Our Sleeper: Mallard Creek's Michael Tart

We have started a Sleeper of the Day item that will target under-noticed Carolinas football recruiting prospects. It will run regularly to start with, then morph into a Sleeper of the Week and finally, as we exhaust the possibilities, maybe into a Sleeper of the Every Now and Then. As always, if you have a candidate, email me at solson@charlotteobserver.com.

MICHAEL TART, Punter, Mallard Creek High

Kickers and punters get no respect. Schools tend to spend their scholarships on QBs and RBs, WRs and linemen and DBs. And, if any spots are left, they might toss one in a K/P’s direction.

But you have to have quality kickers and punters to compete at a high level, and sooner or later, some school is going to be very happy with the addition of Mallard Creek High’s Michael Tart.

Tart is ranked as the No.1 punter in North Carolina and No.7 nationally by ProKicker.com. That can mean as much as you want it to mean, since the kids ranked are the kids that show up at ProKicker’s camps. But it’s not bad any way you look at it.

“He’s a great punter,” said Mallard Creek coach Mike Palmieri. “He had no punts at all returned on him last year.”

Tart had a net punting average of 41.8 yards as a junior, with a long of 63 yards. He was selected to the MECA 7 all-conference team.

Palmieri said that while Tart hasn’t received any offers yet, schools like Furman, Duke and North Carolina are showing interest. Expect that number to increase dramatically in the future. –Stan Olson