Blue Hens announce 15 Letter of Intent signers

The University of Delaware Blue Hens football team is out with a list of 14 high schoolers and one junior college player who have signed letters of intent.

 

Hoping to follow up on what was a successful 2010 (12-3) season that ended in disappointment with a heartbreaking loss in the national championship game, the Blue Hens have identified 15 players from ten states who’ve signed their intentions to play for UD.  

Here’s the list of players including comments from head coach K.C. Keeler.  

OFFENSE

Nick Boyle, 6’4″, 234 lb. tight end from High Point Regional High in Sussex, NJ.  Keeler says, “He will be an on the line tight end and will help us down the road as an outstanding long snapper.  He runs well and catches the ball well.”
Ben Curtis, 6’5″, 260 lb. offensive lineman from Calvert Hall High in Columbia, MD.  Keeler says, “He is a tremendous athlete with long arms and great feet.  He can become the prototypical left tackle guarding the blind side.  He garnered a lot of interest so we were happy to secure him here.”
Steven Hughes, 6’2″, 195 lb. quarterback from Palm Bay High in Melbourne, FL.  Keeler says, “He has great poise in the pocket and shows patience, and has a lot of confidence… He runs the ball really well and can make a lot of yards because he is such a great athlete.”
Jerel Harrison, 6’0″, 180 lb. wide receiver from Varina High in Richmond, VA.  Keeler says, “He has great speed and size and can also return kicks and punts.”
Michael Johnson, 6’2″, 205 lb. wide receiver from Gainesville High in Gainesville, FL.  Keeler says, “Michael is a tremendous prospect who originally signed with us last year.  He took a year off after knee surgery and probably would have been close to 100 percent last fall, but we wanted to give him more time.”
Christian Marchena, 6’2″, 285 lb. offensive lineman from Raritan High in Hazlet, NJ.  Keeler says, “Christian is a big, physical football player who was one of our earliest commitments.  He has the center-guard body that we were looking for, and he will be a valuable addition to the offensive line for us.”
Matt Rodriguez, 6’4″, 225 lb. tight end from Park Vista High in Lake Worth, FL.  Keeler says, “He has great speed and outstanding ability despite having played just a few years of football after playing baseball.”

DEFENSE

Derek Battle, 6’2″, 185 lb. linebacker from Providence High in Charlotte, NC.  Keeler says, “We loved his speed and his ability to hit.  He played safety in high school, but he is a bigger kid who can move to line backer.  He is also an extremely smart player and a great student.”
Patrick Callaway, 5’10”, 205 lb. linebacker from Martin Luther King High in Lithonia, GA.  Keeler says, “He is the kind of player who could play for us right away.  His game is advanced, and he is very intelligent.  He could help us right away at linebacker, at nickel and on special teams.”
Eric Farkas, 6’0″, 185 lb. defensive back, punter and kicker from Seminole High in Heathrow, FL.  Keeler says, “He is a multi-dimensional player who will not only be a key to our secondary in the future, but he will also compete as a kicker, kickoff specialist, and as a punter.”
Laquan James, 5’11”, 182 lb. defensive back from Cicero-North Syracuse High and Nassau County Community College in Syracuse, NY.  Keeler says, “Laquan had a lot of Division I interest coming out of high school, but had an ankle injury and went to junior college.  He can come in here and compete for us immediately.”
Michael Kastel, 6’7″, 225 lb. defensive end from Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, although he is from St. Charles, IL.  Keeler says, “Michael is a big body who can really run and is very athletic.  He went to Exeter to play basketball, but also got interested in football and really helped their program.”
Logan Shultz, 6’3″, 275 lb. defensive tackle from Gettysburg High in Orrtanna, PA.  Keeler says, “Logan has battled back from a lot of obstacles and his rehab has reached the point where he can play football again.  He was a tremendous high school player, and one of the top players we have ever recruited here.”
David Tinsley, 6’0″, 252 lb. defensive lineman from Armwood High in Seffner, FL.  Keeler says, “He is a dynamic player who we project as a defensive end.  He is a great pass rusher with long arms and a great skill set.”
Jeff Williams, 6’2″, 192 lb. linebacker from Freeport High in Freeport, NY.  Keeler says, “Jeff is very athletic and has the type of frame to increase his size to around 225 lbs.  He helps us fulfill our need to get more dynamic at the linebacker spot.”