Rising Star honoree taking his talents to Appalachian State

By RANDY CAPPS

College football coaches spend thousands of hours each fall looking for recruits. They pour over game footage, browse scouting reports and tour high school campuses all over the country.

Naturally, someone like Clayton’s Donovan Spellman catches the eye. After all, he’s a 6’3”, 210-pound defensive end that’s athletic enough to rack up 75 tackles and 12.5 sacks en route to the Greater Neuse 3A Defensive Player of the Year Award as a junior this spring.

Appalachian State was sufficiently smitten with him to offer him a scholarship, and in July, Spellman verbally committed to play football in Boone.

For that success on the football field, Spellman is the 2021 Johnston Now Honors Rising Star Award winner.

He’s in the midst of his senior season for Clayton, and he chose the Mountaineers over Boston College and a handful of other schools.

“We really didn’t get (a normal) recruiting process,” he said. “Because we had to wait until June to get everything in. When I went to Boston, that’s when I knew it was crunch time. I was really interested in Boston College, and at the time, App wasn’t really in my mind. It was Boston College, Coastal or UNC. But, after I came back, I started looking at App, and players that went to the NFL — because that’s my dream. And that’s when I started connecting with the coaches way more. They were already hitting me up.”

His mother, Sandra, favored Coastal. So, as happens often in the recruiting process, it became a family affair.

“App got on the phone with her,” he said. “They had to recruit her.”

“He’s determined to do what’s necessary,” she added. “As a mom, I’m always going to think it’s too far because that’s my baby. I have to make sure (the coaches) are responsible for him when’s he’s away.”

The relationship with his future position coach, Robert Nunn, was actually a big part of Spellman’s thought process.

“I’m thinking about going there early (in the spring of 2022), but my mom doesn’t want me to,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot to think about. ... When I get there, it’s going to be all open game. And I’m willing to compete.”

He’s planning on studying animal science at Appalachian State, but his dream is to play in the NFL. He watches Chase Young and Von Miller and tries to pick up things to add to his own game.

“Sometimes, throughout the week, I’ll look at some of Chase Young’s violent plays,” he said. “His hand movements, and I’ll try to use those in my play style.”

Spellman began his high school career in Knightdale, and moved to Clayton with his mother and sister, Miyah, after his sophomore season.

“Transfering from Knightdale was a big move for me, my mom and my family,” he said. “I’m loving it. The community, the town, they know who you are. The vibe is mad different. It’s quiet out here. There’s fields you can work out in, the gym is always open. I love it out here.”

Though he can’t sign a National Letter of Intent with Appalachian State until February, he’s largely put the recruiting process behind him. But he does offer some advice for the players in the next round of recruiting.

“It’s an honor (to be recruited),” he said. “I wish that other players could get that spotlight that I’m experiencing. It’s an honor to have players who are getting looked at by the NFL telling you if you (go there), they’re going to take care of you. But it’s always up to you to make the right decision.”

“Don’t just go for the photos and the action, you’ve got to really be dialed into it. You never know what’s about to happen. COVID came out of nowhere, and I was lucky to get my (recruiting) process in. You’ve got to look into the schools after you come from there. They’re only going to tell you what you want to hear. So, you’ve got to look into it.

“And, if you don’t do school, it’s not going to happen.”

That’s the sort of wisdom that doesn’t show up on an ordinary scouting report.