East Carolina Pirates Football Recruiting Update

Skip Holtz and his staff have done an excellent job of upgrading the talent present in the East Carolina program with their past two recruiting classes. Their first class in 2005 was put together very quickly after Holtz was named head coach in early December. The 2006 class was a very solid one on paper as it was ranked tops in Conference USA by most publications. However, you never know for sure how good a class is until things play out on the field.

The Pirates have eight commitments thus far for the class of 2007. Here is a thumbnail sketch on each of those individuals:

Daronte McNeil is a 6-2, 217 pound, linebacker from Northeastern HS in Elizabeth City, NC. He rushed for 2,574 yards and 36 touchdowns as a junior while playing with 2006 Pirate signee Javon Brumsey. McNeil’s combination of speed (4.57 in the 40) and power has some of the nation’s top programs battling with East Carolina for his services, but McNeil has committed to the Pirates. Some of the other programs that McNeil has offers or is receiving interest from include: Virginia Tech, Penn State, Louisville, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida.
He has the benefit of running behind an experienced offensive line. This could allow him to potentially break former Northeastern running back Jacque Lewis’ rushing record of 3,000 yards. Lewis has gone on to a successful career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

McNeil ran for 244 yards on 23 carries in the opener as his Northeastern team came from behind to beat Williamston HS.

Darryl Freeney is a 5-10, 184 pound receiver, from Suffolk, VA and Nansemond River HS. As a junior, he hauled in 27 receptions for 540 yards and nine touchdowns. He has a 31-inch vertical jump and was clocked at 4.47 in the 40 at a combine in Chesapeake, VA that we held for the area high schools.

Austin Haynes is a 6-2, 199 pound linebacker, from Jacksonville (NC) and Southwest Onslow HS. He committed to the Pirates when they were the first to extend him an offer. He is also receiving interest from North Carolina and North Carolina State.

Ben Herlocker is a 6-0, 205 pound fullback, from Charlotte Catholic HS in Charlotte, NC. He was the MVP of the state championship game last season as his team won the 3-A title. He is also receiving interest from Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, and Wake Forest.

Herlocker had two three-yard touchdown runs in the second half and defending NC 3-A state champ Charlotte Catholic avoided the upset in the season opener as they defeated South Mecklenburg, 15-8.

D.J. McFadden is a 6-2, 210 pound quarterback from high school football power Charlotte Independence. Independence, which has a 93-game win streak, has been a quarterback factory turning out C.J. Leak ( Wake Forest and Tennessee), Chris Leak ( Florida) and Joe Cox ( Georgia). He is a good athlete, as he has 4.7 speed over 40 yards and a 37-inch vertical jump. Georgia Tech, South Carolina, NC State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, and Marshall are also recruiting him.

McFadden and the Independence passing game struggled as they won a defensive struggle over cross-town rival West Charlotte, 17-6.

Cliff Perryman is a 6-1, 218 pound linebacker, from Richmond, VA and Hermitage HS. He has also been shown interest by Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, and NC State. He has 4.6 speed. He is on a loaded high school team and appeared to be slipping under the radar, but not the Pirate coaches.

Steve Spence is a 6-1, 211 pound outside linebacker, from Maury HS in Norfolk, VA.

Devon Wallace is a 6-2, 195 pound defensive back, from Burlington, NC and Southern Alamance HS. He has 4.5 speed.

Devon’s Southern Alamance Patriots lost their season opener to perennial power Burlington Cummings, 48-14.

More recruiting updates will be provided as the season progresses and the Pirates receive more verbal commitments. There will also be updates on that recruit’s performance this season as the information is available.