2013 Recruiting List  |  Adrian Podcast on the Recruits

NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State football coach Pete Adrian welcomed 18 new football recruits who signed national letters of intent Wednesday to play for the Spartans beginning this fall.

The Spartans signed a large, balanced class that includes nine players who will likely start their NSU careers on defense, eight on offense, and one kicker/punter. Seventeen of the 18 new additions hail from the state of Virginia. Sixteen are high school recruits, and two come from the junior college ranks. The class includes five defensive backs, three linebackers, three offensive linemen, two running backs, one quarterback, one receiver, one defensive lineman, one tight end and a kicker.

On the offensive side of the ball, NSU's immediate needs were to add depth and explosiveness at running back in addition to a veteran signal-caller. After losing senior running backs Takeem Hedgeman and Randy Maynes from last year's team, NSU restocked in the backfield with two recruits: high schoolers Marquis Brown (Amherst County, Va./Amherst County HS) and Shakeem Copeland (Woodbridge, Va./Gar-Field HS). Both rushed for more than 1,000 yards in their final prep seasons.

NSU's lone quarterback recruit is already enrolled at NSU. Virginia native Jason Stewart transferred from Dodge City College in Dodge City, Kan., for the start of the spring semester January. Stewart was a standout at Hayfield High School in northern Virginia before spending one season at Hargrave Military Academy and one year at Dodge City, where he split time at QB this past fall. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Also offensively, the Spartans added 6-1 receiver James Church from nearby Salem High School in Virginia Beach. Adrian also landed a player who he thinks could be NSU's tight end of the future in 6-4, 225-pound Demetreus Ferebee from Roanoke, Va.'s Northside High. Ferebee was also an all-state defensive end.

Despite having 14 offensive linemen back next year from the 2012 squad, NSU built for the future with offensive line recruits Chris Alaniz (Winchester, Va./James Wood HS), Gabe Hollins (Virginia Beach, Va./Cox HS) and Jacob Mazgajewski (Yorktown, Va./Grafton HS). All three stand at least 6-3.

NSU should return nine players next season who started at least one game for the nation's No. 3 ranked defense. But with a distinct upperclassman presence on that side of the ball, Adrian wanted to add depth to an already solid unit. The key focus was finding help in the secondary, and Adrian inked five players who figure to start off their careers in the defensive backfield. Of the five, four stand at least 6-0 or taller. The shortest is 5-11 cornerback Collin Frazer (Woodbridge, Va.), who was an all-region performer at Alfred State (N.Y.) Community College in New York after beginning his career at Western Kentucky.

NSU's other recruit at corner is the 6-0 Donte Haynesworth (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover HS), whose father Leroy was a Division II All-American defensive back at NSU in the early 1990s. NSU also welcomes three players who will get an early look at safety: local product Harry Freeman (Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor HS), Brandon Walker (Richmond, Va./L.C. Bird HS) and Leroy Parker (Miami, Fla./North Miami Beach HS). All stand at least 6-2 and weigh at least 190 pounds.

Adrian also shored up the front seven with stout defensive lineman James Jones (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass HS) and linebackers Jay Anderson (Richmond, Va./L.C. Bird HS), Jonathan Okafor (Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park HS) and T.C. Livingston (Suffolk, Va./King's Fork HS).

Adrian's lone special teams recruit is Cameron Marouf (Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park HS), an all-district punter who will also battle for time as NSU's placekicker in the fall.

“I feel really good about this class. They were all 'first-round choices' on our wish list,” Adrian said. “We addressed most of our needs. We took more than we planned at a couple of spots like offensive line and secondary. But we realized that some of the recruits who wanted to come on board were too good to pass up.

“We definitely got more athletic and improved our depth immensely in all three phases of the game.”

Following is a look at the recruits with coach Adrian's comments on each and video highlights where available.

Chris Alaniz  •  OL  •  6-3  • 290
Winchester, Va./James Wood HS
High School: Was a two-time All-Northwest District, all-area and all-academic selection … played in the 2012 Chesapeake Bowl, an invitation-only all-star game pitting stars from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. against stars from New Jersey, Philadelphia and Delaware … three-year starter.
Adrian on Alaniz: “Chris is a big, strong, mobile lineman. He plays with a good motor and is equally effective in pass protection and run blocking.”

Jay Anderson  •  LB  •  6-2  •  220
Richmond, Va./L.C. Bird HS
High School: A first-team All-State Group AAA pick by VirginiaPreps.com … first-team All-Metro selection by The Richmond Times Dispatch … was also named to the All-Dominion District and All-Central Region first teams … posted 86 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks for the VHSL state Division 6 champions … forced three fumbles, recovered three fumbles and broke up five passes … had three sacks in the state championship game.
Adrian on Anderson: “Jay seems to be the perfect fit for our defensive at outside linebacker. He play standing up or with his hand down and we feel he will be a really good player for us.”

Marquis Brown  •  RB  •  5-10  •  185
Madison Heights, Va./Amherst County HS
High School: First-team All-Seminole District and Lynchburg News & Advance All-Area ... also a second-team All-Region III selection … rushed 155 times for 1,241 yards and 13 touchdowns … also caught one TD pass … had 20 runs of at least 20 yards and averaged over 8.0 yards per rush … ran one leg on Amherst's state Group AA indoor championship 4x400 relay team last year.
Adrian on Brown: “Marquis has great speed. He is a real break-away threat and has excellent quickness, as well.”

James Church  •  WR   •  6-1  •  200
Virginia Beach, Va./Salem HS
High School: Named to the All-Beach District second team … caught 33 passes for 402 yards and three touchdowns … also had offers from Hampton and VMI … ranked the No. 24 recruit in The Virginian-Pilot's top 50 rankings for South Hampton Roads.
Adrian on Church: “What really stands out about James is that his work ethic is second to none. He has great hands and catches everything thrown to him. We weren't necessarily looking to add a receiver to this class, but he was too good to pass up.”

Shakeem Copeland  •  RB  •  5-9  •  200
Woodbridge, Va./Gar-Field HS
High School: Rushed for 1,148 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior … earned first-team All-Cardinal District honors … was fifth in the Northern Virginia area in rushing … also ran for 1,417 yards as a junior … earned MVP at the National Underclassmen Combine event in Richmond after his junior season.
Adrian on Copeland: “Shakeem is an outstanding back with good speed and vision, and he's a tough runner. He played most of his senior year with a pulled hamstring, but kept playing at both running back and outside linebacker. That shows that kind of toughness he has.”

Demetreus Ferebee   •  TE   •  6-4  •  225
Roanoke, Va./Northside HS
High School: A first-team all-district and All-Region III selection on defense … also named to the all-state Group AA second team.
Adrian on Ferebee: “Demetreus could play outside linebacker for us down the road, but we feel he can push for time at tight end right away. He blocks and catches really well and should fit in well with what we want to do offensively.”

Collin Frazer  •  DB  •  5-11  •  180
Woodbridge, Va./Alfred State CC (N.Y.)/Woodbridge HS
At Alfred State: First-team All-Region III selection as a defensive back and as a return specialist … led the team with three interceptions … added 50 tackles, seven pass break-ups, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one fumble recovery … on special teams, he accumulated 355 yards and two scores on punt returns (19.2 average) and 280 yards and one score on kick returns (23.3 average) … finished the season with five total touchdowns (three on special teams, one on defense and one receiving).
At Woodbridge HS: A 2009 second-team all-state Group AAA pick after amassing 83 total tackles for a 10-1 team … caught 24 passes for 409 yards and four touchdowns, while also running the ball four times for 37 yards and going 4-for-4 passing for 46 yards and a pair of touchdowns on offense.
Adrian on Frazer: “Collin is an outstanding defensive back. He could play corner or safety for us because he has good cover skills and great makeup speed. He is also dangerous in the return game.”

Harry Freeman •  DB/WR  •  6-2  •  185
Norfolk, Va./Lake Taylor HS
High School: A first-team All-Eastern District and second-team All-Eastern Region pick at wide receiver … caught 12 touchdown passes for the Titans, who won the state Group AAA Division 5 championship … amassed 26 catches for 575 yards (22.1 yards per catch) … also started at defensive back … son of NSU assistant track and field coach of the same name.
Adrian on Freeman: “Harry is a speed guy who can play either side of the ball. We'll look at him at safety first because of his great range. He may also help us in the return game.”

Donte Haynesworth  •  DB  •  6-0  •  175
Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover HS
High School: Started at defensive back and receiver for the Hawks, who won the Central Region Division 5 championship and advanced to the state semifinals … named to the All-Capital District first team at both receiver and defensive back … also a second-team All-Metro and All-Central Region pick at receiver, Haynesworth caught 39 passes for 676 yards and seven touchdowns … recorded 52 tackles, six interceptions, eight pass breakups and one fumble recovery for a TD on defense … son of former NSU All-American DB Leroy Haynesworth.
Adrian on Haynesworth: “Donte has good cover skills and does a real nice job against the run. There were several other schools who really wanted him, so we feel fortunate that he chose to come to NSU.”

Gabe Hollins  •   OL  •   6-4  •     310
Virginia Beach, Va./Cox HS
High School: A first-team All-Beach District and All-Tidewater selection by the Virginian-Pilot … also named to the All-Eastern Region second team by VirginiaPreps.com … started on both sides of the line in every game … helped Cox rush for nearly 2,000 yards in 10 games … ranked the No. 20 recruit in the Virginian-Pilot's top 50 rankings for South Hampton Roads.
Adrian on Hollins: “Gabe is a physical player who has a really good motor. I expect him to push for playing time right off the bat.”

James Jones  •  DL  •   6-4  •  295
Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass HS
High School: First-team All-Seminole District selection … tallied 70 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles, three blocked kicks, two fumble recoveries and one interception … scored three defensive touchdowns … honorable mention all-region ... was second on the team in total tackles and was named the team's Defensive MVP.
Adrian on Jones: “We didn't have to add a defensive lineman in this class, but James really jumps off the film at you. He moves well and brings something to the party once he gets there.”

T.C. Livingston  •  LB  •  6-3  •  190
Suffolk, Va./King's Fork HS
High School: First-team All-Southeastern District linebacker … also named to the All-Tidewater second team by The Virginian-Pilot … helped lead the Bulldogs to their first-ever berth in the Eastern Region playoffs.
Adrian on Livingston: “We really like T.C.'s athleticism and think he fits in well with our defensive scheme.”

Cameron Marouf  •  K/P  •  5-10  •  180
Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park HS
High School: First-team All-Cardinal District punter as a senior … averaged 39 yards per punt … was 16-of-17 on extra point attempts and made three field goals.
Adrian on Marouf: “Cameron is well-rounded – he can punt, place-kick and kickoff very well. What I like about him is that he is calm under pressure and has only been kicking a couple of years. He has a bright future.”

Jacob Mazgajewski  •  OL  •   6-6  •   260
Yorktown, Va./Grafton HS
High School: Received a two-star rating from the recruiting web site Scout.com … named to the All-Bay Rivers District second team on offense … started at both offensive tackle and defensive end.
Adrian on Mazgajewski: “Jacob could probably play either side of the ball for us. We think he will make an outstanding offensive tackle for us because he has long arms and is very athletic.”

Jonathan Okafor  •  LB  •   6-3  •  215
Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park HS
High School: First-team All-Cardinal District after recording 19 sacks as a senior … tallied 26 total tackles for loss … also played tight end for Forest Park.
Adrian on Okafor: “Jonathan runs very well and fits into our “30” defense very well. He can rush the passer standing up or in a three-point stance.”

Leroy Parker  •  DB  •   6-2  •  190
Miami, Fla./North Miami Beach HS
High School: A third-team All-Dade County pick by The Miami Herald … tallied 89 tackles and four interceptions on defense, two of which he returned for touchdowns … also caught 31 passes for 618 and eight touchdowns on offense … averaged 37 yards per kickoff return … a standout baseball player for the Chargers who has batted over .400 each of his first three seasons.
Adrian on Parker: “Leroy is an excellent athlete who could play safety or corner for us. He's the only out-of-state recruit we're taking right now with this class, because he is too good to pass up.”

Jason Stewart  •  QB  •  6-2  •  205
Lorton, Va./Dodge City CC (Kan.)/Hayfield HS
Prior to NSU: Split time between quarterback and receiver in his one year at Dodge City … passed for 787 yards and three scores and also caught six passes for 110 yards and a touchdown … spent one post-graduate year at Hargrave Military Academy before enrolling at Dodge City … was an All-National District pick as a senior at Hayfield High, leading the Hawks to the North Region Division 5 championship game … has three years of eligibility remaining.
Adrian on Stewart: “Jason has a quick release, good feet and an excellent football mind. He has the arm to make all the throws, but also shows nice touch on his passes when it's needed.”

Brandon Walker  •  DB  •   6-3  •   200
Richmond, Va./L.C. Bird HS
High School: A first-team All-Dominion District pick … also named to the district all-academic team … named to the Richmond Times Dispatch All-Metro and All-Central Region second teams … teamed with fellow NSU signee Jay Anderson to help L.C. Bird win the state Division 6 championship … had the game-clinching tackle on a fourth-and-1 play in the title game … tallied 92 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, six interceptions and 10 pass deflections.
Adrian on Walker: “Brandon has good cover skills and rotates very well on defense. I expect for him to make a push for playing time right away.”