NMU Football signs 26 players

 

Courtesy of NMU Athletics

 

MARQUETTE, Mich. – Northern Michigan University head football coach Chris Ostrowsky announces his second recruiting class today (Feb. 6) as 26 future NMU student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent on the first day of the signing period.

“Signing day is the end of a long process for players, parents and coaches,” Ostrowsky said. “We have recruited some of the most celebrated players in Michigan, Florida and Illinois. We recruited high school team captains who are top academic students and have played for some of the premier programs in the nation like St. Thomas Aquinas and Cass Tech.”

The class consists of players from Michigan (16), Florida (5) and Illinois (5). Kyle Root (Brimley, Mich./Sault Area) and Jared Vuksan (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone) represent Upper Peninsula recruits.

“As a staff, we have worked extremely hard day and night to accomplish our objective, which is to have one of the top recruiting classes in America on the Division II level,” added Ostrowsky. “We felt it was critical to follow last year’s class with another stellar group and believe we have done so when this group of players arrives on campus. Today is a great day to be a Wildcat.”

NMU finished 4-7 overall and 3-7 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2012, winning three of its final five games. The Wildcats finished tied for 11th in the GLIAC and had 12 seniors end their football careers.

Listed below are the individuals signed on the first day of the signing period.

Name Pos. Height Weight Hometown / High School / Previous College or University
Shaye Brown QB 6-4 205 Fenton, Mich. / Linden
Deionte Bruton CB 5-10 170 Detroit, Mich. / Ecorse
Josh Crim OL 6-6 290 Lansing, Mich. / Eastern
Darius Danzy CB 5-10 175 Southfield, Mich. / Southfield Senior
Jake Gierlak ATH 5-10 165 Algonquin, Ill. / Harry D. Jacobs
Cornell Gilmore DT 6-0 260 Miami, Fla. / Miami Palmetto
Dominick Hamilton DL 6-1 317 Detroit, Mich. / Cass Tech
DeMarco Haynes WR 5-7 150 Hollywood, Fla. / Chaminade Madonna
Sherman Hodges WR 6-2 168 Muskegon, Mich. / Muskegon
Dan Hugan SR 5-11 175 Ann Arbor, Mich. / Huron
Rodney Lamar DE 6-2 239 Pompano Beach, Fla. / Ely / Florida Atlantic University
Marcus Lee LB 6-1 220 Bolingbrook, Ill. / Bolingbrook / College of DuPage
John Oberheide K/P 5-9 200 Park Ridge, Ill. / Maine South
Ross Querro LB 6-0 215 Armada, Mich. / Armada
Kyle Root HB 6-0 210 Brimley, Mich. / Sault Area
Patrick Ryan S 6-1 181 Linden, Mich. / Linden
Connor Schrader RB 5-9 205 Lake Zurich, Ill. / Lake Zurich Senior
Joseph Short RB 5-10 190 Chicago, Ill. / Chicago Bulls College Prep
Marcus Smith SR 5-9 175 Muskegon, Mich. / Muskegon
Jalen Stovall SR 5-9 160 Kentwood, Mich. / East Kentwood
Marcus Tucker WR 6-0 190 Flint, Mich. / Grand Blanc / Mott Community College
Jared Vuksan DE 6-1 220 Gladstone, Mich. / Gladstone Area
Mark Walker S 5-11 165 Delray Beach. Fla. / North Broward
Cedric Washington DT 6-0 270 Flint, Mich. / Flint Southwestern Academy
Chris Washington CB 6-0 190 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. / St. Thomas Aquinas
JaMarco Willingham DL 6-2 245 Livonia, Mich. / Benjamin Franklin

 

Shaye Brown | video

Fenton, Mich.
Linden High School
Quarterback
6-4, 205

-Team captain, all-state, all-conference, second team all-area, Tri-County player of the year

Deionte Bruton | video
Detroit, Mich.
Ecorse High School
Cornerback
5-10, 170

-All-conference, all-metro

Josh Crim | video
Lansing, Mich.
Eastern High School
Offensive Line
6-6, 290

-All-conference

Darius Danzy | video
Southfield, Mich.
Southfield Senior High School
Cornerback
5-10, 175

-All-conference, all-metro, honorable mention Detroit Free Press all-state

Jake Gierlak | video
Algonquin, Ill.
Harry D. Jacobs High School
Athlete
5-10, 165

-Two-time all-conference, two-time all-area, team captain.

Cornell Gilmore | video
Miami, Fla.
Miami Palmetto Senior High School
Defensive Tackle
6-0, 260

Dominick Hamilton | video
Detroit, Mich.
Cass Tech High School
Defensive Line
6-1, 317

-First team all-metro

DeMarco Haynes | video
Hollywood, Fla.
Chaminade Madonna
Wide Receiver
5-7, 150

-All-Broward County honorable mention

Sherman Hodges | video
Muskegon, Mich.
Muskegon High School
Wide Receiver
6-2, 168

-All-conference defensive back

Dan Hugan | video
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Huron High School
Slot Receiver
5-11, 175

-First team all-Southeastern Conference Red, first team all-county, first team All-Ann Arbor, team, MVP, all-Southeastern Conference third team

Rodney Lamar | video
Pompano Beach, Fla.
Ely High School
Florida Atlantic University
Defensive End
6-2, 239

-Played at Rochester Community and Technical College in 2010 and was a squad member at Florida Atlantic University

Marcus Lee | video
Bolingbrook, Ill.
Bolingbrook High School
College of DuPage
Linebacker
6-1, 220

-Played linebacker at the College of Dupage

John Oberheide | video
Park Ridge, Ill.
Maine South High School
Kicker / Punter
5-9, 200

-All-conference

Ross Querro | video
Armada, Mich.
Armada High School
Linebacker
6-0, 215

-Second team all-county, first team all-conference

Kyle Root | video
Brimley, Mich.
Sault Area High School
Halfback
6-0, 210

-First team all-U.P. running back, team MVP

Patrick Ryan | video
Linden, Mich.
Linden High School
Safety
6-1, 181

-Two-time all-conference, two star Rivals rating

Connor Schrader | video
Lake Zurich, Ill.
Lake Zurich Senior High School
Running Back
5-9, 205

-All-state, all-area, all-conference

Joseph Short | video
Chicago, Ill.
Chicago Bulls College Prep
Running Back
5-10, 190

-All-city, all-conference running back and strong safety

Marcus Smith | video
Muskegon, Mich.
Muskegon High School
Slot Receiver
5-9, 175

-University of Michigan football camp MVP, member of Midwest Elite 7 on 7 National Team, OK Black first team all-conference, Muskegon Chronicle second team all-area, LakeMichiganFootballReport.com second team, LocalSportsJournal.com first team

Jalen Stovall | video
Kentwood, Mich.
East Kentwood High School
Slot Receiver
5-9, 160

-All-conference, all-state

Marcus Tucker | video
Flint, Mich.
Grand Blanc High School
Mott Community College
Wide Receiver
6-0, 190

-Played basketball at Lake Michigan College in 2011-12 and club football at the University of Michigan-Flint

Jared Vuksan | video
Gladstone, Mich.
Gladstone Area High School
Defensive End
6-1, 220

Mark Walker | video
Delray Beach, Fla.
North Broward High School
Safety
5-11, 165

-Team defensive player of the year

Cedric Washington | video
Flint, Mich.
Flint Southwestern Academy
Defensive Tackle
6-0, 270

-First team all-conference, first team all-city

Chris Washington | video
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Cornerback
6-0, 190

JaMarco Willingham | video
Livonia, Mich.
Benjamin Franklin High School
Defensive Line
6-2, 245