Coach Matthews brings in ‘best class yet’
Linebackers are focus of the 2008 recruiting class
Posted on February 7, 2008
On national signing day the headlines are usually dominated by the Bowl Championship Subdivision schools and who the likes of Ohio State and Michigan have recruited to be the next great quarterback.
For JMU and the Football Championship Subdivision signing day is equally as anticipated, as coaches recruit all fall and winter for the best talent.
After what was considered JMU coach Mickey Matthews’ best recruiting class last year, he feels there is no doubt the latest class is better.
“I always say that because I think because of our facilities we continue to improve our talent pool of players,” Matthews said. “We didn’t have to go very deep on our lists.”
At the top of Wednesday’s signee-list is running back Corwin Acker from Landover, Md. and a quartet of athletes from Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va.
Acker comes to Harrisonburg after originally signing with Temple after his junior year of high school. In his senior year he rushed for 1,258 yards and 13 touchdowns for James Hubert Black High School.
Temple never saw Acker in pads as he opted out of his obligation because of a projected redshirt status. He had also considered Colonial Athletic Association rival Delaware before choosing JMU.
“Corwin was a youngster who when he was going through the recruiting process over the holidays was being contacted by Illinois and Maryland,” Matthews said. “…to say he’s gonna be the best back we’ve ever had, I can’t tell you that. But he’s the most highly recruited running back we’ve ever signed here.”
Thanks to a strong connection between offensive line coach Chris Malone and his former school, Fork Union, JMU has attracted a variety of athletes from the prep school.
Last year the Dukes added Kerby Long from FUMA, who is expected to be a game-changer on both sides of the ball after redshirting his first season with the Dukes.
Offensive lineman Lue Akuak is the first FUMA player of this class to work out with JMU. Akuak, who along with Acker enrolled in JMU this spring, is expected to add depth to an O-line that will have two seniors next season.
Josh Johnson and Jamie Veney, a pair of Fork Union linebackers, are expected to contribute immediately to a depleted linebacking core and Taveion Cuffee rounds out the FUMA four.
“Once [JMU] gets a kid on campus, [they] don’t lose ’em,” FUMA coach John Shuman said. “I’m an instate guy and I’m excited to see JMU be able to get a guy like Cuffie away from the [Mid-American Conference] schools.”
The Dukes also signed a quarterback in Varina High School’s Justin Thorpe. The Richmond-native is 6-foot-2, 208-pounds and Matthews described him as a “top two or three quarterback in the state.”
Matthews also compared him to current JMU starter Rodney Landers, but believes Thorpe may have a better arm as an incoming player than Landers did in 2004.
JMU signed seven other players and is expecting at least one local student athlete to join the team. Matthews could not elaborate on any names because of NCAA rules.
