North Carolina A&T may have lost to Morgan State on the field a few weeks back, but it beat its MEAC rival for a coveted recruit.
Mallard Creek High School linebacker Jacob Roberts verbally committed to A&T on September 30th. The 6’0″, 215-pound linebacker announced his commitment on Twitter.
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— Jacob Roberts (@Jacobrob3rts_) September 30, 2018
Morgan State offered Roberts a scholarship back in May, while he received some interest from Charlotte, NC State and North Carolina. He was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player for Mallard Creek, a perennial football powerhouse in Charlotte that finished as 4A State Runner-Up last year. He has been selected to participate in the Hawaii Tiki Bowl heading into his senior season.
Blessed ?? pic.twitter.com/MNwFgqw5G5
— Jacob Roberts (@Jacobrob3rts_) August 4, 2018
HBCU Talent History At Mallard Creek
Mallard Creek has a history of producing solid HBCU talent, specifically at A&T. D’Vonte Grant came to Greensboro as a walk-on in 2011 and left as the school’s second all-time leading tackler in 2014. Current Mallard Creek HBCU stars include Fayetteville State’s Richard Latimore and Winston-Salem State’s Jarrell Bright.
Roberts is rated as a two-star recruit, which isn’t super high, but the Aggies have a history of turning lightly-regarded players into contributors and sometimes superstars since Rod Broadway took over. Tarik Cohen, Tony McRae and Brandon Parker weren’t three or four-star players, but they all now play on Sunday. Jeremy Taylor was once a walk-on from Kinston and became a major contributor to the program’s run of three-consecutive postseason finishes.
The Aggies are solid at linebacker for the forseeable future, and Roberts could get another offer that he finds as a better fit. There’s a long way to go between now and signing day. But if he shows up in Greensboro, just remember where you heard it first.
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