ULM Offers Carthage Receivers Tee Goree + Okeeron Rutherford

Carthage's talented 2014 class received its first two Division I FBS offers Monday afternoon.

Louisiana-Monroe offered receivers Tee Goree and Okeeron Rutherford, according to head coach Scott Surratt.

Goree and Rutherford are Carthage's top two receivers and give classmate Blake Bogenschutz, who will be a three-year starter at quarterback this fall, two large, dependable targets in the passing game.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Goree, who has also received interest from Oklahoma and Texas Tech, caught 66 passes for 1,261 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2012, when Carthage finished 11-3 with a Class 3A Division I state semifinal appearance. Goree's 17 touchdown grabs rank second in single-season school history (Jalen Claiborne, 18, 2010), while his 1,261 yards were also second in single-season school history (Claiborne, 1,534, 2010). Goree's 66 receptions rank fourth.

Goree is Bogenschutz' favorite deep threat, while Rutherford is his go-to red-zone target. At 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, Rutherford made a living against smaller defensive backs in 2012, when he caught 43 passes for 599 yards and eight touchdowns.

Bogenschutz has his top four pass-catchers -- Goree, Rutherford, tailback Tevin Pipkin (28 rec., 338 yards, 1 TD), and slot receiver Kolby Blissett (21 rec., 382 yards, 9 TDs) -- back for the 2013 season. Carthage also returns its entire starting offensive line, top two rushers in Pipkin and 2015 athlete Bryian Bolton, and tight end.

Carthage averaged 42.1 points per game in 2012.