Very few kids from NC. We must have a scholarship budget like whoa!
That bothers me much.
Instate players help sell your program. I've said this plenty of times before. Not one player from Fayetteville or Charlotte on this list.
Fayetteville and Charlotte have been a hotbed from which many former athletes matriculated. I was told that our coaches visited the schools there several times and made themselves known--but the senior cupboard was bare in reference to getting a kid who could get in school and predictors of finishing. Frazier and his staff went after the best kids available per skill levels and academics and found them where they were around the country. He lost some talent locally, and that's OK. What he got IMO was better in attitude and conviction to be winners which will translate to a better atmosphere. It translate from "I" am the savior to "WE" are the savior. We are better. WE ARE BETTER.
Concerns expressed in re to funds securing all these troops (out of state) not be a worry. They would not have signed them without the funds. This was a joint effort on the part of the Chancellor, AD, and the coach who was extended $$$$ to get what was needed to enhance his program. Yes we would have liked more local kids being a part of this rise, but like those we signed, wanted to leave home. That's fine with me because either way, we win.
Yeah I heard we lost a few of the in-state guys. And don't take my statement as a complaint. . we still have a few left to go, from what I understand.
I was having this discussion on this topic yesterday. I know for a fact that we were in the Charlotte area. We have to realize that we are in competition with the App States & SC States
of the world now. We're now in many kids top 3 when it comes to those type of schools but not landing them. Example, a kid at my daughter's school finally chose Furman over us.
Winning will help that. Then, there were some kids that either did not qualify academically or we had kids on our "draft board" that we felt were rated higher. Example, another kid at my daughter's school really wanted to come to NCCU but ended up at a CIAA (
no smack intended).
And didn't I tell y'all that the
UNCC impact was already being felt? They cleaned up in the Charlotte area. Austin Duke that verbally committed to us chose Charlotte.
From the article: But there's something else: Lambert and his staff also landed some surprisingly good high school players, several of whom were also coveted by area Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) programs such as
Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina.
So while Lambert landed multi-skilled athletes such as Justin Bolus of James Island, S.C., and Tank Norman of Richlands - two players who could end up as slot receivers or defensive backs - they also signed highly rated players.
Among them are Casey Perry, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound lineman from Durham Hillside who was ranked
a three-star recruit by Rivals.com; Maiden quarterback Matt Johnson, ranked N.C.'s 65th-best player by ESPN.com; and defensive end Brandon Banks of Southwest Guilford, who nearly went to Ball State of the Mid-American Conference.Three - Bolus, Independence receiver
Austin Duke and Monroe Sun Valley lineman Jared Barr - played in the
Shrine Bowl.And at least two - quarterback Jaquis Capel of West Montgomery and offensive lineman Thomas La Bianca of Indian Trail Porter Ridge - decided to attend Charlotte after committing elsewhere (Capel to
Appalachian State, La Bianca to Coastal Carolina).
"We're trying to get the same kind of guy that goes to Appalachian, Coastal, Furman, Gardner-Webb, Western Carolina," said Lambert. "We had to get over that hurdle and I think we showed we can. The talent level in this state is really high, so we can find guys. That's good for everybody."
It goes both ways, of course. The 49ers were hoping to sign West
Mecklenburg linebacker Tashion Singleton, but he chose Appalachian State on Monday. Prime example of a kid that NCCU almost got. We spoke with him Sunday!
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