First Appalachian commit lives next door to Western Carolina

I talked to Graham Fisher last night, and Appalachian State’s first commitment for its class of 2010—and its first offer—couldn’t be more excited if he had committed to Notre Dame.

“When they offered me, I committed on the spot,” he said excitedly. “I had told people I was going to.”

You know who that’s toughest on? Western Carolina.

Fisher is a 6-foot-2, 275-pound senior at Waynesville Tuscola, where he plays center and long-snaps. He grew up 15 minutes from Western’s campus, and his dad played baseball for the Catamounts.

But such is Appalachian’s reach in the N.C. mountains these days that it plucked Fisher right out of Western’s backyard.

“Appalachian’s pretty close to home,” he said, somewhat ironically. “And those three national championships really got my attention. I came to their summer camp and they really worked us hard. I fell in love with the place.

Fisher, by the way, is about as close as you can come to being a BCS prospect without actually being one.

“I’m 6-2, maybe really more like 6-1½,” he said. “Those Division I schools like their linemen to be 6-3.”

He had gotten mail from a number of major schools, including Syracuse and Boston College.

“But I knew I was gonna be borderline,” he said. “But I couldn’t be happier that I’m going to Appalachian."

--Stan Olson

Got recruiting news? Pop it to me at solson@charlotteobserver.com