Concordia University St. Paul Athletics

Concordia University head football coach Mark Mauer has announced that 31 players have committed to the Golden Bears for the 2008 season, signing National Letters of Intent. The 31 players are highlighted by 22 from Minnesota, four from Illinois, three from Wisconsin and one from Iowa and North Dakota.

The list includes 12 skill position players (1 QB, 4 RB, 2 FB, 3 WR and 2 TE) and 20 total offensive players including eight on the offensive line. Defensively, the Golden Bears are bringing in two on the defensive line, seven linebackers and one defensive back. One special teams player (LS) has inked thus far as well.

A capsule look at the 2008 recruiting class below:

State-by-State Breakdown with brief career highlights:

Minnesota (20)
Phil Barlow (Golden Valley/Armstrong)
--Honors: All-conference in football and wrestling

Ed Cotton (Brooklyn Park/Champlin HS)
--Honors: Offensive MVP, all conference, football and wrestling captain, all-conference in wrestling

Nate Dudgeon (Champlin/Champlin HS)
--Honors: Two year letterwinner in football, all-conference in football, three year letterwinner in basketball

Zach Elliott (Ham Lake/Blaine HS)
--Honors: Two year starter, all-conference, selected to the Minnesota State High School all-star game

Dillon Grant (Forest Lake/Forest Lake HS)
--Honors: Two time letterwinner in football, four time letterwinner in track, two time all-conference, section champions, all-state in track

Jarid Jackson (Champlin/Champlin HS)
--Honors: Three year starter, three time all-conference, third team all-metro, honorable mention all-state, first team all-area channel 12, team defensive MVP

Cody Johnson (Eagan/Burnsville HS)
--Honors: Team captain, two year starter

Jay Johnson (St. Paul/Johnson HS/NDSCS)
--Honors: Junior College first team all-conference and first team all-region, three year letterwinner in high school

Jordan Johnson (Oakdale/Tartan HS)
--Honors: Second team all-state, first team all-conference, conference player of the year, team MVP, Kare11 all-metro team, Star Tribune first team all-metro, Pioneer Press all-metro

Charlie Kenet (Bloomington/Kennedy HS)
--Honors: Three year starter, three year letterwinner

Micah Koehn (Lino Lakes/Totino Grace HS)
--Honors: AP all-state, all-metro, two time all-conference, two time state champ, Channel 12 all-area team, Star Tribune athlete of the week, Channel 5 athlete of the week in Prep Bowl

Ben Lemke (Rosemount/Rosemount HS)
--Honors: Letterwinner, started every game as a senior

Bobby Lowery (Blaine/Spring Lake Park HS)
--Honors: All-conference

Sam Metras (Northfield/Randolph HS)
--Honors: Team captain, three year starter, conference champions senior year

Deitrick Mitchell (Brooklyn Park/Cooper HS)
--Honors: Two year starter

Darwayne Moore (St. Paul/Como Park HS)
--Honors: Two year starter

Jeremy Randle (Minneapolis/De La Salle HS)
--Honors: AP first team all-state, all-metro, all-conference, KSTP fab 5 in state of Minnesota

Josh Rosenthal (Bloomington/Jefferson HS/Minnesota State University)
--Honors: Transferring from new NSIC member Minnesota State, Mankato

Zack Sieber (Minnetonka/Minnetonka HS)
--Honors: All-conference as a senior, selected to all-state high school game, two year starter in football

Luke Solberg (Spring Lake Park/Spring Lake Park HS)
--Honors: First team all-conference, three year letterwinner

Jake Spehar (Chisago City/Chisago Lakes HS)
--Honors: All-conference, started every game, named to the special forces team at Chisago Lakes HS

Kyle Willetts (Buffalo/Buffalo HS)
--Honors: Three year letterwinner in football, track and basketball, all-state in track

Illinois (4)
Sam Campbell (Prairie Ridge/Prairie Ridge HS)
--Honors: Team captain, Two time all-conference, two time all-area, team captain of Daily Hearald all-area team, first team all-section, NW Herald player of the year, IHSA coaches association all-state team

Reginald Choate (Plainfield/Joliet Township)
--Honors: Senior captain, two year starter, led team in tackles

Andy Gibbs (Morton Grove/Niles West HS)
--Honors: Three year starter, team captain

Jeremy Needom (Markham/College of DuPage)
--Honors: First team all-region

Wisconsin (3)
Matt Neumyer (Port Washington, WI/Port Washington HS)
--Honors: All-conference as a junior, three year letterwinner in football and wrestling, conference champ in wrestling

Drew Tarnowski (Superior/Superior HS)
--Honors: First team all-conference

Jakob Wahl (Cudahy/Cudahy HS)
--Honors: Senior captain, two time CNI all-suburban, two time all-conference, team coaches player of the year

Iowa (1)
Cale Johnston (Mason City/Iowa City HS/North Iowa Area CC)
--Honors: Two year starter

North Dakota (1)
Brock Spennengsby (Jamestown/Jamestown HS)
--Honors: Two year starter at Jamestown HS, all-west region in football, third in state wrestling as a junior