Early Signing Day: Five ECU signees that you should know about

The Pirates added 25 new players on Early Signing Day.

It didn’t take long to get a “signing day surprise” with Australian punter, Luke Larsen, being announced as the first player to sign Wednesday morning. Larsen was not listed as a prospect on any recruiting site and was kept a secret by the coaching staff for a while. Early Signing Day ended with seven defensive lineman and three offensive lineman on their way to Greenville. Mike Houston has expressed his concern with the trenches and has made it a clear priority moving forward.

The goal for the day was to get the 24 committed players to sign and to add a junior college defensive lineman or two. The goal was achieved by 10:30 AM with the signing of JUCO lineman Henry Garrison. This class has 25 players and is currently ranked third in the American and 60th nationally by 24/7 Sports.

Mason Garcia, QB (6-4, 218)

https://twitter.com/ECUPiratesFB/status/1207288375880740866?s=20

Composite Rating: .8829

While watching highlights of Mason Garcia, you can’t help but be excited for what he can do at East Carolina. He has ideal size at 6-foot, 4-inches, and 218 pounds while possessing incredible arm strength and pass accuracy. 24/7 Sports has Garcia listed as the 16th ranked pro-style quarterback in the country while Rivals has him at 14th. He is going to be the starter for the South Carolina team on Saturday at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolina’s.

Along with a ton of scholarship offers (listed below), Garcia got looks from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Nebraska, and South Carolina. He is projected as a future second day (Round 2 or 3) draft pick and is compared to Josh Allen by National 24/7 Sports Writer Charles Power.

Notable Offers: Missouri, Pitt, Syracuse, Cincinnati

Rahjai Harris, RB (5-11, 205)

Composite Rating: .8389

One look at Rahjai Harris’ film and you’ll see some serious potential of being a future “every down” back. Not only does he have breakaway speed, but he already has great size. Unlike Harris, most running backs coming out of high school have plenty of weight to be gained. It’s remarkable for Harris to be at 205 pounds and still have his great speed. He is exactly what type of running back that Mike Houston wants and should make an impact on day one.

Along with Garcia, Harris will be competing in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolina’s this weekend. He will be enrolling early and getting a jump on his classes and conditioning in January. He’s going to be a stud for the Pirates.

Notable Offers: Tennessee, West Virginia, Memphis

Xavier McIver, DT  (6-2, 290)

https://twitter.com/ECUPiratesFB/status/1207279924601507840?s=20

Composite Rating: .8484

Like Garcia and Harris, McIver will also be participating in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolina’s this weekend. His main strength is his quickness. Scouts and coaches who have watched him in person can’t believe that he is 290 pounds with the way that he moves. Put that with his length and you’ve got a big-time defensive prospect. With all of the question marks along the defensive line, McIver will have the opportunity to compete for a starting role as a freshman.

Notable Offers: South Carolina, Syracuse, West Virginia, Wake Forest

Tyler Savage, WR (6-3, 190)

https://twitter.com/ECUPiratesFB/status/1207299149240004611?s=20

Composite Rating: .8367

Savage has everything you want in a wide receiver prospect. He has the height (6-3), the hands, and the jumping ability. For reference, I would say that he is very similar to CJ Johnson. He is actually an inch taller and rated .0003 higher according to the 24/7 Sports Composite. If he didn’t shut down his recruiting back on July 1, his offer list would have likely exploded. With all of the talent that is already in the receiver room, there’s a good chance that Savage will just play in four games and take a redshirt to allow an extra year of development. After a year in the strength and conditioning program, he could be primed to be a breakout player in his second season.

Notable Offers: Temple, App State

Henry Garrison, DE (6-7, 275)

Composite Rating: N/A

This Junior College transfer out of Nassau CC looks like a beast. He flew very under the radar up until receiving two offers at the beginning of the month. Part of why he was overlooked was due to multiple position changes in the past couple of years. In the small amount of film that he has, I have been very impressed. He has J.J. Watt type size and seems to have pretty good speed to set the outside edge. Garrison will likely see the field early and often in his first year.

Notable Offers: Tulsa