Battle for playing time begins now for football

Spring practice is a vital time for college football teams across the nation to set depth charts and enhance individual skills. The Pirates started spring practice on March 18 and will wrap the practices up on April 18 at the annual Purple-Gold game. Keep an eye on these five under-the-radar players that could be on the verge of stardom at ECU.

Brandon Jackson, sophomore running back: Jackson, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound sophomore, transferred from Kentucky after his freshman season in 2007. He spent last season on the scout team intimidating opposing running backs for the Pirates' defense. The Eugene, Ore. native has tremendous speed, registering a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash. Jackson rushed for 31 touchdowns and 1,998 yards as a senior at Marist High School in Eugene. Since the Liberty Bowl loss to Jackson's former team, rumors surrounding Pirate running backs have run rampant. Attrition in the backfield has left the door wide open for a number of backs; Jackson will compete with seniors Dominique Lindsay, Darnell Ballard and J.R. Rogers for the top spot on the depth chart. Spring practice will be vital for Jackson to learn the offense and take valuable snaps with the first and second string for the first time in his career. Look for Jackson and Lindsay to emerge from spring practice as the top two ball carriers for the Pirates. Jackson ranked among the top-50 running backs in the nation out of high school by Rivals.com.

Josh Jordan, redshirt freshman quarterback: Jordan is looking to take over the reigns as the Pirates' starting quarterback in 2010. The talented redshirt freshman quarterback was slated to compete for the starting role in the fall, but the plans changed once Patrick Pinkney received a sixth year of eligibility. This spring will still be crucial for Jordan to develop and learn the offense. He will get more reps in practice than he did in 2008 and will no longer be designated to run the scout team offense. Now is the time for Jordan to get important snaps and get more comfortable with the offense for his sophomore season, when he will likely be the starter. Jordan has a powerful arm and great speed for a quarterback. The Louisiana native threw for 1,809 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior at St. Amant High School.

Lorenzo Osborne, junior linebacker: Osborne sat out the 2008 campaign as a redshirt to get his weight up. Osborne played a vital role as a freshman and sophomore for the Pirates, but the coaching staff decided-- with the tremendous depth at the position last season - that the team would be better suited if Osborne redshirted his third year on campus. He played in 10 games -- all on special teams -- as a freshman and he experienced action in all 13 games as a sophomore. After adding on weight, the Atlanta, Ga. native is looking to have a huge junior season. The Pirates' recurring theme of injuries at the linebacker position has continued into the spring with Cliff Perryman, Nick Johnson and Jeremy Chambliss all having seen limited time in spring practice with injuries. This will give Osborne the opportunity to get reps with the first team defense in spring practices and scrimmages at outside linebacker. The Pirates return starting middle linebacker Johnson and outside linebacker Chambliss in 2009, but the third spot is up for grabs and it may just go to Osborne if he has a good spring.

Michael Bowman, sophomore wide receiver: Wadesboro, N.C. native Michael Bowman has the tools to be a cherished asset for ECU in 2009. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound wide receiver has the speed and hands to play a similar role as fellow receiver Dwayne Harris. Bowman's size and speed makes him elusive out of the backfield, in special teams and as a receiver. Since Harris will miss the majority, if not all of spring practice, with an injury, Bowman could come out of spring practice with a heightened role in the Pirates' offense. Bowman played a limited role in 2008 coming off his redshirt year, but with one season of experience under his belt, the talented sophomore could put up big numbers on offense and special teams in 2009.

Julian Carter, sophomore safety: New Bern High School has become a recruiting hotbed for coach Skip Holtz and ECU. Carter, Chris Mattocks, Darryl Reynolds, former standout tight end Davon Drew and incoming freshman Mike Price all hail from New Bern. Carter is a talented safety with great size -- at 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds. Carter had been stuck in a crowded defensive backfield behind Leon Best, J.J. Millbrook and Van Eskridge, but his could be Carter's coming out season with Millbrook and Best having finished their careers. He is battling for playing time in the spring after playing in 11 games last season and recording five tackles. The New Bern native will have his chance to shine in 2009 as he jockeys for a spot on the two-deep depth chart in the next couple of weeks.

This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com.