University of Northern Colorado Athletics
@UNCBearsFB Completes 2019 Signing Class
2/6/2019 10:36:00 AM | Football
After a successful early signing period, Northern Colorado football inked a pair of new Bears to close out the 2019 class
With most of the heavy lifting done during the December Signing Period, Northern Colorado football capped off its 2019 signing class on Wednesday with two more additions in Isaiah Iton (Pearland, Texas) and Chase Lanckriet (Windsor, Colo.).
"After the first signing period, we still had a few spots we needed to fill and got a pair of young men we are happy to sign. Isaiah (Iton) is a big boy at six foot two plus and weighing 280 pounds. He is as strong as an ox and helps fill out that defensive line spot we needed," head coach Earnest Collins Jr. said. "Then you add a guy like (Chase) Lanckriet who played multiple positions in high school where we can use him as a big slot receiver or tight end depending on how his body develops. Both of these young men are a great addition for what we want to do here in the future."
Overall, UNC signed 23 new players to their class over the two signing periods. They break down to 16 on the defensive side of the ball and seven on offense. Geographically, 20 of the 23 signees hail from the Centennial State which was a focus for Coach Collins and his staff, while two come from Texas and one from Wyoming.
"The first thing we set out to do is to recapture Colorado. We wanted to make sure that every young man that was available in this state that we felt could help us win games we went after and were ultimately able to sign," Collins said back in December.
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With the 2019 signing class all wrapped up, the UNC football staff will now turn its attention towards spring practice and getting a strong 2020 recruiting class signed up.
The team announced its 2019 schedule last week, which will begin on Thursday, August 29 at San Jose State. The home opener will take place on Saturday, September 21 vs South Dakota and be the first of five games at Nottingham Field this season.
To stay up to date on all things UNC football, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter at @UNCBearsFB.
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"After the first signing period, we still had a few spots we needed to fill and got a pair of young men we are happy to sign. Isaiah (Iton) is a big boy at six foot two plus and weighing 280 pounds. He is as strong as an ox and helps fill out that defensive line spot we needed," head coach Earnest Collins Jr. said. "Then you add a guy like (Chase) Lanckriet who played multiple positions in high school where we can use him as a big slot receiver or tight end depending on how his body develops. Both of these young men are a great addition for what we want to do here in the future."
Overall, UNC signed 23 new players to their class over the two signing periods. They break down to 16 on the defensive side of the ball and seven on offense. Geographically, 20 of the 23 signees hail from the Centennial State which was a focus for Coach Collins and his staff, while two come from Texas and one from Wyoming.
"The first thing we set out to do is to recapture Colorado. We wanted to make sure that every young man that was available in this state that we felt could help us win games we went after and were ultimately able to sign," Collins said back in December.
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2019 Signing Class
| Name | Position | Height | Weight | Hometown/Previous School |
| Elijah Anderson-Taylor | LB | 6-0 | 225 | Centennial, Colo./Eaglecrest HS |
| Erich Bendel | OL | 6-5 | 208 | Boulder, Colo./Milford Academy |
| Jeremiah Blackwood | Buck | 6-3 | 220 | Aurora, Colo./Vista Peak Prep |
| Carson Brantley | S | 6-1 | 205 | Centennial, Colo./Cherry Creek HS |
| Ryan Capasso | Buck | 6-4 | 220 | Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield HS |
| Trey Cardenas | S | 6-1 | 180 | Loveland, Colo/.Loveland HS |
| Ethan Drews | DE | 6-3 | 235 | Longmont, Colo./Skyview HS |
| Kurt Gallup | QB/Ath | 6-4 | 235 | Parker, Colo./Aurora Central HS |
| Wind Henderson | WR | 6-0 | 180 | Denver, Colo./Mullen HS |
| David Hoage | LB | 6-2 | 230 | Denver, Colo./Smoky Hill HS |
| Isaiah Iton | DT | 6-3 | 280 | Pearland, Texas/Pearland HS |
| Chase Lanckriet | TE | 6-3 | 220 | Windsor, Colo./Windsor HS |
| Rick Lester | S | 6-2 | 200 | Houston, Texas/ Liberty University |
| Seth Mullinax | OL | 6-4 | 280 | Big Horn, Wyo./Big Horn HS |
| Jon Nuschy | S | 5-11 | 160 | La Junta, Colo./La Junta HS |
| Cole Parrott | DE | 6-2 | 250 | Littleton, Colo./Columbine HS |
| David Ross | WR | 6-2 | 185 | Arvada, Colo./Pomona HS |
| Zach Rush | QB | 6-2 | 205 | Grand Junction, Colo./Fruita Monument HS |
| Ben Schneider | LB | 6-3 | 215 | Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley HS |
| Doniaj Smelker | S | 6-1 | 210 | Colorado Springs, Colo./West Hills CC |
| Haydn Steffens | LB | 6-2 | 215 | Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain HS |
| Corey Tate | CB | 6-2 | 170 | Denver, Colo./Denver East HS |
| Mike Thompson | LB | 6-2 | 225 | Aurora, Colo./Aurora Central HS |
With the 2019 signing class all wrapped up, the UNC football staff will now turn its attention towards spring practice and getting a strong 2020 recruiting class signed up.
The team announced its 2019 schedule last week, which will begin on Thursday, August 29 at San Jose State. The home opener will take place on Saturday, September 21 vs South Dakota and be the first of five games at Nottingham Field this season.
To stay up to date on all things UNC football, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter at @UNCBearsFB.
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