The class numbers 89. The players come from eight states. Most are from Ohio. The Tigers recruited well in Florida, as they have done in recent years. Indiana and Kentucky are also well represented.
Wittenberg had 82 recruits in 2016 and 63 in 2015. Fincham’s goal is to recruit at least 65 players. He’s not sure why the 2017 class turned out to be so big.
“I think it starts with the group of coaches who worked really hard at recruiting,” Fincham said. “It spills into a lot of hard work from our admissions staff and our enrollment management staff. It filters down to our players doing a really good job with young men and their families when they’re here on campus, whether it’s game-day visits or more official visits in the winter and hosting those guys for overnight visits in the spring. I think we have a strong group of alums that offer themselves up to help talk to families and telling their story about how Wittenberg affects their lives.”
The class features a number of local graduates: Kenton Ridge defensive end Nasir Carter, offensive lineman Lee Hammond and kicker Cameron Kettler; Catholic Central quarterback/tight end Cosmas Catanzaro; Springfield defensive lineman Tavian Crowe, whose brother Terrance plays for the Tigers; Shawnee defensive backs Michael Guyer and Josh Nelson; Northeastern offensive lineman Lane McKinney; and Southeastern linebacker Garrett Hunter and offensive lineman Robbie Mills.
“It’s one of the better local classes,” Fincham said.
The player traveling the farthest distance from home is Riley Duncan, an offensive lineman from South Eugene, Ore. His brother Liam was a member of the 2015 class. Their grandpa Ron Duncan, who died in 2013 at 70, was a tight end on Wittenberg’s 1963 and 1964 college division national championship teams. He played professionally with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.
The freshmen arrive on campus Aug. 8. Wittenberg, which finished 10-2 last season and won the North Coast Athletic Conference title, starts practicing a day later. The Tigers open the season Sept. 2 at Westminster (Pa.).
Fincham expects 70-80 of the incoming freshman to return for their sophomore years. The classes always shrink as they advance to their junior and senior years.
“Quality obviously is important, but in Division III, size is a component of it,” Fincham said. “The hardest thing Urban Meyer has to do is choose which ones he’s taking. Here you have to choose which ones you’re going to invest phone calls in, messages and all that.”
2017 Wittenberg recruiting class
Name, Pos., Ht., Wt., High School
Nicholas Aiello, LB, 5-8, 180, J.P. Taravella, (Fla.)
Blake Albright, DE, 6-0, 200, Batavia
Sam Bepler, OL, 6-2, 295, Oak Hills
Lew Bowser, DB, 5-10, 170, Eaton
Destin Bransford, DL, 5-8, 262, Palmetto (Fla.)
Jordan Burkey, WR, 5-10, 170, St. Charles Prep
Justin Burns, WR, 6-1, 170, Decatur Central (Ind.)
Austin Bush, LB, 5-10, 200, Umatilla (Fla.)
Nasir Carter, DE, 6-3, 220, Kenton Ridge
Cosmas Catanzaro, QB/TE, 64, 200, Catholic Central
Kameron Caudle, DT, Danville (Ind.)
Tyler Combs, LB, 6-1, 190, Roger Bacon
Branden Cooper, OL, 5-10, 260, Winton Woods
Tavian Crowe, DL, 6-2, 250, Springfield
Quentin Davis, OL, 6-1, 300, Umatilla (Fla.)
Riley Duncan, Ol, 6-3, 250, South Eugene (Ore.)
Roddy Evans, WR, 5-7, 165, Miramar (Fla.)
Drew Fearon, DB, 6-0, 150, Coral Springs, (Fla.)
Michael Fiessinger, DB, 5-11, 160, Springboro
Robert Froehlich, QB, 6-2, 185, La Salle
Brandon Garcia, QB, 5-10, 170, Timber Creek (Fla.)
Devonte Gillins, LB, 5-11, 200, Royal Palm Beach (Fla.)
Kameron Gregory, P/K, NA, NA, Pike
Michael Guyer, DB, 6-1, 195, Shawnee
Lee Hammond, OL, 6-4, 275, Kenton Ridge
Randell Harris, RB, 5-9, 190, Gregory-Portland (Texas)
Sean Henell, DB, 5-10, 170, Naples First Baptist (Fla.)
Schneider Herard, DB, 5-10, 150, Golden Gate (Fla.)
Christian Huffman, RB, 6-2, 190, Cardington-Lincoln
Garrett Hunter, LB, 5-11, 200, Southeastern
Nijal Jackson, SAF, 5-9, 170, Harvest Prep
Jerome Janvier, OL, 5-10, 315, American Heritage (Fla.)
Larry Jones, LB, 5-10, 215, Purcell Marian
Andrew Jostworth, LB, 6-0, 195, Oak Hills
Sam Kayser, WR, 5-10, 180, Portmouth Notre Dame
Aleck Kelly, OL, 6-1, 265, Dublin Scioto
Cameron Kettler, K, 6-3, 180, Kenton Ridge
Kenny Klontz, OLB, 6-, 210, Xenia
Raymond Kozlowski, WR, 5-10, 175, Princeton
Sawyer Larson, OL, 6-6, 280, Gateway Charter (Fla.)
Jerod Lonaker, QB, 6-4, 205, Cooper (Ky.)
Lane McKinney, OL, 6-5, 280, Northeastern
Amandalo Means, III, WR, 5-9, 150, Immokalee (Fla.)
Thomas Mele, DL, 5-10, 235, St. Mary’s
Kevin Melling, LB, 6-1, 210, Eaton
Bryce Miller, OL, 6-0, 230, Ontario
Robbie Mills, OL, 5-11, 295, Southeastern
Kyle Montag, RB, 5-10, 180, Oak Hills
Khyree Moten, WR, 6-1, 190, Frederick (Md.)
Josh Nelson, DB, 6-0, 185, Shawnee
Christopher Nunez, OL, 6-3, 230, Western (Fla.)
Peyton Ogle, OL, 6-0, 265, Wyoming
Danya O’Nan, DL, 6-0, 285, Talawanda
Quintin Payton, DL, 6-3, 260, Licking Heights
Hazen Petit, LB, 5-8, 205, Roger Bacon
Robert Robinson, DL, 5-11, 260, Middle Creek (N.C.)
Anthony Rodgers, WR, 6-2, 185, Princeton
Amari Rogers, WR, 6-4, 180, Roger Bacon
Logan Rose, LB, 5-10, 210, Eustis (Fla.)
Lucas Schultz, DB, 6-1, 170, Westfield (Ind.)
Mekhail Shockley, CB, 5-9, 175, Oak Hills
Mack Smith, OL, 6-0, 270, Amanda-Clearcreek
Nico Smith-Ross, DB, 6-4, 180, Dublin Coffman
Jolen Snow, WR, 5-9, 160, Park Tudor (Ind.)
David Span, RB, 5-4, 155, Ocoee, (Fla.)
Grant Sparks, DE, 6-2, 190, Portsmouth Notre Dame
Scottie Spikes, WR, 5-8, 155, J.P. Taravella (Fla.)
Jeffery Strawser, DL, 6-, 270, Milton-Union
Joseph Sweet, LB, 6-0, 200, Hudson
Colton Swick, QB/TE, 6-4, 220, Jonathan Alder
Taveon Swift, WR, 6-3, 170, Newark
Jeremiah Tate, LB, 6-1, 200, Findlay
Tony Thomas, QB, 5-11, 195, Male High School (Ky.)
Kenneth Thomas, DL, 5-10, 240, Doss (KY)
Joshua Thompson, DL, 5-10, 220, Brownsburg (Ind.)
Alexander Tucker, QB, 6-2, 180, Worthington Christian
Daquon Tunstill, LB, 5-10, 220, Indianapolis Ben Davis (Ind.)
Trevor Tuvelle, DL, 6-3, 215, Olentangy
Eddy Vasquez, CB, 5-9, 170, Whitmer
Kyle Wallace, WR, 6-2, 180, LaSalle
Myles Weldon, DB, 5-9, 151, Miramar (Fla.)
Ryan West, DB, 6-2, 195, Lebanon
Cameron Wetli, DL, 6-1, 250, Greenfield-Central (Ind.)
Tyrin Whaley, CB, 5-10, 175, Mason
Brandon Whitfield, WR, 6-0, 170, Lake Howell (Fla.)
Ghye Wilson, WR, 5-10, 165, Eaton
Julius Wilson, RB, 6-1, 205, Miamisburg
William Wooldridge, DB, 6-0, 185, J.P. Taravella (Fla.)
Matt Wunsch, SAF, 5-11, 160, Lakeland (Fla.)
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