Friday, May 29, 2009

S.C. speedster our Sleeper of the Day

JERRELL PRIESTER, RB, Allendale-Fairfax

Jerrell Priester can flat-out fly.

I watched him rip through a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at a combine last month, and the first thing he said afterward while still gasping for breath was, “I ran a 4.31 last week.”

I believe him. The 4.5 was over a grassy, bumpy practice field, and was the second-best time of the day out of the best efforts of perhaps 200 players.

Priester grinned. “I ain’t used to this kind of surface,” he said, still wheezing. “I’m used to smooth surfaces.”

Priester, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound running back at Allendale-Fairfax High, makes our sleeper list because he has legitimate, big-time, BCS-caliber speed. While it took many area schools a long time to notice him, others got in early.

He was first offered by S.C. State, but since then East Carolina and—ahem—Notre Dame have offered scholarships. Kentucky joined them last week.

They saw a kid who piled up 1,194 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns as a junior. And a young man who would be happy to play defensive back or even linebacker if it will get him on the field.

“I’ll play wherever I’m needed,” Priester said. “I didn’t play until my ninth-grade year, but I’ve loved football all my life.”

Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Virginia Tech are among others showing interest. They better show more than that quickly; Jerrell Priester has begun using that speed of his to take off. –Stan Olson

Our Sleeper of the Day item targets under-noticed Carolinas football recruiting prospects. As always, if you have a candidate, email me at
solson@charlotteobserver.com.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Duke has also offered him, but hey, don't worry about leaving them out in favor of a dominant CUSA power like UNC-E

Anonymous said...

Sounds like whereever he goes better introduce him to the conditioning program. Wheezing after running a 40? Hopefully it was right after doing something strenuous.

Anonymous said...

Who wrote this intelligent (?)informative (?) article? Oh yeah-Stan Olson! Yeah- wheezing after a 40? Sounds like he was running against 199 losers. WOW! 1100 YARDS AND 12 GIANT TOUCHDOWNS! Am I to be impressed? Show me his yards per carry Stan old man. What does it average out to? If It ain't 9 plus yards a carry and is more like 6 or 7 then quit blowing smoke trying to create a fire.

Observer Sports said...

Hey, anons,
Go out and run a 40 for time, has hard as you can. Then let me see whether you wheeze for a moment or two.
Oh, and come back when you have something of substance to contribute...
Stan

Anonymous said...

12.1 yd avg jerks http://southcarolina.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=94317&sport=1