May 8, 2006
2006 Cornell Football Recruit Release in PDF Format
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ITHACA, N.Y. - While not as large as last season's class of 40 players, head coach Jim Knowles and his staff have assembled a 24-person recruiting class who will join the Big Red football program to continue their academic and football careers at Cornell University it was announced today. The one thing both classes have in common is the tremendous skill and depth that are easily seen.
"We are very proud of this incoming class," Knowles said. "Our football program is healthy now, and we were able to concentrate on recruiting specifically for our offensive, defensive and special teams systems. This class represents the future of our program and you can see it is filled with skill, athleticism and players from winning programs!"
The Class of 2010 hails from 13 states and features nine all-state selections and six players who competed on teams that captured state titles. A class-high five recruits will come to Ithaca from talent-rich Pennsylvania, while five come from California, New York and Washington. Two players will come from New Jersey, while eight other states will send one player each to Cornell. In all, 14 of the players will join the offense and 10 will join the defense.
Cornell went for plenty of skill players, bringing in four wide receivers, three running backs and two quarterbacks on the offensive end. Two tight ends will also join the club to help both the passing game and add blocking to the running attack. On the defensive side of the ball, the Big Red brings in six defensive back/safeties and two linebackers.
The lines will also be bolstered with the addition of three offensive linemen who average 6-5 and 272 pounds. The two defense linemen average a sizable 6-4 and 252 pounds.
Cornell will put the Class of 2010 to the test when Fall practice begins in mid-August. The Big Red opens the 2006 season on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Bucknell.
CLASS OF 2010 BIG RED PLAYER ROSTER
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown Last School
Ballou, Ricky DL 6-2 225 New Haven, Conn. Choate Rosemary Hall
Barbour, Randy RB 5-9 190 Huntsville, Ala. James Oliver Johnson School
Bernhard III, Quentin OL 6-3 270 Alameda, Calif. Encinal HS
Costello, Chris LB 6-1 215 Katonah, N.Y. John Jay HS
Cowman, Trevin DL 6-4 265 Kingston, Pa. Wyoming Valley West HS
Fenton, Avery TE 6-3 230 Newport Beach, Calif. Corona del Mar HS
Gajdos, Josh WR 6-1 176 Towaco, N.J. Montville Township HS
Ganter, Ben QB 6-2 205 State College, Pa. State College Area HS
Hare, Conner DB 5-10 185 Spokane, Wash. Gonzaga Prep
Hochanadel, TJ S 6-1 185 Woodinville, Wash. Eastside Catholic HS
Jackson, Joe DB 5-10 185 Oakland, Calif. Oakland Senior HS
Kenney, Matt RB 6-0 190 State College, Pa. State College Area HS
Levine, Aaron LB 6-2 220 Export, Pa. Franklin Regional HS
Liuzza, Stephen QB 6-0 168 Pearl River, La. Slidell HS
Longo, Mark WR 6-1 195 Middletown, N.J. Middletown South HS
Minor, Isaac RB 6-0 180 Ripon, Wis. Ripon HS
Morand, Frank DB 6-2 175 Cincinnati, Ohio St. Xavier HS
Neighbor, Ben OL 6-5 265 Richardson, Texas Choate Rosemary Hall
Owens, Zach TE 6-4 225 Exeter, N.H. Exeter HS
Staruch, Nate S 6-2 185 Freeland, Pa. Hazleton Area HS
Thomas, Blake S 6-3 195 Greenwich, N.Y. Schuylerville Central HS
Tuttel, Jordan OL 6-7 280 Masonville, N.Y. Sidney Central HS
Walters, Bryan WR 6-0 175 Bothell, Wash. Juanita HS
Zerante, Nick WR 6-3 200 Elmhurst, Ill. York Community HS
CLASS OF 2010 BIG RED PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES
DL Ricky Ballou - 6-2/225 -- New Haven, Conn. (Choate Rosemary Hall)
A captain of the football team at both Choate Rosemary Hall as a postgraduate player and at Amity Regional HS, Ballou was an all-NEPSAC pick at Choate this past year. Ballou, along with teammate and fellow Big Red recruit Ben Neighbor, helped his prep school to a 6-2 record. Ballou also captained the men's ice hockey team at Amity. He was a two-year letter winner as a quarterback in high school before moving over to outside linebacker and tight end at Choate.
RB Randy Barbour - 5-9/190 -- Huntsville, Ala. (James Oliver Johnson School)
A three-sport athlete at James Oliver Johnson HS, Barbour was a Wendy's High School Heisman nominee as a senior. The team's most valuable offensive player earned all-city and all-region honors in 2005. A regional qualifier and sectional runner-up in both the shot put and discus in track and field, he also played varsity baseball. Barbour also served as the team's kicker. Barbour was named the Channel 19-TV Athlete of the Month in February of 2006.
OL Quentin Bernhard III - 6-3/270 -- Alameda, Calif. (Encinal HS)
A three-time, first-team all-league pick on the offensive and defensive line at Encinal HS, Bernhard led his team to its first league playoff berth in 15 years in 2005. The two-year captain earned all-area honors at offensive guard and defensive tackle as a senior. The three-year starter was named to the Contra Costa Times' "Cream of the Crop" team as one of the top 20 players in the area. He also competed for two seasons on the track team doing the discus and shot put.
LB Chris Costello - 6-1/215 -- Katonah, N.Y. (John Jay HS)
Costello was named second-team all-state as a senior linebacker at John Jay HS, leading his team to a 9-1 record and a spot in the sectional finals. A two-time all-league and all-section pick, Costello was named to the Journal News first-team in each of his final two years. He was named the Class AA North Lineman of the Year and was the North County News Player of the Year as a senior captain. Costello was named the team's most valuable defensive player as a junior and senior and was selected to participate in the Section I Senior All-Star game, serving as team captain. An outstanding student, Costello was named the New York High School Football Coaches Association Player-Scholar Athlete of the Year in Class AA and was named to the National Football Foundation's "Golden Dozen" scholar-athlete team. He helped lead his team to a three-year record of 25-5 with three league championships. Costello also competed in wrestling, baseball and track and field. As a wrestler, Costello a two-team all-section and all-league pick.
DL Trevin Cowman - 6-4/265 -- Plymouth, Pa. (Wyoming Valley West HS)
Cowman was a two-time all-state pick at Wyoming Valley West HS, taking third team honors by the Pennsylvania Football News as a junior and second-team all-state as a senior according to the Associated Press. A four-year varsity starter and three-year all-league and all-scholastic selection, Cowman was named one of the top players to watch prior to his senior season by EasternPafootball.com. Cowman was a member of The Citizens' Voice All-Star team and was picked for the Super 16 Dream Team. He had 12 tackles for loss as a junior defensive lineman and posted 45 pancake blocks on the offensive line. As a wrestler, Cowman was 35-1 as a senior, winning a state title and defeating the nation's top-ranked wrestler at the prestigious Dapper Dan Classic. He finished his career with a 124-27 record with three District 2 titles, a Northeast Regional crown and a fifth-place medal at states as a junior. He was named the Times Leader Wrestler of the Year and finished the season ranked No. 4 in the nation as a high school heavyweight.
TE Avery Fenton - 6-3/230 -- Newport Beach, Calif. (Corona del Mar HS)
A standout blocking tight end, Fenton was a first-team all-league pick as a senior at Corona del Mar HS. The two-sport standout earned the team's Skeletor Award in each of his final seasons for most pancake blocks, including posting 24 as a senior captain. He was also named the school's Academic Player of the Year and was chosen to compete in the North/South Orange County All-Star Game. Fenton caught six passes for 54 yards and two scores as a senior and had two catches for 22 yards and a touchdown as a junior. The team captain also served as the team's long-snapper in his final three campaigns. A three-year state qualifier in the discus during track and field season, Fenton was the team's most valuable thrower as a junior and senior. His late brother, Sean, played football at Yale.
WR Josh Gajdos - 6-1/176 -- Towaco, N.J. (Montville Township HS)
A two-time all-league and all-county selection, Gajdos was a three-sport start at Montville Township HS. The team's most valuable player as a junior, Gajdos received the Morris County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame's Scholar-Athlete award. He ended the year with 19 catches for 328 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another in 2004. On defense, Gajdos had three interceptions, two fumbles recovered and two blocked field goals. He was also named the school's top scholar-athlete as a senior by the Morris County Secondary Schools Athletic Directors Association. His team won a league title as a sophomore, and he served as team captain as a senior despite missing a majority of the campaign due to injury.
QB Ben Ganter - 6-2/205 -- State College, Pa. (State College Area HS)
An honorable mention all-state pick as a senior captain at State College Area HS, Ganter passed for 1,510 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final season. He led State his school to a 9-4 record and a runner-up finish in the district playoffs en route to being selected to compete in the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association East-West All-Star game. He completed 57 percent of his passes on the year. Ganter also rushed for 257 yards and eight touchdowns. The youngest son of Penn State associate athletic director for football administration and longtime offensive coordinator Fran Ganter, Ben is the fourth Ganter son to play Division I football following Jon (Princeton), Chris (Penn State) and Jason (Penn State).
DB Conner Hare - 5-10/185 -- Spokane, Wash. (Gonzaga Prep)
A second-team all-state selection as a senior at Gonzaga Prep, Hare was named first-team all-league on both offense and defense by The Spokesman-Review. He was selected to play in the Washington State East-West All-Star Game after his senior campaign. As a junior, he helped Gonzaga to a spot in the state semifinals. At running back, Hare rushed for 1,052 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 8.4 yards per carry. He caught five passes for 92 yards. A standout on the track as well, Hare finished 11th in the state in the 100 meters as a junior. In the classroom, Hare was a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete finalist.
S TJ Hochanadel - 6-1/185 -- Woodinville, Wash. (Eastside Catholic HS)
An all-metro selection on both offense (tight end) and defense (safety), Hochanadel was a three-year letter winner at Eastside Catholic HS. A National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete nominee, Hochanadel posted 53 tackles and two interceptions as a senior captain. As a senior, Hochanadel won the team's Coaches Award. He also caught 10 passes for 108 yards on offense. A three-year letter winner in track and field, Hochanadel was part of the school's state qualifying 4x400 relay team.
DB Joe Jackson - 5-10/185 -- Oakland, Calif. (Oakland Senior HS)
Jackson was a three-time all-league pick at defensive back and running back Oakland Senior HS. Jackson earned first-team all-league and all-city honors as a senior. He was named the most valuable player among defensive backs at the University of California summer camp as a junior. Ranked as one of the top defensive backs in Northern California by Rivals.com in 2005, Jackson was picked to the Oakland Tribune East Bay Honor Roll three times during his final campaign. He also ran track in the sprints. Jackson was awarded the Sinkler Miller Medical Foundation Scholarship and the Star Minority Scholarship, both for student-athletes.
RB Matt Kenney - 6-0/190 -- State College, Pa. (State College Area HS)
An honorable mention all-state pick as a senior at State College Area HS, Kenney was named one of the top 25 Division I-AA running backs in the Class of 2006 by ShowingBlitz.com. Kenney helped his team to district titles as a sophomore and junior and a runner-up finish as a senior. As a senior, the 6-0, 190-pound running back rushed for 188 yards and caught 22 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively he made 56 tackles and had three interceptions as a safety. He was selected to compete in the Lezzer Lumber All-State Football Classic after his senior campaign and was invited to the U.S. Army All-American Combine as a junior and senior. He was rated as a two-star prospect by recruiting service Rivals.com. Kenney also ran track, where he holds two school records, and baseball, where he was a national all-star as a centerfielder at the 2002 Babe Ruth Baseball national championship. He was a state qualifier in track during both the indoor and outdoor seasons in both 2005 and 2006.
LB Aaron Levine - 6-2/215 -- Export, Pa. (Franklin Regional HS)
Levine was selected to play in the Pennsylvania East-West All-Star game after helping lead Franklin Regional HS to the state championship as a senior. The third-team all-state pick by Pennsylvania Football News was selected first-team all-area by the Pittsburgh Tribune. A two-time all-league pick, including first-team as a senior, Levine was named to the Gateway Publications Elite 30 Team in 2005.
QB Stephen Liuzza - 6-0/168 -- Pearl River, La. (Slidell HS)
An all-state academic team member as a senior at Slidell HS, Liuzza passed for 3,874 yards and 33 touchdowns as two years as a starter. Liuzza was an honorable mention all-state pick as a senior captain and was a Times Picayune all-district selection in each of his final two seasons. Liuzza tossed for 2,488 yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 57 percent of his passes as a junior in leading his squad to the state semifinals. As a senior, Liuzza passed for 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns and led his team to the state regionals in a season shortened to nine games due to Hurricane Katrina. He was named the most valuable offensive player in the Parish in 2005 after starting the year on the EA Sports Elite 11 Quarterbacks To Watch list. Liuzza was also a standout on the baseball diamond, claiming all-metro and all-district honors as a freshman and sophomore.
WR Mark Longo - 6-1/195 -- Middletown, N.J. (Middletown South HS)
Longo helped his Middletown South HS team to three consecutive state titles and earned first-team all-league as a senior. He recorded 25 catches for 505 yards and five touchdowns as a senior after posting 19 catches for 378 yards and three scores as a junior. Longo also intercepted three passes during his senior campaign. A second-team all-shore pick, he was awarded all-academic honors in the league in each of his final two years. Longo lettered for three years in basketball and golf and once in track in field. Longo is a cousin of former Big Red All-Ivy defensive lineman Ryan Lempa and current Big Red rising junior Doug Lempa.
RB Isaac Minor - 6-0/180 -- Ripon, Wis. (Ripon HS)
An honorable mention all-state running back as a junior after rushing for 1,274 yards and 23 touchdowns, Minor helped Ripon HS to a pair of state titles (2003, 2005). Minor rushed for 396 yards and two touchdowns as a senior and caught five passes for 51 yards for his 14-0 squad. Minor was named one of the top 100 players in the state of Wisconsin by BadgerStatePreps.com prior to his senior year. For his career, Minor finished with 2,428 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. He also caught 27 balls for 498 yards and four scores. He set school records for touchdowns in a game (six), scoring five times on the ground thanks to a 267-yard effort, as well as a 40-yard pass play against Winneconne HS. As a member of the track team, he set records in the 100 and 200 dash, the triple jump, the 4x100 relay and the 4x200 relay. His brother, Ellis, is a member of the Winona State football program, and his father, Dave, is a member of the Ripon College Athletic Hall of Fame.
CB Frank Morand - 6-2/175 -- Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier HS)
A first-team all-league pick for the state champion St. Xavier HS team, Morand was an honorable mention all-district pick as a senior. Morand ended his senior season with five interceptions, eight pass breakups and 61 total tackles. He intercepted a pass with 44 seconds left to help his team to the state semifinal victory en route to its 14-0 finish and No. 5 ranking in the USA Today's Super 25 national poll. Morand also spent one year on the track team, competing in the long jump and high jump.
OL Ben Neighbor - 6-5/265 -- Richardson, Texas (Choate Rosemary Hall)
Neighbor was a first-team all-city and second-team all-district pick at J.J. Pearce HS before playing for a prep season at Choate Rosemary Hall in 2005. Neighbor, along with teammate and fellow Big Red recruit Ricky Ballou, helped Choate to a 6-2 record. A captain as a senior, Neighbor was an honorable mention academic all-state pick and a first-team academic all-district and all-state pick at Pearce after starting for two years.
TE Zach Owens - 6-4/225 -- East Kingston, N.H. (Exeter HS)
Owens was the leading receiver for Exeter HS as a junior and was selected as a Scholar-Athlete by the Joseph Yukica/New Hampshire Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. He played tight end, wide receiver, defensive end, linebacker and served as the place-kicker as his team won the 2003 state championship. Owens missed much of his senior season at Exeter after suffering a leg injury in the season-opener on a 60-yard pass reception. He also competed in track in the high jump and in basketball.
S Nate Staruch - 6-2/185 -- Freeland, Pa. (Hazleton Area HS)
Staruch was an honorable mention all-state pick as a quarterback by Pennsylvania Football News and EasternPaFootball.com as a senior at Hazleton Area HS. Staruch was named the conference's most valuable offensive player and first-team all-league by the Reading Eagle, the Citizen's Voice, the Times Leader and the Standard Speaker. As a senior captain, he led his team to a conference and district championship by passing for 1,172 yards and 17 touchdowns while registering a conference-leading 182.80 quarterback rating. A member of both the WNEP-TV and WYLN-TV all-star football teams, Staruch was nominated to play in the Big 33/East-West All-Star game. Staruch was invited to compete in the State College NIKE training camp in 2005. He played basketball on the AAU circuit with the Pocono Stars, helping his team win five tournament titles in three years.
S Blake Thomas - 6-3/195 -- Greenwich, N.Y. (Schuylerville HS)
A first-team all-section pick on both offense and defense as a junior and senior at Schuylerville HS, Thomas played both tight end and linebacker and was a first-team all-state pick as a senior. The New York State Public High School Association's MVP of the Year in Section II, he was named to defensive most valuable player in the state semifinals. Thomas earned a spot of the 2005 Dream Team put out by The Saratogian and was selected to participate in the Section II Exceptional Senior Game. As a junior, Thomas helped lead his team to a sectional championship and a spot in the state semifinals, as well as a No. 3 final ranking in the state. Thomas also played basketball and track in high school.
OL Jordan Tuttel - 6-7/270 -- Sidney, N.Y. (Sidney Central HS)
Tuttel was named first-team all-state on the offensive line after helping lead Sidney HS to the Class C state championship as a senior captain. He was selected to play in Ernie Davis Classic football game in his final season and also had 74 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery as a defensive lineman. A two-time Daily Star all-area team member, he earned the State Farm Offensive Lineman of the Year as the best lineman in the area in 2005. Tuttel also played on the basketball team as a two-year starter, as well competing in the shot put and discus in track and field.
WR Bryan Walters - 6-0/175 -- Bothell, Wash. (Juanita HS)
A three-year all-league pick, Walters excelled at receiver, safety and defensive back at Juanita HS. A team captain as a senior, he set school records for all-purpose yards and total offense in a season and completions and interceptions in a game. Walters was the team's most valuable player on offense as a junior and was the school's player of the year as a senior. A National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, he was nominated to play in the all-state football game. Walters was named most valuable receiver at the Washington State football camp in the summer of 2005 and later earned first-team all-area at safety by the Eastside Journal. As a senior, Walters was 74-for-153 passing for 1,190 yards and 12 touchdowns, and also rushed for 596 yards and eight touchdowns. He was also a three-time all-league pick in baseball and a two-year captain and all-league pick as a senior in basketball.
WR Nick Zerante - 6-3/200 -- Elmhurst, Ill. (York HS)
A four-sport star at York HS, Zerante was named one of the top 100 players in Illinois by both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times as a senior. He graduated second all-time in school history in passing yards, touchdowns and total yards, accounting for 3,820 yards and 35 touchdowns in his career. Zerante passed for 1,634 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior and rushed for 572 more with four scores. The conference offensive player of the year as a senior, Zerante was an all-conference and all-area first-team pick. Named one of the top playmakers in the state by Rivals.com, he also excelled in the classroom in being named academic all-state. Zerante was named the top junior athlete at York HS in 2005 after rushing for 344 yards and three touchdowns and tossing for 1,112 yards and nine scores. He was named one of the top 200 players in the Midwest by the Sporting News' High School Football Magazine. He earned 11 total varsity letters in football, basketball, baseball and track and field. He was rated as a two-star prospect by recruiting service Rivals.com and was on the EA Sports Elite 11 Quarterbacks To Watch list to open the 2005 campaign.
