East Carolina 2012 Recruiting

East Carolina Pirates 2012 ... Head Coach: Ruffin McNeill

East Carolina Pirates

2011 Record: 5-7

Sep. 3 S. Carolina (Char) L 56-37
Sep. 10 Virginia Tech L 17-10
Sep. 17 OPEN DATE
Sep. 24 UAB W 28-23
Oct. 1 North Carolina L 35-20
Oct. 8 at Houston L 56-3
Oct. 15 at Memphis W 35-17
Oct. 22 at Navy W 38-35
Oct. 29 Tulane W 34-13
Nov. 5 Southern Miss L 48-28
Nov. 12 at UTEP L 22-17
Nov. 19 UCF W 38-31
Nov. 26 at Marshall L 34-27 OT

2010 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2010 Record: 6-7

Sept. 5 Tulsa W 51-49
Sept. 11 Memphis W 49-24
Sept. 18 at Virginia Tech L 49-27
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Oct. 2 at North Carolina L 42-17
Oct. 9 at Southern Miss  W 44-43
Oct. 16 NC State W 33-27 OT
Oct. 23 Marshall W 37-10
Oct. 30 at UCF L 76-35
Nov. 6 Navy L 76-35
Nov. 11 at UAB W 54-42
Nov. 20 at Rice L 62-38
Nov. 26 SMU L 45-38 OT
MILITARY BOWL
Dec. 29 Maryland L 51-20
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 East Carolina Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. OT Jonathan McLaughlin
6-5, 280, Scout.com 69th ranked, three-star offensive tackle. Physically at 6'5 272 pounds his frame looks like he could possibly carry some additional weight if needed but he's still very impressive at this point. Has shown the ability to dominate at times but we'd like to see it on a more consistent basis. Hand placement and holding his blocks longer are other areas where he can improve his stock at this point. Gets down the field well to block for his backs. Has a lot of the tools to be a prospect with great upside especially if he adds a mean streak while he's on the field. Good student in the classroom with a 3.5 GPA. - Kerry Fair of SCPrepNation.com

2. S Lucas Thompson
6-2, 190, Scout.com 96th ranked, three-star safety. Prep coach Chip Petree told the Orlando Sentinel that Thompson "very easily could be a 4-3 outside linebacker. He run very well and has the potential to be a very large human being.”

3. WR Jabrill Solomon
6-2, 180, Scout.com 102nd ranked, three-star receiver.

4. S Godfrey Thompson
6-0, 205, Scout.com two-star JUCO transfer.

5. WR Lance Ray
6-3, 210, Scout.com two-star JUCO transfer.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Offense. The Pirates haven’t had too much of a problem putting up points and getting the passing game going under Ruffin McNeill, but now he needs to load up for the near future. More receiver talent is a must, but coming up with more options for the offensive line is also a need that’ll be addressed. After bringing in a slew of defensive backs in 2009, this year’s class needs more for the future.

Team Concerns For 2012: Defensive back. It’s time for that 2009 class to kick in with three starters gone. The leader, QB Dominique Davis, has to be replaced with Rio Johnson getting the first look, but he’ll need time to work behind a line that should be good in time, but needs a new left tackle to take over for Steven Baker.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: The Pirates have to go on without QB Dominique Davis, but nine starters return to an offense that finished 20th in the nation in passing. The running game was non-existent at times, but Torrance Hunt leads a promising trio of backs ready to do more. All the top targets are back, but Rio Johnson has to prove he can be the passer Davis was. The defense must come up with more of a pass rush, and it could happen with everyone returning up front. Leading tackler Jeremy Grove returns along with most of the linebacking corps, but three starters are gone from a secondary that turned out to be one of the team’s biggest strengths.

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 76. That Class Was Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. What does the worst defense in America need? People who can actually play defense. JUCO defensive ends John Lattimore and Leroy Vick are versatile enough to be moved around, while 290-pound Will Foxx has anchor potential. The biggest position upgrade could be at safety where Danny Webster and Domonique Lennon might be used out of the gate. Offensively, JUCO transfer Reggie Bullock is an intriguingly fast running back.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 99. That Class Was Heavy On ... Offensive tackles. New head coach Ruffin McNeill didn't have any time to do anything with the recruiting class, but he ended up getting four excellent offensive linemen to contribute right away. JUCO transfer Anthony Garrett will be an instant factor on the tackle depth chart, while Drew Gentry and Taylor Hudson were two of the team's best recruits.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 83. That Class Was Heavy On ... defensive backs. The Pirates have chosen to accentuate a team strength by bolstering an already talented secondary. Six defensive backs are the backbone of a relatively small class put together by Skip Holtz and his assistants. Damonte Terry, the top safety in the mix, is still raw, but has the speed and athletic ability to overshoot his grade at some point down the road.

Nov. 26 at Marshall 34 … East Carolina 27 OT  

(AP) HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Tron Martinez's 1-yard run in overtime lifted Marshall to a 34-27 win over East Carolina on Saturday.

Marshall (6-6, 5-3 Conference USA) became bowl eligible for the first time under second-year coach Doc Holliday.

Dominique Davis threw an interception on fourth down on East Carolina's overtime possession, keeping the Pirates (5-7, 4-4) out of a bowl for the first time in six years.

Davis threw three touchdown passes to Justin Jones, including a 6-yarder with 14 seconds left to force overtime. Davis finished 32 of 48 for 285 yards.

Marshall's Rakeem Cato completed 23 of 29 passes for 341 yards and two scores in his second straight start in place of the injured A.J. Graham. Aaron Dobson caught two TD passes and had four catches for 110 yards for the Thundering Herd.

Nov. 19 at East Carolina 38 … UCF 31

Nov. 12 at UTEP 22 … East Carolina 17

Nov. 5 Southern Miss 48 ... at East Carolina 28

Oct. 29 at East Carolina 34 … Tulane 13  

Oct. 22 East Carolina 38 … at Navy 35  
 
Oct. 15 at East Carolina 35 … Memphis 17
CFN Analysis: It took way too long to wake up and put away a miserable Memphis team, but Dominique Davis did get it together with 307 yards and three touchdowns while running for 25 yards and a score. The miserable pass rush finally started to get a little pressure with three sacks, and the defense stepped up in the second half, but the team as a whole isn’t looking ready to challenge the better Conference USA teams. The run defense and the inconsistent line will be put to the test against Navy next week, and then comes a winnable game against Tulane at home. Win that, and then the season gets interesting with Southern Miss to follow.  

Oct. 8 at Houston 56 … East Carolina 3
CFN Analysis: The offensive line is having an awful year, and the entire team is suffering. For yet another season, the defense is miserable and isn’t doing anything to stop anyone’s midrange passing game, and the ground game is the worst in the country after netting just 21 yards against the Cougars. Giving up nine sacks will kill the average, and it’ll also force a ton of mistakes with Dominique Davis having to force his throws to make up for the problems everywhere else. At this point, if Davis isn’t bombing away for 300 yards, ECU doesn’t have a prayer – except for next week against Memphis. There’s still a chance to turn the season around, but the turnovers have to stop and the O line needs to give Davis a shot.

Oct. 1 North Carolina 35 … at East Carolina 20
CFN Analysis: East Carolina has a strong offense, but it hasn’t been consistent, there’s no running game, and it’s not doing enough early in games. Having Dominique Davis to bomb away is always a nice security blanket, but even 417 passing yards didn’t get the job done with four turnovers and a soft defense too much to overcome. At 1-3 it’s not quite time to panic. If the Pirates can beat Houston on the road, they’ll be 2-0 in Conference USA play before getting the two-foot putt against Memphis. Getting off to a hot start will be a must. 

Sept. 24 at East Carolina 28 … UAB 23
CFN Analysis: Did East Carolina get the memo that UAB was awful? The only possible way the Pirates could’ve missed the two foot putt was by making a ton of big mistakes. Seven turnovers later, ECU did everything it could to give away the game. Fortunately, Reggie Bullock came up with a perfect time to tear off 169 yards and a touchdown, coming up with yards in chunks, and Dominique Davis made up for his mistakes with 361 yards and three scoring passes, spreading the ball around well. ECU isn’t disruptive enough defensively and is too soft up front, and that’s a problem with North Carolina coming to town next week. 
 
Sept. 10 Virginia Tech 17 … at East Carolina 10
CFN Analysis: The ECU offense is supposed to be able to bomb away on anyone, but it struggled in the second half against South Carolina once the Gamecock D turned up the head, and things went nowhere against the dialed in Hokies. The running game was non-existent, finishing with -15 net yards after allowing ten tackles for loss and five sacks. The Pirate defense did a little work of its own to pressure the Virginia Tech passing game, but it had problems against the ground game. Daniel Drake made 13 tackles, and there were some good stops to keep the game alive, but the offense didn’t do enough to take advantage of the opportunities. Conference USA play starts next week against UAB. 

Sept. 3 South Carolina 56 … East Carolina 37
CFN Analysis: Daniel Drake made 14 tackles, Derek Blacknall broke up four passes, and there were four forced fumbles, and that’s about it for anything positive from the East Carolina defense. Dominique Davis was great early, and he finished with four touchdown passes, but the team couldn’t generate enough offense when the defense wasn’t taking the ball away. South Carolina is a top five-caliber team that’s going to put up big numbers all season long, and while the second half might have been disappointing, ECU showed enough promise to give Virginia Tech a game next week. If the offensive line can keep Davis from getting sacked again, it could be a thriller. 
 
The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On … Defensive linemen. What does the worst defense in America need? People who can actually play defense. JUCO defensive ends John Lattimore and Leroy Vick are versatile enough to be moved around, while 290-pound Will Foxx has anchor potential. The biggest position upgrade could be at safety where Danny Webster and Domonique Lennon might be used out of the gate. Offensively, JUCO transfer Reggie Bullock is an intriguingly fast running back.

Five East Carolina Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. DE John Lattimore
6-3, 250, three-star JUCO transfer

2. LB Zeek Bigger
6-2, 205, Scout.com’s 55th ranked middle linebacker

3. S Danny Webster
5-11, 170, Scout.com’s 103rd ranked safety

4. S Domonique Lennon
6-2, 190, Scout.com’s 104th ranked safety

5. DE Leroy Vick
6-6, 275, two-star JUCO transfer

2011 Entire Recruiting Class

Chris Baker DE 6-3 230 Jr. Greenville, Miss./Hinds CC
Jeton Beavers DE 6-5 260 Fr. Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside
Zeek Bigger LB 6-2 210 Fr. Gastonia, N.C./Ashbrook
Joseph Blanks LB 6-2 230 Jr. Pembroke, N.C./ASA
Chevelle Buie RB 5-9 170 Fr. Cocoa, Fla./Cocoa
Reggie Bullock RB 5-9 175 Jr. Las Vegas, Nev./Arizona Western CC
Antonio Cannon WR 6-2 175 Fr. Central, S.C./Daniel
Treshawn Council LB 6-1 210 Fr. Durham, N.C./Hillside
Will Foxx DT 6-2 280 Fr. Greensboro, N.C./Oak Ridge Military Academy
Chris Hairston RB 6-0 200 Fr. Winston-Salem, N.C./Parkland
Isaac Harris OL 6-7 270 Fr. Irmo, S.C./Dutch Fork
Glen Hilliard DB 5-10 170 Fr. Anderson, S.C./T.L. Hanna
Stewart Hinson OL 6-7 270 Fr. Monroe, N.C./Piedmont
Dontrill Hyman DE 6-6 250 Fr. Warsaw, N.C./Kenan
Cody Keith QB 6-3 195 Fr. Charlotte, N.C./Cheshire Academy
John Lattimore DE 6-4 265 Jr. Lexington, N.C./Ventura CC
Domonique Lennon DB 6-2 190 Fr. Suffolk, Va./Nansemond-Suffolk Academy
Chaz Lowery OL 6-5 268 Fr. Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes)
Montese Overton LB 6-3 200 Fr. Greenville, N.C./South Central
Tre Robertson OL 6-5 320 Fr. Roxboro, N.C./Person
Rocco Scarfone DB 5-11 165 Fr. Greensboro, N.C./Northern Guilford
Terrell Stanley DT 6-2 260 Fr. Southport, N.C./South Brunswick
C.J. Struyk OL/DS 6-2 245 Fr. Morehead City, N.C./West Carteret
Donte Sumpter WR 6-0 175 Fr. Myrtle Beach, S.C./Myrtle Beach
Leroy Vick DT 6-6 270 Jr. Wilson, N.C./Georgia Military College
Danny Webster WR 5-10 170 Fr. Havelock, N.C./Havelock
Jonathan White DT 6-4 275 Fr. High Point, N.C./Central