I Bleed Purple
February 6th, 2008, 07:40 PM
Went heavy on O-line and D-line. Got a kicker, which was nice. We need one.
OGDEN, UTAH - Weber State head football coach, RON McBRIDE, announced the signing of 17 new players to suit up for the Wildcats in 2008. As in the last couple of signing classes by WSU, a premium was put on finding offensive and this year especially, defensive linemen, to come in and make an immediate impact. Of the 17 players signed, nine of them will be doing battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
"A big need was in the defensive front," said McBride. "We signed two players in Caldwell Taylor and Joe Larson who will be with us for Spring ball and we have four others who ‘gray shirted’ giving us six players which is a big help because they are all young players and I think it’s a real impact group and something we needed badly because we need depth in that area.
Pierre Alexander, Ryan Eastman and Demetri Enesi are three really talented freshmen each of whom has a really bright future ahead of them."
The Wildcats signed four players during the early signing in December. JOE COLLINS (WR), JOE LARSON (DL), NESTOR CRUZ (OT) and ANTWAIN STUTSON (DB) are each enrolled in school and will participate in 2008 Spring practice drills.
"We were limited in our scholarship allotment so we were very specific about who we signed," said McBride. "Within those constraints we were able to bring in some quality players and fill some pressing needs at key positions."
The Wildcats also picked up a kicker in JON WILLIAMS (5-10, 200 Soph.). Williams earned Second Team All-SWAC honors as a freshman at Alcorn State then red-shirted at Grossmont JC in San Diego before deciding to cast his lot with the Wildcats. Among 200 kickers who attended a camp in Las Vegas back in the summer of 2005, Williams was rated the number prospect.
Locally, the Wildcats picked up commitments from Layton High offensive lineman JUSTIN TURNER (6-2, 270), SPENCER RANGASAN (6-0, 250 OL) from Cottonwood High and Bountiful High all-around player JAMIE RIGBY (5-10, 165) who can play receiver, defensive back and return kicks.
RETURNED LDS MISSIONARIES WHO PREVIOUSLY SIGNED WITH WEBER STATE
JOEL HANCOCK - Quarterback
6-4, 190 Freshman
Ogden, Utah (Fremont HS)
Originally signed with the Wildcats in February of 2005 but left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission to Lisbon, Portugal in the Fall of 2005. ... Threw for 5,870 yards and 68 touchdowns during his career. ... His senior season (2004) he threw for 3,564 yards and 40 touchdowns. Those two marks are both rank second in 5A career passing marks in the state of Utah. ... Averaged 297 passing yards per game during his senior season. ... Named First Team All-State. ... Played for Coach Blaine Monkres. ... Helped his basketball team to the 2004-05 state 5A championship.
BLAKE SIMS - Safety
6-3, 190 Freshman
Syracuse, Utah (Clearfield HS)
Originally signed with the Wildcats in February of 2005 but left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission to Brazil in the Fall of 2005. ... Played under Coach Randy Johnson at Clearfield High where he played both wide receiver and defensive back. ... Had 58 total tackles, 21 unassisted his senior season and had five interceptions returning one for a touchdown. As a receiver he had 24 receptions for 436 yards and two touchdowns. ... Earned Second Team All-State honors and was voted his team’s most valuable player.
CALDWELL TAYLOR - Defensive Lineman
6-5, 210 Freshman
Deweyville, Utah (Bear River HS)
Originally signed with the Wildcats in February of 2005 but left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission to Mississippi in the Fall of 2005. Helped Bear River to two straight State 3A football titles in 2003 and 2004 under Coach Chris Wise. The Bears were a perfect 13-0 his senior season and won 23 straight at one point. Second Team All-State Class 3A both his junior and senior seasons.
NICK WEBB - Defensive Back
6-4, 205 Freshman
Salt Lake City, Utah (East HS)
Originally signed with the Wildcats in February of 2005 but left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission to Ventura, California in the Fall of 2005. ... Played under Coach Aaron Whitehead at East High where he earned Second Team All-State Class 4A honors and was the 2004 Region Five offensive MVP. Had 105 career tackles and four interceptions as a defensive back. Offensively he played running back, quarterback and receiver and ended his career with 600 rushing yards (nine touchdowns), over 1,000 passing yards (five touchdowns) and over 300 receiving yards (three touchdowns).
TRANSFERS WHO HAVE ENROLLED AT WEBER STATE FOR THE 2008 SPRING SEMESTER
JOE COLLINS - Wide Receiver
6-3, 175 Junior
Seaside, California
(Seaside HS / Monterey Peninsula JC)
Enrolled at Weber State for the 2008 Spring semester. Comes to WSU from Monterey Peninsula Junior College where he was a two-year starter under Coach Mike Rasmussen. Had 10 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns in his last game at Peninsula in 2007. Brings height and speed to the receiver positions.
NESTOR CRUZ - Offensive Lineman
6-4, 290 Junior
Fresno, California
(Central HS / Reedley JC)
Enrolled at Weber State for the 2008 Spring semesters. Looks to help fill the void with the departure of Dimitri Tsoumpas and David Hale on the offensive line. ... Helped Reedley to two straight appearances in the Center Bowl, Reedley won the game in 2007. Two time offensive lineman of the year at Central HS. All-Central Valley Conference First Team offensive lineman and academic team.
JOE LARSON - Defensive Lineman
6-1, 270 Junior
Crescent City, California
(Del Norte HS / Butte (Calif.) JC)
Enrolled at Weber State for the 2008 Spring semester. ... First Team All-Golden Valley Conference in 2007 under Coach Jeff Jordan. ... Helped his team to a 7-4 record in 2007 and a 61-33 win over Delta JC in the Stockmen’s Bank Bowl. ... Outstanding high school wrestler at Del Norte HS.
ANTWAIN STUTSON - Defensive Back
6-1, 180 Freshman
Pomona, California (Montclair HS)
Enrolled at Weber State for the 2008 Spring semester. Attended Chaffey Junior College on a part-time basis in the Fall of 2007 but did not participate in football. Played under Coach Steve Sullivan where he earned First Team Mount Baldy League honors in both football and basketball.
2007 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO HAVE SIGNED WITH WEBER STATE
PIERRE ALEXANDER - Defensive Lineman
6-0, 310 Freshman
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
(Carl Albert HS)
First Team All-District. First Team Big All-City by Daily Oklahoman. ... Second Team All-State by the Daily Oklahoman. First Team pre-season all-class 5A all-state. 2007 Fort Worth Nike Camp second rated defensive tackle from the camp (Oklahoma and Texas high school players.
RYAN EASTMAN - Defensive Line
6-1, 260 Freshman
Honolulu, Hawai’i (St. Louis HS)
He comes out of the high successful football program at St. Louis High, the same school which produced current Weber State starting quarterback Cameron Higgins. First Team All-State by both the Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Was rated the 110th best high school defensive tackle in the country by ESPN and rated the ninth best overall player in the state of Hawai’i by Rivals.com.
DEMETRI ENESI - Defensive Line
6-2, 260 Freshman
Beaverton, Oregon
(Westview HS)
He played his senior season at Westview High where he had 45 unassisted tackles and 15 quarterback sacks. Was named the most outstanding defensive lineman at the 2007 University of Oregon Lineman Camp. A heavyweight wrestler who finished second in state in 2006-07.
BRETT JIVIDEN - Offensive Line
6-3, 260 Freshman
Tucson, Arizona (Sahuaro HS)
One of the top rated offensive linemen in the Arizona high school ranks in 2007. Two-year starter who earned First Team All-Southern Arizona honors. Was pursued heavily by Northern Arizona. ... Played for Coach Chuck McCollum who called him "a sleeper who has great worth ethic and plays with a real aggressive nature."
MICAH McMURRY - Linebacker
6-2, 200 Freshman
Fruitland, Idaho (Fruitland HS)
He played tight end on offense and linebacker on defense. Had 64 total tackles, 19 unassisted and had a 58-yard fumble return for a touchdown and blocked two kicks. Had 16 receptions for 387 yards and five touchdowns. Selected to play in the East/West Shrine game where he had nine tackles and a pass deflection. Name First Team All-State as a tight end.
SPENCER RANGASAN - Offensive Line
6-0, 250 Freshman
West Jordan, Utah (Cottonwood HS)
He was a two-year starter at Cottonwood High. ... Earned Honorable Mention all-state honors in 2007.
JAMIE RIGBY - Wide Receiver
5-10, 165 Freshman
Bountiful, Utah (Bountiful HS)
Earned First Team All-State Class 4A honors by both the Deseret Morning News and Salt Lake Tribune as a defensive back ... Had over 1,700 all-purpose yards and returned one kickoff back for a touchdown. Had 12 interceptions over the past two seasons. Named "Mr. Football" in Region Five for the 2007 season Served as a team captain
JUSTIN TURNER - Offensive Line
6-2, 270 Freshman
Layton, Utah (Layton HS)
Named First Team All-State Class 5A by the Salt Lake Tribune Helped the Lancers advance to the state championship game in Class 5A where they finished second.
JUNIOR COLLEGE TRANFERS
JON WILLIAMS - Placekicker
5-10, 200 Sophmore
San Diego, California
(Point Loma HS/Alcorn Stat /Grossmont JC)
Comes to Weber State after spending a red-shirt season at Grossmont JC in San Diego. Attended Alcorn State as a freshman where he was 8-12 in field goal attempts and earned Second Team All-SWAC honors. ... Will have three seasons of eligibilty remaining.
UTAH SEVEN
CALIFORNIA FIVE
ARIZONA ONE
HAWAI’I ONE
IDAHO ONE
OKLAHOMA ONE
OREGON ONE
OGDEN, UTAH - Weber State head football coach, RON McBRIDE, announced the signing of 17 new players to suit up for the Wildcats in 2008. As in the last couple of signing classes by WSU, a premium was put on finding offensive and this year especially, defensive linemen, to come in and make an immediate impact. Of the 17 players signed, nine of them will be doing battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
"A big need was in the defensive front," said McBride. "We signed two players in Caldwell Taylor and Joe Larson who will be with us for Spring ball and we have four others who ‘gray shirted’ giving us six players which is a big help because they are all young players and I think it’s a real impact group and something we needed badly because we need depth in that area.
Pierre Alexander, Ryan Eastman and Demetri Enesi are three really talented freshmen each of whom has a really bright future ahead of them."
The Wildcats signed four players during the early signing in December. JOE COLLINS (WR), JOE LARSON (DL), NESTOR CRUZ (OT) and ANTWAIN STUTSON (DB) are each enrolled in school and will participate in 2008 Spring practice drills.
"We were limited in our scholarship allotment so we were very specific about who we signed," said McBride. "Within those constraints we were able to bring in some quality players and fill some pressing needs at key positions."
The Wildcats also picked up a kicker in JON WILLIAMS (5-10, 200 Soph.). Williams earned Second Team All-SWAC honors as a freshman at Alcorn State then red-shirted at Grossmont JC in San Diego before deciding to cast his lot with the Wildcats. Among 200 kickers who attended a camp in Las Vegas back in the summer of 2005, Williams was rated the number prospect.
Locally, the Wildcats picked up commitments from Layton High offensive lineman JUSTIN TURNER (6-2, 270), SPENCER RANGASAN (6-0, 250 OL) from Cottonwood High and Bountiful High all-around player JAMIE RIGBY (5-10, 165) who can play receiver, defensive back and return kicks.
RETURNED LDS MISSIONARIES WHO PREVIOUSLY SIGNED WITH WEBER STATE
JOEL HANCOCK - Quarterback
6-4, 190 Freshman
Ogden, Utah (Fremont HS)
Originally signed with the Wildcats in February of 2005 but left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission to Lisbon, Portugal in the Fall of 2005. ... Threw for 5,870 yards and 68 touchdowns during his career. ... His senior season (2004) he threw for 3,564 yards and 40 touchdowns. Those two marks are both rank second in 5A career passing marks in the state of Utah. ... Averaged 297 passing yards per game during his senior season. ... Named First Team All-State. ... Played for Coach Blaine Monkres. ... Helped his basketball team to the 2004-05 state 5A championship.
BLAKE SIMS - Safety
6-3, 190 Freshman
Syracuse, Utah (Clearfield HS)
Originally signed with the Wildcats in February of 2005 but left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission to Brazil in the Fall of 2005. ... Played under Coach Randy Johnson at Clearfield High where he played both wide receiver and defensive back. ... Had 58 total tackles, 21 unassisted his senior season and had five interceptions returning one for a touchdown. As a receiver he had 24 receptions for 436 yards and two touchdowns. ... Earned Second Team All-State honors and was voted his team’s most valuable player.
CALDWELL TAYLOR - Defensive Lineman
6-5, 210 Freshman
Deweyville, Utah (Bear River HS)
Originally signed with the Wildcats in February of 2005 but left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission to Mississippi in the Fall of 2005. Helped Bear River to two straight State 3A football titles in 2003 and 2004 under Coach Chris Wise. The Bears were a perfect 13-0 his senior season and won 23 straight at one point. Second Team All-State Class 3A both his junior and senior seasons.
NICK WEBB - Defensive Back
6-4, 205 Freshman
Salt Lake City, Utah (East HS)
Originally signed with the Wildcats in February of 2005 but left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission to Ventura, California in the Fall of 2005. ... Played under Coach Aaron Whitehead at East High where he earned Second Team All-State Class 4A honors and was the 2004 Region Five offensive MVP. Had 105 career tackles and four interceptions as a defensive back. Offensively he played running back, quarterback and receiver and ended his career with 600 rushing yards (nine touchdowns), over 1,000 passing yards (five touchdowns) and over 300 receiving yards (three touchdowns).
TRANSFERS WHO HAVE ENROLLED AT WEBER STATE FOR THE 2008 SPRING SEMESTER
JOE COLLINS - Wide Receiver
6-3, 175 Junior
Seaside, California
(Seaside HS / Monterey Peninsula JC)
Enrolled at Weber State for the 2008 Spring semester. Comes to WSU from Monterey Peninsula Junior College where he was a two-year starter under Coach Mike Rasmussen. Had 10 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns in his last game at Peninsula in 2007. Brings height and speed to the receiver positions.
NESTOR CRUZ - Offensive Lineman
6-4, 290 Junior
Fresno, California
(Central HS / Reedley JC)
Enrolled at Weber State for the 2008 Spring semesters. Looks to help fill the void with the departure of Dimitri Tsoumpas and David Hale on the offensive line. ... Helped Reedley to two straight appearances in the Center Bowl, Reedley won the game in 2007. Two time offensive lineman of the year at Central HS. All-Central Valley Conference First Team offensive lineman and academic team.
JOE LARSON - Defensive Lineman
6-1, 270 Junior
Crescent City, California
(Del Norte HS / Butte (Calif.) JC)
Enrolled at Weber State for the 2008 Spring semester. ... First Team All-Golden Valley Conference in 2007 under Coach Jeff Jordan. ... Helped his team to a 7-4 record in 2007 and a 61-33 win over Delta JC in the Stockmen’s Bank Bowl. ... Outstanding high school wrestler at Del Norte HS.
ANTWAIN STUTSON - Defensive Back
6-1, 180 Freshman
Pomona, California (Montclair HS)
Enrolled at Weber State for the 2008 Spring semester. Attended Chaffey Junior College on a part-time basis in the Fall of 2007 but did not participate in football. Played under Coach Steve Sullivan where he earned First Team Mount Baldy League honors in both football and basketball.
2007 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WHO HAVE SIGNED WITH WEBER STATE
PIERRE ALEXANDER - Defensive Lineman
6-0, 310 Freshman
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
(Carl Albert HS)
First Team All-District. First Team Big All-City by Daily Oklahoman. ... Second Team All-State by the Daily Oklahoman. First Team pre-season all-class 5A all-state. 2007 Fort Worth Nike Camp second rated defensive tackle from the camp (Oklahoma and Texas high school players.
RYAN EASTMAN - Defensive Line
6-1, 260 Freshman
Honolulu, Hawai’i (St. Louis HS)
He comes out of the high successful football program at St. Louis High, the same school which produced current Weber State starting quarterback Cameron Higgins. First Team All-State by both the Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Was rated the 110th best high school defensive tackle in the country by ESPN and rated the ninth best overall player in the state of Hawai’i by Rivals.com.
DEMETRI ENESI - Defensive Line
6-2, 260 Freshman
Beaverton, Oregon
(Westview HS)
He played his senior season at Westview High where he had 45 unassisted tackles and 15 quarterback sacks. Was named the most outstanding defensive lineman at the 2007 University of Oregon Lineman Camp. A heavyweight wrestler who finished second in state in 2006-07.
BRETT JIVIDEN - Offensive Line
6-3, 260 Freshman
Tucson, Arizona (Sahuaro HS)
One of the top rated offensive linemen in the Arizona high school ranks in 2007. Two-year starter who earned First Team All-Southern Arizona honors. Was pursued heavily by Northern Arizona. ... Played for Coach Chuck McCollum who called him "a sleeper who has great worth ethic and plays with a real aggressive nature."
MICAH McMURRY - Linebacker
6-2, 200 Freshman
Fruitland, Idaho (Fruitland HS)
He played tight end on offense and linebacker on defense. Had 64 total tackles, 19 unassisted and had a 58-yard fumble return for a touchdown and blocked two kicks. Had 16 receptions for 387 yards and five touchdowns. Selected to play in the East/West Shrine game where he had nine tackles and a pass deflection. Name First Team All-State as a tight end.
SPENCER RANGASAN - Offensive Line
6-0, 250 Freshman
West Jordan, Utah (Cottonwood HS)
He was a two-year starter at Cottonwood High. ... Earned Honorable Mention all-state honors in 2007.
JAMIE RIGBY - Wide Receiver
5-10, 165 Freshman
Bountiful, Utah (Bountiful HS)
Earned First Team All-State Class 4A honors by both the Deseret Morning News and Salt Lake Tribune as a defensive back ... Had over 1,700 all-purpose yards and returned one kickoff back for a touchdown. Had 12 interceptions over the past two seasons. Named "Mr. Football" in Region Five for the 2007 season Served as a team captain
JUSTIN TURNER - Offensive Line
6-2, 270 Freshman
Layton, Utah (Layton HS)
Named First Team All-State Class 5A by the Salt Lake Tribune Helped the Lancers advance to the state championship game in Class 5A where they finished second.
JUNIOR COLLEGE TRANFERS
JON WILLIAMS - Placekicker
5-10, 200 Sophmore
San Diego, California
(Point Loma HS/Alcorn Stat /Grossmont JC)
Comes to Weber State after spending a red-shirt season at Grossmont JC in San Diego. Attended Alcorn State as a freshman where he was 8-12 in field goal attempts and earned Second Team All-SWAC honors. ... Will have three seasons of eligibilty remaining.
UTAH SEVEN
CALIFORNIA FIVE
ARIZONA ONE
HAWAI’I ONE
IDAHO ONE
OKLAHOMA ONE
OREGON ONE