Garcia Warming Up to ECU and Collects New Offer from Cincinnati

With the Pirates looking to just take one quarterback in this year’s recruiting cycle, that puts a premium on the quality of the ones they do offer.

One of those who has been getting steady attention is Rivals three-star Carolina Forest High quarterback Mason Garcia.

The 6-4, 215 pounder visited last season for ECU’s 41-19 win over UNC. He was then recruited by former ECU assistant Kirk Doll. Doll is now heading up high school relations for the Pirates under new head coach Mike Houston where new linebacker and special teams coach Roy Tesh is among those managing Garcia’s ECU recruitment.

“We get on the phone and talk every week now,” said Garcia, “He’s just trying to get closer to me and everything, so it’s pretty good. It’s the first time I’ve started getting in touch with a coach there after all of the changes. He’s just trying to get me to ECU for sure and he’s doing pretty good at it.”

Garcia , who currently ranks 14th overall in the state of South Carolina, says his visit on Saturday to East Carolina was his best yet and he appears to really be warming up to the new coaches in Greenville.

“Honestly it was a great experience meeting the new staff and everything just understanding everything that they have going on and the things they want to get done there,” Garcia told PirateIllustrated.com, “Obviously the coaching staff there is incredible with just the things they’ve got going on.”

“We watched a little bit of practice in the beginning before the whole junior day started and stuff. It was really a great experience how they set the stuff up so the kids there could see how things go - how fast everything moves. It was pretty good,” Garcia told PI, “It was the first visit where I went around to everywhere. I went to a camp there over the summer too. This was my first time getting to tour the school for a good solid day.”

Garcia’s team made it to the second round of the SCHSL 5A playoffs last season where the Panthers fell to Summerville 45-13 after leading by a touchdown at halftime. He talked about how the season went overall.

“Actually it went very good. We were young and we ended up making it to 8-2. We made it to the second round of the playoffs where we lost, but we had a solid season,” Garcia stated, “I think we’re going to be real good next year. The weight room seems to be affecting a lot of us and making us better.”

The rangy Rivals 3-Star quarterback at nearly 6-5, 215, also averages a double-double in basketball. Garcia is deadly accurate in the pocket, has the ability to roll right or left and throw with precision and can also tuck it and run when necessary.

He outlined what he feels he does best as a quarterback.

“Definitely athleticism. Just a pocket passer and that’s what really most schools are complementing me about,” said Garcia.

So far Garcia holds offers from Coastal Carolina, Kent State and Bowling Green in addition to ECU and a new offer he just picked up in the last twenty four hours from Cincinnati. He is also being recruited by both Georgia and Georgia Tech in addition to Appalachian State and Miami(Ohio).

The Carolina Forest rising senior quarterback gave his general opinion of where ECU stands at the moment in his grouping of schools.

“They’re definitely showing me that they’re very interested in me and I like that a lot, I’m getting the most interest out of them at the moment, but it’s just a great feeling because I’m starting to feel the same way about them," Garcia told PI,.

"A lot of schools I’ve talked to are looking to take two quarterbacks for their 2020 class which is basically pushing a quarterback away. So this is just a good opportunity. Of course meeting Mike Houston when I first met him and everything, it’s just been a great experience and (Donnie) Kirkpatrick also.”

Garcia outlined for PI when he hopes to make a final commitment decision.

“I’m going to make a decision sometime before my first game of my senior season, so it’s coming pretty soon.”

More as recruiting events unfold, here on PirateIllustrated.com. Catch Garcia's Hudl video highlights below.