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2002 ECU Pirate Football Recruiting
Known Commitments for East Carolina's 2002
Football Signing Class
[ Click here to view known
commitments for the Pirates' 2003 recruiting class. ]
(This page last updated May 12, 2002.)
APPENDED NOTE #1: TWO PLAYERS, AS NOTED IN
THEIR INDIVIDUAL PROFILES BELOW, DID NOT SIGN,
BRINGING TO 22 THE NUMBER OF SIGNED PLAYERS.
APPENDED NOTE #2: A LATE COMMITMENT, MARKEITH
MCQUEEN, WILL REPORTEDLY SIGN WITH EAST CAROLINA
MONDAY, MAY 13, INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE CLASS TO 23.
Bonesville.net Staff
----- Late Commitment -----
Markeith McQueen (5-10, 175), Lakewood Ranch
High, East Manatee, Fla. ... Passed his SAT two weeks ago and is expected to
be signed by ECU defensive coordinator Tim Rose on Monday, May 13. ... Ran
for 1,446 yards on 198 carries as a senior and scored 19 touchdowns to lead
the Mustangs to a 9-3 record and the school’s first ever 3-A playoff win,
38-0 over Fort Pierce Central. ... Speed is a big asset for him. He has a
4.4-second time for 40 yards and has run an electronically-timed 10.4 for
100 meters. “As a junior he was a track guy carrying a football,” Lakewood
Ranch coach Faust DeLazzer told the Bradenton (Fla.) Herald. “Now he is a
running back and the total package.” ... DeLazzer said McQueen was also used
as a receiver out of the backfield and said he may be used immediately as a
kick returner for the Pirates.
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Will Bland (5-9, 175), QB-Athlete, Havelock. ... Excelled in the Rams'
run-oriented offense but still threw for over 1,100 yards, flashing the
potential to develop into a competent passer at the college level. ...
Overall athletic skills and speed in the 4.4-4.5 range make Bland a valuable
commodity with the tools to be groomed for a number of positions. ...
Coached by Wilbur Sasser, a Goldsboro native who lettered at East Carolina
from 1968-70 under Clarence Stasavich and Mike McGee. [Source: Greenville
Daily Reflector, 01/15/02] Bryson Bowling (6-3, 165), WR-DB, Johnson City, TN, Science Hill. ...
Chose East Carolina over Clemson, Georgia Southern, East Tennessee State and
Western Carolina. ... Tennessee Sports Writers Association First-team
All-State Class 5A WR. ... AP Second-team All-State WR. ... Accomplished
decathlon performer on the strength of outstanding sprint, triple-jump and
pole vault skills. ... Bowling's high school, Science Hill, is the alma
mater of former Duke and Florida coach and recently-named Washington
Redskins' coach Steve Spurrier. ... Coached by John Bowles. Jared Brogden (5-9, 160), DB, Apex, NC. ... Committed to ECU after
attending Pirates football camp. ... Had 41 tackles, three interceptions and
a fumble recovery in 2000. ... Dad is Joe Brogden, an Apex assistant coach.
... Projects as an academic qualifier with a 1010 on his PSAT. ... Also
plays wide receiver and returns punts but projects on defense in college. Dontre Brown, (6-0, 240) DL, Fayetteville Douglas Byrd. ... Made
All-Conference as a junior in the always tough Fayetteville-based Mid-South
4-A ... runs a 4.8 second/40 yards ... plays fullback on offense but
projects on defense for the Pirates. Ryan Dougherty (5-11, 185), P/K,
Orlando (Fla) Boone ... Visited ECU the weekend of Jan. 19 and committed.
... Dougherty is rated one of the top six kicking specialists in Florida by
recruiting analyst Bill Buchalter of the Orlando Sentinel and was All State
in the 6-A class. ... He averaged 41.1 yards per punt last season although
he sacrificed distance on occasion to kick out of bounds. ... What the
Pirates were likely most impressed with is Dougherty’s ability to
consistently kick off to the end zone, a deficiency in recent seasons for
ECU. ... Buchalter also called Dougherty “a big time soccer talent.” ...
Only played two years of football but also developed into a quality receiver
and a back-up quarterback. ... Ran for touchdowns twice from field goal
alignment his senior season when he made 2 of 3 field goal attempts. ...
Prep coach was Phil Ziglar. ... His team went 8-3 and won its district title
but lost to the eventual state champion in the first round of the playoffs.
... Was also recruited by Central Florida, Miami and Memphis. ... Boone
program has produced former Florida State punter Keith Cottrell and Indiana
punter Ryan Hamre.
Gary Freeman, (6-2, 290) C, Deep Creek, Va. ... Team has been 23-2 the last
two years playing in Virginia’s largest classification ... went to camps at
Virginia Tech and ECU this summer ... Made All-State as a junior. ... A
first baseman in baseball and a tackle on defense in football, he projects
on the offensive side at ECU. Bryant Garrett (6-4, 275), Offensive
Lineman, Staunton River High, Moneta, VA... Rated one of the Top 40
prospects in Virginia in the preseason by The Roanoke Times... Suffered a
sprained medial collateral ligament in the Golden Eagles' third game... Made
an oral commitment to East Carolina when Pirate coaches reaffirmed their
intention to offer a scholarship despite the injury... Also received
interest from Virginia Tech... Coached by Bob Gray, who says he believes
Garrett is the first Staunton River player to sign with a Division I-A
program out of high school... The 13th known commitment to ECU. (Based on a
report by Doug Doughty of The Roanoke Times.) — NOTE:
GARRETT DID NOT SIGN. — Eric Graham (6-6, 300) OT,
Richlands ... A late bloomer in terms of his athletic development, according
to Wildcats coach Kevin Wilson. ... “He went from being not so strong to
strong and not so quick to quick,” Wilson said. “In basketball last year,
for example, he was just big. Now, he can really play.” ... Elizabeth City
State and North Carolina A&T had offered scholarships to Graham. ... North
Carolina and N.C. State had shown recruiting interest. ... Wilson said
Graham and his mother, Evelyn, visited ECU the weekend of Jan. 26 and had
breakfast with ECU coach Steve Logan. ... Graham moved to Richlands from
Oklahoma two years ago while his father did an Army tour of duty in Belgium.
His mother is from the Richlands area. ... Graham made the Jacksonville
(N.C.) Daily News All Area team and was all conference in the East Central
2-A after helping Richlands to an 11-2 record. ... A broken foot limited his
play as a junior. ... Graham did the long snapping on punts and field goals
for the Wildcats. ... Wilson said he had the fastest time among long
snappers at the UNC camp the last two summers. ... Starts at center in
basketball and is projected as a regional qualifier in the discus in track.
... He bench presses 300, deadlifts 605, squats 400 and cleans 250. ... His
40 time is 5.3. ... Showed pass protection and run blocking skills last
season. ... Projects as an academic qualifier but will probably redshirt
next year. ... Wilson said ECU running backs coach Jerry McManus coordinated
Graham’s recruitment. Iverick Harris
(6-3, 210), WR, Burlington Cummings ... Helped his team to the state 2-A
final with 65 catches for 1,325 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2001. ... Visited
N.C. State and Virginia. Had a visit scheduled to Florida on Jan. 12 but
that was put on hold after Steve Spurrier left to coach the Washington
Redskins. ... Visited ECU on the weekend of Feb. 2. Liked Greenville and the
Pirates offense. “He told me, ‘Coach, it just fits for me,’ ” said Jay
Perdue, offensive coordinator for Cummings, who also coaches Harris in
track. Harris runs a 4.5-second/40 yards. In track he has run 22.5 in the
200 meters, done 47-1 in the triple jump, 6-6 in the high jump and sub-50 in
the 400. ... Benches 305 pounds. ... Was dismissed from the Cummings
basketball team after a scuffle at the end of a game with Reidsville, a
rivalry where some bad blood apparently carried over from football. ... His
recruitment was coordinated by ECU receivers coach Bob Leahy, according to
Perdue. Shauntae Hunt (6-6, 248), DT, Warren County ...
Selected to the East team for the East-West game in Greensboro and his
coach, Morton Jones, will be an East assistant. ... Hunt had 115 tackles and
four sacks for a 5-5 team in 2001. ... “He would have had more but people
usually ran away from him,” Jones said. ... ECU running back Marvin Townes
and Pirates receiver Richard Alston are also from Warren County. ... Hunt
ran a 4.8-second time in the 40-yard dash last year, according to Jones, and
bench presses around 275. ... Other schools who were in the recruiting
picture included N.C. Central, North Carolina, Winston-Salem State and
Virginia. ... Jones said Hunt still has some work to do to be academically
qualified. Reicko Jones (5-9, 165) DB, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., William
T. Dwyer High ... Projected as a defensive back for the Pirates but his
speed allowed him to play a versatile role for the 5-A Panthers. ... Had 22
catches for 463 yards and eight touchdowns as a receiver his junior year as
the team went 13-2 and reached the state final. ... Jones had 36 catches for
594 yards for an 8-3 team in 2001. ... He returned six kickoffs for
touchdowns as a junior and was first team all-state as a kick returner in
2000. ... Returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in 2001. ... Had nine
interceptions as a junior and two this past season, making third team
all-state as a defensive back in 2001. ... Played for the North squad in the
Treasure Coast Outback All-Star game and had an interception of James
Pinkney, an ECU commitment from Boca Raton Olympic Heights High. ... Jones
has run a 10.6-second time in the 100 meters. ... “He’s a legitimate 4.4 in
the 40,” said Dwyer coach Jack Daniels. ... Jones visited Iowa and Rutgers.
... He canceled visits to Florida Atlantic and Eastern Michigan after
committing to ECU. ... Pirates assistant Donald Yanowsky handled Jones’
recruitment, according to Daniels.
David Jorgensen (6-3 1/2, 290), Scotland County, OL
... Committed to the Pirates on Monday night, Sept. 17, becoming the ninth
known high school senior to express intentions of playing for ECU. ...
Attended Steve Logan’s camp. ... Runs 40 yards in personal best of 5.2
seconds and has a max effort of 440 pounds in the bench press. ... Comes
from a strong program that also has sent defensive back Brandon Rainer and
two others, reserve noseguard Nathan Barnes and true freshman split end
Garrett Peterkin, to ECU. ... Coached on the prep level by Mark Barnes.
Roddy Long (6-6, 215), TE-DE, Hickory. ... Size and 4.6 speed helped him
have an impact on both sides of the ball as a senior. ... Was a key pass
receiver at both the tight end and wide receiver positions in addition to
notching a number of sacks and blocked punts as a defensive end. ... Has the
ability to accelerate rapidly, the frame to pack on some muscle, and could
become a factor at any one of a number of positions at ECU. ... Coached by
David Elder. [Source: Greenville Daily Reflector, 01/15/02]
— NOTE: LONG DID NOT SIGN. —
Micky McCoy (6-2, 185), Slotback, Harrison
High, Kennesaw, Ga. ... Preseason All-Cobb County after helping his team
reach the state 5-A final as a junior. ... Has rushed for over 100 yards in
each of the last three games for his playoff-qualified team as a senior. ...
4.4-second/40 yards. ... projects as a wideout for ECU. ... over 80 yards in
receptions last game. ... Committed to Pirates on Monday night, Nov. 5,
according to his prep coach, Bruce Cobleigh. ... plays strong safety on
defense. ... Plays in a talent-rich program which has about 30 players
currently playing collegiately. ... Recruited by ECU offensive line coach
Steve Shankweiler, who developed Georgia connections as an assistant at
Georgia Tech under Bill Lewis. ... The 11th commitment to ECU.
Steve Mercier (6-3, 285), West Brunswick. Mercier is relatively slow, 5.6
seconds over 40 yards, but he is powerful with over 40 pancake blocks and a
90 percent blocking grade as a junior when he was a All-Mideastern 3-A/4-A
Conference selection for the Trojans. ... He is coached by former Whiteville
High and Elon quarterback Heath Hewitt.
Richard Moton (6-4, 190), FS, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College,
Miami, Okla. ... Signed with Oklahoma State out of high school in Tulsa but
did not qualify academically. ... His two-year junior college totals
included 67 solo tackles, 61 assists, 14 pass deflections, six interceptions
for 109 yards and a touchdown, and two fumble recoveries. ... Moton had 16
punt returns for 161 yards and a touchdown for a 6-5 team last season. ...
Consistently runs a 4.5/4.6-second time in the 40 and bench presses 300. ...
Has done well academically at the junior college and is scheduled to
graduate in May. ... ECU won a recruiting battle that included Oklahoma
State, Baylor, North Texas, Houston and Tulsa. ... Moton could help ECU’s
struggling pass defense immediately.
Lorenza Pickett, (6-1, 225) LB, Fayetteville Douglas Byrd. ... Program is
usually one of the best in the state, going 11-3 last season. ... made
All-Conference in 2000. ... lineman on offense, projects as linebacker. ...
4.7 seconds/40 yards.
James Pinkney, QB (6-3, 190), Olympic Heights High, Boca Raton, Fla. ...
Led the larger classification schools in Florida’s Palm Beach County in
passing yardage (1,807). ... Completed 98 of 182 passes with 13 touchdowns
and eight interceptions during his senior season for a 6-A team that was 6-4
overall. ... Pinkney ran 48 times and netted 60 yards with four touchdowns
in 2001. ... Selected to the Palm Beach Post’s All Area team. ... He
originally committed to Iowa State, according to recruiting analyst Bill
Buchalter of the Orlando Sun-Sentinel.
Kevin Roach, (6-5, 190) WR, Williamston. ... Three-year starter. ... 18
catches for 311 yards and four TDs as a junior ... Comes from a proven 1-A
program that also produced current ECU linebacking star Pernell Griffin. ...
4.7 seconds/40 yards.
Kort Shankweiler, (6-2, 205) QB, Greenville Rose. ... Completed 93 of 185
passes for 1,657 yards and 13 touchdowns with six interceptions in 2000. ...
Also ran for two scores. ... Had scholarship offers from North Carolina,
N.C. State, Pittsburgh, and Appalachian State. ... His dad, Steve, is
offensive line coach at ECU. ... 4.8 seconds/40 yards. ... Plays baseball
for Rose and Pitt County American Legion team but will focus on football at
ECU. ... A Pirates fan from a young age.
Drew Sutton (6-5,
285), OL, Warner Robins, Ga. ... Listed at 250 pounds on his high school
program’s web site,
www.robinsfootball.com but Demons
head coach, Richard Fendley said Sutton weighs 285. “The kid has improved a
lot,” Findley said. “He was just a big, ol’ tall kid in the ninth grade.
He’s going to be a lot better. He’s just beginning to fill out.” ... Sutton
was a two-year starter for a 5-A program that was 11-1 in 2000 and 6-5 in
2001. Played tight end in a run-dominated offense. ... “He’s got good feet.
We were a run-oriented team and he’s a good straight-ahead blocker,” Fendley
said. “They might have to work on his pass blocking.” ... The Demons ran for
2,620 of their 3,029 total yards last season. ... Likely will redshirt in
2002. ... Recruited by ECU offensive line coach Steve Shankweiler. ...
Visited Georgia and had recruiting interest from Kansas. ... Former ECU
receiver Terry Gallaher is on the Warner Robins coaching staff. ... Plays
first base in baseball. ... Runs a 5.3 for 40 yards and benches around 300,
according to Fendley.
Eric Terry, DL (6-4, 225), Richmond County High, Rockingham, N.C. ... All
Mid-Southeastern 4-A Conference and selected to the Shrine Bowl. ... Coached
his senior year by Ed Emory, ECU’s head coach from 1980 to ’84. ... Has not
yet qualified academically but Emory said Pirates coach Steve Logan has made
a scholarship commitment regardless of Terry’s final high school academic
standing. ... High 700s on his SAT, according to Emory. ... Richmond
County’s strength coach is Paul Hoggard, who lettered as an ECU offensive
lineman in 1985-86. Hoggard reported that in testing in the summer of 2001
that Terry benched 315 pounds, squatted 405, and power cleaned 310. Hoggard
said Terry’s 40-yard time is 4.75-seconds and that Terry has a 29-inch
vertical jump. ... “He doesn’t have an ounce of fat on him,” Emory said. “He
can put on some weight and play defensive tackle or he’s fast enough to play
defensive end.”
Thomas Wingenbach (6-6, 295) OT, Winchester,
VA, John Handley. ... Became an accomplished bodyguard for the quarterback
in a pass-oriented offense. ... Played right tackle and handled the
blind-side protection duties for a left-handed signal caller. ... A
three-year starter, Wingenbach was also recruited by Virginia Tech,
Virginia, West Virginia and Marshall. ... Coached by Todd Hill.
[Source: Greenville Daily Reflector, 01/15/02]
Mar'ques Woolford (6-4, 200),
Jacksonville White Oak ... Hasn’t played a lot of football but has run a
47-second 400-meter in track. ... He impressed ECU coaches with his
athleticism at football camp. ... He’ll play tight end on offense and
defensive back. ... Projects as a free safety and at 6-4, 200, he’ll be
tough to throw over. Players Who Retracted
Commitments
Daniel Inman, (6-7, 305) OL, Hope Mills South View. ...
His dad, Wayne, was
an offensive lineman from 1977-80, who was added to the ECU Hall of Fame in
2000. ... Helped his team to the Eastern 4-A championship last season. ...
5.4 seconds/40 yards. ... Coached by Randy Ledford. (Note from the Editor: Inman reportedly
de-committed from the Pirates during the first half of January, then
included
ECU on a revised list of finalists before committing to Georgia.) Jacoby Watkins (6-1, 175) CB, Scotland
County. ... Watkins is a Shrine Bowl selection, as is teammate David
Jorgensen, an offensive lineman who had previously committed to ECU. ...
Watkins has 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash. ... Was All Southeastern
4-A Conference as a junior. ... Has eight career interceptions. ... The 2001
Scots were scheduled to play at unbeaten Wilmington Laney in the first round
of the state playoffs on Nov. 16. ... Coached on the prep level by Mark
Barnes. (Note from the Editor: Watkins had been listed as the 12th commitment to ECU.
Retracted his commitment during the latter stages of January and reportedly
made a verbal pledge to North Carolina.)
Known Commitments for East Carolina's 2003 Football Signing Class
(One player as of February 5, 2002) Michael
Horner (6-5, 256), DT, Williamston ... An early commitment for 2003 from the
prep program that produced Pirates linebacker Pernell Griffin and other ECU
personnel. ... Plays for Tigers coach Harold Robinson. ... “He’s very raw at
the time being,” Robinson said. “East Carolina should be good for him. He’s
the type of kid who doesn’t need to be too far from home and I don’t mean
that in a negative way. It will be good for him to be where he can come home
and see his parents some.” ... Williamston reached the state 1-A final in
2001. ... Horner made All Conference in the Four Rivers 1-A as a junior. ...
4.7 seconds for 40 yards and 300-plus bench. ... Projects as a down lineman
at ECU with a frame that could carry 290-295, according to Robinson.
02/23/2007 06:34:43 PM
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