Spring Practice Update - ECU

Dial leaves football team

Matt Jones

Arkansas Traveler - www.thetraveleronline.com

Arkansas reserve linebacker Tim Dial has left the program, he confirmed through a phone interview Friday.

Dial, a 6-3, 215-pound, redshirt freshman from Jenks, Okla., said the decision was solely a personal one he felt he needed to make.

"I just wasn't happy," Dial said. "I was recruited by Coach (Houston) Nutt and his staff. It's nothing against the new staff, but I just wasn't happy and wanted to explore new opportunities."

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Comfort Zone

Bob Forrest Sports Writer

Stratford's Wood a good fit for East Central

Kyle Wood picked a good time to be a new face at East Central University.

Wood, who transferred to ECU after a less-than-satisfying redshirt season at Northeastern last fall, has joined a Tiger football squad in transition this spring. He is one of only three tailbacks — and one of only about 65 players overall — on the ECU roster, and, even though the Tigers will return a lot more starters on offense than defense off last year’s 2-9 squad, Wood shouldn’t have to be worried about getting lost in a crowd over the next four weeks.

Senior-to-be Charles Huffman — who would have been the starter at tailback last fall — is recovering from his second knee surgery in three years and will miss spring practice, and last year’s leading rusher, Jazz Holland, got married and quit the team. That left Wood to battle only redshirt sophomore Larry Carter-Holmes and newcomer Josh Dutton for reps this spring, and the former Stratford High star said he likes the odds — and everything else about his situation — at this point.

Go to the rest of the story at the Ada Evening News.

Important spring for ECU

Bob Forrest Sports Writer

Nichols' club will have all new look heading into this week's workouts

Ada — Spring is traditionally a time for rebirth and renewal, and Kurt Nichols is entering his third spring practice as East Central University’s football coach with virtually nothing the same as a year ago.

ECU, coming off a 2-9 campaign in which the Tigers were the only team in the Lone Star Conference North that DIDN’T tie for the division title, will have a new defense and a new defensive coordinator, eight new starters on defense and a revamped offensive line and receiving corps.

Quarterback Marcus Johnson — the LSC North’s Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore last fall — is back, but he also wasn’t eligible last spring and didn’t take part in the camp.

Go to the rest of the article at the Ada Evening News.

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Sherman's Rome headed to ECU

By Tyler Clifton

Herald Democrat

It’s difficult to be a high school quarterback, especially one at a Class 4A school such as Sherman.

Matt Rome was handed the reigns as the Bearcats’ signal caller as a sophomore, something that doesn’t happen very often. He answered the call, fought through an up-and-down senior season and will continue his career at the next level.

Rome signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play football for East Central University in Ada, Okla. He also considered Austin College and Northeastern State.

Go to the rest of the story at the Herald Democrat.