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2012 Football Recruiting Class

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ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia University head coach Ryan Williams has announced the commitments of 28 student-athletes to the Golden Bear football program for the 2012 season. All announced recruits to join the Golden Bear football team are contingent upon admission to Concordia University and compliance with NCAA rules and certification by the NCAA eligibility center.

This becomes Coach Williams' first recruiting class as head coach of Concordia football.

Williams commented on the commitments, "The quality and depth of this recruiting class is without question one of the best we have been around in our time here. Specific needs we targeted and succeeded on were linebacker and offensive line. The signees in these positions will add competitive depth and talent to our roster."

The class includes 15 offensive recruits and 13 defensive recruits from five different states, headlined by 10 from Illinois and, eight from Wisconsin and seven from Minnesota. It's rounded out geographically by two from California and one from Florida. Included are seven offensive linemen and eight linebackers which comprises over half of the overall recruiting class.

Concordia plays their home games at Sea Foam Stadium, the program's first on-campus home football stadium, opening for the 2009 season.

Looking to suit up for the Golden Bears?
Visit Concordia's athletic recruitment website for more information.

2012 Concordia University Football Recruiting Class
sorted alphabetically by last name | year listed is for 2012 season
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown High School Prev. College
Evan Anderson DL 6-1 285 Fr. Loves Park, Ill. Harlem HS
Demetrius Beaver OL 6-4 280 Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. Westchester HS Santa Monica College
Alex Bennett QB 6-3 180 Fr. Freeport, Ill. Freeport HS
Gabe Boyce WR 5-11 170 Fr. Excelsior, Minn. Minnetonka HS
Jau'marl Clark, Jr. LB 5-10 195 Fr. Dalton, Ill. Thornton HS
Chandler Crary LB 6-0 210 Fr. St. Charles, Ill. Burlington Central HS
Antoine Easterling RB 5-8 195 Fr. Milwaukee, Wis. Homestead HS
Bryan Gates OL 6-2 290 Jr. Elk Grove, Calif. Sheldon HS Sierra College
Jackson Groonwald LB 6-2 225 Fr. Harltland, Wis. Arrowhead HS
James Harris III DB 6-1 170 Fr. Orlando, Fla. Evans HS
Tony Hill DB 6-1 185 Fr. Brooklyn Park, Minn. Champlin Park HS
Val Huerta II RB 5-9 175 Fr. Woodbury, Minn. East Ridge HS
Jermaine Hughes, Jr. LB 6-1 195 Fr. Chicago, Ill. Rich Central HS
Austin Jones OL 6-3 270 Fr. Madison, Wis. Memorial HS
Jordan Jones OL 6-1 280 Fr. Green Bay, Wis. Southwest HS
Chris Krakau LB 6-2 210 Fr. South Milwaukee, Wis. South Milwaukee HS
Mike Marks, Jr. DL 6-4 285 Fr. Naperville, Ill. Naperville North HS
ShaDonte McMorris WR 5-7 152 Fr. Minneapolis, Minn. Hopkins HS
Darius Moffett LB 6-3 225 Jr. Chicago, Ill. Hubbard HS Harper College
Brett Morris OL 6-3 275 Fr. Lyons, Ill. Nazareth Academy
Jordan Nieuwsma RB 5-10 180 Fr. Lakeville, Minn. New Life Academy
Cole Parker OL 6-5 260 Fr. Brookfield, Wis. Brookfield Central HS
Ryan Poppitz LB 6-2 185 Fr. Plymouth, Minn. Wayzata HS
Matt Pulizos OL 6-5 285 Fr. Milwaukee, Wis. Greendale HS
Nick Samuelson LB 6-3 215 Fr. Romeoville, Ill. Romeoville HS
Josh Trifunov DB 6-0 185 Fr. South St. Paul, Minn. South St. Paul HS
Lincoln Wylie RB 6-0 200 Fr. Oak Creek, Wis. Oak Creek HS
Ronald Zollicoffer RB 5-8 180 Jr. Chicago, Ill. Amundsen HS Harper College

Recruits Sorted Alphabetically by Home State

CALIFORNIA (2):
Demetrius Beaver (OL, 6-4, 280, Jr. | Los Angeles, Calif. | Westchester HS | Santa Monica College)
Santa Monica College: Helped lead the Corsairs to an 8-3 record and a Pacific Conference Championship with a bowl berth ... was a Dean's List student as a freshman and finished sophomore year with a 3.5 grade point average.Westchester High School: As a senior, led the Comets to an 8-3 record and a playoff victory reaching the second round of playoffs ... was a three-time scholar athlete while earning three varsity letters ... also competed in track & field and basketball. Personal: Born March 4, 1992 ... son of Pamela James ... will major in communication studies and would like to continue studying communication at the graduate level.

Coach Williams: "Demetrius is a very powerful offensive lineman. He finishes just as well as anyone we have recruited."

Bryan Gates (OL, 6-2, 290, Jr. | Elk Grove, Calif. | Sheldon HS | Sierra College)
Sierra College: A two-time All-Valley Conference performer for the Wolverines ... experience at two positions on the offensive line at Sierra College, playing his freshman season at guard and sophomore season at center. Sheldon High School: Helped the Huskies to a 7-3 season and a playoff berth as a prep ... named All-League First Team in the DRL conference ... also active and earned a letter of the Bulldog Trades and Engineering Academy. Personal: Born March 26, 1992 ... son of Andy and Candace Gates ... has an older sister, Brittany Gates ... will major in business management at Concordia.

Coach Williams: "Bryan is going to bring us the veteran leadership at the center position we need for next year's group of offensive linemen. His best attributes are his physicality and awareness."

FLORIDA (1):
James Harris III (DB, 6-0, 170, Fr. | Orlando, Fla. | Evans HS)
Evans High School: Registered 27 total tackles (23 solo) with three forced fumbles and an interception as a senior for the Trojans ... also a track & field athlete ... involved as SGA Council Member. Personal: Born November 11, 1993 ... son of James Harris, Jr. and Redesha Thornton ... has two sisters, Shukrije Brown (20) and Adreanna Thornton (12) ... will major in physical therapy with an accounting minor ... lists attending the University of Minnesota or the University of Florida for physical therapy in the future.

Coach Williams: "James is as athletic and explosive of a recruit that we have signed. We are very excited to have James in our program." 

ILLINOIS (10):
Evan Anderson (DL, 6-1, 285, Fr. | Loves Park, Ill. | Harlem HS)
Harlem High School: As a senior, led the Huskies to a 9-2 finish including a 1-1 playoff record ... overall had a 2-2 career playoff record ... during his senior season, he compiled 34 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a sack. Personal: Born October 15, 1993 ... son of Bryan and Tonya Anderson ... has a younger sister, Kali (16) ... intends to pursue an academic path in information technology and lists graduate school as a future goal.

Coach Williams: "Evan is the perfect type of defensive line talent to be coached by Sam Cummings. He is high energy, explosive, and exuberant."

Alex Bennett (QB, 6-3, 180, Fr. | Freeport, Ill. | Freeport HS)
Freeport High School: A two-time NIC-10 Offensive Player of the Year, also earning All-NIC-10 Honorable Mention twice ... an Academic All-NIC student-athlete ... holds the NIC-10 passing records for yards (4,580), touchdown passes (45) and has the single game records for yards (482) and touchdown passes (5). Personal: Born October 28, 1993 ... son of Michael and Marcia Bennett ... has a brother, McKenzie (15), and two sisters, Megan (21) and McKenna (12) ... intends to major in education and lists becoming a high school teacher and football coach as a career goal.

Coach Williams: "Alex is the perfect type of quarterback for our offense. He can throw, run, and makes a lot of big plays. We are very fortunate to get Alex."

Jermaine Hughes, Jr. (LB, 6-1, 195, Fr. | Chicago, Ill. | Rich Central HS)
Rich Central High School: Set a record for the Olympians with 22 tackles in a game ... finished his senior year with 167 tackles ... earned All-Conference honors and team Defensive MVP ... was a team captain and team scholar ... earned Honor Roll academic accolades every year of high school ... served as president of the Pipeline to College Program, also involved in Student Council, Afro Club, track and was editor of the school yearbook. Personal: Born April 9, 1994 ... son of Jermaine Hughes, Sr. and Latrice Foules ... has a younger brother, Leo Brown ... will major in criminal justice with a minor in psychology ... would like to attend law school in the future.

Coach Williams: "Jermaine has tremendous instincts for finding the football and destroying the ball carrier. His explosiveness will add a great deal of consistency and big play ability to our defense."

Jau'marl Clark, Jr. (LB, 5-10, 195, Fr. | Dalton, Ill. | Thornton HS)
Thornton High School: Played linebacker for the Wildcats in the SWSC Red Conference ... also member of wrestling team and involved in Students Against Violence Everywhere. Personal: Born June 25, 1994 ... son of Jau'marl Clark, Sr. and Vivian Clark ... has a younger sister, Jana (14) ... intends to pursue a major in psychology.

Coach Williams: "Is a physical linebacker that will no doubt help our program."

Chandler Crary (LB, 6-0, 210, Fr. | St. Charles, Ill. | Burlington Central HS)
Burlington Central High School: A two-time All-Big Northern Conference First Team performer for the Rockets ... earned All-Area First Team honors as a senior ... a two-time team captain and Defensive Player of the Year ... named the Special Teams Player of the Year as a junior and earned the Taz Award for Defensive MVP as a senior ... holds the school record for tackles in a season, piling up 147 total tackles ... had 25 tackles for loss ... also a varsity baseball player for the Rockets. Personal: Born October 11, 1993 ... son of Rob and Tracy Crary ... has a younger brother, Parker (15) and a younger sister, Heather (8) ... will major in kinesiology with a business minor.

Coach Williams: "Chandler is a very good tackling linebacker who plays down-hill. He will fit well in our defensive scheme."

Mike Marks, Jr. (DL, 6-4, 285, Fr. | Naperville, Ill. | Naperville North HS)
Naperville North High School: Registered 37 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and four sacks while helping the Huskies to a 5-5 finish and first round playoff appearance ... earned team Defensive Player of the Week honors ... also competed in track & field in the shot put and discus. Personal: Born June 27, 1994 ... son of Mike and Suzanna Marks ... has three older sisters, Kate, Amanda and Corrine ... intends to pursue a business marketing major with an accounting minor.

Coach Williams: "We are very excited to have Michael join our program. He plays the defensive line position with relentness, reckless abandon."

Darius Moffett (LB, 6-3, 225, Jr. | Chicago, Ill. | Hubbard HS | Harper College)
Harper College: 2011: Earned MFC First Team All-Conference and MFC East First Team All-Region honors at linebacker ... registered a team-high 76 tackles (23 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, two interceptions, four passes defended and two fumble recoveries in 10 games played for the Eagles ... had 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack ... recorded 13.0 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 1.0 sack, an interception and two passes defended against UW-Whitewater JV (9/4/11) ... had 10 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery against Ellsworth CC (9/10/11) ... had back-to-back 14 tackle performances against Iowa Central CC (9/17/11) and Iowa Western CC (9/24/11) ... had 10-plus tackles in the first four games of the season. Eastern Michigan University: 2010: Appeared in three games, making 17 total tackles ... had six tackles at #5 Ohio State (9/25/10) ... had five tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss against Ohio (10/2/10) ... had six tackles (four solo) at Vanderbilt (10/9/10). Hubbard High School: A three-star Rivals and Scout.com recruit and ranked the #33 inside linebacker by Scout.com ... earned four football letters for the Greyhounds and was a four-time All-Conference performer ... named a senior All-American and a two-time All-City selection ... named the Chicago Public School League Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 ... earned All-Area as a junior ... the 16th-rated player in the state of Illinois as a senior ... recorded 146 tackles, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions as a senior ... had 110 tackles, five sacks and an interception as a junior ... competed in the Offense-Defense Bowl ... helped the Greyhounds to a 2006 City Championship ... as a prep, was recruited by Michigan State, Miami (Ohio), Louisville, Illinois, Colorado, Cincinnati before signing with Eastern Michigan ... also competed in basketball and track & field. Personal: Born September 28, 1990 ... son of Michael Holmes, Sr. and Larissa Moffett ... has a younger brother, Michael Holmes, Jr. (12) ... intends to major in criminology.

Coach Williams: "Darius is a high-level talent that we are very fortunate to have. He will make an immediate impact as an explosive, playmaking and high-energy linebacker."

Brett Morris (OL, 6-3, 275, Fr. | Lyons, Ill. | Nazareth Academy)
Nazareth Academy: Earned All-East Suburban Catholic Conference honors as a senior and earned two letters in football for the RoadRunners ... also earned three letters in track & field and was an East Suburban Catholic Conference Champion as a junior, working to repeat as a senior ... is just one foot away from the school record in shot put and was the first RoadRunner to win a conference title in track & field ... helped the RoadRunner football team to a conference championship, reaching the Illinois State Elite Eight playoff round falling to the eventual state champions ... member of the school record breaking RoadRunner squad that finished 10-2. Personal: Born May 24, 1994 ... son of Eric and Debbie Morris ... is the oldest of five brothers: Kyle (16), Shane (14), Gavin (11) and Nolan (8) ... will major in exercise science with a business minor ... lists his career goal to play in the NFL with a secondary goal of opening his own gym ... lives by and is defined by four words: "Dream Big Work Hard."

Coach Williams: "Brett is one of the most powerful and explosive offensive linemen we have signed in our time here. We are very excited about his future as a Golden Bear."

Nick Samuelson (LB, 6-3, 215, Fr. | Romeoville, Ill. | Romeoville HS)
Romeoville High School: An All-Southwest Prairie Conference performer and a Illinois 6A State Academic selection ... named team MVP for the Spartans ... made 57 total tackles with three sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two touchdowns ... also involved in National Honor Society, SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), Student Leadership, Student Government and Interact Club. Personal: Born November 12, 1993 ... son of Tom and Marilyn Maloney ... has a younger brother, Mike (15); and four sisters: Lynn (21), Taylor (18), Mary (13) and Leah (9) ... intends to major in business with an accounting minor ... future plans currently include graduate school.

Coach Williams: "Nick is a very long, athletic player. His skill set is very broad, and we are excited to place him in our scheme."

Ronald Zollicoffer (RB, 5-8, 180, Jr. | Chicago, Ill.| Amundsen HS | Harper College)
Harper College: A versatile player that played at a high level, was named All-Region First Team as an athlete, All-Region Second Team as a Wide Receiver and All-Conference Honorable Mention as a running back ... also an Academic All-Conference student-athlete as a freshman. 2011: Played in nine games with 430 rushing yards on 97 carries and three touchdowns ... had 29 receptions for 385 yards ... scored five total touchdowns, three on the ground with two receiving ... had seven kick/punt returns for 145 total yards.Amundsen High School: A three-sport athlete for the Vikings, earning four letters in football and one each in basketball and baseball ... as a senior was named All-City at running back and All-State Honorable Mention ... was named All-Conference at quarterback and free safety as a junior ... an All-Area wide receiver as a sophomore ... as a freshman, earned All-City honors at cornerback ... had 11 total returns for touchdown as a prep. Personal: Born December 7, 1991 ... son of Fred and Diane Zollicoffer ... has six siblings: Tony, Andrae, Jessica, Sharon, Fred and Sonya.

Coach Williams: "He is a very versatile and explosive player. He will also give us some competitive depth at the return spot."

MINNESOTA (7):
Gabe Boyce (WR, 5-11, 170, Fr. | Excelsior, Minn. | Minnetonka HS)
Minnetonka High School: Has earned letters in four different sports for the Skippers: track & field (4), football (3), baseball (2), weightlifting (1) ... a two-time All-Conference football player ... is a track & field school record holder (set as a freshman) ... captain of the baseball team ... as a senior on the gridiron, tallied 27 catches for 310 yards and six touchdowns ... also competes in intramural basketball ... maintained a 3.0 grade point average. Personal: Born January 29, 1994 ... son of Todd and Francine Boyce ... has three brothers, Anthony (20), Nick (19) and Matthew (18), and one sister, Maria (12) ... intends to major in business with a sports management minor ... would like to be an entreprenuer in business in his future.

Coach Williams: "Gabe will bring the explosive, big-play type receiver ability that our offense has always had. He is without a doubt one of the fastest recruits we have seen this year."

Tony Hill (DB, 6-1, 185, Fr. | Brooklyn Park, Minn. | Champlin Park HS)
Champlin Park High School: Earned seven total letters as a three-sport athlete for the Rebels in football, basketball and track & field ... earned All-State, All-Metro and All-Conference ... a Mr. Football nominee ... named the Conference Defensive Player of the Year ... led the league in interceptions ... earned the Academic All-Conference award ... also involved in DECA.Personal: Born August 12, 1994 ... son of Tony and Tracy Hill ... has four siblings: Jamile, Jalen, Martin and Marcus ... will major in business marketing with a sports management minor ... lists religion as one of the factors that led him to attend Concordia.

Coach Williams: "Tony is one of the better safeties in the state of Minnesota. We are excited to have Tony on our team and extend the tradition of Champlin Park players on our team."

Val Huerta II (RB, 5-9, 175, Fr. | Woodbury, Minn. | East Ridge HS)
East Ridge High School: Will be a three-time letterwinner in football and on the track & field team ... was named the Woodbury Bulletin Athlete of the Week with his best game going for 201 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries for the Raptors ... has earned two All-State awards in track & field for the 4x100-meter relay and was an All-Suburban East Conference sprinter in the 100 meter dash. Personal: Born August 18, 1993 ... son of Valentin and Jen Huerta ... has a younger brother, Chago Huerta (17) ... will major in criminal justice.

Coach Williams: "Val is one of the many talented running backs we will have in the program. We are excited to see him use his speed in the Golden Bear backfield."

ShaDonte McMorris (WR, 5-7, 152, Fr. | Minneapolis, Minn. | Hopkins HS)
Hopkins High School: Hauled in 16 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown for the Royals ... also rushed 10 times for 52 yards ... helped Hopkins to a playoff appearance, falling to Edina HS in first round ... an All-State and All-Lake Conference athlete in track & field. Personal: Born February 20, 1994 ... son of Jermaine and Shanta Moore ... has a younger sister, Shaquan Martin (15) ... will major in exercise science with a business minor and plans to attend graduate school.

Coach Williams: "ShaDonte will be a great fit in our offense. He is very explosive and has tremendous ball skills. We are very excited to have him transfer his skills from the field of Hopkins High to Concordia-St. Paul."

Jordan Nieuwsma (RB, 5-10, 180, Fr. | Lakeville, Minn. | New Life Academy)
New Life Academy: Earned letters in four sports for the Eagles: football (4), basketball (4), baseball (5) and soccer (1) ... was a team captain in both football and basketball ... a two-way starter for four years as a running back, quarterback, defensive back and punt returner ... a two-time All-Tri-Metro Conference performer, also earning All-Tri-Metro Honorable Mention honors once ... named 2011 All-State Honorable Mention ... played two years for Minnesota Hall of Fame coach Paul Mork. Personal: Born September 1, 1993 ... son of Kevin and Gail Nieuwsma ... has an older sister, Kori (22) ... intends to major in exercise science with a sports management minor ... his sister, Kori, played third base for the Hope College (Mich.) softball team from 2008-11.

Coach Williams: "We were able to see Jordan's multiple talents early on at the CU Air Academy last summer. His wide skill set will be very fun to place in our program."

Ryan Poppitz (LB, 6-2, 185, Fr. | Plymouth, Minn. | Wayzata HS)
Wayzata High School: A two-sport athlete for the Trojans, earning three letters in football and four in baseball as a four-year starter on the diamond ... was a 2011 All-State First Team, All-Metro First Team, All-Area and All-Lake Conference performer ... as a two-year starter at inside linebacker in 2010 and 2011, Poppitz helped lead the Trojans to a 20-0 record ... helped WHS to a 2010 State Championship as a junior, making 105 tackles, seven sacks and 19 tackles for loss in 11 games ... as a senior, went for 97 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. Personal: Born November 14, 1993 ... son of Mark Poppitz and Betty Good ... intends to major in accounting and would like to pursue graduate school in his future ... his father, Mark, was a tackle for Mankato State football in 1971 ... his uncle, Rick Poppitz, was a linebacker for Mankato State from 1970-73. VIDEO: INTERVIEW with MSBN on FACEBOOK

Coach Williams: "We are very excited to have Ryan in our athletic programs playing both football and baseball. Coming to us as one of the best linebackers in the state, we are confident he will do much of the same in our program."

Josh Trifunov (DB, 6-0, 185, Fr. | South St. Paul, Minn. | South St. Paul HS)
South St. Paul High School: His 57.5 tackles (48 solo) and seven takeaways (3 INT, 4 FF) led the Packers during his senior season as he earned All-Classic Suburban Conference honors and Special Teams MVP ... led the Classic Suburban Conference in punt return yards with 209 and was a three year starter on the gridiron ... helped the Packers to a 10-2 section championship season as a senior in 2011 and a Classic Suburban Conference Championship as a junior ... also earned four letters in track & field and lettered in basketball ... a Gold Honor Roll student as a freshman and junior and maintains a 3.523 cumulative grade point average. Personal: Born May 1, 1994 .. son of Duke and Sandra Trifunov ... has an older sister, Ashlee (21) ... intends to major in ahtletic training with a coaching minor.

Coach Williams: "We are very excited to add Josh's talents and personality to our program. He will have much success in the years to come."

WISCONSIN (8):
Antoine Easterling (RB, 5-8, 195, Fr. | Milwaukee, Wis. | Homestead HS)
Homestead High School: A three-sport athlete for the Highlanders earning letters in football, wrestling and track & field ... rushed for 1,786 yards and 25 touchdowns combined between junior and senior seasons ... earned All-Northshore Conference and was named team Offensive MVP ... also involved in rugby. Personal: Born August 11, 1994 ... son of Antoine Easterling and Aurelia McCradic ... intends to major in business management with a sport management minor.

Coach Williams: "Antoine is a very elusive, shifty running back from Homestead High School. We are very excited to see his talents unfold."

Jackson Groonwald (LB, 6-2, 225, Fr. | Hartland, Wis. | Arrowhead HS)
Arrowhead High School: Earned three football letters for the Warhawks, serving as a co-captain as a senior ... helped lead the Warhawks to an 8-2 finish as a senior, reaching Level 2 of the Wisconsin State Playoffs ... was an All-Classic 8 First Team selection ... also named All-Area as a senior ... also involved in powerlifting. Personal: Born August 16, 1993 ... son of Randy and Laura Groonwald ... has an older brother, Nate (21) ... intends to major in physical education and aspires to become a gym teacher and football coach.

Coach Williams: "Jackson is a very athletic, physical linebacker that brings a well-added championship background from Arrowhead High School in Wisconsin."

Austin Jones (OL, 6-3, 270, Fr. | Madison, Wis. | Memorial HS)
Madison Memorial High School: Earned two letters in football and one in baseball for the Spartans ... earned All-Conference and All-City honors as a senior ... also involved in track & field and the young conservatives club.Personal: Born June 30, 1994 ... son of Tim and Keelie Jones ... has two siblings, Tatum (14) and Doary (9) ... will major in business with a minor in physical therapy ... his father, Tim Jones, played football at Phoenix College ... his mother, Keelie Jones, has a volleyball background.

Coach Williams: "Austin is a very athletic and versatile football player. His personality and leadership will be very valuable in our football program."

Jordan Jones (OL, 6-1, 280, Fr. | Green Bay, Wis. | Green Bay Southwest HS)
Green Bay Southwest High School: Helped lead the Trojans to the 2011 WIAA Division II State Championship semifinals ... was a three-year team captain and earned Most Improved Player honors while competing in the Fox River Classic Conference ... also involved in baseball, track & field, the school newspaper and stage crew. Personal: Born August 25, 1993 ... son of Steven and Dawn Jones ... has an older brother, Cody (21) ... will major in biology with a pre-med track ... aspires to become a cardiologist ... his cousin, Ryan Russell, played college football at St. Norbert College as a wide receiver and safety from 2000-03.

Coach Williams: "Jordan is a very good offensive lineman who was a staple in rebuilding Green Bay Southwest's success. His talent and leadership will transfer to our football program."

Chris Krakau (LB, 6-2, 210, Fr. | South Milwaukee, Wis. | South Milwaukee HS)
South Milwaukee High School: A two-time All-Woodland-Black Conference First Team performer at inside linebacker ... was also an All-Woodland-Black Conference Honorable Mention punter as a senior ... has earned letters in three sports for the Rockets: football (3), basketball (2) and baseball (1) ... helped the Rockets to a 6-4 record as a senior with 77 tackles (28 solo) and five sacks ... helped the Rockets to Wisconsin State playoff appearances two-straight years ... attended the Bellin Elite Football Combine. Personal: Born February 19, 1994 ... son of Kurt and CarolAnn Krakau ... has an older brother, Richard, and two older sisters, Jessica and Christina ... plans to major in criminal justice with a minor in Spanish ... aspires to become a police officer or a career in federal law enforcement.

Coach Williams: "Chris is the perfect type of player for our program. He is very hard-working, diligent, and cares about everything he does."

Cole Parker (OL, 6-5, 260, Fr. | Brookfield, Wis. | Brookfield Central HS)
Brookfield Central High School: Earned two letters and was a senior captain for the Lancers ... helped BCHS to a 2011 Greater Metro Co-Conference Championship ... helped the Lancers reach the third round of the WIAA DI Playoffs in the school's first year at the DI level ... was named All-Region First Team, All-Suburban First Team and All-Greater Metro Conference First Team ... made the Honor Roll for three straight years ... participated one year in Key Club. Personal: Born July 19, 1994 ... son of William and Cindy Parker ... has two brothers, William (22) and Thomas (12) ... intends to major in criminal justice.

Coach Williams: "Cole is an outstanding commit for our football program. His leadership and athletic skill set will do nothing but provide for success in our future."

Matt Pulizos (OL, 6-5, 285, Fr. | Milwaukee, Wis. | Greendale HS)
Greendale High School: Earned three varsity letters, helping the Panthers to a 23-7 record (including playoffs) in his career ... a two-time All-Woodland Conference performer ... named the Woodland Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior ... was nominated to play in the 2012 WFCA All-Star Football Game ... an All-State Honorable Mention selection ... named All-Region and NOW All-Suburban as a senior ... also involved with track & field team, earning two letters ... will contend for school record in the discuss this spring ... also played baseball and basketball as a freshman and is still involved with intramural basketball. Personal: Born September 22, 1993 ... son of Andrew and Jennifer Pulizos ... has two younger brothers, Michael (16) and David (14), and a younger sister, Annie (12) ... is undecided on a field of study ... his cousin, Dan Hytinen, competed in track & field (discus) at UW-Whitewater and is a two-time NCAA Division III Champion and All-American and holds the DIII discus record.

Coach Williams: "Matt is a very powerful, athletic talent. He has all the tools to be a great offensive lineman at our level."

Lincoln Wylie (RB, 5-11, 203, Fr. | Oak Creek, Wis. | Oak Creek HS)
Oak Creek High School: A three year contributor to varsity football for the Knights ... rushed for 1,005 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior in 2011, averaging 7.9 yards per carry and 111.7 per game ... reached the 2009 Wisconsin State Playoffs ... a senior captain and named OCHS Outstanding Offensive Back for the Knights ... a 2011 All-Wisconsin Southeast Conference Team Division I running back ... nominated for 2011 Wisconsin HS Coaches Association All-Star game ... also a member of the 2011 and 2012 varsity men's indoor and outdoor track & field teams and was a 2011 WIAA Men's State Track & Field Meet Competitor in the 800 meter relay ... an OCHS Honor Roll student ... also involved in Future Business Leaders of America, Health Occupations Students of America (CNA), Renaissance Club and a 2011 Homecoming Court Representative. Personal: Born May 2, 1994 ... son of Andre and Monica Ibarra Wylie ... has two younger sisters, Jaelen (16) and Mason (11) ... will major in a pre-med track with a biology minor ... intends to attend medical school after graduating from Concordia ... would like to become a phsyician's assistant working in an urban community ... has an uncle and a cousin that have played semi-professional football ... his uncle was a quarterback for the Cook County Cowboys in 1982 and his cousin has played defensive back and quarterback for the Bridge City Knights since 2009.

Coach Williams: "Lincoln is a very powerful, down-hill running back. He will add a physical presence between the tackles."