Pasut makes his pick

Charlotte (N.C.) Ardrey Kell tight end Zico Pasut made his decision Wednesday night. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder decided between his five offers, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Western Carolina, Duke and West Virginia.

"I committed to Coach Petty and then talked to Coach Holtz at ECU," he said. "I committed to East Carolina.

"Both of them were laughing when I committed. They told me I made them the happiest men alive. They made me feel good about my decision. I'm happy that I'm following my heart with this choice.

"I talked to them for twenty or twenty-five minutes. They talked about what they want me to do and how I have a great chance of playing early. They are going to have me compete with another freshmen next year who is from New Jersey. They told me how I've got to work hard and earn my spot. They don't expect to redshirt me if I come in and do what they expect."

Pasut is coming off of a visit from Greenville. How big was that official last weekend?

"It definitely was huge," he said. "Going into it I was kind of 50/50 between East Carolina and Virginia Tech. ECU had a little edge over Tech. It was a great game versus West Virginia, afterward the coaches treated me nice. I had breakfast with the staff and it seemed like the best fit.

"The fans there were amazing. They have a love for the players. What I wanted more than anything coming from high school is going from nothing to building it up. That has to be the most fun thing imaginable. They are working up to be a legit team, there is nothing more exciting than that."

A lot of factors played into the two-star prospect's choice for the Pirates.

"I looked at their roster and they have a lot of good players that are young, sophomores and juniors," he stated. "I have a huge feeling they are not going to fall of the charts. They are going to stay strong the next few years.

"The players there are cool. I got to hang out with them and I like the coaches and how they coach. I like how they use their tight ends. They build relationships with their players. I talked to a former tight end who talked about Coach Petty and how he is one of the most amazing coaches. He said that Coach Petty was one of his better friends. Plus, ECU is more of a home for me. I think I fit in better there."

Meanwhile, what about Skip Holtz?

"I love his excitement," he said. "It is 24/7, he is always after it and always happy and in a good mood. He is out there with his players, he doesn't avoid them. I like the electricity from him and he tells his recruits he is not going anywhere. If for some reason that happens, it would be a shame, but I'm committing to ECU for ECU."

Pasut gave some final thoughts on his choice.

"It is the best decision I could have made," he said. "I've been in a great mood all day. The hardest part for me was when I called Coach Sherman at Virginia Tech. He understood and I told him I love him and Coach Beamer and everything they have done for me. He understands perfectly."