Entering its second gridiron season back in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, North Carolina Central University will welcome the return of 54 letterwinners, including 14 starters, and will be bolstered by a recruiting class of 27 commitments from national signing day.
The Eagles are coming off a disappointing MEAC debut in which the team posted a 2-9 overall record and a 1-7 mark in conference play. And while NCCU fell far short of achieving its first winning season since 2007, there is optimism in the fact that the Eagles held fourth-quarter leads in three of last season’s losses.
OFFENSE
NCCU’s 2011 offensive attack broke a 16-year-old record by completing 210 passes, becoming the first Eagles squad to surpass the 200 mark. The previous standard was 193 pass completions during the 1985 and 1995 seasons.
Leading last year’s record-breaking aerial assault was quarterback Michael Johnson, who connected on 196 pass attempts to top legendary NCCU slinger Earl “Air” Harvey’s mark of 188 pass completions in 1985. However, Johnson wrapped up his career as NCCU’s third all-time leading passer with 5,740 yards and 46 touchdowns, leaving a gaping hole behind center.
Entering the 2012 campaign, the quarterback position is up for grabs, and the competition is wide open. Redshirt-junior Jordan Reid (R-Jr., 6-1, 190, High Point, N.C.) is the lone returner vying for the starting role. In his two seasons at NCCU, Reid has completed 43-of-76 passes for 425 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing 57 times for 163 yards and a score. He has appeared in 17 games for the Eagles, but only one as the starting quarterback (at Savannah State, Nov. 13, 2010). The other QB competitors are all newcomers to NCCU and have all taken different routes to Durham. Quenton Rucker (R-Fr., 6-1, 205, Atlanta, Ga.) is a redshirt-freshman who has a year’s worth of practice under his belt and benefited from holding a clipboard on the Eagles’ sideline in 2011. Matt Goggans (Jr., 6-2, 225, Pine Grove, Calif.) transferred to NCCU from Fullerton College and worked out with the Eagles during spring practice. Lastly, Malcolm Bell (Fr., 6-1, 176, Richmond, Va.) will be a true freshman with an equal opportunity to claim the starting job.
There will also be several fresh faces on the offensive line. Only one of the starters on the offensive front from the final game of the season returns – Charles Goodwin (R-Jr., 6-6, 285, High Point, N.C.), who is slated to hold down the left tackle position. Justin Lewis (Sr., 6-4, 330, Johnsonville, S.C.), who started the first four games last year, returns from a season-ending injury to his right guard spot. There will be many contenders for the other starting roles up front, with four other returners and a wealth of new talent joining the squad, including redshirt freshman Zachary Giles (R-Fr., 6-0, 315, Durham, N.C.), rookie Decarreus Mason (Fr., 6-5, 270, Boynton Beach, Fla.) and transfer Michael Wells (Jr., 6-2, 290, Pomona, Calif., Citrus College).
NCCU’s skill positions will be loaded with experience, as the Eagles return their top four running backs and top five receivers.
The four returning running backs combined for 1,019 rushing yards in 2011, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Leading the way was Idreis Augustus (R-So., 5-7, 190, Springfield, Va.), who joined the team in the fifth game of the season and rushed for a team-best 429 yards on 92 attempts with two touchdowns. Carrying the load at the start of the season was Andre Clarke (R-So., 5-10, 232, Mauldin, S.C.), who finished with 405 yards and a team-high five rushing touchdowns. Also contributing to the ground game was Arthur Goforth (Sr., 5-8, 171, Columbia, S.C.) with 106 yards and Gary Douglas (Sr., 6-1, 212, Durham, N.C.) with 79 yards and a score. These four quality returners present the Eagles with many ball-carrying options.
Speaking of options, NCCU returns five receivers who combined for 148 catches, 1,692 receiving yards and 15 of the team’s 16 touchdown grabs a year ago. Topping that list is Geovonie Irvine (R-Sr., 5-7, 161, Durham, N.C.), who led the Eagles with 47 receptions for 580 yards and five touchdowns. Irvine enters his final season as NCCU’s fourth all-time leading receiver with 138 career catches for 1,920 yards and 13 trips to the end zone. Other top returning receivers are Demario Lackey (R-Sr., 6-1, 191, Solon, Ohio) with 34 receptions for 407 yards and three touchdowns; Jonathan Nicely (R-Sr., 6-4, 197, Augusta, Ga.) with 27 catches for 327 yards and three touchdowns; Marvin Poole (R-Jr., 6-4, 185, Columbia, S.C.) with 21 receptions for 230 yards and four touchdowns; and Decona Roberts (R-Sr., 6-0, 205, Matthews, N.C.) with 19 catches for 148 yards.
The likely candidate to fill the role of tight end is Rashad Daniels (Sr., 6-3, 200, Atlanta, Ga.), who collected five receptions for 56 yards last season.
DEFENSE
NCCU’s defense in 2012 will be without the services of three of the team’s top tacklers from a year ago, including unit leader Brandon Outlaw, who became the first Eagle to record 110 takedowns in a season since 1996 (Ken Hill, 133).
Still, the defense will return eight starters and 13 of the top 17 defenders from last year.
A strong and experienced defensive front returns intact. Leading this powerful crew are Stephen Young (Sr., 6-2, 268, Woodbridge, Va.), who amassed 44 tackles with 9.5 hits for a loss and 3.0 sacks in 2011; Chase Tripp (Sr., 6-2, 256, Chocowinity, N.C.), who collected 37 tackles with a team-high 12.5 hits for a loss and 3.5 sacks; Xavier Proctor (R-Sr., 6-6, 272, Ellicott City, Md.), who tallied 37 tackles with 7.5 hits for a loss and 3.5 sacks; and John Drew (Sr., 6-2, 330, Columbus, Ga.), who posted 24 tackles with 6.0 hits for a loss. Aaron Wallace (R-Jr., 6-2, 319, Washington, D.C.) is also expected to help clog up the middle of the field.
A wealth of young talented linebackers will hit the gridiron for the Eagles this season. The eldest of the bunch, Chris Drew (R-Sr., 6-2, 231, Columbus, Ga.), corralled 32 ball-carriers last year with 5.0 hits for a loss and 2.0 sacks. Other top contributors returning to the linebacker corps are Ty Brown (R-So., 6-4, 218, Charlotte, N.C.) with 32 tackles and 3.0 sacks; Tiron Guion (So., 5-9, 178, New Bern, N.C.) with 31 tackles and an interception for a touchdown; Tyriqe Williams (R-Jr., 5-11, 200, McDonough, Ga.) with 31 tackles and 3.5 hits for a loss; Prince Williams (So., 5-11, 210, Miami, Fla.) with 30 tackles and 3.5 hits for a loss; and Demontray Ryland (R-So., 6-2, 244, Portsmouth, Va.) with 29 tackles and 4.0 hits for a loss.
The secondary was the hardest hit by the departure of last year’s senior class, but there is talent returning and some key newcomers to help lock down opposing passing options. NCCU’s top returning defender, Marc Lewis (Sr., 6-1, 190, New Bern, N.C.), who amassed 53 tackles and nine passes defended in 2011, is slated to move from a safety spot to cornerback this season. Malik Cromartie (R-Sr., 5-9, 170, Elizabethtown, N.C.), who did a little of everything last year with 36 tackles, 1.5 hits for a loss, a sack, two interceptions, three pass break-ups, two recovered fumbles and two blocked kicks, and Delson McAdams (So., 5-9, 175, Durham, N.C.) will also provide experience at the cornerback position, while newcomer Cameron Hughes (R-So., 6-0, 180, Charlotte, N.C.) is expected to make an immediate impact. At safety, Rickie Hubbard (R-Sr., 5-11, 190, Atlanta, Ga.), who recorded 28 tackles with 2.5 hits for a loss and two pass break-ups last season, is projected to fill a starting role, while expectations are high for redshirt freshman Theo Livingston (R-Fr., 5-11, 185, Fayetteville, N.C.) in the deep secondary, as well.
SPECIAL TEAMS
A solid special teams unit is back, featuring the footwork of place-kicker Oleg Parent (So., 5-10, 155, Lake Forest, Calif.) and punter Matthew Cornelius (R-Jr., 6-0, 163, Charlotte, N.C.), along with the shiftiness and speed of return specialists Arthur Goforth (Sr., 5-8, 171, Columbia, S.C.) and Geovonie Irvine (R-Sr., 5-7, 161, Durham, N.C.).
Parent made all seven field goals during his rookie campaign, including a long of 40 yards, while converting 22-of-26 extra-point kicks.
Cornelius averaged 35.4 yards per punt with a long boot of 66 yards. He blasted five punts of 50 yards or better and placed 23 attempts inside the 20-yard line with only one touchback.
Goforth returned 21 kickoffs for 444 yards (21.1 avg.) and 13 punts for 110 yards (8.5 avg.), while Irvine returned 18 kickoffs for 400 yards (22.2 avg.), including an 81-yard touchdown scamper, and six punts for 54 yards (9.0 avg.).
A key component to the success of the kicking game will be rookie long-snapper Micah Martin (Fr., 6-3, 210, Durham, N.C.).
