MAC Football Signing Day
Here is a look at each MAC Football program's 2014 recruiting class.
Akron:
Head Coach Terry Bowden Announces 2014 Recruiting Class
AKRON, Ohio – Third-year University of Akron football head coach Terry Bowden announced on Wednesday the addition of 13 student-athletes to the program, 12 who signed a National Letter of Intent.
The newest group of Zips is headlined by five Ohioans, including three from Akron area high schools. The class also consists of two players currently enrolled and attending class at UA. One of those early enrollees is a junior college transfer, one of two JUCO players to ink an NLI today.
Akron added heavily to its offensive and defensive lines as well as to its secondary. Six members of the class are designated as linemen (four on defense and two on offense) and four as either a safety, cornerback or defensive back.
The Zips begin spring practice on Monday, March 17 and their annual Spring Game will be held on Saturday, April 19 at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field.
As previously announced, Akron's non-conference schedule in 2014 features home games against Howard on Aug. 28 and Marshall on Sept. 20, along with away contests at Penn State (Sept. 6) and Pittsburgh (Sept. 27).
The Zips will play host to Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Massachusetts and Miami (Ohio) at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field this fall. UA's away contests include visits to Ball State, Buffalo, neighborhood rival and PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge foe Kent State, and Ohio.
2014 Akron Recruiting Class
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Hometown / Previous School / High School
Jamal Baggett, S, 5-11, 185, Oak Park, Ill. / River Forest HS
Brock Boxen, DL, 6-2, 250, New Galilee, Pa. / Beaver Falls HS
Scott Boyett, OL, 6-7, 315, Dania, Fla. / Santa Rosa (Calif.) JC / South Broward HS
Kyron Brown, CB, 6-1, 170, Boynton Beach, Fla. / Boynton HS
Undrea Bullard, DL, 6-6, 250, St. Petersburg, Fla. / Gibbs HS
Anthony Clark, DL, 6-4, 276, Akron, Ohio / Buchtel HS
Blake Dennis, WR, 5-11, 175, Orrville, Ohio / Orrville HS
Kris Givens, CB, 5-11, 175, Ridgeland, Miss. / Holmes (Miss.) CC / Ridgeland HS
Travonte Junius, DE/LB, 6-3, 205, Akron, Ohio / St. Vincent-St. Mary HS
Chandler Kincade, QB, 6-5, 230, Beaver Falls, Pa. / Blackhawk HS
Kyle Ritz, OL, 6-5, 295, Willoughby, Ohio / Willoughby HS
Jason Williams, DB, 6-3, 185, Hialeah, Fla. / Champagnat Catholic HS
Newman Williams, LB, 6-2, 240, Akron, Ohio / St. Vincent-St. Mary HS
Ball State:
Ball State Football 2014 Signing Day Recruits -- Wed., Feb. 5, 2014
Ball State fourth-year head football coach Pete Lembo announced the 2014 recruiting class which features 19 signees, including 15 that were selected as captains of their high school team, and Bruce Heggie, who graduated from Notre Dame and has signed grant-in-aid papers to spend his final year of eligibility with the Cardinals. Ball State signed student-athletes to national letters of intent from Indiana (6), Florida (4), Georgia (1), Illinois (2), Michigan (4), Missouri (1) and Pennsylvania (1). Of the 19 signees, 12 own a grade-point average over a 3.0 on their respective school’s 4.0 scale.
“We really like the overall athleticism of this group of student-athletes, including the linemen we signed,” Lembo says. “As always, we put a big emphasis on the intangibles. These guys are excited to be joining our program and will be attending Ball State for all the right reasons. The players themselves and their families were a pleasure to work with throughout the recruiting process. It was also a strong year for us in the state of Indiana, which is another positive for the program.”
Ball State’s 2014 recruiting class:
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Class, Hometown (High School)
Dedrick Cromartie, S, 5-10, 180, Fr./Fr., St. Louis, Mo. (DeSmet)
Roy Denson, CB/WR, 6-0, 180, Fr./Fr., Cape Coral, Fla. (Baker)
Darian Green, RB, 5-8, 175, Fr./Fr., Lafayette, Ind. (Jefferson)
Bruce Heggie, DT, 6-5, 275, Grad./Sr., Mount Dora, Fla. (Mount Dora) *Graduated from Notre Dame after spending from 2010-13 on the football team.
Jordan Hogue, WR, 6-0, 175, Fr./Fr., Fort Wayne, Ind. (New Haven)
Jeremiah Jackson, ILB, 5-11, 215, Fr./Fr., Brooksville, Fla. (Hernando)
Garrett Johnson, TE, 6-4, 235, Fr./Fr., St. Charles, Ill. (North)
Matt Johnson, CB, 5-11, 180, Fr./Fr., Lafayette, Ind. (Jefferson)
Alex Joss, OL, 6-4, 295, Fr./Fr., Novi, Mich. (Walled Lake Western)
Malik King, OL, 6-3, 285, Fr./Fr., Muskegon, Mich. (Muskegon)
Corey Lacanaria, WR, 5-8, 170, Fr./Fr., Farmington Hills, Mich. (Brother Rice)
Jake McPhatter, CB/S, 5-10, 175, Fr./Fr., New Castle, Pa. (New Castle)
David Morrison, QB, 6-1, 180, Fr./Fr., Fort Wayne, Ind. (Concordia) *Graduated from high school in December 2013 and enrolled at Ball State in January 2014.
Devin Reece, WR, 6-1, 200, Fr./Fr., Westfield, Ind. (Westfield)
Damon Singleton, OLB, 6-2, 220, Fr./Fr., Wyandotte, Mich. (Roosevelt)
Quinten Turner, CB, 5-10, 175, Fr./Fr., Decatur, Ga. (Miller Grove)
Winfred Ward, S/ATH, 6-0, 199, Fr./Fr., Lehigh Acres, Fla. (East Lee County)
Jacob White, ILB, 6-0, 215, Fr./Fr., Clarendon Hills, Ill. (Hinsdale Central)
Kevin Willis, DT, 6-2, 295, Fr./Fr., Indianapolis, Ind. (Lawrence Central)
Jalen Wyatt, WR, 5-9, 165, Fr./Fr., Port St. Lucie, Fla. (Treasure Coast)
Bowling Green:
Babers Announces 2014 Signing Class
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Bowling Green State University head football coach Dino Babers has announced the addition of 17 student-athletes to the BGSU football program on Feb. 5, 2014.
"We are excited to welcome these student-athletes to the Falcon family. It is exciting to have these student-athletes be a part of our first signing class at BGSU, and we can't wait to see how these men will contribute to our program in the future."
2014 BGSU Recruiting Class
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Hometown (High School)
Nilijah Ballew, DB, 6-2, 196, Cincinnati, Ohio (Walnut Hills)
Trevahn Beery, DB, 6-1, 175, Creston, Ohio (Norwayne)
Cody Callaway, QB, 6-3, 195, Grafton, Ohio (Midview)
Jalen Dingle, LB, 6-2, 215, Detroit, Mich. (South Lake)
Ben Hale, DB 6-2, 187, Columbus, Ohio (St. Charles)
Nick Johnson,* DB, 6-2, 183, Canton, Ohio (Timken Senior)
Tyler King, DT, 6-2, 285, Lakewood, OH (St. Edward)
Austin Labus, OL, 6-6, 300, Portage, Mich. (Portage Northern)
Roger Lewis,* WR, 6-3, 200, Pickerington, Ohio (Pickerington Central/Jireh Prep)
Marcus Milton,* DB, 6-1, 185, Pickerington, Ohio (Pickerington Central/Jireh Prep)
Isiah Moore, OL, 6-3, 280, Tiffin, Ohio (Tiffin Columbian)
Brian Sanders, DL, 6-4, 230, Detroit, Mich. (Cass Tech)
Griff Saunders, LB, 6-3, 215, Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis De Sales)
Clint Stephens, WR, 5-9, 170, West Palm Beach, Fla. (Dwyer)
Jack Walz III, DB, 6-0, 190, Lakewood, Ohio (St. Edward)
De'Angelo Ware, OL, 6-5, 320, Cleveland Heights, Ohio (Cleveland Heights)
Chance Weitz, DT, 6-3, 250, Elida, Ohio (Elida)
*Denotes January early enrollee
Buffalo:
Football Announces 2014 Signing Class
BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo football head coach Jeff Quinn has announced his initial signees for the 2014 recruiting class on the first day of the National Signing Period. The 21-member class is Quinn's largest in his five years at Buffalo.
The class is comprised of five linebackers, four offensive linemen, three safeties, two defensive linemen, two cornerbacks, two quarterbacks, a running back, a tight end and a kicker. The newest class comes to UB from eight different states and two countries, including New York, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Wisconsin, Canada and England.
"We are certainly excited to sign these young men," Quinn said. "We spent a lot of time locating players in the state of New York, the Midwest and this upper Mid-Atlantic region. We needed to address our needs at the power positions, our offense and defensive lines as well as the big-skill linebacker position, and we were able to do that. We were also able to sign some explosive skill kids at cornerback, safety, quarterback and running back.
"As we continue to build this program, we are attracting better and better kids. This incoming class has the highest collective GPA of any class we have ever signed. Overall, we have a signed a really solid class."
2014 Buffalo Recruiting Class
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Hometown, High School
Randy Anyanwu, Linebacker/Defensive End, 6-3 • 230, Lovejoy, GA/Lovejoy HS
Andy Fidler, Offensive Line, 6-6 • 280, Port Washington, WI/Port Washington
Ishmael Hargrove, Strong Safety, 6-2 • 195, Cleveland, OH/Gilmour Academy Gates Mill
Skylar Hartley, Offensive Line, 6-2 • 300, Columbus, OH/Hilliard Bradley
Corey Henderson, Linebacker, 6-3 • 250, King George, VA/King George
Gary Hosey, Running Back, 6-0 • 230, Detroit, MI/Cass Technical
Juwan Jackson, Linebacker, 6-4 • 215, Newark, NJ/Newark Shabazz HS/Milford Academy
Jake Khoury, Defensive Line, 6-3 • 280, Traverse City, MI/St. Francis Catholic
Chris Merchant, Quarterback, 6-3 • 205, Calgary, Alberta/St. Andrews College
Adam Mitcheson, Kicker/Punter, 6-2 • 190, Pittsburgh, PA/Kiski Area
Matt Murphy, Offensive Line, 6-7 • 295, London, England/IMG Academy
Myles Nicholas, Linebacker, 6-2 • 225, Rochester, NY/Irondequoit
Zach Nicholas, Strong Safety, 6-0 • 195, Ellicott City, MD/Mount Hebron
James O'Hagan, Offensive Line, 6-3 • 285, Seaford, NY/Seaford Senior
Kevin Rogers, Tight End, 6-3 • 220, Cincinnati, OH/Anderson
Gusty Schwartzmeier, Defensive Line, 6-4 • 280, Hilton, NY/Hilton
Will White, Linebacker, 6-1 • 215, Detroit, MI/Cass Technical
Brandon Williams, Cornerback, 5-10 • 175, Lovejoy, GA/ Lovejoy
Ryan Williamson, Free Safety, 6-0 • 175, Cincinnati, OH/Colerain
Terrance Wilson, Cornerback, 5-10 • 175, Buford, GA/Buford
J.R. Zazzara, Quarterback, 6-3 • 190, Fayetteville, NY/Christian Brothers Academy
In addition, Patrick Zingler, a 6-1, 175 quarterback from Milford Academy has joined the team as a preferred walk on.
Central Michigan:
Central Michigan Football Announces 2014 Recruiting Class
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Central Michigan head football coach Dan Enos announced the addition of 18 student-athletes to the Chippewas’ football program on Wednesday.
“This class continues the trend of bringing in student-athletes with great character who excel both athletically and academically,” Enos said. “We filled some definite needs with this class especially at tight end and defensive end. It is also nice to have a smaller class because that shows what a great job our staff has done in recruiting student-athletes who are committed to CMU and are able to make an impact as fourth-and-fifth-year players”
The class includes 12 student-athletes who hail from the state of Michigan. Six of those players appeared on either one or both of the Detroit Free Press Fab 50 and Detroit News Blue Chip lists.
Broken down by position, the class is composed of three tight ends, defensive ends, running backs and “athletes”, two defensive backs, offensive linemen and quarterbacks, and one linebacker and defensive tackle.
Sixteen of 18 members of the recruiting class maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0, while 13 helped lead their teams to championships and/or playoff appearances during their high school careers.
Central Michigan Football 2014 Recruiting Class
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Hometown/High School
David Basirico, DB, 6-1, 185, Macomb, Mich./Dakota HS
Alex Briones, ATH, 6-2, 215, Ishpeming, Mich./Ishpeming HS
Nate Brisson-Fast, DE, 6-5, 245, Ferndale, Mich./Ferndale HS
Jonathon Carson, TE, 6-3, 250, Milwaukee, Wis./Messmer Catholic HS
Amari Coleman, ATH, 5-11, 180, Flint, Mich./New Lothrop HS
Jerrod Davis, RB, 5-11, 190, Detroit, Mich./Portage Central HS
Malik Fountain, LB, 6-2, 228, Chicago, Ill./Rich Central HS
Trent Grimes, RB, 6-0, 205, Fenton, Mich./Flint Powers Catholic HS
Brandon Keen, OL, 6-6, 290, Waterford, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes HS
Joe Komel, OL, 6-4, 290, Elburn, Ill./Kaneland HS
Ryan Lamb, QB, 6-4, 220, Cardiff, Calif./Oceanside HS/Palomar College
Jimmy McCarthy, DT, 6-5, 285, Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern HS
Cooper Mojsiejenko, ATH/P, 6-4, 215, Bridgman, Mich./Bridgman HS
Alex Neering, DE, 6-6, 240, Essexville, Mich./Garber HS
Zach Oakley, QB, 6-1, 200, Osceola, Ind./Penn HS
Devon Spalding, RB, 5-11, 200, Westland, Mich./John Glenn HS
Mitch Stanitzek, TE/DE, 6-4, 230, Grand Rapids, Mich./West Catholic HS
Clay Walderzak, TE, 6-4, 240, Standish, Mich./Standish-Sterling Central HS
Eastern Michigan:
EMU Football Adds 17 in 2014 Football Recruiting Class; Head Coach Chris Creighton adds nine players from Michigan
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Just 54 days after being named the 37th head football coach in Eastern Michigan University history, Chris Creighton announced his first recruiting class Wednesday, Feb. 5, as part of the National Letter of Intent Signing Day.
Creighton, named to the head coaching position Dec. 11, 2013, wasted little time putting together a coaching staff to hit the recruiting trail in late December and January, and the brevity paid off in an outstanding group of 17 recruits signing national letters of intent to join the Eagles in 2014.
"On Thursday, Dec. 12, I was introduced as the new EMU head coach at a press conference," said Creighton. "That evening, I was at Michigan's Dream Team Banquet where both Ian Erikson and Jeremiah Harris were being honored. Despite the challenges of an extended recruiting dead period and the need to hire an entire coaching staff, we are both thrilled and fortunate to announce our first class of EMU Eagles. The class is talented, for sure, but we are even more excited about the quality of their character."
The largest group of Eagle newcomers - nine - are from the state of Michigan, but EMU coaches fanned out across the nation for this class with the states of Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio also represented. The nine signees from the Great Lakes State are the most by the Eagles since inking 13 student-athletes to NLIs in 2007.
The overall class exhibits quite a bit of variety as the Eagles will welcome student-athletes at six different positions, including five offensive linemen, four defensive backs, three linebackers, two defensive linemen, two running backs and a wide receiver.
"These are great guys who believe that they can help transform this program from the inside out, ultimately being a true source of pride and joy for this outstanding university and our surrounding community," Creighton added. "This class will forever be very special to me as it our inaugural class at Eastern."
The Eagles begin preparations for the 2014 schedule Tuesday, March 11, when they hit the field for the first time in the spring. The annual spring game will be held Saturday, April 12, inside Rynearson Stadium.
2014 Eastern Michigan University Football Recruits
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Class, Hometown-High School
Ka'John Armstrong, OT, 6-4, 270, Fr.-Fr., Detroit, Mich.-Loyola
Jason Beck, CB, 6-1, 195, Fr.-Fr., Indianapolis, Ind.-Arsenal Technical
Cameron Bouldin, DB, 6-3, 170, Fr.-Fr., Cincinnati, Ohio-La Salle
Chris Bukoski, OT, 6-5, 265, Fr.-Fr., Dewitt, Mich.-Dewitt
Ian Eriksen, RB, 5-10, 190, Fr.-Fr., Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston
David Francis, LB, 6-3, 190, Fr.-Fr., Opa Locka, Fla.-Hialeah
Tim Gordon, DB, 5-11, 175, Fr.-Fr., St. Paul, Minn-Cretin-Derham Hall
Jeremiah Harris, DL, 6-5, 235, Fr.-Fr., Lambertville, Mich.-Bedford Senior
Chris Hendricks, OL, 6-5, 270, Fr.-Fr., Fruitport, Mich.-Fruitport
Jeremy Hickey, OL, 6-4, 290, Fr.-Fr., Troy, Mich.-Brother Rice
Kenny Jones, WR, 6-2, 190, Fr.-Fr., Indianapolis, Ind.-Lawrence Central
Lion King, DL, 6-4, 205, Fr.-Fr., Southfield, Mich.-Southfield
D'Marcus Moon, LB, 6-1, 225, Fr.-Fr., Fort Wayne, Ind.-North Side
Kyle Rachwal, LB, 6-3, 215, Fr.-Fr., Warren, Mich.-Lapeer East
Dakota Tallman, OL, 6-5, 300, Fr.-Fr., LaGrange, Ohio-Elyria Catholic
Shaq Vann, RB, 5-10, 195, Fr.-Fr., South Bend, Ind.-John Adams
Ross Williams, CB, 5-11, 160, Fr.-Fr., Birmingham, Mich.-Groves
Kent State:
Flashes Announce 20-member recruiting class
KENT, Ohio – Kent State kept local talent close to home with seven Northeast Ohio natives announced in its 2014 recruiting class Wednesday on National Signing Day. In all, the Golden Flashes added 11 players on defense, eight on offense and one kicker.
The 20-member class comes from five different states with 15 Ohio natives. Two players will join the Flashes from Miami, Fla., along with one from Nevada, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Eighteen members served as team captains in high school. The group includes 11 all-state selections, four players on state championship teams, five players with state runner-up finishes and six players with academic honors.
Offense
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Hometown, High School
George Bollas, QB, 6-3, 205, Aurora, Ohio, Aurora High School
Luke Grandjean, WR, 6-3, 185, North Canton, Ohio, Hoover High School
Zaquon Tyson, WR, 5-9, 155, Miami, Fla., Norland High School
Miles Hibbler, RB, 5-10, 185, Troy, Ohio, Troy High School
Stefano Millin, OL, 6-5, 245, Massillon, Ohio, Perry High School
Collin Prouty, OL, 6-5, 280, Dresden, Ohio, Tri-Valley High School
Nathan Puthoff, OL, 6-5, 287, Columbus, Ohio, St. Charles High School
Connor Shinsky, OL, 6-6, 260, Butler , Pa., Knoch High School
Defense
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Hometown, High School
Jon Cunningham, DT, 6-0, 265, Bedford, Ohio, Bedford High School
Kalil Morris, DT, 6-3, 280, Columbus, Ohio, Bishop Hartley High School
Zack Singer, DT, 6-3, 290, Las Vegas, Nev., Bishop Gorman High School
James Alexander, LB, 5-11, 219, Miami, Fla., Miami Jackson High School
Marques Moore, LB, 6-2, 200, Springfield , Ohio, Springfield High School
Matthew Sommers, LB, 6-2, 220, Kent , Ohio, Roosevelt High School
Eldin Anu, CB, 5-10, 165, Columbus, Ohio, Westerville Central High School
Quan Robinson Jr., CB, 6-1, 170, Cleveland, Ohio, Glenville High School
Jerrell Foster, CB, 6-0, 180, Cincinnati, Ohio, Winton Woods High School
Marcus Elliott, DB, 6-1, 200, Toledo, Ohio, Whitmer High School
Erik Simpson, S, 6-0, 175, Cleveland, Ohio, Glenville High School
Specialist
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Hometown, High School
Shane Hynes, K, 5-10, 150, Clarkston, Mich., Clarkston High School
Miami:
Miami announces 2014 Signing Class
Miami University head football coach Chuck Martin has announced the addition of 26 student-athletes to the Miami football program on Feb. 5, 2014.
“We are excited to have the 26 student-athletes join the RedHawk family,” said Martin. “As a whole, the group contains talent and great students from great families and they have chosen Miami because they want to become champions on and off the field.”
2014 Miami Recruiting Class
Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., Hometown (High School) (Previous School)
Ikeem Allen, Power, 6-2, 300, Charlotte, N. C. (Mallard Creek)
Deion Cineus, Power, 6-3, 300, Miami Beach, Fla. (Miami Beach)
Sam Connolly, Power, 6-2, 220, Chicago, Ill. (Mt. Carmel)
Kelvin Cook, Skill, 5-10, 170, Colerain, Ohio (Colerain)
Alex Demers, Power, 6-2, 270, Tipp City, Ohio (Tippeconoe)
Mack Duffin, Power, 6-3, 220, Avon, Ind. (Avon)
Bradley Earnest, Skill, 6-1, 210, Atlanta, Ga. (Lakeside)
Andrew Hendrix,+ Skill, 6-2, 226, Cincinnati, Ohio (Moeller) (Notre Dame)
Zach Hovey, Power, 6-5, 235, Eden Prairie, Minn. (Eden Prairie)
Chris Hudson, Skill, 6-6, 235, Hazard, Ky. (Hazard)
Trey Knes, Power, 6-5, 225, Chesterfield, Mo. (Parkway Central)
Sam Martin, Skill, 6-3, 180, Boulder Colo. (Fairview)
Matt Merimee, Skill, 6-2, 200, Cleveland, Ohio (Benedictine)
Paul Moses, Skill, 6-0, 220, Toledo, Ohio (Toledo Central Catholic)
Mitch Palmer, Power, 6-4, 275, St. Louis, Mo. (De Smet Jesuit )
Nate Patterson, Power, 6-4, 230, Perrysburg, Ohio (Perrysburg)
Gus Ragland, Skill, 6-1, 200, Cincinnati, Ohio (Moeller)
Jordan Rigg, Power, 6-5, 250, Springboro, Ohio (Springboro)
Richard Schoen, Skill, 5-11, 180, Riverside, Ill. (Fenwick)
Ryan Smith, Power, 6-5, 240, Oak Park, Ill. (Fenwick)
Alonzo Smith, Skill, 5-11, 200, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (Dwyer)
Zach Swarts, Power, 6-2, 275, Ft. Wayne, Ind. (Homestead)
Daryus Thompson, Skill, 6-2, 192, Powder Springs, Ga. (McEachern)
Alex Welch, + Power, 6-4, 251, Cincinnati, Ohio (Elder) (Notre Dame)
Lo Wood, + Skill, 5-11, 194, Apopka, Fla (Apopka) (Notre Dame)
Kenny Young, Skill, 5-10, 182, Tallahasee, Fla. (Godby)
+Enrolled in the spring
UMass:
UMass Football Introduces 2014 Signing Class
Minutemen add a total of 24 new players to the program.
Bolstered by two postgraduate transfers, several junior college players and a wealth of young talent, new UMass head coach Mark Whipple announced the addition of 24 new student-athletes to the Minutemen football program.
Quarterback Blake Frohnapfel will transfer to the program from Marshall and will have two years remaining of eligibility. Joining him will be Penn State senior wide receiver Alex Kenney who held the fastest 40-yard dash time of any Nittany Lion on the team last season.
Additionally, Whipple introduced the five early Spring enrollees who are currently part of the program.
A total of 17 high school seniors and junior college transfers signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.
Overall, the Minutemen added five offensive linemen, five defensive linemen, four quarterbacks, three tight ends, three wide receivers, two defensive backs, one running back and one linebacker.
2014 UMass Recruiting Class
Player, Position, HT / WT, Hometown / Last School
Jarell Addo, DB, 6-2/190, Leominster, Mass/Leominster HS
Dimitri Angelas, OL, 6-5/291, Grand Rapids, Mich./Northville HS
J.T. Blyden, RB, 6-0/204, West Grove, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara
Chris Carter, DL, 6-4/260, Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan HS
Ross Comis, QB, 6-2/215, Weirton, W.Va/Madonna HS
Jon Denton, TE, 6-5/260, Perry, Kan./Coffeyville Community College
Dan DiNicola, OT, 6-6/275, Walpole, Mass./Dexter School
Ezekiel (Zeke) Edmonds, LB, 6-0/200, West Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach HS
Ryan Johnson, OL, 6-5/320, St. Louis, Mo./Garden City (Kan.) Community College
Jake Largay, DL, 6-6/280, East Hartland, Conn./Granby Memorial HS
Liam Porter, OL, 6-6/293, Natick, Mass./Natick HS/Dean College
Jean Sifrin, TE, 6-7/250, Miami, Fla./Norland (FL) HS/El Camino Junior College
Charan Singh, DB, 6-2/192, Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional HS
Josh Smiley, DL, 6-6/235, Chicopee, Mass./Pomfret School
Lamarriel Taylor, WR, 6-3/185, Chula Vista, Calif./Mission Bay HS
Randall West, QB, 6-4/220, Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrenceville School
Jack Wynne, DL, 6-5/243, Riverside, Conn./Greenwich HS
Spring 2014 Early Enrollee
Player, Position, HT / WT, Hometown / Last School
Da'Sean Downey, DL, 6-5/240, White Plains, N.Y./Woodlands HS/Canterbury School
Anthony Fernandez, OL, 6-6/285, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Jordan Fiske, TE, 6-3/225, Hindsdale, Mass./East Coast Prep
Andrew Verboys, QB, 5-11/180, Armonk, N.Y./Scarsdale HS/Fork Union Academy
Jalen Williams, WR, 6-3/205, Kennesaw, Ga./North Cobb HS/Dean College
Postgraduate Transfers
Player, Position, HT / WT, Hometown / Last School
Blake Frohnapfel, QB, 6-6/225, Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge HS/Marshall
Alex Kenney, WR, 6-0/195, State College, Pa./State College Area HS/Penn State
Northern Illinois:
HUSKIES GET DEFENSIVE WITH LATEST RECRUITING CLASS
NIU Inks Seven Defensive Linemen, Seven Defensive Backs on National Signing Day
DeKALB, Ill. – Following Northern Illinois University’s second consecutive 12-win season and fourth-straight Mid-American Conference West Division title, NIU head coach Rod Carey and his staff announced the names of 31 future Huskies that make up the 2014 recruiting class.
The Huskies’ class includes 15 defensive players, 14 offensive players and two specialists from 11 different states. NIU added nine recruits from Illinois, seven from Wisconsin and five from Florida to lead the class, in addition to two each from Indiana and Texas. The program also brought in one signee apiece from Alabama, Connecticut, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Nebraska.
“I feel really good about this 2014 group,” Carey said. “Obviously we didn’t get too far away from our roots with the Midwest dominating the list again. I feel good that every kid on the list will be able to come in and develop and help us. We said we wouldn’t get too far away from who we are, but the national exposure over the last couple of years has definitely helped us reach out to some new areas.
“This class is the product of 13 months of work where we have established a relationship with these guys as a staff, instead of just one or two coaches. There will be good familiarity and good cohesion between the recruits and the coaching staff when they get here in June.”
After inking six defensive backs in last year’s class, the Huskies added seven more in 2014. NIU also signed seven defensive linemen, addressing a position hit hard by graduation the last two seasons. The program signed one linebacker to round out the defensive recruits.
On offense, the Huskies continued to add speed by bringing in five wide receivers. In addition, they brought four offensive linemen, two quarterbacks, two tight ends and a fullback into the fold. The class was rounded out with a kicker and a punter.
“We went [into the year] with three areas that we had to address,” Carey said. “First was the quarterback position, and I feel very good about the two quarterbacks we signed. Second is the wide receivers and I am ecstatic about that group we have coming in. Third is the defensive backfield and I feel very good about the players we are bringing in at that position. I think several of them have the opportunity to help our team sooner rather than later.”
After posting a 12-2 record and playing in its fourth consecutive Mid-American Conference Championship game and sixth straight bowl game in 2013, NIU enters the 2014 campaign as one of just three FBS programs in the nation with 11 or more wins in each of the last four years. The Huskies completed the 2013 regular season with a 12-0 record, and have won a nation-leading 26 consecutive games in their home stadium dating back to 2009. In 2013, NIU broke nine school offensive records behind All-America quarterback Jordan Lynch, who finished third in voting for the 2013 Heisman Trophy to record the highest finish ever by a player from the MAC and All-American safety Jimmie Ward
NIU opens 2014 spring practices on Tuesday, March 18 with the Huskie Bowl set for Saturday, April 19 at Huskie Stadium.
2014 Northern Illinois Recruiting Class
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Class, High School/Previous School Hometown
Christian Blake, WR, 6-1, 170, Fr., Cardinal Gibbons, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Dale Brown, TE, 6-5, 245, Fr,. Lee’s Summit West, Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Russell Chambers, DE, 6-5, 245, Fr., Riverside University, Milwaukee, Wis.
Ben Compton,* DE, 6-4, 240, Jr., Windsor/Monroe College (N.Y.), Windsor, Conn.
Herlandez Corley, DE, 6-3, 240, Fr., McGill-Toolen, Mobile, Ala.
Will Daniels, DB, 6-1, 205, Fr., Green Bay Preble, Green Bay, Wis.
Peter Deppe, P, 6-0, 180, Fr., Almont, Almont, Mich.
Shane Evans,* OL, 6-4, 295, Fr., Prairie Ridge, Crystal Lake, Ill.
Aaron Fischer, FB, 5-11, 230, Fr., Sun Prairie, Sun Prairie, Wis.
Jareem Fleming, DE, 6-1, 215, Fr., Morgan Park, Chicago, Ill.
Kenny Golladay,* WR, 6-4, 195, Jr., St. Rita/North Dakota, Chicago, Ill.
Ryan Graham, QB, 6-1, 185, Fr., Wheaton Warrenville South, Wheaton, Ill.
Christian Hagan, K, 6-1, 175, Fr., Westside, Omaha, Neb.
Deion Hallmon, DB, 6-0, 180, Fr., Cypress Bay, Weston, Fla.
Ty Harmston, DE, 6-4, 230, Fr., Stockton, Stockton, Ill.
Darion Henderson, DB, 6-0, 205, Fr., Hubbard, Chicago, Ill.
Tifonte Hunt, DB, 5-9, 170, Fr., Thornton Township, Harvey, Ill.
Jawuan Johnson, DB, 6-0, 180, Fr., New Boston, New Boston, Texas
Aaron Kumbier, WR, 6-0, 180, Fr., Watertown, Watertown, Wis.
Rajshawn Mosley, DE, 6-4, 240, Fr., Arsenal Tech, Indianapolis, Ind.
David O’Gorman, DE, 6-2, 225, Fr., Watertown, Watertown, Wis.
Mayomi Olootu, DB, 5-9, 170, Fr., Allen, Allen, Texas
Khalil Rogers, LB, 6-0, 212, Fr., North Chicago, North Chicago, Ill.
Landon Root, QB, 6-3, 200, Fr., Wichita Collegiate, Wichita, Kan.
Tony Rychlowski, OL, 6-4, 250, Fr., Greenfield, Greenfield, Wis.
Ezra Saffold, WR, 5-7, 160, Fr., Dwyer West, Palm Beach, Fla.
Max Scharping, OL, 6-6, 250, Fr., Southwest, Green Bay, Wis.
David Senior, WR, 5-10, 160, Fr., Boyd Anderson, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Luke Shively, OL, 6-2, 265, Fr., Tipton, Tipton, Ind.
Albert Smalls, DB, 6-0, 180, Fr., Monsignor Pace, Miramar, Fla.
Denzel Tolliver, TE, 6-4, 220, Fr., Proviso West, Hillside, Ill.
* Enrolled at NIU in January 2014.
Ohio:
Ohio Football Welcomes 24 Newcomers on Signing Day
ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio Football head coach Frank Solich announced Wednesday the addition of 24 newcomers as part of National Signing Day, who will join the squad next season. The class includes 21 incoming freshmen and three juniors.
The 2013 class features student-athletes from nine different positions. The class also includes student-athletes from eight different states and one from Canada, including 16 from Ohio. In the last four years, the Bobcats have recruited 43 players from the state of Ohio.
The Bobcats begin spring practice on March 10th, while their spring game will be held on April 12th, beginning at 2 p.m. inside Peden Stadium.
2014 Ohio Recruiting Class
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Hometown, High School
Brennan Boland, TE, 6-5, 255, Overland Park, Kan., Blue Valley Northwest (Highland CC)
Mitch Bonnstetter, P, 5-11, 188, West Bend, Iowa, West Bend-Mallard (Iowa Central CC)
Connor Brown, TE, 6-6, 245, Miamisburg, Ohio, Miamisburg
Kent Berger, DL, 6-4, 245, Mentor, Ohio, Mentor
Jarred Brumfield, LB, 6-2, 219, Dayton, Ohio, Stebbins
Herman Brunis, WR, 6-0, 170, Fairfield, Ohio, Fairfield
Curtis Brunson, CB, 5-10, 160, Franklin, Mich., Farmington
Bryan DiCillo, LB, 6-2, 212, Broadview Heights, Ohio, Walsh Jesuit
Joey Duckworth, QB, 6-3, 215, Louisville, Ohio, Louisville
Brennan Dudziak, OL, 6-5, 250, Pickerington, Ohio, Pickerington
Jalen Fox, CB, 5-11, 176, Cincinnati, Ohio, Wyoming
Maleek Irons, RB, 6-0, 211, Chilliwack, B.C. (Canada), WJ Mouat Secondary
Tyler Jones, WR, 6-1, 180, West Chester, Ohio, Lakota West
Kyle Kuhar, DL, 6-5, 275, Avon Lake, Ohio, Avon Lake
Stephen Langenkamp, OL, 6-2, 285, Liberty Township, Ohio, Moeller
Brett Layton, CB, 5-11, 190, Redlands, Calif., Redlands (Mt. San Jacinto JC)
Joe Lowery, OL, 6-6, 290, Tallmadge, Ohio, Tallmadge
Jared McCray, OL, 6-5, 320, Minford, Ohio, Minford
Andrew Meyer, WR, 6-0, 185, Canal Winchester, Ohio, Pickerington
Kylan Nelson, CB, 5-10, 180, Lexington, Ky., Lafayette
Jake Pruehs, C, 6-2, 285, North Olmsted, Ohio, St. Edward
Robbie Walker, WR, 5-9, 180, Reston, Va., Gonazaga College
Chekiah Washington, CB, 6-0, 190, Mansfield, Ohio, Mansfield
Papi White, RB, 5-9, 166, Seminole, Okla., Seminole
Toledo:
Toledo Signs 23 Future Rockets to Highly Regarded 2014 Recruiting Class
TOLEDO – University of Toledo Head Coach Matt Campbell unveiled his 2014 recruiting class on Wednesday and once again the Rockets have signed a class rated as one of the best in the Mid-American Conference.
Scout.com and 24/7Sports rank Toledo’s 2014 recruiting class as No. 2 in the MAC, while Rivals.com ranks the Rockets third in the league. In 2013, all three scouting services ranked Toledo’s class as the best in the MAC. In 2012, Scout and Rivals ranked Toledo’s recruiting class as No. 2 in the conference. In 2011, UT’s recruiting class was ranked No. 1 by Scout and Rivals, and in 2010 Toledo’s class was ranked No. 1 in the MAC by Rivals and No. 2 by Scout.
The list of 23 includes two players--Tré James and Cameron Mattison--who signed NLIs last semester and are currently enrolled at UT. In addition, the Rockets announced that another five players have joined the program as preferred walk-ons.
Campbell, who enters his third full season as head coach of the Rockets, said this recruiting class has the potential be the finest since he arrived on campus as an assistant coach in 2009.
“I think this may be the best and deepest class we’ve signed since I’ve been here,” said Campbell, who is 17-9 as head coach of the Rockets after serving for three seasons as UT’s offensive coordinator. “We specifically tried to bolster the depth on both sides of the ball. We’ve recruited young men with great character who are committed to academics. We have players who will play a big role for us in the future, as well as some guys who could see action for us next fall.”
Toledo’s 2014 class includes seven players from the state of Ohio and five from Florida. Other states represented in the class are Pennsylvania (2), Texas (2), Maryland (2) and one each from Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Virginia and North Carolina.
“We will always get the bulk of our players from within a four-hour radius of Toledo, but we’ve created a good niche in the Tampa Bay area ever since we signed Bernard Reedy out of St. Petersburg four years ago,” said Campbell. “The Baltimore/DC area has been good for us lately, as well, and we are starting to recruit the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We’re always going to defend our home turf, but we’re in a situation now where we can go out and bring in players into our program from areas that have great football traditions and coaching.”
2014 University of Toledo Football Recruiting Class
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Class, Hometown-High School / Transfer or Prep
Adeniyi, Olasunkanmi, DE/OLB, 6-2, 225, Fr., Richmond, TX-Fort Bend Bush
Alexander, Devin, DB, 6-0, 205, Fr., St. Louis, MO-Ritenour
Atariwa, Yazeed, DL, 6-4, 257, Fr., Sterling, VA-Dominion
Berry, Mike, OLB, 6-3, 205, Fr., Beavercreek, OH-Beavercreek
Brinson, Dedric, CB, 6-2, 180, Fr., Lake Wales, FL-Lake Wales
Davis, Andrew, WR, 6-4, 185, Fr., St. Petersburg, FL-Lakewood
Davis, Anthony, LB, 6-0, 210, Fr., Tampa, FL-Chamberlain
James, Tré, LB/DE, 6-0, 250, Jr., Baltimore, MD-Baltimore City College / Snow College
Johnson, Jon’Vea, WR, 5-11, 183, Fr., Gary, IN-West Side
Mathis, Trevon, CB, 5-11, 163, Fr., Pittsburgh, PA-Woodland Hills
Mattison, Cameron, DB, 6-1, 185, Fr., Charlotte, NC-Mallard Creek
Olekanma, Richard, LB, 6-1, 217, Fr., Downers Grove, IL-North
Pfeiffer, Alex, OL, 6-5, 281, Fr., Cincinnati, OH-Anderson
Reynolds, Brandon, DE/LB, 6-2, 207, Fr., Solon, OH-Solon
Riley, Davi’on, TE, 6-3, 207, Fr., Lake Wales, FL-Lake Wales
Rogers, Bernard, CB, 5-11, 170, Fr., Tampa, FL-Plant
Rogers, Mykale, WR, 6-1, 180, Fr., Lima, OH-Central Catholic
Spielman, Noah, DL, 6-0, 278, Fr., Upper Arlington, OH-Upper Arlington
Swanson, Terry, RB, 5-9, 183, Fr., Aliquippa, PA- Aliquippa
Thompson, Cody, WR, 6-1, 187, Fr., Huron, OH-Huron
Weber, Bill, OL, 6-4, 325, Fr., Coppell, TX-Coppell
Whitfield, Marcus, WR, 5-11, 165, Fr., Massillon, OH-Washington
Woodland, Jamaal, CB, 6-2, 190, Fr., Lanham, MD-Duval
Preferred Walk-ons
Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., Cl., Hometown-High School / Transfer or Prep
Bengela, Blake, DL, 6-2, 212, Fr., Toledo, OH-Whitmer
Bruno, Sam, S, 6-1, 192, Fr., Whitehouse, OH-Anthony Wayne
Durbin, Corey, DL, 6-1, 252, Fr., Fremont, OH-St. Joseph
Stroker, Jimmy, ATH., 5-9, 182, Fr., Miami, FL-Trace
Weiland, Derich, WR, 5-10, 182, Fr., Toledo, OH-Central Catholic
Western Michigan:
Head Coach P.J. Fleck announces class of 27 signees on National Signing Day
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan football announced a class of 27 signees on National Signing Day but the size of the class is not what people are talking about but the quality of the student-athletes that are now officially Broncos.
The 2014 signing class is the highest ranked class in the history of the Mid-American Conference according to Rivals.com rankings. WMU’s class ranks 57th in the nation, the first signing class to ever rank in the top 60 for the MAC and besting the previous conference high of 62nd held by Kent State’s 2009 class. The Broncos’ previous high was 65th in 2008, the only other time a WMU signing class led the MAC.
Rankings are based on a star rating and WMU paced the MAC in that area as well. According to Rivals.com the Broncos signed a staggering 14 three-star commits, more than double of any other program in the conference. Western Michigan also boasted six of the top 30 recruits in the state of Michigan, tied with Michigan State but better than every other Division I-FBS program in the state.
Speaking of the state of Michigan, WMU boasts more signees from our home state, with more than CMU, EMU, MSU and Michigan. In fact, when looking at the class, 74 percent of it hails from within the six-hour recruiting radius that head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff focus on. The Broncos have 12 signees who appear on the Detroit News Blue Chip Top 60 Recruit List, including three in the top 20.
Further geographic breakdown of the class shows that three hail from Illinois, two from Indiana, Ohio and Florida and one apiece from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Georgia and New Jersey.
The 2014 signing class focused on the needs of the program and that shows when looking at the position by position break down. The Broncos signed five offensive lineman with a possible sixth when you consider the All-American long snapper that was the first to submit his fax at 7:01 a.m. Staying on offense, WMU signed a pair of tight ends, three running backs, one quarterback and a group of four wide receivers. Defensively, the Broncos signed three defensive linemen and four linebackers. Three defensive backs also joined the program as well as two student-athletes designated as athletes.
2014 Western Michigan Recruiting Class
Name, Position, Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown, Previous School
Lucas Bezerra, TE, 6-4, 242, Fr., Troy, Mich., Troy Athens
Jordan Billingslea, WR, 5-8, 170, Fr., Southfield, Mich., Southfield
Jamauri Bogan, RB, 5-8, 170, Fr., Union, N.J., Union
Nathan Braster, DL, 6-5, 252, Fr., Fort Wayne, Ind., South Side
Asantay Brown, ATH, 6-0, 190, Fr., Muskegon, Mich., Mona Shores
Deontae Brown, DB, 6-1, 200, Fr., Chicago, Ill., Mount Carmel
Curtis Doyle, OL, 6-5, 304, Fr., Alma, Mich., Alma
Leo Ekwoge, RB, 5-11, 205, Fr., Olney, Md., Good Counsel
Ken Finley, Jr., DL, 6-3, 283, Fr., Muskegon, Mich., Muskegon
Jarvion Franklin, RB, 6-0, 220, Fr., Tinley Park, Ill., Tinley Park
Jay Harris, WR, 5-11, 180, Fr., Exton, Pa., East Coast Prep
Jakevin Jackson, LB, 6-3, 230, Jr., Milledgeville, Ga., Georgia Military College
Lonnie Johnson, WR, 6-3, 184, Fr., Merrillville, Ind., West Side
Elliot Jordan, OL, 6-7, 265, Fr., Kentwood, Mich., East Kentwood
Nick Matich, DL, 6-2, 300, Fr., Clarkston, Mich., Clarkston
Chris McDaniel, TE, 6-4, 231, Fr., Detroit, Mich., Cass Tech
Zach Novoselsky, OL, 6-5, 295, Fr., Lincolnshire, Ill., Adlai E. Stevenson
Chukwuma Okorafor, OL, 6-5, 275, Fr., Southfield, Mich., Southfield
Wyatt Pfeifer, LS, 6-2, 245, Fr., Buckeye Valley, Ohio, Buckeye Valley
Del’Shawn Phillips, LB, 6-1, 217, Fr., Detroit, Mich., Cass Tech
Javonte Seabury, WR, 5-9, 170, Fr., Orlando, Fla., Timber Creek
Alon Sims, ATH, 6-2, 177, Fr., West Palm Beach, Fla., Royal Palm Beach
Robert Spillane, LB, 6-2, 225, Fr., Oak Park, Ill., Fenwick
Chance Stewart, QB, 6-5, 220, Fr., Sturgis, Mich., Sturgis
Antione Stone, DB, 5-11, 190, Fr., Bedford, Ohio, Bedford
Jason Sylva, LB, 6-3, 245, Jr., Franklin, Mass., Dean College
Jordan Van Dort, OL, 6-5, 280, Fr., Zeeland, Mich., Zeeland