NCSU Gets Big-time Recruit

Williams signs with State
By Tim Stevens, Raleigh News & Observer Staff Writer

Mario Williams followed his heart Wednesday night when he announced that he would accept a football scholarship to N.C. State. But it was an emotional decision that had been thoroughly researched.

"It was a tough decision. It really was," Williams said Wednesday night from Atlanta, Ga., after making his announcement on Fox Sports South's Countdown to Signing Day show. "The family environment at State was the final factor. I get along well with the people there. I really like those guys."

Williams, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound defensive end with 4.5 speed in 40 yards at Richlands High near Jacksonville, chose the in-state Wolfpack despite strong pitches by Ohio State and Tennessee and a late push by Clemson.

He told N.C. State coach Chuck Amato that he was joining State during an official visit last weekend, but kept his final decision a secret.

He told Richlands coach Kevin Wilson that he was going to State at 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning shortly before they and Mary Williams, Mario's mother, left for the Raleigh-Durham airport and a flight to Atlanta to make the national announcement.

"Mario has already told Chuck Amato that he plans to graduate in three years and be a first-round pick in the NFL draft," Wilson said. "Mario knows that defensive ends are among the best paid players in the NFL.

"But he also wants his business degree. That's very important to him." Williams will graduate from Richlands on Thursday, a semester early, and plans to join State's team as it practices for its Gator Bowl game against Notre Dame.

He can practice before the game, dress in his Wolfpack uniform and stand on the sidelines at the Gator Bowl, but cannot play. Amato cannot comment about recruits by NCAA regulations, but said he wants to use the bowl practice productively for any player that joins the squad now.

"It's a good time for them and can be a good adjustment period," Amato said. "I told our coaches, if it can happen, I don't want them just thrown out there and go down to the scout squad.

"I want them to stay with their position coaches, to go into a meeting and learn, and stand on the field and watch their position get coached. So they can learn and it will be a jumpstart for spring practice."

Amato doesn't know if bringing players in to practice before the bowls will become a trend. Amato hesitated saying that early high school graduation was a trend.

"It's something you can do," he said. "There's an awful lot that has to happen, not just graduate early but then get cleared by the [NCAA] Clearinghouse. Then you have to have a place in your scholarship numbers to bring someone in.

"A trend? I don't know. You do what you have to do in recruiting." Williams is ranked among the top college prospects in the country with an unusual combination of speed, size and strength (385-pound bench press).

He committed to State before the start of his junior year, but later agreed to be recruited by other schools. Williams had never been outside of North Carolina and had never flown in an airplane until he started being recruited.

"It was a good experience," he said of his recruitment. "I saw things that I had never seen before and went places that I had only seen on television."

He was very impressed with Tennessee and said earlier this fall that if he lived in Tennessee there would be no doubt that he'd join the Volunteers.

"But I live in North Carolina," he said. He loved Ohio State and was impressed that the Buckeyes are playing for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl against Miami.

"But they are loaded with defensive ends," he said.

Mary, his mother, is the manager of the Subway sandwich shop in Richlands and wanted him to stay close enough so that she could go to his games, but said the decision had to be Mario's.

State could be assembling one of the top recruiting classes in the country, although none of the commitments thus far are binding on the school or the players.

Players may sign national letters of intent in February. Current N.C. State quarterback Phillips Rivers also graduated a semester early, enrolled at State and went through spring practice before his freshman year.

Before going to State, Williams is expected to play with the North Carolina squad in the Shrine Bowl Game of the Carolinas in Rock Hill, S.C., an all-star game between teams from North Carolina and South Carolina.

State also has received a commitment from LeRue Rumpf, a 6-2, 213-pound safety at Clearwater (Fla.) Central Catholic. He is ranked among the top 20 defensive backs in the country.

 

Pack off to quick start with football recruiting
Top runner, three defenders among early commitments
By Bill Cole, Winston-Salem Journal Reporter

N.C. State scored big on its first football recruiting weekend of the year by receiving commitments from four outstanding players.

Among those was Darrell Blackman, a 6-1, 185-pound running back from Williamsport (Pa.) Area High School who was a preseason All-America selection by SuperPrep.

Joining Blackman were teammate Raymond Brooks, a 6-4, 240-pound defensive end; LeRue Rumph, a 6-2, 213-pound defensive back from Clearwater, Fla., and Central Catholic High; and Stephen Tulloch, a 5-11, 220-pound linebacker from Miami and Killian High.

"Coach (Chuck) Amato said we're going to win the national championship at N.C. State," Tulloch said. "That made me want to go there and play for him."

The class could get stronger. Mario Williams, a 6-6, 257-pound defensive end from Richlands High, another SuperPrep All-America, is expected to select N.C. State.

N.C. State's class has been built to 12 players, including one junior-college transfer. The addition of Williams would give N.C. State four preseason SuperPrep All-Americas. The other eight high-school players were all ranked by SuperPrep in the preseason among the top players in their states or regions.

Blackman and Brooks visited Iowa, Virginia, Maryland and Pittsburgh in addition to N.C. State. Blackman rushed for 2,467 yards and scored 22 touchdowns as a senior, helping his team go 7-4.

Blackman has been timed at 4.4 seconds over 40 yards.

"It's legit, maybe a little conservative," Coach Stephen Radocaj said. "He's a team kid. You look at his outstanding individual stats, but he's put everything aside for team success. That's the kind of kid he is."

Brooks has 4.5 speed and had two 95-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns as a senior. Radocaj said that Blackman and Brooks talked of visiting different schools but would up visiting the same schools.

Brooks was ranked the No. 13 senior in Pennsylvania in the preseason by SuperPrep.

Rumph played 10 games as a senior but his season ended early after he injured his right leg and needed surgery.

Rumph had 70 tackles and six interceptions before being hurt. He has 4.52 speed and was offered scholarships by Georgia, South Carolina and South Florida. He comes from the same high-school program that produced Jay Davis, a redshirt freshman quarterback at N.C. State.

"I can honestly say it's the best (NCAA) Division I program with probably the brightest future for me, whether that ends up being with academics or the NFL," Rumph said. "They were also very loyal to me after my injury. When I got hurt last year they were the first school to call and said, 'It's all right. You get healthy and we'll still have your scholarship.'"

Rumph was ranked the No. 35 senior in Florida in the preseason by SuperPrep.

Tulloch's older brother, David, also played for Amato at Florida State when Amato was an assistant coach there.

Tulloch was offered grants by Florida, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Boston College and Rutgers. FSU, Miami and Ohio were recruiting him.

Tulloch said he felt comfortable at N.C. State because of the growing number of players in the program from the Miami area.

Tulloch is the third Killian product to choose N.C. State. The previous players were Pat Thomas, a sophomore linebacker, and Andre Maddox, a sophomore defensive back.

Tulloch was recruited to play middle linebacker. He said he doesn't feel small for the position at 5-11 because Dantonio Burnette, the starter at middle linebacker for the last two seasons, is 5-10.

"I'm going to go up there and give hell," Tulloch said. "The person in front of me is going to have to earn his job. It's not going to be a cakewalk."

Williams would follow through on the commitment that he made to N.C. State a year ago but withdrew to consider other schools. He is also considering Tennessee, Ohio State and Clemson.

Williams will graduate on Thursday and leave on Saturday to play in the Shrine Bowl. Coach Kevin Wilson of Richlands said that when the Shrine Bowl is over that Williams will go directly to bowl practice of the team that he chooses. He will enroll in school in the second semester and go through spring practice.

 

I saw all that earlier today.

 

that receiver better have good hands, because he's about to get moved to receiver.

 

Todd Lemming says our recruiting class could be Top 10, definitely 1st in the conference unless FSU scores at the end of January. We also have a commitment from a QB from PA (whoo hoo) who was listed as possibly the top QB on the east coast(Stone, I think?) . Also some gigantic OL from in-state, I think he was 6-8 320.

 

HP, go to www.statefans.com and read up.

The lineman is Derek Morris, who went to North Meck and Ohio State. He was dismissed from OSU for whatever reason, and is thinking about coming to State.

 

I think Chris Leak has that honor in the bag, probably for the nation. But somehow this website has him ranked 3rd in QBs.
The Link

The 2 QBs ranked higher than him are not from the east coast.

Click Here

By the way, anyone have decent high school player rankers aside from Rivals or USA Today?

 

Your boy..

 

Yes. Marcus Stone.

Passed for 1600 yards and 15 touchdowns during his junior season. Passed for 1800 yards during his sophomore season. One of the top quarterback prospects in the Big Ten region.

 

I thought the gigantic dude was named Ojo or something like that. Thanks for the link.