2015 Golden Bear Football Recruiting Class

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ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul head football coach Ryan Williams has announced that 26 student-athletes have committed to join the Golden Bear football program for the 2015 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.

The 26 athletes come from seven different states headlined by 10 from Minnesota and six from Wisconsin. Additionally, three athletes have joined the program as mid-year transfers with 23 committing from the prep ranks. The class features 11 offensive, 14 defensive and one special teams player.

"Our 2015 recruiting class is filled with talent and we didn't necessarily recruit for any specific need over another," said coach Williams. "We did a very good job of adding talented and athletic kids to every position on our roster. This will continue to add quality competition to all positions, making our team deeper and more talented. We also added three mid-year transfer student-athletes at the semester break that I know will make a noticeable impact to our team right from the start."

Since moving to NCAA Division II and the Northern Sun (NSIC) in 1999, the Golden Bears have captured two league championships and appeared in three Mineral Water Bowls. Williams will enter his fifth season as head football coach at Concordia in the fall of 2015. The team finished 2014 with four consecutive wins, finishing third in the NSIC South Division with a 4-3 division record.

Recruiting Class By the Numbers:
Total: 26 || Offense: 11 (QB-2; RB-1; WR-3; TE-3; OL-2) || Defense: 14 (DL-3; LB-6; DB-5) || Specialists: 1 (K-1)

By State: Minnesota (10) || Wisconsin (6) || Florida (3) || Iowa (3) || Illinois (2) || California (1) || Colorado (1)

2015 Golden Bear Football Recruiting Class
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	Hometown	High School	Previous College
Justin Axelson	TE	6-4	225	So.	Spring Lake Park, Minn.	Spring Lake Park HS	North Dakota State
Tyler Barbee	OLB	6-1	195	Fr.	Crete, Ill.	Thornton Township HS
Jason Barto	DB	5-8	175	Fr.	Brooklyn Park, Minn.	Brooklyn Center HS
Dexter Betts	WR	6-1	185	Fr.	Plymouth, Minn.	Robbinsdale Armstrong HS
JD Coleman	WR	5-10	175	Fr.	Royal Palm Beach, Fla.	Palm Beach Lakes HS
Riley Edling	OLB	5-11	185	Fr.	Osceola, Wis.	Osceola HS
Jamie Fore	DB	5-9	175	Jr.	Jacksonville, Fla.	First Coast HS	Fond du Lac CC
Anthony Hockett	QB	5-9	170	Fr.	Minneapolis, Minn.	South HS
Maxon Hutton	QB	6-3	190	Fr.	Victoria, Minn.	Chanhassen HS
Jeremy Johnson	DB	5-10	172	Jr.	Iowa City, Iowa	City HS	Northern Iowa
Hunter Kauffman	TE	6-3	220	Fr.	Stratford, Wis.	Stratford HS
Caleb Mulvin	DL	6-3	225	Fr.	Firestone, Colo.	Frederick HS
Brion Nash	DB	5-9	175	Fr.	Milwaukee, Wis.	Riverside University HS
Conner Pals	K	5-8	165	Fr.	Orient, Iowa	Creston HS
Kelly Pierce	DL	6-3	220	Fr.	Gilbert, Iowa	Gilbert HS
Brandon Russell	OLB	5-11	185	Fr.	Tracy, Calif.	Tracy HS
Ben Sullivan	OL	6-1	290	Fr.	Lombard, Ill.	Glenbard East HS
Corey Taylor	DB	6-1	180	Fr.	Fort Pierce, Fla.	Central HS
Kieran Thomas	RB	6-0	215	Fr.	Green Bay, Wis.	Southwest HS
Tristan Wehmas	DL	6-3	215	Fr.	St. Anthony, Minn.	St. Anthony Village HS
Anthony Wilkerson	WR	6-1	175	Fr.	Minnetonka, Minn.	Minnetonka HS
DJ Wilkinson	OL	6-2	310	Fr.	St. Louis Park, Minn.	St. Louis Park HS
Aaron Wisecup	LB	6-0	230	Fr.	Monticello, Minn.	Monticello HS
Antonio Zepeda	OLB	6-2	200	Fr.	Blaine, Minn.	Spring Lake Park HS
Nick Ziebell	TE	6-5	205	Fr.	Thiensville, Wis.	Homestead HS
Mitch Zillman	LB	5-11	214	Fr.	Marshfield, Wis.	Marshfield HS

RECRUIT BIO INFORMATION (sorted alphabetically)
Justin Axelson (TE, 6-4, 225, So., Spring Lake Park, Minn. / Spring Lake Park HS / NDSU)
North Dakota State University: 2014: Competed in one game, making collegiate debut on Sept. 13 against Incarnate Word in a 58-0 victory ... member of 2014 FCS Division I Champion Bison, NDSU's fourth straight national title team. 2013: Sat out the season as a redshirt in the Bison program ... named to 2013-14 Missouri Valley Football Conference Academic Honor Roll ... member of 2013 FCS Division I Champion Bison, NDSU's third-straight national title team.

Spring Lake Park High School: Two-time All-North Suburban Conference tight end and defensive end for Spring Lake Park High School ... earned St. Paul Pioneer Press All-State honors as a senior ... caught 18 passes for 245 yards and five touchdowns ... made 75 tackles including 10 sacks ... three-year starter ... member of three conference (2010-12) and 2011 Section 5A championship teams ... Spring Lake Park compiled a 23-5 record over career ... center on the basketball court for three seasons ... Spring Lake Park achieved 23-5 record, were ranked 2nd in the state and was the Class 4A, Section 4 runner-up.

Personal: Born Feb. 26, 1995 ... son of Wallace and Christine Axelson ... father was All-American pitcher for MSU Moorhead ... has one brother, Joe, who spent two years in the NDSU baseball program before transferring to Southwest Minnesota State ... will major in exercise science and aspires to become a strength & conditioning coach.

Coach Williams on Axelson: "Justin is one of our mid-year transfer players from NDSU that will bring an immediate impact to our team and offense, He has championship background from NDSU and has a high talent level to help us immediately on the field."

Tyler Barbee (OLB, 6-1, 195, Fr., Crete, Ill. / Thornton Township HS)
Thornton Township High School: Earned All-Conference honors as a senior, listed as an outside linebacker and strong safety.

Personal: Born September 28, 1996 ... son of Leonard Barbee ... interested in a chemistry major and history minor at Concordia ... would like to become a dentist in his future.

Coach Williams on Barbee: "Tyler is an athletic outside linebacker that will bring a great skillset to develop in our defense."

Jason Barto (DB, 5-8, 175, Fr., Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Brooklyn Center HS)
Brooklyn Center High School: A two-sport athlete for the Centaurs, earning letters in football (2) and basketball (2) ... captain of football and track & field teams ... named All-Tri-Metro First Team and All-Section First Team as a senior ... rushed for 1,140 yards and 11 touchdowns as a running back and had 48 tackles, four interceptions and returned two fumble recoveries for touchdowns as a defensive back ... earned All-Tri Metro Conference honorable mention as a junior ... an All-Tri Metro Conference track & field performer as a junior.

Personal: Born April 9, 1997 in Newark, N.J. ... son of Watson and Nemoneh Morisset ... has a younger brother, Emmanuel; an older sister, Menleh and a younger sister, Doreen ... intends to pursue a double major in business administration and applied science and his goal is to maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average throughout college.

Coach Williams on Barto: "Jason is another good local recruit for us. He is a very athletic young man and will have an opportunity to develop and compete in our secondary for years to come."

Dexter Betts (WR, 6-1, 185, Fr., Plymouth, Minn. / Robbinsdale Armstrong HS)
Robbinsdale Armstrong High School: An All-Northwest Suburban Conference wide receiver for the Falcons ... led the team in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, yards per catch and yards after the catch ... named the team's offensive MVP and Iron Man Award ... as a senior had 30 receptions for 416 yards and two touchdowns in eight games ... as a junior had 32 receptions for 370 yards and three touchdowns in eight games ... also involved in weightlifting and link crew.

Personal: Born September 17, 1996 ... son of Dorthea Donald ... has a younger brother, Dwayne and a younger sister, Arthea ... is interested in an accounting major.

Coach Williams on Betts: "Dexter is not only a quality young man he is a very talented wide receiver, he is a physical and powerful wide receiver that has speed too."

JD Coleman (WR, 5-10, 175, Fr., Royal Palm Beach, Fla. / Palm Beach Lakes HS)
Palm Beach Lakes High School: A four year varsity starter in basketball and three year start in football for the Rams ... as a senior, hauled in 60 receptions for 896 yards and eight touchdowns ... earned All-State, All-County and All-District 7A Conference honors for senior campaign ... played in Florida vs. Georgia All-Star Game ... named team MVP ... as a prep basketball player, helped the Rams to a pair of district championships and earned All-Conference honors.

Personal: Born December 13, 1995 ... son of Johnnie and Camile Coleman ... has a younger brother, Miles and an older sister, Quala ... is undecided on a field of study ... his father, Johnnie was a point guard for Southeast Missouri State University basketball (1989-92).

Coach Williams on Coleman: "JD is without a doubt one of explosive and playmaking players we have signed. He is going to make an immediate impact on our team and add speed, quickness and playmaking to our football team."

Riley Edling (OLB, 5-11, 185, Fr., Osceola, Wis. / Osceola HS)
Osceola High School: A three-sport athlete, earned two letters in football and track & field and one in basketball ... an All-Middle Border Conference running back and All-Middle Border Conference honorable mention outside linebacker ... as a senior, rushed for 700-plus yards as a fullback helping the team to a 7-3 record and 304-113 season scoring margin ... team allowed only 14 points at home ... was member of Wisconsin State qualifying 4x100m relay team as a junior.

Personal: Born April 13, 1997 ... son of Steve Edling and Mary Flood ... has an older brother, Connor ... is undecided on a field of study but is interested in pursuing graduate school in his future ... his father, Steve was a punter for the University of Minnesota football team (1980).

Coach Williams on Edling: "Riley will bring a family tradition of football to our program, and add his physical and aggressive abilities to our young defensive talent."

Jamie Fore (DB, 5-9, 175, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. / First coast HS / Fond du Lac CC)
Fond du Lac Community College: 2014: Named All-Region 13 and MCAC All-Division First Team while earning MCAC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice (week 2, week 5) ... intercepted six passes for 84 yards for the Thunder ... had 39 tackles (18 solo) ... registered 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack ... had two fumble recoveries for a total of 83 yards with a touchdown ... also went 4-11 passing for 50 yards with a long of 26 and rushed 22 times for 59 yards with a long run of 15 yards ... as a returner, had 14 kickoff returns for 297 yards and a 21.2 average with a long of 60 yards ... returned six punts for 57 yards for a 9.5 average and long of 27 yards ... finished with 413 all-purpose yards for 51.6 per game. 2013: Competed in four games, making two tackles for the Thunder.

First Coast High School: Helped the Bucs to a 10-0 season with three interceptions.

Personal: Born August 30, 1995 ... son of Jamie and Brenda Fore ... has a brother, Jonathen and a sister, Jasmine ... intends to pursue a mechanical engineering major.

Coach Williams on Fore: "Jamie is one of our mid-year transfers that we expect to help us win football games immediately, he brings a high level of defensive skill sets to our secondary."

Anthony Hockett (QB, 5-9, 170, Fr., Minneapolis, Minn. / South HS)
Minneapolis South High School: Earned four varsity letters in football, baseball, basketball and golf ... a three-time All-Minneapoilis Conference selection ... two-time MVP ... had 3,787 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns, 1,401 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns ... also a senior class officer ... a leader in a student-run group.

Personal: Born June 27, 1997 ... son of Shawn and Kim Hockett ... has a younger brother, Aaron ... undelcared major but plans to graduate and complete a master's degree in five years at Concordia.

Coach Williams on Hockett: "Anthony is a versatile athlete that will be able to play quarterback or wide receiver in our program and his varied skill set will be an asset in our program."

Maxon Hutton (QB, 6-3, 190, Fr., Victoria, Minn. / Chanhassen HS)
Chanhassen High School: A three-sport athlete for the Storm, earning letters in football (2), basketball (2) and track & field (2) ... passed for 1,355 yards and rushed for 411 while accounting for 18 touchdowns (14 passing, 4 rushing) ... had a 61 percent completion percentage ... set school record for passing yards in a season ... helped the Storm to a 7-3 finish before falling to Mankato West in the semifinals ... a two-time captain ... earned All-Metro West Conference honors ... a two-time state qualifier in DECA.

Personal: Born August 4, 1996 ... son of Tommy and Marilee Hutton ... has a younger brother, Ryder ... is undecided on a field of study at Concordia but would like to have a career in business in his future ... his father, Tommy was a point guard for the University of Minnesota Duluth basketball team (1984-88).

Coach Williams on Hutton: "Maxon is as good as any quarterback we have ever signed in our program, he is 6’4” 195 pounds and he can run, throw and make decisions at a high level."

Jeremy Johnson (DB, 5-10, 172, Jr., Iowa City, Iowa / City HS / Northern Iowa)
University of Northern Iowa: 2014: Competed in three games for the Panthers, making one tackle in week four in a 50-7 win over Tennessee Tech (9/27). 2013: Saw action in all 12 games as a reserve defensive back and special teams member ... recorded seven tackles on the season ... finished with two tackles against North Dakota State (10/5) and Western Illinois (11/23). 2012: Redshirted, did not compete for the Panthers.

City High School: A three-sport athlete, earning letters in football, basketball and track & field ... an All-State and All-Conference performer ... holds the City High School record for interceptions ... helped City HS to a 2009 Iowa State Championship in football ... a Drake Relays A State Champion in the shuttle hurdle for the track & field team

Personal: Born December 16, 1993 ... son of Jarita Johnson and William Night ... will major in sport management and aspires to become an athletics director.

Coach Williams on Johnson: "Jeremy is a transfer cornerback from UNI that we expect to bring a championship mindset and talent to our football team and make an immediate impact on and off the field."

Hunter Kauffman (TE, 6-3, 220, Fr., Stratford, Wis. / Stratford HS)
Stratford High School: A three-sport athlete for the Tigers, earning four letters each in football and wrestling and two more in track & field ... helped the Tigers to a 32-13 record in his prep football career ... named Marawood Conference Lineman of the Year ... an All-Region linebacker ... All-State Honorable Mention ... earned All-Marawood Conference honors as a two-way player, earning First Team linebacker honors three times, First Team tight end once, and Honorable Mention once for linebacker and for offensive line ... as a senior, compiled 113 tackles as a linebacker and hauled in 25 catches for 292 yards (11.7 yards/catch) with one touchdown ... as a wrestler, was Marawood Conference Champion (220) twice ... a two-time section qualifier and a one-time state qualifier ... Bi-State Classic Champion wrestler ... also involved in Varsity Club and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD).

Personal: Born August 23, 1996 ... son of Jerome Kauffman and Betsy Miller ... has a younger brother, Tyson ... will major in polical science and is interested in a history minor ... would to pursue a pre-law graduate school path in his future ... has had several uncles and cousins compete in college sports: John Schmitt (uncle), defensive end for UW-Stevens Point football (1989-92) ... Paul Schmitt (uncle), defensive end/linebacker for UW-Stevens Point football (1999-01) ... Walt Schmitt (uncle), running back for UW-Stevens point football (1996-00) ... Matthew Bauman (cousin), linebacker for UW-Stevens Point football (2003-04) ... Dustin Bauman (cousin), University of Northern Iowa wrestling (2006-09) ... Jordan Bauman (cousin), defensive end for University of Minnesota Duluth football (2009-13).

Coach Williams on Kauffman: "Hunter comes from a very extensive football family background and his talents of playing tight end will fit into our long standing tradition of high quality tight end play."

Caleb Mulvin (DL, 6-3, 225, Fr., Firestone, Colo. / Frederick HS)
Frederick High School: Earned four football letters for the Warriors ... named All-3A Northern Conference as a senior, also earning All-Region honorable mention ... led the 3A Northern Conference defensive linemen in tackles with 71 (40 solo), averaging 7.9 per game ... added a sack and five hurries ... helped the Warriros to a 6-4 finish and state playoff appearance in 2013-14, an 8-3 record and a 3A Northern Conference Championship and state playoff appearance in 2012-13 adn a 9-4 record with 3A State Semifinalist finish in 2011-12.

Personal: Born December 27, 1996 ... son of Allan and Dallas Mulvin ... has an older brother, Cody ... interested in a criminal justice major at Concordia ... his brother, Cody is an offensive tackle for Western State (colo.) football (2012-present).

Coach Williams on Mulvin: "Caleb is a physical and explosive defensive lineman. He plays with good energy and has a tremendous love for the game of football.""

Brion Nash (DB, 5-9, 175, Fr., Milwaukee, Wis. / Riverside University HS)
Riverside University High School: A three-year starter and three-year captain ... a two-time All-Milwaukee City Conference defensive back (2012, 2014) and earned All-Milwaukee City Conference honors as a utility (2013) ... rushed for 422 yards on 48 attempts (8.8 avg) with three touchdowns (2 rush, 1 rec) as a senior and had 32 carries for 253 yards (7.9 avg) with two touchdowns as a junior ... an All-Milwaukee City Conference First Team sprinter for the track & field team (2012, 2014).

Personal: Born August 13, 1997 ... son of John and Tiffany Ellis ... has a younger brother, Taylen and a younger sister, Raegan ... will major in sociology with a psychology minor ... aspires to become a youth therapist.

Coach Williams on Nash: "Is one of the fastest recruits we signed this year, he also has very good cover skills and will help us in our future return game in special teams."

Conner Pals (K, 5-8, 165, Fr., Orient, Iowa / Creston HS)
Creston High School: A three-sport athlete for the Panthers, earning letters in football (3), soccer (4) and baseball (4) ... holds the second longest field goal (52 yards) in school history which was the longest field goal in the state in his senior year ... scored 185 career points in three years for the Panthers ... named Iowa Sports Spotlight All-State First Team kicker and INA All-State Second Team ... unanimous All-District First Team kicker ... two-time All-District second team defensive back ... helped Panthers football team to most wins in school history, reaching Iowa state semifinals ... as a soccer player named All-State Second Team Team and a three-time All-Hawkeye 10 Conference pick ... in baseball was a two-time All-Hawkeye 10 Conference shortstop ... also involved in student government, choir, dance, Future Farmers of America (FFA) and a four year Honor Roll student.

Personal: Born February 6, 1997 ... son of Paul and Donna Pals ... has two older brothers, Kyle and Seth ... will major in elementary education and aspires to become an athletics director ... his father, Paul was a catcher for William Penn baseball (1984-86) ... his brother, Kyle was a pitcher for Iowa Western CC baseball (2008-09) ... his brother, Seth ws a second baseman for Ellsworth CC baseball (2011-12) ... his cousin is JJ Hardy, shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles and formerly of the Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins (2005-present).

Coach Williams on Pals: "Conner is a talented kicker that we are excited to have in our program. He has a very strong and accurate leg."

Kelly Pierce (DL, 6-3, 220, Fr., Gilbert, Iowa / Gilbert HS)
Gilbert High School: A three-sport athlete, earned letters in football (3), wrestling (4) and track & field (2) ... a two-time captain for football and wrestling teams ... helped the team to a Iowa 2A Quartfinalist finish in 2013 ... named All-State, Academic All-District, All-District and All-Area.

Personal: Born July 8, 1997 ... son of Brendy Pierce ... has three younger brothers, Kaleb, Keegan and Kruz ... would like to major in business administration and marketing ... intends to go to graduate school for an MBA.

Coach Williams on Pierce: "Kelly is a very talented and technically sound defensive lineman, that will do very good things in our program."

Brandon Russell (OLB, 5-11, 185, Fr., Tracy, Calif. / Tracy HS)
Tracy High School: Helped the team to three league titles and a section appearance with records of 10-2 and 10-4 as a two-year varsity player and senior captain ... a two-time All-League and two-time All-Conference selection in the SCAL ... a four-time scholar athlete.

Personal: Born November 20, 1997 ... son of Bruce and Bambi Russell ... has an older brother, Bruce Russell who is a member of the Concordia football team ... will major in criminal justice with a career goal of becoming a police officer.

Coach Williams on Russell: "Brandon is going to bring a great combination athleticism and physicality which fits perfect to our fast and attacking defensive mindset."

Ben Sullivan (OL, 6-1, 290, Fr., Lombard, Ill. / Glenbard East HS)
Glenbard East High School: A two-sport athlete for the Rams, earning three letters in football and four in track & field ... earned All-DuPage Valley Conference First Team as a junior and All-Upstate 8 Conference First Team honors as a senior.

Personal: Born December 25, 1996 ... son of Ed and Diane Sullivan ... has four brothers, Ed, Tim, Josh and Ted and a younger sister, Sophia ... is interested in business management and communication studies for potential majors.

Coach Williams on Sullivan: "Ben is a very compact and explosive offensive lineman and will bring a quality run blocking to our offense in the future."

Corey Taylor (DB, 6-1, 180, Fr., Fort Pierce, Fla. / Central HS)
Central High School:

Coach Williams on Taylor: "One of the most talented young men that we have been able to sign in recent recruiting classes. His character, desire, mental and physical toughness is just as impressive as anyone we've been around. We are very excited to have him in our program and add to the nice niche of Florida kids we have on our team. He's a really good cover corner but is a well-rounded player and a good overall talent."

Kieran Thomas (RB, 6-0, 215, Fr., Green Bay, Wis. / Southwest HS)
Green Bay Southwest High School: Helped lead the football team to a Fox River Classic Conference championship ... an All-FRCC Honorable Mention specialist ... a two-sport athlete, also competed in track & field ... holds the 100m dash record (10.58), 4x200m dash record (1:31.91) and 4x100m dash record (42.5).

Personal: Born November 12, 1996 ... son of Kelom Shabazz and Amy Thomas ... has a younger brother, Kamden and two younger sisters, Jaiden and Aabi ... interested in a psychology major with a business minor and would like to be a psychologist.

Coach Williams on Thomas: "Kieran is a running back that we have been excited about for a long time, he will bring a great combination of quickness and power to our young and talented backfield."

Tristan Wehmas (DL, 6-3, 215, Fr., St. Anthony, Minn. / St. Anthony Village HS)
St. Anthony Village High School: Earned two letters each in football and wrestling for the Huskies ... a two-time wrestling captain and a senior dual captain in football and wrestling ... named All-Tri-Metro Conference honorable mention as a senior in football with 20-plus tackles and six sacks as a senior ... a state entrant wrestler as a junior in 2013, earning All-Tri-Metro Conference honorable mention.

Personal: Born November 13, 1996 ... son of Todd Wehmas and Lee Jerde-Wehmas ... has a younger brother, Michael ... will major in criminal justice with a psychology minor at Concordia.

Coach Williams on Wehmas: "Tristan has a bright future in our program, his positive qualities of strength and athletiscm will develop nicely in our program."

Anthony Wilkerson (WR, 6-1, 175, Fr., Minnetonka, Minn. / Minnetonka HS)
Minnetonka High School: A two-sport athlete for the Skippers, competing in football and track & field.

Personal: Born August 10, 1997 ... son of Heidi Pavelka ... has an older brother, Sean ... would like to major in sports medicine.

Coach Williams on Wilkerson: "Anthony is a very athletic wide receiver that will compete and do many good things in our program."

DJ Wilkinson (OL, 6-2, 310, Fr., St. Louis Park, Minn. / St. Louis Park HS)
St. Louis Park High School: An All-Metro West Conference lineman ... earned a pair of football letters for the Orioles and also earned a letter in the shot put for track & field ... a senior football captain and two year starter at center ... named Mr. Oriole Football ... Academic All-State ... helped the Orioles to a 5-5 senior season including a playoff victory.

Personal: Born May 22, 1997 ... son of Russ Wilkinson and Maria Dalton ... has a younger brother, Odin and two younger sisters, Cassidy and Sarah ... will major in business management and would like to own an athletic development gym and be a coach in his career.

Coach Williams on Wilkinson: "DJ is a physical and aggressive offensive lineman. He is a great young man and we are excited to add him to our line."

Aaron Wisecup (LB, 6-0, 230, Fr., Monticello, Minn. / Monticello HS)
Monticello High School: Competed in football and baseball, earning letters three times in each ... named Mississippi 8 Conference Offensive Lineman MVP in the red division ... an All-State honorable mention selection ... team offensive MVP ... two-time All-Mississippi 8 Conference and three-time Academic All-Mississippi 8 Conference pick ... as a senior, made 84 tackles with 40 for loss and three forced fumbles ... in his prep career, registered 139 tackles, 72 for loss with five forced fumbles and an interception ... helped the team to three straight winning seasons ... helped pave the way for single game and single season team rushing records.

Personal: Born June 6, 1997 ... son of James and Patty Wisecup ... has three older brothers, Chris, Matt and Darian ... is undecided on a field of study at Concordia ... his uncle, John Wisecup was a pitcher for Winona State baseball.

Coach Williams on Wisecup: "Aaron is a very physical and downhill linebacker that will bring good added competitive depth to that position group."

Antonio Zepeda (OLB, 6-2, 200, Fr., Blaine, Minn. / Spring Lake Park HS)
Spring Lake Park High School: A two-sport athlete for the Panthers, earning four letters in football and four in baseball ... a football and baseball team captain ... an All-Northwest Suburban Conference selection, making 115 tackles in 12 games ... had 27 tackles in two MSHSL State Tournament games as a senior ... helped the Panthers to four Northwest Suburban Conference Championships, advancing to the 2014 MSHSL State Semifinal ... earned Iron Man award four times, member of 240 club and 4.6 club ... a four-time All-Northwest Suburban Conference baseball player, earning Rookie of the Year and Top Hitter honors

Personal: Born November 21, 1996 ... son of Jose and Sheila Zepeda ... has two older sisters, Lindsay and Arianna ... will major in exercise science at Concordia.

Coach Williams on Zepeda: "Antonio is a very quality football player that brings many talents at the linebacker position."

Nick Ziebell (TE, 6-5, 205, Fr., Thiensville, Wis. / Homestead HS)
Homestead High School: Earned three letters in football and two in track & field competing in the 200m, 400m and 800m ... as a senior, hauled in 18 receptions for 265 yards and a touchdown in seven games ... helped the Highlanders to a 2012 Wisconsin State Championship ... led the Highlanders to an 11-2 overall record and state semifinalist finish as a senior ... an All-North Shore Conference First Team, All-Region First Team and All-Suburban Team selection ... named All-State honorable mention ... earned most improved offensive player award.

Personal: Born November 18, 1996 ... son of Richard and Judy Ziebell ... has an older sister, Abbey ... is interested in a sport management major and aspires to become a sports agent.

Coach Williams on Ziebell: "Nick is a tremendous talent from Wisconsin. He is a long, athletic, and physical tight end that will prosper in our offense and will add to the tradition of great tight ends in our program."

Mitch Zillman (LB, 5-11, 214, Fr., Marshfield, Wis. / Marshfield HS)
Marshfield High School: A three-time All-UFA South Conference performer, earning First Team honors as a junior and honorable mention honors as a sophomore and senior ... registered over 280 career tackles as a prep ... helped the Tigers to a 10-2 record and Wisconsin state semifinal finish as a sophomore ... has been listed as high as the second ranked linebacker in the state by wissports.net for the Class of 2015 ... also involved in baseball and wrestling for the Tigers.

Personal: Born January 27, 1997 ... son of Steve and Sally Zillman ... has an older brother, Ross ... anticipates entering a pre-law studies academic path with a psychology minor ... would like to go to law school.

Coach Williams on Zillman: "Mitch will give us everything we are looking for in an inside linebacker, he is athletic, smart, physical and runs well. He will be very successful in our program."