MARQUETTE, Mich.– Northern Michigan University head football Coach Bernie Anderson announced today (Wednesday, Feb. 2) the addition of 28 players to the fall 2011 Wildcat roster.  Of those players, 27 signed National Letters of Intent on the first day of the signing period. These 27 players will come to NMU, along with current enrollee Cody Scepaniak, as one of the strongest recruiting classes in Anderson’s tenure at the helm of the Wildcats.  “This is clearly the best recruiting class in my time here at Northern Michigan University,” says Anderson. “They all bring in very high character and academics;  our prime two areas of focus for this year’s recruiting class.”

The class includes 20 players from Michigan, eight of them from the Upper Peninsula, three from Wisconsin and one each from Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. There are 17 defensive and 11offensive players, with key recruits coming in the secondary and quarterback positions. “This class has more impact players, more players that can help us early and the overall talent is better,” says Anderson. “This fits exactly what we needed and wanted to accomplish with this class.”

In the 2010 season the Wildcat defense was ranked first in the GLIAC in total defense and eight in the country. The ‘Cats finished 5-6 overall in 2010 and 5-5 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and featured the Wildcats in the first year of the spread offense.

Listed below are the individuals signed as of the first day of the signing period.

 

Name	Position	Height	Weight	Hometown/High School/JC/CC
Daniel Bingel	DB	6-4	190	Negaunee, Mich./Negaunee
Luke Capen	WR	6-3	185	Ithaca, Mich./Ithaca
Matthew Dobson	LB	6-0	180	Green Bay, Wis./Preble
Gabe Eppert	WR	6-3	200	Ishpeming, Mich./Ishpeming
Zakary Green	DT	6-1	260	Marquette, Mich./Marquette
Peter Hagermoser	OL	6-4	320	Lancaster, Mass./Worchester Academy
Loran Jaddou	DB	5-11	200	Bloomfield Hills, Mich/Brother Rice
Jim Joski	DL	6-2	235	Kingsford, Mich./ Kingsford
Wyatt Jurasin	LB	6-1	210	Marquette, Mich./Ishpeming
Ken Kalish	OL	6-5	310	Schaumburg, Ill./Conant
Mitchell Kell	OLB	6-2	210	Wyandotte, Mich./ Wyandotte
Brad Macario	DT	6-1	270	Negaunee, Mich./Negaunee
Josh McNeil	WR	6-0	185	West Orange, NJ/ West Orange
Bryan Mellema	LB	6-2	205	Grand Rapids, Mich./ Grand Rapids Christian
Ryan Morley	QB	6-1	180	Grand Blanc, Mich./ Grand Blanc
Joe Neeb	RB	5-10	175	Menominie, Wis./ Menominie
Henry "Levi" Perry	DB	6-1	200	Northville, Mich./Northville
Ryan Powell	FS	5-11	175	Northville, Mich./Canton
Scott Rademaker	DL	6-0	230	Canton, Mich./ Canton
Cody Scepaniak	QB	6-3	220	Bestao, N.Y./Bestao (Alfred State College)
Matt Smith	LB	6-4	215	Hudson, Mich./ Hudson
Kyle Steuck	OL	6-2	280	De Pere, Wis./ West De Pere
Colin Terry	WR	6-3	180	Marquette, Mich./ Marquette
Bret Thomas	WR	6-4	195	Charlotte, Mich./ Charlotte
Nate Thompson	DB	5-11	175	Grand Rapids, Mich./ Grand Rapids Christian
Raymond Walsh	DT	6-2	250	Whiting, Ind./ Bishop Noll
Zane Weaver	DL	6-4	220	Greenville, Mich./ Greenville Sr. High
Chris Weber	LB	6-0	210	Sault. Ste. Marie, Mich./ Sault Ste Marie

 

Daniel Bingel: 6’4’’ 190 lb – DB

Negaunee, Mich.

Head Coach- Paul Jacobson, Negaunee High School

• All U.P. Defense
• 1^st Team All State

 

Luke Capen: 6’3’’ 185 lb – WR

Ithaca, Mich.

Head Coach- Terry Hessbrook, Ithaca High School

• State Champion
• All Conference as JR. and SR.
• All State Football and Basketball

 

Matt Dobson: 6’0’’ 180 lb – ILB

Green Bay, Wis.

Head Coach- Pat Prochnow, Green Bay Preble High School

• All Conference

 

Gabe Eppert: 6’1’’ 200 lb –WR

Ishpeming, Mich.

Head Coach- Jeff Olson, Ishpeming High School

• All U.P. Team
• All Conference

 

Zak Green: 6’1’’ 250 lb – DT

Marquette, Mich.

Head Coach- Dave L’Huillier, Marquette High School

• All U.P. Defense
• 1^st Team All Conference
• 1^st Team All State

 

Peter Hagermoser:  6’4’’ 320 lb - OL

Worchester Academy, Mass.

Head Coach- David Dykeman, Worchester Academy

• 1^st team All Central Massachusetts
• Shriner All Star 

 

Loran Jaddou:  5’11’’ 200 lb –SS

Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Head Coach- Albert Fracassa Brother Rice High School

• All Metro Team
• All Catholic League
• All State Honorable Mention
• Senior Captain

 

Jim Joski:  6’2’’ 235 lb – DL

Kingsford, Mich.

Head Coach- Chris Hofer, Kingsford High School

• All State
• All U.P.
• GNC 1^st team

 

Wyatt Jurasin: 6’1’’ 210 lb – ILB

Marquette, Mich.

Head Coach- Ishpeming High School

• All Conference
• All U.P. Team
• U.P. Dream Team
• 1^st Team All State
• Senior Captain

 

Ken Kalish: 6’5’’ 310 lb - OL

Schaumburg, Ill/

Head Coach: Bill Modelski- James B. Conant High School

• All-State Honorable Mention
• 1^st Team All-Conference
• 1^st Team All-Area
• Senior Captain

 

Mitchell Kell:  6’2’’ 210 lb –OLB

Wyandotte, Mich.

Head Coach- Wyandotte High School

• Team Captain
• 11-1 Senior Record
• All Area
• Father is Alumni of NMU

 

Brad Macario: 6’1’’ 270 lb –DT

Negaunee, Mich.

Head Coach- Paul Jacobson, Negaunee High School

• All Conference

 

Josh McNeil:  6’0’’ 185 lb - WR

West Orange, NJ

Head Coach-John Jacob, West Orange High School

• 1^st Team All Conference
• 1^st Team All Essex County
• Elected to the Super 100 Team

 

Bryan Mellema: 6’2’’ 205 lb - OLB

Comstock Park, Mich.

Head Coach: Don Fellows- Grand Rapids Christian High School

 

Ryan Morley: 6’1’’ 180 lb – QB

Grand Blanc, Mich.

Head Coach- Joe Delaney, Grand Blanc High School

• Started on Varsity all 4 years
• 2 year Captain
• All Conference 3 years
• All State Honorable Mention
• 2^nd All Time Passing Leader in Genesee County

 

Joe Neeb:  5’10’’ 175 lb – RB

Menominie, Wis.

Head Coach- Joe Labuda, Menominie High School

• All Conference
• Leading rusher for 2010
• Team captain

 

Levi Perry:  6’1’’ 200 lb - DB

Northville, Mich.

Head Coach: Matt Ladach- Northville High School

• 1^st Team All-State (Detroit Free Press)
• 1^st Team All-Area

 

Ryan Powell:  5’11’’ 175 lb –FS

Northville, Mich.

Head Coach- Coach Baechler, Canton High School

• All Conference
• All K.L.A.A.

 

Scotty Rademaker: 6’0’’ 230 lb- DL

Traverse City, Mich.

Head Coach- Tom Passinault, Traverse City Central High School

• All Area DL
• All Conference DL
• All Conference Wrestler

 

Cody Scepaniak:  6’3’’ 220 lb – QB

Bestao,  N.Y.

Head Coach-Mick Caba, Alfred State College

• Offensive MVP
• Bestao High School
• All Metro
• Ernie Davis All Star

 

Matt Smith: 6’4’’ 215 lb – OLB

Hudson, Mich.

Head Coach- Hudson High School

• State Champion
• Team captain
• All Area
• All Conference

 

Kyle Stueck: 6’2’’ 280 lb – OL

Green bay, Wis.

Head Coach – West DePere High School

• JR. 1^st Team All Conference
• Sr. 1^st Team All Conference
• All State Honors

 

Colin Terry: 6’3’’ 180 lb – WR

Marquette, Mich.

Head Coach- Dave L’Huillier, Marquette High School

• All U.P. Team
• All Conference

 

Bret Thomas: 6’4’’ 195 lb – WR

Charlotte, Mich.

Head Coach- Eddie Ostipow, Charlotte High School

• All Conference
• All Area

 

Nate Thompson: 5’11’’ 175 lb – CB

SE Grand Rapids, Mich.

 Head Coach- Don Fellows, Grand Rapids Christian

• All Grand Rapids
• Dream Team
• All Conference
• All State Honorable Mention

 

Raymond Walsh:  6’2’’ 250 lb –DT

Whiting, Ind.

Head Coach- Mike Juscik, Bishop Noll High School

• 1^st Team All Conference
• Team Captain

 

Zane Weaver: 6’4’’ 220 lb – DL

Greenville, Mich.

Head Coach- Dave Moore, Greenville High School

• All State Academic
• 1^st  team All Conference
• Team Captain

 

Curtis Weber:  6’0’’ 210 lb – ILB

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

Head Coach:  Sault Ste Marie High School

• All U.P. Team
• All Conference