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'10 MD DE Ego "J.R." Ferguson



Strongside defensive end
Frederick (MD) St. John's Catholic Prep

Ht: 6-foot-4
Wt: 270 lbs
Class: 2010 (High School)

Ferguson gets early attention

When J.R. Ferguson began his freshman season at St. John’s-Catholic Prep in the fall of 2006, then-head coach Phil Martin expected big things from the 6-foot-2 inch 220-pound manchild.

Less than two years later, Martin’s predictions look to be pretty much spot on. Now, under the guidance of soon to be second year head coach James Ward, Ferguson is making a name for himself not only on the SJCP campus, but throughout the nation.

Now, a rising 6-3, 262-pound junior, the defensive lineman-fullback now finds himself thrust into the limelight after attending three major college off season football camps. Ferguson recently attended the University of Pittsburgh, Illinois, and Maryland camps, and whetted the appetites of college recruiters so well that he was actually offered scholarships by the Illini and Terps.

However, as is the 16 year-old Ferguson’s nature, he plans not to jump at any offer to soon.

‘‘I plan to wait until my senior year to make my decision,” said Ferguson, who is already making plans to major in business management wherever he may land. ‘‘My father (Ego Ferguson, Sr.) has helped to keep me focused, [nowadays]; my mind is in a better place. I can see the vision. I can see what I want to do.”

Said Ward, ‘‘I think J.R. is going to put St. John’s on the map. He has been working on his football skills in the off season and has really matured to take that next step. Not every kid has the drive he has.”

As a sophomore last fall, Ferguson tore through the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association’s C Conference, racking up 18 sacks, 106 total tackles, and three forced fumbles as a defensive end, earning first-team All-Gazette honors.

He also scored six touchdowns as a fullback. He is often used as a bruising blocking back for running backs such as last year’s freshman standout Lamont Wims.

‘‘You can put J.R. anywhere on the football field, and he will be the best player on the field,” Ward said. ‘‘Right now, Pitt is looking at him as a defensive tackle, and Maryland and Illinois are looking at him as a defensive end. But he has two more years to grow. He could come out and be 6-5, 330 pounds and still be a great athlete, because he is a great all-around football player.

‘‘He can play against the run and the pass. On offense he can run, block and catch. On defense, you could line him up at free safety, and because of his athletic ability, he would still be the best player on the field.”

The University of Georgia has also taken note of his athletic ability, inviting him to its camp to begin on July 18.

Ferguson says he may decide to go, but is not 100 percent sure. He is shaking off the effects of a helmet to knee injury suffered in the Pittsburgh camp that obviously did not dissuade Illinois and Maryland from offering scholarships.

‘‘I didn’t get a chance to run the 40 [yard dash] and do other drills like that at Maryland and Illinois because of the injury,” Ferguson said. ‘‘But I did other drills and what have you, and I bench pressed 185 pounds 20 times. I had a 28-inch vertical jump too.”