WCU football recruiting
CULLOWHEE–Western Carolina football coach Dennis Wagner and his staff brought an aggressive new recruiting style to Cullowhee, and this Wednesday, after their first full recruiting year, they’ll show off the results.
They’ve already shown extraordinary success in the mountains, impressing high school coaches who hadn’t been impressed by Western for a while, and landing three of the area’s top recruits.
Wagner’s style is to offer often and early, determining a player’s skill set and putting his cards on the table. This is opposed to the poker game some schools play with recruits, demanding early commitments, holding their offers contingent on other considerations, and so forth.
Below is a partial list of recruits, as pulled from newspaper reports and scouting reports. It might represent a third of the kids Wagner is pursuing, and since some of the info was provided by the kids to their local papers, the accuracy could be a little off here and there. Per NCAA rules, the school can’t talk until Wednesday.
Signed
These recruits were rated “Two-star” by Rivals.com
- Ryder Sloan, linebacker, Folkston, GA. Also recruited by: Charleston So., Eastern Michigan, Kent State
- Wesley Cook lineman from Hendersonville, NC. Also recruited by: Middle Tennessee
- JaQuavyn Smalls, cornerback out of Georgia Military College. Recruited by Ga. So., App. St., Middle Tenn., WCU only offer.
- Jacoby Mitchell, Southwest DeKalb, Atlanta, GA. Received offers from Delaware, Furman, Georgia Southern, Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Alabama-Birmingham, Middle Tennessee and Akron.
- Brian Johnson, a defensive end from Myers Park High in Charlotte. Recruited by several ACC and SEC schools. WCU and Miami OH offered.
- Michael Johnson, running back, Decatur, GA. Also recruited by Akron, Eastern Michigan.
These recruits weren’t rated by Rivals.com
- Ben Kennon, offensive lineman from York, SC, has signed, according to the Rock Hill Herald
- D.J. Parker, receiver, Bessemer City
- D.J. McClendon, receiver, Thomasville
- Ryan World, quarterback, Coto de Caza, Calif.
- Tanner Hidrogo, defensive back, Colorado Springs
- Buddy Robinson, defensive tackle, Bostic
- Connor Orr, tight end, Suwanee, GA
- Nicholas James, receiver, Winston-Salem
- Richard Hughes, defensive back, Decatur, GA
- Matt Hastings, offensive lineman, Connelly Springs
- Gil Broadway, offensive lineman, Washington, NC
- George Richardson, wide receiver, NC Tech/Glenn High School
- Nathaniel Stephenson, linebacker out of Jacksonville, FL’s First Coast High.
- Elijer Martinez, Cartersville, GA, defensive back.
- Quevalas “Boom Boom” Murray a defensive end from Shelby.
- Randy Pressley, a quarterback/defensive back from Weaverville.
- Rashawn Grate, athlete, of South Columbus.
Lost
- Rudy Cabral, Asheville Reynolds linebacker, de-committed Monday, Feb. 2. (Mars Hill)
- Whitefield Academy (GA) quarterback Trey Miller (Navy)
- Newnan, GA, lineman Adam Calhoun (Alabama State)
- Lineman Nick Schmalhofer of Lancaster, PA. (New Hampshire)
- Boiling Springs offensive lineman Jamey Cheatwood (Coastal Carolina)
- Lineman Jordan Miller of Kennesaw, GA (Memphis)
- Lineman Perry Owens of Edenton, NC (Old Dominion)
- West Brunswick, NC, quarterback/athlete Ryan Hill (Navy)
- Norcross, GA, defensive back/quarterback Charles King (Hutchinson Community College)(Didn’t make grades)
- Gastonia, NC, running back Jarkeevus Alexander (UNC-Pembroke) (Unclear whether WCU offered)
- Columbia, SC, High Pointe linebacker/runningback Devin Wherry (SC State) (Unclear whether WCU offered)
Undecided
- Newnan, GA, linebacker Will Koran. Has WCU offer, getting looks from UAB, Middle Tennessee State, Akron, Tennessee Tech, Eastern Kentucky and Marshall.
- Larry Raper, wide receiver/safety out of Shelby. From the Charlotte Observer: Raper is the only member of the Observer’s Top 25 North Carolina prospects list who has not yet committed. He is also one of the fastest players in the state, a legitimate 4.4 in the 40-yard dash. He was formerly committed to Clemson, but withdrew from that. Schools such as Toledo, Western Carolina, S.C. State and possibly Appalachian State seem likely now, although a BCS program or two may jump back in after signing day. From The State in Columbia on 2.09.09: “S.C. State remains in the running for Shrine Bowl running back Larry Raper of Shelby, N.C. Raper received late contact from a couple of major programs and is waiting to hear back before making a decision.”
- Shawn Bodtmann, a three-star BCS prospect linebacker out of Pennsylvania who signed with Nebraska last year, has had his scholarship pulled last-minute by the Huskers, and has been offered by WCU and Maine. He will visit WCU this weekend.
Unclear
- Willie Kennedy, a Gastonia Ashbrook linebacker/safety, committed early to Colorado, but the Buffs backed off because of grades. Charlotte Observer reports Kennedy has committed to Western contingent upon making grades. Also offered by Missouri and Marshall.
- King Mountain running back Joe Chambers has a “preferred walk-on” offer.
- Trenton, NC, quarterback Covair Frost was looked at by the Catamounts, but it is unclear whether he was offered.
Tags: Catamounts, Charlotte Observer, Cullowhee, dennis wagner, WCU football, western carolina football, Western Carolina University
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