The Virginian-Pilot
©
Alex Arain
Arain played in a run-dominated offensive set at Kempsville, so little is known about what he can and can’t do. But as coaches like to say, you can’t teach height, and Arain is rangy.
What Wilder says “He fits the bill for our X receiver. He can go up and get the ball in intermediate patterns. If we get him in single coverage situations, he should be able to create match-up problems. He’s big, athletic, and he can run.”
WR
Chris Burnette
A first-team All-Metro selection by The Baltimore Sun, Burnette is active and agile and earned most of his recognition for his defensive efforts. He had 78 tackles this past season, 21 for losses. Will likely play defensive tackle for the Monarchs, but was a two-way player at Gilman.
What Wilder says "He fits our needs at defensive tackle. We were looking for a player who was big, physical and could run. He's an athletic big man with great speed for his size."
OL
Tobin cameron
Cameron helped anchor a Santa Rosa squad that led the nation in passing yardage in 2007 and in scoring in 2008.
What Wilder says “He's been very impressive so far. In lifting and running drills, he's had the best technique and that usually translates to the field. We think that means he can really taking to coaching too. We think he can play the tackle position for us.”
OL
brandon carr
Carr was a first-team All-Tidewater guard while at Western Branch in Chesapeake in 2006. Transferred to Fork Union Military Academy to finish prep work.
What Wilder says “He's been slowed some this spring by a hamstring injury. But we believe he has the athleticism to play either guard or tackle in our scheme. And he's another guy from the 757.”
OL
Matt CarRillo
Carrillo didn’t have a lot of catches in junior college, but his offense didn’t pass much either. He’s somewhat of an unknown quality for a spread offensive set.
What Wilder says “In our offense, he’ll set the edge. We’ll run our zone play off tackle. Our tackles have to be able to run in the box and get open against linebackers and safeties. We hope he’s a workhorse.”
TE
Michael Colbert
An all-conference selection, Colbert had 144 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception as a senior.
What Wilder says “He’s our most impressive defensive player on the boards from a productivity standpoint. His 144 tackles grabs your attention from the moment you turn on the highlight tape. He plays fast and that was our No. 1 priority in evaluating linebackers.”
LB
Bobby Cooper
Threw for 979 yards and 10 touchdowns against 9 interceptions as a senior. Also ran for eight touchdowns. Named to Baltimore Touchdown Club Super 22. Also played safety and had two interceptions, running one back for a touchdown.
What Wilder says “We were excited about Bobby’s presentation, both on his video and in person. He has all the attributes and leadership skills a quarterback needs. He has a good presence and demeanor.”
QB
T.J. Cowart Jr.
One of the real steals of ODU’s recruiting class. Was a second-team All-Tidewater selection. Had three interceptions against Florida State-bound E.J. Manual in game against Bayside this past season. Has a 39-inch vertical leap.
What Wilder says “He may be as physical a player as we have in this recruiting class. He’s fast and tough, which is exactly what we’re looking for with our defensive system.”
DB
Jeff Crawford
Crawford was a state-ranked heavyweight wrestler, which appealed to ODU’s coaching staff. If means he understands leverage, and playing on the line is about quickness and leverage.
What Wilder says “Jeff could be on either side of the ball. We need our defensive tackles to play some games on the line and make some twists. He’s as fast as he is quick. His hand-eye coordination and his toughness are what we liked when recruiting him.”
DT
Carlos Davis Jr.
Helped school to an unbeaten season and a Maryland 3A state championship in his junior season. As a senior, caught 30 passes for 600 yards and 11 touchdowns. Picked ODU over Eastern Michigan, Hofstra and Delaware.
What Wilder says "He can play multiple receiver positions based on his speed and quickness. We'll be able to match him inside on linebackers because of that quickness and outside on cornerbacks because of his speed. His versatility gives us a lot of options."
WR
ThoMAS DeMARCO
Passed for 1,792 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2008. Also ran for eight TDs. Began college career as a punter at San Diego State and may also punt for ODU.
What Wilder says “He was brought in here to compete for the starting quarterback position and has made a very strong impression on the team and the coaching staff from the moment he stepped foot on campus.”
QB
Reid Evans
Hauled in 67 passes for 1,135 yards and 8 touchdowns as a senior, becoming the first Phantom in school history to have 1,000 yards receiving in a season. For his high school career, had 2,027 receiving yards for 21 touchdowns. Also had 11 interceptions as a defensive back.
What Wilder says “Impressive productivity on both sides of the ball in one of the top districts in Virginia. The fact that he was all-state as a defensive back and we want to play him at receiver shows his versatility. He attacks the football at the receiver position, which is nice.”
WR
Drew Hareza
Made all 23 extra point attempts as a senior and was 8 of 13 on field goal attempts with a long of 45 yards. Selected to play in Pennsylvania’s East-West All-Star Game. Of 39 kickoffs, 30 went for touchbacks. Was also a two-time all-conference punter.
What Wilder says “He was rated as one of the top punter/kicker prospects in the country and had our highest statistical ratings in the analysis we did on the kids we were looking at. He made a number of clutch field goals in his career. Plus, he played linebacker in high school, which will come in handy if our coverage breaks down and he’s the last line of defense.”
P
Jeremy hensley
Played in Navy Marine Corps All-Star Classic, an all-star game for Southern California players, following his senior year of high school. He comes in with three years of athletic eligibility after playing a year of junior college.
What Wilder says "Jeremy has been brought in specifically to play center. He has played in a system similar to ours since high school."
C
justin klingerman
Played left tackle in junior college, but could play anywhere along the offensive line for ODU.
What Wilder says "Size and strength are his two best attributes. We're working on improving his quickness and athletic ability to help us in the fall."
OL
Logo Maluia
Maluia is one of only two junior college players brought in for the red-shirt season for ODU’s program.
What Wilder says “We’re hoping he’ll play tackle for us. We’ll put him on the edge and see if he can do it. We want him at left tackle. With righthanded quarterbacks, that’s our most important spot. He’s got our quarterback’s blind side.”
OL
Nick Mayers, Jr.
A second-team All-Tidewater selection, Mayers is a dangerous player after the catch. Cagey and quick, he can turn a broken play into a breakaway run. Will also be looked at as a punt and kick returner for the Monarchs. Had 484 receiving yards, 748 rushing yards and scored 17 touchdowns as a senior.
What Wilder says “Gives us tremendous flexibility at wide receiver and running back. We intend to line him up all over the place and try to create mismatches.”
WR
EDMON MCCLAM
In nine games he had 32 tackles, 18 solo, 12 for losses, three sacks, and three forced fumbles.
What Wilder says “Eddie gives us some flexibility. His videos showed him as a defensive end, but he has the size and strength to play defensive tackle. He could be a two-position guy for us and our biggest immediate need is at defensive tackle.”
DL
Bryan Morrison
Helped team to Dulles District championship while anchoring line. Will get looks at a variety of offensive line positions for the Monarchs.
What Wilder says “We feel he can play all five positions across the offensive line. He’s athletic, and that fits our 'spread' offense.”
OL
Ricky Nichols
Was the first player to commit to ODU. Had 65 tackles, seven interceptions and eight pass breakups as a senior. Also had 40 tackles, one interception and four breakups as a junior. Played for Dealton Cotton, who recently was named line coach at ODU.
What Wilder says “Ricky will always hold a special place in my heart. He was the first commitment I got as a head coach. He’s fast enough to play the corner and physical enough to play safety. He played most of his senior year with a bad ankle.”
DB
dustin phillips
Brought in to help ODU's special teams play as a long snapper.
What Wilder says “We had to bring in a long snapper. On his videos, he was clearly the best long snapper of the 20 long snappers we watched.”
LS
Mateus porter
Had 50 tackles, 21 solo, and added seven tackles for losses and a sack.
What Wilder says “He was recruited to play one of our inside linebacker positions. He has good quickness and leadership ability, which we need on this team.”
LB
JAMES RAiney
First-team All-Beach District on both sides of the line and first-team All-Tidewater at defensive end.
What Wilder says “He’s a two-position guy for us who will be able to play guard or tackle. We'll find out during spring workouts which he's best suited for.”
OL
Tommy Reamon, Jr.
Rated in the Top 25 among dual-threat QBs in the country, Reamon was a high priority recruit for the Monarchs, who see Reamon as the prototypical QB to lead their “spread” offense. Threw for 2,441 yards, 13 touchdowns and 36 interceptions in three seasons at Gloucester.
What Wilder says “He’s a national recruit. He went to many of the top QB camps across the country and graded out well in all of them. He played at a school not known for football, so his stats are misleading. We believe he has the potential to be very successful here.”
QB
Erik Saylor
Was a first-team All-Met selection by The Washington Post. Father played for West Virginia. As a senior, had 71 tackles, seven sacks, and batted down four passes. Many of his post-season honors were as an offensive player, but he’s expected to play defensive tackle for the Monarchs.
What Wilder says “We would have offered him a scholarship as an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman. He’s extremely physical and plays through the whistle. Our staff feels strongly about his abilities as an interior defensive lineman.”
OL
Devon Simmons
A traditional three-sport athlete, Simmons also plays basketball and baseball at Denbigh, but once he gets to ODU, it’ll all be football. That should allow him to put on 10 to 15 pounds. Was a second-team All-Peninsula District player.
What Wilder says “Devon ran the fastest time at last year’s Peninsula combine. He ran a 4.44. He’s a multi-sport guy who should have great range from the safety position.”
FS
Jeremie Simmons
A first-team All-Tidewater linebacker, Simmons will more than likely play in the offensive backfield for the Monarchs. Last fall he ran for 1,022 yards and caught 18 passes for 379 yards, scoring 13 touchdowns.
What Wilder says"We can play him at tailback, at the slot or even at the wideout position."
RB
Andrew Turner
Slowed by injury as a senior, Turner also played tight end at Kellam and showed good possession receiving skills. Should add plenty of weight to his solid frame. Had some mild interest from Duke and N.C. State, but committed to ODU so early that the other schools backed off.
What Wilder says “He’s going to be a really tough match-up for offensive tackles. We evaluated him as a tight end and as a defensive end and would have offered him at both positions.”
DE
Charles Walls
A big, burly lineman who played both ways in high school, Walls is intent on being the snap guy when ODU begins play. Played left tackle in high school. Originally committed to Division I-A Kent State last summer, but changed his mind in the fall and went with the Monarchs.
What Wilder says “He’s strong and athletic and will give us flexibility on our offensive line. Big, fast and moves his feet well.”
C
Craig Wilkins
Exceptionally strong for his size with a 34-inch vertical leap and 4.5 speed in the 40. Was also recruited by Illinois, Penn State and Maryland. Made 103 tackles, had eight interceptions, broke up 21 passes, forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles and blocked two punts as a senior, earning an all-conference nod.
What Wilder says “He offers so much flexibility that I can see him at cornerback, safety and even linebacker. A multi-position player like that will be able to stay on the field whether we’re running nickel sets, dime sets, whatever we run.”
SS
Desmond Williams
Had a solid senior season as a quarterback, passing for 1,657 yards, 17 touchdowns and three interceptions. But Williams is expected to switch to wide receiver at ODU. Northeastern Coastal Athletic Conference player of the year. Will be looked at to play slash, a Darren McFadden-type position in ODU’s set.
What Wilder says “We’ll be able to line him up at quarterback, wideout, slash or running back. His quarterback stats in HOMETOWN were impressive. We think he’ll be great at wide receiver and create match-up problems.”
WR
J.J. Williams
Had 71 tackles, 51 of those solo, with seven tackles for losses and one forced fumble.
What Wilder says “He has good quickness and speed. He's been at the front of the line in conditioning drills since arriving and made a strong impression in the first month.”
LB
Michael Williams
Williams could very well end up being the steal of this recruiting class. With exceptional athleticism, he should be a fly-to-the-ball defender. He was a first-team All-Eastern District performer at tight end, but his truer calling could be on the other side of the ball.
What Wilder says “We’ve had more discussions about where to play him than anyone on our board. He was a high jumper in track and could eventually become an H-back. We’ll probably start him out at linebacker and test his match-up and coverage skills.”
LB
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo