T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f

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1 T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Toledo Football Release CONTACT: Paul Helgren (419) Feb. 4, 2009 For more information, please go to Rockets Get Commitments from 19 Student-Athletes in 2009 Recruiting Class TOLEDO - Tim Beckman released the names of the University of Toledo s 2009 football recruiting class on Wednesday, and the Rockets new head coach could not have been more satisfied with the results of his staff s first recruiting effort. We looked at a lot of film very quickly to help determine our most immediate needs, said Beckman, who became UT s head coach in December following 21 years as an assistant at six different schools, most recently as Oklahoma State s defensive coordinator. This recruiting class meets almost every position need we have. Of the 19 recruits, seven are from the state of Ohio, three are from Florida, two are from Texas, and one each comes from Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Our first goal will always be to recruit our prime recruiting area a radius of five hours from Toledo, said Beckman. But we have a staff with connections to a lot of different parts of the country so we took advantage of that. In addition, Beckman announced that three players who originally signed with the Rockets in 2008 but delayed enrollment at UT until this semester, have already joined the team and will participate in spring drills. They are WR/KR Leroy Houston (Daytona Beach, FL), RB Darius Reeves (Columbus, OH) and DB Jermaine Robinson (Pittsburgh, PA). All will be true freshmen in Beckman was hired on Dec. 4 and he immediately went to work putting together a coaching staff and his first recruiting class. Despite having the disadvantage of starting the recruiting process later than most schools, the UT staff had great success in bringing 19 outstanding prospects into the Rocket family. We started from scratch, said Beckman. We had only two verbal commitments when we arrived. It was like seven weeks of a two-minute drill for recruiting. I m proud and enthusiastic about the way our staff worked to sign 19 quality football players. The following is a synopsis of the Rockets 2009 recruiting class: - Continued next page-

2 Toledo Football Recruits, page 2 Manny Bell, OL, 6-6, 275, Pittsburgh, PA-Schenley Manny Bell was named first-team all-city by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review as a senior, and honorable mention all-city as a junior. Bell also throws the shot and discus for the track team. High School Coach: Jason Bell Anticipated Major: Education UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Emily Creamer, College of Education Coach Beckman: Manny is a big, powerful offensive lineman. He s exactly what we need right now. We pursued him very aggressively, and we are happy he has chosen to become a Rocket. Robert Bell, LB, 6-0, 222, Grand Rapids, MI-East Grand Rapids A three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Robert Bell was named first-team all-state in Division 3-4 by the Associated Press. Bell also made first-team all-conference, as well as the Grand Rapids Press area Dream Team, in both his junior and senior seasons. Bell starred at fullback, defensive end and linebacker on East Grand Rapids teams that won state championships in 2007 and As a senior, he had 38 tackles, four sacks, eight pass breakups and three forced fumbles. As a junior, Bell racked up 74 tackles, 13 sacks, one interception and eight forced fumbles. High School Coach: Peter Stuursma Anticipated Major: Sports Management UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Marie Johnson-Ham, Academic Advisor Coach Beckman: Robert is a defensive playmaker. He s a winner from a winning program. Julian Bellinger, WR, 6-1, 175, Lithonia, GA-Lithonia Julian Bellinger earned first-team all-county honors in both his junior and senior seasons, and was selected to play in the DeKalb County All-Star Game. Bellinger, who also played quarterback and defensive back for Lithonia, produced at least one touchdown in six different ways as a senior: passing, rushing, receiving, kickoff return, punt return and interception return. He is rated as the No. 123 player in Georgia by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Bellinger is also a top track and basketball star and reportedly has a 40-inch vertical jump. His AAU basketball team (Atlanta Celtics) won a national championship in In track, he was third in the region in the 200 meters. High School Coach: Earl White UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Clint Longenecker, College of Business Coach Beckman: Julian has outstanding speed and great hands. He s also an outstanding return man. Byron Best, DB, 5-9, 185, Greenwood, SC-Greenwood Byron Best earned first-team all-state honors as a senior and was chosen to play in the North-South All-Star Game. He had 53 tackles and six interceptions as a senior, as well as one TD off a kickoff return and another off a punt return. As a junior, Best had 45 tackles and three interceptions to go with three TDs off kickoff returns. Best played on a Greenwood team that won a state championship in his sophomore season. He also runs track, and reportedly had the fastest time of any participant at a recent Nike Combine in Charlotte. High School Coach: Shell Dula Coach Beckman: Byron is a winner. He s a very aggressive defensive back and an excellent returner.

3 Toledo Football Recruits, page 3 Ryan Casano, PK/P, 5-10, 175, Dripping Springs, TX-Dripping Springs / Orange Coast (CA) Community College Ryan Casano handled the place-kicking duties for one season at Orange Coast Community College. He made 12-of-20 field goals with a long of 45 yards, and averaged 56.5 yards per kickoff. As a prep, Casano handled the punting and place-kicking duties for Dripping Springs (TX) High School. As a punter, he made all-district and academic all-state. He had 31 touchbacks, eight punts inside the 20 and three punts inside the five. As a placekicker, he made second-team all-district. Casano, who was born in Rome, Italy, was a national combine winner in 2007 with a 58-yard field goal. High School Coach: Howard Ballard Junior College Coach: Mike Taylor Anticipated Major: Business UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Clint Longenecker, College of Business Coach Beckman: Ryan was the second-rated junior college kicker in the nation. He has outstanding leg strength. Austin Dantin, QB, 6-2, 185, Tallahassee, FL-Leon A three-year starter at quarterback, Austin Dantin excelled as both a passer and runner for Tallahassee Leon High School. He earned honorable mention Class 4A all-state and first-team All-Big Bend (northern Florida) honors as a senior, completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,856 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also rushed for 254 yards and nine scores. As a junior, Dantin passed for 2,680 yards and 24 touchdowns, adding 836 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground on his way to second-team All-Big Bend honors. His sophomore statistics were 686 yards rushing with 16 scores, and 980 yards passing with eight TD throws. Dantin also is the leading scorer on the basketball team and earned first-team All-Big Bend honors as a junior. High School Coach: Bill Ragans Anticipated Major: Engineering UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistants: Brian Randolph and John Pawlecki, College of Engineering Coach Beckman: Austin is a playmaker and a champion. Our staff has been following his high school career for a long time, and we are very happy to have him join the Rocket family. T.J. Fatinikun, DE, 6-2, 230, Perrysburg, OH-Perrysburg T.J. Fatinikun made first-team all-conference, first-team all-district and special mention all-state as a senior, and second-team all-league as a junior. Fatinikun, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, recorded 65 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a senior. As a junior, he totaled 55 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. His numbers as a sophomore were 73 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. High School Coach: Matt Kregel Coach Beckman: T.J. is a playmaker. He may be the best defensive player in the Toledo area this year.

4 Toledo Football Recruits, page 4 Zac Kerin, OL, 6-5, 270, Delaware, OH-Olentangy Kerin, a center/defensive tackle, made first-team all-district and special mention all-state for Olentangy High School. He also was selected to play in the North-South All-Star Game. As a senior, Kerin played center for the first time, helping the Braves rush for 1,476 yards and throw for 1,736. On defense, he had 55 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was a team captain and offensive MVP for Olentangy, as well as the special teams MVP. As a junior, Kerin played exclusively on defense, making 45 tackles. High School Coach: Ed Terwilliger Anticipated Major: Engineering UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistants: Brian Randolph and John Pawlecki, College of Engineering Coach Beckman: Zac is an athletic offensive lineman who is very committed and very disciplined. Dan Molls, LB, 6-1, 215, North Royalton, OH-Padua Franciscan Dan Molls was rated as the No. 8 inside linebacker in Ohio by Rivals.com and listed by ESPN.com as a top Ohio Player to Watch. A three-time all-district honoree, Molls was a first-team Division II all-state selection in both his junior and senior seasons. He was the district Division II Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, averaging better than 14 tackles per game. A National Honor Society member, Molls also was an all-conference baseball player and participated on the track team. High School Coach: Tony Shuman Anticipated Major: Physical Therapy UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Dr. Michelle Masterson, Department of Physical Therapy Coach Beckman: Dan is a dedicated player who lives and breathes the game. He s a coach s son. I played with his father, Andy Molls, who was a great player at the University of Kentucky. Terrance Owens, QB, 6-3, 165, Cleveland, OH-Glenville Terrance Owens threw for 1,258 yards and 14 TDs, adding three more scores on the ground to lead Cleveland Glenville to a 12-1 record in his senior season. Rated as the No. 4 quarterback in Ohio by Scout.com, Owens was named first-team all-area by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, first-team all-conference and second-team all-state. As a junior, Owens threw for 1,200 yards and 13 TDs, securing first-team all-conference recognition. Owens was an honor roll student all four years in high school. High School Coach: Ted Ginn Anticipated Major: Business UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Clint Longenecker, College of Business Coach Beckman: Terrance has a strong arm, and he is a great decision-maker on the field. Eric Page, Athlete, 5-10, 165, Toledo, OH-Springfield Eric Page was a versatile player for Springfield High School, playing quarterback, running back, kicker, punter, punt returner and safety. As a senior, he was named Northwest Ohio s Player of the Year by the Toledo Blade, racking up 2,381 yards on 256 rushes and 1,102 yards passing on 71-of-133 attempts. He ran for 34 TDs, passed for 11 more and kicked 47 extra points. He also was the Ohio Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year, league MVP and a first-team all-state selection. As a junior, Page ran for 2,039 yards and 23 TDs, and passed for 1,137 yards and 17 scores, earning second-team all-state and first-team all-league honors. Five times, including four as a senior, Page posted 300-yard rushing games. Including kickoff and punt-return yardage, Page compiled 8,800 yards of total offense in his career. High School Coach: Dave Connelly Anticipated Major: Criminal Justice UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Mark Wintgens, Criminal Justice Academic Advisor Coach Beckman: Eric may be the best player to come out of the Toledo area this year. He will be a very versatile player for us. He could be a kick returner, a wide receiver and a running back.

5 Toledo Football Recruits, page 5 Ben Pike, DL, 6-3, 245, Mentor, OH-Mentor Ben Pike was named the Ohio Division II Defensive Player of the Year, totaling 70 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks. Pike was a first-team Division I All-Ohio selection as a senior, as well as the Northeast Lakes District Co-Defensive Player of the Year and the Lake County Touchdown Club Division I-II Defensive Player of the Year. A National Honor Society member, Pike also played tight end for Mentor and is a starter on the basketball team. High School Coach: Steve Trivisonno Anticipated Major: Education UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Emily Creamer, College of Education Coach Beckman: Ben has outstanding quickness for a lineman. He comes from a great program that has produced many top college players. Johnie Roberts, DL, 6-3, 290, Hattiesburg, MS-Hattiesburg / Pearl River Community College Johnie Roberts played two seasons at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, MS. He helped lead the Wildcats into the championship game of the Mississippi Junior College state tournament this past season with 40 tackles, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He was ranked among the top 20 junior college defensive linemen and top 150 overall in the country by JCGridiron.com. Roberts played his high school football at Hattiesburg (MS) High School, where he had 99 tackles as a senior. High School Coach: Doug Haynes Junior College Coach: Tim Hatten Coach Beckman: Johnie meets our need at defensive line. He comes from a great junior college program at Pearl River. He should be an impact player for us next year. Christian Smith, DE, 6-2, 240, Oklahoma City, OK-Carl Albert Christian Smith had 94 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks as a senior while leading his team to the Class 5A championship game. He was selected first-team all-state by the Oklahoma Coaches Association, named the district lineman of the year and selected to play in the Oklahoma East-West All-Star game. As a junior, Smith made second-team all-city, honorable mention all-district and honorable mention all-state. He was a starter as a sophomore, helping the Titans to a state championship title. High School Coach: Gary Rose Coach Beckman: Christian comes from a championship program. He has great quickness off the ball which makes him a very effective edge pass rusher. Troy Smith, DB, 5-10, 165, Indianapolis, IN-Pike Troy Smith had 43 tackles and eight interceptions as a senior, earning all-conference, all-county and honorable mention Class 5A all-state honors. Smith also was selected to the Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 list. As a junior, Smith had 41 tackles and one interception. High School Coach: Derek Moyers Coach Beckman: Troy has exceptional feet and excellent ball skills.

6 Toledo Football Recruits, page 6 Ben Steele, DL, 6-4, 260, Venice, FL-Venice Ben Steele is a four-time letterwinner who had 93 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles as a senior. He also lettered four times in track and weightlifting. He was a state finalist in the shot put as a junior. Steele helped lead Venice High School to district championships in 2007 and 2008 in one of the most competitive districts in the country. Steele also plays on the Venice High School basketball team. High School Coach: John Peacock UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Clint Longenecker, College of Business Coach Beckman: Ben has great strength and athletic ability for a defensive lineman. Richard Steele, DB, 6-0, 185, Cincinnati, OH-LaSalle Richard Steele made first-team all-conference and honorable mention all-district as a senior defensive back at Cincinnati LaSalle. Ohio High Magazine rates him the No. 51 player in Ohio, while ESPN.com ranks him No. 68 among cornerbacks in the nation. He had 51 tackles, one interception and four pass breakups as a senior, and 56 tackles, one interception and 15 pass breakups as a junior. Steele also threw for four TDs at quarterback. He is a member of the track team. High School Coach: Tom Gippa Anticipated Major: Education UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Emily Creamer, College of Education Coach Beckman: Richard has great cover ability and athletic ability. He also has that great burst of speed you like to see in a defensive back. Daxton Swanson, DB, 5-10, 165, Waco, TX-La Vega Daxton Swanson earned second-team all-state honors as a cornerback and honorable mention honors as a wide receiver for La Vega High School in Waco, TX. Swanson led the state in interceptions with 13 to go along with 56 tackles and 20 pass breakups, helping his team make the Class 3A state championship game. He also was the Pirates leading receiver with 34 catches for 868 yards and seven TDs. Swanson also earned first-team all-district honors on both offense and defense, and was chosen to play in the Texas All-Star Game. Swanson was injured for most of his junior season, but did manage three interceptions and 17 tackles on defense, as well as 12 receptions for 360 yards and three TDs on offense. As a junior, Swanson was a member of his school s 4x100 relay team that finished runner-up in the state championship meet, and the 4x200 relay team that finished fourth. High School Coach: Willie Williams Coach Beckman: Daxton has a great explosion and burst. He s a very competitive young man. Edward Williams, WR, 6-2, 188, Tampa, FL-Alonso Edward Williams had 31 receptions for 456 yards and six TDs as a senior, earning honorable mention all-county honors and a spot in the Hillsborough County All-Star Game. He caught 18 passes for 350 yards as a junior and accumulated 512 all-purpose yards as a sophomore. Williams also plays baseball for Tampa Alonso. High School Coach: Mike Heldt Anticipated Major: Criminal Justice UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Mick Dier, University of Toledo Police Officer Coach Beckman: Edward has great hands, outstanding speed and can also handle returns.

7 Toledo Football Recruits, page Signees Who Delayed Enrollment Until January, 2009 Leroy Houston, WR/KR, 5-11, 180, Daytona Beach, FL-Seabreeze Leroy Houston caught 34 passes for 434 yards and four TDs, rushed for 1,069 yards and 14 TDs in 122 attempts and averaged 17 yards per punt return as a senior in He earned first-team Class 4A all-state and first-team All Central Florida (all classifications) honors, and was named the Volusia County Offensive Player of the Year. As a junior, he had 33 receptions for 440 yards and nine TDs, rushed for 820 yards on 159 attempts and returned two punts for touchdowns. Houston played in the North-South All-Star Game in 2008 and was rated as the No. 159 running back in the nation by ESPN.com. Darius Reeves, RB, 6-1, 180, Columbus, OH-Gahanna Lincoln Darius Reeves rushed for nearly 4,000 yards and 55 touchdowns in three seasons at Gahanna Lincoln in As a senior, he rushed for more than 1,500 yards and had 30 TDs, earning first-team all-conference and first-team all-district honors. As a junior, he ran for 1,672 yards and 16 scores, earning first-team all-conference, first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state honors. As a sophomore, he was an honorable mention all-district selection, rushing for 800 yards and nine touchdowns. He was ranked as the No. 94 cornerback in the nation by ESPN.com in Jermaine Robinson, DB, 6-3, 195, Pittsburgh, PA-Brashear Jermaine Robinson originally signed with the Rockets in 2008, but instead attended Milford Academy prep school in New Berlin, NY, where he started 12 games at cornerback this past fall. Rated a four-star prep school recruit by Rivals.com, Robinson is enrolled at UT and will participate in 2009 spring practice. Robinson was a quarterback/defensive back in high school, earning first-team all-city honors on defense and offense. He also was the City League Player of the Year and was a first-team 4A all-state honoree on defense. He threw for 1,648 yards and 28 TDs on 96-of-144 passing as a senior. He also rushed for 15 TDs. On defense, he had 89 tackles, six sacks and five interceptions. As a junior, he completed 105-of-190 passes for 1,128 yards and 15 TDs while rushing for 10 scores. He added 90 tackles, eight sacks and five interceptions on his way to first-team City League honors. Coming out of high school, he was rated as the No. 26 safety in the country, No. 17 player in the state of Pennsylvania and a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. He was also ranked No. 39 at safety by ESPN.com.

8 Toledo Football Recruits, page University of Toledo Football Recruiting Class (19) Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown-High School / Junior College Bell, Manny OL Fr. Pittsburgh, PA-Schenley Bell, Robert LB Fr. Grand Rapids, MI-East Grand Rapids Bellinger, Julian WR Fr. Lithonia, GA-Lithonia Best, Byron DB Fr. Greenwood, SC-Greenwood Casano, Ryan PK So. Dripping Spring, TX-Dripping Springs/Orange Coast (CA) C.C. Dantin, Austin QB Fr. Tallahassee, FL-Leon Fatinikun, T.J. DE Fr. Perrysburg, OH-Perrysburg Kerin, Zac OL Fr. Delaware, OH-Olentangy Molls, Dan LB Fr. North Royalton, OH-Padua Franciscan Owens, Terrance QB Fr. Cleveland, OH-Glenville Page, Eric Athlete Fr. Toledo, OH-Springfield Pike, Ben DL Fr. Mentor, OH-Mentor Roberts, Johnie DL Jr. Hattiesburg, MS-Hattiesburg / Pearl River C.C. Smith, Christian DE Fr. Oklahoma City, OK-Carl Albert Smith, Troy DB Fr. Indianapolis, IN-Pike Steele, Ben DL Fr. Venice, FL-Venice Steele, Richard DB Fr. Cincinnati, OH-LaSalle Swanson, Daxton DB Fr. Waco, TX-La Vega Williams, Edward WR Fr. Tampa, FL-Alonso 2008 Signees Who Delayed Enrollment Until Jan (3) Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown-High School Houston, Leroy WR/KR Fr. Daytona Beach, FL-Seabreeze Reeves, Darius RB Fr. Columbus, OH-Gahanna Lincoln Robinson, Jermaine DB Fr. Pittsburgh, PA-Brashear 2009 Recruits by State (22) Ohio (8) Florida (4) Pennsylvania (2) Texas (2) Georgia (1) Indiana (1) Michigan (1) Mississippi (1) Oklahoma (1) South Carolina (1)