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Wise LB Porter got the feeling, commits

Frank Porter got "the feeling." Just two days after receiving his first scholarship from Old Dominion, the Wise linebacker decided to pledge to the Monarchs.
"To tell you the truth, I was ready to commit since Saturday when I went down for the spring game and got the offer," said the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Porter. "I knew right then that I wanted to go to ODU.
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"It just felt right down there, so I talked to my coach [DaLawn Parrish], and he advised me to go with it," he continued. "Then I sat down with my mother, and she said she had my back 100 percent. So there you have it - I'm a Monarch."
There were several reasons Porter decided to commit so early in the offseason, but one of the main factors was how ODU plans to use him. Every other school interested in Porter wanted him to make the transition to safety. But evidently Old Dominion wants him strictly as an outside linebacker, Porter's primary defensive position.
"The fact that the ODU coaching staff is confident that I can play linebacker was huge," said Porter, who is coming off a 75-tackle season. "They think I'm physical enough, fast enough and strong enough to rush from the outside and seal the edge. They said they're not really worried about my height because of my [muscular] build."
Porter's familiarity with the Monarchs' coaches also played a major role in his decision. Even though he's had the offer for less than 48 hours, Porter felt comfortable with the entire staff.
"When I was down there last weekend, the coaches really made it seem like a family," Porter said. "All of the coaches were terrific people. Then when I talked to [Head] Coach [Bobby] Wilder, I loved how passionate and energetic he was about the program. I love that in a coach - passion."
Wilder wasn't the only fervent Monarch last weekend. The atmosphere at the spring game was nothing short of electric, especially considering ODU is a Division I-AA program.
Needless to say, Porter was impressed.
"For a spring game, I couldn't believe how pumped the fans were," Porter said. "I didn't expect to see that many fans; I didn't expect to see cheerleaders; and I didn't expect to see an entire band. But ODU did it up right, and I can only imagine what it's going to be like in the fall. I'm excited just thinking about it."
Even with all his positive feelings, it's still a tad surprising Porter committed without touring the campus. But the Wise linebacker said he didn't need to see the school itself to know it was the right fit.
"I'll be coming back down for a tour later this offseason, but, really, I'm not too worried about looks," Porter said. "I already know they're a good academic school, I already know I'll be getting a good education, and I already know I'll be playing for great coaches and fans. That's really what's most important to me."
Thus, Porter ended the recruiting process before his junior year even ended. He is the first Monarch's commitment in the class of 2013.
"Hopefully people will follow my lead and start to commit to ODU," Porter said. "I have two teammates - Jai Franklin and Antonio Harris - with offers here, and I'm going to do some recruiting. People need to come to ODU; it's a program on the rise."
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