ODU football recruits have local flavor
NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion head coach Bobby Wilder announced the signing of
19 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to play football for the
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Monarchs beginning this fall. The 2010 Monarch recruiting class consists of
athletes from Virginia, including 11 from the Hampton Roads region, North
Carolina, and Georgia as well as Washington, D.C. Additionally, seven Monarchs
have joined the ODU roster for the spring.
"Once again I am very pleased with our recruiting class", said Wilder. "The
majority of the student-athletes in this class played multiple positions on
special teams, defense, and offense. This will be a benefit to our program in
the future as our Coaching Staff evaluates the young men when they arrive on
campus. I am grateful to the many people associated with Old Dominion who
continue to provide support to our program. President Broderick and his staff,
our deans and many professors, Athletic Director Jim Jarrett and our athletic
administration have been a major part of the success we've had in the recruiting
process."
On the offense, the signing class of 2010 includes four wide receivers--
Prentice Gill (Los Angeles, Calif./Cathedral/Los Angeles Harbor College), Lyshod
Graves (Reidsville, N.C.), Larry Pinkard (Washington, D.C./Ballou), and Antonio
Vaughn (Ahoskie, N.C./Hertford County); three offensive lineman--Mike Justice
(Springfield, Va./West Springfield), Ellett McGeorge (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) and
Wes Moulton (Va. Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes); as well as quarterback Rashad Manley
(Hampton, Va./Bethel), tailback Colby Goodwyn (Hampton, Va./Phoebus), and tight
end Preston Smith (Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek).
Defensively, the Monarchs will welcome three defensive ends--Jagger Blehm (Va.
Beach, Va./Green Run), Shawn Butts (Va. Beach, Va./Kellam), and Dominque
Guinn-Bailey (Portsmouth, Va./Churchland); three linebackers--Darryl Brown (Va.
Beach, Va./First Colonial), Rodney Hunter (Alpharetta, Ga./Etowah), and Jeremy
Majette (Chesapeake, Va./Oscar Smith); a pair of safties in Eriq Lewis
(Washington, D.C./Coolidge) and Paul Morant (Hampton, Va./Phoebus), and
cornerback Aaron Evans (Newport News, Va./Woodside).
The 19 incoming Monarchs also join seven student-athletes who joined the squad
this spring--defensive tackles Dominik Davenport (Hampton, Va./Phoebus/West
Virginia) and Ronnie Cameron (Westbury, N.Y./Holy Trinity/Hofstra), defensive
end Deron Mayo (Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan/Hofstra), quarterback Dominique Blackman
(Los Angeles, Calif./Carson/Los Angeles Harbor College), tailback Angus Harper
(Alexandria, Va./Edison), linebacker Ken McAdow (Ashburn, Va./Broad
Run/Northeastern), and kicker Jared Brown (Yorktown, Va./Grafton). Old Dominion
Signing Class--2010
OFFENSE:
Prentice Gill--Wide Receiver--5-11--185--Los Angeles, Calif./Cathedral/Los
Angeles Harbor College
Totaled 651 yards receiving on 48 catches and five touchdowns at Los Angeles
Harbor College in 2009...Averaged 13.6 yards per catch and 59.2 yards receiving
per game... Helped Los Angeles Harbor College to a 9-2 overall mark and 6-1
Mountain Conference mar as the No. 9-ranked team in Southern California... Had
18 receptions for 216 yards and a touchdown as a freshman...Teammate of
quarterback Dominique Blackman, who joined the Monarch roster this spring...
Lyshod Graves--Wide Receiver--5-7--155--Reidsville, N.C./Reidsville
Helped Reidsville to its third straight undefeated season and third straight
2-AA NCHSAA State Championship in 2009... Returned eight kicks for touchdowns--
five on punt returns and three on kick returns...Also led the Rams' defense with
six interceptions...Collected 21 touchdowns ...
Colby Goodwyn--Tailback--5-10--165--Hampton, Va./Phoebus
Helped Phoebus to back-to-back undefeated seasons and state championship at
defensive back and running back...Team finished at 15-0 and won the Group AAA
Division 5 Championship...Tallied 1,869 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns at
running back in his senior season... Earned All-District honors on both sides of
the ball...Named to the First Team Offense for the AAA All-State Team by the
AP... 757 All Gameday First Team...
Mike Justice--Offensive Line--6-7--280--Springfield, Va./West Springfield
All-Patriot District left tackle... Over the last two years, the West
Springfield offense combined to average 39.0 points per game...
Rashad Manley--Quarterback--5-11--170--Hampton, Va./Bethel
Led the Bethel to a 6-5 record and a third consecutive playoff
appearance...Completed 108-of-215 passes for 1,794 yards and 15 touchdowns last
season after transferring to Bethel from Warwick...
Ellett McGeorge--Offensive Line--6-7--275--Midlothian, Va./Cosby
Helped Cosby to a 7-3 mark in 2009...Paved the way for the Titans to average
nearly 30 points and 300 yards of offense per game...
Wes Moulton--Offensive Line--6-3--275--Va. Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes
All-Eastern Region and All-Beach District at defensive and offensive
tackle...First-Team All-Tidewater on defense... Helped defense to only allow an
average of 6.3 points and 150 yards a game...Had 15 sacks and 15 tackles for
loss...
Larry Pinkard--Wide Receiver--5-11--160--Washington, D.C./Ballou
Second Team All-Met...All-District DCIAA East Offense... Made 32 receptions to
total 475 yards...Also carried the ball 22 times for 317 yards...Posted 16
touchdowns and the ran the ball into the endzone on PATs on three occasions...
Preston Smith--Tight End--6-2--240--Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek
First Team All-Southeastern District Defense...Second Team 757 All-Gameday
squad...Played both tight end and defensive end for the Hornets...Very quick for
his size...Relied upon for the pass rush...Collected seven sacks in 2009...
Antonio Vaughn--Wide Receiver--5-8--150--Ahoskie, N.C./Hertford County High
Named to the NCPreps.Com 3A All-State Football Team...Posted 10 career
interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns...
DEFENSE:
Jagger Blehm--Defensive End--6-3--240--Va. Beach, Va./Green Run
Played tight end and member of the specials teams putting and making long
snaps...Second-team All-Beach District selection... Started at defensive end for
a year and a half at Camden County High in northeastern North Carolina prior to
moving to Virginia Beach last year...
Darryl Brown--Linebacker--6-0--210--Va. Beach, Va./First Colonial
Named Co-MVP linebacker at the National Underclassmen Combine...Clocked In at
4.96 in the forty...Recorded a 24-inch vertical jump...
Shawn Butts--Defensive End--6-4--190--Va. Beach, Va./Kellam
One of the leading seniors on the Kellam squad in the highly competitive Beach
District...Saw time on both the defensive line and as a wide receiver...
Aaron Evans--Cornerback--5-8--170--Newport News, Va./Woodside
Daily Press Offensive Player of the Year...Named First Team All-Peninsula...757
All-Gameday Offensive Player of the Year...Played quarterback at Woodside
passing for 1,522 yards and rushing for 1,261 in 2009...Became only the second
quarterback in Peninsula District history to break four figures in each
category...Completed 87-of-156 passes (56 percent) with 17 touchdowns...Ran the
ball 194 times for 15 touchdowns averaging 6.5 yards per carry... Led the
Wolverines to 11 wins, the most in school history...Helped Woodside to the
Eastern Region Division 6 championship game...
Dominique Guinn-Bailey--Defensive End--6-4--224--Portsmouth, Va./Churchland
First Team Eastern District Defense...Second Team All-Tidewater
Defense....Ranked among the Roanoke Times Top 50 prospects in the state of
Virginia...757 All-Game Day First Team at defensive end...
Rodney Hunter--Linebacker--6-2--190--Alpharetta, Ga./Etowah
Played defensive end in high school, but will move to linebacker with the
Monarchs...Second on the Etowah defense in tackles totaling 76...Made 34 solo
stops and 26 assisted tackles...Also had eight tackles for loss and eight sacks
along with 12 quarterback hurries...
Eriq Lewis--Safety--6-0--175--Washington, D.C./Coolidge
Helped Coolidge to a 5-3 season...Posted one punt return for a touchdown and two
interceptions.
Jeremy Majette--Linebacker--6-0--250--Chesapeake, Va./Oscar Smith
Played three years at Bayside before transferring to Oscar Smith for his senior
season....Second-Team All Southeastern District...Second Team All-Beach District
at defensive end his junior season at Bayside...Member of high-touted Oscar
Smith squad that included quarterback Phil Sims (Alabama) and lineman Evan
Hailes (Penn State)...Second Team 757 All-Gameday Team...
Paul Morant--Safety--6-0--180--Hampton, Va./Phoebus
Quarterback for the 2009 State Champion Phoebus...As a junior, threw for six
touchdowns and no interceptions...Second Team All-Peninsula District as a punter
in 2008...One of the top safeties in the district, having earned first-team
All-Peninsula District honors last year.
Joining the Monarchs for the Spring
Dominique Blackman--Quarterback--6-6--255--Los Angeles, Calif./Carson/Los
Angeles Harbor College
Completed 63 percent of his passes in 2009...Completed 264 of his 417 attempts
for 3711 yards and 35 touchdowns...Averaged 337.4 yards passing per contest and
ran the ball into the end zone six times averaging 13.8 yards per game on
carries... Scholastically at Carson High School, he led his team to an 11-3
record and a 5-0 Marine League mark during his senior campaign, reaching the CIF
Los Angeles City Section championship game.. Earned Second Team All-City honors
as a senior..Appeared as a top recruit on several lists...Named to PrepStar's
"Dream Team" as the nation's No. 112 overall prospect, ranked the No. 80 recruit
in the Far West region by Superprep, rated the No. 70 recruit in California by
Scout.com, which also ranked him the No. 58 quarterback in the country, and
rated the No. 95 recruit out of California and No. 27 prostyle quarterback by
Rivals.com...Completed 123 of his 215 attempts for 1,673 yards and 14 touchdowns
as a junior...Helped the Colts advance to the City Section semifinals, he was
named Second Team All-City...
Jared Brown--Kicker--5-11--200--Yorktown, Va./Grafton
Second Team Virginia High School Coaches Association...All-Region Group AA place
kicker...First Team All-Bay Rivers District...Played in the VHSL All-Star
Football Game...
Ronnie Cameron--Defensive Tackles--6-2--278--Westbury, N.Y./Holy Trinity/Hofstra
Played two seasons for the Hofstra Pride...After redshirting the 2007 season,
first suited up collegiately in 2008 playing in 12 games and recording 13
tackles (4 solo, 9 unassisted), including 1 ½ tackles for loss... As a sophomore
in 2009, appeared in 10 games making 26 tackles on the year (13 solo, 13
unassisted), including 3 ½ tackles for loss to push back opponents a total of 12
yards...Earned CAA Academic All-Conference and was a Hofstra Athletics Academic
Honor Roll selection...
Dominik Davenport--Defensive Tackle--6-1--264--Hampton, Va./Phoebus/West
Virginia
Transfer from West Virginia...Redshirted his freshman year with the
Mountaineers...Two-time Daily Press Eastern Region Defensive Player of the
Year...Two-time AP Group AAA First Team All-State honoree...Ttwo-time Daily
Press Eastern All-Eastern Region First Teamer on both the offensive and
defensive lines...VHSCA First Team All-State defensive line selection...Rated
the No. 13-ranked player in the state of Virginia by the Roanoke Times...Doubled
as a two-way lineman and also served as a short-yardage back on the offense
helping Phoebus to a 52-3 record and two state titles... During his senior
season, the Phantoms were 15-0 and outscored its opponents, 720-53 ranking as
the No. 2 team in the nation according to RivalsHigh.com...Totaled 10 rushing
touchdowns...Part of a defensive unit that recorded nine shutouts and scored 13
times...
Angus Harper--Tailback--6-0--200--Alexandria, Va./Edison
As a running back, ran for nearly 1400 yards on 210 carries along with 19
touchdowns during his senior season... A First Team All-District and Second Team
All-Northern Region selection..Managed multiple touchdowns in five of the
Eagles's games this season, including four in Edison's victory over
Yorktown...During his junior campaign in 2008, raced downfield for 897 yards on
86 carries with eight touchdowns...
Deron Mayo--Defensive End--5-11--214--Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan/Hofstra
Played the last three seasons at Hofstra University...Totaled 53 solo tackles
and 36 assisted tackles for a total of 99 stops for the Pride...Redshirted his
first season at Hofstra in 2006,..In 2007, played in nine games with the special
teams unit and a reserve linebacker notching 18 tackles (11 solo, 7 assisted)...
In 2008, appeared in all 12 games, making five starts, playing at outside
linebacker, defensive end, and on the special teams unit...As a redshirt
sophomore, posted 33 stops (20 solo, 13 assisted), which included a career-best
five tackles against Albany... Last season, totaled 48 tackles (22 solo, 26
assisted), which included 11.5 tackles for a loss of 46 yards and 2 ½ sacks for
23 yards... A product of nearby Kecoughtan High School in Hampton...First Team
All-Peninsula District and Second Team All-Area as a senior after recording 74
tackles, 5 ½ sacks, four forced fumbles, and one interception at linebacker...
Ken McAdow--Linebacker--5-10--220--Ashburn, Va./Broad Run/Northeastern
Member of the Northeastern squad during the fall of 2009... Played varsity
football for three years at Broad Run under head coach Mike Burnett...Captained
the team for two seasons...Named All-District, All-Region, and All-State in
2008...District Defensive MVP and Player of the Year runner-up in 2008...Named
All-District, All-Region, and second-team All-State in 2007...Helped team become
district champs in '07 and district, region and state champions in '08...