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James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
JMU ANNOUNCES 2006 FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS
2/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
HARRISONBURG, Feb. 1, 2006 – James Madison University football coach Mickey Matthews Wednesday announced the signing of 24 players to JMU football scholarships.
The signing class includes 23 scholastic and prep school players and a junior college transfer currently enrolled at JMU. Eighteen of the players are from Virginia, and five other states – Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania – are represented in the class.
"This is by far the best group we've signed," Matthews said in evaluating the overall class during an afternoon press conference at JMU's Plecker Athletic Performance Center. "There's not a close second (class). When you look at the players we signed and who we recruited against, there's not a close second.
"I think the two quarterbacks we signed are guys who run or throw," said Matthews, who has coached at JMU for seven seasons and who led the Dukes to the 2004 Division I- AA national championship. "The No. 1 priority was to sign two quarterbacks; we think they can be good quarterbacks for us.
"We really had a big year recruiting linemen, and we turned down some good ones," he added.
JMU's quarterback signees included Drew Dudzik of Clifton, Va. (Centreville High School) and Keith McPherson of Ocean, N.J. (Ocean Township High School).
The JMU staff signed nine players that were listed as offensive or defensive linemen.
The former junior college player who is a member of the class is Eugene Holloman, who played with JMU rising-senior tailback Maurice Fenner at Virginia Beach's Bayside High School and who attended Highland (Kan.) Community College for two years.
Several of the signees have direct family connections with JMU athletics.
The class includes twins Donnell and Ronnell Brown of Chesapeake, bothers of JMU rising-junior fullback Marvin Brown. Wide receiver Rockeed McCarter of Philadelphia is the brother of Rodney McCarter,a defensive standout on JMU's 2004 national title team; Dudzik's father, Mike, was a JMU quarterback; and Charlie Newman's father, Charlie, was a former JMU linebacker, who coached his son at nearby Turner Ashby High School. Signee Jason Dosh is the son of Pat Dosh, a former JMU basketball standout and member of JMU's Sports Hall of Fame.
JMU's 2006 football scholarship signees include the following:
The signing class includes 23 scholastic and prep school players and a junior college transfer currently enrolled at JMU. Eighteen of the players are from Virginia, and five other states – Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Pennsylvania – are represented in the class.
"This is by far the best group we've signed," Matthews said in evaluating the overall class during an afternoon press conference at JMU's Plecker Athletic Performance Center. "There's not a close second (class). When you look at the players we signed and who we recruited against, there's not a close second.
"I think the two quarterbacks we signed are guys who run or throw," said Matthews, who has coached at JMU for seven seasons and who led the Dukes to the 2004 Division I- AA national championship. "The No. 1 priority was to sign two quarterbacks; we think they can be good quarterbacks for us.
"We really had a big year recruiting linemen, and we turned down some good ones," he added.
JMU's quarterback signees included Drew Dudzik of Clifton, Va. (Centreville High School) and Keith McPherson of Ocean, N.J. (Ocean Township High School).
The JMU staff signed nine players that were listed as offensive or defensive linemen.
The former junior college player who is a member of the class is Eugene Holloman, who played with JMU rising-senior tailback Maurice Fenner at Virginia Beach's Bayside High School and who attended Highland (Kan.) Community College for two years.
Several of the signees have direct family connections with JMU athletics.
The class includes twins Donnell and Ronnell Brown of Chesapeake, bothers of JMU rising-junior fullback Marvin Brown. Wide receiver Rockeed McCarter of Philadelphia is the brother of Rodney McCarter,a defensive standout on JMU's 2004 national title team; Dudzik's father, Mike, was a JMU quarterback; and Charlie Newman's father, Charlie, was a former JMU linebacker, who coached his son at nearby Turner Ashby High School. Signee Jason Dosh is the son of Pat Dosh, a former JMU basketball standout and member of JMU's Sports Hall of Fame.
JMU's 2006 football scholarship signees include the following:
DB – 5-10 – 190 – Matthews, N.C. – Butler
2005 Southwestern 4A all-conference, North Carolina Shrine Bowl starter and Butler defensive player of the year. Led Charlotte-area schools in tackles with 109, including 24 for loss and 12 quarterback sacks. 2004 Southwestern 4A all-conference and Butler most outstanding defensive player. Career statistics include 318 tackles, 43 tackles for loss and 28 quarterback sacks.
OL – 6-5 – 295 – Chesapeake, Va. – Western Branch
2005 first-team All-Southeastern District offensive lineman, first-team All-Tidewater offensive lineman, and first-team All-Eastern Region. 2004 first-team All-Southeastern District offensive lineman and second-team all-region.
FB – 6-0 – 250 – Chesapeake, Va. – Hickory
Four-time All-Southeastern District performer and three-time All-Tidewater. 2005 all-region, All-Tidewater, all-state, and Southeastern District defensive player of the year. Ranks first in tackles, third in rushing yards and second in touchdowns in school history. Brother of JMU fullback Marvin Brown and of 2006 JMU signee Ronnell Brown.
DE – 6-5 – 240 – Lynchburg, Va. – E.C. Glass
Team captain and all-district honorable mention.
DE – 6-2 – 235 – Chesapeake, Va. – Hickory
Three-time All-Southeastern District performer. Had a school-record 21 sacks as a sophomore. Two-time All-Tidewater. All-region. Brother of JMU fullback Marvin Brown and of 2006 JMU signee Ronnell Brown.
TE – 6-6 – 200- Glen Allen, Va. – Benedictine
Honorable mention all-state defensive back. Son of former JMU basketball player and JMU Sports Hall of Fame member Pat Dosh (1974-78).
QB – 6-1 – 205 – Clifton, Va. – Centreville
Threw for 2001 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 529 yards and 10 touchdowns. All-district, all- region, All-Examiner, all-metro, and second-team all-state. Ranked by Rivals.com as a top-30 player in Virginia. Son of former JMU quarterback Mike Dudzik (1978-80).
RB – 5-11 – 180 – Suffolk, Va. – Bayside – Highland (Kan.) CC
Played two season at Highland Community College and has two seasons of eligibility remaining. Currently enrolled at JMU. 2005 honorable mention return specialist. As a Bayside senior was a first-team All-Beach District defensive back and second-team All-Tidewater defensive back. As a junior was a second-team all-district defensive back. All-state in track. As a sophomore was a second-team all-district defensive back.
WR – 6-4 – 200 – Philadelphia, Pa. – Roman Catholic
2005 first-team All-Catholic wide receiver and linebacker, first-team all-city linebacker, second-team all-state linebacker, team most valuable player. Brother of former JMU safety Rodney McCarter (2001-04).
QB – 6-2 – 195 – Ocean, N.J. – Ocean Township
All-Monmouth County quarterback as a junior and senior. Rivals.com top-50 overall and No. 3 quarterback in New Jersey. All-Constitution Division and 1,000-yard club three consecutive years. Career statistics include more than 3,400 yards rushing and 3,200 yards passing.
PK – 5-9 – 175 – Macon, Ga. – Stratford Academy
School season record holder for rushing attempts (305) and points (214). All-region and all-state in 2004 and 2005. All-Middle Georgia by the Macon Telegraph in 2004 and 2005. Macon Touchdown Club back of the week three times in 2005. Lettered in basketball and track. Career stats: 99-111 PATs, 11-25 field goals, 76 punts for a 34.8-yard average, 629 rushing attempts 3,594 rushing yards, 5.7 yards per rush.
DE – 6-2 – 225 – Portsmouth, Va. – Churchland
2005 first-team All-Eastern District defensive end, second-team-team Associated Press all-state defensive end, team most valuable player, Virginia Old Spice Player of the Year nominee. 2004 first-team All-Eastern District defensive end, honorable mention all-region, wrestling regional qualifier in the 215-pound weight class, and track and field regional and state qualifier in the shot put.
DL – 6-4 –270 – Virginia Beach, Va. – Landstown
2005 first-team All-Beach District and first-team All-Tidewater, first-team all-region and honorable mention all-state. 2004 All-Beach District.
Athlete – 6-2 – 240 – Harrisonburg, Va. – Turner Ashby
2004 All-Valley District first-team linebacker and second-team tight end. 2005 All-Valley District and All-Region II first-team linebacker and tight end, district and region defensive player of the year, Group AA all-state first-team linebacker and tight end and Group AA defensive player of the year, Associated Press first-team all-state linebacker, Harrisonburg Daily-News Record all-area first-team linebacker and tight end, and team captain. Son of former JMU linebacker Charlie Newman (1979-82).
RB – 6-2 – 215 – Baltimore, Md. – Gilman
Baltimore player of the year, first-team all-state, All-Baltimore City, All-Metro by the Baltimore Sun, and All-Maryland (big schools). Rivals.com two-time all-state. As a junior was a first-team all-state and all-metro defensive back and ranked by Rivals.com as a top-30 player in Maryland.
Jonas Rawlins
Athlete – 6-2 – 200 – Salem, Va. – Salem
Team captain. All-district, district back of the year and all-region in 2004 and 2005. All-state and All-Timesland by the Roanoke Times in 2005. ESPN Sports Network Player of the Year in 2005.
CB – 5-11 – 180 – Newport News, Va. – Warwick
2005 team most valuable player and Leadership Award winner. 2005 first-team All-Peninsula District, and honorable mention All-Eastern Region defensive back. 2004 Top Athlete Award winner, first-team all-district defensive back and honorable mention all-region. As a senior had nine interceptions and more than 1,000 total yards of offense.
OL/DL – 6-5 – 265 – Danville, Va. – Chatham
Team captain in football and basketball. All-district and all-region offensive and defensive lineman and district and region offensive and defensive lineman of the year. First-team all-state defensive end and second-team all-state offensive tackle.
DT – 6-2 – 285 – Fredericksburg, Va. – Massaponax
Associated Press second-team all-state. Coaches' first-team all-state. First-team all-district and all-region.
RB – 5-10 – 195 – Ruther Glen, Va. – Caroline
As a senior was all-area, all-district, all-region and Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year. As a junior was an all-district track selection in the triple and long jump. All-district and all-region in the 55 meters. Was indoor track athlete of the year. Finished third in the state in the long jump and the 55 meters.
DE – 6-6 – 240 – Chesapeake, Va. – Western Branch – The Tilton School (N.H.)
2005 first-team All-Evergreen League and first-team All-New England (prep schools) defensive end. 2004 first-team All-Southeastern District and All-Eastern Region, second-team All-Tidewater and honorable mention all-state.
WR/DB – 6-1 – 190 – Berlin, N.J. – Eastern
First-team All-Buvlco/Olympic Conference defensive back. Second-team All-South Jersey Group IV. New Jersey North/South All-Star Game nominee, team most valuable player, and all-conference in track.
OL – 6-5 – 300 – Newport News, Va. – Heritage
2005 first-team All-Peninsula District offensive lineman.
WR – 6-0 – 190 – Glen Allen, Va. – Hermitage
All-state, all-metro, all-region, and all-district as a wide receiver and kick returner.
Players Mentioned
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