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FOOTBALL RECRUITING: Ferris State and SVSU go on recruiting spree to end 2012
Ferris State and Saginaw Valley State ended 2012 by stock-piling recruits on the football field.
Over the last two weeks of December, Ferris State wrapped up ten commitments from prep gridiron standouts across the state and Saginaw Valley State collected seven.
The Bulldogs of Ferris State snared quarterback Nick Maher (Woodhaven), running back Malik Washington (Oak Park), wide receivers Brandon Moore (Montague), Chris Bradford (Muskegon Mona Shores), Brian Williams (Oak Park), offensive linemen Marcel Jackson-Byrd (Warren Mott) and David Mann (Kalamazoo Loy Norrix), linebackers Angelo Whittis (River Rouge) and Tristan Eikenroth (Kingsley) and defensive back KC Zenner (Rockford).
The Cardinals of Saginaw Valley State welcomed in wide receivers Chaz Miller (Lake Orion), Leonte Degreffenreid (Dearborn Edsel Ford) and Ryan Anderson (DeWitt), tight end William Farr (Grand Ledge), offensive linemen Antwan Billings (Muskegon) and Matt Thomas (Gibraltar Carlson) and linebacker Kyle Cameron (Salem).
Here’s a little on each recruit:
Ferris State
Maher is a natural athlete under center. He combined for 27 touchdowns this fall and ran for over 1,600 yards, leading the state in rushing for quarterbacks and taking Woodhaven into the playoffs for the second straight year.
An elusive and speedy tailback, Washington racked up 1,387 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground for an Oak Park squad that qualified for the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons and won a league and a district championship apiece. Washington and Williams, a smart and sure-handed split end, were both named all-OAA selections at the conclusion of the year. They join their high school teammate, Brandon Harding (wide receiver), who committed to Ferris State in early December, in the Bullldogs 2013 recruiting class.
Moore (6-3, 200) is a versatile playmaker that was being recruited at the Division I level. His commitment is a coup for the Ferris State coaching staff. After earning all-league honors as a wide receiver as a sophomore and junior – helping Montague to back-to-back district crowns, Moore took over as the team’s starting quarterback this year as a senior and led the Wildcats to an 8-1 regular season record and back to the postseason. With Moore committing, Ferris State was able to round up its second recruit in the past month – along with the explosive Ryheem Stokes (ATH – Grand Rapids Catholic Central) – who could easily be going to play Division I ball next season.
Much like his future teammate Moore, Bradford (5-8 165) is shifty and multi-talented on the gridiron. Able to play several positions, he lined up in the slot at wide receiver, in the backfield at running back, in the secondary at cornerback and returned kicks and punts for Mona Shores.
Jackson-Byrd (6-foot-6 265) and Mann (6-foot-7, 265) are expected to be future anchors for Ferris State up front in the trenches.
An all-state selection, Whittis (6-foot-0 225) is a cat-quick outside linebacker, who played quarterback and took the River Rats to a district championship back in the fall.
Named all-state as a junior, Eickenroth (6-foot-2, 235), is a tenacious inside linebacker who missed his senior year on the gridiron after suffering a broken arm.
Zenner (6-0, 195) is a strong and fast safety that posted 137 tackles as a senior on a Rockford team that appeared in the Division I final four this year.
Saginaw Valley State
Degreffenreid (6-foot-4, 195), Anderson (6-foot-3, 185) and Miller (6-foot-6, 220) are the future receiving corps for the Cardinals and all three are tall and strapping splint ends that can go deep and run picture-perfect fade routes in the red zone.
Farr can catch and block from the tight end spot and will be a nice compliment to the new trio of receivers.
Billings (6-foot-4, 280) and Thomas (6-foot-5, 265) can run block with the best offensive guards in the state.
Cameron is a ballhawk at the middle linebacker position.
While Saginaw Valley State went 8-3 in 2012, Ferris State finished 7-4.
