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
Harrison Settles In As A Chief
by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Rex Harrison (Photo: Andy Hilton/recruit757)
Rex Harrison put up good numbers for the Tabb Tigers last year. Harrison threw for 1065 yards in 10 games with Tabb last year and almost brought them to the playoffs. A last minute touchdown by eventual State Finalists Bruton ended the Tigers season at 6-4. Harrison was awarded 2nd Team All-Bay Rivers District honors as a junior quarterback in his first year with the Tigers.
Harrison played for Tabb only one year. He had played for Nansemond-Suffolk Academy in his sophomore year. Now in his senior season, Harrison has found a home in Kempsville.
It’s not completely unusual for players to transfer in the offseason. Sometimes they do it because of family circumstances. Sometimes they do it in order to better their recruitment prospects. In Harrison’s case, it’s likely the latter.
Kempsville was a playoff team last year in the super competitive Beach District. As competitive as the Bay Rivers District is, it doesn’t offer the higher level of competition that Harrison will see week in and week out as a Kempsville Chief.
We caught up with Rex and talked about his new team, his recruiting, and how he was settling in at the Beach. His first impressions of the team and his new situation were all favorable. “The transition has been smooth. I like it a lot. I like the new system, I like my teammates and I think we’re going to have a good year,” said the quarterback.
The new system at Kempsville is going to be a little more complex than the system at Tabb, but it will also allow Rex to showcase his talents for college coaches. “At Tabb we ran the Wing-T which involves a lot of reading the corners as you roll out. At Kempsville we’re running the Spread and I (formation), so you have to read the whole defense which is good for college,” said Harrison.
College coaches have had to follow Harrison along his path. Now they’re going to see a new side of Rex. “I’ve been in touch with the coaches that had been recruiting me and they’re very excited that they get to see me in a spread look. It’s a lot better for them to see if I can make the reads and make the throws.”
The college list for Harrison remains at NC State, UVA. “UVA said they have a scarcity of scholarships, but they might offer me if they decide to take a second quarterback in this class,” said Harrison. Hampton QB David Watford has already committed to the Cavaliers.
“I had visited Elon, but they had a quarterback commit already. Marshall and ECU are planning to see me in my first game here at Kempsville. Richmond, JMU and William & Mary are still in the mix. I talk to Coach Kepa (Tribe Offensive Coordinator). North Carolina was in the mix, but they’ve had a quarterback commit,” Rex said.
Of his current schools under consideration, NC State catches Harrison’s eye. “NC State said they would offer me if Steven Rivers (Phillip Rivers’ younger brother) committed somewhere else and he committed to LSU Monday. Hopefully I’ll be hearing from them soon,” said Harrison.
Rex is looking forward to a new season and a new competitive situation. What’s getting him jacked? “We have a lot of talent this year. We’re excited. Joey Droll (SR 6-0 190) is playing some tight end. We have Cody Mister (SR 5-10 160) who’s pushing me at the quarterback position. We have Travis (Hughes) and a few other guys… we’re loaded on offense.”
Kempsville certainly has depth at quarterback with the addition of Rex Harrison. Harrison is more of a true quarterback, where as Kempsville’s backups have played other positions. Joey Droll started at quarterback for much of last season but is a capable wideout and tight end. Cody Mister also started four games at quarterback last year. All three players are seniors this year, which might leave Coach Jamaine Paddyfoot in a bit of a lurch once he loses this year’s senior class. They’ll cross that bridge next year.
In the meantime, Rex Harrison is looking to field more offers and holds out hope that the offer from NC State comes through. For the team, the first priority has to be the August 27 opener against Salem, which is only two weeks away.
- Andy Hilton
Local NFL Draft Wrap Up
Chris Bell of Norfolk State (Photo: Mark Sutton)
Now that the NFL draft is done, we can take a look at who went where, locally speaking.
Kam Chancellor (ex-Maury and Virginia Tech) was drafted with the second pick of the fifth round by the Seattle Seahawks. While going all the way across the country to play is not ideal, who can argue with an NFL pay day? At 6-4 225 Kam was a tall and heavy hitting safety for the Hokies. At the pro level he might be moved to an outside linebacker position.
Arthur Moats (ex-Churchland and James Madison) went pretty much where projected in being picked with the ninth pick in the sixth round by Buffalo. The Bills will get a 6-2 250 linebacker who’ll fit nicely into their 3-4 defense.
Another James Madison product, Scotty McGee (ex-Ocean Lakes) was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 34th pick of the sixth round. McGee was seen as a sleeper pick, but his skills as a return man may have made a difference for the Jags. McGee is a bit undersized as a cornerback at 5-9 190, but could certainly make the team as a special teamer.
Chris Bell of Norfolk State and Granby High School went undrafted. He can try to sign on with a team as a free agent. This might actually work to his advantage because he can work out for teams selected based on their needs. This could land Bell with a team that has room for him, instead of Bell being drafted as a precautionary move or strategically by a team that ultimately doesn’t need him.
Other local draftees of interest include players from universities throughout the region including Virginia Tech, UVA, North Carolina, NC State, East Carolina and even William and Mary….
Jason Worilds (Photo: Rich Kane)
From Virginia Tech, DE Jason Worilds was drafted with the 20th pick in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers; OL Ed Wang was drafted with the ninth pick in the fifth round by the Buffalo Bills; P Brent Bowden was drafted with the third pick in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and LB Cody Grimm was drafted with the third pick in the seventh round, also by the Buccaneers.
Virginia only had CB Chris Cook drafted. Cook was drafted with the second pick in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings.
North Carolina had DE E.J. Wilson drafted by the Seattle Seahawks with the 29th pick in the fourth round; plus they had DT Cam Thomas drafted with the fifteenth pick in the fifth round by the San Diego Chargers.
North Carolina State had C Ted Larsen drafted with the 36th pick in the sixth round by the New England Patriots; and they had DE Willie Young drafted with the sixth pick of the seventh round by the Detroit Lions.
East Carolina had three players that were picked. DT Linval Joseph went with the 14th pick of the second round to the NY Giants. The Pirates’ Punter Matt Dodge was picked by the NY Giants with the 14th pick of the seventh round. D-Lineman C.J. Wilson was picked by the Green Bay Packers with the 23rd pick of the seventh round.
William and Mary even had two players drafted. Linebacker Adrian Tracy was drafted by the NY Giants with the 15th pick of the sixth round and Defensive Tackle Sean Lissemore was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 27th pick of the seventh round.
Glennon At QB – Much Ado About Nothing?
Mike Glennon (Photo: Mike Reeves/Pack Pride)
Going into spring practices, Mike Glennon was canonized by the media and some in the Wolfpack program as the heir apparent at quarterback. Now after a season of practice and the Kay Yow Spring Game, Head Coach Tom O’Brien says there’s no doubt in his mind that last year’s starter is coming back next year.
Russell Wilson has led the Wolfpack for several years now at QB. There’s no doubt that his decision making is solid and he’s earned his place as the starter. Coach O’Brien spent the entire spring catering to Glennon. Glennon got all of the reps. O’Brien even scheduled practices so that Glennon wouldn’t get worn out from all of the work at quarterback. There were rumblings that Glennon was working hard to earn his spot as the starter this fall. Now the official line out of Raleigh is that Wilson is not going to go pro even though the draft is this summer and Wilson’s eligible.
So where does that leave Mike Glennon? At least it’s not unfamiliar territory for him. Mike’s brother Sean lived quarterback controversy at Virginia Tech. Tyrod Taylor threatened Glennon’s spot as the starter when Taylor was a freshman, and in Glennon’s senior year, he was usurped by Taylor. Sean Glennon sat on the bench for most of his senior year and waited for an opportunity that really never came. At the least, Mike was able to learn from his brother’s trying experience.
Mike Glennon was a senior at Westfield High in Springfield, Virginia during his brother’s 2007 MVP season at Virginia Tech and Mike was a redshirt freshman at NC State when Sean sat for most of his senior season. Mike has learned to be ready for opportunity. If Russell Wilson decides to come back to the Wolfpack for another season, Glennon will have a chance to season a little bit more while out of the spotlight, but he plans to be ready if the opportunity to start ever surfaces.
’tis the Season For Spring Football
Photo: Bruce Yeung/Yeung Photography
If you’re following college football, you know that spring has sprung. Last Saturday was the culmination of spring practices for UVA, Richmond, and North Carolina among others in the region. This Saturday the slate of spring games continues with on-campus pep rallies and intra-squad exhibitions for Wake Forest, East Carolina, North Carolina State, William and Mary and Tennessee.
In Winston-Salem, Wake Forest has a day full of festivities planned including tailgating and giveaways with the Spring Game starting at 1 p.m. at BB&T Field. Head Coach Jim Grobe has changed some assignments within his coaching staff, otherwise news coming out of spring practices has been almost non-existent. Wake will have to replace starting QB Riley Skinner and as of now they have five choices at quarterback. Skylar Jones will come into next year as a redshirt Junior and he’s gotten most of the reps at QB in spring practice. Coach Grobe’s other four choices are sophomores or freshmen, including redshirt freshman D.J. Jones who’s been converted from defensive back. Redshirt sophomore Ted Stachitas has been injured for the entirety of spring practice while Turner Faulk and Patrick Thompson have ably filled backup roles.
At East Carolina, Coach Ruffin McNeill has been in attrition mode. He lost two running backs (Giavanni Ruffin and Brandon Jackson) due to their arrests for alcohol related charges. Ruffin has been suspended indefinitely and Jackson has been dismissed from the team. This past weekend, McNeill was forced to dismiss Linebacker Austin Hayes for disciplinary reasons related to an arrest. Painfully, ECU Football is being retooled. The Pirates were already losing 15 starters from last years team. The further attrition due to disciplinary issues is only going to hurt them in the short term. ECU’s Purple-Gold game takes place at 2 p.m. on Friday at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on the campus of East Carolina.
North Carolina State has a budding quarterback controversy on their hands. Two-year starter Russell Wilson may not return in the fall and that has redshirt sophomore Mike Glennon getting most of the reps this spring. Wilson is red hot for the NC State Baseball team and he’s already planned to spend all Spring and Summer on baseball. Because he will have finished three years of college in May, Wilson will have the opportunity to declare for the MLB Draft this summer. That could lead to Glennon getting the starter’s job if Wilson stays with baseball. The Wolfpack have to wait and see at this point. The Kay Yow Spring Football Game takes place at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh at 1 p.m. this Saturday.
William and Mary have very few new elements to the team. The most noticable will be the new mascot that was unveiled last week. The Griffin is now their official mascot. Beyond that, William and Mary might not want to change too much from last season. Coach Laycock guided his team to the Division I FCS semi-finals where they fell to eventual National Champions Villanova. After a year like 2009, they should be looking to hold the status quo as much as possible. W&M loses only three starters from the offense: WR Brandyn Harvey, C Brian Brannigan and OT Johnathan Bugli. On the defensive side of the ball, W&M loses four starters: DE Tim Kukucka, NG Phil Matusz, LB Osayi Osunde and FS Ross Ventrone. Coach Laycock has a lot of senior leadership coming into next year. The CAA will be more competitive than ever. Could William and Mary repeat their good fortune from 2009? The Green and Gold Game at Zable Stadium at 1:30 p.m. this Saturday.
University of Tennessee has dealt with a lot of adversity this off season. They’ve seen the departure of charismatic Head Coach Lane Kiffin, the arrival of a more down to earth coach in Derek Dooley, and personnel changes due to discipline introduced by the new head coach. The Vols were due to have a down year before Coach Kiffin left. The cupboard was rather bare. Can Dooley outcoach the likes of Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer and Les Miles? The Vols have a tough schedule as always. Beyond their games with Memphis, UAB, Tennessee-Martin, Vandy and Kentucky, they’re likely to find their schedule tough to overcome. The Orange and White game will be played at 2 p.m. at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
Mike Glennon Gets Spring Reps for Wolfpack
Mike Glennon (Photo: AP/Gerry Broome)
NC State has to plan like they’re going to have a new QB next fall.
Mike Glennon, a heralded QB coming out of Westfield High School in Centreville, VA two years ago, has seen almost nothing but bench time in two years with the Wolfpack. Glennon was the #3 ranked QB in the country coming out of high school in the class of 2008 and has the bloodlines for QB since his older brother Sean was the starting quarterback for Virginia Tech before Tyrod Taylor. Now, because of the potential departure of two year starter Russell Wilson, NC State has to plan for the future.
Russell Wilson has played baseball and football at NC State. This year he will spend the entire spring and summer with baseball, which leaves Glennon as the man under center for all spring practices. If Wilson decides to stick with baseball at the end of the summer, the starting quarterback job could be Glennon’s come September. Wilson has now finished three years in college and could elect to play professional baseball instead of coming back to football with the Wolfpack.
Mike Glennon redshirted in his freshman year and ran the scout squad. Glennon served as a backup QB in his second season, but saw little action. He still has three years to play three seasons so there’s plenty of time for the future to play out. Glennon’s future may be now. The 6-7 220 QB saw playing time in seven games last season, but had only 39 passing attempts for the year.
Glennon will have no lack of targets as four key wide outs return from last year. All-ACC Tight End George Bryan will return as well. Bryan led the team with 40 receptions in the 2009 campaign. Strategically speaking, the Wolfpack should be in a good position for 2010. Glennon will be adequately prepared if he’s asked to take the reins as a redshirt sophomore. NC State could look forward to three seasons with Glennon as their starter. If Russell Wilson returns for his Junior season, the Wolfpack will have two able quarterbacks ready in the fall.
Notre Dame’s Loss is NC State’s Gain
New NCST DC Jon Tenuta (Photo: NDsports.com)
Jon Tenuta has landed at NC State.
Tenuta was most recently defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Notre Dame under Charlie Weis. With the departure of Weis and the arrival of Brian Kelly, Tenuta found himself out of a job. Tenuta is well tenured as a defensive coordinator, having served in that role for seven different schools over the last 16 years. He spent the last two years under Weis and prior to that he was at Georgia Tech for six years.
Coach Tenuta replaces former defensive coordinator Andy McCollum who left the Wolfpack to take over responsibilities as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgia Tech. It’s an ACC mini-coaching carousel.
The coaching game is a tough business. Head coaches move on, assistants get bounced, and eventually the music stops.
Tenuta started his coaching career in the ACC. He was a graduate assistant at UVA and Maryland in the early ’80s. Given his history in the ACC, and McCollum’s move to Georgia Tech, the net affect on area recruiting should be minimal. McCollum will certainly want to prove his worth as a recruiter with the Yellow Jackets, and Tenuta will welcome the move “back home” and into a warmer climate.