NC junior corner claims three offers

A trio of scholarships has come in for a rising cornerback in the Tar Heel State. The 5-foot-11, 193-pounder claims a pair of offers from the ACC and one from the SEC.

"I have three offers so far, NC State was the first, the second was Wake Forest and then the third was Mississippi State," Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek 2013 cornerback Anthony Covington said. "They all came in during the football season.

"I took it as a real honor, but I'm still keeping it really humble. I'm practicing every day and after the season I'll put more emphasis on visiting these colleges. All my options are wide open, but I've taken a visit to Wake Forest and two to North Carolina. I really like Wake Forest. It's a smaller school that is still Division I and they are playing a lot of competition. I like that atmosphere so far. They have been most impressive so far."

It seems the Demon Deacons have a slight edge early, but Covington notes a couple other schools definitely intrigue him.

"Out of the ones that have offered, I definitely like Wake Forest," he said. "But, I've been in contact with Auburn some and I'm really liking them. I really like Clemson too. Those probably stick out in my head, but I'm not putting any school ahead of another."

A variety of other schools including Virginia Tech, Appalachian State, East Carolina and Oregon have also been in contact.

Clearly Covington's recruitment is blowing up, what is he looking for?

"My parents always tell me to make sure academics come first, so that is the first thing I'm looking for in a school. I want a school that grabs my attention in my major, sports medicine or physical therapy. I'm making sure they have a good sports medicine program," he said. "The second thing is whether I can succeed with the coaches. I want to know if they are open to letting young talent come in and work for positions.

"I know a lot of schools decide to redshirt right away. I have no problem with that, but I want to be able to work as a true freshman and potentially be a bigger asset. Probably the last thing I'm looking for is my position. Some people have recruited me as an athlete, others at cornerback or even running back. Finally, I want a good vibe from the team. I want somewhere winning isn't strange to them, but is expected and everybody in the program expects it."

Originally from Georgia, Covington mentioned that location isn't a big factor.

"I don't think I have a preference," he said. "I don't want to be somewhere that is cold year round, but as far as location is concerned that's not really an aspect as long as the school fits the criteria and standards laid out for me."

This was Covington's first year with Mallard Creek, making a move from Park View in Georgia.

"I was at a school that wasn't getting me the exposure I wanted," he said. "This year has been a great jump for me. I think I'm doing well and the team is successful. I have four interceptions and a lot of tackles.

"I played running back for my old team. That has helped me understand the defensive side of the ball."

Covington is a relative unknown, so what sticks out about him?

"I think for the position I play, I'm a fairly good corner," he said. "I can run with the best receivers out there and tackle pretty well. My tackling is one of my strong points.

"As far as what I want to work on, I want to come back next season at 205 or 210-pounds. I want to get stronger, more flexible and get better speed. I want to be more flexible so I can get in and out of breaks better."