DeKALB, Ill. – The blizzard that roared through northern Illinois Tuesday night and Wednesday morning did nothing to interrupt the momentum of first-year Northern Illinois Head Coach Dave Doeren and his coaching staff, even if they couldn’t access their offices to receive the first fax transmissions of signed National Letters of Intent until 8:30 a.m. Central, nearly two-and-a-half hours into the signing period
When the roads around the Yordon Center were cleared and the coaches got to the fax machine, they found the signatures of an impressive group of 22 future Huskies. The list includes 10 defensive players, 10 offensive players and two specialists, one of which is also listed at linebacker.
The key to the group, according to Doeren, was “fit.”
“We found some guys that really fit our profile of NIU football players,” Doeren said. “They are tough, hard-nosed, physical, dependable guys. We found guys from winning programs, guys who have won state championships. I am very pleased with this class. I don’t think anyone got signed because we needed a name on the list. These are guys that we feel are good enough to play and be here at Northern Illinois. We are adding these guys to our family and I’m not going to take a guy just to take him. I feel really excited and very proud of this group of men that are joining our team, our family.”
The newest Huskies hail from eight different states as Doeren and his staff scattered throughout the country to ink this year’s names. Northern Illinois signed six players from Missouri and five from Florida, areas Doeren has recruited over the last several years, and brought in four players from Illinois and three from Wisconsin. Indiana, Ohio, Arizona and Kansas will send one player each to NIU.
Northern Illinois’ 10 offensive signees play five different positions with the largest concentration at offensive line. On defense, where the Huskies lost three starters to graduation and several other key reserves, NIU added six defensive backs, including three cornerbacks, to go with a pair of defensive linemen and three linebackers.
“Offensively, we got three extremely solid offensive linemen, a very versatile H-Back, two experienced running backs and two playmakers at receiver that will also factor in the return game,” Doeren said. “We signed a quarterback [Matt McIntosh] that was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Indiana from a state championship program who is a dual threat guy that fits our system.
“Defensively we signed two linebackers, one inside and one outside, both were team captains and Jason Meehan won a state championship as a junior. We met a large need at cornerback with Jhony Faustin, Paris Logan and Michael Neal, and another need at safety with Tré Moore already on campus as an early graduate. We have two defensive linemen, including one defensive tackle from Chicago (Mason Fuller), who we feel is a steal.”
Moore is one of three 2011 signees who enrolled at NIU in January and will participate in spring drills. Junior college transfer running backs Jamal Womble, who spent last season at Hutchinson Community College after attending North Carolina as a freshman, and Leighton Settle, a Wisconsin native who was at Fresno City C.C., are also already on campus.
For Doeren and his staff, who did not gather on campus and begin assembling the class in earnest until January 4, Wednesday represented a big step forward for the NIU program
“I thought the assistant coaches did a good job working together on short notice,” Doeren said. “We didn’t recruit by area, we recruited together. They crossed over by position. Guys recruited all over. We bounced in and out of houses. We tried to get as many members of our staff into living rooms and in schools as possible to make the kids feel as comfortable as they could with all of us because of the short window of time. It was a collaborative effort.”
After spending much of the last four weeks on the road, Doeren and his staff will be in DeKalb preparing the Huskies who are on campus this semester for spring drills, which begin March 22.
2011 NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL RECRUITS
Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Cl. Hometown (High School/Junior College)
1. Cameron Clinton-Earl DE 6-1 240 Fr. Milwaukee, Wis. (Hamilton HS)
2. Aidan Conlon OL 6-3 290 Fr. Flossmoor, Ill. (Homewood-Flossmoor HS)
3. Jhony Faustin CB 5-10 170 So. Naples, Fla. (Lely HS/Ellsworth CC)
4. Mason Fuller DT 6-3 297 Fr. Chicago, Ill. (Urban Prep)
5. Khambrel Garland S 6-1 200 Fr. Deerfield Beach, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas HS)
6. Matthew Killian OL 6-6 300 Fr. O’Fallon, Mo. (Francis Howell HS)
7. Rasheen Lemon S 6-1 185 Fr. Chicago, Ill. (Proviso West HS)
8. Tommylee Lewis WR/RS 5-8 170 Fr. Riviera Beach, Fla. (W.T. Dwyer HS)
9. Paris Logan CB 5-10 175 Fr. Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge HS)
10. Devonte’ Majors TE 6-2 215 Fr. O’Fallon, Mo. (Fort Zumwalt West HS)
11. Boomer Mays DS/LB 6-1 225 Fr. Lawrence, Kan. (Eudora HS)
12. Matt McIntosh QB 6-2 185 Fr. Evansville, Ind. (Reitz HS)
13. Jason Meehan LB 6-2 225 Fr. St. Louis, Mo. (Webster Groves HS)
14. *Tré Moore S 5-11 196 Fr. Dayton, Ohio (Wayne HS)
15. Michael Neal CB 5-10 175 Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Ely HS)
16. Videl Nelson OLB 6-2 215 Fr. Kansas City, Mo. (Staley HS)
17. Andrew Ness OL 6-4 290 Fr. O’Fallon, Mo. (Christian Brothers College HS)
18. A.J. Sebastiano WR/RS 6-1 190 Fr. Coconut Creek, Fla. (North Broward Prep HS)
19. *Leighton Settle RB 5-10 190 So. Madison, Wis. (Madison West HS/Fresno City CC)
20. Kevin Tennenbaum TE 6-5 225 Fr. Buffalo Grove, Ill. (Buffalo Grove HS)
21. Tyler Wedel P/ATH 6-0 180 Fr. McFarland, Wis. (McFarland HS)
22. *Jamal Womble RB 5-11 235 Jr. Sierra Vista, Ariz. (Buena HS/Hutchinson CC)
* Indicates enrolled at NIU in January 2011.
By Position* By State
Defensive Back 6 Missouri 6
Offensive Line 3 Florida 5
Linebackers 3 Illinois 4
Defensive Line 2 Wisconsin 3
Wide Receivers 2 Kansas 1
Tight Ends 2 Indiana 1
Running Backs 2 Ohio 1
Specialists 2 Arizona 1
Quarterback 1
*One player listed at two positions.
2011 NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES RECRUITING CLASS BIOS
• Cameron Clinton-Earl, DE, 6-1, 240, Milwaukee, Wis. (Hamilton HS)
A first team All-State selection following his senior campaign… Finished his high school career with 124 tackles at the defensive end position, including 39 total and 24 solo as a senior… Earned first team all-conference and first team all-area honors following his senior season… Also a second team all-area choice by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in 2010… Ranked as No. 5 defensive end and No. 19 overall prospect in the state by the Wisconsin Sports Network… A first team all-area choice by Lake Country Publications as a junior… Also named second-team all-Waukesha County and first team all-conference by the Waukesha Freeman in 2009… Made 50 tackles, 31 solo, his junior season… Tallied 35 stops as a sophomore… His team posted a 7-3 record in his last two years… Hamilton went 9-4 and advanced to sectional finals his sophomore year… Served as team captain as a senior… Participated in the (name) all-star game his senior year… Three-year letterwinner in football… Took fourth place in the 110-Meter hurdles at the state track meet as a junior and qualified for state in the shot put.
• Aidan Conlon, OL, 6-3, 290, Flossmoor, Ill. (Homewood-Flossmoor HS)
A second-team All-State offensive linemen while starting 13 games at offensive guard for Homewood-Flossmoor in 2010… Also named to first team all-area squad as a senior after helping lead the Vikings to the state semifinals and a 10-3 record in 2010… Two-time first-team All-Southwest Suburban Blue Conference player as a junior and senior… Won honors as top offensive lineman on his team… On defense, forced and recovered a fumble… Member of the HFHS Academic Honor Roll as a freshman.
• Jhony Faustin, CB, 5-10, 170, So., Naples, Fla. (Lely HS/Ellsworth CC)
Played one season at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa and will be a sophomore at NIU in 2011… Made 55 tackles, 35 solo, in 15 games for ECC… Broke up 14 passes, intercepted two and blocked a pair of kicks in 2010…Aalso forced a fumble for the 12-3 Panthers… Naples Daily News Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Lely High School in 2009… Earned Third-Team Class 3A All-State honors as selected by Florida sportswriters… First team all-Collier County selection… Three-time all-conference selection and was named all-area following his junior and senior years… Made 34 tackles, intercepted three passes and scored a pair of special teams touchdowns as a senior… Broke up seven passes and recovered two fumbles… Against rival Naples High, intercepted a pass, returned a blocked field goal to set up a score and had a 96-yard kickoff return… Also played basketball and ran track at Lely.
• Mason Fuller, DT, 6-3, 297, Chicago, Ill. (Urban Prep HS)
Listed as one of Rivals.com Illinois’ Postseason Top 30 recruits in the state... An all-conference selection following his junior and senior seasons… Earned all-city recognition both years… Helped lead the Lions, in only their second and third years as a varsity program, to winning seasons (5-4) each year… Three-year starter led Urban Prep with 74 tackles, eight forced fumbles, three fumbles recovered and nine pass deflections during his senior campaign… Also recorded eight tackles for loss and 15 sacks… MVP of his high school team in each of the last two years… Totaled 54 tackles, 27 for loss, and 18 sacks as a junior… Added four forced fumbles and recovered one… High school has only fielded a varsity football team for three years.
• Khambrel Garland, S, 6-1, 200, Deerfield Beach, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas HS)
Named one of the top 50 recruits in Broward County by the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel… Member of the St. Thomas Aquinas squad that won the Class 5A state title with an undefeated 15-0 record… The Raiders were named the top team in the nation in the ESPN Rise Powerade Fab 50 poll and the PrepNation National Prep Football Poll… Made 58 tackles, broke up 18 passes and intercepted two as a senior… Forced three fumbles and recovered two, and blocked a kick in 2010… Competed in Dade-Broward All-Star game… Transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas for his senior season after playing the previous two years at Deerfield Beach HS…Captained the DHS defense during his junior and sophomore…Prep career totals include 18 INTs and 35 pass break-ups… Named as the team’s Defensive MVP as a junior after making 30 tackles, breaking up seven passes and picking off eight… Contributed 23 tackles and intercepted four passes his sophomore season… Deerfield went 8-2 his sophomore season and 7-3 his junior year…All-area selection.
• Matt Killian, OL, 6-6, 300, O’Fallon, Mo. (Francis Howell HS)
Four-time varsity letterwinner…Named first team All-State by the Missouri Coaches’ Association as a senior, while earning second team honors by the MCA as a junior… Garnered first team all-area and first team All-Metro accolades by the St. Louis Post Dispatch following his senior season… Helped lead team to 10-2 record and the second round of the 2010 6A state playoffs during his senior campaign…Earned first team all-conference honors following both his junior and senior years… Accumulated 28 tackles, five fumble recoveries, and two blocked kicks as a defensive lineman during his high school career…Earned academic all-conference accolades in fall 2010…Named team MVP his senior year…Named team’s lineman of the year as a senior…A two-sport athlete, also played basketball at Francis Howell High School.
• Rasheen Lemon, S, 6-1, 185, Chicago, Ill. (Proviso West HS)
Named second team All-West Suburban Conference second team as a senior… Part of the Proviso West teams that advanced to the playoffs for the first time in school history in 2009 and the Panthers made a return trip to the playoffs his senior season… A three-sport athlete, also qualified for state in the 100-meter dash for the track & field team in 2009… Placed fifth at the IHSA Class 3A Wrestling Tournament at 189 pounds as a junior and was Proviso West’s top wrestler on the year... compiled a 38-6 record on the mat as a junior.
• Tommylee Lewis, WR/RS, 5-8, 170, Riviera Beach, Fla. (W.T. Dwyer HS)
Finished senior season as the area’s fifth-leading receiver with 595 yards on 31 catches and seven touchdowns… Added three rushing yards on two carries to his season totals in 2010… Helped Dwyer to a 12-2 record and a spot in the 2010 Class 4A semifinals… Competed in the Palm Beach County/Treasure Coast All-Star Football Game… Also participated in the Lytal Reiter Smith Ivey and Fronrath Trail Attorneys High School Football All-Star Game, playing against his brother, Martavius… Made ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays with a controversial late-game grab that was ruled incomplete against Glenville (OH) in the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic in 2010… Transferred to Dwyer for his senior season after previously playing at Palm Beach Lakes High School…Tallied 36 yards on five receptions in 2009 at Palm Beach Lakes High School.
• Paris Logan, CB, 5-10, 175 Columbia, Mo. (Rock Bridge HS)
Selected to Central Missouri’s Class 6A All-District Team… Member of the Columbia Tribune all-area team in 2010... Tallied six interceptions in his final two seasons… Emerged as the Bruins shutdown corner…Team leader in interceptions with a career-high five, returning one for a touchdown in 2010…Recorded 74 stops, 37 solo, during his senior campaign.
• DeVonte’ Majors, TE, 6-2, 215, O’Fallon, Mo. (Fort Zumwalt West HS)
Named to the Missouri Football Coaches Association All-State Class 6A First Team as a wide receiver his junior year and again as a tight end his senior year…also named to the Missouri Football Press Association All-State Class 6A First Team both seasons…Four-time varsity letterwinner playing wide receiver until his senior season when he moved to tight end…Finished senior season as Fort Zumwalt West’s career receptions leader with 153 catches and also added 1,953 yards, and 19 touchdowns…In his senior year, helped lead the Jaguars to the most wins in school history while catching 59 passes for 717 yards (12.1 average) with six touchdowns… Returned 14 kickoffs for 226 yards… Team won the 2010 District title, compiled the most wins in school history with a 10-3 record and advanced to the state semifinals… First-team all-conference choice following both his junior and senior years and was a second-team selection as a sophomore… Made 55 catches for 724 yards and four scores as a junior and compiled 36 grabs for 484 yards and six TDs his sophomore year… Made the honor roll all four years and was an Academic All-Conference selection in Fall of 2009 and 2010… Also played basketball for the Jaguars.
• Boomer Mays, DS/LB, 6-1, 225, Lawrence, Kan. (Eudora HS)
As a senior, named the Max Emfinger All-American Bowl Defensive MVP after making 13 tackles in the game… First team All-State selection at linebacker as a senior… Named to all-area and all-conference teams following his junior and senior years… Four-year varsity letterwinner and served as a team captain his final two seasons… Finished as the school’s career leader in tackles with 404… Compiled 724 yards and 12 touchdowns on 113 carries as a fullback his senior season… Also accumulated 110 tackles, caused four fumbles, recovered two and had a sack during the 2010 campaign… Set school record for tackles in a season with 160 as a junior… Racked up 684 yards and 10 touchdowns on 113 carries in 2009 on his way to honorable mention Class 4A All-State honors at linebacker… Totaled 46 tackles and an interception in just five games as a sophomore due to a broken wrist… Still earned all area honors as a long snapper with the injury… Team advanced to the playoffs three times during his career, including a trip to the semifinals his junior year when the Cardinals finished 9-3 and won the district… Eudora posted a winning record each of his four seasons… Also participated in wrestling and baseball… Father, Byron, was a defensive tackle at the University of Kansas and Central Missouri State… named to the school’s honor roll in 2007, 2008 and 2009
• Matt McIntosh, QB, 6-2, 185, Evansville, Ind. (Reitz HS)
Awarded the title of Indiana’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year… First team All-State choice by the Indiana Coaches Association and honorable mention 4A All-State quarterback by the Associated Press as a senior… Named to the 2009 Associated Press and Indiana Football Coaches Association Class 4A All-State squads… Played in the Indiana North-South High School All-Star game… Honored as the Evansville Courier & Press All-Metro Player of the Year after both his junior and senior campaigns… Finished his three-year varsity career with a record of 39-3… Led team to a 15-0 Class 4A State Championship as a junior and to a berth in the state semifinals with a 13-1 final record his senior season… Team was ranked No. 7 in USA Today’s Midwest rankings and was one of ESPN’s high school Fab 50 his junior year… Three-time first-team all-conference selection and two-time all-area choice... Threw for 5,553 yards on 356-of-559 passing (63.7 percent) with 65 touchdown passes during his prep career… Ran for 3,507 yards on 490 carries (a 7.2-yard average) with 47 rushing TDs during his HS career… As a senior, threw for 2,202 yards and 29 touchdowns to just seven interceptions and added another 1,183 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground… Completed 65 percent of his passes (143-of-220) for 2,258 yards and a 26-5 touchdown to interception mark as a junior… Rushed for 1,473 yards and 19 touchdowns in his junior year… The Panthers never lost a conference game during his career and went Older brother Paul also led his team to an undefeated season and Class 4A State Championship before committing to the Southern Illinois Salukis.
• Jason Meehan, LB, 6-2, 225, St. Louis, Mo. (Webster Groves HS)
Twice-selected St. Louis Post-Dispatch Defensive Player of the Year…Also named Player of the Year for the Suburban South Conference and was a MaxPreps All-American his final two seasons… Earned all-state honors as a junior and a senior… Had a team-high 177 with 13 for loss, 10 sacks and five interceptions as a senior…Also caught nine passes for 413 yards and five touchdowns…Made 145 tackles with 99 solo as a junior… Added four interceptions… Led Webster Groves to the Class 5 Missouri state championship as a junior and a runner-up finish as a senior… In the semifinal game, made 18 tackles with 12 solo, two quarterback sacks and an interception… Added an 84-yard touchdown catch in the win over Kirkwood… Served as a team captain his final two seasons…Never missed a game during his high school career… Starter at linebacker as a freshman…Also played basketball for the Statesmen and led his team in field goal percentage… a kung fu champion.
• Tré Moore, S, 5-11, 196, Dayton, Ohio (Wayne HS)
A four-time varsity letter winner at Wayne…Selected to play in Ohio North-South Classic following his senior season… One of the top 100 prospects in Ohio (all positions) for 2010… Team finished 11-3 in 2010 and won conference and regional championships on its way to a state runner-up finish... Named first-team all-area and all-conference as a junior, as well as team Defensive MVP in 2009… Recorded 112 tackles with five for loss, and two interceptions during his senior year… The Warriors went 34-13 during his four years of high school and won the conference title his final two seasons… Has six brothers and sisters… father, Nelson, played football at Tennessee State for three years.
• Michael Neal, CB, 5-10, 175, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Ely HS)
Collected 61 tackles over his final two seasons, including a career-high 37 in 2010… Recorded two pass deflections and one forced fumble in two years for the Tigers… As a junior, made 24 stops… Was part of a strong defense that helped Ely win back-to-back conference championships in 2009 and 2010… Ely posted a 23-5 record during that span, including 11-3 in 2010, with two regional runner-up finishes… Earned Academic All-America honors for the 2009 spring semester.
• Videl Nelson, OLB, 6-2, 215, Kansas City, Mo. (Staley HS)
Finished 2010 with 178 tackles (116 solo, 62 assists), 16.5 sacks for -100 yards, four pass deflections and one forced fumble…Ranked 95th in the nation and second in the state in sacks and second in the state and 128th in the country in tackles as a senior…As team captain, helped lead Staley to an 11-3 record and state semifinals in 2010…Named team’s defensive MVP…Garnered first team All-State, all-area and all-conference honors as a senior…Named to 2009 Second Team All-Kansas City Suburban Small Six Football Team…Posted 82 total tackles in 2009 (39 solo, 43 assists) along with five sacks for -32 yards, three forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, two pass deflections and a blocked kick...Also had two carries, one resulted in a one-yard touchdown run…Played a large role in getting the Falcons to an 11-1 record and state semifinals appearance…Earned Staley’s Newcomer of the Year as a junior…Holds SHS records for tackles in a season (178), sacks in a season (16.5) and tackles in a game (21)…Also ran track as a junior, placing fifth in the state in 4x100 relay as the anchor, sixth in long jump and seventh in triple jump.
• Andrew Ness, OL, 6-4, 290, O’Fallon, Mo. (Christian Brothers College HS)
First-team All-State choice by the Missouri Football Coaches Association and Missouri Sportswriters Association… also an all-area choice by Missouri High School SportsNet and a second team selection by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch… Earned first-team all-conference honors his junior and senior seasons and was an honorable mention choice as a sophomore… began the season as the center on Catholic High Schools’ Preseason All-America team…Helped Christian Brothers to a 10-2 record, and the Class 6A Metro Catholic Conference Championship… The Cadets also won the district title his junior and senior years… Three-time varsity letterwinner served as team captain as a senior… Mother, Barbara, was a four-year starter for the Central Missouri State Women’s Basketball team…Father, David, won three letters as an offensive guard for Western State College.
• A.J. Sebastiano, WR/RS, 6-1, 190, Coconut Creek, Fla. (North Broward Prep HS)
First-team All-Broward County wide receiver as a senior at North Broward Prep… Named to the Broward County Top 50 prospects list for 2010… An honorable mention all-county choice his junior year… Played wide receiver and safety for the Eagles… Played in the Broward Independent Schools Football Classic “Broward Bowl” All-Star Game following his senior season… Finished his senior campaign with 60 catches for 1,110 yards and 16 touchdowns… Scored on a pair of punt returns… Completed an impressive junior season with 50 receptions for 1,075 yards, and nine touchdowns…Added six interceptions on defense in 2009…Completed his high school career with 127 catches for 2,360 yards and 26 touchdowns… His team earned the first playoff win in school history in 2009 , won the district title and advanced to the regional playoffs… North Broward completed an undefeated regular season in his sophomore season and advanced to the playoffs for the first time in school history… Made the well-known South Florida Express 7-on-7 team between his junior and senior years… Also competed in the high jump for the track team.
• Leighton Settle, RB, 5-10, 190, So., Madison, Wis. (Madison West HS/Fresno City CC)
Spent the 2010 fall semester at Fresno City Community College and enrolled at NIU in January 2011… Earned All-State honors as a junior and senior… Named All-City each of his last three seasons and was the Player of the Year in Madison as a senior… Three-time all-conference honoree… In three seasons, ran for 4,860 yards on 681 carries to average 7.1 yards per carry and scored 68 touchdowns… Rushed 214 times for 1,714 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior campaign… Tallied 29 scores and 1,842 yards on 280 carries his junior season…Ran for 1,304 yards and 16 touchdowns on 187 carries as a sophomore that included a 315-yard, four-touchdown performance against West Allis Central HS in his second game…Father, John, played running back at Appalachian State and had a six-year NFL career with Atlanta and Washington… His dad is currently the running backs coach for Wisconsin.
• Kevin Tennenbaum, TE, 6-5, 225, Buffalo Grove, Ill. (Buffalo Grove HS)
Three-sport athlete all four years in baseball, basketball, and football…Two-year varsity letterwinner in football caught 10 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown for the Bison… Made nine catches for 98 yards a senior with a long gain of 24 yards… Also made six tackles… Caught five passes for 47 yards versus Prospect in one of his top performances… Made Honor Roll seven straight semesters…Member of National Technical Honor Society.
• Tyler Wedel, P/ATH, 6-0, 180, McFarland, Wis. (McFarland HS) Played quarterback, defensive back, kicker, punter, punt returner, and kick returner both junior and senior seasons at McFarland HS…Earned All-State recognition as a punter…Finished his senior campaign with 1,359 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air, 1,089 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground and kicked 40-of-44 PATs and 3-of-5 field goals…Booted a 54-yard field goal in the playoffs that ranks as the seventh-longest all-time in the state of Wisconsin…Kicked 35 of his 64 kickoffs into the end zone and averaged 40.6 yards per punt… Recorded seven punts of 50 yards or longer with a long of 59… Named first-team all-conference as a kicker, punter, and defensive back in the last two years and as a quarterback his senior year…Honored as the Wisconsin State Journal’s 2010 All-Area Player of the Year… Helped McFarland advance to the playoffs each of his last three years… Selected to play in the Wisconsin Football Coaches’ Association North-South All-Star game as a defensive back… The Spartans earned a share of the Northern Rock Valley Conference title each of those seasons and finished 10-2 in 2010.
• Jamal Womble, RB, 5-11, 235, Jr., Sierra Vista, Ariz. (Buena HS/Hutchinson CC)
Rated the No. 4 junior college running back in the nation according to Rivals.com…Led Hutchinson in rushing with 712 yards and scored eight touchdowns as a sophomore in 2010…Began his college football career at North Carolina in 2008… Ran for 41 yards on six carries as a true freshmen before breaking his wrist in the sixth game of the season… Prep: Ranked the No. 13 running back in the country by Scout.com… Considered the No. 6 player in Arizona and the No. 14 running back in the country by Rivals.com… Played in the Offense-Defense High School All-America Game… Considered the No. 8 player in Arizona by SuperPrep… Named All-Arizona first team by the Arizona Republic… Selected first-team 4A-5A all-star by the Tucson Citizen as a senior and was a second-team choice his junior year… Three-time all-area and all-conference selection… Amassed 3,769 yards on 446 carries with 46 rushing touchdowns in three years at Buena HS…Set school single-season record with 126 points and school's single-game record with five touchdowns during senior year… Also caught 760 yards and two scores and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns… Finished his senior season with 1,787 yards and 21 touchdowns on 170 carries, setting his high school's career and season rushing records… Set school single-season record with 126 points and school's single-game record with five touchdowns… Also scored on a kick return and reception… Had 180 carries for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior… As a sophomore, rushed for 732 yards on 114 carries as a sophomore and scored eight touchdowns and had five receptions for 115 yards… Father, John, played basketball at Hampton University and is a Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army.
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