Downing Announces 21 To National Letters Of Intent

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Complete Bios | Press Conference Audio via KFKA

GREELEY, Colo. -- University of Northern Colorado head football coach Scott Downing today announced the signing of 20 players to a National Letter of Intent and the addition of one on Thursday, bringing the class size to 21.

The Bears have a balanced recruiting class of in state and out of state talent, signing 11 who played their high school ball in Colorado and 10 from Arizona, California and Oklahoma.

"There's 20 listed along with two walk-ons who have expressed their intent in enrolling at Northern Colorado," said Head Coach Scott Downing. "There's 10 from the state of Colorado, 10 of the signees are from out of state, five of them are transfers - which include a defensive tackle, an offensive lineman, a tight end and two defensive backs. Two of the transfers are already on campus in Marcus Felker - a transfer from the University of Wyoming and Doug Steele - a tight end transfer from Pima Community College who've been here since the start of classes for the spring semester. We're really excited to have both of those young men already here. You'll also notice as you look at the numbers that 12 of the 20 that are listed are on defense and I thought we did a great job of addressing some current needs and some future needs on both sides of the football."

Following is a biography of each player signed to the team this season, including two mid-year transfers.

Khaalid Abdullah, 6-0, 215, LB, San Diego, Calif. (Mount Miguel)

Was a three-year letterwinner in football and wrestling two-year letterwinner in track & field... First-team all league selection at linebacker in senior season and was named First-team all league at defensive end as a junior... As a sophomore received honorable mention at linebacker... Is also an honor roll student for the Matadors... Helped the team to its best record in 20 years, 9-3 and the third round of the playoffs... Tallied 120 tackles, one interception, seven tackles for loss and five sacks.

Also recruited by: Montana, Montana State, Villanova, UC Davis and Cal Poly.

Richard (Rick) Aversano, 6-3, 285, OL, Santa Clarita, Calif. (Santa Barbara City College)
2009: Played one season at Santa Barbara City College

Three-year letterwinner at Hart High School, playing both guard and tackle for the Indians... Named an all-league lineman in both 2008 and 2009... Selected to play in a Los Angeles all-star game... Helped the team to the CIF Championship game as both a freshman and junior... Only gave up two sacks during his career at Hart... Also played baseball and basketball his freshman year and threw the shot put as a senior on the track team.

Also recruited by: Northern Arizona, San Diego State, and UNLV.

Aaron Belle, OL, 6-3, 300, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Mesa Ridge)

Three-year letterwinner while playing offensive tackle for the Grizzlies... Was a second-team all-conference pick as a junior and first-team selection as a senior... Honorable mention to the all-state team.

Also recruited by: Chadron State, Colorado and Wyoming.

Armoni Brewington, WR, 6-1, 190, Denver, Colo. (Bear Creek)
Earned four letters in football, three in basketball and three in track & field for the Bears... As a senior, was a first-team all-conference and first-team all-state pick as well as earning second-team all-Jeffco honors in 2008... Caught 78 passes for 1,098 yards and 16 touchdowns in his final season... Also placed eighth at the 2009 state track meet in the high jump... Helped lead the Bears to the semifinals in 2007 and quarterfinals in 2009 in football playoffs... Step-father Le'Jon Vivens played football at Northern Colorado from 1992-96.

Also recruited by: Alcorn State, CSU-Pueblo, Kansas State, Missouri Western and Minnesota.

Devontae Chapple, DE, 6-5, 245, Denver, Colo. (Northglenn)
Named to the 2009 Metro North All-Region First-Team as well as First-Team all-Front Range for the Norsemen... Was a three-year starter and team captain as a senior... Named the team's defensive player of the year... Tallied 76 total tackles, five sacks and 13 tackles for loss as a senior.

Also recruited by: Central Michigan, Eastern Washington.

Robert Davis, DB, 6-1, 190, Aurora, Colo. (Overland)
First team all-conference at defensive back and second-team all-conference at wide receiver... Was also an honorable mention All-State selection as a senior.

Elliott Dorsey, DB, 6-0, 200, Oakland, Calif. (City College of San Francisco)
2008-09: Played at City College of San Francisco

Graduated from Berkeley High School in June 2008...Earned All-Eastbay, Cream of the Crop and All-Metro honors...Was First-Team All-League in Defense his senior year...Attended Tennyson High School from 2004-2007...Was First-Team All-League in defense and offense...Also participated in track and field.

Also recruited by: Tulsa.

Marcus Felker, DT, 6-0, 300, Thornton, Colo. (Wyoming) - MID-YEAR ENROLEE
2007-09 (at Wyoming): Redshirted in 2007... 2008 he played in six games notching six tackles with one for loss... 2009 he played in two games with six total tackles.

Named First Team All-State in Class 5A by both The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News both his junior and senior seasons... Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 22 overall recruit in the state of Colorado... Was credited with making 31 total tackles -- 14 solos and 17 assists -- including two sacks and one interception as a senior... Was the 5A state heavyweight wrestling champion as both a junior and senior... His senior season, he posted a perfect 34-0 record on the mat, and had a combined 75-1 record as a junior and senior... In track & field, won the state title in the shot put his senior season.

Conner Glenn, DB, 6-1, 190, Windsor, Colo. (Windsor)
Named first team all-state and all-conference... Special teams athlete of the year... 2,597 career rushing yards on 351 carries with an average of 7.4 yards per carry... 3,123 all purpose yards in two seasons as a starter... 29 rushing touchdowns, four touchdowns on kick returns... Completed nine returns for 419 yards as a senior for an average of 47 yards per return... Four of those nine returns went for touchdowns with a return of 100 yds... Awarded Iron Man award for team lifting accomplishments... In track, was named all-conference as a junior and placed fourth in state long jump.

Also recruited by: Arkansas, Colorado, Colorado State, North Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming.

Anthony Kereluk, RB, 5-10, 205, Phoenix, Ariz. (Desert Vista)
Named to the Arizona All-State team as a running-back in 2007... Also named to the all-region team in 2007 and 2008... Invited to the US Army All-American National Combine and the Under Armour/ESPN Rise National Combine in 2009... Started the state-championship game as a freshman... Finished his career with 285 carries for 2,151 yards... Averaged a very productive 7.55 yards per carry... Competes in the long jump on the track & field team and played 10 years of club soccer.

Also recruited by: Northern Arizona, Washington and Washington State.

Garett Lieber, DB, 6-2, 220, Orange, Calif. (Orange Lutheran)
Earned four letters in football at Orange Lutheran High School, a traditional southern California powerhouse... Had 52 tackles, 3 sacks, and one interception his senior year.

Also recruited by Montana, Montana State and Stony Brook.

Tyler Loendorf, DE, 6-1, 220, Littleton, Colo. (Columbine)
Plans to graduate from Columbine High School in May, 2010... Earned two letters in football and one in track and field... Was two-time all-conference, team captain, and pass rush champion from 2007-2010... As a freshman, helped lead his team to a conference championship and state championship in 2006... Team was conference champions in 2007, made it to the state semifinals in 2008 and state quarterfinals in 2009... Was on the academic honor roll 2008-2009

Also recruited by: CSU-Pueblo, Fort Lewis, Mesa State and Southern Utah.

Sawyere Monson, LB, 6-3, 215, Eden, Utah (Cherokee Trails)
Expected to graduate from Cherokee Trails High School in June, 2010... Earned three letters in football... Was an all-conference selection as well as team captain... In 2008 had 86 tackles and four sacks... In 2009 season had five sacks... Led his team to the state playoffs in 2008-2009... Was on the academic honor roll for four years... Also participated in basketball and track and field as a Cougar.

Also recruited by: CSU-Pueblo, Chadron State, Nebraska-Kearney and Wyoming.

Alfred (AJ) Moosa, DB, 6-1, 205, Los Angeles, Calif. (San Jose City College)
2009: At San Jose City College.

2007-08: Played at San Jose State.

Played high school football for the Cleveland High School Cavaliers... Was team captain as a senior... Named to both the All-City and All-West Valley teams... A three-year National Honor Society member.

Jesus (Junior) Nieves, OL, 6-4, 290, Peoria, Ariz. (Centennial)
Earned three letters in football... Also played basketball and is on the wrestling team... Helped win three straight state championships from 2006 to 2008... Played on the one of the best offensive lines in the nation according to ESPN... Did not give up a sack during his three years on varsity.... Holds the school record for power clean at 250 pounds.

Also recruited by: Arizona State, Northern Arizona, UNLV and San Diego State.

Marcell Peoples, WR, 5-10, 185, Corona, Calif. (Santiago)
Won three varsity letters in football... Voted to the All-Big 8 League Team as a senior... Named Santiago's most impactful special teams player... Holds school records for longest kick-off return (99 yds), longest punt return (85 yds), career kick-off return TDs (4), career punt return TDs (3), and career average punt return (19.8 yds)... Had 31 catches for a total of 545 yards in his final season... Helped the Sharks to the 2008 CIF Championship game.

Also recruited by: Fresno State and Nevada.

Lexington Smith, DL, 6-3, 290, Denver, Colo. (Denver East)

As a senior was both an all-conference selection as well as an honorable mention All-State pick for the Angels... Also helped lead the rugby team to the 2009 state title.

Also recruited by: Montana State and New Mexico State.

Doug Steele, TE, 6-5, 225, Tucson, Ariz. (Pima CC) - MID-YEAR ENROLEE
2008-09 (at Pima): Was an honorable mention all-conference selection as a redshirt freshman as well as a team captain... Has three years remaining.

Two-year letterwinner at Canyon Del Oro High School in Tucson... Also lettered two years in baseball... Named to both the All-Southern Arizona and All-Sonoran Region teams during his senior year in both baseball and football... Was the 2008 state runner-up in football and 2009 state champion in baseball, where he played in the outfield and was a pitcher.

Also recruited by: Northern Arizona and Portland State.

Daijon Tyler, LB, 6-0, 225, Arvada, Colo. (Pomona)
Is a letterwinner in football, rugby and track & field and was team captain for the football team... As a sophomore, received All-Conference honorable mention honors... His junior year was selected for All-Conference, First Team All-State, All-Colorado Defensive MVP, and Defensive MVP of the Big 8... Led his team in 2008 and 2009 to league champions as well as the state title game as a senior... In his final two seasons, recorded 291 total tackles.

Ryland Widener, DT, 6-2, 290, Moore, Okla. (Southmoore)
Four year starter for Southmoore... Also competed in shot put in track & field... Newsok.com Defensive Player of the Week twice... First team all-district and all-city selection... Honorable mention to the all-state team... Ranked the #100 defensive tackle according to ESPN.com... Recorded a total of 242 career tackles while racking up 26 sacks for the Sabercats ... Made 75 tackles and recorded six sacks during senior season alone.

Also recruited by Arkansas State, Northern Iowa, Toledo and Wyoming.

Austin Wilbers, TE, 6-3, 215, Englewood, Colo. (Cherry Creek)
Earned three letters in football and two in basketball... Honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore... Named to the all-conference team and all-state teams as a senior... Team captain... Recipient of the Jeremy Patrick Falkner Memorial Scholarship as a result of youth sports participation.

Recruited Walkons
Taylor Lopez, DB, 6-1, 190, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Pine Creek)
Also plays basketball for the Eagles... Helped the football team to the second round of the state playoffs in 2009... Had seven interceptions as a senior.

Blake Lucio, DE, 6-3, 215, Greeley, Colo. (Greeley West)
Named to the First-Team All-Northern Conference team... According to denverpreps, had 36.5 tackles as a senior.