.jpg) Delaware
Football Announces 2005 Recruiting
Class
Date:
February 2, 2005
NEWARK, DE
-- The University of Delaware football
program, coming off consecutive seasons
that have seen the Blue Hens capture the
NCAA I-AA national title in 2003, advance
to the national quarterfinals in 2004, and
claim two Atlantic 10 Conference titles,
announced the addition of 10
student-athletes who have signed NCAA
National Letters of Intent to attend the
University on an athletic scholarship and
compete for the Blue Hen football team
this coming fall.
Head coach
K.C. Keeler (right), who has led the Blue
Hens to a record of 30-11 over the last
three seasons, made the announcement in a
press conference Wednesday at the Bob
Carpenter Center.
The 2005
recruiting class features three
student-athletes from Maryland, two from
Florida, and one each from Virginia,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and
Georgia. Since taking over the helm of the
program following the 2002 season, Keeler
and his staff have signed nine recruits
from the talent-laden states of Florida
and Georgia among its three recruiting
classes. The group also includes three
offensive linemen, two linebackers, one
tight end, one wide receiver, one
defensive back, one defensive lineman, and
one kicker.
"We are
excited and feel really good about this
incoming class," said Keeler, whose team
will open the 2004 season Sept. 10 vs.
NCAA I-AA playoff participant Lehigh at
Delaware Stadium. "We filled a need on the
offensive line with three great young
prospects and we added some outstanding
speed and athleticism on both sides of the
ball. We knew we needed to add a kicker
and we looked at someone who would have
the best chance of playing right away and
we have that in Zack Hobby. We will also
will need one or two of the offensive
linemen to step in and be ready to play
this year. We had to fight off some good
schools this year but we feel that we can
go head to head with any I-AA school and
with some I-A schools in recruiting. Our
staff enjoys recruiting and it is a
passion with us. We are proud of the job
we did. When we recruit we challenge the
kids right away. We demand a lot. We want
to make sure this is the place they want
to come."
Below are
biographies of the incoming
freshmen:
Josh
Baker - TE - 6-3 - 235 - Chesapeake, VA
(Western Branch HS)
Played at
Western Branch High School for coach Lewis
Johnson...played tight end and
linebacker...three-year standout...earned
second team All-State honors at tight end
as a senior...also earned second team
all-region honors at tight end, first team
All-Tidewater Area laurels at tight end,
and first team all-district honors at both
linebacker and tight end as a
senior...team won district titles in 2001
and 2002 and won regional title in
2002...son of Gary and Selena
Misco...plans to major in criminal
justice.
Brian
Brown - LB - 6-0 - 210 - Fayetteville, GA
(Sandy Creek HS)
Played at
Sandy Creek High School for coach Rodney
Walker...played linebacker, fullback, and
punter...earned first team all-county
honors and first team all-region laurels
as a punter and linebacker in 2004...first
team all-area by the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution...named team's Most
Improved Defensive Player...team won back
to back region titles in 2003 and 2004
with 2004 squad posting an 11-1
record...also competes in track and field
and basketball...son of James and Valerie
Brown...plans to major in business
marketing.
Mark
Duncan - WR - 5-11 - 175 - Rockville, MD
(Suitland HS)
Played at
Suitland High School for coach Nick
Lynch...versatile player at Suitland where
he played wide receiver, defensive back,
and returned kicks...led 2004 team to a
13-1 record and the state AAAA
title...first team All-State (Big Schools)
in 2004 as a defensive back...returned
three kickoffs for touchdowns as a senior
and had six touchdowns overall when he
also caught 25 passes for 400
yards...played at Wootton High School as a
freshman and had four interceptions and
four fumble recoveries for varsity
squad...has run the 100 meter dash in 10.8
and was part of 4 x 200 meter relay team
that set a state high school record with a
time of 1:29.67 last winter...Junior
Olympic champion in the 4 x 100 meter
relay...selected to play in Maryland High
School All-Star Game...attended same
school that produced Delaware's 2003
All-American running back and single
season rushing yard record holder Germaine
Bennett...has also played soccer and
basketball during his athletic
career...plans to major in criminal
justice...son of Cheryl
Germany.
Jon
Herrman - OL - 6-3 - 285 - McKees Rocks,
PA (Pittsburgh Central
Catholic)
Played at
Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School
for coach Art Walker...played center,
punter, and kicker...earned first team
Associated Press AAAA (Large School)
All-State honors on offensive line as a
senior in 2004...also earned first team
all-conference and first team All-WPIAL
honors...two-time all-conference
selection...named first team AAAA
All-State center by Pennsylvania Football
News in 2004...averaged 40.4 yards per
punt as a senior and 56.6 yards on
kickoffs...led Central Catholic to two
WPIAL AAAA western titles, a state AAAA
title in 2004 and a state second place
finish in 2003...team posted 16-0 record
and downed Neshaminy 49-14 in the 2004
state title game...team was ranked No. 6
in final USA Today national Top 25 high
school poll..three-year starter on
offensive line...also plays
baseball...plans to major in
accounting...son of Jeffrey and Diana
Herrman.
Matt
Hesseltine - OL - 6-6 - 340 - Smyrna, DE
(Smyrna HS)
Played at
Smyrna High School for coach Jeff
Weiner...played offensive line and
defensive line...earned first team
All-State honors at offensive tackle and
third team All-State honors at defensive
line as a senior in 2004...also earned
all-conference honors on both sides of the
ball, including first team honors on
offense...posted 48 tackles, including 31
solo stops on defense as a senior and led
team with 77 pancake blocks on
offense...led 2004 team to 7-4 record and
berth in state tournament...also competes
in track and field and placed sixth in the
state shot put in 2002...son of Leigh and
Cindy Hesseltine..plans to major in
exercise physiology.
Aaron
Hicks - DB - 6-0 - 170 - Accokeek, MD
(Gwynn Park HS)
Played at
Gwynn Park High School for coach Danny
Hayes...played safety, cornerback, and
wide receiver...earned All-State honors as
a senior when he also was named All-Metro
and all-league....named to pre-season
All-American team...three-year standout
who registered 200 career tackles, three
interceptions, 25 pass breakups, 10 forced
fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and one
touchdown...team posted three-year record
of 23-4, won three county championships,
three league titles, one regional title,
and a state semifinal appearance...has
been timed at 4.38 in the 40-yard
dash...also runs track...comes from school
that also produced current Delaware
redshirt freshmen defensive backs Rafiq
and Jahiri Gunthorpe....son of Bobby and
Tyonnie Hicks...plans to major in sport
management.
Zachary
Hobby - K - 6-0 - 205 - Oldsmar, FL
(Countryside HS)
Played at
Countryside High School for coach Bobby
Johns....Delaware's first scholarship
kicker to sign out of high school since
Ryan Bleiler in 1998...connected on 77 of
80 extra points and 19 of 22 field goals
over the last two seasons of his
career...kicked eight field goals of 43
yards or longer with a career-long
49-yarder in the district championship
game...named to coaches All-State team in
2004 and earned all-conference,
all-county, and all-district honors in
both 2003 and 2004...also earned
all-county honors in soccer in 2004...team
won district titles in both 2003 and 2004
and advanced to regional final in
2003...won the National Kicking Service
competition in both kickoffs (71-yard
average) and field goal kicking (50 and 55
yard kicks) at a camp in Westminster, MD
last summer...brother, Chase, is a kicker
for NCAA I-A Navy...father, Phil, played
professional soccer...plans to major in
accounting or business...son of Phil and
Jacqui Hobby.
Rob
Mahler - DE - 6-5 - 245 - Brick, NJ (Brick
Township HS)
Played at
Brick Township High School for coach
Warren Wolf...played tight end, defensive
end, and offensive guard...earned second
team All-State honors as a senior in 2004
when he earned all-division and all-county
honors and was named the division Player
of the Year...had 95 tackles, including
seven sacks, and caught seven passes for
90 yards....as a junior, earned
all-division and second team all-county
honors when he had 80 tackles, including
11 sacks, and intercepted one pass...team
went 9-1 and won Shore Conference title in
2003...also competed in track and field as
a javelin thrower...as a junior, won Group
4 Central Jersey javelin title and was
county champion with a throw of
196-8...son of Robert and Susan
Mahler.
Matt
Marcorelle - LB / DE - 6-3 - 205 - Ft.
Pierce, FL (John Carroll HS)
Played at
John Carroll High School under coach Lenny
Jankowski...played defensive end,
linebacker, tight end, and wide
receiver...two-time Treasure Coast
All-Star on both offense and
defense...caught winning touchdown in
team's 7-0 upset overtime win over
eventual state champion Fort Meade HS this
past fall...led team to district playoffs
in 2003 and 2004...outstanding basketball
player who earned All-State honors as a
junior...three-year starter...has posted
several 20-point outings this season...was
recruited be several NCAA Division I
basketball teams...team captain of both
teams...former teammate of current Blue
Hen redshirt freshman defensive lineman
Stephen Purkey at John Carroll...son of
Michele Marcorelle...last name pronounced
"marca-rell".
Corey
Nicholson - OL - 6-3 - 245 - Frederick, MD
(Linganore HS)
Played at
Linganore High School for coach Rick
Conner...played offensive and defensive
line...earned first team All-State (Big
Schools) as both a junior and a
senior...also a two-time first team
all-area and first team all-conference
selection...team won the 2003 state AAA
title and was Chesapeake Conference
champions in both 2003 and 2004...also
plays basketball and baseball...son of Tim
and Donna Nicholson.
2005
University of Delaware Football Recruiting
Class
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Hometown
|
High
School
|
|
Josh
Baker
|
TE
|
6-3
|
235
|
Chesapeake,
VA
|
Western
Branch HS
|
|
Brian
Brown
|
LB
|
6-0
|
208
|
Fayetteville,
GA
|
Sandy
Creek HS
|
|
Mark
Duncan
|
WR
|
5-11
|
175
|
Rockville,
MD
|
Suitland
HS
|
|
Jon
Herrman
|
OL
|
6-3
|
285
|
McKees
Rocks, PA
|
Pittsburgh
Central Catholic HS
|
|
Matt
Hesseltine
|
OL
|
6-6
|
340
|
Smyrna,
DE
|
Smyrna
HS
|
|
Aaron
Hicks
|
DB
|
6-0
|
170
|
Accokeek,
MD
|
Gwynn
Park HS
|
|
Zachary
Hobby
|
K
|
6-0
|
205
|
Oldsmar,
FL
|
Countryside
HS
|
|
Rob
Mahler
|
DE
|
6-5
|
245
|
Brick,
NJ
|
Brick
Township HS
|
|
Matt
Marcorelle
|
DE/LB
|
6-5
|
220
|
Ft.
Pierce, FL
|
John
Carroll HS
|
|
Corey
Nicholson
|
OL
|
6-3
|
245
|
Frederick,
MD
|
Linganore
HS
|
- DDD
-
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© 2005, University of Delaware. All
rights reserved.
Please direct Athletics questions to the
Athletics
Media
Relations
office.
|
