NORFOLK, Va. (Norfolk State press release & LPS staff) — Norfolk
State head football Pete Adrian announced Wednesday that 24
student-athletes have signed national letters-of-intent to play for the
Spartans beginning next season, including Park View High School
linebacker Amechi Anyaugo.
After losing 26 seniors off his 2006 football team, Adrian signed an
impressive haul of players to fill immediate holes and add depth at a
variety of positions. Included on the list are eight from the Hampton
Roads area. Highlighting the list are four players who were named to
the All-Tidewater team by The Virginian-Pilot, giving the Spartans nine
All-Tidewater selections in Adrian’s first two full years of recruiting.
“I’m really excited about this class because we’re meeting the needs
we have,” Adrian said. “We recruited some size on the offensive line,
speed on defense and skill at the quarterback position. We’ve gotten a
lot more athletic at linebacker, inside and outside, and we’ve gotten a
lot more physical with this class.”
Adrian signed four highly-touted offensive linemen, led by two-time
first-team all-state player Markeece Preston of Paterson, N.J., and
first-team All-Tidewater tackle Jari Quarles of Ocean Lakes High in
Virginia Beach. They will be joined in the trenches by Kendall Noble
(Rocky Mount, N.C./Rocky Mount HS) and Ryan Hathaway (Charlotte Court
House, Va./Randolph-Henry HS).
The Spartans signed six linebackers who could all contribute right
away: Onyemechi Anyaugo (Sterling, Va./Park View HS), Hasan Craig
(Rocky Mountain, Va./Franklin County HS), Corwin Hammond (Louisville,
Ky./St. Xavier HS), Joseph Holbrook (Washington, D.C./Ballou HS),
Anthony Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown HS) and Lamont Thorpe
(Richmond, Va./Varina HS). Each one earned first-team all-district
honors as a senior.
The Spartans added much-needed depth and talent at quarterback with
the addition of three local players: Dexter Merritt (Chesapeake,
Va./Oscar Smith), Brian Jackson (Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood HS) and
Rakeem Kersey (Newport News, Va./Menchville HS). Jackson could also
contribute at punter, where he was first-team All-Tidewater and
All-State as a senior.
Defensively, NSU signed three linemen who should have an impact:
Dominion District Defensive Player of the Year Josh Turner (Richmond,
Va./Manchester HS), all-district performer Todd Bowden (Ashland,
Va./Patrick Henry HS) and honorable mention all-district player Nick
Lennartz (Newport News, Menchville HS).
The Spartans were hit hard by graduation this year at wideout and on
special teams, and Adrian thinks he has helped plug those holes.
Jermaine Weldon (Hague, Va./Washington & Lee HS) is an all-state
wide receiver with good size, while Josh Reamon (Gloucester,
Va./Gloucester HS) adds speed to the receiver position.
Along with Jackson, NSU’s special teams should be given a boost by
first-team All-Tidewater kicker Ryan Estep (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory
HS), kicker/punter Bill Rudd (Richmond, Va./Meadowbrook HS) and
long-snapper Stephen Coffin (Richmond, Va./Varina HS).
Rounding out Wednesday’s signings are three running backs: tailback
Brandon Cameron (Fairfax, Va./Robert E. Lee HS) and fullbacks Tommy
Moore (Woodbridge, Va./CD Hylton HS) and Josh Alford (Richmond,
Va./Manchester HS). All were first-team all-district selections as high
school seniors.
Adrian said that additional signees are possible in the coming days and weeks.
“Between this class and last year’s we will have brought roughly 50
new players into our program, and we feel that group collectively
changes the entire makeup of our team,” Adrian said.
Visit the Norfolk State website.
Processing your request, Please wait....
