Recruiting: Jones Fails To Meet Admission Requirements

Dwight Jones was a Parade All-American and regarded as the No. 1 college prospect in North Carolina as a senior at Burlington’s Cummings High School in 2006. Dozens of major-college programs were offering him scholarships.

But now the gifted 6-foot-4, 210-pound wide receiver finds himself in the uncomfortable position of finding a school that can admit him after his latest attempt at meeting the required entrance exam score fell short.

“My high school coach is trying to talk to some schools,’’ Jones said Tuesday morning. “He was talking to West Virginia, but he found out they don’t take Prop 48 players. Other than that, he’s just trying to find other schools.’’

Jones signed a national letter-of-intent with North Carolina last February, but when came up short on meeting academic entrance requirements to the Atlantic Coast Conference school. He enrolled instead at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., to improve that score and his academics overall in hopes of enrolling at UNC this month.

But after completing the fall semester at Hargrave and falling about 50 points short of achieving the entrance test score he needed, Jones has returned home to Burlington. He said Tuesday his plan was to focus on improving his grade-point average by taking courses at a local community college while his high school coach, Steve Johnson, continues searching for a place for him to play. By improving his GPA, Jones could possibly qualify with a lower entrance test score.

Jones still hasn’t given up hope of enrolling at North Carolina. He’s remained in contact with the coaching staff in Chapel Hill.

“I still love Carolina. It’s the best school and I’d still love to go there if we can work it out,’’ he said. “If that doesn’t work out though, I’ll probably go somewhere else.’’

Despite website chatter, that place doesn’t yet include East Carolina. Jones said hasn’t spoken to East Carolina.’

That may be because ECU is pursuing another Hargrave Military wideout in 6-3, 200-pound Dayon Arrington, who made an official visit to Greenville last weekend.

Arrington, who is from Burtonsville, Md., has narrowed his choices to the Pirates and Virginia. As a senior at Paint Branch High in 2006, Arrington caught 49 passes for 1,008 yard and nine touchdowns.

Waiting for a response

Several readers correctly questioned my entry in last week’s column regarding the commitment by Matthews Butler defensive back Spencer Adams. Adams picked Clemson over UNC in a taped announcement prior to the Under Armour All-American Game played in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month.

I received several emails and calls about some internet message board posts that stated ESPN, which covered the event extensively, had taped two announcements with Adams, one in which he picked UNC and one in which he picked Clemson. I read the posts myself and then called ESPN to ask if that indeed occurred.

ESPN spokesperson Telia Coleman, who was present during the announcement, confirmed only one was taped.

What I didn’t know when I spoke to Coleman initially was that the ESPN’s website had, according to several readers, posted a story stating that Spencer had chosen UNC. According to readers, the post was up for about five minutes and included quotes from Adams before it was replaced by a story saying he’d committed to the Tigers.

I consequently called Coleman again and asked about the phantom post. But because that involved a different area of ESPN’s operation, Coleman had to check with folks on the website end before she could comment on what occurred.

Like you, I’m still waiting curiously for a response. When I get one, I’ll certainly update the story.

D-Ends on menu at UNC

North Carolina may answer its need for defensive ends this weekend as six highly rated rushers are scheduled to be on campus for official visits.

The contingent includes: 6-7, 240-pound Quinton Coples from Kinston via Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va.; Coples’ Hargrave teammate Leon Mackey, a 6-5, 258-pounder out of Delaware; 6-5, 245-pound Robert Quinn from North Charleston, S.C.; 6-6, 250-pound Glenn Harbin from Mobile, Ala., and brothers Marcel (6-4, 277) and Demetrius Dareus (6-5, 245) from Huffman, Ala.

Coples has already visited Florida State and N.C. State, and has trips to UNC and Tennessee (Feb. 1) remaining. Mackey is visiting the same four programs.

Quinn says he’s wide open between Alabama, Auburn and UNC, while Harbin’s final four features UNC, Alabama, Florida and LSU.

The Dareus brothers are considering Alabama, Auburn and the Tar Heels.

Visiting dignitaries

N.C. State and Wake Forest will entertain some major talent this weekend, too.

Cleveland running back William Lowe and St. Augustine, Fla., cornerback Rashaad Reid are scheduled to be on campus in Raleigh for official visits. Lowe is an all-purpose back who is also looking at Indiana and Iowa. Reid is a late addition to the Wolfpack recruiting board, mainly because he’s been committed to Georgia Tech. But he’s now looking around in lieu of the coaching change there and has visits set for N.C. State, South Florida (Jan. 25) and Arkansas (Feb. 1). He’s already visited Vanderbilt.

In Winston-Salem, the Deacons will be trying to impress 6-6, 190-pound Matt Roark from Acworth, Ga. The multi-faceted athlete took an official visit to Duke last weekend where he’s being recruited as a quarterback. He’s also visited Illinois, Kentucky and Oregon. The Deacons are recruiting Roark as a wide receiver.