Even with over 1,500 college football athletes in the transfer portal for programs to pick from, National Signing Day is still an important event for athletes moving from the high school to the college level.
At some point, every NCAA football player sat in much the same seat that Osceola High’s Chad Mascoe, Jr. and Jeremiah Wilson, who signed with Campbell University and Syracuse on Wednesday respectively.
“Nothing’s been given to either one of them,” OHS Coach Eric Pinellas said. “They will do big things to make their families and the Kissimmee community proud.”
Mascoe (6-1, 210), the Kowboys’ quarterback the last two years, heads to Campbell, a Football Championship Series (FCS) program in central North Carolina. The Camels are coached by former NFL defensive back Mike Minter and play in the Big South Conference.
In two seasons at OHS, which included a run to the Class 7A state title game in 2020, he threw for 3,362 yards, 33 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, and also ran for 650 yards and four more scores. He was rated a three-star prospect by Rivals and 247Sports
“I’ve been through a lot in my high school career, so today is a great blessing,” said Mascoe, who played a year in Georgia and at the IMG Academy in Bradenton before coming to Kissimmee. “Everything felt real with Campbell. It was them and Florida Atlantic.
“I’m ready to be an all-around quarterback, make whatever throws they need, just run the offense. I know I’m going to see different coverages than I have before, but I’m excited to learn it all.”
OHS Coach Eric Pinellas said Mascoe can already make every throw he’ll be asked to and goes to the college level with the knowledge of how to play the position.
“He’ll have an NFL-type arm,” the coach said. “Once he learns their playbook there’s no limit to what he can do, the speed of the game won’t look too different.
Chad Mascoe, Sr., a Kowboy from 1996-99 who went through this process himself, signing with FSU and eventually playing linebacker at UCF, said he helped Chad with the process, which was still difficult.
“The transfer portal made it stressful, coaches go from player to player and leave guys behind. Campbell is a great opportunity to get in and play early.”
Mascoe is one of four Floridians in Campbell’s 15-player December signing class.
Wilson, who Pinellas calls another “student of the game,” He’s a prototypical Kowboy, watching older brothers Isaiah, a quarterback, and Malachi, a linebacker, play for OHS while waiting to spend his four years in the program.
It didn’t take him long to make an impact. As a sophomore he intercepted a pass in a 2019 regional playoff semifinal at Dr. Phillips and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown that swung all the momentum to the Kowboys, who won the game 20-7 despite the offense not touching the ball for over nine minutes of game clock.
Wilson will graduate early and report to the Orange in January — yes, he will be going winter clothes shopping before heading to Syracuse, N.Y., the home of the Atlantic Coast Conference program.
“It’s been a lot of work, and real crazy,” he said at the ceremony. “But it’s a really good the fit and they were open to me enrolling early. When I get their weightlifting program I’m going to get right to work.”
Iowa State, Arizona, Washington State and Coastal Carolina also made pitches for Wilson, who tallied 105 tackles, 11 interceptions, 34 passes defended and a small handful of forced and recovered fumbles, and a punt block.
Pinellas said Wilson (5-11, 175) is clearly ready for the challenge of the next level.
“Jerry’s probably watched more film than coaches and took pages and page of notes,” the coach said. “He’ll have no problem transitioning, covering and playing the position, once he gets in the weight room so he can play that ACC schedule every week. I can see him starting out as a nickel (back) and playing special teams.”
Wilson’s one of three Floridians Syracuse, coached by Dino Babers, among the 12 the Orange signed this month.
Wilson continues a pipeline of Kowboys who have landed at ACC schools, following Mario Kendricks (Virginia Tech), Jordan Redmond (Virginia), Parker Braun (Georgia Tech), Dion Bergan (Wake Forest), Riley Nicholson (North Carolina State), Carlos Becker (Florida State), Laderrien Wilson (Maryland) and Devon Clarke (Syracuse).
Pinellas said more OHS players will likely sign during the spring signing session that starts Feb. 2.
