Marshall Football: 2013 Recruiting Class Suffers Attrition, McManus Among those Ineligible

Four members of Marshall's 2013 football recruiting class have failed to pass the NCAA's eligibility requirements and will not be eligible this fall. They are running backs Tony Pittman and Brandon Byrd, wide receiver Shykeem Pitts, and defensive back DeAndre "Chocolate" Wilson. Despite the setback all four players will enroll this August and spend the next two semesters getting their academics houses in order. 

Of the group Wilson was the most highly regarded prospect. Rivals ranked him a three star recruit and he also held scholarship offers from N.C. State, Mississippi, and Missouri. 

Besides Pittman, Byrd, Pitts, and Willson, four other players, linebacker Rahiem Huskey, linebacker Rodney Allen, wide receiver Angelo Jean Louis, and wide receiver Deontey McManus  will also sit out the upcoming football season as props. Huskey and Allen switched their commitments to Marshall this summer after signing letters of intent with junior colleges in February. Per NCAA rules they must sit out a year before joining the team. Jean Louis and McManus attended prep school last year and need an additional semester or two to become academically eligible.

The final missing piece of Marshall’s 2013 recruiting class, offensive lineman Gerald Wright, will delay his enrolment by one semester and attend Milford Academy (NY) in the fall.

The Thundering Herd's 2013 recruiting class first suffered attrition when reports surfaced that linebacker Jeremiah Benjamin had not qualified academically. Unlike the other non-qualifiers, Benjamin will not enroll at Marshall.

With all of the moving parts here is an easy breakdown of Marshall’s 2013 recruiting class and their eligibility situation.

1) Kevin Anderson, QB, Boca Raton High School, Fla. (Enrolled)

2) Michael Selby, OL, Washington County High School, Ga. (Enrolled)

3) Aaron Plantt, LB, Hallandale High School, Fla. (Enrolled)

4) Sandley Jean-Felix, OL, Boyd Anderson High School, Fla. (Enrolled)

5) Shykeem Pitts, WR, Ridge Community High School, Fla. (Prop)

6) Tony Pittman, RB, Phoebus High School, Va. (Enrolled)

7) Chris Huhn, OL, Pickerington North High School, Oh. (Enrolled)

8) Jeremiah Benjamin, LB, McArthur High School, Fla. (Will not attend Marshall)

9) Michael Johnson, DB, Booker T. Washington High School, Fla. (Enrolled)

10) Gerald Wright, OL, Miami Northwestern High School, Fla. (Grayshirt, will attend Milford Academy in the fall)

11) Cody Collins, OL, Trotwood-Madison High School, Oh. (Enrolled)

12) Tiquan Lang, DB. Lowndes High School, Ga. (Enrolled)

13) D'Andre "Chocolate" Wilson, DB, Myrtle Beach High School, Sc. (Prop)

14) Josh Knight, WR, Fort Pierce Central High School, Fla. (Enrolled)

15) Brandon Byrd, RB, East Bayside High School, Fla. (Prop)

16) Justin Hunt, WR, Whitehaven High School, Tenn. (Enrolled)

17) Stefan Houston, LB, Fork Union Military Academy, Va. (Enrolled)

18) Angelo Jean Louis, WR, Fork Union Military Academy, Va. (Prop)

19) Deontey McManus, WR, Atlanta Sports Academy, Ga. (Prop)

20) Taj Letman, DB, Holmes Community College, Ok. (Enrolled)

21) Neville Hewitt, DB, Georgia Military College, Ga. (Enrolled)

22) Arnold Blackmon, DE, Navarro Junior College, Tx. (Enrolled)

23) Gary Thompson, LB, Helix Charter High School, Ca. (Enrolled)

24) Corey Tindal, DB, Atlanta Sports Academy, Ga. (Enrolled)

25) Kent Turene, LB, Atlanta Sports Academy, Ga. (Enrolled)

26) Tyler Combs, OL, Lawrence County High School, Ky. (Enrolled)

27) Shawney Kersey, WR, Penn State University, Pa. (Enrolled)

28) Josh Brown, DT, Clemson, Sc. (Enrolled)

29) Devon Smith, WR, Penn State University, Pa. (Enrolled)