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It's like Yuletide in February for avid followers of
football recruiting. This day before the national signing day has many of
the faithful as anxious as kids on Christmas Eve.
The problem is, fans won’t really know for sure which of the
presents are gems for several years.
Recruiting certainly isn’t an exact science. Former East Carolina coach
Steve Logan would laugh when asked about his class, compared to others. Time
and time again he had this comment.
“Those great recruiting classes will do one thing for you,”
said Logan. “They’ll get you fired.”
Logan had a valid point. It’s much better to struggle
against the in-state schools in recruiting, and then hammer those same teams
on the field.
East Carolina fans have long thought the so-called experts'
analysis of recruiting in this state was biased against the Pirates. Many
observers have pointed at different recruits through the years, players that
were "three-star" prospects when they were recruited by East Carolina, and
then saw their stock magically rise to four or five stars when North
Carolina or N.C. State would show interest.
Keeping up with recruiting has to be one of the most
difficult jobs in the media. That’s why I have so much respect for guys like
Sammy Batten of the Fayetteville Observer-Times. He and a handful of other
reporters around the state keep tabs on the high school players and rank the
teams' recruiting classes each year.
It’s a very difficult job.
A 17-year old may tell one reporter that he’s leaning toward
one school, and then tell another coach and reporter something different.
Add in the various message boards on the Internet, and you’ve got all the
makings of a smorgasbord of recruiting rumors.
East Carolina looks to sign 25 recruits, but they may not
all come on Wednesday. Coach John Thompson may hold a couple of scholarships
out for some potential late qualifiers.
Thompson continues to infuse enthusiasm into the Pirate
football program. The coaching staff will host a “signing party” on
Wednesday afternoon, and the public is invited.
One person close to the football program told me that
Thompson is going all out with the party. He wants any Pirate fan that can
get to the Murphy Center to get there.
Batten told me on Monday night that he thinks there may be a
surprise or two for East Carolina on Wednesday.
“They want to sign a big class, and I think there are a
couple of players that are going to sign that really haven’t been on the
Pirates' radar screen,” Batten said. “They have really been working Florida
and Georgia hard, so don’t be surprised if there are some new names on their
list come Wednesday.”
I got a call from Beddingfield High School on Monday,
indicating that Pierre Parker would sign his national letter of intent with
East Carolina on Wednesday.
Also from our area, Wendell Chavis from Hertford County and
Michael Horner from Williamston will sign with the Pirates.
It’s and exciting time and a new era for East Carolina
football. Make plans to get to the Murphy Center and be a part of the hoopla
surrounding the announcement of Coach Thompson's first recruiting class.
