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ECU’s catching recruits; NCSU’s Irving catching people’s eyes
Pirates benefiting from their 3-0 start
By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
East Carolina is starting to reap the benefits of its early season success on the recruiting trail.
In the week immediately following the Pirates’ 24-3 trouncing of No. 8 West Virginia, ECU got commitments from three highly touted players.
Mike Naples, a 6’4”, 220-pound tight end from New Jersey chose the Pirates over offers from Cincinnati, Purdue and Vanderbilt. Zico Pasut, a speedy tight end out of Charlotte spurned offers from Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Duke to come to ECU.
And Matt Milner, a 6’4” 240-pound defensive end from Raleigh, was receiving interest from North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest at the time of his verbal commitment to the Pirates.
All three said that the Pirates’ surprising start played a role in their verbal commitment to ECU.
“When I first started the recruiting process, you didn’t want to end up over there,” N.C. State freshman T.J. Graham said. “But that program has done a complete 360-degree turn. Now, people are choosing ECU as one of their top choices. It’s no longer an embarrassment to end up over there. They are quickly becoming one of the top programs around.”
East Carolina has already logged 16 commitments early in the recruiting season. Last year, they had just 21 recruits in the entire 2008 class.
“A couple of big wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia early in the season have been huge for us from a recruiting standpoint,” Coach Skip Holtz said. “People have opened their eyes to what we’re trying to do down here. We’ve had three outstanding young players commit since the West Virginia win.
“All of a sudden, it’s become socially acceptable to say, ‘I’m going to play football at East Carolina’,” Holtz added. “People are starting to get excited about what we’re doing around here, and that’s a credit to all the hard work these juniors and seniors have put in to building this program.”
Of the 16 commitments, three are rated three stars by Rivals.com. The most three star commitments the Pirates have ever had under Holtz is four. With more than four months remaining until February’s National Signing Day, the Pirates are likely to eclipse that mark with their 2009 signing class.
“Guys want to go play where they have a chance to win,” ECU cornerback Darryl Reynolds said. “We’re building a winning program here, and people want a chance to be part of it.”
This weekend, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz believes the Pirates will have a chance to attract even more recruits. Over the years, N.C. State has been one of the arch-nemesis of Holtz and his crew from a recruiting standpoint.
Holtz can recall losing countless recruits to the Wolfpack.
“This is a rival game,” Holtz said. “This is a game that we’re excited to have the opportunity to play, especially since it’s the closest game on our schedule, only being an hour away. We have the opportunity to bump heads with N.C. State from a recruiting standpoint.
“We’ve tried to recruit a lot of those guys over there,” Holtz added. “To be honest, they’ve had our number on the recruiting front. A win this weekend could go along way towards helping us lands some recruits. This is a big game for us.”
Pirates well aware of Wolfpack’s No. 56
By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — In the Wolfpack’s 34-20 win over East Carolina last season, linebacker Nate Irving was a wide-eyed, redshirt freshman trying to catch the coach’s eye.
Heading into Saturday’s rematch with the Pirates, Irving not only has N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien’s attention, but is starting to grab the nation’s.
The emerging star has gotten off to phenomenal start in 2008, as his three interceptions in three games has him tied for second in the country, while his 28 tackles rank him 36th.
After Irving’s five tackles in 23 snaps against the Pirates last year, he was thrust into the starting lineup where he would stay the next four out of N.C. State’s last five games.
“God gave me an opportunity and a chance to play,” Irving said. “(Linebacker LaRue Rumph) was out, and they threw me into the fire.
“It was a wild atmosphere at East Carolina, but (defensive lineman) Willie (Young) helped calm me down and I just focused on football.”
Last Saturday against No. 23 Clemson, Irving managed to out-score his offense as he picked off Tigers’ quarterback Cullen Harper on the first play from scrimmage for a 33-yard touchdown. It would be the only time the Wolfpack (1-2) crossed the goal line in its 27-9 loss.
“He’s got so much speed and athleticism” Pirates’ coach Skip Holtz said. “He intercepts a pass on the opening play of the game and takes it back to the house and your like ‘wow, who’s 56.’”
As a high school standout at Wallace-Rose Hill High School, Holtz was well aware of who 56 was, as he was one of the ECU coach’s recruits who got lured away to the Wolfpack.
Irving, a New York Giants’ fan, said the number 56 is an ode to Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor.
Like so many of the opposing QBs that faced LT, Holtz said that ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney will definitely take note of where NCSU’s 56 lines up.
“It’s one of those things where you have to go into the game and know where he is,” Holtz said. “When you look at somebody like that, who is as dominant of a player as he is, you can’t just say we are going to act like he’s not there. He’s making tackles and flying around the football field. He’s just a sophomore, but he is a difference-maker on that field ... You really have to be careful with what you do and how you approach things. There will be some things in our game plan that we will probably take out because of his involvement.”
While Irving is quick to dish out pain to opposing offenses, he is also quick to hand out the accolades to his defensive line.
“I can’t take all the credit,” the humble Irving said. “The D-line has been playing great, getting pressure on the quarterbacks and filling the gaps. If they don’t do the work up front, I don’t have the same success.”
Irving said his fast start also has a direct correlation with playing in the second year of O’Brien’s defense.
Last season Irving had the tough task of being a redshirt freshman trying to learn and adjust to a new coach and complicated schemes.
This year, the weakside linebacker not only has a season under his belt, but said that O’Brien simplified his defense.
“Being in my second year is very important, I’m more comfortable on the field,” Irving said. “The defense is a lot more simple this season. We don’t have to think as much and be worried about where were are going to lineup. We just come out of the huddle, then make the adjustments on the field.”
Another adjustment Irving made this season was dedicating himself to fundamentals by working under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Mike Archer, who was a linebackers coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1996-2002.
“I’ve been working a lot with coach Mike, he’s the greatest coach in the world, and he has taught me so much,” Irving said. “(The thing I most improved on from last year) is just keeping my pad level lower. Last year I was always up too high, and sometimes my chest would get sore. Coach Mike made sure I stay low. Being lower to the ground helps me take on blockers better and helps me get to the ball quicker.”
Though he is an hour-and-a-half west of Greenville, the 6-1, 225-pound linebacker said he has taken notice of what the Pirates have done this season, and has been impressed with what he has seen on film.
While he could not specify on the Wolfpack’s game plan, he did say that keeping Pinkney in check is a must.
“East Carolina is a well-coached, physical team,” Irving said. “I think from a defensive standpoint, any time you look to stop and opposing offense, you begin with the quarterback ... So we are going to look to stop (Pinkney) first.”
Irving will once again garner the nation’s eye on Saturday as the Wolfpack-Pirates’ game will be televised live from Carter-Finley Stadium on ESPN at noon.
By STEVE FRANKLIN, Sports Writer
East Carolina is starting to reap the benefits of its early season success on the recruiting trail.
In the week immediately following the Pirates’ 24-3 trouncing of No. 8 West Virginia, ECU got commitments from three highly touted players.
Mike Naples, a 6’4”, 220-pound tight end from New Jersey chose the Pirates over offers from Cincinnati, Purdue and Vanderbilt. Zico Pasut, a speedy tight end out of Charlotte spurned offers from Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Duke to come to ECU.
And Matt Milner, a 6’4” 240-pound defensive end from Raleigh, was receiving interest from North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest at the time of his verbal commitment to the Pirates.
All three said that the Pirates’ surprising start played a role in their verbal commitment to ECU.
“When I first started the recruiting process, you didn’t want to end up over there,” N.C. State freshman T.J. Graham said. “But that program has done a complete 360-degree turn. Now, people are choosing ECU as one of their top choices. It’s no longer an embarrassment to end up over there. They are quickly becoming one of the top programs around.”
East Carolina has already logged 16 commitments early in the recruiting season. Last year, they had just 21 recruits in the entire 2008 class.
“A couple of big wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia early in the season have been huge for us from a recruiting standpoint,” Coach Skip Holtz said. “People have opened their eyes to what we’re trying to do down here. We’ve had three outstanding young players commit since the West Virginia win.
“All of a sudden, it’s become socially acceptable to say, ‘I’m going to play football at East Carolina’,” Holtz added. “People are starting to get excited about what we’re doing around here, and that’s a credit to all the hard work these juniors and seniors have put in to building this program.”
Of the 16 commitments, three are rated three stars by Rivals.com. The most three star commitments the Pirates have ever had under Holtz is four. With more than four months remaining until February’s National Signing Day, the Pirates are likely to eclipse that mark with their 2009 signing class.
“Guys want to go play where they have a chance to win,” ECU cornerback Darryl Reynolds said. “We’re building a winning program here, and people want a chance to be part of it.”
This weekend, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz believes the Pirates will have a chance to attract even more recruits. Over the years, N.C. State has been one of the arch-nemesis of Holtz and his crew from a recruiting standpoint.
Holtz can recall losing countless recruits to the Wolfpack.
“This is a rival game,” Holtz said. “This is a game that we’re excited to have the opportunity to play, especially since it’s the closest game on our schedule, only being an hour away. We have the opportunity to bump heads with N.C. State from a recruiting standpoint.
“We’ve tried to recruit a lot of those guys over there,” Holtz added. “To be honest, they’ve had our number on the recruiting front. A win this weekend could go along way towards helping us lands some recruits. This is a big game for us.”
Pirates well aware of Wolfpack’s No. 56
By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
GREENVILLE — In the Wolfpack’s 34-20 win over East Carolina last season, linebacker Nate Irving was a wide-eyed, redshirt freshman trying to catch the coach’s eye.
Heading into Saturday’s rematch with the Pirates, Irving not only has N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien’s attention, but is starting to grab the nation’s.
The emerging star has gotten off to phenomenal start in 2008, as his three interceptions in three games has him tied for second in the country, while his 28 tackles rank him 36th.
After Irving’s five tackles in 23 snaps against the Pirates last year, he was thrust into the starting lineup where he would stay the next four out of N.C. State’s last five games.
“God gave me an opportunity and a chance to play,” Irving said. “(Linebacker LaRue Rumph) was out, and they threw me into the fire.
“It was a wild atmosphere at East Carolina, but (defensive lineman) Willie (Young) helped calm me down and I just focused on football.”
Last Saturday against No. 23 Clemson, Irving managed to out-score his offense as he picked off Tigers’ quarterback Cullen Harper on the first play from scrimmage for a 33-yard touchdown. It would be the only time the Wolfpack (1-2) crossed the goal line in its 27-9 loss.
“He’s got so much speed and athleticism” Pirates’ coach Skip Holtz said. “He intercepts a pass on the opening play of the game and takes it back to the house and your like ‘wow, who’s 56.’”
As a high school standout at Wallace-Rose Hill High School, Holtz was well aware of who 56 was, as he was one of the ECU coach’s recruits who got lured away to the Wolfpack.
Irving, a New York Giants’ fan, said the number 56 is an ode to Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor.
Like so many of the opposing QBs that faced LT, Holtz said that ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney will definitely take note of where NCSU’s 56 lines up.
“It’s one of those things where you have to go into the game and know where he is,” Holtz said. “When you look at somebody like that, who is as dominant of a player as he is, you can’t just say we are going to act like he’s not there. He’s making tackles and flying around the football field. He’s just a sophomore, but he is a difference-maker on that field ... You really have to be careful with what you do and how you approach things. There will be some things in our game plan that we will probably take out because of his involvement.”
While Irving is quick to dish out pain to opposing offenses, he is also quick to hand out the accolades to his defensive line.
“I can’t take all the credit,” the humble Irving said. “The D-line has been playing great, getting pressure on the quarterbacks and filling the gaps. If they don’t do the work up front, I don’t have the same success.”
Irving said his fast start also has a direct correlation with playing in the second year of O’Brien’s defense.
Last season Irving had the tough task of being a redshirt freshman trying to learn and adjust to a new coach and complicated schemes.
This year, the weakside linebacker not only has a season under his belt, but said that O’Brien simplified his defense.
“Being in my second year is very important, I’m more comfortable on the field,” Irving said. “The defense is a lot more simple this season. We don’t have to think as much and be worried about where were are going to lineup. We just come out of the huddle, then make the adjustments on the field.”
Another adjustment Irving made this season was dedicating himself to fundamentals by working under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Mike Archer, who was a linebackers coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1996-2002.
“I’ve been working a lot with coach Mike, he’s the greatest coach in the world, and he has taught me so much,” Irving said. “(The thing I most improved on from last year) is just keeping my pad level lower. Last year I was always up too high, and sometimes my chest would get sore. Coach Mike made sure I stay low. Being lower to the ground helps me take on blockers better and helps me get to the ball quicker.”
Though he is an hour-and-a-half west of Greenville, the 6-1, 225-pound linebacker said he has taken notice of what the Pirates have done this season, and has been impressed with what he has seen on film.
While he could not specify on the Wolfpack’s game plan, he did say that keeping Pinkney in check is a must.
“East Carolina is a well-coached, physical team,” Irving said. “I think from a defensive standpoint, any time you look to stop and opposing offense, you begin with the quarterback ... So we are going to look to stop (Pinkney) first.”
Irving will once again garner the nation’s eye on Saturday as the Wolfpack-Pirates’ game will be televised live from Carter-Finley Stadium on ESPN at noon.
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