Terrell Edwards, a running back from Mobile, Ala., verbally committed to the Thundering Herd following his official visit Sunday. Edwards is the first running back commitment of the potential 2007 class. Edwards rushed for 1,800 yards and 30 touchdowns during his senior year at UMS-Wright Prep School. Recruiting service Scout.com rates him as the No. 77 running back prospect in the nation. “He had a great year,” said Terry Curtis, Edwards’ coach at UMS-Wright to Gary Fauber of the Beckley Register-Herald over the weekend. “He’s a 4.6 (40) guy. He is a really hard runner.”
Pending his official letter-of-intent signing Feb. 7, Edwards could be the Herd’s running back of the future. Bradshaw will be a senior next fall, and backup Chubb Small’s eligibility runs up in 2008, barring injury. Curtis said Marshall has been among Edwards’ favorites. More schools began to show interest in the 6-foot, 205-pounder thanks to his standout senior season, which also included two touchdowns on kick returns. He averaged 30 yards per return. Conference USA foes East Carolina and Southern Miss had shown interest in Edwards, as had several SEC schools, including Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky and South Carolina.
Marshall now has nine verbal commitments: Woodrow Wilson offensive lineman Micah Carter; John Bruhin, offensive lineman; quarterbacks Chris Smith and Mark Cann; defensive back Franchez Pitts; linebacker Kellen Harris; and defensive tackles Shane Moore and Montel Glasco, who is signed and in school.
Marshall will have three seniors and one junior in the defensive tackle rotation, and lost two other DTs who did not return this semester. Curtis Bryant lead the group of defensive tackles to visit the Herd. Bryant, who committed to N.C. State before Chuck Amato was fired, is 6-2, 270 pounds, out of South Miami (Fla.) Senior High School. He is also now being courted by South Florida, of the Big East, and Memphis of Conference USA. The Herd has reportedly already offered Bryant. Another DT is Moore, who is already reportedly committed to the Herd but is making his official visit. Moore is 6-2, 285 pounds, out of Guilford HS near Raleigh, N.C.
Also coming in for the defensive line is Kevin Cyrille, a 6-4, 265 who is also out of the Miami Beach area, playing at North Miami Beach HS. He is being pursued by South Florida and C-USA's Central Florida. Another player who committed but appears to be waivering is Antonio Allison of West Iredell (N.C.) HS, who will be hard to miss among the recruits. Allison, who originally committed to East Carolina, according to Scout.com, is 6-4 and weighs 305 pounds and could be the answer for the Herd in replacing Juan Underwood and Chris Terrell. The final DT is also not hard to find in a crowd. 6-6, 240 pound is Johnny Jones of Clewiston, Fla. He had 64 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two fumbles recovered and an interception last season and is expected to add weight in college.
Also coming in for a visit are Pitts, a 6-3, 198 pound safety who also has given a verbal to Herd coaches. Other schools chasing Pitts were Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State and Mississippi. His high school teammate at Loachapoka (Ala.) HS is also visiting in Corey Hart, a 6-2, 203 pound safety and running back. He was two-time first team All-Alabama and has a 4.6 time in the 40-yard dash. Hart is also being recruited by Georgia Tech, Louisville, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Cory Hall is a defensive end who is in from Brainerd (Tenn.) HS. Hall is 6-5, 255 and is being chased by Tennessee, Memphis and Louisville.
Also coming in are another committed player in Bruhin, the brother of MU guard Zane Bruhin. Their father played at Tennessee and in the NFL. Bruhin is 6-4, 315 and also played at Powell HS near Knoxville.
Marshall has added two players to the scholarship ranks besides WR Darius Passmore and DB Aaron Johnson. Also now on a full ride is tight end Lee Smith, who transferred to the Herd from Tennessee, as well as D.J. Wingate of Mainland (Fla.) HS. Wingate was a "gray-shirt" who sat out in the fall and was second-team All-Volusia County in 2005. Punter Jake Fields of Hurricane, via Hargrave, is also in for the spring semester and will practice with the Herd, starting on March 27.
In other MU news, the football banquet is set for Jan. 27 at Pullman Plaza Hotel in downtown Huntington. William "Red" Dawson, an assistant for the Herd from 1968-71 and one of the main characters in the recently released Warner Bros. picture, "We Are Marshall," will be the featured speaker. MU senior players will be honored and season awards will be given out. Tickets are $35 each and benefit the MU Quarterback Club. Call 304-696-6464 or 304-690-0602 for information.