AROUND THE STATE

Bethune-Cookman Reaps Bay Area Talent, Hopes To Use It To Defeat FAMU

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If Florida A&M alumni around the Bay area are still wondering what happened on Signing Day, yes that was your rival Bethune-Cookman coming around here and signing four players to your zero.  Going forward, this 2011 class for the respective rival HBCU schools could be a perfect test study for comparing Bay area prep prospects to those from north Florida.  Has the Bay area been overlooked as one of the best training grounds in all of the country?

While both schools plucked some talent from south Florida high schools, FAMU concentrated it’s signings to the northern part of the state and Alabama and Georgia. Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins landed one of the top FCS 2011 signing classes by recruiting all over but was heavy with players on the state road 60 corridor.

One of those players was Florida’s Mr. Football, record-setting quarterback Quentin Williams of Jefferson.  Coach Jenkins called Williams, “a true leader, a true winner.” Add a big, aggressive wide receiver in Tyree Green of Boca Ciega and that alone is plenty of firepower on the offensive side of the ball.

Armwood’s big offensive tackle Kevin Williams will get a chance to try out his re-modeled 6’2”  285-pound wide-frame on defense.  He originally played on that side of the ball before being moved to the offensive line after he transferred from Jefferson.

Dominic “Nic” Addison of Spoto rounds out the fab four from the Bay area.  Arguably the most athletic player in Hillsborough County last season, Addison is expected to become a shutdown corner that cuts the field in half for the Wildcat defense.  He could be the latest NFL-caliber defensive back to attend BCU in the vein of Rashean Mathis and Nick Collins.

Nic Addison. BCP-photo by Willie Kelly

All four have a legitimate chance to avoid being red-shirted and contribute right away.

Much credit has to go to Wildcat recruiting co-ordinator Allen Suber.  He worked tirelessly to track the offers of Williams and Addison and never lost enthusiasm to land them.

Brian Jenkins and his defending MEAC Champion Wildcats only had one major blemish on his initial season at the helm.  The only loss they suffered in the 2010 regular season was to the Rattlers in the Florida Classic at Orlando last fall.  If you ask fans of the two universities, some will say it’s the only result that counts.

Can BCU score not only a victory for the proud Wildcat fans and alumni but ostensibly for Bay area prep football when they face FAMU next fall?  We will find out on November 19 at the Citrus Bowl?