ITHACA, N.Y. – The positive momentum of recent years for the Big Red football team has continued to pay dividends on the recruiting trail as head coach Jim Knowles ‘87 and his staff have assembled a 30-person class which will join the program to continue both their academic and football careers at Cornell University, it was announced today. The class will help the Big Red as it prepares to claim its first Ivy League title on the gridiron since 1990.
"When you look at the accomplishments of this class, it is easy to see why some people who are knowledgeable about recruiting believe it is our finest group to date," Knowles said. "Our staff searched the entire country for the highest quality student-athletes,as you can see from variety of geographical areas represented. I look forward to watching these young men develop in the coming years."
The Class of 2012 hails from 14 states, the District of Columbia and Canada, and features six all-state selections. A class-high six recruits will attend Cornell from Pennsylvania, while three come from California, Ohio and Texas. Illinois, Michigan and the home state of New York each will provide two student-athletes, while five other states will send one player each to Cornell. In all, 15 of the players will join the defense, 14 will aid the offense and another is a place-kicker.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Big Red brings in four defensive backs, four safeties and four linebackers. Cornell will also add three defensive linemen averaging a sizable 6-3 and 245 pounds. Cornell went for plenty of skill players on the offense, bringing in five wide receivers, one running back and two quarterbacks along with a tight end. The offensive line will also be bolstered with the addition of five offensive linemen who average 6-4 and 273 pounds.
This is the fourth recruiting class for Knowles, who brought in 40 players prior to the 2005 campaign, 24 in 2006 and 30 in 2007.
The 2008 Big Red returns 36 letter winners and 19 total starters (8 offense, 8 defense, 3 special teams) from last year’s 5-5 squad. Included are five All-Ivy selections: Tim Bax (safety), Zac Canty (wide receiver), Graham Rihn (linebacker), Luke Siwula (running back) and Steve Valenta (offensive tackle).
Cornell will put the Class of 2012 to the test when Fall practice begins in mid-August. The Big Red opens the 2008 season on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Bucknell.
CLASS OF 2012 BIG RED PLAYER ROSTER
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/Last School
Aharanwa, K.C. S/LB 6-3 192 Dallas, Texas/LD Bell HS
Bourassa, Drew OL 6-3 265 Pittstown, N.J./Delaware Valley HS
Cambell, Rashad DB 5-8 175 Cheltenham, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy
Chang, Emile DL 6-3 265 Elmont, N.Y./Valley Stream Central HS
Currie, Adam QB 6-1 200 Memphis, Tenn./Evangelical Christian School
Dennis, Chris DB 6-1 160 Houston, Texas/Eisenhower HS
Doupe, Tom DL 6-2 225 Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS
Harris, Adam LB 6-2 228 Towanda, Pa./Towanda Area HS
Harrison, Matt OL 6-4 300 Missisauga, Ont./Phillips Exeter Academy
Heller, Jordan WR 6-2 187 Miami, Fla./Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior HS
Houska, Ryan S 6-2 210 Plymouth, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central HS
Imhoff, Zack LB 6-4 225 Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain HS
Johnson, Alex QB 6-3 200 Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca HS
LaBarre, John PK 6-3 175 Walnutport, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic HS
Laymon, Tommy OL 6-2 252 Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Detroit Country Day School
Lewis, Troy RB 5-10 175 Hanover, Md./Cardinal Gibbons HS
MacFarlane, Matt DL 6-3 240 Verona, Wis./Verona Area HS
Marks, Keaton S 6-2 195 San Diego, Calif./Santa Fe Christian HS
McGowan, Drew TE 6-5 235 Evergreen Park, Ill./Saint Rita of Cascia HS
Miner, Jim OL 6-5 255 West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago HS
Murdock, Zak LB 6-1 230 Leechburg, Pa./Kiski Area HS
Pardoe, Ryan OL 6-5 293 Montandon, Pa./Milton Area HS
Randall, Tom WR 6-3 200 Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J./Bergen Catholic HS
Savage, Shane WR 5-10 170 Leesburg, Va./Flint Hill School
Scheidler, Jon WR 6-1 180 Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier HS
Schmidt, Travers S 6-0 200 Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua Area HS
Sheridan, Chris WR 6-3 180 Pacific Palisades, Calif./Loyola HS
Spooner, Mike LB 6-1 220 Rocky River, Ohio/St. Edwards HS
Tally, Zach DB 6-0 168 Dallas, Texas/W.T. White HS
Taylor, Adbul DB 5-10 160 Manhattan, N.Y./Paul Laurence Dunbar HS
CLASS OF 2012 BIG RED PLAYER BIOGRAPHIES
S/LB K.C. Aharanwa – 6-3/192 — Dallas, Texas (L.D. Bell HS)
An all-district linebacker at L.D. Bell HS, Aharanwa was a defensive captain for a team that reached the state playoffs in his junior and senior years. Aharanwa posted nine sacks, 13 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery as a senior. As a junior, he notched five sacks, seven hurries, five pass breakups and recovered an on-sides kick.
OL Drew Bourassa – 6-3/265 — Pittstown, N.J. (Delaware Valley HS)
Bourassa is a two-time all-state pick by the Newark Star Ledger on the offensive line at Delaware Valley Regional HS, earning first-team honors as a senior after being a third-team pick as a junior. A two-time first-team all-league, all-area and all-county pick, Bourassa was the 2007 National Football Foundation Delaware Valley Chapter Scholar-Athlete of the Year first runner-up in both 2006 and 2007. He helped his team to a conference title and state playoff berth as a senior. An Express Times first-team pick as a junior and senior, he also captured first-team accolades by the Courier News in 2007. Bourassa was selected to compete in the area’s North-South All-Star Football Classic. The three-year starter in football was also a two-year starter on the lacrosse team. His father, Ernie, is a 1979 graduate of Cornell’s Johnson School of Management.
DB Rashad Campbell – 5-8/175 — Cheltenham, Pa. (Chestnut Hill Academy)
The 2007 Philadelphia Daily News Player of the Year, Campbell was an all-state pick as a senior captain at Chestnut Hill Academy. Campbell posted 4,204 yards rushing and 65 touchdowns in his four-year career, including 3,200 yards and 45 scores in his final two seasons. Campbell rushed for 1,452 yards and 23 touchdowns (7.8 ypc.) in leading his team to a 9-1 record and a league runner-up finish as a senior. He also scored four times as a receiver and starred at cornerback, picking off a pair of passes. He was voted first-team all-league and all-city, second team all-region and received a Mini-Maxwell Award as one of the top 50 high school players in Southern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey as both a junior and senior. Campbell was a finalist for the Robert W. Maxwell Football Club’s Jim Henry Award, recognizing the area’s top student-athlete football player. As a junior, Campbell carried 255 times for 1,748 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also caught nine passes for 80 yards and threw a touchdown pass. At defensive back, Campbell added 30 tackles and two interceptions from his cornerback position. Campbell was named second-team all-city following his junior year. Along with more than 5,500 all-purpose yards, he posted 25 career receptions and added 105 tackles and 10 interceptions on defense. Campbell’s teams went a combined 32-8 in his four seasons. His brothers Aquil (Georgetown) and Malik (Bloomsburg) played collegiate football.
DL Emile Chang – 6-3/265 — Elmont, N.Y. (Valley Stream Central HS)
Chang was a three-year starter on the offensive and defensive lines at Valley Central Stream HS. A team captain as a senior, he was named the team’s Unsung Hero and was given the team’s Scholar-Athlete Award in his final season. He ended his senior season with 48 tackles and eight sacks on the defensive line. Chang was named Player of the Week by the Elmont Herald during the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons. He also was a letter winner in tennis and soccer.
QB Adam Currie — 6-1/200 — Memphis, Tenn. (Evangelical Christian School)
Currie set 12 school records, including game, season and career passing yardage, en route to earning first-team all-state honors by both the Tennessee Football Coaches Association and the Sports Writers Association in his final two years at Evangelical Christian School. Currie was a finalist for the state’s Mr. Football Award and also captured U.S. Army Academic All-State honors. Currie was chosen to play in the Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game after his senior year and was named to the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Best of the Preps list, as well as the newspaper’s offensive athlete of the week three times. As a junior, Currie was the Commercial Appeal’s Offensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the state’s Mr. Football Award while capturing all-state honors by the coaches and writers. As a sophomore, Currie was named offensive MVP of the state championship game. Currie posted a 21-5 record as a starter and ended his career with 4,573 yards passing and 39 touchdowns, as well as 1,349 rushing yards and 27 scores on the ground. His final career totals of 5,922 yards of total offense and 66 touchdowns were school records. Currie was also a standout baseball player, earning Commercial Appeal Best of the Preps honors as a junior.
DB Chris Dennis — 6-1/160 — Houston, Texas (Eisenhower HS)
Dennis was a second-team all-district selection as a senior at Eisenhower HS, helping lead the team to a turnaround from a 3-7 campaign to an 8-4 year that featured a second round state playoff appearance. Dennis posted 60 tackles, a pair of interceptions and three forced fumbles during his senior season. A two-year letter winner, he helped lead his squad to an undefeated district record.
DE Tom Doupe — 6-3/255 — Westlake Village, Calif. (Westlake HS)
A first-team all-league and all-county selection as a senior at Westlake HS, Doupe captained his team to a 7-4 record and a league title. The academic all-state selection paced the league in sacks with 10 and added 97 total tackles. Doupe was invited to participate in the county East vs West all-star game. As a junior, Doupe registered six sacks in helping the team to a 12-1 record and a berth in the state semifinals. He earned second-team all-league accolades and was named the team’s most outstanding junior player. He also excelled in track, earning all-league, all-county and all-region honors in the shot put. He also posted the furthest discus throw in league, dounty and region history and the second-furthest shot put throw in league and county history as a senior. His father, Dave, was a 1978 graduate of Cornell and is a member of the Athletics Hall of Fame as a shot putter on the track and field team. He still holds the indoor (62-2 1/2) and outdoor (62-10 1/4) shot put records. His brother, Andrew, played baseball at Princeton, while his uncle, Paul, played baseball at Oregon State.
LB Adam Harris — 6-2/228 — Towanda, Pa. (Towanda HS)
The 2007 Elmira Star-Gazette Player of the Year, Harris helped lead Towanda (Pa.) HS to the District 4 Class AA title game en route to earning first-team all-state honors by PA Football News and the Associated Press. He was also the PA Football News Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-Eastern Pennsylvania small school first-team all-state selection. A first-team all-district and all-region pick at both linebacker and running back, Harris earned honorable mention all-state honors as a sophomore and junior. Harris was a Wendy’s High School Heisman nominee as a junior and earned all-state academic Silver Team Football awards in his final two years. He was the Frank Bialek Sr. Football Scholar-Athlete as a senior after leading the state with 198 total tackles. It was the third straight year he led the team in that category. He also recovered three fumbles and had three interceptions, three sacks and five quarterback hurries. At running back, Harris recorded 1,563 yards rushing for 20 touchdowns, adding seven catches for 64 yards and two scores. Harris led the Black Knights with 169 tackles, nine sacks and three fumble recoveries as a junior and 103 tackles, a team-high seven sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries as a sophomore. Offensively, Harris ran for 796 yards and 10 scores as a junior and 483 yards and four touchdowns in his sophomore year. He was a four-year letter winner and two-year captain in football and also lettered four times in track and field and three times in basketball, earning third-team all-region honors as a senior captain on the hardwood.
OL Matt Harrison – 6-4/300 – Mississauga, Ont. (Phillips Exeter Academy)
Harrison started at Phillips Exeter during a prep season after starring at Lorne Park Secondary School in Ontario, capturing the Toronto Star’s top offensive lineman in 2006. A member of the Greater Toronto all-area team, he was also an all-league selection while helping Lorne Park to a ROPSSAA runner-up finish. Harrison served as team captain as a senior and also started for Team Ontario’s Under 17 and Under 19 teams, while also seeing action for the Mississauga Warriors. He was named one of the area’s top 30 players by the Toronto Star in 2006 and one of the top 10 offensive tackles by Weir’s Ontario 2006 Football Magazine. Harrison was also named the top offensive lineman as part of the 2005 Football Canada Cup All-Star team.
WR Jordan Heller – 6-2/187 – Miami, Fla. (Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior HS)
Team captain as a senior at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior HS, Heller helped his team to a 7-3 record in his final season. A three-year letter winner on the gridiron, he was nominated to compete in the North Dade All-Star game and was an honorable mention all-area pick by the Miami Herald. Heller was also a candidate for the Miami Herald’s Silver Knight Award for Athletics. He was on a team that won the NFL Flag Football Championship in Vancouver in 2004 and won bronze and silver medals in flag football at the AAU Junior Olympics in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Heller was also a two-year letter winner in track. His older brother, Ben, is a sophomore safety on the Big Red football team.
S Ryan Houska – 6-2/210 – Plymouth, Mich. (Detroit Catholic Central HS)
Houska was an all-league, all-Catholic and all-metro selection as a senior at Detroit Catholic Central HS. An academic all-state pick, he was a three-year letter winner, two-year starter and served as team captain in his final season. Houska also captained both the basketball and baseball teams.
LB Zach Imhoff — 6-4/225 — Cincinnati, Ohio (Colerain HS)
Imhoff was a two-year starter and letter winner at linebacker at Colerain HS. He helped the team to four straight conference titles, a state championship in 2004, a regional title in 2006, and a regional runner-up finish in 2007. He was a four-year academic all-league pick and served as team captain as a senior.
QB Alex Johnson – 6-3/200 — Ithaca, N.Y. (Ithaca HS)
Johnson started at quarterback as a senior at Ithaca HS after transferring from Ann Arbor Huron HS in Michigan. Johnson tossed for 1,093 yards and eight touchdowns and added 246 rushing yards and four scores as a senior. The first-team all-section pick was also named to the Ithaca Journal 11 All-Star football team. He was selected to play in the Ernie Davis All-Star Classic, passing for 45 yards and two touchdowns in the contest. Johnson was voted Ithaca’s MVP and was selected to receive the Scholar-Athlete Award by the Southern Tier Champter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. A three-year basketball stater at Ithaca and Ann Arbor Huron, he was a first-team all-league pick as a senior and was selected to play in the Section All-Star Game. Johnson was a three-sport star who also competed in track and field.
PK John LaBarre – 6-3/175 — Walnutport, Pa. (Bethlehem Catholic HS)
A two-year starter at place-kicker and punter at Bethlehem Catholic HS, LaBarre earned all-conference honors in each of his two seasons. LaBarre was an honorable mention all-area and second-team all-league pick as a junior after hitting 30-of-35 extra-point kicks and made 1-of-2 field goals. He was a second-team all-conference selection as a senior, making 23-of-26 PATs and 3-of-5 field goal attempts with a long of 38 yards. LaBarre also averaged 33.5 yards per punt. A four-year starter in soccer, he was a two-time all-league pick and served as team co-captain his senior year. LaBarre helped lead his team to a district title and a state tournament appearance. He ended his career with totals of seven goals and seven assists as a defender. The Bethlehem Catholic scholar-athlete award winner, LaBarre also was part of a district championship squad and a state semifinals baseball squad as a junior.
OL Tommy Laymon — 6-2/252 — Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Detroit Country Day School)
Laymon was a two-year starter and three-year letter winner at Detroit Country Day School. He helped his team to a state runner-up finish as a senior captain and captured the team’s Joe DiAngelo Award for perseverance and determination through adversity and putting the team first.
RB Troy Lewis — 5-10/175 — Hanover, Md. (Cardinal Gibbons HS)
Lewis was an honorable mention all-state running back at Cardinal Gibbons, piling up 2,248 career rushing yards on 6.9 yards per carry. A 2007 Baltimore Touchdown Club All-Star and Super 22 award winner, Lewis was a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete. He helped his team to a division title and a 9-3 record as a junior. Lewis was an all-league pick in track and field and earned a total of 10 varsity letters in track, football and lacrosse.
DL Matt MacFarlane – 6-3/240 — Verona, Wis. (Verona Area HS)
MacFarlane helped lead Verona Area HS to a pair of conference titles, capturing second-team all-league honors as both a junior and senior. MacFarlane was a two-year letter winner and starter who served as team captain in his final season. MacFarlane was part of a state semifinalist squad as a senior. He also lettered twice in lacrosse.
S Keaton Marks – 6-2/195 — San Diego, Calif. (Santa Fe Christian HS)
Marks was named team MVP and served as captain as a senior at Santa Fe Christian HS. Marks rushed for 483 yards and eight touchdowns and caught six passes for 131 yards and a score as a senior on offense, while making 62 tackles with an interception at safety. He was named second-team all-league on defense. The three-year starter played both ways for two seasons and helped the team to league and CIF championship as a junior.
TE Drew McGowan – 6-5/235 — Evergreen Park, Ill. (Saint Rita of Cascia HS)
A second-team all-league pick as a senior at Saint Rita of Cascia, McGowan was part of a team that claimed the 2007 Chicago Prep Bowl championship. An accomplished blocker, he also caught six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns in 2007. McGowan helped lead his team to a state title as a junior, blocking for a team that totalled more than 3,000 rushing yards. Born into a football family, his father John played at Western Michigan and Southern Illinois, while his uncle, Mark, was a four-year starter at Illinois. His uncle, John Rudolph, played football at Iowa.
OL Jim Miner – 6-5/255 — West Chicago, Ill. (West Chicago HS)
Miner was a firs-team all-conference and honorable mention all-area selection as a senior at West Chicago HS. He was an academic all-state pick in his final season as a team captain on the offensive line. Miner served as team captain for the football team in his final season.
LB Zak Murdock — 6-1/230 — Leechburg, Pa. (Kiski Area HS)
Murdock first-team all-area selection by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Valley News Dispatch as a senior at Kiski Area HS. The first-team all-league pick had a team-best 146 tackles as a senior en route to team MVP honors. He also was awarded the team’s best linebacker and Iron Man winner. A three-year starter, Murdock was a second-team all-league pick as a junior and finished his career ranked third on the school’s career tackles list (252) and second in solo stops (133).
OL Ryan Pardoe — 6-5/293 — Montandon, Pa. (Milton Area HS)
An all-league selection at both offensive and defensive tackle as a senior at Milton Area HS, Pardoe was a two-year starter and letter winnr. He was named Milton’s Offensive Lineman of the Year and served as team captain. Pardoe was a second-team all-league pick at defensive tackle and was an honorable mention pick on the offensive line.
WR Tom Randall – 6-3/200 — Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. (Bergen Catholic HS)
Randall helped Bergen Catholic HS to an 8-3 record and a berth in the state playoffs as a senior while seeing action at safety, wide receiver and linebacker. He was part of three state playoff teams during his career. The three-year letter winner competed in three sports at Bergen Catholic, earning a total of four letters in indoor and outdoor track. The captain of the team as a senior, he set or helped set school records in the 200 meters, 4x200 and 4x400 relay. The 4x400 relay team also owns a county record. He was first-team all-county and All-North Jersey in four events and medaled at the Penn Relays in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
WR Jon Scheidler — 6-2/180 — Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier HS)
Scheidler was a first-team all-league and Cincinnati Enquirer honorable mention all-city selection as a junior and senior for nationally ranked St. Xavier HS. A three-year letter winner and two-year starter, he hauled in 42 passes for 610 yards and four touchdowns in his final season after posting 18 receptions for 246 yards and to scores as a junior. Scheidler’s team was ranked No. 1 nationally by Rise Magazine and PrepNation, No. 2 by ESPN and No. 5 by USA Today after going 15-0 and claiming a state title. As a sophomore, the team finished No. 5 in the USA Today Super 25 rankings after claiming a state crown with a 15-0 record. The team captured league titles all four of his varsity seasons. Scheidler was voted the team’s top wide receiver in 2006 by his teammates and coaches. A three-year starter for the track team, he excelled in the 100 and 200 meter springs and the long jump and was a four-year starter on his high school CYO basketball team.
WR Shane Savage — 5-10/170 — Leesburg, Va. (Flint Hill School)
A two-way starter at the Flint Hill School, Savage served as team captain as a senior and earned second-team all-state honors at receiver. A first-team all-league, all-city and all-area pick, Savage hauled in 28 passes for 550 yards and five touchdowns while piling up 200 rushing yards and another score. Defensively, Savage had five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, and blocked eight kicks in leading the school to its second straight league crown and a spot in the state semifinals. That came on the heels of the Flint Hill School’s first league title in 50 years during his junior season when he was first-team all-conference and all-city, as well as honorable mention all-state. He ended the year with 24 catches for 520 yards and 10 scores, while intercepting five passes and blocking six kicks, with two returned for touchdowns. As a sophomore at Bishop O’Connell HS, he was named honorable mention all-conference after intercepting six passes.His fathe, Nick,r played wide receiver and defensive back for Wisconsin and had a tryout with the Miami Dolphins. Savage was a high school teammate of Big Red sophomore defensive back Emani Fenton.
S Travers Schmidt — 6-0/200 — Tamaqua, Pa. (Tamaqua Area HS)
A four-year starter at Tamaqua HS, Schmidt was the Schuylkill County Football Association Defensive MVP as a senior. He served as team captain as a senior and earned first-team all-league honors. The team’s leading tackler, he was named first-team linebacker on the Standard Speaker, Times News and Anthracite league all-star teams in his final campaign. Schmidt also earned the SCFCA Football Scholar-Athlete award. A three-sport star, Schmidt was also league Swimmer of the Year and a district medalist and was a four-year starter and a league academic all-star in baseball while serving as team captain.
WR Chris Sheridan – 6-3/180 — Pacific Palisades, Calif. (Loyola HS)
Sheridan was a second-team all-league selection as a senior at Loyola HS. A two-year starter, he led the team in receiving as a senior. As a junior, Sheridan caught 25 passes for 285 yards and a touchdown.
LB Mike Spooner — 6-1/220 — Rocky River, Ohio (St. Edward HS)
A two-time all-district selection at linebacker at St. Edwards HS, Spooner served as team captain as a senior. A three-year starter and varsity letter winner, he was the team’s leading tackler with 80 stops in his final season. The team’s Leadership Award winner, he was chosen to receive the Northeastern Ohio’s scholar-athlete award by the National Football Foundation. Spooner registered 200 career tackles and was selected to play in the East-West All-Star game as a senior in 2007. Spooner helped his team to a pair of state playoff appearances, including a state semifinal berth as a sophomore. He also played two seasons of basketball. Spooner’s brother, Alex, is a senior tight end on the Big Red football team.
DB Zach Tally – 6-0/168 — Dallas, Texas (W.T. White HS)
A two-time all-district selection at W.T. White HS as a quarterback and punter, Tally earned second-team academic all-state honors by the Texas High School Coaches Association as a senior. A three-year varsity starter and two-year captain, he was named first-team all-area by On The Ball Magazine in 2007. As a senior, Tally was 114-of-211 passing for 1,598 yards and 17 touchdowns and added 12 receptions for 188 yards and three more scores as a wideout. Tally also scored three rushing touchdowns. As the team’s place-kicker, he converted 27 PATs and connected on a pair of field goals. Tally also was a four-year starter on the baseball team, earning all-district honors three times for the three-time district champions. He served as team captain as a senior.
DB Abdul Taylor — 5-10/160 — Manhattan, N.Y. (Paul Laurence Dunbar HS)
A three-year starter at Dunbar HS, Taylor helped his team to a pair of league titles. A defensive captain as a senior, he posted a team-best six interceptions in his final year en route to capturing all-league honors. He was also invited to compete in the league’s senior all-star game.