Feb. 3, 1999

This year's class includes 13 players on the defensive side of the ball and 11 on offense. Half of the 24 recruits are from Ohio. BG returns 17 of the top 20 players on offense from the depth chart for the final game of the 1998 season while 11 of the top 16 return on the defensive side of the ball.

The number of recruits this season equals the 1996 class as the largest in the tenure of Blackney. The Falcons have a 53-35-2 record in eight seasons under Blackney. BG was 5-6 last year.

"The area our staff identified as the greatest need was the defensive side of the ball," Blackney said. "We went out and recruited some skilled position athletes who can play either offensively or defensively, but as a priority, we will give most of those players a chance to line up on the defensive side of the ball and see if they can help us make that position better while also helping from a depth standpoint.

"Then, as we broke down our needs on the defensive side more, we identified the defensive line as the specific area of need. We believe there are a couple impact players in the class in this area, at least from the point of view of depth."

The five linemen recruited all come to the program with good size.

Alex Glantzis (6-4, 250) played at Mentor High School where he earned special mention Div. I All-Ohio honors. Another Cleveland area lineman will join the program as Maple Heights¹ Robert Haley (6-4, 240) also inked a letter with the Falcons.

Other linemen on the defensive side who signed are James Williams (6-5, 240) from Edgewood High School in Trenton, Ohio, Ashea Roberson from Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Mich., and D¹Monn Baker (6-4, 235) from Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati.

The top recruit in terms of honors earned is one of the two linebackers who signed.

Mitch Hewitt from Chardon High School was the Div. II Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the state helping his high school earn the top ranking in the polls before finishing as the state runner-up in the playoffs. He was responsible for 140 tackles this season while rushing for almost 2,000 yards and 38 touchdowns.

The other recruit at the linebacking spot was one of two players from the junior college ranks. Lavar Seagraves played at American River College last season in his hometown of Sacramento, Calif.

The other junior college player is one of the six athletes being brought in to compete in the secondary.

Willie Washington is from Florida (Naples High School) and played last season at Joliet (Ill.) Junior College where he had seven interceptions. He is expected to make an immediate impact this season at cornerback.

Andre Pinchem from Cass Tech in Detroit was rated as one of the top 50 seniors in Michigan by both the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News and joins Andre Davis from Farmington Hills, Mich., Emmanuel Hendrix from Pahokee, Fla., Michael Malone from Portsmouth, Ohio, and Quinton Ward from Mumford High School in Detroit as the incoming athletes in the defensive backfield.

"The other thing we wanted to accomplish was to develop some continuity in our progression of recruiting on offense," Blackney said. "We have more knowns on offense than defense at this point, but we want to maintain some consistency and I think we were able to do that with the incoming class."

BG added four linemen for the 1999 season led by Anthony Forgione (6-5, 300) from Etobicoke, Ontario who was rated as one of the top five players in Canada this season.

Frank Kaiser (6-4, 290) from Fremont Ross High School joins Mike Wiersma (6-4, 250) from Grand Rapids, Mich. and Ryan Lucas (6-4, 265) from Dublin Coffman High School. Lucas was a special mention Div. I all-state pick.

Two running backs who earned all-state honors will join the program along with the second of three Canadian recruits.

Jerrett Dean from Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati was a first-team Div. II All-Ohio pick after rushing for over 1,600 yards and 28 touchdowns. Frank Witherspoon from Lorain Southview earned special mention Div. I all-state honors after rushing for just under 1,800 yards and 27 touchdowns.

David Dottin from LaSalle, Quebec is rated as the #2 running back in Canada after collecting over 1,600 yards this season.

A pair of quarterback and two tight ends to throw to were also added to the squad.

Jeremee Butts from Mansfield Senior was a special mention Div. I all-state selection passing for 1,500 yards and 15 scores while earning first-team All-Northwest Ohio honors. Chris Smiley earned all-state honors the last two seasons at Harding High School in Ft. Wayne, Ind. passing for 1,600 yards last season and rushing for 700 more.

The tight ends will give the Falcons excellent size from a blocking standpoint and can also catch the ball.

Beau Carmon from Tiffin Columbian High School is 6-7, 230 pounds and had 23 receptions this season for 460 yards and six scores. His dad, Ken, was a first-team All-MAC selection for three seasons (1966-68) as an offensive lineman at Ohio University. Carmon also punted in high school.

Jason Van Dam (6-6, 240) is the third member of the class from Canada where he played at Sarnia (Ontario) High School.

None of the junior college players or recruits from Canada have joined the program for the spring semester. They will all join the program in the summer.

"We have greater needs on the defensive side of the ball," said Blackney. "So, I would think anyone who was recruited for defense will have a little earlier opportunity to play for us than on offense."

Bowling Green begins preparations for the 1999 season with the opening of spring drills on March 22. The spring game will be held on April 17 while the 1999 season opener will be on Sept. 4 at Pittsburgh.

1999 Bowling Green State University Recruiting Class

D'Monn Baker, DL, 6-4, 235, Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods
Jeremee Butts, QB, 6-4, 200, Mansfield, Ohio/Senior (Special mention Div. I All-Ohio)
Beau Carmon, TE, 6-7, 230, Bloomville, Ohio/Columbian
Andre Davis, DB, 6-2, 185, Farmington Hills, Mich./Harrison (#37 senior in Michigan by Detroit Free Press)
Jerrett Dean, RB, 6-1, 190, Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon (First team Div. II All-Ohio)
David Dottin, RB, 6-0, 190, LaSalle, Quebec/Vieux Montreal
Anthony Forgione, OL, 6-5, 300, Etobicoke, Ontario/Michael Bower
Alex Glantzis, DL, 6-4, 250, Mentor, Ohio (Special mention Div. I All-Ohio)
Robert Haley, DL, 6-4, 240, Maple Heights, Ohio
Emmanuel Hendrix, DB, 5-10, 180, Pahokee, Fla.
Mitch Hewitt, LB, 6-1, 200, Chardon, Ohio (Div. II Co-Defensive Player of the Year, first team Div. II All-Ohio)
Frank Kaiser, OL, 6-4, 290, Fremont, Ohio/Ross
Ryan Lucas, OL, 6-4, 265, Dublin, Ohio/Coffman (Special mention Div. I All-Ohio)
Michael Malone, DB, 5-10, 175, Portsmouth, Ohio
Andre Pinchem, DB, 5-9, 175, Detroit, Mich./Cass Tech (#50 senior in Michigan by Detroit News, #47 senior in Michigan by Detroit Free Press)
Ashea Roberson, DL, 6-3, 210, Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron
Lavar Seagraves, LB, 6-2, 205, Sacramento, Calif/ Mira Loma H.S./American River College
Chris Smiley, QB, 6-3, 210, Ft. Wayne, Ind./Harding
Jason Van Dam, TE, 6-6, 240, Sarnia, Ontario/Northern
Quinton Ward, DB, 6-1, 180, Detroit, Mich./Mumford
Willie Washington, DB, 6-0, 195, Naples, Fla./Naples H.S./Joliet JC
Mike Wiersma, OL, 6-4, 250, Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Catholic Central
James Williams, DL, 6-5, 240, Trenton, Ohio/Edgewood
Frank Witherspoon, RB, 6-2, 208, Lorain, Ohio/Southview (Special mention Div. I All-Ohio)