MAC Football National Signing Day
Here is a look at each MAC Football program's 2013 recruiting class.
Akron:
Zips welcome 18 new football student-athletes
Akron student-athlete bios
AKRON, Ohio – Second-year head coach Terry Bowden announced on Wednesday that 18 student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to play football at The University of Akron.
The newest group of Zips includes three junior college players already enrolled and attending school at UA. The class is represented by seven states, and headlined by seven Ohioans.
Akron added plenty of help to its offensive and defensive line, as well as its linebacking corps. Six members of the class are designated as linemen (four on offense and two on defense) and four are linebackers.
Bowden will discuss the class at an open to the public press conference at 6 p.m. ET on the Towpath Credit Union Press Level (floor 7) of InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field. The proceedings will be webcast live, with long-time Akron-IMG Sports Network analyst Joe Dunn serving as host.
The Zips begin spring practice on Tuesday, April 2 and its annual Spring Game will be held on Saturday, April 27 at InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field.
Mykel Traylor-Bennett, WR 6-4 200 Fr. Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg HS
Cedric Brittnum, OL 6-6 330 Jr. Chicago, Ill./Asa Community College
Stephen Ericksen, OL 6-4 285 Fr. Sherrodsville, Ohio/Carrollton HS
Lavonne Gauthney, DL 6-2 300 Fr. Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Hargrave Military Academy
Zach Guiser, S 6-1 205 Fr. Fayette City, Pa./Grnsbrg Central Catholic HS
Mikee Hayes, CB 5-11 180 Fr. Ocala, Fla./West Port HS
Keontae Hollis, DL 6-2 285 Jr. Pontiac, Mich./Iowa Central Community College
Michael Kish, OL 6-5 260 Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Brentwood HS
Ryan Kortokrax, OL 6-4 285 Fr. Haviland, Ohio/Wayne Trace HS
Jerome Lane, LB 6-4 210 Fr. Akron, Ohio/Firestone HS
Anthony Lauro, RB/WR 5-10 195 Fr. Bradenton, Fla./Manatee HS
C.J. Mizell, LB 6-2 235 Fr. Tallahassee, Fla./Washington State
Deon'Tae Moore, LB 6-4 205 Fr. Akron, Ohio/Kenmore HS
Emmanuel "Manny" Morgan, RB 5-9 190 Fr. Naples, Fla./Naples HS
Jon Shelby, LB 6-1 210 Jr. Brockton, Mass./Nassau Community College
Donte Williams, CB 5-10 175 Jr. Greenbelt, Md./Asa Community College
Austin Wolf, WR 6-4 200 Fr. Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon HS
Thomas Woodson, QB 6-2 225 Fr. Monroeville, Pa./Gateway Senior HS
Ball State:
Ball State Football Announces 2013 Recruiting Class
Ball State third-year head football coach Pete Lembo announced the 2013 recruiting class. The recruiting class features 21 signees from nine states. The Cardinals signed student-athletes to national letters of intent from North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Florida and Oklahoma.
"We are excited to welcome this outstanding group of student-athletes to Ball State, Muncie and to the Mid American Conference," Lembo says. "This fine group of new players is the result of a year's worth of hard work by our coaching staff. It has been a pleasure getting to know these young men and their families throughout the recruiting process. We have added a lot of talent to our roster with this class, but perhaps more importantly, we are surrounding ourselves with some terrific leaders and charismatic personalities. Two new Cardinals have already joined us for the spring semester and we are anxious to get the rest of them on campus this summer."
Ball State's recruiting class includes 14 student-athletes that were team captains at their respective schools, and 11 who own at least a 3.0 grade-point average on their high school's 4.0 scale.
Following is Ball State's 2013 recruiting class:
Chris Blair, DB, 5-11, 196, Fr., Winston-Salem, N.C. (East Forsyth)
Calvin Blank, TE, 6-4, 234, Fr., Terre Haute, Ind. (North)
Aaron Clay, WR, 5-11, 201, Fr., Mebane, N.C. (Eastern Alamance)
Steve Drida, PK/P, 6-0, 187, Fr., Waukesha, Wis. (Waukesha West)
Blake Dueitt, DL, 6-1, 251, Fr., Cornelius, N.C. (W. A. Hough)
Daniel Garces, DL, 6-1, 223, Fr., Matthews, N.C. (Providence)
Nicholas Isaacs, LB, 6-1, 235, Fr., Cincinnati, Ohio (Withrow)
Jarrid Lloyd, OL, 6-5, 255, Fr., Naperville, Ill. (Benet Academy)
Pat Maloney, OL, 6-2, 274, Fr., Niles, Ill. (Maine South)
Stephan Martin, LB, 5-11, 226, Jr., Lake Alfred, Fla. (Lakeland) *Enrolled at Ball State in January of 2012 and is currently attending classes.
Jack Milas, QB, 6-1, 199, Fr., Arlington Heights, Ill. (Rolling Meadows)
David Moore, DB, 5-9, 167, Fr., Matthews, N.C. (Butler)
Vinnie Palazeti, OL, 6-4, 284, Fr., Owosso, Mich. (Powers Catholic)
Damerrian Petty, DL, 6-1, 288, Fr., Shelby, N.C. (Burns)
P.J. Scott, OL, 6-2, 293, Jr., Morris, Okla. (Morris)
Ralph Smith, DB, 5-8, 164, Fr., Avon, Ohio (Avon)
Stu Stanley, LB, 6-0, 207, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind. (Cathedral)
Haris Vrabac, OL, 6-7, 337, Fr., Warren, Mich. (Warren Mott)
Sean Wiggins, LB, 6-2, 226, Fr., Mint Hill, N.C. (Butler)
Teddy Williamson, RB, 5-9, 171, Fr., O'Fallon, Mo. (Fort Zumwalt West) **Graduated from high school in Dec. 2012 and enrolled in Ball State classes in Jan.
Anthony Winbush, DL, 6-1, 207, Fr., Indianapolis, Ind. (Warren Central)
Bowling Green:
Falcons welcome 24 student-athletes
Bowling Green State University football coach Dave Clawson has announced the addition of 24 student-athletes to the Falcon program on Feb. 6, 2013.
“We are excited to add the 2013 signing class to our Falcon family at Bowling Green State University,” said Clawson. “We have built a strong foundation over the past four seasons and this group of student-athletes will contribute their many talents to our football program.”
The class is below, followed by brief biographical sketches of each individual signee.
Aaron Banks, DB, 6-2, 200, Chicago, Ill. (Simeon)
Clark Clancy, OL, 6-4, 270, Troy, Mich. (Avondale)
Fred Coppet, RB, 5-9, 180, Ft. Lauderdale. Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Joe Davidson, P, 6-7, 200, Findlay, Ohio (Findlay)
Gehrig Dieter, WR, 6-3, 205, South Bend, Ind. (Washington) (SMU)
Brandon English, RB, 5-9, 186, Orlando, Fla. (Evans)
Hunter Folkertsma, TE, 6-6, 240, Grand Rapids, Mich. (Forest Hills Central)
Isaiah Gourdine, DB, 6-2, 195, Farmington, Mich. (Farmington)
Eric Harrell, RB, 5-9, 200, Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips)
Patric Hannon, LB, 6-0, 225, South Euclid, Ohio (Brush)
Darius Holiday, DT, 6-5, 260, Miramar, Fla. (American Heritage)
Ryan Hunter, OL, 6-5, 315, North Bay, Ontario (Canisius)
Logan Larson, TE, 6-4, 255, Springfield, Ill. (Pleasant Plains)
Marcus Levy, RB, 5-11, 200, Fort Pierce, Fla. (Fort Pierce Central)
Nate Locke, LB, 6-1, 220, Canton, Ohio (Massillon Jackson)
Tim McAuliffe, OL, 6-2, 275, Lemont, Ill. (Lemont)
Ronnie Moore, WR, 5-10, 165, Sanford, Fla. (Seminole)
Omar Pierre-Louis, DB, 6-1, 190, Loxahatchee, Fla. (Seminole Ridge)
Teo Redding, WR, 6-2, 170, Warren, Mich. (Michigan Collegiate)
Michael Rogers, WR, 6-1, 185, Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Luers)
Paul Senn, LB, 6-1, 215, Norco, Calif. (Norco) (Riverside CC)
Jason Shepherd, DE, 6-1, 245, Loxahatchee, Fla. (Seminole Ridge)
Shannon Smith, DT, 6-1, 290, Chicago, Ill. (Marist)
Austin Valdez, QB, 6-1, 210, Sylvania, Ohio (Sylvania Southview)
Buffalo:
Bulls welcome 18 football student-athletes
BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo head football coach Jeff Quinn has announced his initial signees for the 2013 recruiting class on the first day of the National Signing period.
Announcing his fourth recruiting class, Quinn added 18 players, with an emphasis on defense. The class includes 11 defensive players, six offensive players and one special teams player. The Bulls signed players from nine different states - New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Missouri and Kansas.
"What stood out most to me with the entire signing class of 2013, was the fact that these are tremendous leaders and winners," Quinn said. " They are guys that won state championships, conference championships, they were captains and MVPs. What also stood out to me were the connections our staff had and current and past players had with these future Bulls and families."
The initial members of the 2013 class:
Blake Bean, Inside Linebacker, 6-1, 235, Wichita, KS/Mt. Carmel Catholic HS, Butler Community College
James Coleman, Running Back, 6-1, 200, Queens Village, NY/Christ the King HS
Brandon Crawford, Outside Linebacker/Defensive End, 6-2, 235, Madison, FL/Madison County HS
Andrews Dadeboe, Cornerback, 5-11, 180, York, PA/Central York HS
Xavier Davis, Nose Guard, 6-2, 280, Atlanta, GA/The New Schools at Carver
Jarmarl Eiland, Athlete/Wide Receiver, 6-1, 185, Canton, MI/Plymouth HS
Chris Ford, Nose Guard, 6-3, 300, Medina, OH/Medina HS
Jarrett Franklin, Outside Linebacker, 6-3, 205, St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell HS
Houston Glass, Safety, 6-2, 185, Kentwood, MI/East Kentwood HS
Corbin Grassman, Long Snapper, 6-2, 215, Alexandria, OH/Johnstown-Monroe HS
Solomon Jackson, Outside Linebacker, 6-1, 230, Stone Mountain, GA/Tucker HS
Greg Lis, Inside Linebacker, 6-1, 220, Lincoln Park, NJ/DePaul Catholic HS
Tedroy Lynch, Defensive End, 6-2, 245, Shiremanstown, PA/Mechanicsburg HS, Lackawanna JC
Brandon Manosalvas, Offensive Line, 6-4, 280, Paramus, NJ/Paramus HS
Jacob Martinez, Athlete/Wide Receiver, 6-0, 180, South Port, FL/Bozeman HS
Boise Ross, Wide Receiver, 5-11, 180, Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS
Joe Schillace, Fullback, 6-1, 230, Auburn, NY/Auburn HS
Zach Smekal, Defensive Tackle, 6-4, 255, Medford, NJ/Shawnee HS
Central Michigan:
CMU Football Announces 2013 Recruiting Class
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Central Michigan head football coach Dan Enos announced the addition of 21 student-athletes to the Chippewas’ football program on Wednesday.
"We are excited to welcome the 2013 recruiting class to the Chippewa family,” said Enos. “It is a group of gifted, high character, and hard-working individuals that will contribute to our program on the football field, in the classroom, and in the community. This day is the culmination of a lot of hard work by our staff and I want to thank them for their time and effort."
The class includes 14 student-athletes who hail from the state of Michigan. Twelve of those players appeared in the Detroit Free Press Fab 50, while 11 were recognized on the Detroit News Blue Chip list. A total of nine were selected to play in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game.
Broken down by position, the class is composed of five offensive linemen, four wide receivers, three defensive linemen and defensive backs, and one quarterback, running back, tight end, linebacker, punter/kicker, and “athlete.”
Twelve members of the recruiting class maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0, while 19 of the 21 helped lead their teams to championships and/or playoff appearances during their high school careers.
Central Michigan Football 2013 Recruiting Class
Name, Position; Height; Weight; Hometown/Last School
Darrien Boone, QB, 6-2, 190, Chicago, Ill./Hales Franciscan HS
Mark Chapman, WR, 6-0, 180, Port Huron, Mich/Port Huron HS
Eric Cooper, WR, 5-11, 177, Flint, Mich./Beecher HS
Matt Cotiguala, P/K, 5-10, 180, LaGrange, Ill./College of DuPage
Alex Coty, OL, 6-4, 280, South Bend, Ind./Clay HS
Josh Cox, DB, 5-11, 195, Warren, Mich./De La Salle Collegiate HS
Zach Crouch, TE, 6-5, 230, Lowell, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS
Austin Doan, OL, 6-4, 290, Romeo, Mich./Romeo HS
Derek Edwards, OL, 6-5, 275, Novi, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central HS
Jack Ford, OL, 6-6, 280, Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac HS
Gary Jones, ATH, 6-2, 200, Allegan, Mich./Allegan HS
Chris Kantzavelos, DE, 6-3, 265, Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett HS
Donny Kyre, DE, 6-2, 250, Olivet, Mich./Olivet HS
Derrick Nash, RB, 5-10, 195, Saginaw, Mich./Carrollton HS
Joe Ostman, LB, 6-3, 235, St. Ignace, Mich./Lasalle HS
Jeff Perry, DB, 6-2, 227, Morris, Ill./Morris HS
J.P. Quinn, OL, 6-4, 270, Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley HS
Michael Steinhauer, DT, 6-3, 275, Chelsea, Mich./Chelsea HS
Wesley Thomas, WR, 6-0, 195, South Bend, Ind./Clay HS
Tyree Waller, S, 6-1, 215, Ypsilanti, Mich./Lincoln HS
Corey Willis, WR, 5-10, 170, Holland, Mich./Holland HS
Eastern Michigan:
Eagles welcome 21 new student-athletes
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University Head Football Coach Ron English announced the 2013 football recruiting class Wednesday, Feb. 6, as part of the annual National Letter of Intent Signing Day. The list includes 18 high school standouts and three talented junior college transfers.
The class exhibits quite a bit of variety as the Eagles will welcome student-athletes at 11 different positions, including center, cornerback, defensive line, halfback, linebacker, long snapper, offensive line, punter, quarterback, safety and wide receiver
The largest group of Eagle newcomers - six - are from the state of Indiana, but EMU coaches fanned out across the country for this class with eight states represented. The Green and White added multiple players from Michigan (3), Ohio (3), California (2), Pennsylvania (2) Virginia (2) and Washington (2). Illinois is also represented.
Two student-athletes from the 2013 class are already enrolled and taking classes at Eastern Michigan this semester, meaning they will be able to participate in spring drills, which begin Tuesday, March 12. The pair of early enrollees includes Kent Collins (Norwalk, Calif.-Los Alamitos-Cerritos JC) and Willie Creear (Seattle, Wash.-Lindbergh-Butte JC).
This year for the first-time since the Scout and Rivals recruiting databases began in 2002, EMU signed a student-athlete with a four-star ranking. In total, five student-athletes in this year's class have received at least a three-star ranking.
Each year under English, the Eagles' recruiting class had received more national attention. A year ago, EMU received its best-ever recruiting rankings as the Class of 2012 was selected the fifth in the Mid-American Conference by Scout.com and 77th nationally.
The Eagles, who retained the Michigan MAC trophy following a 29-23 victory over Western Michigan, Nov. 17, finished nationally in the top--75 in five statistical categories to go along with a pair of top-five rankings in the MAC standings.
Offensively, Eastern Michigan rushed for 1,960 yards and 13 touchdowns on 448 carries for the 61st-best ground attack in the nation. The Eagles have now rushed for more than 1,900 yards in each of the past three seasons. Defensively, EMU ranked 38th nationally and third in the MAC in pass defense. The Eagles gave up just 212.75 yards per game. Additionally, the team ranked 21st nationally in net punting with an average of 39.35 yards per kick.
2013 Eastern Michigan University Football Recruits
Name Pos Ht Wt Class Hometown-High School-Previous School
Nathan Adams LB 6-2 210 Fr.-Fr. Crozier, Va.-Goochland
Duwhan Alford HB 6-1 240 Fr.-Fr. Elkhart, Ind.-Concord
Austin Barnes P 6-2 185 Fr.-Fr. Fairview Heights, Ill.-O'Fallon
Reginald Bell Jr. ATH 6-3 180 Fr.-Fr. Los Angles, Calif.-Susan Miller Dorsey
Brandon Bossard QB 6-2 200 Fr.-Fr. Eagleville, Pa.-Methacton
Dwayne Brown OL 6-3 308 Fr.-Fr. Indianapolis, Ind.-Warren Central
Jaleel Canty DB 5-9 191 Fr.-Fr. Lansing, Mich.-Everett
Kent Collins OL 6-3 295 Jr.-Jr. Los Alamito, Calif.-Los Alamitos-Cerritos JC
Willie Creear CB 5-9 180 Jr.-Jr. Seattle, Wash.-Lindbergh-Butte JC
Derrick Dunlap DT 6-2 290 Fr.-Fr. Indianapolis, Ind.-Lawrence Central
Jacob King WR 6-1 185 Fr.-Fr. East Cleveland, Ohio-Shaw
Diondre Moore-Young CB 5-10 185 Jr.-Jr. Spokane, Wash.-Cheney-Glendale CC
Chris O'Risky LS 6-0 215 Fr.-Fr. Poseyville, Ind.-North Posey
Daquan Pace CB 5-9 165 Fr.-Fr. Detroit, Mich.-Cass Technical
Deshai Powell DT 6-2 245 Fr.-Fr. Indianapolis, Ind.-Lawrence Central
David Pulliam SAF 6-0 200 Fr.-Fr. Philadelphia, Pa.-Northeast
Brogan Roback QB 6-3 185 Fr.-Fr. Maumee, Ohio-Toledo St. John's Jesuit
Lavonte Robinson LB 5-10 225 Fr.-Fr. Cleveland, Ohio-Saint Edward
Austin Stone WR 6-1 185 Fr.-Fr. Palmyra, Va.-Fork Union Military Academy
Mario Swann SAF 6-2 205 Fr.-Fr. Greenwood, Ind.-Center Grove
Derric Williams LB 6-2 210 Fr.-Fr. Lake Orion, Mich.-Lake Orion
Kent State:
Golden Flashes welcome 21 new football student-athletes
Seven weeks after being named Kent State’s 21st head coach, Paul Haynes announced his first recruiting class Wednesday on National Signing Day. The 21-member class comes from seven different states and consists of nine Ohio natives. Four players will join the Golden Flashes from Florida, along with three from Georgia, two from Louisiana and one from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Minnesota.
The group carries an average GPA of 3.16. Of the 21 players, 20 served as team captains in high school. Twelve members of the class are expected to play on defense and nine on offense. The group has combined for 17 conference championships and five state titles. Eleven players were all-state selections.
“We looked for players that wanted to come in and compete for a spot right away,” Haynes said. “We wanted to get our kind of guys. And that’s what we got.”
Kent State 2013 Recruiting Class:
KEVIN BOURNE, S, 5-10, 180, Newark, Ohio, Newark Catholic High School
JONTEY “JUICE” BYRD, DT, 5-11, 280, Daytona Beach, Fla., Mainland High School
ERIC CHURCH, CB, 5-9, 170, Pennsauken, N.J., Timber Creek High School
ROMAN CLAY, RB, 5-11, 210, Lancaster, Pa., Lancaster Catholic High School
NATE HOLLEY, LB/DB, 6-0, 180, Toledo, Ohio, Whitmer High School
NICK HOLLEY, WR/RB, 6-0, 175, Toledo, Ohio, Whitmer High School
BROCK MACAULAY, TE, 6-7, 240, Big Prarie, Ohio, West Holmes High School
RYAN MALONE, TE, 6-2, 220, New Orleans, La., St. Paul’s High School
JAKE McVAY, S, 5-11, 180, Aurora, Ohio, Aurora High School
DEMETRIUS MONDAY, CB, 5-11, 185, Douglasville, Ga., Pebblebrook High School
DUSTY MOORE, MLB, 6-1, 220, Stockbridge, Ga., Heritage High School
CHRIS OVERTON, WR, 5-10, 160, Richmond Hts., Ohio, Glenville High School
DARIUS REDMOND, LB, 6-1, 205, Miami, Fla., Northwestern High School
ELCEE REFUGE, ATH, 5-11, 210, New Orleans, La., Edna Karr High School
TYSON REINKE, DT, 6-3, 260, Eden Prarie, Minn., Eden Prarie High School
WAYNE SCOTT, OL, 6-3, 320, Daytona Beach, Fla., Mainland High School
RYAN SEIBERT, LB, 6-4, 200, Columbus, Ohio, Olentangy Liberty High School
NATHAN STROCK, QB, 6-3, 200, Zanesville, Ohio, Tri-Valley High School
KENTRELL TAYLOR, LB/RB/FB, 6-0, 230, Canton, Ohio, Massillon Washington High School
TERENCE WAUGH, DE, 6-3, 225, Atlanta, Ga., Henry County High School
KRIS WHITE, WR, 6-2, 210, Clermont, Fla., South Lake High School
UMass:
Minutemen add 19 football student-athletes
Entering his second year as head football coach at the University of Massachusetts, Charley Molnar announced on Wednesday the signing of 19 newcomers to National Letters of Intent. The group is highly regarded as one of the most anticipated classes in the program’s history. The class includes student-athletes from Massachusetts to Florida to Germany.
In addition to the 19 signed today, newcomers Josh Bruns and Sam Zeff have already enrolled in classes for the Spring semester bringing the total class to 21 on Wednesday. Cameron Mock who also started at UMass this Spring counts as a member of last season’s NLI class.
The scholarship class is made up of a total of five defensive linemen, three linebackers, two defensive backs, eight offensive linemen, one tight end, one quarterback, three wide receivers and one running back.
Additional newcomers for next season include non-scholarship players Klysmann Afonso, DuVaughn Beckford, Nate Crutchfield and Nick Valles who have also joined the Minutemen for the Spring semester.
Nine different states are represented along with the first German born player in program history.
The one area that was most addressed was along the offensive line where six of the eight offensive linemen measure 6-foot-5 or taller including three who are 6-foot-7. The Minutemen also added 10 new players to the defensive side of the ball.
This group comes on the heels of the 2012 recruiting class that made a major impact on last year’s squad. All told 12 true freshmen earned starts for the Minutemen.
UMass will also announce several preferred walk-on players later after they have officially enrolled at the University.
Peter Angeh - DL • 6-2/245 • Silver Spring, Md. • The Bullis School
Enock Asante - DL • 6-2/260 • Trenton, N.J. • Steinert H.S.
E.J. Burston - WR • 6-3/170 • Bradenton, Fla. • Palmetto H.S.
Josh Bruns - OL • 6-5/285 • Bullhead City, Ariz. • Glendale C.C.
Steve Casali - LB • 6-2/225 • Farmingville, N.Y. • Sachem East H.S.
Terrel Correia - OL/DL • 6-7/280 • Nantucket, Mass. • Nantucket H.S.
Sharif Custis - TE • 6-3/215 • Philadelphia, Pa. • St. Neumann-Goretti H.S.
Shaquille Harris - WR • 6-2/206 • Palmetto, Fla. • Palmetto H.S.
Tyshon Henderson - OL • 6-7/315 • Newark, N.J. • St. George's School (R.I.)
Fabian Hoeller - OL • 6-3/301 • Cologne, Germany • FOS Ansbach • Cologne Falcons
Shane Huber - LB • 6-3/235 • Basking Ridge, N.J. • Saint Peter's H.S.
Daquan Mack - RB • 6-1/247 • Levitttown, Pa. • Pennsbury H.S.
Cameron Mock* - OL • 6-7/305 • Clayton, N.M. • Clayton H.S.
Peter Ngobidi - LB/DL • 6-2/260 • Hyde Park, Mass. • Catholic Memorial
Jordan Page - OL • 6-5/300 • Ewing, N.J. • The Pennington School (N.J.)
Jackson Porter - DB • 6-1/185 • Ellicott City, Md. • Mt. Hebron H.S.
Rich Queen - OL • 6-3/275 • Alendale, N.J. • Bergen Catholic H.S.
Todd Stafford - QB • 6-7/250 • Riverside, Conn. • Greenwich H.S.
Elijah Wilkinson - DL • 6-4/310 • Downingtown, Pa. • Downingtown West H.S.
Arthur Williams - DB • 6-3/185 • Sebring, Fla. • Sebring H.S.
D.J. Woods - WR • 5-9/170 • Coral Springs, Fla. • University H.S.
Sam Zeff - OL • 6-5/275 • Montclair, N.J. • Montclair H.S.
* Mock enrolls as a mid-year player and will count as a member of the 2012 class
Miami:
Football Staff Signs 22 Recruits to NLI letters
OXFORD, Ohio -- Miami University's football coaching staff signed 22 players to National Letters of Intent Wednesday at Millett Hall.
Seven different states sent football players to the RedHawk program. Exactly half of the 22 are products from the state of Ohio.
"Our focus has always been to recruit the state of Ohio," said Treadwell. "We're always going to recruit our back yard. Much like last year's class, we had a lot of flexibility this year. It allowed us to bring in talent at every position across the board."
Miami RedHawks 2013 Recruiting Class:
Randy Anderson, DB, 6-2, 190, Mason, OH (Mason)
Bert Birdsall, DB, 6-0, 160, Chesterfield, MO (CBC)
Collin Buchanan, OL, 6-5, 305, Southfield, MI (Southfield)
AJ Burdine, DE/ATH, 6-3, 270, Cincinnati, OH (Elder)
Kris Davis, DL, 6-1, 275, Indianapolis, IN (Warren Central)
Jake Giordano, LB, 6-0, 220, Wellington, FL (American Heritage)
Heath Harding, DB/RB, 5-10, 178, Englewood, OH (Dayton Christian)
Randy Heideman, OL, 6-6, 290, Bloomington, IL (Normal Community)
Jake Hilvert, OL, 6-5, 300, Cleves, OH (Elder)
Airion Kosak, DB/WR, 5-11, 185, Vandalia, OH (Butler)
Falon Lee, RB, 5-10, 180, Macclenny, FL (Baker County)
Jared Murphy, WR, 5-10, 170, Columbia City, IN (Columbia City)
Grant Niemiec, LB, 6-0, 220, Commerce, MI (Orchard Lake St. Mary's)
Buchi Okafor, DB, 6-2, 190, Lewis Center, OH (Olentangy)
Matt Smallbone, DE/LB, 6-4, 225, Granger, IN (South Bend St. Joseph)
Zach Smerciak, DE/LB, 6-2, 210, Aurora, OH (Aurora)
Xavier Swinton, DB, 6-1, 195, West Palm Beach, FL (American Heritage)
Tom Tupa, QB, 6-4, 220, Brecksville, OH (Brecksville-Broadview)
Nick Walter, OC/LS, 6-3, 265, Pickerington, OH (Central)
Damon Washington, DB/ATH, 5-11, 185, Kirtland, OH (Kirtland)
Parker White, DL, 6-4, 230, Bellaire, TX (St. Thomas)
TJ Williams, LB, 6-1, 210, Creve Coeur, MO (CBC)
Northern Illinois:
Huskies welcome 24 new recruits
DeKALB, Ill. – Building on the momentum of Northern Illinois University’s second-straight Mid-American Conference championship and its historic berth in the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl, NIU first-year head football coach Rod Carey added 24 future Huskies to his first recruiting class Wednesday.
“The success we had last season made a big impact on the quality of recruits we signed,” Carey said. “A lot of the class was completed before the Orange Bowl and we felt great about those kids no matter what. When you look at our later commitments, the talent level that they have, is right on par with what we’ve been getting. We feel good about that.”
NIU’s signing day roster consists of 12 offensive players, 10 on the defensive side of the ball, one athlete and one specialist, and hail from eight different states. NIU stayed close to home, signing 10 players from the state of Illinois and seven from Wisconsin. The Huskies also branched out, picking up two recruits from Ohio and one each from Indiana, Florida, Michigan, Georgia and Alabama.
“It starts with Illinois and it’s never going to stray far from home,” Carey said of his recruiting philosophy. “This is our home state, this is where we get our guys and this is always where we’re going to get our guys. Wisconsin, with that state being so close to us, the ties we have there and the success we’ve enjoyed there historically, is always going to be a key place for us to recruit.
“Reaching out to places like Indiana, Detroit, Alabama, and Florida, where we’ve had a lot of success in recent years, not only with Coach Doeren but with Coach Kill, it is important to keep those ties going. When you branch far out, it’s more about the connections and ties you have there. When you’re closer to home, it’s about a blanket, making sure everyone knows about us.”
While last year’s signing class was heavy on offensive and defensive linemen, this year’s class is loaded with skill position players. On the offensive side of the ball, Northern Illinois added three wide receivers, three tight ends, two running backs and a quarterback. Two offensive linemen round out the signees on offense.
The Huskie coaching staff shored up a position hit hard by graduation - defensive backs - by signing six DBs. Northern Illinois also added three linebackers and a defensive lineman. One signee, Sean Folliard (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge), a linebacker, is already enrolled at NIU and will participate in spring drills.
“Overall, when you look at this class, it’s dominated by skill, which it should be,” Carey said. “The skill has power and speed and that’s what I love about it. Every guy that’s fast is powerful and every guy that’s powerful has good speed.”
The Huskies completed a 12-2 season by making the Mid-American Conference’s first appearance in a Bowl Championship Series bowl game and were ranked 22nd in the final Associated Press Poll. NIU has won at least 11 games in each of the last three seasons and returns second team All-American Jordan Lynch, who finished seventh in the Heisman voting a year ago. Northern Illinois begins 2013 spring practices March 20 at Huskie Stadium and will open the season Aug. 31 at Iowa.
2013 NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL RECRUITS
Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Cl. High School Hometown
1. Jackson Abresch DB 6-1 185 Fr. Arrowhead Hartland, Wis.
2. Mycial Allen S 5-11 183 Fr. King Detroit, Mich.
3. Chad Beebe WR 5-9 165 Fr. Aurora Christian Aurora, Ill.
4. Joel Bouagnon RB 6-2 225 Fr. Aurora Christian Aurora, Ill.
5. Josh Brebant K 6-0 195 Fr. Copley Akron, Ohio
6. Tate Briggs OL 6-4 297 Fr. Montini Catholic Naperville, Ill.
7. Nick Calhoun OL 6-5 308 Fr. Lourdes Academy Oshkosh, Wis.
8. Nick Cieslak QB 6-3 170 Fr. Kettle Moraine Waukesha, Wis.
9. Justin Corbett S 6-2 205 Fr. Lincoln-Way East Frankfort, Ill.
10. Sean Folliard* LB 6-2 205 Fr. Prairie Ridge Crystal Lake, Ill.
11. Jake Heckel TE 6-4 235 Fr. Waukesha West Waukesha, Wis.
12. Blake Holder WR 6-2 195 Fr. Streamwood Streamwood, Ill.
13. Jordan Huff RB 5-11 205 Fr. St. Paul’s Episcopal Mobile, Ala.
14. Robert Jones LB 6-0 210 Fr. Monsignor Pace Miami Gardens, Fla.
15. William Lee DL 6-2 280 Fr. Arsenal Tech Indianapolis, Ind.
16. Ben Maruska OL 6-5 290 Fr. Fond Du Lac Fond Du Lac, Wis.
17. Brandon Mayes S 5-11 182 Fr. Aurora Christian Aurora, Ill.
18. Zeb McLaurin CB 5-11 180 Fr. St. Ignatius Prep Chicago, Ill.
19. Malik Mitchell WR 6-4 181 Fr. Milton Alpharetta, Ga.
20. Jamaal Payton LB 6-0 210 Fr. Proviso West Bellwood, Ill.
21. Draco Smith CB 5-9 185 Fr. Mt. Carmel [Ill.] Hammond, Ind.
22. Ryan Stendler TE 6-4 250 Fr. Homestead Mequon, Wis.
23. Aregeros Turner ATH 5-11 170 Fr. Copley Copley, Ohio
24. Shane Wimann TE 6-4 225 Fr. Wisconsin Dells Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
Ohio:
Ohio Football Welcomes 22 Newcomers on Signing Day
ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio Football head coach Frank Solich announced Wednesday the addition of 22 newcomers as part of National Signing Day, who will join the squad next season. The class includes 20 incoming freshmen, one sophomore and one junior.
The 2013 class features student-athletes from nine different positions. The class also includes student-athletes from 11 different states and one from the American Samoa Island, including nine from Ohio. In the last three years, the Bobcats have recruited 27 players from the state of Ohio.
The Bobcats begin spring practice on March 13th, while their spring game will be held on April 13th, beginning at 2 p.m. inside Peden Stadium.
2013 Ohio Football Recruiting Class:
Leon Alexander, Freshman, S | 6-2 | 190, Detroit, Mich. | Martin Luther King High School
Cleon Aloese, Freshman, DL | 6-1 | 290, Pago Pago, A.S. | Tafuna High School
Tarell Basham, Freshman, DE | 6-4 | 240, Rocky Mount, Va. | Franklin County High School | Hargrave Military Academy
Dorian Brown, Freshman, RB | 5-11 | 195, Pittsburgh, Pa. | Baldwin High School
Jarid Brown, Freshman, CB | 6-0 | 185, Huntingtown, Md. | Archbishop Carroll High School | Fork Union Military Academy
Cedric Brown, Freshman, WR | 6-1 | 185, Martinsburg, W. Va. | Martinsburg High School
Brendan Cope, Freshman, WR | 6-3 | 185, Warren, Ohio | Howland High School
Tyree Graves, Freshman, DL | 6-3 | 230, Clearwater, Fla. | Pinellas Park High School
Tate Leavitt, Freshman, OL | 6-6 | 300, Thornville, Ohio | Sheridan High School
Troy Mangen, Freshman, TE | 6-5 | 237, Union, Ohio | Northmont High School
Cameron McLeod, Junior, DL | 6-3 | 285, McLain, Miss. | Greene County High School | Jones County Junior College
Mason Morgan, Freshman, TE | 6-5 | 230, Cincinnati, Ohio | Sycamore
Zach Murdock, Freshman, OL | 6-4 | 285, Dublin, Ohio | Dublin Coffman High School
Quentin Poling, Freshman, LB | 6-0 | 215, Spencerville, Ohio | Elida High School
Tony Porter, Freshman, DL | 6-0 | 280, Lawrenceville, Ga. | Peachtree Ridge High School
Corey Quallen, Freshman, S | 6-2 | 205, Mason, Ohio | Mason High School
Casey Sayles, Freshman, DE | 6-3 | 260, Omaha, Neb. | Omaha North High School
Trent Smart, Freshman, DE | 6-3 | 240, Wilmington, Ohio | Clinton Massie High School
Dyquan Stewart, Freshman, CB | 5-9 | 175, Stafford, Va. | Mountain View High School | Fork Union Military Academy
Watson Tautuiaki, Sophomore, DL | 6-2 | 290, Sacramento, Ca. | Elk Grove High School | LA Harbor College
Durrell Wood, Freshman, OL | 6-3 | 325, Columbus, Ohio | Groveport Madison High School
Justin Wyatt, Freshman, WR | 6-1 | 185, Lawrenceville, Ga. | Collins Hill High School
Toledo:
Rockets’ 2013 Football Recruiting Class Rated No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference
TOLEDO - University of Toledo head football coach Matt Campbell unveiled his 2013 recruiting class today, and for the fourth year in a row the Rockets have signed a class rated as one of the best in the Mid-American Conference.
Both Scout.com and Rivals.com rank Toledo’s 2013 recruiting class as No. 1 in the MAC. A year ago, both recruiting services ranked Toledo’s recruiting class as No. 2 in the conference. In 2011, UT’s recruiting class was ranked No. 1 by both services, and in 2010 Toledo’s class was ranked No. 1 in the MAC by Rivals and No. 2 by Scout. Superior recruiting has paid off for the Rockets, who have appeared in three consecutive bowl games. Toledo was 9-4 in 2012 and played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
The Rockets added 29 new players to the program, 19 of whom are ranked as either four-star or three-star recruits by at least one recruiting service, breaking the school previous record of 14 set in 2010 and 2011. The list of 29 also includes six preferred walk-ons who will not sign national letters of intent, as well as three players--Robert Zimmerman, Boston Mathews and Logan Woodside--who signed NLIs last semester and are currently enrolled at UT.
Campbell, who enters his second full season as head coach of the Rockets, concurred that this is Toledo’s best and deepest recruiting class in his five years at UT.
“From top to bottom, this is a class of high-caliber players who have high-caliber character,” said Campbell, who is 10-4 as head coach of the Rockets after serving for three seasons as UT’s offensive coordinator. “These are players who love the game of football, come from programs with great football tradition and who have committed themselves academically.
“Most of this class has been committed to us for many months now so we’ve really gotten to know these young men well. They have really bought into the vision of Toledo football, and how they can raise the standards of this football program. We just graduated an outstanding senior class; this class needs to be better than the one that left. That’s how you bring your program to a higher level.”
Toledo’s 2013 class includes 16 players from the state of Ohio, including four from Northwest Ohio. Other states represented in the class are Maryland (3), Michigan (3), Illinois (2), South Carolina (2), Florida (1), Kentucky (1) and Virginia (1). “We will recruit anywhere we can get a player who can help us,” said Campbell. “But overall, the bulk of our recruiting still occurs within a four-hour radius of campus.”
2013 University of Toledo Football Recruiting Class
Adams, Rodney, WR, 6-1, 176, Fr., St. Petersburg, FL-Lakewood
Allen, Liam*, WR, 6-0, 170, Fr., Toledo, OH-St. John’s Jesuit
Bolden, A.J., OL, 6-4, 287, Fr., Winchester, VA-Millbrook
Buckwald, Robert*, LB, 6-1, 215, Fr., Seville, OH-Cloverleaf
Cave, Victor, DE, 6-2, 235, Fr., Cincinnati, OH-Glen Este
Caver, Crissean*, WR, 6-0, 186, Fr., Cuyahoga Falls, OH-Walsh Jesuit
Davis, Daniel, DE, 6-3, 235, Fr., Grand Blanc, MI-Grand Blanc
Frazier, Kennedy, DB, 6-1, 174, Fr., Baltimore, MD-Calvert Hall College
Hunt, Kareem, RB, 5-11, 200, Fr., Willoughby, OH-South
Jeppesen, Nate, OL, 6-4, 285, Fr., Portage, MI-Central
Johnson, Delando, DB, 6-2, 195, Fr., Baltimore, MD-Calvert Hall College
Julian, Michael, QB, 6-5, 190, Fr., Hilton Head Island, SC-Hilton Head Island
Kulon, Adam, DE, 6-4, 250, Fr., Algonquin, IL-H.D. Jacobs
Lewis, Douglas*, DB, 5-11, 185, Fr., Bedford Heights, OH-Walsh Jesuit
Linch, Jack*, LB, 6-0, 210, Fr., Toledo, OH-Whitmer
Martin, Jordan, DB, 6-2, 192, Fr., Upper Marlboro, MD-Forestville Bishop McNamara
Mathews, Boston, OL, 6-3, 245, Fr., Crystal Lake, IL-South
Moore, Marquise, DT, 6-1, 289, Fr., Toledo, OH-Whitmer
Niswander, Austin, OLB, 6-1, 191, Fr., Findlay, OH-Findlay
Nkansah, Elijah, OL, 6-6, 310, Fr., Mason, OH-Mason
Quinn, Zach, LB, 6-3, 215, Fr., Aurora, OH-Aurora
Richards, Darryl, WR, 6-3, 180, Fr., Chagrin Falls, OH-Kenston
Rogers, DeJuan, DB, 6-1, 175, Fr., Detroit, MI-Cass Tech
Stepec, John, DE, 6-3, 245, Fr., Willoughby Hills, OH-Lake Catholic
Vucelich, Sam*, PK, 5-11, 172, Fr., Powell, OH-Olentangy Liberty
Woodley, Ja’Wuan, LB, 5-11, 230, Fr., Columbus, OH-Bishop Hartley
Woodside, Logan, QB, 6-2, 210, Fr., Frankfort, KY-Franklin County
Yousey, Zach, WR, 6-1, 195, Fr., Columbus, OH-Harvest Prep
Zimmerman, Robert, DT, 6-3, 340, So., Sumter, SC-Sumter/Hutchinson (KS) Community College
*Preferred Walk-on
Western Michigan:
Head Coach P.J. Fleck announced 17 recruits signed their respective National Letters of Intent on National Signing Day.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan football welcomed 17 new signees to the program on National Signing Day with the bulk of the class hailing from Michigan and Illinois. The class broke down rather evenly into nine defensive players and eight offensive players. All five of the signees from the state of Michigan appear in both the Detroit Free Press Fab 50 and Detroit News Blue Chip 60 Lists.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the staff that we have representing this program. To do what we were able to accomplish, to get 17 young men that truly want to be Broncos and to put this class in the upper echelon of the MAC says a lot about this staff, what they believe and our core values, putting in the work of 14 months into six weeks or less in some cases,” commented head coach P.J. Fleck.
The class of 17 is broken out among five different states with five coming from the states of Michigan and Illinois, each and four coming from the state of Florida. Indiana is the home of two recruits, while the Broncos’ lone junior college signee is a native of California. WMU bolstered its defense with five defensive linemen, including two defensive ends. The Broncos added depth with three linebackers and one cornerback to learn from the already talented defensive backfield.
“I think the plan came to be exactly how I wanted it to. When I came here I said I wanted to recruit within six hours and I meant it. We will continue to recruit Florida but we are also also going to embed ourselves in the Midwest and especially our home state of Michigan as well as Illinois and the surrounding states,” added Fleck.
WMU added a pair of wide receivers in this class. One comes to campus at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds while the other is under 6-foot and will be key in the return game for the Broncos. Western Michigan added two more offensive linemen including a Southwest Michigan native out of Battle Creek. The Broncos added a pro style quarterback and two running backs. The running backs will complement what WMU already has in the backfield as well as on special teams and in the retun game. As Coach Fleck describes them, they are all “Football Players.”
“I think all of these kids are football players, period. You take all of the rankings and the ‘stars’ out of it and you look at the tape and we needed to find football players. That is what we found. These 17 guys are the ones that believed in our mentality. They believed in F.A.M.I.L.Y., they believed in Row the Boat, Nektons, Prefontaine Pace, Farmers Alliance. They believed in it and that’s why they are here,” concluded Fleck.
NAME POSITION HEIGHT WEIGHT HOMETOWN PREVIOUS SCHOOL
Caleb Bailey, LB, 5’11, 221, Romeoville, Ill. Romeoville
Khairi Bailey, DE, 6’3, 251, Chicago, Ill. Morgan Park
Josh Bass, OL, 6’4, 271, Battle Creek, Mich. Harper Creek
David Curle, DL, 6’2, 290, Shelby Township, Mich. Utica Eisenhower
Corey Davis, WR, 6’2, 205, Wheaton, Ill. Wheaton-Warrenville South
Jackson Day, OL, 6’3, 279, Granger, Ind. Mishawaka Penn
Austin Guido, RB, 5’11, 197, Aurora, Ill. Waubonsie Valley
Kristof Ifkovits, DL, 6’4, 306, Chicago, Ill. Guerin College Prep
Fabian Johnson, RB, 5’7, 192, West Palm Beach, Fla. Northwestern
Austin Lewis, LB, 6’3, 215, Terre Haute, Ind. North Vigo
Logan Oce, CB, 5’9, 155, Opa Locka, Fla. Monsignor Pace
Darius Phillips, WR, 5’10, 179, Dearborn Heights, Mich. Robichaud
Mario Rodriguez, TE, 6’3, 265, Portola Valley, Calif. Portola/Cabrillo
Edward Rolle, LB, 6’2, 187, Miami, Fla. Carol City
Jamar Simpkins, DL, 6’2, 277, Miami, Fla. Monsignor Pace
Cameron Thomas, QB, 6’2, 179, New Hudson, Mich. South Lyon East
Andre Turner, DE, 6’3, 218, Harper Woods, Mich. Chandler Park Academy
