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Football Announces 2013 Signing Class
2/6/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Click here to watch Head Coach Jeff Quinn's press conference.
Click here to watch the WBBZ UB Football Signing Day Special
BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo head football coach Jeff Quinn has announced his initial signees for the 2013 recruiting class on the first day of the National Signing period.
Announcing his fourth recruiting class, Quinn added 18 players, with an emphasis on defense. The class includes 11 defensive players, six offensive players and one special teams player. The Bulls signed players from nine different states - New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Missouri and Kansas.
"What stood out most to me with the entire signing class of 2013, was the fact that these are tremendous leaders and winners," Quinn said. " They are guys that won state championships, conference championships, they were captains and MVPs. What also stood out to me were the connections our staff had and current and past players had with these future Bulls and families."
The initial members of the 2013 class:
Blake Bean
Inside Linebacker
6-1, 235
Wichita, KS/Mt. Carmel Catholic HS
Butler Community College
Blake Bean is a linebacker from Junior College power Butler Community College in Kansas. He will enter UB with two years of eligibility beginning in 2013. In his two seasons with Butler, the Grizzlies went 22-2 and lost in the national championship game in 2012. The Wichita, KS native led the Grizzlies with 113 tackles. He also had 11 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. For his efforts, Bean was named to the 2012 KJCCC All-Conference Second Team. In addition, Bean had a 4.0 grade point average while at Butler. Bean was an outstanding high school wrestler as well, winning a state championship as a junior in Oklahoma, before moving to Kansas for his senior year and winning the state championship there as well.
James Coleman
Running Back
6-1, 200
Queens Village, NY/Christ the King HS
James Coleman is a running back out of Queens Village, NY, who comes to Buffalo after an outstanding high school career at Christ the King High School. As the team's running back, James made the All-New York City Area First Team and was also honored as an All-Queens, All-Conference, and All-League member. As a junior, he led the league in rushing and total offense, and he was named the High School Player of the Week on four separate occasions by the New York Post. Also a three-year varsity starter for his high school's basketball team, Coleman was the captain of both his basketball and football teams.
Brandon Crawford
Outside Linebacker/Defensive End
6-2, 235
Madison, FL/Madison County HS
Brandon Crawford already possesses the size and strength to fit multiple roles in UB's 3-4 defense. A rush linebacker out of Madison County High School in Madison, FL, the 6-2, 235 pound Crawford projects as an outside linebacker who can also play on the line. His high school made it to the Florida state championship game and was ranked 12th in the football-rich state. After making the All-State Second Team as a junior, he exploded for 91 tackles (15 for loss) and 13 sacks in his senior season to make the All-State First Team. He was also named to MaxPreps' 2012 Small Schools All-American Second Team. To cap off his high school career, he earned MVP of the prestigious Florida vs. Georgia All-Star Game.
Andrews Dadeboe
Cornerback
5-11, 180
York, PA/Central York HS
Andrews Dadeboe's natural athletic ability allowed him to excel as a defensive back for Central York High School in York, PA. As a junior and senior, he made the All-County team, and he helped Central York win a Division title this past season. The Big 33 Association named him a "Hot 100" player in the class of 2013, and 247sports ranked him as the 48th-best player in the state. Outside of his high school career, he participated in the state's East vs. West All-Star game. At the National Underclassmen Combine (NUC), Dadeboe earned Overall MVP, Fastest Man, and Combine King honors.
Xavier Davis
Nose Guard
6-2, 280
Atlanta, GA/The New Schools at Carver
Xavier Davis comes to Buffalo from Atlanta, GA, where he was a two-year varsity captain for The New Schools at Carver football team. Projected as a nose guard for the Bulls, the 6-2, 280-pound Davis was a multi-purpose standout in high school. As a senior, he had 39 tackles and five sacks on defense and 31 pancake blocks as an offensive lineman. Davis is an All-Region and All-State Second Team member, and also throws shot put and discus for the school's track and field team.
Jamarl Eiland
Athlete/Wide Receiver
6-1, 185
Canton, MI/Plymouth HS
Jamarl Eiland is a multi-purpose athlete who played at Plymouth High School in Canton, MI. Playing at quarterback and wide receiver at various points, he totaled 1,600 combined yards through the passing game and in the running game. As a junior, he was a primary receiver who led the team with 28 receptions, seven touchdowns and over 400 yards receiving. After moving to quarterback to fully utilize his athleticism in a run-first offense, Eiland helped the team win 17 games in his junior and senior seasons, culminating in a District Championship win as a senior. A four-year varsity letter winner in football as well as baseball, Eiland is a Michigan Top 60 Blue Chip member and also is National Honors Society participant and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Chris Ford
Nose Guard
6-3, 300
Medina, OH/Medina HS
Chris Ford will join his former high school teammate at Buffalo this coming fall, as he hails from Medina, OH and the same high school as current UB tight end Mason Schreck. A 6-3, 300-pound nose guard, Ford is a two-year letter winner for Medina. In his junior year, he recorded 49 tackles (four TFLs), forced four fumbles, and made a pair of sacks. Recently, he was named the 2013 National Underclassman Strong Man for the state of Ohio.
Jarrett Franklin
Outside Linebacker
6-3, 205
St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell HS
Jarrett Franklin projects to be another in a long line of strong linebackers who have made an early impact at Buffalo. The 6-3, 205 pound linebacker was a team captain at Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, MO, which finished 12-2 and was the Class 6A state runner up this past season. In his junior and senior years, Francis Howell won conference, district, and sectional championships, in large part because of Franklin. As a senior, he put up gaudy numbers to the tune of 85 tackles, 21 sacks, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He captained a defense that allowed just 10.3 points per game and shutout the opposition on three different occasions. The local media voted him to the All-State First Team, while the coaches poll put him as a state second-teamer. Franklin was also a successful high school wrestler, winning a state championship while serving as team captain.
Houston Glass
Safety
6-2, 185
Kentwood, MI/East Kentwood HS
Houston Glass will likely serve as a defensive back as a UB Bull, and he has an impressive athletic ability that will serve him well in the defensive backfield. An All-Conference and All-Area West team member in both his junior and senior seasons at East Kentwood High School in Michigan, Glass was named the team's offensive and overall MVP in his senior season. Similar to future teammate Jamarl Eiland, Glass received an invite to the state's East vs. West All-Star game. Away from the football field, Houston was a standout track athlete. He made the All-State team as a sophomore and junior, and was an All-American in the long jump in his sophomore season after jumping a personal-best of 22'7".
Corbin Grassman
Long Snapper
6-2, 215
Alexandria, OH/Johnstown-Monroe HS
Corbin Grassman has a name Bulls fans might recognize, as he is the cousin of punter Tyler Grassman. The two will be seeing quite a bit of one another at UB, because Corbin projects to be the team's long snapper and special teams ace. Coming out of Johnstown-Monroe High School in Alexandria, OH, Grassman had a tremendous career as the team's star linebacker. He led the team with 136 tackles (18 for loss) in his senior season, after breaking the school record with 156 tackles as a junior. He was a first team All-State honoree as a senior.
Solomon Jackson
Outside Linebacker
6-1, 230
Stone Mountain, GA/Tucker HS
Solomon Jackson will be another in a long line of Georgia natives at UB, coming from Stone Mountain where he was a member of the Tucker High School football and swimming teams. A 6-1, 230-pound linebacker, he helped his team to a 15-0 record and a state championship as a junior, and was All-County as a senior. He was a two-year letterman who also served as the defensive and team captain. He also participated in the Georgia vs. Florida and DeKalb County All-Star Games. In the pool, Jackson is a four-year letterwinner, who will soon be representing Tucker HS at the state championships. He was the county champion in the 50-yard freestyle in 2010.
Greg Lis
Inside Linebacker
6-1, 220
Lincoln Park, NJ/DePaul Catholic HS
Greg Lis is another member of a talented incoming class of linebackers to UB, projecting as an inside linebacker in the Bulls' 3-4 scheme. Coming from Lincoln Park, NJ, Lis won two conference championships at DePaul Catholic High School. A team captain for DePaul, Lis had 193 tackes, seven sacks and an interception in his final two seasons and made the All-County and All-Northern New Jersey First Teams.
Tedroy Lynch
Defensive End
6-2, 245
Shiremanstown, PA/Mechanicsburg HS
Lackawanna JC
Tedroy Lynch is a defensive end who saw great success in both stopping the run and rushing the passer. Coming to Buffalo after a successful JUCO stint, he projects to make an instant impact for the Buffalo defensive line. This past season, at Lackawanna Junior College, Lynch made 28 tackles (13 for loss), a conference-high 9.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. As a high school senior at Mechanicsburg High School, he made 136 tackles (17 for loss) and added four sacks.
Brandon Manosalvas
Offensive Line
6-4, 280
Paramus, NJ/Paramus HS
Brandon Manosalvas is another multi-sport athlete who comes to Buffalo after a successful high school career. The 6-4, 280-pound lineman comes from Paramus High School in New Jersey, where he was a team captain. As a senior, he was a first-team All-Suburban New Jersey team member and was a first-team All-Division member. Additionally, the New Jersey Football Coaches Association listed him as a Super 100 member. Off the football field, he was a heavyweight for the school wrestling team and also threw shot put and discus for the track and field team.
Jacob Martinez
Athlete/Wide Receiver
6-0, 180
South Port, FL/Bozeman HS
Jacob Martinez is a 6'0, 180-pound wide receiver from South Port, FL. Martinez played quarterback for Bozeman High School. He generated 1,007 yards rushing with 19 touchdowns and 1,181 yards passing with 12 touchdowns this past season. As a junior, he rushed for 1,400 yards and passed for 800 yards. Earned All-District, All-County and District Player of the Year. He is the best leader his coach has ever seen.
Boise Ross
Wide Receiver
5-11, 180
Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS
Boise Ross is a 5'11, 180-pound wide receiver from Bethlehem, PA. Ross was a four-year starter at Liberty High School, where he was team captain. He earned first-team All-State as a wide receiver, second-team All-State as a defensive back, and first-team All-Area as both a wide receiver and defensive back. Over the last two years, at Pius X and Liberty High Schools, Ross had 75 receptions, 1,400 yards and 20 touchdowns. As a junior, he had 93 tackles and five interceptions. From the same town as current Bull Okezie Alozie, Ross plans to major in business administration.
Joe Schillace
Fullback
6-1, 230
Auburn, NY/Auburn HS
Joe Schillace is a 6'1, 230-pound fullback from Auburn, NY. Schillace was a four-year varsity letterman and two-year captain for Auburn High School, earning team MVP twice. He was a three-time All-Division and All-CNY player as a senior. Selected to play in the Section III Class AA Senior Bowl All-Star game. Acknowledged for off the field accomplishments as well, earning the National Football Foundation's Scholar-Athlete award and the Auburn Kiwanis Youth Community Service Award.
Zach Smekal
Defensive Tackle
6-4, 255
Medford, NJ/Shawnee HS
Zach Smekal is a 6'4, 255-pound defensive tackle from Medford, NJ. While at Shawnee High School, Smekal led the district in sacks during the 2011 season. He was named the defensive MVP at Lauren's First and Goal Camp and invited to the Semper Fidelis Combine, the first nationally televised high school combine. Also earned a black belt in Taekwondo.
