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2007 MAC Football Recruiting - Buffalo Bulls

Overview
The Bulls signed 20 players from seven states. Seven players signed come from New York state, four from Texas and Pennsylvania, two from Maryland, and one each from Ohio, Florida and Massachusetts. Defense was a priority with five DBs, four DLs and three LBs making up 60% of the class. Major attention to bigger offensive and defensive linemen is noticeable. Overall 13 skill players were added and three from UB’s area of western NY.

Below is a list of UB football recruits with their listed position, height, weight, hometown and high school.

Adekunle Akingba LB 6-4 205 Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay/Nassau CC

Fred Branch LB 6-3 200 Rockville, MD/ Seneca Valley

Derrick Brown DT 6-3 280 Harrisburg, PA/Harrisburg

Aaron Connacher TE 6-3 230 Jamestown, NY/Jamestown

Domonic Cook CB 5-9 175 Buffalo, NY/ St. Joseph’s

Josh Copeland S 6-0 195 Fariborn, OH/Fairborn

Gordon DuBois DE 6-2 230 Andover, MA/ Andover

Obi Ezemma RB 6-0 215 Spring Valley, NY/Ramapo

Alan Hayes S 5-11 190 Houston, TX/Northland Christian

Jerry Housey LB 6-1 230 Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy

Zack Ingle QB 6-3 185 Germantown, MD/Good Counsel

Terrell Jackson WR 6-1 180 Temple, TX/Temple

Matt Ostrowski OL 6-7 300 Natrona Heights, PA/ Highlands

Solomon Richberg OL 6-4 300 Bronx, NY/August Martin

Marcus Rivers WR 6-4 205 Lackawanna, NY/Lackawanna

Davonte Shannon S 6-1 180 Jeannette, PA/Jeannette

Richard Smith DT 6-3 300 Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl

Joshua Thomas CB 5-10 175 Cedar Hill, TX/Cedar Hill

Robert Torn DT 6-3 265 Orlando, FL/Pine Castle Christian

Ed Young QB 6-0 180 Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills

Quarterbacks
Two QB prospects were added from this class. Zack Ingle from Germantown (MD) led his team to a state championship game. As a senior he threw 14 TDs with just 3 INTs. Ed Young from Fort Worth (TX) is a prototypical dual-threat QB at 6-foot and 180 pounds. A gifted athlete, he accounted for over 2,600 yards of total offense as a senior and produced 30 TDs.

Receivers
Marcus Rivers may be the prize recruit of the class. The 6-4 190-pound Lackawanna (NY) native had reported offers from Syracuse and Temple and drew interest from several eastern schools. A first team all-state performer, Rivers also is a talented basketball player. Terrell Jackson is a gifted athlete from Temple (TX) who has good size (6-0, 180) and speed (4.5/40). TE Aaron Connacher earned 2 nd team all-state honors and is from near-by Jamestown (NY).

Offensive Line
UB signed two impressive offensive linemen in Matt Ostrowski from Natrona hts (PA) and Soloman Richberg from the Bronx (NYC). Both have excellent size at 6-7 300 and 6-4 300 pounds respectively.

Defensive Line
The DT position was a focus on this year’s class and three were signed. Derrick Brown from Harrisburg (PA) received a lot of attention from MAC and Big East schools before choosing UB. At 6-4 285, he could be a factor early in his career. Richie Smith from Pen Argyl (PA) likely would have ended up at a BCS school if not for an injury during his senior year. If he regains is form, the 6-3 300-pounder could be a major impact player for Buffalo. Robert Torn is from Orlando (FL) and will play in the central Florida all-star game and earned all-state honors as a senior. Gordon DuBois may be a real steal if he continues to develop since he has only played one year of football. The Andover (MA) native had 7.5 QB sacks in his only year of football.

Linebackers
Jerry Housey is a true MLB at 6-1 230. The Bronx native earned all-state honors as a senior. Fred Branch from Rockville (MD) was rated by one recruiting service as the #83 OLB in the country. He brings immediate athleticism to that area. OLB Adekunkle Akingba is the lone JUCO from Nassau CC.

Defensive Backs
Five defensive backs were signed and this was the largest area of recruits for this entire class. Two highly regarded safety prospects were added and both may play as true freshmen. Josh Copeland from Fairborn (OH) and Davonte Shannon from Jeannette (PA) each had major interest from BCS schools. Alan Hayes from Houston (TX) is the other safety signed. The two corners signed are Domonic Cook, a Buffalo native, and Joshua Thomas from Cedar Hill (TX). Each add speed and athleticism to the program.

Specialists
No players were listed for this position.

Final Analysis
UB has come a long way in recruiting over the past eight or nine years and this year’s class really show that fact. The defensive backs signed are as good as most other signed by other MAC programs the collection of defensive tackles may turn out to become some of the best in the league. The QBs and one RB signed will need to develop along with the OL prospects signed. Overall much needed speed and size was added across the board. While this class rates as AVERAGE compared to the rest of the MAC, there are certain pockets of this class which are quite good. Turner Gill seems to be changing the perception of UB football.

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