You are here > VanDelaySports.com > MAC Football > MAC Football Recruiting > 2003 MAC Football Recruiting - EMU Eagles

2003 MAC Football Recruiting - Eastern Michigan Eagles

Overview

Coach Jeff Woodruff welcomes 21 players from seven different states to his recruiting class.  The primary areas recruited were Michigan (7), Ohio (6) & Florida (4).  Unlike the previous three classes under Woodruff were getting Division IA bodies was the goal, this year specific positions were focused upon and EMU was able to sign players for specific needs.  Unlike former Coach Rick Rasnick who went heavily into the JUCO each year, Woodruff has chosen the traditional freshman approach with only two players from the junior college ranks coming in this fall.

Highlights

• WR Greg Lowe II was a late bloomer at Shaker Heights High School just east of Cleveland.  After a big senior season, the 4.4/40 speedster came from nowhere to be ranked as the 16^th best prospect and the #2 WR in the state.  Lowe is one of four players from the Cleveland area to sign with EMU this year.
• Two local talents signed with EMU, Kenneth Bohnet, a quality pro-style QB, and RB Pierre Walker, the #13 rated prospect in Michigan who rushed for over 2,000 yards as a senior.
• In a continued effort to get bigger and more physical in the trenches, EMU singed massive OL prospects Chris Thomas (6-5, 330) & Khalid Walton (6-6, 300) and big DTs Adolphio Johnson (6-2, 297) & Kyle Westman (6-1, 290).
• Chris Thomas originally gave a verbal to Iowa, but after the Hawkeyes landed in a BCS game this year, Iowa moved ahead and gave this scholarship to someone else, thus freeing Thomas up late and able to sign with Eastern Michigan.
• EMU had the MAC worst defense, signed just seven players for that side of the ball in this class.  The new Eagle defensive coordinator is Tim Rose, was the former head coach of Miami (O) and most recently the DC for East Carolina.

Final Thoughts

After four years, Coach Woodruff finally has a team that is close to the 85-scholarship limit allowed by the NCAA.  The Eagles did a good job at finding some speed at wide-out and some quality big bodies for the interior line positions.  EMU could have done a better job at getting some impact defensive players for this season, but considering this program has been playing so many freshmen and sophomores, there is little opportunity for immediate playing time for this incoming class.  Overall this class rate as AVERAGE compared to other MAC schools, but it’s worth noting that there is talent coming into Ypsilanti.

--> back to the 2003 MAC Football Recruiting Homepage