Ten states and eight different positions add up to a 24-man football recruiting class that head coach Ted Roof is "very, very excited about."
Yesterday marked the first time Roof could comment on this year's crop of players, as the high school seniors signed with Duke Tuesday afternoon.
"There is a lot of variety and a lot of diversity in this class," Roof said.
All-American Chancellor Young, a wide receiver from Woodinville, Wash., who is regarded as the best recruit in the class, committed and signed with the Blue Devils yesterday morning. Young, who runs a 4.3 40-yard dash, also had offers from Notre Dame, Washington, Oregon and UCLA. Young's father, Charles Young, played three seasons at USC, and was a first-round draft choice by Philadelphia in 1973.
"[Young has a] great pedigree and a solid family... His dad was very observant," Roof said. "It speaks volumes about our program [and gives the] stamp of approval for a lot of NFL players' kids."
The class includes six offensive linemen, led by Izzy Bauta, younger brother of Duke offensive guard Lavdrim Bauta, and Fred Roland, a first team all-stater from Georgia.
"I think we addressed some specific needs we had," Roof said. "We had a tremendous need for offensive linemen; it was a good year as far as that goes."
One of the fastest recruits is Ronnie Drummer, who placed second in the 200-meter dash at the 2003 California State Track and Field Championships. Drummer recorded a 4.2 40-yard dash last summer.
Roof credited both the coaching staff and the current players with the success of this year's recruiting process. Coaching changes, both mid- and post-season, were pivotal in securing a good recruiting class. The current players also helped to secure some important commitments with positive attitudes about the program during recruitment visits.
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