Pearl River CC Pipeline

[WWMJD]

Pearl River full of USF recruiting interest

Dave Glaser

USFBullsEYE.com

USF has clearly established a special relationship with Pearl River (Miss.) Community College over the past several seasons – one that paid its first dividends with the return of former Bulls signees Donte Spires and Carlton Hill earlier this year. And there could be a flood of PRCC players headed for Tampa soon, including WR Roger Frazier and LB Kion Wilson (pictured) . . .

http://usf.rivals.com/barrier_noentry.asp?sid=&script=content.asp&cid=730874&fid=&tid=&mid=&rid=

Not to mention OJ Murdock from PRCC who has been discussed recently on the main board

[Mama_Bull]

Wilson and Frazier receiving accolades:

Wildcats defensive back Keon Wilson was named the South Division's Most Valuable Defensive Back. Wilson, wide receiver Roger Frazier, offensive tackle T.J. Harper, defensive tackle Alex Ford and punter Phillip Sullivan made both the Region XXIII and All-state first team for Pearl River.

http://www.sunherald.com/sports/colleges/story/176610.html

[Guest JulmisteForPrez]

Just picked up the committment from PRCC's Theo Wilson as well.

I saw Theo play QB a few times for Dunedin.

He was outstanding.

Should make a fine WR or CB.

[BiggTipp]

taken from Greg's Blog today:

Want a silver lining in USF's third consecutive loss? The Bulls picked up a pair of junior college oral commitments over the weekend in linebacker Kion Wilson and defensive back Theo Wilson, according to their coach at Pearl River Community College in Mississippi.

Kion Wilson, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound recruit from Jacksonville's Raines High, is a four-star recruit according to Scout.com, making him the highest-rated commitment in USF's current class. He'll graduate from Pearl River in December, allowing him to join the Bulls in January with two years of eligibility.

"It's a good one for them, but they have a good program, so that shouldn't surprise people," Tim Hatten said.

Theo Wilson (no relation), 5-11 and 195 pounds, was a standout quarterback at Dunedin in 2004 but is most likely a defensive back at USF. We first mentioned his recruitment back in July, and he's played a little of everything at Pearl River, working at quarterback, receiver, running back and returning kicks. Hatten said USF is still recruiting receiver Roger Frazier (a high school teammate of Matt Grothe) and safety Brandon Burns from PRCC's current sophomore class.

Theo Wilson was also drawing interest from West Virginia and Alabama, while Kion was considering Miami, Mississippi and Alabama. The two pledges, who both made campus visits this weekend, give USF 17 commitments for the 2008 class, including two previous signees who have now qualified and will enroll in January. One can count toward last year's class, so there's room for nine more commitments within the 25-player class limit.

[Mama_Bull]

Just picked up the committment from PRCC's Theo Wilson as well.

I saw Theo play QB a few times for Dunedin.

He was outstanding.

Should make a fine WR or CB.

I've been following him for years. Nice to see that we finally got him. LOL

Here is a story on him from back in 2002:

By BOB PUTNAM, Times Staff Writer

© St. Petersburg Times

published November 15, 2002

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Theo Wilson, a Dunedin High School football player, was walking out of the locker room when he heard an unmistakable voice.

"I know you didn't make me get out of my chair to come and see you lose."

Startled, Theo, 15, looked up into the stands of Dunedin Memorial Stadium and saw his mom, Vickie Smith, who had come to watch him play high school football for the very first time.

For Smith, who was shot during an attempted robbery eight years ago and is partially dependent on a wheelchair, just getting to the game was a challenge.

Now she was issuing one to her son.

Moments later, Theo delivered.

With his team trailing Tarpon Springs 14-10 with two minutes left in the Oct. 25 game, Theo caught a game-winning pass in the left corner of the end zone, near his mom's seat.

He pointed toward her and looked up to the sky.

"I told you I was going to do something special!" Theo hollered.

For Theo, a sophomore, the opposing team is an easy obstacle compared to the numerous personal roadblocks he already has surmounted.

"Theo is tremendously gifted, but he's not big-headed," Dunedin coach Mark Everett said. "I think people look up to him because of some of the things he's had to overcome."

Born in Miami, Theo grew up fatherless. His first home was in a tough neighborhood in Hialeah. At age 2, to escape the environment, the toddler was sent to live with his grandmother, Clara Mae Smith, in Tarpon Springs.

For the next eight years, Theo moved among relatives in Pinellas County as he struggled to gain a measure of stability at home that had always eluded him.

Then in 1994, the roller-coaster ride took a serious nose dive.

Theo heard that his mother had been shot in the back of the head as she was walking out of a grocery store in Miami.

Doctors placed Smith in a medicated coma for three weeks. When she woke up, she was told she would never walk again.

But the initial bleak prognosis changed, and Smith spent the next two years learning to walk with a cane.

In 1996, Smith moved to Dunedin and asked her son to move in. For Theo, it was a chance to draw closer to his mother after spending years apart. Most of the quality time Wilson spends with his mom is as her caretaker. He was a 10-year-old who gave up some of his childhood joys in order to learn how to cook and clean. 

[Times photo: Kinfay Moriti]

Sitting in her Clearwater apartment, Vickie Smith praises her son Theo Wilson, who stands nearby, for being such a help to her. "He does laundry, cooks and helps me get around."

"I tried to do whatever I could to help around the house," Theo said. "But it was frustrating at times because I couldn't go out and play with my friends."

Caring for his mom and younger brother, Tarenzo Smith, Theo learned to grow up fast.

"He learned how to do so much at a really young age," Vickie Smith said. "He basically became the leader of the house."

Saddened by his plight, Ray and Sharon Johnson took Theo under their wing as part of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. For the past six years, the couple has attended his games and encouraged him to do well in school.

"He was just very sad and had a lot of low-self-esteem when we met him," Sharon Johnson said. "We just wanted to be there and try to offer our support."

Wilson also receives support from the football team, which has become his extended family.

"Theo knows he can come and talk to any of us about his problems," Everett said. "We've all got things we have to deal with in life. We've got kids on this team who are dealing with cancer and alcoholism in their families. I talk to the kids about these things so they know there are others who in the same boat."

When Everett discusses the hardships among players, he normally doesn't go into specifics. But he couldn't resist telling Theo's story.

"We were watching videotape of the Tarpon Springs game and we got to the touchdown catch Theo made," Everett said. "So I stopped the tape and told the guys about some of the things he's had to go through and the meaning behind that touchdown."

Once they heard, Theo's teammates were impressed.

"We appreciate Theo even more after coach told us that," Dunedin quarterback Aaron Ford, 17, said. "We try to act as one big family, and we show Theo a lot of respect for overcoming so many things."

Theo's athletic abilities have helped Dunedin reach the postseason for the first time in 15 seasons. Tonight, the Falcons will travel to Lakeland to play Lake Gibson in the region quarterfinals.

Ray and Sharon Johnson will be attending the game. So will Theo's mom.

"Hopefully, I can do something special again," Theo said.

http://sptimes.com/2002/11/15/NorthPinellas/A_winner_on__off_the_.shtml

[Mama_Bull]

Posted on Thu, Oct. 11, 2007

SUN HERALD'S TOP 50 JUCO RECRUITS

By JAMES JONES

-- Gulf Coast and Pearl River are considered the state's top junior-college football teams.

The unbeaten Bulldogs (6-0) are ranked first in the Jcgridwire.com poll. Gulf Coast and the Wildcats are rated third and sixth in the recent NJCAA/Jcfootball.com poll.

Gulf Coast and Pearl River (4-1) account for 40 percent of the Sun Herald's Top 50 JUCO recruits. The Bulldogs and Wildcats have a combined 20 players on the list, more than any other JUCO team.

Gulf Coast mammoth defensive lineman Terrance Cody headlines the Coast's contingent of JUCO standouts. The 6-foot-8, 375-pound athlete has scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Alabama, South Florida, Florida International, Oklahoma, Florida State and Tennessee.

"Terrance is the best defensive lineman I've ever coached," Bulldogs coach Steve Campbell said. "He plays with a big heart."

Being considered among the state's elite means a lot to Cody, a preseason JUCO All-American.

"It's a big honor for me because there's so many great JUCO players in the state," he said.

Cody will have plenty of company as several teammates have earned D-I scholarship opportunities between the JUCO signing period and National Signing Day.

Southern Miss has offered both Gulf Coast defensive back Tremaine Brock and linebacker Jeremy Evans. Brock, a former All-South Mississippi honoree from Long Beach, was also offered by the Golden Eagles two years ago.

"Tremaine Brock is the real deal," Campbell said.

Three Bulldogs verbally committed to Troy during the summer: defensive ends Jack Hayes and Cedric McKinley and wide receiver Jarvis Kinchen.

"If Cedric hadn't already chosen Troy, he'd have a lot more offers," Campbell said.

Pearl River has a chance to reach double-digit D-I signees for the second straight year. Eleven Wildcats signed major college scholarships last year. A dozen Wildcats cracked the Top 50, with most of the four-time defending state champions coming on defense.

Leading the way is linebacker Keon Wilson, a Miami (Fla.) verbal pledge. Playing for the homestanding Hurricanes is very important for Wilson, with South Florida under consideration.

"My family can come see me play without it being an inconvenience for them," Wilson said. "That's where it looks like where I am headed."

Two other Pearl River players have also made their college choices: offensive guard T.J. Harper (Southern Miss) and linebacker Hendrick Leverette (Auburn).

Other Wildcat players with D-I offers include safety Brandon Burns (Marshall), wide receivers Theo Wilson (South Florida), O.J. Murdock (Louisville, Marshall) and defensive lineman Aaron Williams (Ole Miss, Southern Miss).

Co-Lin tight end Jonathan Massey is the 21st Coast player on the list. Massey transferred to the Wolves from Vanderbilt and is a December graduate. Southern Miss and Troy have both offered him.

"I'm going to pick a school that's the right fit for me," Massey said.

For the first time since 2002 the state's top-ranked JUCO player won't come from either Gulf Coast or Pearl River.

Co-Lin linebacker Raven Gray is regarded as the No. 1 player, according to JCfootball.com and JCGridiron.com. Gray will return to Auburn, which he signed with out of high school two years ago.

Southwest linebacker Kelvin Morris, who signed with Clemson in '02, was the player not from Gulf Coast or Pearl River ranked No. 1.

JUCO recruiting

Here are The Sun Herald's Top 50 junior-college football prospects:

Raven Gray, DE, 6-4, 260, Co-Lin

Terrance Cody, NG, 6-8, 385, Gulf Coast

LaGarrette Blount, RB, 6-2, 235, Northeast

Keon Wilson, LB, 6-0, 230, Pearl River USF VERBAL

Demetrius Culpepper, DE, 6-5, 265, East Miss.

Johnny Sanders, DB, 6-3. 205, Co-Lin

Jimmy Rogers, OL, 6-4, 330, Delta

Terrance Conner, DE, 6-4, 240, Coahoma

Derrick Chatman, DE, 6-3, 260, Coahoma

Leslie Stirrups, DE, 6-3, 275, Pearl River

Daniel Thomas, SS, 6-2, 230, Northwest

Demareo Marr, CB, 6-2, 190, Northwest

Jorrick Calvin, CB, 5-11, 185, East Central

Tremaine Brock, DB, 5-11, 175, Gulf Coast

Josh Wiley, DB, 6-1, 210, Pearl River

Edward Prince, OL, 6-5, 280, Co-Lin

Anthony Jones, WR, 6-1, 180, Northwest

Phillip Freeman, OL, 6-6, 280, Co-Lin

Jeff Martin, LB, 6-3, 240, Southwest

Brandon Burns, S, 6-4, 215, Pearl River

Tabbaris Hicks, S, 6-0, 200, Holmes

Cedric McKinley, DE, 6-5, 260, Gulf Coast

Freddie Parham, WR, 5-11, 200, East Central

Anthony Jones, WR, 6-1, 180, Northeast USF VERBAL

Tim Rawlison, LB, 6-1, 210, Pearl River

Jonathan Massey, TE, 6-3, 250, Co-Lin

Roderick Lacy, WR, 6-1, 200, Holmes

Aaron Williams, NG, 6-0, 300, Pearl River

Mario Addison, 6-4, 250, Northeast

Alex Ford, DL, 6-1, 300, Pearl River

O.J. Murdock, WR, 6-0, 200, Pearl River

Hendrick Leverette, LB, 6-0, 210, Pearl River

Jarvis Kinchen, WR, 6-1, 180, Gulf Coast

Roger Frazier, WR, 6-2, 185, Pearl River

Theo Wilson, WR, 5-10, 175, Pearl River USF VERBAL

Tray Hardaway, LB, 6-0, 220, Co-Lin

Jack Hayes, DE, 6-4, 250, Gulf Coast

Oscar Dudley, WR, 6-4, 200, Northwest

Anthony Jones, WR, 6-2, 180, Northeast

Patrick Trahan, LB, 6-1, 210, Northwest

Roosevelt Ross, RB, 5-9, 180, East Central

Colton Jenkins, OL, 6-6, 280, Holmes

Alonzo Horton, DE, 6-3, 260, Northwest

Trey Hopson, RB, 5-9, 180, Gulf Coast

Jere Gault, QB, 6-3, 210, East Miss.

Tyson Lee, QB, 6-0, 190, Itawamba

T.J. Harper, OL, 6-2, 315, Pearl River

Jeremy Evans, LB 6-0, 230, Gulf Coast

James Patterson, ATH, 6-2, 230, East Miss.

Willie Pritchett, OL, 6-6, 300, Gulf Coast

http://www.sunherald.com/sports/v-print/story/161756.html

[WWMJD]

So I take this to mean we haven't offered Murdock?