ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell Head Football Coach Kent Austin and his staff are excited to announce the newest members of the Big Red Football family. The Class of 2016, featuring 31 members, has been highly touted in football circles and features a number of players capable of having an immediate impact within the program.

Hailing from 13 states, the class of 2016 will attempt to help secure the Big Red's first Ivy title on the gridiron since 1990. A class-high nine recruits will attend Cornell from California, while five come from Pennsylvania and three come from Florida. Arizona, Georgia, Illinois and Tennessee will send two student-athletes to Cornell, while six other states send one player each. In all, 16 of the players will join the offense and 11 will aid the defense., two will be primarily special teams players and two more can play multiple positions on either side of the football.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Big Red brings in four defensive back/safeties, five linebackers and two defensive linemen. Cornell went for plenty of skill players on the offense, bringing in four wide receivers, four running backs, two quarterbacks and two tight ends. The offensive line will also be bolstered with the addition of five offensive linemen who average 6-5 and 275 pounds. Additionally, there are two punter/place-kickers.

The 2012 Big Red returns 45 letter winners and 19 total starters (9 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams) from last year's 5-5 squad. Included are reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Jeff Mathews at quarterback, All-American wide receiver Shane Savage and All-Ivy players Kurt Ondash (WR), Luke Tasker (WR) and JC Tretter (OL) on offense and Academic All-American Nick Booker-Tandy (CB), as well safeties Josh Barut and Andrew Nelson and linebacker Brett Buehler.

Cornell will put the Class of 2016 to the test when fall practice begins in mid-August. The Big Red opens the 2012 season at Fordham on Saturday, Sept. 15. Cornell opens its five-game home schedule with a Homecoming matchup against Yale on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. at Schoellkopf Field.

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown	Last School	Video
Armstrong, Conner	RB	5-8	185	Ventura, Calif.	Ventura HS	Link
Boyce, Blair	QB	6-1	180	Villa Park, Calif.	Villa Park HS	Link
Bradshaw, Jamie	OL	6-4	270	Nashville, Tenn.	Montgomery Bell Academy	Link
Brown, Kendall	CB	5-9	160	Carson, Calif.	El Segundo HS	Link
Cunningham, Daniel	OL	6-7	270	Memphis, Tenn.	Memphis University School	Link
Doneth, Matt	TE	6-5	240	Fenton, Mich.	Detroit Catholic Central HS	Link
Few, James	QB	6-2	190	Tampa, Fla.	HB Plant HS	Link
Fitzpatrick, VJ	ATH	6-1	185	O'Fallon, Mo.	Fort Zumwalt North HS	Link
Fives, JJ	LB	6-2	215	Scott Township, Pa.	Scranton Prep HS	Link
Ford, Jonathan	LB	6-2	215	Johns Creek, Ga.	Greater Atlanta Christian School	Link
Hagy, Luke	RB	6-0	190	Pittsburgh, Pa.	Mt. Lebanon HS	Link
Jones, Brett	DL	6-0	280	Naperville, Ill.	Naperville North HS	Link
Kruse, Jeff	OL	6-3	280	Port Richey, Fla.	Gulf HS	Link
Lenz, Chris	WR/DB	6-3	190	Mechanicsburg, Pa.	Trinity HS	Link
Marani, Bobby	S	6-2	205	Aptos, Calif.	Archbishop Mitty HS	Link
Miller, Sean	TE	6-3	215	Danville, Calif.	San Ramon Valley	Link
Murphy, Logan	LB	6-6	210	Boiling Springs, Pa.	Boiling Springs HS	Link
Nacita, Silas	RB/P	5-11	180	Bakersfield, Calif.	Bakersfield HS	Link
Olsen, Boomer	P/PK	6-2	195	Peoria, Ariz.	Centennial HS	Link
Rogers, Ben	WR	6-2	180	Geneva, Ill.	Geneva Community HS	Link
Sahinovic, Ardian	P/PK	6-6	210	New Fairfield, Conn.	New Fairfield HS	Link
Smith, Matt	CB	5-9	180	Phoenix, Ariz.	Desert Vista HS	Link
Sodeke, Debo	DL	6-2	225	Richmond, Texas	George Bush HS	Link
Tate, Mike	LB	6-0	190	Tampa, Fla.	HB Plant HS	Link
Terrell, Twan	WR	6-2	185	Rockmart, Ga.	Woodland HS	Link
Vernon, Doug	WR	6-4	205	Folsom, Calif.	Folsom HS	Link
Watson-Lewis, Jarrod	CB	6-0	180	Oceanside, Calif.	Santa Fe Christian HS	Link
White, James	RB	5-10	170	New Orleans, La.	Isidore Newman School	Link
Wiborg, Lucas	OL	6-4	275	Minneapolis, Minn.	DeLaSalle HS	Link
Wilk, Zach	OL	6-4	270	Harrisburg, Pa.	Central Dauphin HS	Link
Wrout, Tanner	LB	6-0	205	Camarillo, Calif.	Rio Mesa HS	Link

RB Conner Armstrong – 5-8/185 — Ventura, Calif. (Ventura HS)
Armstrong graduated from Ventura HS ranked third all-time in school history in rushing yardage with 3,181 yards and 46 touchdowns. A two-time first-team all-league and all-county selection at running back, Armstrong was a two-year team captain. He was a league all-academic team selection as a junior and senior, earned Ventura County Star Athlete of the Week twice and was chosen to represent the West team in the county senior all-star game in his final season. He was named the team and league offensive MVP after leading his team to an unbeaten league championship season after running for 1,632 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior. Armstrong was named the Ventura County Star's Student-Athlete of the Year and was voted into the Ventura County High School Sports Hall of Fame.



QB Blair Boyce – 6-1/180 — Villa Park, Calif. (Villa Park HS)
A three-time all-league quarterback at Villa Park HS, Boyce led his team to a pair of league titles. He was named first-team all-league as both a junior and senior. The two-year team captain passed 4,263 yards and 29 touchdowns in his three varsity seasons, while also running for six scores. He helped Villa Park HS to the CIF playoffs in each of his three seasons as a starter, including reaching the quarterfinals as a junior. Boyce won the National Football Foundation scholar-athlete award as a senior after earning team and league MVP honors. He was named to the Orange County All-Star team and was one of the top 35 recruits by OC Varsity. Boyce was invited to try out for the U.S. Under-19 National Football Team. He also competed on the baseball team as a pitcher.



OL Jamie Bradshaw – 6-4/270 — Nashville, Tenn. (Montgomery Bell Academy)
Bradshaw wasa first-team all-league and all-region pick as a senior at offensive tackle at Montgomery Bell Academy. He was a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete and regional academic MVP in his final season. Bradshaw was an ESPN two-star recruit on the offensive line and also lettered on the gridiron while playing on the defensive line and tight end. He also competed on the lacrosse and basketball teams.

CB Kendall Brown – 5-9/160 — Carson, Calif. (El Segundo HS)
Brown was a two-time all-league selection at cornerback for El Segundo HS. He was part of a pair of Pioneer League championship teams and was invited to play in the 2011 California state and Lions All-Star games. A two-time winner of the team's scholar-athlete award, the senior captain also took home trophies for most inspirational and most dedicated during his career. Caught three touchdowns at wide receiver as a senior and made 45 tackles with four interceptions on the defensive side of the ball. Brown also played one season of basketball and was a three-year letter winner in the sprints in track and field.



OL Daniel Cunningham – 6-7/270 — Memphis, Tenn. (Memphis University School)
Cunningham played on two state championship teams at Memphis University School and was named second-team all-state by ESPN. Cunningham was part of four regional championship teams while playing on the offensive line and at tight end. A preseason all-state pick as a senior, he was named one of the top players in the state by TNVarsity.com. A three-sport athlete, he also played four seasons on the basketball court, earning team defensive (junior) and offensive (senior) player of the year honors. Cunningham also played one season of lacrosse. Cunningham was part of five top 10 national AAU basketball teams, including a national runner-up squad in 2009, and helped the Memphis War Eagles to seven state championships.



TE Matt Doneth – 6-5/240 — Fenton, Mich. (Detroit Catholic Central HS)
A three-year starter at Detroit Catholic Central HS, he helped the team to the state finals as a senior captain. ESPN.com ranked him as one of the top 75 tight ends in the country during his final season. An all-league, All-Detroit, All-Metro and all-area team member at tight end, he led the team in receiving as a senior and was nominated as the Catholic League Athlete of the Year. Doneth was a sophomore starter on the 2009 state championship team. He was a four-year starter on the basketball squad, earning all-league accolades as a senior captain. Doneth also competed on the track and field team for one season.



QB James Few – 6-2/190 — Tampa, Fla. (HB Plant HS)
Few was a second-team all-state pick as a senior at Plant HS and guided the team to a Class 8A state title. He was also part of a state championship team as a sophomore and a runner-up squad as a junior. A team captain as a senior, he was a first-team all-league, all-county and all-area at quarterback and also played safety during his three-year varsity career. A two-star national prospect by the scouting service Rivals.com, Few completed 160-of-246 passes (.650) for 2,513 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior and ran for three other scores. Few was a two-year member of the varsity basketball team as well.



ATH VJ Fitzpatrick – 6-1/185 — O'Fallon, Mo. (Fort Zumwalt North HS)
Fitzpatrick was an all-state selection as a senior at Fort Zumwalt North HS while playing both quarterback and defensive back. He was named league player of the year as a senior and was a two-time all-league pick, including earning first-team honors at quarterback in his final season. A senior captain, he was a two-time academic all-conference pick and was team MVP as a senior. Fitzpatrick was named to the St. Louis Rams Golden Horn Elite 25 Football Team in 2011. A three-sport athlete, he also earned varsity letters and academic all-conference honors in basketball and track and field. He was a state qualifier in the pole vault.



LB JJ Fives – 6-2/215 — Scott Township, Pa. (Scranton Prep HS)
The county's leading receiver and a two-time all-league linebacker, Fives was a constant for Scranton Prep HS during his three varsity seasons. He served as team captain as a senior and was a finalist for the Fiore Cesare Award, horing a Scranton football senior who exemplifies outstanding academic achievement, ability and attitude. He earned all-region accolades after hauling in 585 receiving yards at receiver and earned a selection to the PENN EAST/WEST All-Star Game. Fives also played two seasons of varsity basketball.



LB Jonathan Ford – 6-2/215 — Johns Creek, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian School)
An all-league, all-county, all-region and all-state selection at Greater Atlanta Christian School, Ford ranked among the county's leaders in tackles with 103 as a senior. The senior captain led the team with two interceptions and was second in pass breakups (six) as a senior and was named to compete in the Gwinnett Senior All-Star game. He was selected an All-Academic Player at the Great American Football Classic at the Georgia Dome. As a junior, Ford led the team in interceptions (two), forced fumbles (five) and sacks (7.5) while posting 80 tackles. For his three-year varsity career, Ford totalled 239 tackles with 11.5 sacks and a pair of defensive touchdowns.



RB Luke Hagy – 6-0/190 — Pittsburgh, Pa. (Mt. Lebanon HS)
Hagy was a two-time first-team all-state selection at Mt. Lebanon HS. He led the league with 1,907 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior, and in the process, became the school's career rushing leader. Hagy was named the Army Iron Man of the Year for Pennsylvania as the state's best two-way player as a senior. He totaled 2,125 all-purpose yards with 25 touchdowns and six two-point conversion scores at running back and posted 81 tackles with three interceptions and 11 pass breakups. He also punted (averaging 41.5 yards per punt) and kicked off. Hagy was named the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Athlete of the Year as a junior after running for 1,981 yards and 29 touchdowns with a healthy average of 7.0 yards per carry. He closed his career having rushed for more than 4,000 career yards. Hagy was a three-sport star and captained each, starting for at least three seasons in football, basketball and baseball. He was a three-year captain in football and baseball and a two-year captain for the basketball team. He was an all-section selection as an outfielder after hitting .451 as a junior and was the starting point guard on a team that reached the finals of the state championship tournament. In the hardwood, Hagy set school records for career assists (486) and steals (380) while scoring 879 points and was named first-team all-league at a senior.



DL Brett Jones – 6-0/280 — Naperville, Ill. (Naperville North HS)
Jones was a first-team all-conference and all-area selection on the defensive line at Naperville North HS. Jones posted 26 tackles and a sack while playing noseguard. He set national squat, deadlift and bench press records on the high school powerlifting team. Jones also played on the rugby team.



OL Jeff Kruse – 6-3/280 — Port Richey, Fla. (Gulf HS)
Kruse was a three-time all-conference selection on the offensive line at Gulf HS. A two-time all-area pick, he was runner-up for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association district MVP award as a senior, and also earned Defensive MVP of the Blue-Gray National All-Star game at defensive tackle. A three-sport star, he also captained the wrestling and track and field teams. He earned a state title at heavyweight as a junior and was a two-time all-conference selection on the mat.



WR/CB Chris Lenz – 6-3/190 — Mechanicsburg, Pa. (Trinity HS)
Lenz was a three-sport athlete at Trinity HS, earning all-star accolades as both a wide receiver and defensive back from the Patriot News and the Sentinel. Lenz was part of three division championship teams and was named the team most valuable player as a senior captain. Lenz was named to the Patriot News Big 11 Team as a senior. He hauled in 42 passes for 839 yards and eight touchdowns on offense and posted 41 tackles with 17 pass breakups and four interceptions in his final season. Lenz also competed for three seasons in both track and field and basketball as well.



S Bobby Marani – 6-2/205 — Aptos, Calif. (Archbishop Mitty HS)
A first-team all-league and All-Metro selection and a second-team Northern California selection by NorCal Preps as a senior at Archbishop Mitty HS, Marani was named the conference's Defensive Back of the Year. He averaged better than 11 tackles per game in his final season to rank among the top 20 in the state, while also breaking up two passes and caused and recovered a fumble. Marani was elected team captain as a senior and earned the team's defensive player of the year award twice. He also played running back and scored three touchdowns. Marani also competed on the track and field team and lettered three times and also earned the team's coaches' award twice.



TE Sean Miller – 6-3/215 — Danville, Calif. (San Ramon Valley HS)
Miller was a first-team all-league selection at tight end as a senior at San Ramon Valley HS. As a senior, Miller caught 28 passes for 546 yards and seven touchdowns and also hauled in a two-point conversion. He was invited to play in the Holiday Football Classic to compete with the East Bay team.



LB Logan Murphy – 6-6/210 — Boiling Springs, Pa. (Boiling Springs HS)
Murphy was a three-time all-league selection, earning second-team honors in each of his last two seasons at Boiling Springs HS. He was elected captain of the team as a senior and was named a second-team linebacker on the All-Sentinel team. A three-sport athlete, Murphy was a standout on the wrestling and tack and field teams as well. In wrestling, Murphy won a district title as a senior and was a two-time all-state and three-time first-team all-league pick. He was named team captain as a senior and led his squad to a state runner-up finish. Murphy's team won a pair of district team championships. He finished seventh in the state individually as a senior. In track and field, Murphy was a two-year team captain and finished second in the district in the 110m hurdles as a junior. He had five top seven district finishes during his career.



RB/P Silas Nacita – 5-11/180 — Bakersfield, Calif. (Bakersfield HS)
A three-time all-league and two-time all-area selection at running back, safety and as a punter at Bakersfield HS, Nacita was a two-year captain. He helped his squad to a pair of league titles, including an undefeated valley championship season as a senior. Nacita was named a U.S. Army-Bakersfield Arena Bowl All-Star as a senior. For his career, Nacita recorded better than 2,300 rushing yards and 37 total touchdowns while helping his team to a 32-6 record. Nacita piled up 1,249 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior and also caught a touchdown, while recording 97 tackles, 2.5 sacks and three interceptions on defense. He also averaged 38.9 yards per punt. As a junior, Nacita ran for 825 yards and 15 touchdowns while catching 25 passes for 395 yards and five more scores.He also averaged 38.3 yards per punt. The three-year starter on the gridiron was also a four-year starter on the wrestling team, finishing as state runner-up as a senior and was named Co-Wrestler of the Year by the Bakersfield Californian. He was ranked among the top 15 wrestlers nationally at his 170-pound weight class by Intermat.



P/PK Boomer Olsen – 6-2/195 — Peoria, Ariz. (Centennial HS)
A four-sport athlete at Centennial HS, Olsen was an all-district scholar-athlete as a senior. He garnered the team's special teams award in his final season after posting 61 kicking points (five field goals, 46 extra-points). Olsen also competed on the baseball, golf and soccer teams. He was captain of the junior varsity soccer squad.



WR Ben Rogers – 6-2/180 — Geneva, Ill. (Geneva Community HS)
An all-conference and all-area wide receiver at Geneva Community HS, Rogers hauled in 59 passes and five touchdowns in his final two seasons. He hauled in 35 passes for 731 yards and five touchdowns in his final season, earning Champagne New Gazette Special Mention 100 honors. He hauled in 24 passes for 475 yards and three scores as a junior to help his team to a conference title. Rogers was named team captain of the football and basketball teams and also competed in track and field. He set a school record in the triple jump during his track career.



P/PK Ardian Sahinovic – 6-6/210 — New Fairfield, Conn. (New Fairfield HS)
Sahinovic set state records for career punting average (47.46 yards per punt) and career punting yards (3,180 yards) at New Fairfield HS. His 48.0 yards per punt as a senior in 2011 ranked as the third-best in the nation and was rated the top punting prospect in the country by Kicking.com and as the best punter in the northeast by ESPN recuting analyst Tom Lemming in his 2011 Prep Football Report. Lemming also named Sahinovic one of the top three football players in the state. A New Haven Register all-state selection and a special mention All-American by Maxpreps, Sahinovic set a conference record with a 78-yard punt. A two-year all-league, all-area and all-state pick, he was selected to play in the Connecticut Governor's Cup Game. In all, 32 of his 80 career punts were downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line and 54 of his 80 punts weren't returned. As a place-kicker, Sahinovic was 6-of-10 on field goals with a long of 47 yards and connected on 48-of-52 extra-point kicks. Sahinovic also played soccer and competed in track and field.



CB Matt Smith – 5-9/180 — Phoenix, Ariz. (Desert Vista HS)
Smith was a three-sport athlete at Desert Vista HS, lettering twice in football as a corner back and wide receiver. He was named honorable mention all-stat as a senior after helping his team win a state title and a top 50 national ranking by MaxPreps. He made 17 tackles and had three interceptions in just seven games before missing the rest of the season with an injury. He was named to the East Valley Tribune first-team as a kick returner after averaging better than 40 yards per return with two scores. Smith also caught eight passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver. Smith recorded 23 tackles as a junior with eight pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. Smith lettered three times in track and field and played one season of basketball.



DL Debo Sodeke – 6-2/225 — Richmond, Texas (George Bush HS)
Sodeke was a first-team all-district selection and a second-team All-Sun pick as a senior at George Bush HS. He helped the team to its first-ever playoff appearance. He recorded 48 tackles, including 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble, as a senior.



LB Mike Tate – 6-0/190 — Tampa, Fla. (Plant HS)
An honorable mention All-America selection and first-team all-state pick at linebacker by Sports Illustrated, Tate was the leading tackler in the state of Florida and 10th nationally with 210 tackles. He posted 112 solo stops with 13.0 sacks, two interceptions, 12 pass breakups and five forced fumbles as a senior. Tate was named to the St. Petersburg Times' 2011 all-Suncoast football team and the Tampa Tribune's all-county squad and earned league defensive player of the year accolades. He was a first-team all-state selection after helping guide his team to a state title as a senior, one of three state titles he was part of as a varsity team member. Tate also was part of a state runner-up squad as a junior. Plant was ranked No. 13 in the nation by MaxPreps during his senior year after going 14-1.



WR Twan Terrell – 6-2/185 — Rockmart, Ga. (Woodland HS)
Terrell was a four-sport star at Woodland HS, excelling in football, track and field, basketball and wrestling. A four-year starter on the gridiron while playing running back and wide receiver, Terrell rushed for 309 yards and three touchdowns (8.1 yards per carry) and caught 17 passes for 265 yards and three more scores as a senior. He also played on the defensive side of the ball at safety. Terrell was a two-year starter and an all-county selection and state qualifier as a senior on the wrestling team. He was part of a state championship team as a junior. On the track, Terrell was a two-year team captain and helped the squad to a regional title as a junior.



WR Doug Vernon – 6-4/205 — Folsom, Calif. (Folsom HS)
Vernon was team offensive most valuable player at Folsom HS as a junior and helped lead his team to a state title as a senior. He hauled in 52 passes for 721 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season, including a pair of games with three touchdowns, en route to second-team all-league accolades. As a junior, his team was ranked as high as No. 5 nationally. He was named the track and field team's outstanding field athlete twice.



CB Jarrod Watson-Lewis – 6-0/180 — Oceanside, Calif. (Santa Fe Christian HS)
A second-team small schools all-state pick by ESPN as a senior at Santa Fe Christian HS, Watson-Lewis was the league Defensive Player of the Year. He was a first-team all-league and all-county selection at corner as a senior captain. Watson-Lewis was a four-year letter winner on the gridiron while playing corner, safety, running back and returning kicks. He recorded 71 tackles as a senior with 16 pass breakups with two fumble recoveries and a blocked kick. Offensively, he ran for 898 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 9.6 yards per carry while catching 13 passes for 294 yards and four more scores for a league championship team. As a junior, Watson-Lewis had 53 tackles with six pass breakups and a pair of interceptions on defense while running for 566 yards and seven scores on offense.



RB James White – 5-10/170 — New Orleans, La. (Isidore Newman School)
White was an all-league and all-district selection as a senior at Isidore Newman School. The team's most valuable player, he earned a spot in the Lake Pontchartrain All-Star Classic. White ran for 700 yards and eight touchdowns in just seven games and caught two touchdowns as well. He ran for more than 1,100 career yards. White served as team captain for both the football and track and field teams.



OL Lucas Wiborg – 6-4/270 — Minneapolis, Minn. (DeLaSalle HS)
Wiborg was an Associated Press honorable mention all-state selection on the offensive line as a senior at DeLaSalle HS. He was named to the All-Metro third team by the Minnesota Star Tribune as a senior captain. Wiborg was part of four conference championship teams and three sectional title-winning squads that competed in the state tournament three times. As a freshman, Wiborg was part of a team that finished as the state runner-up. Wiborg was also a three-year varsity letter winner in golf and served as team captain during his senior campaign.



OL Zach Wilk – 6-4/270 — Harrisburg, Pa. (Central Dauphin HS)
Wilk was a first-team all-state selection and captain of the state championship Central Dauphin HS team as a senior. He was part of an offensive line that helped the offense average 325 yards per game with 59 touchdowns, including 40 rushing scores. Defensively, he posted 93 tackles and eight sacks in his final season. He was a first-team all-area pick as a senior on both the offensive and defensive line and earned a spot on the Big 33 team as both a junior and senior. Wilk was a second-team all-area pick as a junior on the offensive line. An excellent wrestler as well, he was part of a state championship team as a junior and was a starter at heavyweight as a senior while helping his school to third place at the state championships.



LB Tanner Wrout – 6-0/205 — Camarillo, Calif. (Rio Mesa HS)
Wrout was a two-time first-team all-league, all-county and all-area selection as a fullback and linebacker at Rio Mesa HS. He was a state finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award after earning team MVP accolades as a senior captain. He racked up 79 tackles and seven sacks as a senior while running for 744 yards and eight touchdowns as a fullback on offense. He was named to the academic all-county team as a senior. As a junior, Wrout had 76 tackles and five sacks, while rushing for 1,151 yards and 12 carries while averaging 9.2 yards per carry. Wrout was also a member of the baseball and track and field teams.