Follow signing day live as college football stars of tomorrow make their commitments official today by signing their national letters of intent. Ken Tysiac and Langston Wertz Jr. will update you on developments locally and for schools in the Carolinas and nationally.
Ken will also be chatting live from noon to 1 p.m. Watch for the link at www.charlotteobserver.com, where Ken will be updating all of the day's action and answering your questions about recruiting.
We also have Scott Fowler at ESPNU's Charlotte headquarters, following along with their 10 hours of national coverage. He'll be blogging at his Scott Says blog.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Juco running back picks Heels
North Carolina added a running back to its 2011 class today, one day before national signing day.
Stephen Houston, an honorable mention junior college All-American at Independence Community College in Kansas, has committed to the Tar Heels.
Houston is 5-foot-10 and 220 pounds and originally signed with Mississippi out of Lakota West High in West Chester, Ohio.
“He’s a big, strong runner and he’s got speed for a big guy,” said Independence coach Steve Carson.
Houston fills a positional need for North Carolina after running back Savon Huggins of Jersey City, N.J., committed to Rutgers on Friday.
Larry Cox, who coached Houston at Lakota West, measured him with a 33-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 3-inch standing long jump in high school. He said that after Houston did not qualify academically for his scholarship at Mississippi, he spent his first year of junior college redshirting and concentrating on his school work.
Houston played just one year of junior college football and has three years of eligibility remaining.
“They expect him to be able to have an impact,” Cox said, “and they expect him to be able to play for three years.”
Ken Tysiac
Stephen Houston, an honorable mention junior college All-American at Independence Community College in Kansas, has committed to the Tar Heels.
Houston is 5-foot-10 and 220 pounds and originally signed with Mississippi out of Lakota West High in West Chester, Ohio.
“He’s a big, strong runner and he’s got speed for a big guy,” said Independence coach Steve Carson.
Houston fills a positional need for North Carolina after running back Savon Huggins of Jersey City, N.J., committed to Rutgers on Friday.
Larry Cox, who coached Houston at Lakota West, measured him with a 33-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 3-inch standing long jump in high school. He said that after Houston did not qualify academically for his scholarship at Mississippi, he spent his first year of junior college redshirting and concentrating on his school work.
Houston played just one year of junior college football and has three years of eligibility remaining.
“They expect him to be able to have an impact,” Cox said, “and they expect him to be able to play for three years.”
Ken Tysiac
Monday, January 31, 2011
Cornerback picks N.C. State for 2012
Two days before signing day in 2011, cornerback Niles Clark has reserved an early spot in N.C. State's 2012 recruiting class by committing to the Wolfpack.
Clark, who's 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, is a three-year starter who was a teammate of current N.C. State starting center Camden Wentz at Lassiter High in Marietta, Ga.
"Camden kind of did a little recruiting there because Camden has had a good experience at the school," said Lassiter coach Jep Irwin.
Irwin said Clark wasn't inclined to court attention and go through the recruiting process throughout his senior season. Georgia Tech and Wake Forest had shown interest in Clark, but Irwin said that what Clark really wanted was a scholarship offer from N.C. State.
When the offer came, he accepted it. Last season Clark intercepted three passes, returning one for a touchdown; made 53 tackles; and blocked six extra points or field goals.
"He's very athletic," Irwin said. "He has good size for a corner and tremendous technique."
Ken Tysiac
Clark, who's 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, is a three-year starter who was a teammate of current N.C. State starting center Camden Wentz at Lassiter High in Marietta, Ga.
"Camden kind of did a little recruiting there because Camden has had a good experience at the school," said Lassiter coach Jep Irwin.
Irwin said Clark wasn't inclined to court attention and go through the recruiting process throughout his senior season. Georgia Tech and Wake Forest had shown interest in Clark, but Irwin said that what Clark really wanted was a scholarship offer from N.C. State.
When the offer came, he accepted it. Last season Clark intercepted three passes, returning one for a touchdown; made 53 tackles; and blocked six extra points or field goals.
"He's very athletic," Irwin said. "He has good size for a corner and tremendous technique."
Ken Tysiac
Pack adds DT commitment
Ty McGill, a 6-foot-1, 275-pound defensive tackle from Jessup, Ga., has become the latest member of N.C. State's 2011 recruiting class as coach Tom O'Brien is making a strong finishing push with signing day approaching Wednesday.
McGill is the fourth three-star player to commit to N.C. State in the last eight days; the others are wide receiver Hakeem Flowers of Greenville, S.C.; defensive tackle Chris Jones of Jacksonville, Fla., and tight end Benson Browne of Cincinnati.
-- Ken Tysiac
McGill is the fourth three-star player to commit to N.C. State in the last eight days; the others are wide receiver Hakeem Flowers of Greenville, S.C.; defensive tackle Chris Jones of Jacksonville, Fla., and tight end Benson Browne of Cincinnati.
-- Ken Tysiac
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Former Duke commit headed to S.C. State
West Charlotte running back Jalen Simmons, who had been committed to Duke, said this afternoon that he will attend South Carolina State instead.
"I'd like to thank them [Duke] for giving me a chance to play for them," Simmons said. "Things just didn't work out."
Simmons is rated as a three-star prospect by scout.com. His teammate from West Charlotte, linebacker Britton Grier, remains committed to the Blue Devils.
At S.C. State, Simmons said, he hopes to have an opportunity for immediate playing time.
"It's a family down there, with great coaches," he said, "and I feel like I can do great things."
Ken Tysiac
"I'd like to thank them [Duke] for giving me a chance to play for them," Simmons said. "Things just didn't work out."
Simmons is rated as a three-star prospect by scout.com. His teammate from West Charlotte, linebacker Britton Grier, remains committed to the Blue Devils.
At S.C. State, Simmons said, he hopes to have an opportunity for immediate playing time.
"It's a family down there, with great coaches," he said, "and I feel like I can do great things."
Ken Tysiac
O'Brien uses Cincinnati ties to land tight end
Coach Tom O’Brien’s background in Cincinnati has paid off in a commitment from Walnut Hills High tight end Benson Browne.
Walnut Hills coach George Kontsis said O’Brien, offensive coordinator Dana Bible, tight ends coach Jim Bridge and offensive line coach Don Horton all met with Browne at some point.
O’Brien, Bible and Horton all are from Cincinnati.
“That carried a lot of weight,” Kontsis said. “I think it does, and Benson thinks it does."
Browne is 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds and has been a basketball player his whole life. He has played football for just two seasons, but still received 10 scholarship offers, Kontsis said.
Although Browne didn’t catch many passes this season, Kontsis said he has excellent receiving skills.
“He’s about as athletic as you can be,” Kontsis said. “He’ll catch anything.”
Browne, who’s 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds, also considered Louisville and Illinois. Kontsis said Browne was comfortable with N.C. State because of its pro-style offense that features the tight end and because Browne will be the only player at that position in this class.
N.C. State returns two-time All-ACC tight end George Bryan, who will be a senior in 2011, and Kontsis expects Browne to redshirt because he needs more time to learn the game after just two years of experience.
Ken Tysiac
Walnut Hills coach George Kontsis said O’Brien, offensive coordinator Dana Bible, tight ends coach Jim Bridge and offensive line coach Don Horton all met with Browne at some point.
O’Brien, Bible and Horton all are from Cincinnati.
“That carried a lot of weight,” Kontsis said. “I think it does, and Benson thinks it does."
Browne is 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds and has been a basketball player his whole life. He has played football for just two seasons, but still received 10 scholarship offers, Kontsis said.
Although Browne didn’t catch many passes this season, Kontsis said he has excellent receiving skills.
“He’s about as athletic as you can be,” Kontsis said. “He’ll catch anything.”
Browne, who’s 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds, also considered Louisville and Illinois. Kontsis said Browne was comfortable with N.C. State because of its pro-style offense that features the tight end and because Browne will be the only player at that position in this class.
N.C. State returns two-time All-ACC tight end George Bryan, who will be a senior in 2011, and Kontsis expects Browne to redshirt because he needs more time to learn the game after just two years of experience.
Ken Tysiac
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