 TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
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2006 Football Recruiting The following is a list players that have signed national letters of intent to attend the University of Toledo on a football scholarship. Desmond Marrow (CB, 6-3, 196, Youngstown, OH-Cardinal Mooney HS) CB Desmond Marrow signed a letter of intent to play football at the University of Toledo. He was Co-Defensive Player of the Year in Division IV in the state of Ohio as a senior in 2005. He had 10 interceptions as a senior, and a school record 18 interceptions in his career. Marrow also had offers from Miami and Pittsburgh. He was recruited by Chris Hedden. Douglas Westbrook (DE, 6-3, 215, Pompano Beach, FL-Blanche Ely HS) Westbrook had 40 tackles, 18.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles as a senior. He was named 1st team All Broward County by the Miami Herald. He was recruited by Randall McCray. Greg Harris (CB, 6-0, 185, Mount Vernon, NY-Trinity Pawling Prep) According to the Toledo Blade, CB Greg Harris has committed to Toledo. Harris has 4.4 speed. He was named the 2005 All New England Class A Player of the Year by the Boston Globe. He had 3 interceptions as a defensive back and he also ran for just over 1,000 yards and 18 touchdowns as a running back. Derrick Summers (LB, 6-2, 235, Southfield, MI-Southfield HS) According to the Detroit Free Press, LB Derrick Summers has given a verbal committment to play football at the University of Toledo. The Free Press lists him at #40 on their Michigan Recruiting Fab 50 list. Rivals.com lists Derrick's top three choices as Toledo, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. Derrick is the brother of current Rocket QB Brandon Summers. Brandon will be a redshirt freshman in 2006. Bruce Frieson (RB/KR, 5-9, 195, Cleveland, OH-Glenville HS) According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, RB/WR Bruce Frieson has given a verbal committment to play football at the University of Toledo. Frieson rushed for 1,428 yards as a senior last year. He has 4.45 speed and is also a kick return specialist. He played at John Marshall High School in Cleveland before transferring to Glenville High School as a junior. He sat out his junior season because of transferring, but that didn't stop Toledo from pursuing him. "They called me during my junior year and I wasn't even playing," Frieson told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "That showed me a lot." It is reported that he will play running back and return kicks at Toledo. Nate Cole (DT, 6-2, 270, Trotwood, OH-Trotwood-Madison HS) According to ohiovarsity.com, defensive tackle Nate Cole has given a verbal committment to play football at the University of Toledo. Nate received offers from Toledo, UCF, Louisville, Minnesota, Ball State, and Ohio. He runs a 4.8 forty. Scout.com has Nate Cole rated as a 3 star recruit and the 85th ranked defensive tackle in the country. Scout also has him listed as a Hot 100 player for the Midwest region. He is also listed as an Ohio Top 100 player, regardless of position. Cole can bench press 300 pounds at over 20 reps and he can squat over 500 pounds. He was recruited by Chris Hedden. Jared Dewalt (OL/DE, 6-5, 292, Lyndhurst, OH-Brush HS) According to rivals.com, offensive lineman Jared Dewalt has given a verbal committment to play football at the University of Toledo. Dewalt was named MVP of his high school team, an unusual selection for an offensive/defensive lineman. He was also named 1st team all-state in Ohio Division I. Jared is rated 3 stars by rivals.com and ranked as the 60th best offensive lineman in the country. He received offers from Toledo, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Akron, Bowling Green, and Miami University. Levi George (OL, 6-2, 295, Warren, OH-Harding HS) According to ohiovarsity.com, offensive lineman Levi George has given a verbal committment to play football at the University of Toledo. He will play center at Toledo. George bench presses 475 pounds. He will play in the Big 33 game, which is the high school all-star game between players from the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. He verballed to Toledo after visiting the first weekend of December. He chose Toledo over offers from Marshall and Cincinnati. Joe Underwood (DE/LB, 6-2, 245, Youngstown, OH-Ursuline HS) According to ohiovarsity.com, DE Joe Underwood has given a verbal committment to play football at the University of Toledo. Joe originally committed to Miami in November, but he decommitted and committed to Toledo after visiting in mid-December. Joe Underwood was named 1st Team Division IV All Ohio this past season. He is rated 2 stars by both the Rivals.com and Scout.com recruiting services. He received offers from Toledo, Miami, Bowling Green, and Akron. Skylaar Constant (TE/DE, 6-4, 265, Bedford, OH-Bedford HS) According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, DE/TE Skylaar Constant has given a verbal committment to play football at the University of Toledo. Constant was named 1st Team Division II All-Ohio and will play in the Ohio North-South All-Star football game this summer. Skylaar also plays basketball and throws the shot put and discus on the track team in high school. He received scholarship offers from Toledo, Miami, Bowling Green, Akron, and Ohio. He also received interest from Iowa, Kansas, and Indiana but did not receive scholarship offers. Matt Fought (TE/LB, 6-4, 210, Ottawa, OH-Ottawa-Glandorf HS) According to WNDH Radio, linebacker/tight end Matt Fought has given a verbal committment to play football at the University of Toledo. Matt's high school coach, Ken Shriner, told WNDH in an interview that Fought has committed to Toledo. Matt was named to the AP Ohio Division IV first team as a linebacker this past season. He also had 7 touchdown receptions and caught a pass for a 2-point conversion. Matt is also a starting forward on the Ottawa-Glandorf basketball team this winter. He told OhioVarsity.com that he received offers from Toledo, Miami, Bowling Green, and Ball State before committing to Toledo in November. Mark Jackson (DB, 6-0, 195, Canton, OH-McKinley HS) According to the Canton Rep, defensive back Mark Jackson has given a verbal committment to play football at the University of Toledo. Jackson will either play defensive back or safety for Toledo. Last year at Canton McKinley High School he intercepted 5 passes and was named first team all-district. His team went 10-0 during the regular season, and the previous year they played in the state finals. His high school coach said that he was the most consistent player on the team, both offensively and defensively. “The fact they (Toledo) were the first school that actually came at me was part of the reason,” Jackson told the Canton Rep. “If they believe in me, it’s kind of easier for me to believe in them. Some of the bigger schools were coming in later. But Toledo was the first to offer me, the first coach to call me.” Jackson chose Toledo over offers from Akron and Miami. He also received interest from Michigan State, Cincinnati, Syracuse, and Ohio. Jackson also told the Canton Rep that he thought some of the other schools treated football like a business. “I’m definitely not playing football as a business yet. I’m still in school. And I liked the environment, the family atmosphere around the program. I felt comfortable there.” Jackson plans to major in aeronautical engineering at Toledo. “Ever since I was little, I was interested in flying,” he said. “I’d decided I did not want to go to the Air Force and be a pilot. But I think it would be cool to make stuff more aerodynamic and faster, plus I’ve always been good in math.” Dontae Jones (RB, 6-0, 211, Orlando, FL-Evans HS) According to Rivals.com, running back Dontae Jones has verbally committed to play football at the University of Toledo. Jones (6-0, 211) is from Orlando, FL where he played for Evans High School. He runs a 4.47 forty yard dash and has very good size. Scout.com had this to say about Dontae Jones, "Jones has the size and speed that could rival most NFL backs. He runs with excellent vision and is a load to bring down. He's shown flashes of being a big time back and blew some people away at a few camps this summer." Jones attended the Scout.com Jacksonville camp over the summer and his scouting report from that camp reads like this, "A big back with excellent quickness, explosion, and lateral movement, Jones has the power to go between the tackles and the speed to take it the distance once he has broken through the initial line of defense." Jones had received offers from Toledo, Colorado State, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Temple. He narrowed his choices to Toledo, Colorado State, and New Mexico about a month ago and finally chose Toledo. He is rated 3 stars by Scout.com and ranked as the 88th best running back process in the country. Rivals.com has him rated as a 2 star player. The Orlando Sentinel has Jones rated as the 82nd best prospect out of the state of Florida, regardless of position. They also mention that he received interest from Iowa, but did not receive a scholarship offer. Dontae Jones was named Orange All-County 2nd team as a running back, despite playing on a team that was just 3-7 in 2005. He played in the same Florida High School league as another 2006 Rocket committment, DB Joe Shuler from Apopka, FL. Barry Church (S, 6-2, 205, Pittsburgh, PA-Penn Hills HS) According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, safety Barry Church has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Church, who runs a 4.5 forty, was named 2nd team Associated Press Class AAAA in the state of Pennsylvania as a senior this past season. Scout.com had this to say about Barry Church, "Church has developed over the past year into an exceptional prospect. He has outstanding ball skills and great speed for his size. He plays a variety of roles on defense, often blitzing and providing run support." Both Scout.com and Rivals.com have Church listed as a 3 star recruit. He received offers from Toledo, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Maryland, Iowa, Indiana, Akron, Miami University, and North Carolina State. He narrowed his list down to Toledo, Cincinnati, and West Virginia before choosing Toledo. Church is an outstanding pickup for the Rockets. Barry had 80 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 3 fumble recoveries at linebacker this past season for Penn Hills. Barry will join former teammate and current Rocket free safety Tyrrell Herbert in the secondary for the Rockets. Alex Steigerwald (K, 5-11, 170, Cleveland, OH-Benedictine HS) According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, kicker Alex Steigerwald has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Steigerwald kicked 29 extra points, 7 field goals, and averaged 42.9 yards per punt for Cleveland Benedictine this past fall. Scout.com said "Steigerwald boasts one of the strongest legs in the Midwest." He was named First Team All Ohio as a junior punter in 2004, while his Cleveland Benedictine team won the Ohio Division III State Championship. As a senior this fall, Alex was named Second Team All Ohio as a kicker. Steigerwald handled both the kicking and punting duties for Cleveland Benedictine. He has a very strong leg and is using to kicking field goals of even 40+ yards. He can be a weapon on kickoffs too, causing touchbacks due to kicking it into the endzone. Steigerwald had this to say to the Cleveland Plain Dealer: "The Toledo atmosphere reminded me a lot of Benedictine," said Steigerwald, who will major in business. "It's a small, cozy campus. The coaches told me when two-a-days start, I'm their starting kicker," Steigerwald said. "That's all I really needed to hear." Alex chose Toledo over offers from West Virginia and Wisconsin. Alex Johnson (LB, 6-2, 230, Lansdale, PA-North Penn SHS) According to Scout.com, linebacker Alex Johnson has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Alex was named as a Fab 85 Preseason All-State player by a publication called Pennsylvania Sports Fever. He was named AP 2nd team Class AAAA All-State in the state of Pennsylvania this past season. He runs a 4.7 forty and bench presses 330 pounds. Alex received offers from Toledo and Duke. He had an upcoming visit to Michigan State with a possible scholarship offer coming, but he cancelled the visit and committed to the Rockets. He will likely play inside linebacker for Toledo. Jan Gewont (OL, 6-5, 280, Palos Heights, IL-Stagg HS) According to Scout.com, offensive lineman Jan Gewont has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Jan was named to the All-State team in the state of Illinois as a senior this past season. Rivals.com has him listed as the 24th best player in the state of Illinois, regardless of position. Scout.com had this to say about Jan, "Gewant is a fine offensive lineman that will be a three-year varsity starter in 2005. John has very good feet, he's strong and he's also a very good run blocker. He plays guard for Stagg and projects at that position at the next level." Gewont had offers from Toledo, UCONN, Iowa State, Kansas, Marshall, Western Michigan, and Wyoming. He took visits to Iowa State, Toledo, and Marshall before committing to Toledo and cancelling a visit to Kansas. Rivals.com has Jan listed as a 3 star recruit and Scout.com has him listed as a 2 star recruit. Jan is the 9th publicly made verbal to the 2006 University of Toledo football recruiting class. Chris Meenan (OL, 6-7, 323, Wooster, OH-Wooster HS) According to Rivals.com, offensive lineman Chris Meenan has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Chris told Scout.com "I think my run blocking and my ability to pull and trap are my strengths. I'm also good at getting out on the linebackers." Chris is listed as a 2 star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. He chose Toledo over an offer from Minnesota. He narrowed his choices to just UT and Minnesota back in November and took a visit to Toledo in early December. Chris bench presses 360 pounds. Archie Donald (LB, 6-2, 223, Pittsburgh, PA-Penn Hills HS) According to Scout.com, linebacker Archie Donald has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Donald is a 6-2, 223 pound linebacker from Penn Hills High School in Pittsburgh, PA. He runs a 4.47 in the forty and bench presses 300 pounds. Donald is from the WPIAL, the league where Rocket players such as QB Bruce Gradkowski (Seton LaSalle), Tyrrell Herbert (Penn Hills), and former players Patrick Body (Scheley) and Brandon Hefflin (Penn Hills) all played. Archie had 100 tackles his junior season and was named All-AAAA by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette. A Scout.com article on Archie Donald said that he "may be the most physical linebacker in the WPIAL, he is definitely not afraid to initiate contact." Fab 50 Recruiting has him listed as one of the top 50 linebackers in the country. Aaron Opelt (QB, 6-2, 195, Fremont, OH-Fremont Ross HS) According to Rivals.com, quarterback Aaron Opelt has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Opelt runs a 4.6 forty. Chris Pool from Scout.com had this to say about Aaron Opelt back in November: "Opelt has one of the quickest and most accurate releases in the Midwest. He wastes very little time and or motion on his throws. Surprisingly good arm strength for not taking a lot of time or using a lot of his body behind his throws. Like Stanzi, Opelt has a very high ceiling. He shows tremendous leadership ability and takes control of the offense. Opelt is also a very good athlete who can beat you with his legs as well as his Arm." Aaron was named 2005 Northwest All District Offensive Player of the Year in 2005. He was also named to the 2005 AP Ohio Division I All Ohio First Team as a quarterback. He received offers from Toledo, Ball State, Kent State, and Cincinnati. Aaron is rated two stars by both the Rivals.com and Scout.com recruiting services. Aaron also plays baseball and is an outfield for Fremont Ross. Joe Shuler (DB/WR, 6-2, 185, Apopka, FL-Apopka HS) According to the Orlando Sentinel, defensive back/wide receiver Joe Shuler has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Shuler runs a 4.55 forty and will likely play defensive back for Toledo. Before the 2005 season started, the Orlando Sentinel called Joe Shuler a "Division I-A Athlete" in a high school football preview. He was named to the Friday Night Football 2005 Preseason Team, a publication for the Central Florida area, as a defensive back. A couple of days ago, Friday Night Football announced their 2005 All FNF Team and Joe Shuler was again selected as a defensive back. Joe had offers from Toledo, Temple, and Mississippi. Jerome Jones (TE, 6-7, 220, Youngstown, OH-Ursuline HS) According to the Youngstown Vindicator, tight end/defensive lineman Jerome Jones has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Jones missed the first eight games because of being academically ineligible, however he has his academics back in order now. He was an all-conference and all-district selection his junior season. Because of not playing, his stock dropped in the recruiting world and Toledo may have found a diamond in the rough. "Toledo had a nice family environment and a good team. Plus the coach is a real nice guy," said Jones. The versatile Jones also plays basketball. He scored 20 points in their last basketball game. Maurice Hill (DE/DT, 6-2, 265, Bolingbrook, IL-Bolingbrook HS) According to Rivals.com, defensive tackle Maurice Hill has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of Toledo. Hill has an official visit to Toledo this weekend, but he decided not to wait until the visit to make his decision. "I had a pretty strong feeling about Toledo after I made my unofficial visit a few weeks ago, but I wanted to wait and make sure that I was 100 percent sure about Toledo. I decided really this afternoon that I wanted to become a part of the Rockets program." Coach Randall McCray made an in-home visit to see Maurice Hill and that is when he gave the Rockets the news. "Coach McCray was really happy tonight when I gave him the news. I really just liked everything about Toledo, from the success of the football program to the academics and the facilities. Toledo was also my first offer and they showed me a lot of confidence in offering me a chance, and now I'm going to make them look smart." |