to campers, plus they get the scouting benefits, especially with high schoolers that participate in the programs.
Landstown Coach Tommy Reamon administrated Hampton University’s Michael Vick Football Camp a few weeks ago. He sees a huge benefit for everyone involved. “At the Michael Vick camp, I had seven college coaches there just to come and observe. We try to do that so that kids can be exposed (to college coaches),” said Coach Reamon.
Hampton Coaches observe local players (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
“At the Michael Vick Camp, we had 447 kids. That’s all ages from 8 to 18. There were 172 high school players there. Hampton University had the luxury that they’ve never had by getting that many kids on their campus. Coach Rose and his staff did a great job hosting the event. All of the coaches in the area are trying to expose their kids (to college coaches) and give them an opportunity to improve their skills. It all comes down to exposure,” Coach Reamon stated.
High school players have to work hard to get exposure in any way they can. Many travel for camps at the bigger schools that they’d love to attend as college athletes. The camps at schools like UVA, Virginia Tech and other BCS schools routinely bring in Division IAA coaches that thrive on bringing in players that BCS coaches might pass on. Exposure. That’s what it’s all about and the benefits go both ways.
ECU’s 757 Offer List Is Growing
Jay Parchman, Contributing Correspondent
The new regime of head coach Ruffin McNeill at East Carolina is establishing more traction in the Hampton Roads area. The Pirates have already obtained a verbal commitment from Domonique Lennon (QB/FS 6-2 190) of Nansemond- Suffolk Academy. The private schools in Hampton Roads are much more under the radar than in many metropolitan areas. Whether out of necessity or guile, it could indicate that Coach McNeill is digging deeper here.
Despite the 2010 season remaining over a month away, there are no less than seven other local players claiming a full scholarship offers to play college football in Greenville, NC.
Reggie Owens of Ocean Lakes (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757.com)
Though the Pirates have offered Lafonte Thourogood (QB 6-3 225) of Ocean Lakes, they are not currently in the thick of consideration with the prime time prospect. They are also actively recruiting two teammates on what should be a favorite (along with Bayside) to win the Beach District this year. Those prospects are Chaz Lowery (OT 6-5 255) and Reggie Owens (DB 6-0 190).
The most intriguing prospect on the Pirates’ local radar is Raysean Richardson (OLB 6-1 190) of Oscar Smith. Richardson was an eye popping performer at Linebacker as a junior last season for a powerhouse team. His aggressiveness and speed are impressive. Along with Jeremy Majette (Old Dominion signee), Oscar Smith simply had the best high school linebacking crew I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. It is difficult for a quality player to go unnoticed at OSHS, so Raysean has quite a few scholarship offers, including offers from Syracuse and Illinois. The competition for Richardson might be stiff, but don’t expect Coach McNeill’s staff to back down.
The Pirates have their eyes on two more prospects on the defensive side also playing in the Beach District. Demetrius Nicholson (DB 5-11 170) of Bayside plays on the team that will challenge Ocean Lakes for the district title. Travis Hughes (LB 6-1 230) of Kempsville is also of great interest to the Pirates. Both players are high on the target lists of a number of BCS schools. East Carolina is a long shot in their recruitment, but there’s no reason to officially count ECU out.
East Carolina also has Warwick’s Daniel Wray (SR TE 6-2 210) in their sights. The talented receiver from the Peninsula District would be a good “get” for Coach McNeill and would help the program establish in roads on the Peninsula.
In addition, the Pirates are closely monitoring quite a few other local players. With over six months away from the early February signing date, expect East Carolina’s offer list to grow here in The 757.
- Jay Parchman
Conference Watch: ACC Now Solid With TV Deal
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced a deal with ESPN yesterday that bundles Football and Men’s Basketball television broadcast syndication rights and locks them up in a twelve year deal. The AP reports that the deal is worth $1.86B over the course of the contract.
This deal would take the 12 ACC schools from a current deal that nets them roughly $6M per school per year to an average of about $12.9M per school per year with the new deal. In other words, it’s far less likely that any ACC school is going to bolt from the league due to compensation concerns.
The conference shake-up is far from over, but there will be less concern now that an ACC school would bolt to the SEC for instance. The Big 12 will still want to expand to at least 12, the Big 10 might want to rename itself the Big 12, and the Big East may see a split along Football only lines and a subsequent expansion, but for now things are calm.
Don’t expect that to last forever.
ECU Making 757 A Bigger Priority
Jay Parchman, Contributing Correspondent
It is hard to argue with the on the field success of the tenure of Skip Holtz at East Carolina. He inherited a program that had suffered through a combined 3-20 record under former coach John Thompson during his two seasons of 2003 and 2004. Holtz took over and guided the Pirates to steady improvement. His efforts culminated in back-to-back wins in the Conference USA championship game and consecutive Liberty Bowl berths.
Holtz’ teams benefited from a concentration of in-state players. Last year’s Pirates boasted only four players from the talent rich Hampton Roads area. In addition, the Pirates appeared to have only made sparing efforts to recruit here. This is rather surprising when you consider that Greenville, North Carolina is the closest city to this area with a football program competing in FBS college football.
For the 2010 class, ECU reportedly only offered scholarships to four local players. Each of those four targets selected schools that compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Using that small sample, one could say that Holtz decided only to actively recruit the top known players and declined to mine The 757 more deeply for talent.
Following Jim Leavitt’s abrupt dismissal at South Florida for alleged abuse of a player, Holtz departed ECU for the opportunity at USF, a member of the Big East. Enter new head coach Ruffin McNeill, who spent the last ten years at Texas Tech, the last two as the Defensive Coordinator. McNeill was the interim head coach for Texas Tech at the end of last season. Like Leavitt, Tech head coach Mike Leach was also abruptly dismissed for alleged player abuse.
McNeill is not only a native of North Carolina, but also a former Pirate player from 1976 through 1980. His familiarity with the Hampton Roads’ football talent is immediate. Immediate is also the word to describe his efforts in recruiting here. No less than six local players have indicated that ECU has offered a scholarship to play for the Pirates. McNeill’s new staff apparently has offered at least two players with their first opportunity to play at the FBS level.
Coach McNeill has made at least two public appearances in Hampton Roads after less than five months on the job. He’s already stated that The 757 will be a priority for his program. Certainly the 2½ hour drive up US 17 is well worth his time. As this first year passes, it will be interesting to see how successful Coach McNeill and staff will be in attracting commitments from 757 area talent. This is a pivotal year for Pirate recruiting efforts in Hampton Roads.
Recruit757 will keep you informed on how those efforts progress.
- Jay Parchman