Orange Football Adds Talented NLI Class

2012 NLI Class Profiles (PDF)
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Head coach Doug Marrone has his fourth recruiting class completed. While Orange fans will have to wait for a bit to see their talent in person, there are plenty of accomplishments and accolades to discuss. The group of 22 student-athletes includes five defensive linemen, including three ends and two tackles, four offensive linemen, three defensive backs, two tight ends, two wide receivers, and one each at linebacker, quarterback, running back, fullback, kicker and an athlete.

"I'm hoping quite a few (of the incoming student-athetes) will come in and push for playing time right away," Marrone said. "Competition is important. We're excited to bring them in and we're expecting them to compete. We're excited. The players understand that they have a lot of work ahead of them. They've been very successful, whether it is in high school, prep school or junior college. They've been successful in those areas of their life, and we look for them to continue it here at Syracuse."

Here is the breakdown of the 2012 NLI Class:
Offensive Line: Ben Barrett, Jason Emerich, Kyle Knapp and Omari Palmer
Defensive End: Myles Hilliard, Josh Manley and Markus Pierce-Brewster
Defensive Tackle: Marcus Coleman and Zian Jones
Wide Receiver: Alvin Cornelius and Ben Lewis
Tight End: Josh Parris and Ron Thompson
Defensive Back: Dontez Ford, Wayne Morgan and Julian Whigham
Linebacker: James Washington
Quarterback: Ashton Broyld
Running Back: George Morris
Fullback: Myles Davis
Kicker: Ryan Norton
Athlete: Devante McFarlane

"Over the course of the break, I talked to quite a few players on our team, and it was interesting to hear the enthusiasm in their voice in that they were ready to come back to," Marrone said of his current squad. "We had about 55 kids on this team who had not lost until this year. I think there's a good understanding right now about what we have to do to work. I think the thought process is correct, the things everyone is saying are correct, and now it's a point of going out there and executing which means lifting, running, doing all the right things to get prepared for a competitive Spring Football and, obviously, a very competitive Fall."

SU's annual Spring practice begins on March 20 and will conclude with the annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 21 at the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse University Athletics

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