“The thing I kept trying to tell our coaches was, ‘Don’t get disappointed or frustrated,’” Fincham said. “They’re still going to go to college somewhere. There was just so much uncertainty. Everyone was scared to make a decision.”
Recruiting picked back up in mid-April, Fincham said, and Wittenberg’s class was mostly finished in May. He announced a 65-man class in June that includes one late addition: Springfield High School graduate Tavion Smoot, who rushed for 815 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
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“He’s a Jerome Bettis-type runner,” Fincham said. “He can get behind his pads really well and can run through a lot of arms, but he can be a little deceptive too in his ability with his feet.”
Smoot planned to play at Urbana University but had to find a new home after the university announced in the spring it would close its doors. One other player who would have been a freshman at Urbana also switched to Wittenberg: Bellefontaine running back Garrett Gross, who rushed for 1,019 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.
Fincham said he and his coaches focused on three positions this year: quarterback, running back and defensive back. There was also an emphasis on tight end and defensive end, two positions Wittenberg had had trouble recruiting, Fincham said.
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Among the quarterbacks is Moeller’s Drew Altemuehle, Mason’s Collin Brown and Northmont’s Keaton Kesling, who had shoulder surgery after his senior season and may not be able to play this season.
“All three of those kids are guys we like,” Fincham said, “and there are some other guys in there that are good players who are, if they don’t end up getting in the mix (at quarterback), athletic enough and good enough football players they can help us elsewhere.”
Fincham mentioned former players Michael Aljancic and Liam Duncan as players who were recruited as quarterbacks but switched to receiver and had productive careers.
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“You can never have enough good quarterbacks, running backs and linebackers,” Fincham said.
In addition to Smoot, Fincham pointed to several running backs in the class who could contribute: Tre Bouie, from Edgewater High School in Orlando; Reed Hall, who rushed for 1,545 yards and 21 touchdowns for New Albany; and Daivion Greene-Tucker, of Columbus South.
The freshmen are scheduled to report to campus Aug. 11, and the first practice would take place two days later.
“We have as a staff tried to hold onto that date and prepare for that date,” Fincham said, “fully knowing things could be really different at any time and we’re just going to have to adjust.”
Wittenberg football’s 2020 recruiting class
Elijah Abreu, CB, Miami, Fla., Miami Central, 5-9, 163
CJ Addison, LB, Lehigh Acres, Fla., Barron Collier, 6-1, 210
Drew Altemuehle, QB, Cincinnati Moeller, 6-2, 215
Bryce Baker, WR, Heath, 6-1, 185
Garrett Baker, DE, Kettering Fairmont, 6-2, 220
Johnny Banks, LB, Chaminade Julienne, 6-0, 220
Tre Bouie, RB, Orlando, Fla., Edgewater, 5-8, 200
Milik Bowe TE Miami, Fla., Miramar, 6-2, 180
Tre Bratchett, LB, Portsmouth, Valley, 6-2, 200
Collin Brown, QB, Mason, 6-4, 210
Nick Brown, QB, Beavercreek, 5-11, 175
Tony Calovini, LB, Etna, Watkins Memorial, 5-10, 215
Jamal Carter Jr, CB, Port Charlotte, Fla., Charlotte, 5-9, 180
Josh Collins, CB, Springboro, 6-2, 185
Seth Cook, WR, Etna, Watkins Memorial, 6-2, 175
Bret Dalton, WR, Franklin, 5-10, 165
Nick Downs, QB, Plymouth (Mich.), 6-0, 195
Collin Dupps, K, Etna, Heath, 5-10, 190
Tyler Engelhard, WR, Hamilton, Talawanda, 5-11, 170
Declan Farrell, K, Dublin Scioto, 5-8, 150
Jacob Fenik, WR, Plain City, Jonathan Alder, 5-10, 175
Carlo Gaither, QB, Orlando, Fla., Cypress Creek, 6-0, 170
Joseph Gaither, WR, Orlando, Fla., Cypress Creek, 6-3, 205
Caleb Gerken, RB, Perrysburg, 5-10, 190
Brandon Goodwin, K, Northmont, 5-11, 170
Daivion Greene-Tucker, RB, Columbus South, 5-11 166
Isaac Grilliot, DE, Versailles, 6-1, 210
Garrett Gross, RB, Bellefontaine, 5-10, 205
Brayden Hall, LB, Cincinnati La Salle, 6-1, 205
Reed Hall, RB, New Albany, 5-9, 160
Jonah Hay, OL, Shawnee, 6-3, 260
Aloysious Kamara, CB, Columbus Beechcroft, 5-10, 170
Kameron Kelly, LB, Indianapolis, Ben Davis, 6-1, 200
Keaton Kesling, QB, Northmont, 5-10, 150
Austin Kiess, LB, Edon, 6-0, 206
Joe Landy, OL, Naples, Fla., St. John Neumann, 6-2, 290
Alex Manz, QB, Bethel Tate, 6-1, 180
Alex Mar, OL, Dublin Scioto, 6-0, 225
Tyler May, WR, Oak Harbor, 5-11, 155
Alan Mead, OL, Chillicothe Southeastern, 6-2, 260
Jacob Noble, DT, Hilliard Bradley, 6-1, 270
Anthony Pedro, CB, Massillon Washington, 6-2, 180
Charlie Pine, WR, New Albany, 5-11, 170
Earl Pope III, WR, Miami, Fla., Carol City, 5-10, 175
Hunter Ruby, CB, Wheelersburg, 6-0, 165
Lawson Sandusky, WR, Cincinnati Colerain, 5-10, 175
Cade Schmelzer, QB, Covington, 6-2, 195
Tavion Smoot, RB, Springfield, 5-11, 240
Nick Snell, SAF, Monroe, 5-10, 165
Cameron Snurr, LB, Springboro, 5-10, 215
Joey Sprake, DE, Crestwood, Ky., South Oldham, 6-1, 220
Jaiveon Standberry, CB, Indianapolis IN Warren Central, 5-6 145
Noah Stephens, DT, Franklin, 6-0, 260
Troy Teepe, TE, Brookville, Ind., East Central, 6-3, 215
Kix Thiel, DE, Mechanicsburg, 5-11, 205
Aaron Thomas, OL, Liberty Twp, Lakota West, 6-0, 260
Jordan Tweedy, SAF, Indianapolis, Ind., Southport, 5-8, 180
Conner Walls, DE, Centerville, 6-3, 210
Jake Weaver, LB, Carmel, Ind., 5-11, 220
Natron Webster, CB, Loveland, 5-8, 195
JJ Weisenberger, WR, Collins, Western Reserve, 6-1, 160
Cade Williams, LB, Chillicothe, 5-8, 180
Eli Wilson, WR, Pataskala, Watkins Memorial, 6-0, 215
Nate Wolf, TE, Fishers, Ind., Hamilton Southeastern, 6-1, 215
Davey Wurster, RB, Manteno, Ill., 5-11, 175
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