Feb. 2, 2011
NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion head coach Bobby Wilder announced the signing of 13 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to play football for the Monarchs beginning this fall.
The 2011 Monarch recruiting class consists of athletes from Virginia, including seven from the Hampton Roads, as well as North Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey.
Additionally, three Monarchs have joined the ODU roster for the spring.
"Our coaching staff is excited with our recruiting class", said Wilder. "As with our previous classes, the majority of the student-athletes that are coming to ODU have played multiple positions on special teams, defense, and offense. This is a great benefit to our program as we look to the future and the coaching staff evaluates these young men when they arrive on campus. As always, I am grateful to the many people associated with Old Dominion who continue to provide support to our program. President Broderick and his staff, our deans and many professors, Athletic Director Wood Selig and our athletic administration are a major part of the success we've had in our recruiting process."
The Old Dominion football team finished its second season of football at 8-3 and over the last two seasons has combined for a 17-5 mark as the winningest FCS start-up program in the books. The squad joins the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in 2011, the toughest FCS conference in the nation that featured four teams in this past season's playoffs including runner-up Delaware, as well as 2009 champion Villanova, William & Mary, and New Hampshire.
The 2011 Monarch schedule kicks off with Campbell on September 3rd. The Monarchs also have non-conference dates with Georgia State and Hampton before its inaugural CAA contest. Home CAA dates include UMass, Towson, James Madison, and Richmond. On the road, the Monarchs will tackle Delaware, Rhode Island, Villanova, and William & Mary.
MEET THE MONARCHS:
Jakwail Bailey - WR - 5-11 - 180 - Haddonfield, N.J./Paul VI
Philadelphia Inquirer First-Team All-South Jersey...Second Team All-State by MaxPreps...Caught 45 passes for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior... Had a season-high eight catches for 187 yards in the Eagles' Non-Public Group 4 playoff game with Seton Hall Prep... As a junior, caught 25 passes for 690 yards and seven touchdowns...Played for Paul VI High School head coach John Doherty...Also earned All-South Jersey and All-Conference honors in track.
Other Schools Considered: James Madison, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Akron, and Grambling.
A.J. Bordley - CB - 5-11 - 170 - Va. Beach, Va./First Colonial
Honorable Mention All-Beach District...Started at cornerback, as well as quarterback and several other positions....Missed four games as a junior due to injury...Played for First Colonial High School head coach Bill McTyre...
Other Schools Considered: Temple, Richmond, Delaware, William & Mary, Norfolk State, South Carolina State, and North Carolina Central
Brad Bradley - LB - 6-0 - 190 - Richmond, Va./Varina
Two-sport standout and three-year letterwinner in football at Varina...Also a two-year letterwinner in track... Versatile on defense... Helped Varina to second place in the Capital League and the playoffs...Finished second on the team in solo tackles and first in tackles for lost...Registered two interceptions, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks and eight quarterback hurries...Averaged 39.7 yards on kickoff returns ...Coached by Varina High School head coach Stuart Brown...
Other Schools Considered: Delaware State, Coastal Carolina, Monmouth.
Taylor Heinicke - QB - 6-1 - 195 - Atlanta, Ga./Collins Hill
Gwinnett Daily Post Offensive Player of the Year...Set Gwinnett County single-season records for passing yards (4,218 yards) and touchdowns (44)...His 4,218 passing yards ranks second in Georgia state history, while his 44 touchdowns ranks third in state history...Completed 67% of his passes (284-of-426)...Threw over 300 yards in nine games...Also ran for 354 yards on 77 carries along with a pair of touchdowns...Helped Collins to the Class AAAAA semifinals...Collected 254 yards and three touchdowns en-route to MVP honors at the North/South All-Star Football Classic...Helped the North to a 22-0 victory over the South...Appeared on the reality tv show "The Ride" featuring high school quarterbacks competing for a spot in the U.S. Army All-American game...Played for Collins Hill High School head coach Kevin Reach...
Other Schools Considered: Richmond and Georgia State.
Tyree Lee - RB - 5-9 - 180 - Hampton, Va./Phoebus
Associated Press State Player of the Year...Eastern Region Player of the Year...Peninsula District Player of the Year....Daily Press Offensive Player of the Year... Honored as Offensive Player of the Year by Recruit757... All-Eastern Region Offensive Player of the Year...Set an Eastern Region record by rushing for 2,540 yards...Helped Phoebus win their third straight state championship and fourth in the last five years with an undefeated 15-0 season...Played in the First Annual Chesapeake Bowl All-Star Game...Played for Phoebus High School head coach Stan Sexton...
Other Schools Considered: Temple, Iowa, North Carolina, East Carolina, Hampton, UMass, and Norfolk State
Rick Lovato- LS - 6-2 - 225 - Middletown, N.J./Middletown South
Third Team All-Monmouth County and All-Conference as a senior...Started long snapping as a freshman at Middletown South...Averaged .37 seconds on short snaps and .70 seconds on long snaps...Also saw time at center and on the defensive line...Helped Middletown South to a 39-6 during his career, three state runner-up titles, and the 2009 Colonial Division Championship...Chris Rubio long snapping student since 2009, ranking as high as 13th in the country...Played for Middletown South head coach Steve Antonucci...
Other Schools Considered:Rutgers, Bowling Green, Towson, and the Citadel
Rob Mahan - LB - 6-2 - 190 - Merchantville, N.J./Winslow Township
Third Team All-State by MaxPreps...All-Conference...Totaled 104 tackles, including 56 solo stops as a senior averaging 9.5 tackles per game...Third among New Jersey Division South Group 3 players in tackles per game...Posted six sacks, a pair on interceptions, and three pass break-ups...Helped Winslow Township to the second round of the playoffs in 2010...One of five New Jersey juniors selected to the U.S. Army Combine in 2009...Coached by Winslow Township former head coach Mike McBride...
Other Schools Considered: Pittsburgh, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Wake Forest, William & Mary, Delaware, New Hampshire, Maine, Towson and Stony Brook
Josh Mann - OL - 6-4 - 280 - Va. Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes
First Team All-State by the Associated Press...Four-year starter at center for the Dolphins making 45 career starts...Two-time First Team All-Tidewater selection...Two-time First Team All-Beach District as a junior and second...Second Team All-Beach District as a sophomore...Second Team All-757...Helped the Dolphins to a 38-7 record during his four-years, including a 10-0 mark in 2009 and capturing the Beach District Championship and Eastern Region Runner-Up in 2008...Played for Ocean Lakes High School head coach Chris Scott...
Other Schools Considered: Navy, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, Delaware, William & Mary and Coastal Carolina.
Aaron Matthews - CB- 5-11 - 170 - Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan
First Team All-Peninsula District Defense...Second Team Daily Press All-Star Team...Second Team All-757...Recorded four interceptions and two returns for touchdowns...Also saw time at running back as Kecoughtan's third-leading rusher with 264 yards... Played for Kecoughtan High School head coach Scott Woodlief...
Other Schools Considered: Virginia, JMU, Hampton, and Norfolk State
Connor Mewbourne - OL - 6-4 - 265 - Va. Beach, Va./First Colonial
First Team All-Tidewater...All-Beach District First Team...First Team All-757... Second Team All-Southeastern Region...Was a Second Team All-Beach District selection as a junior...Played for First Colonial High School head coach Bill McTyre...
Other Schools Considered: Richmond, William & Mary, Elon, James Madison, and Ball State
Reggie Owens - DB - 6-0 - 185 - Va. Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes
Second Team All-Tidewater...First Team All-Beach District...Had eight INTs, including returning two for scores and three others inside the 10 as a junior...Also had five pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and forced one fumble last year...Played for Ocean Lakes High School head coach Chris Scott...
Other Schools Considered: Michigan, Syracuse, Connecticut, Duke, East Carolina, Marshall, and Richmond
Kerry Spellman- WR - 5-10 - 160 - Chesapeake, Va./Indian River
Second Team All-Southeastern District...As a junior, racked up 593 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 40 catches...Also captured a pair of interceptions...Runs a 4.4 50-yard dash...Played for Indian River High School head coach Cadillac Harris...
Other Schools Considered: Delaware, Massachusetts, Delaware State, Norfolk State, and Hampton
Dontez Tyler - DE - 6-4 - 220 - Ahoskie, N.C./Hertford County
Rated three starts by ESPN and Rivals...All-District and All-Conference...As a senior, racked up 50 tackles, eight sacks, and three receiving touchdowns...As a junior, helped the Bears to a 13-1 record and the third round of the North Carolina 3A playoffs...Hertford County defense gave up only 14 points during conference play...Made 15 sacks...Coached by Hertford County head coach Scott Privott...
Other Schools Considered: Maryland, Arkansas, West Virginia, East Carolina, and Norfolk State
JOINING THE MONARCHS THIS SPRING #77 David Born - OL - Fr-r. - 6-8 - 355 - Bakersfield, Calif./West/Bakersfield
AT BAKERSFIELD:
Helped the Renegades to an 8-3 record, a National Northern Conference co-championship, and an appearance in the So Cal playoffs...Played for Bakerfield College head coach Juff Chudy...
AT SACRAMENTO STATE:
Redshirted the 2009 season...
HIGH SCHOOL:
Played three seasons of varsity football...Blocked for current San Diego Charger Ryan Mathews his sophomore season... Named to the Division I All-State First Team by Cal-Hi Sports as a senior...Also garnered First Team All-Area honors from the Bakersfield Californian...Was a First Team All-Southwest Yosemite League selection...Also played on the defensive line for the Vikings where he tallied eight tackles and blocked a kick in four games...Played for Bakersfield High School head coach Chad Grider...
Other Schools Considered: UTEP, UTSA, Idaho, Idaho State, Portland State, Bethune Cookman, Missouri, UCLA and USC...
#78 D.J. Morrell - OL - So. - 6-6 - 285 - Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk/Dean JC
AT DEAN JC:
Spent two seasons at Dean Junior College in Massachusetts... Named First Team All-Northeast...Played for Dean Junior College head coach Todd Vasey...
HIGH SCHOOL:
An All-State and All-FCIAC selection his senior year at Norwalk High School...Played for former Norwalk High School head coach Pete Tucci...
Other Schools Considered: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Stony Brook, Liberty, and Bowling Green...
#11 Nate Ong - QB - So-r. - 6-2 - 210 - Escondido, Calif/San Pasqual/Palomar
AT PALOMAR:
Registered 3,966 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Comets... Passed for 2,090 yards and 18 touchdowns his sophomore season... Completed 189 of his 305 attempts averaging 232.2 passing yards per game... As a redshirt freshman in 2009, became Palomar's starting signal caller the third week of the season...Helped the Comets to the Southern California Football Association championship game...Ended the year connecting on 167 of his 279 passes totaling 1876 years and 15 touchdowns....Played for Palomar College head coach Joe Early...
HIGH SCHOOL:
Completed 62 of his 129 passing attempts for 847 yards and five touchdowns as a senior in 2006... Played for coach Mike Dolan at San Pasqual High...
Other Schools Considered: Louisiana Tech, Iowa State, and Akron.