Football adds promising 2017 recruitment class

Rachel Nearhoof /IC

Jackson Rogers, Associate sports editor

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On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the University of Toledo Rocket football team signed 23 new players into the program for National Signing Day. Recruiting site rivals.com ranked the Rocket recruiting class as No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference.

“I feel like this is a complete class,” said head coach Jason Candle in an interview with UTRockets.”We signed at least one player at each position. We addressed some needs on the defensive front. That was a high priority for us. But mostly we are looking at character, young men who fit into our program and are passionate about football. Out staff did a really good job of fostering relationships and bringing the right kind of players into our program.”

UT has had great recruiting success under Candle. In Candle’s first year as head coach, Toledo had the No. 2 recruiting class in the MAC. This is nothing new, as Candle was named as one of the top recruiters in the nation in 2010 by Rivals.

UT’s focus for this year was in their home state of Ohio, but they then worked outward to the surrounding Great Lakes states. The Rockets also recruited in the southern states of Alabama and Florida.

“The state of Ohio and a four-hour radius from campus will always be our home base,” Candle said. “But we will also go where we need to find players. Playing on TV and in bowl games definitely helps expose your brand to different parts of the country. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we signed six players from Alabama and Florida, states where we’ve played our last three bowl games.”

Overall, 12 twelve signees were from Ohio, four from Alabama, two from Florida, two from Pennsylvania, one from Michigan, one from Kentucky and one from Illinois.

UT brought in some local talent with two players from St. John’s Jesuit: Tycen Anderson and Mitchell Berg.

Anderson had 14 interceptions in three seasons at Toledo St. John’s. He earned first-team all-conference, first-team all-district and first-team all-state honors as a senior, totaling five interceptions, 40 tackles and six blocked kicks.

Berg, a three-year letter winner, earned first-team All-Toledo Blade, first-team all-district and first-team all-state as a senior at St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo.

The Rockets also signed a new quarterback in Caleb Martin from Fort Recovery, Ohio.

In his three-year career at Fort Recovery High School, Martin threw for 5,786 yards and 54 touchdowns. As a senior, he completed 119-of-234 passes for 1,648 yards and 16 touchdowns.

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Football adds promising 2017 recruitment class