Marshall University Athletics
The 2005 Marshall Football Recruiting Class
2/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
The 2005 Marshall Football Recruiting Class
2/8/2005
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall University's 2005 recruiting class is one of the most diverse classes in school history.
The class is without a doubt national in scope. The Thundering Herd?s incoming class now includes players from 13 different states and the District of Columbia. Marshall's class includes student-athletes from Florida, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, California, Oregon, and Ohio.
The Thundering Herd recieved signed NLI's from Fork Union standouts DeMarcus Roberson and Claude "C.J." Spillman on Tuesday, and an NLI from Durham, N.C., standout linebacker Charles Gamble on Wednesday to bring the total number of signees during the period to 25.
Player information and a capsule on each student-athlete is below:
Player/Position/Ht./Wt./Hometown/School
Daniel Baldridge/OL/6-9/265/Opelousas, La./Opelousas H.S.
Notes: An outstanding lineman at Opelousas H.S. this past season ... has great potential ... recruited by
UCLA among others.
Zach Barnard/QB/6-3/202/Owensboro, Ky./Owensboro Catholic H.S.
Notes: Connected on 283-of-430 passes (67% completion) for a state record 4,654 yards and 52 touchdowns as a senior ... was named the Class 2A ?Player-of-the-Year? in Kentucky ... led Owensboro
Catholic to the Class 2A State Championship Game ... threw for 8,124 yards and 87 scores in his prep career ... a finalist for ?Mr. Football? in Kentucky.
Wesley Beardain/QB/6-1/195/Winona, Miss./Winona H.S.
Notes: Passed for 2,872 yards and 40 touchdowns as a senior ... also rushed for 410 yards and four touchdowns last season ... led Winona to a 10-3 record and the Class 3A quarterfinals in 2004 ... his 40 touchdown passes in 2004 were only two shy of the Mississippi state record ... passed for 2,500 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2003.
Zane Bruhin/OL/6-6/319/Powell, Tenn./Powell H.S.
Notes: Started every game since the beginning of his freshman season at Powell ... a three-time all-state selection at guard that helped Powell to four state playoff berths ... son of former NFL player and Tennessee standout John Bruhin ... selected to the Tennessee-Kentucky All-Star game.
Ridge Corbin/WR/6-2/220/Stone Mountain, Ga./Stone Mountain H.S.
Notes: honorable mention all-state selection and a first-team All-Dekalb County selection ... 37 receptions for 676 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior ... recruited by Wisconsin among others.
Dedrick Davis/S/6-0/200/Lake Alfred, Fla./Auburndale H.S.
Notes: Athletic player who rushed for 700 yards and passed for 500 yards as a senior at Auburndale, while playing quarterback, runningback, and safety.
Jerrell Edelen/DT/6-3/307/Waldorf, Md./Westlake H.S.
Notes: In just his second season of organized football, Edelen led Westlake with nine sacks and recorded 57 total tackles as a senior ... All-SMAC Southern Maryland first-team selection ... was recruited by
Michigan State, Illinois, and Clemson among others.
Charles Gamble/LB/6-3/210/Durham, N.C./Southern H.S.
Notes: Rated as the #17 player in North Carolina and the #42 OLB in the nation by Rivals.com ... a first-team all-state selection ... rated as the #11 player in N.C. by the Charlotte Observer.
John Jacobs/LB/6-3/219/Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway H.S.
Notes: A Group AA All-State Pick ... rushed for 2,181 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior ... recorded 77 tackles and three interceptions as a senior .... also recovered five fumbles en route to being named Valley District Player of the Year.
J.J. Johnson/DB/5-11/177/Washington, D.C./St. John?s H.S.
Notes: Intercepted seven passes and totaled 19 pass breakups as a senior ... also recorded 49 tackles, returned one interception for a score and blocked a field goal ... an all-conference selection.
Timmy Jones/S/5-10/190/Horn Lake, Miss./Northwest Miss. J.C.
Notes: Recorded three sacks and three interceptions for the Rangers last season ... recorded 49 tackles
en route to helping his team to a 7-3 mark ... also averaged 21 yards per kickoff return and recovered two
fumbles.
Wesley Jones/OL/6-5/338/Brandon, Miss./Hinds (Miss.) C.C.
Notes: A standout performer at left tackle for Hinds ... was recruited by Georgia, South Carolina, and West Virginia following his senior season at Brandon High School.
Darrell Lake/DE/6-1/233/Lakeland, Fla./Kathleen H.S.
Notes: First-team all-county and second-team all-state selection as a junior ... managed eight sacks and 35 tackles as a senior despite missing time due to injury... as a junior recorded 14 sacks and 75 tackles ... recruited by Georgia and South Florida among others.
Brian Leggett/OL/6-2/285/Meridian, Miss./Meridian H.S.
Notes: Helped Meridian lead the state in rushing last season ... credited with 175 knockdown blocks as a senior ... recruited by Army and Troy among others ... elected as Meridian?s student council president ... first-team all-state selection.
William Lewis/WR/6-4/210/Georgetown, Ky./Scott County H.S.
Notes: Caught 60 passes for 1,026 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior ... led Scott County High to the Kentucky Class 4A state championship game ... also played cornerback and totaled six interceptions ... caught 83 passes in his career 1,351 yards and 14 touchdowns ... recruited by Kansas State, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Kentucky.
Zearrick Mathews/CB/5-11/175/Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood H.S.
Notes: Versatile athlete who saw action in only five games as a senior recording 400 yards rushing, 350 yards passing, and 200 yards receiving ... scored seven touchdowns in 2004 ... as a junior he passed
for 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns in addition to rushing for 1,210 yards and 11 touchdowns ...
received recruiting interest from Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee among others.
Albert McClellan/LB/6-2/210/Lakeland, Fla./Kathleen H.S.
Notes: A Florida Class 3A First-team All-State selection at Kathleen High ... as a senior recorded 65 tackles and 12 sacks ... as a junior recorded more than 70 tackles and 12 sacks ... was recruited by Georgia and South Florida among others.
Paul O?Hara/RB/6-0/220/Cross City, Fla./Dixie County H.S.
Notes: Surpassed 4,500 yards rushing during his prep career ... and is ranked among the top prospects in Florida by several recruiting sources ... a two-time all-state (Class 2A) pick, in 2003 as a running back
and in 2004 as a defensive back ... earned Class 2A State Player of the Year honors as a junior when he rushed for 1,973 yards and 27 touchdowns ... rushed for at least 1,200 yards in three out of four high
school seasons ... recruited by Florida, LSU, and Maryland.
E.J. Rascoe/LB/6-0/230/Cary, N.C./Fork Union Military
Notes: 2004 Most Valuable Defensive Lineman at Fork Union ... an all-state selection in football and baseball during his prep career.
Marcus Roberson/LB/6-3/240/Chapel Hill, N.C./Fork Union Military
Notes: Team MVP ... all-state and all-conference selection ... led Fork Union in tackles in 2004.
Carlos Rodriguez/OL/6-5/300/Kissimmee, Fla./Osceola H.S.
Notes: A standout lineman that is a two time first-team all-conference selection ... first-team All-Central Florida ... honorable mention all-state ... a three year starter at Osceola.
Brandon Souder/LB/6-2/230/Carson, Calif./L.A. Southwest J.C.
Notes: A two-year starter at L.A. Southwest ... led the team with 101 tackles and eight sacks last season ... won a strength trophy at Nike Camp ... received recruiting interest from Arizona and Arizona State among others.
C.J. Spillman/S/6-3/190/Louisville, Ky./Fork Union Military
Notes: Graduated from Louisville Central High where was a standout running back before moving to the defensive backfield ... an all-state and all-conference selection in high school ... led team in interceptions.
Kelvin Turner/RB/5-10/190/Danville, Ky./Danville H.S.
Notes: Rushed for 2,656 yards and totaled 43 touchdowns, including 36 rushing scores in 2004 ...
Totaled 7,170 career yards with a Kentucky state record 116 touchdowns ... recruited by Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky among others.
Juan Underwood/DT/6-3/294/Dayton, Ohio/Pima C.C.
Notes: Totaled 107 tackles and returned two interceptions for touchdowns last season at Pima ... helped
Pima to a #5 national ranking ... also recruited by Cal, Oregon State, Ohio State, Michigan State, Ole Miss,
and Arizona among others.
