Like all state employees, NAU coach Jerome Souers and his staff are trying to do more with less because of the lingering budget crunch. The veteran coach did just that, signing an incoming class large in numbers and talent despite working with a smaller recruiting budget and fewer scholarships.
"We really ended up signing a larger class than initially talked about," said Souers, whose team finished 5-6 last year. "We didn't have a lot of scholarships to work with, so we had to be creative. I think our staff did a tremendous job going out and finding great fits for our program -- men that are outstanding students, hard workers on and off the field, and are good people who represent our program with the way we want."
In all, the Lumberjacks received National Letters of Intent from 22 players Wednesday -- 11 from California, nine from Arizona, one from Nevada and one from Oregon.
Souers expects several of the newcomers to make an immediate impact in the upcoming season, while many others will be "grayshirted," meaning they won't count against the team's scholarship limit until a handful of current seniors will graduate in December.
The following offers a positional breakdown of the incoming class. A complete list appears in the scoreboard:
QUARTERBACK
With four quarterbacks already on the roster, including starter Michael Herrick, the Lumberjacks certainly weren't in dire need of a signal-caller.
They went after two heralded prep quarterbacks, though, and ended up with both of them: Chase Cartwright (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) out of Tempe Corona Del Sol and Jordan Perry (6-3, 210) out of Portland (Ore.) Central Catholic. Rivals.com rates both players as two-star recruits.
Cartwright, who reportedly mulled an offer from Idaho, led his team to three straight Class 5A, Division I state final appearances and set a school record for career touchdowns.
"I'm excited about him as the potential leader of our program," Souers said. "He's a great catch."
RUNNING BACK
This was one of NAU's biggest voids, and the Lumberjacks hit paydirt with two players whom Souers believes can make an immediate impact as freshmen.
Sophomore Giovannie Dixon is expected to take over for four-year starter Alex Henderson, but NAU is thin after that. Souers, however, is confident that a pair of Californians can step right into the mix.
Jamaal Perkins, the only Rivals three-start recruit among NAU's incoming class, rushed for a school-record 1,275 yards as a senior at Rio Mesa High in Oxnard, Calif. The 5-9, 185-pound speedster reportedly received offers from Ole Miss, Iowa State, Marshall and New Mexico State.
Jonathan DeWitt (5-10, 180) averaged 8.0 yards per carry for Inglewood High in Los Angeles.
"Those two are phenomenal athletes ... and we will anticipate those guys impacting the depth chart immediately," Souers said.
RECEIVERS
After losing four seniors who saw significant time, receiver is another position in which the pass-happy Lumberjacks wanted to make big recruiting strides.
"We have Michael Herrick at quarterback; we're going to throw the football. We've got to have some quality receivers," Souers said. "Losing the guys that we lost last year presented some challenges. With the guys we have on campus, combined with the guys that we've signed, I feel like we've addressed those needs."
NAU landed a quality junior college transfer in Daniel Adler, a 5-9, 180-pounder from Diablo Valley (Calif.) College, and also a promising prep player in Ify Umodu, a 6-3, 215-pounder from Covina, Calif.
Souers expects Adler to step right in at receiver, while noting that Umodu could make an impact as a true freshman. Umodu has two older brothers who play Division I football, one at UCLA (Tobi, a fullback) and another at Air Force (Kebin, a defensive lineman).
OFFENSIVE LINE
With four of their five starters returning on the line, the Lumberjacks weren't in need of immediate help in the trenches.
Souers said NAU recruited for the future, but he believes at least one newcomer, Valley Center, Calif. product Joe Gurski, could push his way into the rotation.
Listed as a center, the 6-5, 280-pounder was reportedly receiving interest from several Pac-10 and Mountain West schools.
"You very rarely say this about a freshman O-lineman, but he'll be in the mix and he'll challenge the depth chart as a true freshman," Souers said. "Joe's a very talented player, and with his size and athleticism, his mentality, he has a chance to help us sooner."
DEFENSIVE FRONT
This is another area the Lumberjacks have plenty of depth.
Souers said the primary focus for this recruiting class was to go after quick, aggressive linemen and linebackers who could grow into solid performers.
The coach highlighted Mesa Red Mountain teammates Jake Phillps (6-4, 230-pound lineman) and Craig Frum (6-3, 225-pound linebacker), and Tempe Marcos de Niza lineman Roy Garcia (6-3, 250) as ones to watch down the road.
"They'll come in and compete, but unless we have a major catastrophic injury, those guys will develop in their first year," Souers said.
DEFENSIVE SECONDARY
The Lumberjacks will need to replace their cornerbacks after next season, and they'll have several options after inking Anders Battle (Goodyear Desert Vista), Randy Hale (Buckeye) and Blake Bailey (San Diego Serra).
Battle and Hale were both considering Air Force, while Bailey reportedly drew interest from a handful of Pac-10 and Mountain West schools.
Rory Faust can be reached at rfaust@azdailysun.com or 556-2257.
