Air Force football 2010 recruit bios
DE Moshood Adeniji, Garland, Texas (Garland High)
6-2, 225
A first-team all-district 10-5A performer, Adeniji was “one of our stalwarts on the offensive line and defensive line,” Garland coach Jeff Jordan said. “He’s really strong, plays with great leverage and plays with really good technique.”
Adeniji, who will come directly to the academy, played defensive end for Garland but also slid down to defensive tackle. Jordan said he thinks Adeniji will gain weight and play on the interior of the defensive line for Air Force, but he said Adeniji also could play on the offensive line.
As a senior, Adeniji had 38 tackles, five quarterback pressures and two pass break-ups.
Jordan called Adeniji “a good fit” for Air Force.
Watch a highlight video of Adeniji here.
QB Antonio Andrews, Fort Campbell, KY (Fort Campbell High)
6-0, 193
A three-star recruit, according to Rivals.com, and a big-time addition for the Falcons.
Andrews, who never lost a game in two years as a starting quarterback, was a two-time all-state selection and the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle’s two-time Player of the Year. Following the 2009 season, when he led Fort Campbell to a second consecutive Class 2-A title, he was named Kentucky’s Gatorade Player of the Year and Kentucky’s Mr. Football.
In his career, Andrews threw for 3,365 yards and 50 touchdowns and ran for 3,368 yards and 56 scores.
Fort Campbell coach Shawn Berner told the Leaf-Chronicle that Andrews “is extremely special. He’s a great kid, a tremendous athlete.”
Andrews chose Air Force over Western Kentucky, and he also had a scholarship offer from Louisville. He’ll first attend the academy prep school.
Watch a highlight video of Andrews here.
MLB Austin Arias, Peoria, AZ (Centennial)
6-0, 215; 4.85 40-yard dash
The Desert West Region Defensive Player of the Year – and a three-star recruit, according to Scout.com – Arias made 98 tackles in his senior season after making 96 as a junior.
He also was a great leader, according to Richard Taylor, Centennial’s coach. Taylor noted that of the 65 votes players cast for team captain, Arias received 64. The only player on the team who didn’t vote for Arias was Arias.
“He’s a kid with honor, integrity and commitment,” Taylor said. “He’s somebody that we’re all very proud of.”
Arias also played H-back for Centennial and was an “outstanding” receiver and blocker, Taylor said, who helped pave the way for a 2,000-yard rusher. But Arias projects as an inside linebacker at the academy.
“He’s an excellent run-stopper from tackle to tackle,” Taylor said. “He plays good pass defense too. I think it’s because he’s pretty smart. He’s the kind of guy who knows down and distance tendencies, pass tendencies, field position tendencies, formation group tendencies. He just was very smart.”
Watch a highlight video of Arias here.
OL/DL Brantley Beck, Gainesville, GA (Chestatee High)
6-4, 220
A second-team all-region selection on offense, Beck has “tremendous upside,” his high school coach, Stan Luttrell, told the Gainesville Times.
Beck, according to the paper, set a Chestatee record for knock-down blocks his senior season. And this was his first season playing on the offensive line. Beck was a high school quarterback in Indiana before moving to Georgia.
Watch a highlight video of Beck here.
CB Fred Blow, Humble, Texas (Atascocita High)
5-10, 170; 4.5 40-yard dash
Blow made the District 5A-19 all-academic team.
Watch a highlight video of the athletic corner here.
WR Stacey Blunt, Dublin, OH (Scioto High)
6-1, 173; 4.77 40-yard dash
Blunt was an honorable mention Associated Press all-Central District Division II selection.
Watch a highlight video of Blunt here.
Ath Dylan Bungum, Dodge Center, MN (Triton High)
6-4, 200
Triton coach Don Henderson had Dylan Bungum do a little bit of everything.
“He was a kid who was such a good athlete that we did move him around the field,” Henderson said. “He played wide receiver, tight end, quarterback, and on defense played some corner, some outside linebacker, some defensive end.”
As a senior, Bungum caught 10 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns, made 48 tackles and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns – “which, for a guy that size, is obviously showing you some athletic ability,” Henderson said.
Described as a “rangy” kid who runs well (check him out running the high hurdles), the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Bungum sounds like an outside linebacker in the Air Force 3-4 defense. Henderson said Bungum has lots of “upside.”
“His dad’s a big, strapping guy and a former college football player, and his mom was an All-American hurdler at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse,” Bungum said. “He’s not a guy that you’ll go, ‘Wow,’ about when he walks on campus. But two years from now, he’ll be 6-4 or 6-5 and 245 (pounds) and be able to run well and do some good things for the program.”
Henderson also said he thinks Bungum will fit in well at the academy.
“He’s a very disciplined, hard-working, yes-sir-no-sir kid,” Henderson said. “He can take an ass-chewing and doesn’t curl up in the fetal position. He looks you right in the eye and goes and does what you asked him to do.”
Watch some Bungum football highlights here.
TE Riley Cannon, Johnstown, OH (Johnstown High)
6-4, 215
The versatile Cannon played several positions this season, including quarterback, tight end, defensive end and linebacker, and was a Central all-district special mention performer. Also a standout basketball player, he likely projects as a tight end at the academy.
Johnstown football coach Mike Carter told The Advocate newspaper that Cannon is “a tremendous athlete and a hard worker.” Carter added that he thought Air Force “liked that (Cannon) was versatile enough to play several different positions.”
FB/LB Riley Carr, Mill Creek, WA (Henry M. Jackson High)
6-0, 225; 4.64 40-yard dash
Carr started at inside linebacker for Jackson as a freshman and was a two-way starter (running back and linebacker) as a sophomore, junior and senior.
“Riley’s a very gifted football player,” Jackson coach Joel Vincent said. “You don’t get too many kids that start at inside linebacker for us as a ninth grader.”
As a senior, Carr made 87 tackles with two sacks and three interceptions. And on offense, as the running back in a single-back, spread offense, he rushed for 702 yards and 17 touchdowns on 97 carries (7.2 yards-per-carry) and caught 29 passes for 567 yards and seven more scores.
“As good a runner and as physical and punishing as he is, he has a great set of hands and an understanding of the passing game,” Vincent said. “Defensively he went from sideline to sideline and was very physical. He is just a well-rounded all-around player – heck, he even handled our punting duties the last couple seasons.”
Vincent said he believes Air Force initially will put Carr at fullback but said he would not at all be surprised if Carr is moved to defense.
Vincent called Carr “a great student” and “a magnificent citizen around school and the community.” He was voted a captain as a junior and senior.
“I’ve been coaching high school football for 20 years, been a head coach for 12, and you don’t run across these kinds of kids too often,” Vincent said.
Watch a highlight video of Carr here.
WR Clayton Cooper, Springtown, Texas (Springtown High)
6-2, 190
In 2009 he caught 50 passes for 754 yards and six touchdowns and also ran for 601 yards and six more touchdowns on 80 carries. He was a first-team all-District 6-4A selection.
Watch highlights of Cooper here.
TE Sean Craig, Tucson, AZ (Salpointe Catholic High)
6-3, 220; 4.69 40-yard dash
A three-star recruit, according to Rivals.com, Craig was a first-team all-conference performer and team captain for Salpointe Catholic, which won its third straight region championship.
“He was the guy that I think everybody looked to to lead our team,” Salpointe Catholic coach Dennis Bene said. “We kind of went as Sean went, and he had a great year for us.”
As a senior, Craig caught a team-high 18 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. He also made 42 tackles and a team-high 4.5 sacks.
“He’s got really, really good hands,” Bene said. “I thought he needed to improve in his run blocking in his senior year, and he did that. He’s just really athletic for a kid that’s 6-3, and he runs really well. He will surprise people with his speed.
“He’s a guy that can transition and potentially play a defensive end or an outside linebacker for Air Force. They’re getting a very, very good athlete, a kid that can play on both sides of the ball.”
S Christian Cummings, Jefferson City, MO (Jefferson City High)
5-11, 195
A two-year captain and three-year letterman, Cummings was Jefferson City’s Defensive Player of the Year as a senior (voted on by coaches and teammates).
Cummings also was a first-team all-state selection as a junior, a second-team all-state selection as a senior and will pay in the Missouri High School Football All-Star game on July 17 at the University of Central Missouri.
Jefferson City played a game televised nationally by CBS College Sports Network last fall and won the game, 20-18, when Cummings blocked a field goal.
According his father, Cummings plans to major in either aeronautical or astronomical engineering.
Watch a highlight video of Cummings here.
DB Martinez Davis, Madisonville, KY (North Hopkins)
5-10, 170
Named honorable mention all-state by Louisville Courier-Journal.
Watch highlights of Davis here.
TE Ben DeMarr, Phoenix, AZ (Mountain Pointe High)
6-4, 203
Helped pave the way for two running backs to combine for 3,508 rushing yards and 51 TDs in 12-1 season.
RB Jonathan Diaz, Temecula, Calif. (Chaparral High)
5-7, 165
Helped lead team to CIF-Southern Section Inland Division title.
Watch Diaz highlights here.
C Bobby Dunn, Carol Stream, Ill. (Glenbard North High)
6-2, 240
Dunn started at offensive tackle but comes to Air Force as a longsnapping specialist.
Watch him longsnap here.
OT Jacob Ehm, Scottsdale, AZ (Chaparral High)
6-6, 245; 4.79 40-yard dash
According to Scout.com, Ehm is a three-star recruit who also received offers from Nevada, New Mexico, Washington State and San Diego State
FB Brandon Ellison, Friendswood, TX (Clear Brook High)
6-0, 200; 4.6 40-yard dash
Ellison is a prototypical triple-option fullback, though his high school coach, Paul Lanier, said “he’s not just a bruiser – he’s got the ability to make some moves.”
In 2008, Ellison rushed for 1,381 yards and 12 touchdowns, and in 2009 he rushed for 1,185 yards and 17 touchdowns for Clear Brook, which runs the triple-option out of the flexbone.
A team captain and offensive most valuable player for Clear Brook this past season, Ellison also was recruited by Army and Navy, Lanier said.
“I think he’s going to do well,” Lanier said. “He fits in that offense well, and he’s a hard-working kid, takes care of his body, he’s in the weight room … He’s always worked extra – so he’s that type of kid.”
WR Dillon Farley, Keller, TX (Keller High)
6-5, 195
One of the top 50 recruits in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to the FW Star-Telegram
OT Joe Frank, Moorpark, Calif. (Moorpark High)
6-4, 290
An all-Ventura County selection and the Marmonte League Lineman of the Year.
Watch a video of him here.
DT A.J. Frieler, Greeley, Co. (Greeley West High)
6-5, 250; 4.8 40-yard dash
A Denver Post all-Colorado selection as an offensive lineman.
QB Austin Gouldsmith, Grain Valley, MO (Grain Valley High)
6-1, 188
A second-team all-state Class 4 selection as an “athlete.”
According to Grain Valley coach Forrest Rovello, Gouldsmith “is blessed with tremendous physical ability” and made excellent decisions in running Grain Valley’s option attack.
Watch a video of him here.
QB Mitch Griebel, Littleton, CO (Heritage High)
6-0, 180; 4.6 40-yard dash
One of the biggest high school stars in Colorado.
After starting in the secondary as a freshman (and earning all-league honors), Griebel moved to quarterback and posted a 33-5 record in three seasons as a starter.
As a senior, Griebel led Littleton to the Colorado 4A title. He was the MVP of the title game as well as the Colorado 4A Player of the Year after completing 123-of-180 passes for 2,150 yards and 35 touchdowns and rushing for 1,300 yards and 19 scores.
His career numbers are staggering. Including:
-Over 8,000 yards of total offense (5,350 yards passing; 2,670 yards rushing)
-Returned/rushed/passed for 115 career touchdowns
-14 career interceptions (five touchdowns)
-271 Career Tackles (fifth in school history)
-20.5 Yards Per Punt Return (four touchdowns)
With the ability to pass and run, Griebel, who will first attend the academy prep school, is what Air Force coach Troy Calhoun is looking for in a quarterback. And Littleton coach Mike Griebel (Mitch’s father), said quarterback is almost certainly what his son will play at the academy – he’s been invited to observe Air Force’s spring practices to begin learning the Falcons’ terminology.
Griebel had offers from North Dakota, South Dakota and Princeton but chose Air Force after studying the academy.
“He talked to some current Falcons and past Falcons who went through the system,” his father said. “He really tried to research it because it’s a big step. … He knows it’s going to be tough and that it’s a grind. He understands that. But I think he’s ready for that challenge and wants to do that.”
Watch Griebel highlights here and here.
RB Broam Hart, Alvarado, Texas (Alvarado High)
6-1, 194; 4.55 40-yard dash
Hart, whose first name is pronounced BRO-am, was on the Alvarado varsity for three seasons and played tailback for an I-formation offense. He rushed for a little more than 4,700 yards in his career, including more than 2,000 as a junior and 1,972 as a senior.
“We’re gonna miss him,” Alvarado coach Jeff Dixon said. “He’s a big back that has very good speed.”
Dixon said he thought Hart could step in and play as a freshman at Air Force “because I think his physical size and strength are ahead of most incoming freshmen.”
Hart also had a scholarship offer from North Texas.
Another note on Hart – he preaches every fourth Sunday at the Westside Church of Christ.
“He does a fine job speaking,” Dixon said. “Does a great job.”
LB Jared Jones, Chandler, AZ (Basha High)
6-1, 200
A first-team all-Central region linebacker in 2009.
OL Drew Kerber, Blue Springs MO (Blue Springs)
6-3, 280
A three-year starter and Kansas City Star all-Metro selection, he helped the Blue Springs offense average more than 400 yards per game
LB Seth Kline, Yakima, WA (Eisenhower High)
6-1, 215
Kline, according to Eisenhower coach Dan Eyman, is “a power player, but he runs really well, a really high-impact player.”
Eyman said Kline was getting looks from Washington State and Washington and Boise State “a little bit,” but that Air Force “came along early, and I think they stole him.
“His criteria was to play in bowl games and go to a school with great academics.”
Kline was a three-time first-team linebacker in the Big Nine Conference and the league’s defensive player of the year as a senior when he made 123 tackles, including 19 for losses, forced four fumbles and recovered two in leading Eisenhower to an 11-1 record.
He will come directly to the academy.
“He’s not going to need a heck of a lot of development,” Eyman said. “He’s physically ready to play.”
Watch a video of him here.
RB Anthony LaCoste, Albany, OR (West Albany High)
5-11, 193; 4.46 40-yard dash
A three-time 5A all-state first-team selection, LaCoste helped West Albany reach the state championship game as a sophomore and junior and the state semifinals as a senior.
West Albany coach Randy Nyquist told the Albany Democrat-Herald that he considers LaCoste the best player in the history of the program “and it’s not even close.” The paper said Nyquist “has been watching Bulldog football since 1967.”
LaCoste finished his career with 6,419 yards and 87 touchdowns on 649 carries (9.25 yards-per-carry average) and is third on Oregon’s all-time high school rushing list among all classifications.
Watch a LaCoste highlight video here.
WR Al Lasker, Carrollton, TX (Newman Smith High)
6-0, 167; 4.57 40-yard dash
Associated Press 4A all-state second-team selection helped Newman Smith reach the regional semifinal.
Ath Jon Lee, Winder, GA (Apalachee)
5-10, 185; 4.55 40-yard dash
A three-star recruit, according to Rivals.com, he earned honorable mention Class AAAA all-state honors.
Watch Lee's junior season highlights here.
DT Steven Lester, Mundelein, IL (Carmel High)
6-2, 265
Standout wrestler earned all-state special mention honors on the football field.
Watch a highlight video of Lester here.
WR Keith Link, Highlands Ranch, CO (Rock Canyon High)
6-3, 210; 4.73 40-yard dash
Class 4A All-State honorable mention selection.
Watch Link's highlights here.
DL David Lore, Jenks, OK (Jenks High)
6-2, 255
A second-team all-state selection and team captain, Lore helped Jenks compile a 13-1 record and reach the 6A state championship game.
DE Dana Luebbe, Naples, FL (Gulf Coast High)
6-4, 240
A two-time all-conference selection in both football and wrestling, Luebbe averaged 4.6 tackles per game as a senior.
Watch a highlight video of Luebbe here.
DB Ty MacArthur, Newhall, CA (William Hart High)
5-9, 155
According to the Los Angeles Times, Air Force is the school MacArthur has wanted to attend since he was a sophomore in high school.
The paper also wrote, in its Varsity Times blog, that MacArthur was “one of the hardest hitters in the Foothill League.”
DB Jordan Mays, Cary, NC (Middle Creek)
6-1, 170
A team captain and all-conference selection, Mays also participates in track and field. He has a 4.0 grade-point average and earned academic all-conference honors.
Watch a video of him here.
QB Mike McNamara, Austin, Texas (St. Michael’s Academy)
5-11, 165; 4.76 40-yard dash
Running quarterback guided St. Michael’s to the playoffs.
Watch McNamara's 2008 highlights here.
RB Anthony Meray, Spanaway, WA (Bethel High)
5-9, 185; 4.47 40-yard dash
First-team all-state selection rushed for 2,003 yards and set league record with 2,741 all-purpose yards.
Watch Meray's highlight film here.
CB Brendan Murphy, Scottsdale, AZ (Chaparral High)
5-9.5, 162; 4.53 40-yard dash
Helped lead team to 13-1 mark and state championship.
Watch video of him here.
MLB Joey Nichol, Leander, Texas (Cedar Park High)
6-1, 215; 4.67 40-yard dash
As a junior, Nichol was Cedar Park’s Defensive Player of the Year on a team that included five eventual Division I players. As a senior he led Cedar Park to the district title and earned all-district honors.
“He has tremendous instincts, and he’s a great downhill player,” Cedar Park coach Chris Ross said. “His first three steps are outstanding, and he’s very difficult to block because he uses his hands so well.”
Ross said Nichol had other offers but “fell in love” with the academy.
Watch video of him here.
K Cody Rademacher, Austin, Texas (Westlake High)
5-10, 183
Impressive stats are great for kickers, but more important is how kickers perform under pressure. So consider this:
In the 2009 Texas Class 5A Division I state title game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Rademacher drilled a 31-yard field goal in overtime to give his team a 38-35 advantage. The opponent, Trinity, scored a touchdown on its possession in overtime to win the game, but Rademacher’s clutch kick remains impressive.
“He came through at the pinnacle of all tough situations and just drained it,” Westlake coach Darrenn Allman said. “He is a big-time kicker. He’s a great sign for Air Force.”
Rademacher, who also handled punting for Westlake, was “very consistent" on field goals up to close to 50 yards, Allman said, though he did hit his one attempt from more than 49 yards – a 52-yarder.
Allman also called Rademacher “a great leader, just a great person and a great student.”
Watch a video of Rademacher here.
OL Jacob Reynolds, Dallas, TX (Trinity Christian Academy)
6-3, 245; 4.85 40-yard dash
A Texas Association of Private & Parochial Schools (TAPPS) first-team all-state selection on offense and defense, Reynolds helped lead Trinity Christian Academy to the state championship game in the largest school division (5A) of TAPPS. Trinity lost in overtime to Fort Worth Nolan Catholic, 21-20.
Reynolds started at right offensive tackle and right defensive end as a senior. In 14 games he made 59 tackles and 12 sacks and recovered a fumble.
An academic all-state selection, Reynolds owns a 3.8 grade-point average and will enter the academy directly in the fall. He will participate in the State of Texas Private Schools North-South All-Star game on June 19.
Watch a video of Reynolds' defensive highlights here.
OLB Alberto Sanabria, Gainesville, GA (Gainesville High)
6-0, 190; 4.75 40-yard dash
Gainesville quarterback Blake Sims has committed to play for Alabama, and the only player Gainesville coach Bruce Miller has ever seen tackle Sims in the open field is Sanabria.
“He’s one of the best open-field tacklers I’ve ever seen,” Miller said. “He tackles like a defensive back in the open field. He’s just got incredible range and a way of finding and making plays in space.”
Miller said Sanabria would be a great fit at outside linebacker for the Falcons.
“To me, those outside linebackers in a 3-4 scheme have to be a hybrid defensive back-defensive lineman,” Miller said.
Miller also said Sanabria has “a mean streak in him that you look for and want from a defensive end.”
Watch highlights of Sanabria here.
LB Bret Shannon, Aurora, IL (Geneva High)
6-2, 211
Shannon, who also considered Army and several Ivy League schools, made 111 tackles in 11 games for an Illinois powerhouse program.
RB/DB Ben Souther, Gainesville, GA (Chestatee High)
6-0, 200
Souther turned down offers from Georgia Southern, Central Florida and Western Kentucky, among other schools, to join high school teammate Beck at the academy.
Watch a highlight video of Souther here.
QB Jake Trubiano, Columbus, OH (Hilliard Davidson)
5-11, 177
Trubiano hails from the same high school as current Air Force quarterback Connor Dietz, who started several games for Air Force as a sophomore in 2009.
Like Dietz did as a junior in high school, Trubiano led Hilliard Davidson to a state title as a senior. He rushed for 196 yards in a 16-15 upset of Cleveland Glenville in the Division I title game, capping the game-winning drive with a two-point conversion run in the final minute. Read more about him here.
OL Tristian Turknett, Dallas (Skyline High)
6-2, 287
A second-team all-district performer.
Watch Turknett's highlight video here.
K Steve Valadez, Arlington, Texas (Bowie High)
5-10, 175
An honorable mention all-state performer at punter.
FB Mark Weisman, Lincolnshire, Ill. (Stevenson High)
6-0, 210
How’s this for dependability?
“Let’s put it this way,” said former Stevenson High coach Bill Mitz, who retired after the 2009 season, “he started for me for three years and never fumbled the football – not one fumble in a game. And during those years he rushed for about 4,000 yards.”
How’s this for leadership?
Every year for 28 years as a head coach, Mitz held a player vote to determine who would be his team captain. Until this past season.
“I told (Mark) he’d be our captain,” Mitz said.
How’s this for work ethic?
Mitz said he had two players who really lived in the weight room in his time as a head coach. One was Matt O’Dwyer, who ended up playing in the NFL from 1995 through 2004. The other was Weisman.
From Stevenson High (which produced former starting safety Bobby Giannini, a 2008 academy grad), Weisman is a “very physical, pounding fullback,” Mitz said, who could make an immediate impact. During his senior season he averaged 23 carries per game and rushed for 1,657 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Many schools across the country wanted Weisman as an inside linebacker. But Weisman wanted to play fullback. And Air Force is one of the few schools that still uses a fullback.
Watch Weisman's highlight video here.
OG Jake Welch, Longview, WA (Mark Morris High)
6-3, 290
Four-year starter was 2A all-state selection in 2009.
OT Charlie Zemko, Tyrone, GA (Sandy Creek High)
6-3, 250
Honorable mention Class AAAA all-state performer.
