Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Football announces 2009 Recruiting Class
02/04/2009 | 12:00:00 | Football
Feb. 4, 2009
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
2009 Recruiting Class Videos
2009 Recruiting Class and Biographical Sketches
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University head coach Dale Lennon revealed his 2009 recruiting class earlier today during a press conference at Lingle Hall. Eighteen players from 10 different states comprise Lennon's second recruiting class at SIU.
"The focus of this year's recruiting efforts was to find quality student-athletes that could fill the voids left from the graduation of 10 seniors," said Lennon. "Not only did we meet that goal, but we were able to build a class that could be very valuable in the near future. Overall, I believe that the ability level of this year's signing class is very promising."
Quarterback Kory Faulkner (Bloomsdale, Mo./Ste. Genevieve H.S.), wide receiver John Lantz (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart-Griffin H.S.) and running backs John Hughes (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial H.S.) and Steve Strother (Cupepper, Va./Eastern View H.S.) headline this year's class.
Faulkner, the 2008 Missouri Class 3A Offensive Player-of-the-Year, threw for 8,637 yards and 102 touchdowns in his prep career at Ste. Genevieve High School. A three-time first-team all-region and all-conference selection, Faulkner completed a staggering 318-of-442 passes for 3,899 yards and 47 TDs last season. He also ran for 1,055 yards and 15 TDs on 149 carries.
"Kory has all the qualities we look for in a quarterback," said Lennon. "He has a great understanding of football and is a natural leader. He had an outstanding career for one of the best programs in eastern Missouri."
Lantz joins the Salukis from Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, where he broke the school's all-time career record in receptions. A two-time first-team all-conference and all-state selection, Lantz led the conference and set a SHG single-season record with 1,259 receiving yards en route to Central State 8 Conference Player-of-the-Year honors in 2008. He also finished second in the state with 18 yards per catch, returned four kickoffs and three punts for touchdowns and scored 142 points, leading the Cyclones to a 6A State Championship.
"John is a dynamic receiver who possesses the ability to be a precise route-runner with good hands while being an effective blocker," said Lennon.
Hughes, rated as the 12th-best player in Arizona by AZCentral, scored 64 career touchdowns and was a member of three state championship teams at Centennial High School. The 2008 West Valley Player-of-the-Year, Hughes ran for 1,606 yards and 31 touchdowns last season. In addition, he caught 19 passes for 298 yards and four TDs, returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and scored a total of 38 TDs on the year.
"John is a fast and elusive running back. His versatility will allow him to be a threat as a ball carrier, receiver and return man on special teams," said Lennon.
Strother was a three-time first-team all-conference selection at Eastern View High School. He ran for 1,970 yards and 26 touchdowns on 191 carries, averaging 10.3 yards per attempt in 2008. Strother scored 18 touchdowns of 50 or more yards and finished his prep career with a total of 3,988 rushing yards and 45 rushing TDs.
"Steve has shown the ability to be a playmaker," said Lennon. "His speed will be an explosive weapon in our offensive system."
The Dawgs also added fullbacks Rik Hicks (Anna, Ill./Anna-Jonesboro) and Ray Agnew, III (Chesterfield, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit H.S.), linemen Terrence Isaiah (East St. Louis, Ill./East St. Louis H.S.), Ryan Miller (Stilwell, Kan./Blue Valley H.S.) and Ryan Wood (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley H.S.), and tight end Philip Schumacher (Evansville, Ind./Central H.S.) on the offensive side of the ball.
Hicks was a two-time all-conference running back at nearby Anna-Jonesboro High School. He rushed for 1,209 yards and 21 touchdowns on 131 attempts (9.2 ypr) a year ago.
Agnew, a walk-on, was a three-year starter at DeSmet Jesuit High School.
Isaiah led East St. Louis High School to a 7A State Championship as part of one of the top offenses in the state. The Flyers averaged 40 points a game, rushed for over 2,500 yards and threw for over 2,700 yards last season.
Miller, a two-year starter and two-time first-team all-Kansas League pick out of Blue Valley High School, ranked 54th in the nation as an offensive tackle, according to ESPN.
Wood led his team to a combined 25-1 record and one Class 4A Iowa State Championship over his last two years at Valley High School. He was also a two-time all-Iowa Conference performer.
Schumacher (pronounced Shoe-maker) was a two-time first-team all-conference and Indiana Football Coaches Association all-state pick at Central High School.
Defensively, SIU signed eight players, including defensive backs Brandon Burley (New Castle, Pa./New Castle H.S.), E.J. Clark (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit H.S.) and Luke Thuston (Wildwood, Mo./Eureka H.S.), lineman Derrick Nsubuga (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral H.S.) and linebackers Dathan Deisher (Mt. Carmel, Ill./Mt. Carmel H.S.), Rodney Reagans (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler H.S.), Robert Spann (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast Oklahoma A&M) and Houston Walker (Homewood, Ala./Homewood H.S.).
Burley achieved a Top-22 ranking as a DB and multi-purpose back at New Castle High School, where he led the team with a combined 14 interceptions in his final two seasons.
Clark, rated as the 29th-best player in Missouri, according to rivals.com, was a first-team all-Metro and all-Catholic Conference honoree at DeSmet Jesuit High School. Clark registered 81 tackles, recovered two fumbles, forced three fumbles and had one interception in 2008.
"E.J. has the ability to become an excellent player in the Missouri Valley Football Conference," said Lennon. "His size, speed and physical play are a natural fit for the SIU secondary."
Thuston, a three-year starter at Eureka H.S., recorded 84 tackles, two sacks and one interception en route to Class 5A all-state honors last season.
Nsubuga (pronounced Zoo-BAH-guh) registered 104 tackles and six sacks in 14 games on a Chaparral High School team that finished runner-up in the state (Class 4A).
Deisher (pronounced Dasher) was a two-time first-team all-Big Eight Conference selection at Mt. Carmel High School. He registered 76 tackles as the 2008 Kiwanis Defensive Player-of-the-Year.
Reagans was Chandler High School's 2008 Defensive Player-of-the-Year after finishing with 153 tackles and five sacks. He was named first-team Arizona Football Coaches Association all-region and 24-7football.com all-state, as well.
Spann is the only junior college transfer in SIU's 2009 class. He was a second-team all-Southwest Conference linebacker who ranked second on the team in tackles during one season at Northeast Oklahoma A&M.
Walker had 91 tackles, 4.5 sacks and four interceptions as a first-team all-Metro selection at Homewood High School last season.
