Football recruits: Wide range of talents

DAYTON — Four of the new Dayton Flyers football recruits can juggle. Three play musical instruments: the ukulele, guitar, and piano. One describes himself as a “roller coaster junkie.” There’s a snowboarder, a magician and a cook who “makes a mean pasta.”

Members of Dayton’s 35-man 2019 freshman class, who report to campus Aug. 8 and start practice Aug. 9, will study to become a marine biologist, a coach, a physician, an accountant, a financial planner, a physician’s assistant, an engineer, etc. Perhaps most impressively, one recruit once ate 51 chicken wings in one sitting.

All that comes from UD’s press release announcing the class.

“Some of the hidden talents we weren’t aware of when we recruited them,” said coach Rick Chamberlin with a laugh.

Of course, they all can play football, too. Here are five things to know about the newest Flyers as the season approaches. Dayton opens Sept. 7 on the road against Indiana State.

1. Average size: Dayton had 26 recruits in 2018, 35 in 2017 and 38, 36, 38 and 28 players in the previous seasons.

“We’re going to be anywhere around 30 every year, sometimes a little more,” Chamberlin said. “There have been a couple years when we have 27 or 28. It just depends on the numbers we need. We keep (the roster) at a limit of 110. That’s a NCAA rule for camp. We can add guys once school begins with tryouts.”

2. Position focus: Dayton coaches focused on one position above all others: the offensive line. There are six in the group.

“We felt we needed to build some depth,” Chamberlin said. “We had a very good class three years ago, and those guys are playing now as juniors. They played as sophomores. Now they’re going into their senior years. So we needed to bring in a number in this recruiting class, and we’re very pleased with it. It’s a group of young men who played all the positions. They’re centers, guards and tackles with good size and most importantly to us good feet. They move. They’re not just big, old bodies. We don’t like that. Our program is built on speed, and that includes our offensive linemen.”

3. Local connection: Among the players from the Dayton area are Oakwood wide receiver Jake Sargent, Alter wide receiver

■ Nathan Arthur: LB, 5-11, 200, Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier); first team all-conference.

■ Austin Bradfish: TE, 6-3, 230, Loveland, Ohio (Moeller); played on Greater Catholic League champions.

■ Max Brimigion: WR, 6-1, 175, Matthews, N.C. (Weddington); high school’s career record holder in yards (2,662) and touchdowns (33).

■ Sam Bubonics: WR, 5-11, 170, Solon, Ohio (Solon); conference special teams player of the year, all-conference and all-district

■ Logan Dalton: LB, 6-1, 190, Mason, Ohio (Mason); team captain, first team all-conference.

■ Michael Denning: P/K, 6-0, 180, Sidney, Ohio (Lehman); first team all-conference, first team all-district and first team allstate; two-year captain in soccer.

■ Brian Doneghy: DB, 5-8, 175, Blue Ash, Ohio (Sycamore): team captain in football and track, Holds high school record with a 96-yard interception TD return

■ Cole Dow: QB, 6-1, 190, Park Ridge, Ill. (Main South): all-conference, team captain

■ Deuce Drennan: DE, 6-3, 215, Hendersonville, Tenn. (Pope John Paul II): Three-year starter in football and baseball

■ George Fanelli: OL, 6-1, 245, Evergreen Park, Ill. (Marist): Conference Most Valuable Lineman, All-State

■ Michael Franks: WR, 6-1, 175, Mohnton, Pa. (Governor Mifflin): All-Country as a WR and DB, team captain

■ Kyle Hazell: WR, 6-0, 165, West Lafayette, Ind. (West Lafayette): all-conference, all-district and All-Region

■ Alex Hirschfield: LB, 6-0, 200, Orland Park, Ill. (Carl Sandburg): first team all-conference, first team All-Area, first team All-State, Team Defensive MVP

■ Gabe Jacon-Duffy: DT, 6-4, 240, Pleasant Plain, Ohio (Moeller): Played on Greater Catholic League championship team

■ Niko Kasprzycki: TE, 6-6, 225, Lisle, Ill. (Benet): first team all-conference, Caught 37 passes for 401 yards and two TD as a senior

■ Jason Kohr: TE, 6-4, 220, Clayton, Ohio (Northmont): team captain, All-Area in baseball

■ Griffin Laake: DE, 6-3, 190, Clarksville, Ohio (Clinton Massie): team captain, Third Team All-Ohio

■ Matt Lenti: DB, 5-10, 180, LaGrange Park, Ill. (Mount Carmel): first team 7A All-State, Conference MVP Derek Willits, Northmont tight end Jason Kohr and Clinton-Massie defensive end Griffin Laake.

4. Coaching sons: Three of the players are sons of coaches, including Kyle Hazell, a wide receiver from West Lafayette, Ind. His dad Darrell Hazell was the head coach at Kent State from 201112 and at Purdue from 201316 and now coaches wide receivers with the Minnesota Vikings.

5. Staff changes: In addition to Jay Minton, the former Wayne coach who joined Chamberlin’s staff as a tight ends coach earlier this month, the Flyers have a new defensive coordinator: Tee Overman. He coached at Dayton in 2016 but spent the last two seasons at Washington State as a quality control assistant for special teams and defense.

■ Alonzo Motley III: DE, 6-1, 210, Cincinnati, Ohio (Summit Country Day): first team all-conference in football and track, team captain in basketball

■ Ricky Mysliwiec: OL, 6-2, 285, Lombard, Ill. (Immaculate Conception): 2018 state champs, Conference Most Outstanding Lineman

■ Michael Neel: RB, 5-10, 170, Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Catholic): Played on 2018 state champs, first team all-conference

■ Drew Nieman: P, 5-10, 170, Cincinnati, Ohio (La Salle): first team all-conference, first team All-City and first team all-district, first team all-conference in baseball

■ Drew Robertson: DT, 6-1, 270, Cranberry Township, Pa. (Seneca Valley): team captain, first team all-conference

■ Marc Rumpke: OL, 6-2, 285, Lexington, Ky. (Lexington Catholic): Team Best Lineman, Captain, first team All-City

■ Jake Sargent: WR, 5-10, 170, Dayton, Ohio (Oakwood): team captain and Offensive Player of the Year, first team all-district

■ Sam Schadek: DT, 6-3, 250, Columbus, Ohio (Upper Arlington): first team all-conference

■ Billy Skalitzky: DB, 6-0, 185, Evergreen Park, Ill. (Marist): team captain and MVP, first team all-conference

■ Elijah Smith: DB, 6-0, 180, Louisville, Ky. (Christian Academy): Played on state championship teams as a junior and senior, first team all-district

■ Brian Stevens: OL, 6-2, 260, Milford, Ohio (Milford): team captain, first team all-conference

■ David Tkatch: OL, 6-2, 275, Harmony, Pa. (Seneca Valley): team captain; first team all-conference.

■ Ryan VanSchelven: QB, 5-10, 190, Roscoe, Ill. (Hononegah); conference offensive MVP; football and track captain.

■ Reilly Waldoch: H-Back, 6-2, 220, Geneva, Ill. (Geneva Community): Named Geneva’s best offensive back.

■ Sam Webster: K, 5-10, 215, Richfield, Ohio (Revere): first team all-conference, first team all-district and first team allstate; captain on 2018 state championship team in soccer.

■ Derek Willits: WR, 6-3, 195, Centerville, Ohio (Alter); team captain in football and basketball, first team All-GWOC.

■ Connor Woodruff: OL, 6-5, 305, Cincinnati, Ohio (Summit Country Day); first team all-city, first team all-district, first team All-Tri-State, Second Team All-Ohio

Overman replaces Landon Fox, who left after 11 seasons to take the head coaching job at Valparaiso.

Brian Steiner, UD’s defensive line coach from 200608, returns as special teams coordinator and defensive ends coach. He spent the last 10 seasons at Clarion University.

Christian Bryan is the new wide receivers coach. He played at Youngstown State and against the Flyers as a senior. He spent the last two seasons at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Scott Horcher, a cornerback for the Flyers from 2006-09, joins the staff as cornerbacks coach. He was co-defensive coordinator at Springboro High School the last three seasons.