First offer arrives for South Carolina prospect

Myrtle Beach (S.C.) High School tight end James Power is looking for opportunities to play college football at the next level. At 6-foot-4 225 pounds, Power's size and athleticism are going to provide him with some opportunities to play tight end but he is also finding out that his ability to help out in multiple capacities is not hurting either.

Power's unique ability as a successful long-snapper has caught several schools' eye. The most recent program to show serious interest has been Marshall and the Thundering Herd offered Power his first scholarship offer.

"Several of my teammates and I went to a camp at Marshall back in June," Power said. "I worked out with the tight ends and went 12 for 12 in the one-on-one drills. The coaches watched nine guys long snap and I was the only guy left at the end. They told me after the camp that they liked my aggressiveness and my soft hands and that I was a great long-snapper. A week later they offered me and shortly after that the offer arrived in the mail."

With his first offer in, Power is excited about the Marshall program and the potential opportunities there, so much so that he plans to visit again later this summer.

"Marshall has a new weight room, locker room and other new facilities that are appealing to me and their fans are crazy about football," he said. "I can see myself playing for the Thundering Herd. I am planning a visit with my parents this summer."

Power is not the only football player in the family. His brother Andrew Power will be a redshirt freshman tight end this fall for the University of South Carolina.

Andrew's recruiting attention did not pick up until very late in the process and the younger Power hopes that the early interest as well as his ability to long-snap may help increase his recruiting opportunities throughout the summer and fall.

"I'm told that I'm a late bloomer like my older brother Andrew," he said. "I am being recruited as a tight end by some schools and a tight end/long-snapper by some schools. It doesn't matter to me where I play. I just want to be a part of a program that takes football seriously and contends for championships."