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Time flies, doesn't it? It seems like yesterday that today's player was a promising true freshman. Now he's being counted on to be the anchor of an inexperienced Bulls defensive line.
#91 DE Eric Lee
Senior, 6'3", 248 lbs.
Stats in 2014: Lee started all 12 games at defensive end and had his best season yet, tallying 28 tackles and six TFL.
Spot on Spring Depth Chart: Eric is unsurprisingly listed as a starter at defensive end.
How He Came to USF: Lee is from Daphne, Alabama, where he won a state title as a junior in 2010, as Daphne HS went 15-0. He was honorable mention All-State his senior year. He selected USF over offers from a handful of schools including Mississippi State, Minnesota, Missouri, and Kentucky.
Recruiting Rankings: Eric was rated as a 3-star recruit by Rivals, Scout, and 247. Scout listed Lee as the 101st best DE prospect in the country while 247 had Eric as the 33rd best strongside DE in the Class of 2012.
Projected Playing Time: USF's defensive line is big on potential but low on experience, and as such there will be a lot of shuffling of promising young players like Mike Love, Kevin Bronson and Eric Mayes, many of whom have shown the able to line up at multiple positions along the line. Lee, however, seems like he'll be a constant at defensive end no matter what. He's one of the few proven entities along the line and should put up bigger numbers in 2015.
Fun Fact: Lee might be most famous for proclaiming former East Carolina quarterback Shane Carden-- and this is back when ECU and Carden were putting up monster numbers-- was "nothing special." Perhaps Eric's words fired up the Bulls and helped them take a 17-7 halftime lead over the Pirates, although we know how that one ended.
Highlights:
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