Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Head Coach Jerry Kill Announces 2003 Saluki Football Recruiting Class
02/05/2003 | 12:00:00 | Football
Feb. 5, 2003
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois football coach Jerry Kill unveiled the Salukis' 21-man recruiting class on Wednesday, the product of months of in-home visits, hard work and persistence.
The class features 15 freshmen and six junior college transfers and has a heavy emphasis on the offensive line and secondary, two areas where the team is thin, Kill said.
Two of the JUCO transfers, defensive backs Frank Johnson and Jamarquis Jordan, come from Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, the same school that produced Saluki All-American running back Mo Abdulqaadir and All-Gateway Conference wide receiver Courtney Abbott.
Kill said several of the signees will give the staff flexibility to move its current personnel to new positions. In particular, he said highly touted quarterback Jonathan Caines allows them to move back-up quarterback Stanley Bryant to safety. Also, cornerback Anthony Williams will allow them to shift sophomore Quorey Payne from corner to his natural position, wide receiver.
Kill believes the class will significantly improve the team's size and speed and said that many of the signees were pursued by major Division I schools.
Coach Kill on the recruiting process:
"The thing we did with our recruiting class that I think is special is we recruited hard, but we didn't beg anybody to come. We wanted them to want to come. The people who deserve the most credit for this class are our players. Our players did a heckuva job recruiting these youngsters. If they didn't fit in, our players would tell us. If they fit in, we went after them. I think you have to recruit to your culture, and your team and your team chemistry. These youngsters fit in, and that's important."
On the emphasis on recruiting offensive line and defensive back:
"We have never been thick in the offensive line. We had four when I got the job. I'm tired of having four or five and piece-making it together. We were very aggressive in the offensive and defensive line. And on defense, you're only as good as your secondary, especially the corners. You have to be able to play some man coverage and be able to blitz your safeties off the edge. You look at what Tampa Bay did in the Super Bowl. We haven't had enough of that, and we've really created some competition in our secondary."
On the recruiting pipeline at Coffeyville Community College:
"I think the biggest thing is Muhammad Abdulqaadir and Courtney Abbott. They've had such a good time here and feel like the people in the community and the school have treated them very well. They've had a positive experience, and they've sold the others. Coach Matukewicz and Coach Anderson have some natural ties there, and that's helped us."
On his philosophy on recruiting JUCOs:
"I felt we needed some maturity. We needed a little stronger, more physical a little more mature kid at certain areas. I felt we needed that at the defensive line, and we got that with Linton (Brown). I felt we needed that at offensive line, and we got that with (McDaniel and Rich). And in the secondary, we signed three of them. They had to be people I felt comfortable with and our team and coaches felt comfortable with. You don't want to bring in a loose cannon. They've fit in very nicely. I've been on the road, but our assistants have said these kids have been an easy addition."
On selling Southern Illinois football:
"We've had to battle through some obstacles because of the threat of the strike. People are going to use that against you, but I think we've worked hard to overcome that. When we've had youngsters come visit, our people did a fabulous job of showing them around. We talked of the strength of our school. There's no question the publicity of Muhammad (Abdulqaadir), our program beating Western Illinois (last year), our basketball program doing well have helped. I think it's helped our whole institution. People see my Southern Illinois pin when I'm on the road, and they say, 'Hey, how are you doing? Go dawgs.'"
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Cl | Year | Hometown | High School/Last School |
| Linton Brown* | DL | 6-0 | 315 | So. | 3rd | Eustis, Fla. | Coffeyville Comm. College |
| Jonathan Cairns | QB | 6-3 | 190 | Fr. | 1st | Blue Springs, Mo. | Blue Springs South |
| Kent DeVinney | LS/TE | 6-2 | 240 | Fr. | 1st | Collierville, Tenn. | Collierville |
| Phil Goforth | WR | 6-2 | 185 | Fr. | 1st | Naperville, Ill. | Benet Academy |
| Jerry Hancock | OL | 6-6 | 315 | Fr. | 1st | DeSoto, Mo. | DeSoto |
| Marlon Heaston | DB | 6-1 | 205 | Fr. | 1st | Covington, Tenn. | Covington |
| Frank Johnson* | DB | 6-0 | 190 | So. | 2nd | Wabasso, Fla. | Coffeyville Comm. College |
| Jamarquis Jordan* | DB | 6-1 | 200 | So. | 3rd | Kansas City, Mo. | Coffeyville Comm. College |
| Patrick Jordan | DB/LB | 6-2 | 210 | Fr. | 1st | Germantown, Tenn. | Houston |
| Andrew Kernes | OL/LS | 6-6 | 280 | Fr. | 1st | Bloomington, Ill. | Bloomington |
| Zach Kettlekamp | P/TE | 6-3 | 225 | Fr. | 1st | Springfield, Ill. | Sacred Heart Griffin |
| Wheitley Leonard | LB | 6-0 | 210 | Fr. | 1st | Miami, Fla. | North Miami Beach |
| Vernon Lowe | RB/DB | 6-3 | 205 | Fr. | Fr. | Wichita, Kan. | North |
| Elmer McDaniel* | OL | 6-1 | 295 | Jr. | 3rd | Muskogee, Okla. | NE Oklahoma A&M J.C. |
| Justin Rich* | OL | 6-5 | 290 | Jr. | 3rd | Tulare, Calif. | Fresno City College |
| Justin Rodgers | OL | 6-6 | 295 | Fr. | 1st | Memphis, Tenn. | Germantown |
| Matt Ruth | TE | 6-2 | 265 | Fr. | 1st | Collinsville, Ill. | Collinsville |
| Daniel Shannon | RB/FB | 6-1 | 215 | Fr. | 1st | Brookport, Ill. | Massac County |
| Melvin Vance* | DB | 6-1 | 215 | Jr. | 3rd | Fort Myers, Fla. | Fort Scott Comm. College |
| Natu Visinia | DL | 6-3 | 275 | Fr. | 1st | Independence, Mo. | William Chrisman |
| Anthony Williams | DB | 5-10 | 170 | Fr. | 1st | Clewiston, Fla. | Clewiston |
2003 Recruiting Class
*Linton Brown, DL (6-0, 315, So.)
Eustis, Fla. (Coffeyville Community College)
Redshirted last season...Second team all-state as senior at Eustis H.S. where he had 70 tackles and 5 sacks...Coach Kill: "He's already here this semester and has been very impressive to Coach Klein. He has tremendous strength and speed. We feel like he has the body type that we need to play inside that we've been missing."
Jonathan Cairns, QB (6-3, 190, Fr.)
Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs South H.S.)
All-state...Rated as 20th best QB by Rivals.com...His senior year, completed 102-of-172 passes for 1,421 yards, 15 TDs...Had 698 rushing yards and 8 TDs...4.0 GPA...Coach Kill: "The best thing you can say about him is that everybody you talk to compares him to Joel Sambursky. I think he's just a bigger version of Joel. A very athletic quarterback. We were very honest in recruiting him. He knowsJoel is here, and that did not scare him off. He and Joel hit it off tremendously on his visit. They both like each other. Joel will be a great person to teach him the ropes. He's a very smart kid and a great competitor."
Kent DeVinney, LS/TE (6-2, 240, Fr.)
Collierville, Tenn. (Collierville H.S.)
Listed as "Diamond in the Rough" by Max Emfinger's Blue Chip Recruiting...Rated a top LS specialist by Ray Guy Kicking Academy...Coach Kill: "He may end up being the most important guy in our recruiting class. He's an excellent long snapper, and that was an area we needed to improve."
Phil Goforth, WR (6-2, 185, Fr.)
Naperville, Ill. (Benet Academy H.S.)
Class 6A all-state his junior and senior years...Career reception leader (84)...3rd all-time in KO return yards in Illinois with 1,054...Coach Kill: "He's a guy we got on early. He sent a highlight in which he dunked a basketball about every way you can. He has great explosion and is very strong in the weightroom. His daddy is a coach. That's even more important. He's a guy we hope can be a very positive force early in his career.
Jerry Hancock, OL (6-6, 315, Fr.)
DeSoto, Mo. (DeSoto H.S.)
All-conference OL/DL his sophomore through senior years...Coach Kill: "He's a huge man. His high school coach came up and visited our place and spent time with our staff to work on their offensive and defensive schemes, and he told us about Jerry. I think he may be the sleeper of the whole recruiting class. He's a very athletic kid, played basketball and runs very well for a big man. His best years are ahead of him."
Marlon Heaston, DB, 6-1, 205, Fr.
Covington, Tenn. (Covington H.S.)
Conference player of the year...Played QB, WR, RB, LB, DB...Rushed 56 times for 617 yards, 17 catches for 427 yds...14 total TDs...Coach Kill: "He was one that I thought we may not have a shot at. We were told we didn't have a chance because three or four Southeastern Conference schools were after him. When we found out he was still available, we got him up here for a basketball game, and he fell in love with the place. Our people at the university did a great job of showing him around, and we think we're getting a guy that can play at the (SEC) level of football."
*Frank Johnson, DB (6-0, 190, So.)
Wabasso, Fla. (Coffeyville Comm. College)
Starting free safety for 2nd-ranked defense in Jayhawk Conference...Had 84 tackles...Team finished 8-3 last year...Coach Kill: "He was originally going to East Carolina. It was a done deal, but the day before (fall) signing day, they fired the staff at East Carolinia, and we were just lucky that we were there to pick up the pieces. I've personally seen him play, and he's one of those guys that if they run the iso, he's going to fill it up for a two-yard gain. That's something we haven't had."
*Jamarquis Jordan, DB (6-1, 200, So.)
Kansas City, Mo. (Coffeyville Comm. College)
Redshirted last season...JUCO All-American in 60-meter hurdles...Coach Kill: "He's a tremendous athlete. Both he and his running partner at Coffeyville (Frank Johnson) are what I call difference-makers. We have them both for three years."
Patrick Jordan, DB/LB (6-2, 210, Fr.)
Germantown, Tenn. (Houston H.S.)
Honorable mention all-state...All-region, all-district, all-metro...Had 86 tackles his senior year...Averaged 8.2 yards per carry as RB...Coach Kill: "He can play several different positions because he's athletic, fast and smart. He loved his visit here. This is where he wanted to go."
Andrew Kernes, OL/LS (6-6, 280, Fr.)
Bloomington, Ill. (Bloomington H.S.)
Team was 25-2 last two years...6A first team all-state, academic all-state...Illinois Shrine Bowl...All-area, all-conference...Coach Kill: "He's an excellent deep snapper and is a big, big offensive lineman. He really wanted to come here. He liked the culture. He likes to fish. He felt comfortable here."
Zach Kettlekamp, P/TE (6-3, 225, Fr.)
Springfield, Ill. (Sacred Heart Griffin H.S.)
5A all-state punter and linebacker...Rated as 23rd best LB by Rivals.com...Chicago Sun Times Top 100...Led team in tackles So.-Jr...Coach Kill: "We're hoping he will come in and be our punter next year. He was recruited by some Division I schools, and Minnesota came in at the end, but he committed to us, and we feel very good about him."
Wheitley Leonard LB, 6-0, 210, Fr.)
Miami, Fla. (North Miami Beach H.S.)
6A honorable mention all-state his junior and senior years...Had 292 tackles his sophomore through senior seasons...Coach Kill: "He comes from the same high school as Thomas Laing. I've been in his home, and he has a great family and has a great background. He's another one who is a real sleeper. I think a lot of it had to do with Thomas Laing's experiences here."
Vernon Lowe, RB/DB (6-3, 205, Fr.)
Wichita, Kan. (North H.S.)
Versatile athlete who played RB, QB, WR and DB in high school...H.S. coach Joe Beldon was college teammate of Coach Kill...Coach Kill: "He verbally committed to Tulsa early in the process, and their staff got fired. Joey called me and got us on them. Wyoming and Tulsa came back in later, but Vernon committed to us. He can do a lot of things for us. There's no telling where he'll play, he's just an athletic player."
*Elmer McDaniel, OL (6-1, 310, Jr.)
Muskogee, Okla. (NE Oklahoma A&M J.C.)
JUCO transfer who will add depth to the guard position. Coach Kill: "Our coaches tell me he's been just unbelievable in the first three weeks of training. He can run, has tremendous strength and comes from one of the best junior college programs in the country. He'll add depth to the guard position and also play center for us."
*Justin Rich, OL (6-5, 290, Jr.)
Tulare, Calif. (Fresno City College)
Started all 11 games last year for one of nation's top JUCO programs...Second team all-conference player at guard...Coach Kill: "If you can start at Fresno City and make all-conference, then you're a darn, good player. We need big guys up front, and Justin will really helps us."
Justin Rodgers, OL (6-6, 295, Fr.)
Memphis, Tenn. (Germantown H.S.)
All-region and all-district...Also recruited by Oklahoma State, Indiana and Mississippi State...Coach Kill: "They're all exciting when you get their signed letters, but Justin Rodgers has been true to his commitment. He committed to us before he took the trip to Indiana, and you always wonder if a kid is going to keep his commitment. Oklahoma State signed five linemen, and he was the sixth one. If they had lost one, they would have taken him."
Matt Ruth, TE (6-2, 265, Fr.)
Collinsville, Ill. (Collinsville H.S.)
All-St. Louis metro area his junior and senior years...All-conference...Also played baseball...Coach Kill: "He really wanted to come here, which always impresses me. He'll have to step it up early, because with our tight end situation, I think he's going to have to step it up as a freshman. I think he's ready for that challenge."
Daniel Shannon, RB/FB (6-1, 215, Fr.)
Brookport, Ill. (Massac County H.S.)
Missed all but two games last season with a broken ankle...All-state, all-region and all-conference as a junior...Played RB and LB...Coach Kill: "He's one of the better players in this area. He could be a fullback or a tailback, probably more of a fullback for us if we can put some weight on him. He's a very good athlete."
*Melvin Vance, DB (6-1, 215, Jr.)
Fort Myers, Fla. (Fort Scott Comm. College)
JUCO All-American last season...Averaged 7 tackles per game and had 2 INTs...Brother, Chris, is starting WR at Ohio State...Coach Kill: "Melvin had a chance to be at the National Championship game (Ohio State vs. Miami) and has the same type of athleticism as Chris. He's what we've been looking for. He's a big corner who can run, cover, press man, the things that make you a better football team."
Natu Visinia, DL (6-3, 275, Fr.)
Independence, Mo. (William Chrisman H.S.)
All-state, all-district, all-conference...Recorded 68 tackles, 9 sacks and 13 TFL his senior year...Played lead in school musical...Coach Kill: "He's a big Samoan kid who is a growing young man. He'll be 6-4, 290 tomorrow. A very intense young man and his best years are ahead of him. Samoan kids work their tails off because of their culture and what they stand for. Ball State was in there recruiting him, but he committed to us and hung in there."
Anthony Williams, DB (5-10, 170, Fr.)
Clewiston, Fla. (Clewiston H.S.)
2A honorable mention all-state his junior and senior years...Had 10 career INTs...Team was runner-up state champs in 2001...Coach Kill: "If you watched Quorey Payne (also from Clewiston) and saw what he did as a freshman, this one is faster. Quorey doesn't like to hear that, but we're actually moving Quorey to his natural position, wide receiver. Anthony is a true defensive corner. He comes off a great program with excellent coaching."
*Currently enrolled at Southern Illinois and will participate in spring football practices
