Twenty-five student-athletes, the most ever signed by Illinois State head football coach Denver Johnson and his staff, highlight the Redbirds 2003 recruiting class as all have signed national letters of intent to continue their football career at Illinois State, announced by Johnson at the Kaufman Football Building Wednesday.
I think this is going to be an outstanding class, Johnson said. I think it is our best recruiting class since I have been here for no other reason other than because it is our largest recruiting class. We had a pretty good-size-senior class that graduated this past year and that freed up a lot of recruiting capital for us to go out and recruit with. Each of our other recruiting classes have had some good players in it, but I think this one is going to prove, in time, to be the strongest across the board.
Some 22 high school and three junior college products inked with Illinois State, as well as four players signed during the mid-year junior college transfer signing period that are already attending classes at Illinois State. Depth and versatility in these athletes are two things that excites Johnson about his recruits.
We are always striving to improve the stature of our football team in terms of height, weight and speed, Johnson said. I think we got some real versatility in this class. Some guys were signed as linebackers, but they could all probably play several different positions as well.
We got some guys we really had to fight for in the recruiting battles, Johnson added. I really feel good about some of the guys that chose to come here considering some of their other options. I really feel good about the group as people and there are some strong personalities in the class as well. I think it is just a really, really good class.
By position, the Birds have added 11 linemen to the roster, which includes eight defensive and three offensive. Six linebackers, four wide receivers, two running backs, one quarterback and a tight end round out the Redbird newcomers. With many positions to be filled on the Redbird depth chart, the athletes will have a chance to compete.
While we would like to redshirt as many as possible but many of these guys will have a chance to compete for playing time, Johnson said. I dont ever want to play a kid before he is ready but I would expect many of these young men to be in the mix as freshmen.
Johnson added that the recruiting process is a hectic one and the reason for such an strong class is because of the hard work and determination of his staff.
I have a coaching staff full of warriors, Johnson said. They are really good coaches and really good people. They did a good job in the recruiting process because it is hard to pick out guys individually, but I think they all made really big contributions to this.
Jesse Caesar 6-0 170 DB Rockledge, Fla. (Rockledge)
Rockledge: As a senior, named teams defensive back of the year ... team crowned Space Coast Conference Champions before winning district and eventually state title with a 14-1 record ... led the secondary in team tackles as a junior ... All-Space Coast selection, all-county team and team won district and state championship junior season as well ... played hoops his senior season and participated in track all four years ... regional and district champ in the 800 meters and a member of the 4x800 relay team ... high school teammate of Redbird signee Laurnt Robinson ... coached by Chuck Wood at Rockledge.
Josh Chrestman 6-4 255 DL Sandwich, Ill. (Sandwich/Joliet JJC)
Joliet Junior College: JJCs all-time single-season sack leader with 15 in 2002 ... tallied 28 tackles (24 solo) his sophomore year, with 18 TFLs ... one forced fumble and one fumble recovery ... team-high three sacks in the Golden Isles Bowl Classic national championship game ... named to the 2002 North Central Community College Conference All-Conference First Team ... 2002 Region IV All-Region Team ... six sacks and two fumble recoveries freshman year ... freshman year, team won the NJCAA non-scholarship national championship and in 2002, were the outright NJCAA national champs finishing the season ranked No. 1 in the nation ... played for NJCAA Hall of Fame coach Bob MacDougall, who was named the 2002 NJCAA coach of the year. Sandwich: Initially signed with the Redbirds out of high school ... had a team-best 114 tackles as a middle linebacker and was named the team MVP ... leading tackler as a junior and senior ... earned Interstate Eight Conference all-star honors in football both seasons ... also played guard on offense ... a Class 3A all-state selection and Aurora Beacon-News all-area team pick ... two-time all-conference selection in wrestling, helping squad to a 28-3 record his junior year ... as a sophomore, finished fourth in state at 215 pounds.
Ross Crampton 6-2 212 LB Joliet, Ill. (Joliet Catholic Acad.)
Joliet Catholic Acad.: Tallied 130 carries for 1,302 yards, averaging 10 yards per carry ... led his conference in scoring with 122 points in only five games at running back ... caught nine passes that resulted in touchdowns ... had 27 tackles and two blocked kicks in first four games when playing defense ... first-team All-Catholic Metropolitan Red Conference ... named Most Valuable Player of the CMC Red ... IHFCA All-State Class 5A First-Team Selection ... all-area first-team pick by the Daily Southtown, Star, Joliet Herald and Chicago Sun Times ... coached by Dan Sharp at Joliet Catholic Academy.
Jonathan Deloach 6-2 185 DB West Palm Beach, Fla. (Palm Beach Gardens)
Palm Beach Gardens: Had four interceptions as a senior ... honorable mention All-Palm Beach County ... former teammate of current Redbird Ramon Barber ... coached by Tim Tharpe at Palm Beach Gardens.
Evan Gessesse 5-11 185 CB Chicago, Ill. (Gordon Tech/Joliet Junior College)
Joliet Junior College: Tied for 3rd on JJC's all-time single-season interceptions list with five in 2002 ... three interceptions for 27 yards his freshman year (tied for team lead) ... recorded 17 tackles, 10 solo, sophomore season ... five interceptions for 60 yards and eight punt returns for 21 yards in 2002 ... as a freshman, had one fumble recovery ... freshman year, team won the NJCAA non-scholarship national championship and in 2002, were the outright NJCAA national champs finishing the season ranked No. 1 in the nation ... played for NJCAA Hall of Fame coach Bob MacDougall, who was named the 2002 NJCAA coach of the year.
Darius Givens 6-1 190 LB Tallahassee, Fla. (Lincoln)
Lincoln.: As a senior had 50 tackles with 28 solos ... four tackles for loss ... four sacks and nine quarterback hurries ... was named MVP of the Valdosta Game ... as a senior, team was 12-1-1 ... posted a 14-1 record as a junior ... coached by David Wilson at Lincoln.
Barry Hartman 6-5 270 DL Manitowoc, Wis. (Lincoln)
Manitowoc: First-team all-conference on offense and defense ... all-Lakeshore pick and Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel all-state honorable mention at defensive end ... all-area defensive player of the year ... Wisconsin Football Coaches Association first-team selection ... totaled 25 unassisted tackles and 44 total tackles senior year ... three knockdowns, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery ... two blocked kicks, six quarterbacks sacks and six tackles for loss ... team placed second in the conference and qualified for the playoffs both junior and senior year ... track athlete sophomore through senior years ... coached by John Dixon at Lincoln.
Kyle Hill 5-11 180 WR Longwood, Fla. (Wintersprings)
Wintersprings: First-Team All-Central Florida ... first team all-county and all-district ... honorable mention all-state ... as a senior, had 36 catches for 596 yards and eight touchdowns ... had 10 rushing attempts for 80 yards ... 16 punt returns for 224 yards ... as a junior, had 60 catches for 1,000 yards ... coached by Steven Katz at Wintersprings.
Horrace Holloway 6-1 195 DL West Palm Beach, Fla. (Palm Beach Gardens)
Palm Beach Gardens: First team all-Palm Beach pick ... played in the Palm Beach Outback All-Star game ... honorable mention all-state ... coached by Tim Tharpe at Palm Beach Gardens ... former teammate of current Redbird Ramon Barber.
Jason Horton 6-0 170 WR Bolingbrook, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)
Neuqua Valley: Naperville Sun and Daily Herald all-area ... All-Upstate 8 conference pick ... all-state honorable mention ... named team special teams MVP (junior year) and best wide receiver ... four-time player of the week ... in 10 games, rushed for 105 yards, two touchdowns and had 35 receptions for 659 yards and five touchdowns ... eight kick returns for 478 yards and four touchdowns ... averaged 47.8 yards per game on kick returns, with longest run at 97 yards ... 1,242 all-purpose yards, a 124.2 average per game ... team finished 6-4 senior year, the best finish in school history ... won Upstate 8 conference and participated in the playoffs for the first time in school history ... in seven games as a junior, rushed for five yards and tallied 289 receiving yards ... coached by Bryan Wells all four years at Neuqua Valley.
Jeff Huntzinger 6-3 275 OL Tulsa, Okla. (Union)
Union: Daily Oklahoman and Tulsa World first-team all-state ... Tulsa World all-Metro first team ... first-team all-district ... selected to participate in the Oil Bowl All-Star, a battle between the Texas All-Stars and Oklahoma All-Stars ... senior year, team won 6A State Championship by the largest margin of victory in a state championship game (52-3) ... four-year team record of 51-4 ... team received a #3 national ranking by Rivals.com and #5 ranking in USA Today ... as a junior, second-team Tulsa World pick and second-team all-district ... 12-1 team record and 6A state semifinalists ... coached by Bill Blankenship at Union.
Demetrus Johnson 5-9 178 RB Milwaukee, Wis. (Homestead/Minnesota)*
Minnesota: Tallied 55 net rushing yards in 10 games played in 2002 ... averaged 5.5 yards per game with the longest rush of 11 yards ... three kick returns on season for 56 yards ... longest single-catch return of year was 31 yards ... ranked sixth on team in total offense ... as a freshman in 2001, played in final 10 games of the season as backup wide receiver and special teams player ... caught three passes on season for 21 yards ... redshirted freshman year (2000). Homestead: Named Wisconsin State Player of the Year by the Wisconsin State Coaches Association ... two-time all-state selection after amassing 2,229 yards, 32 touchdowns and an average of 7.0 yards per carry in his season season ... those totals set single-season school records ... rushed for school-record 315 yards and five touchdowns in single game ... accumulated three letters in basketball and one in track and field.
Nate Johnson 6-3 222 DL Longwood, Fla. (Lake Brantley)
Lake Brantley: Had a high-ankle sprain that sidelined him for the last four games of his senior season ... all-area and all-county in 2002 ... named second-team all-Central Florida ... lettered in four sports at Lake Brantley including football, track, weight lifting and wrestling ... senior year, football team posted a 7-4 overall record ... named a second-team all-conference pick ... as a junior, ranked No. 1 in the county for the shot put and was named an all-conference pick in track and field ... team MVP for his efforts as a thrower in track and field both sophomore and junior years ... also a member of the track and field relay team ... coached by George Clayton at Lake Brantley.
Clint Keller 6-3 235 TE Lexington, Ky. (Paul Laurence Dunbar)
Paul Laurence Dunbar: Started all 14 games as a senior, recording 52 catches, 921 yards and 10 touchdowns ... had most catches of all tight ends in the conference ... 92% blocking efficiency ... second-leading receiver in Paul Laurence Dunbar history ... first-team all-state, all-district, all-city ... named MVP of the game for two outings senior year, by Sports Radio ... team ranked fourth in state and was a 4A semifinalist team last prep year ... 9-5 record, 6-5 regular-season mark ... district and regional team champs ... team captain junior and senior years ... team went 8-3 junior year ... academically, member of high school honor roll and academic boosters all four years ... enrolled in schools gifted program all four years and recipient of Kentucky Excellence in Education Award for the past four years ... coached by Mark Peach at Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Anthony Kirkland 6-2 245 DL Gary, Ind. (West Side)
West Side: First team all-state, all-area, all-conference senior season ... regional sack leader ... played in seven games and ended senior year with 77 tackles and 15 sacks ... averaged 11 tackles and over two sacks per game ... member of track and field conference championship team in 2002 ... senior year, team posted a 6-4 record ... named conference champ in discus and shot put junior year ... regional discus champion in 2001 ... coached by Eugene Johnson at West Side.
Tyler Larick 6-1 205 LB Chualar, Calif. (Salinas/Hartnell)*
Hartnell: Totaled 120 tackles in 2002 with two interceptions ... career-total of 227 tackles and seven interceptions ... 2002 Coast Conferences Defensive Player of the Year ... earned all-region honors and was a postseason all-America honorable mention selection ... former teammate of current Redbird Michael Souza. Salinas HS: Named to the all-county second-team in final prep season ... Salings Most Valuable Defensive Player senior year.
Jonathan Lyon 6-8 265 OL Urbana, Ill. (Urbana)
Urbana: Team captain senior season ... Big 12 All-Conference pick and all-area ... all-state special mention ... Champaign News-Gazette All-Area Team ... Big 12 Scholar-Athlete ... 48 solo tackles, six TFLs ... named team lineman of the year two years running (Pittman Award) ... three-year member of Urbanas team that participated in the IHSA State Playoffs ... as a senior, his team became the first in school history to make the playoffs for a third-straight year ... All-Big 12 pick and all-area honorable mention as a junior ... three-year varsity starter for football and basketball ... coached by Alex Anderson at Urbana.
Dave Mordis 6-3 225 RB/LB Palos Park, Ill. (Stagg)
Stagg: Four-year honor roll member ... all-area honorable mention by Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times ... team captain junior and senior year ... named team MVP senior season ... all-conference pick (punter) ... totaled 850 yards rushing, 12 touchdowns and 100 yards receiving as a senior ... 90 tackles ... team posted a 10-3 record senior year, best in school history ... participated in 7A State Semifinals ... all-conference selection as a junior and all-area honorable mention by the Palos Star ... racked in 400 yards and had seven touchdowns junior year ... lettered in football three years, basketball junior year and baseball junior and season years ... coached by Tim McAlpin (football) at Stagg.
Garry Roberts 6-2 185 LB Edna, Texas (Edna)
Edna: Played senior year at Edna, returning three kickoffs for touchdowns and one punt return for a TD ... notched 350 yards rushing ... had 40 tackles, one interception and three deflections ... first-team all-district on defense ... team went 7-3 senior year ... also participated in basketball and track at Edna and was a state qualifier in track ... played football at Industrial High School sophomore and junior years, compiling 900 yards rushing as a junior and 400 passing ... sophomore year, had 1,200 yards rushing and one interception ... coached by Mike Menefee at Edna.
Laurnt Robinson 6-2 165 WR Rockledge, Fla. (Rockledge)
Rockledge: Member of Rockledges back-to-back state championship team in 2001 and 2002 ... totaled 55 receptions for 903 yards as a senior, with 11 touchdowns ... all-state honorable mention, All-Space Coast First-Team pick and member of conference all-star team ... both state championship teams were a member on went 14-1 in season ... as a junior, recorded six catches for 70 yards and one touchdown ... four-year member of the football, basketball and track teams ... became a regular starter on football and basketball teams junior and senior season ... high school teammate of Redbird signee Jesse Caesar ... coached by Chuck Wood at Rockledge.
Matt Rowen 6-6 260 Des Plains, Ill. (Maine West)
Maine West: Named all-conference and all-area senior year while also being named all-conference as a junior ... team participated in 7A State Playoffs as a senior ... honor roll member and was named Class Act Student of the Quarter ... captained the track and field team junior year and was a member of the conference championship track and field team at Maine West ... coached by Ray Pettenuzzo for four years at Maine West.
Dan Simnick 6-2 210 DL Naperville, Ill. (North)
North: All-city, all-area, all-conference, All-DuPage County selection senior year ... Naperville Sun Defensive Player of the Week ... voted team captain ... led the DuPage Valley Conference in sacks (14) ... 61 total tackles, including 47 solo and six for loss ... 14 sacks, four forced fumbles and two recoveries ... between tackles and sacks, added up to 77 yards lost ... team went 10-2 senior year and had a defense that gave up an average of only 10 points per game ... one of two losses on year came to Lockport, which was eventual state champion ... ranked as high as No. 5 in the state ... as a junior, started one game and participated in all ... 20 tackles ... coached by Larry McKean at Naperville North ... also participated in wrestling and track and field.
Kye Stewart 5-11 180 LB Nashville, Tenn. (Pearl-Cohn)
Pearl-Cohn: Led the team with 109 tackles ... named all-city and all-region at linebacker ... as a senior, team finished 9-2 and claimed the district championship ... junior team finished 9-3 ... lettered in football and baseball ... as a freshman and sophomore played football at Jasper County High School ... a member of the national honor roll .... listed in Who's Who Among American High School Students ... coached by Maurice Fitzgerald at Pearl-Cohn.
Robert Taylor 6-5 300 DL Oak Creek, Wis. (Oak Creek/Iowa Central CC)
Iowa Central CC: Coached by Kevin Twait at Iowa Central CC .. former teammate of current Redbird Austin Dunlap. Oak Creek: Parade All-American .senior year, all-state honorable mention ... defensive player of the year senior season ... played in East vs. West National All-Star Game ... team went undefeated in conference and participated in the playoffs .. junior year all-state first team pick ... same high school as current Redbird Leon Kittrell.
Jarek Thomas 6-3 260 DL Orlando, Fla. (Edgewater)
Edgewater: Listed as a top-20 recruit in Central Florida ... first-team All-Central Florida, all-county and all-district ... as a senior, team finished runner-up for state title in 2002 with a 13-1 record ... coached by Bill Gierke at Edgewater.
Jared Villers 6-2 215 LB Akron, Ohio (St. Vincent-St. Mary)
St. Vincent-St. Mary: As a senior, on defense, totaled 140 tackles, 118 solos ... four sacks and nine tackles for loss ... on offense, notched 512 yards in three-and-a-half games ... team went 6-5 final prep season ... as a junior, had 18 sacks, setting the St. Vincent-St. Mary record ... 119 tackles junior year as team posted a 10-4 record and was a semifinalist in the state championship ... also lettered in wrestling all four years and was ranked No. 1 in the country his senior season ... selected to Team USA and was first in Ironman which resulted in being named MVP ... state champion sophomore year in wrestling and third in state junior year, named all-American ... 2001 and 2002 honor roll member ... held at least a 3.5 grade point average all year in 2001 ... coached by Jay Brophy at St. Vincent-St. Mary.
Robby Wages 6-2 180 QB Orlando, Fla. (Olympia)
Olympia: Three-year football player, participating at Dr. Phillips as a sophomore and Olympia junior and senior years as a pioneer of a new football program installed at Olympia his junior years ... as a senior, racked up 1,360 passing yards for seven touchdowns, ranking seventh in Central Florida in passing yards ... ran for 70 yards and one rushing TD ... second-team all-conference and starting quarterback in Metro Conference All-Star Game (Orange County) ... as a sophomore at Dr. Phillips, totaled 1,400 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and was second in passing ... had a 98 QB rating ... coached by Mike Cullison at Olympia.
Joe Walkins 5-9 185 WR Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Dillard/Auburn)*
Auburn: Sat out 2002 season after surgery on his leg ... in 2001, compiled 12 catches for 124 yards while participating in 12 games ... broke Auburns single-game punt return record against Ball State, with six returns for 109 yards ... snared a career-long 35-yard reception against Alabama ... caught two passes for 25 yards including a 16-yard reception where he hung on despite enduring a big hit against Georgia ... returned three punts for 50 yards including a long return of 48 yards against Syracuse ... caught three passes for 23 yards against Ball State ... was named Coaches Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Ball State ... redshirted 2000 season. Dillard HS: Set his high schools single-season receiving record, averaged 33.6 yards per punt return and 42.5 yards per kickoff return as a senior ... as a junior, caught 31 passes for 832 yards and seven touchdowns ... first-team all-Broward County ... played in both the North-South and Broward vs. Dade County All-Star games.
Noah Washington 6-4 344 OL LaGrange, Ill. (Lyons Township/College of DuPage)
College of DuPage: NJCAA All-America selection. Lyons Township: Played football, basketball and was a member of the wrestling team ... coached by Jack Derning at Lyons Township.
