National signing day: A look at the 2016 ISU football recruiting class
Emily Blobaum/Iowa State Daily
New head football coach Matt Campbell waves to the crowd at Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday night. Campbell, former head football coach at Toledo University, was hired last week.
February 3, 2016
It has been an eventful offseason for ISU football’s new coaching staff. Head coach Matt Campbell and company have turned around the 2016 recruiting class ever since being hired in late November.
Iowa State’s 2016 class has moved from 84th in the nation all the way down to a top-50 ranking, according to Scout.com.
“I thought our coaching staff worked diligently and really relied on our philosophy of making sure we got great character kids,” Campbell said in a statement. “That was really important to me in getting a culture-changing class. Not only are they great football players, but they are leaders. They come from great football programs and they know how to win.”
Make sure to check back with iowastatedaily.com later in the day for updates on National Signing Day, and follow @Luke_Manderfeld and @RyanYoung44 on Twitter for updates from Campbell’s 3 p.m. press conference Wednesday.
Here is a look at the 2016 class:
(All star rankings and other offers are from Scout.com)
Offense (15):
TE Chase Allen- 3-star, 6-foot-6, 225 pounds
High school: Nixa High School, Nixa, Mo.
Other offers: Florida State, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Nebraska
TE Clifford Fernandez– 2-star, 6-foot-3, 255 pounds
Junior College: Southwest Mississippi Community College, Summit, Miss.
Other offers: Alabama State, Northwestern State
OL Keenan Forbes- 3-star, 6-foot-3, 310 pounds
High school: Everglades High School, Miami, Fla.
Other offers: Cincinnati, Colorado State, Marshall
OL Sean Foster- 4-star, 6-foot-8, 285 pounds
High school: Carmel Catholic, Mundelein, Ill.
Other offers: Minnesota, Duke, Virginia Tech, Neb.
OL Karson Green- 2-star, 6-foot-4, 295 pounds
Junior college: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Miami, Okla.
Other offers: East Carolina, Akron, New Mexico
WR- Deshaunte Jones- 4-star, 5-foot-10, 175 pounds
High school: Colerain High School, Cincinnati, Ohio
Other offers: Wisconsin, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Air Force
WR Jalen Martin– 3-star, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds
High school: Chandler Park Academy, Detroit, Mich.
Other offers: Syracuse, Toledo, Eastern Michigan
RB David Montgomery- 3-star, 5-foot-11, 225 pounds
High school: Mount Healthy High School, Cincinnati, Ohio
Other offers: Ball State, Illinois Army West Point
OL Josh Mueller- 2-star, 6-foot-6, 280 pounds
High school: Homestead High School, Mequon, Wisc.
Other offers: Illinois, Northern Iowa, North Dakota State
QB Zeb Noland- 3-star, 6-foot-3, 215 pounds
High school: Oconee County High School, Watkinsville, Ga.
Other offers: Toledo, Colorado State, Appalachian State
RB Kene Nwangwu- 3-star, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds
High school: Heritage High School, Frisco, Texas
Other offers: Iowa, Indiana, Northwestern
QB Jacob Park– 3-star, 6-foot-4, 205 pounds
Junior college: Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Miami, Okla.
Other offers: None
TE Dylan Soehner– 2-star, 6-foot-7, 280 pounds
High school: Prairie Grove High School, Prairie Grove, Ark.
Other offers: Arkansas, Illinois, Purdue
OL Oge Udeogu- 3-star, 6-foot-3, 330 pounds
Junior college: City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.
Other offers: Houston, Georgia Tech, Toledo
LS Steven Wirthel- 3-star, 6-foot-4, 207 pounds
High school: Mount Carmel High School, Chicago, Ill.
Other offers: Georgia, Auburn, Illinois
Defense (14):
DB Arnold Azunna: 3-star, 5-foot-11, 185 pounds
High school: Lake Ridge High School, Grand Prairie, Texas
Other offers: Illinois, Air Force, Colorado State
DE JaQuan Bailey: 3-star, 6-foot-2, 245 pounds
High school: Raines High School, Jacksonville, Fla.
Other offers: Florida, Miami, North Carolina
DT Joshua Bailey: 2-star, 6-foot-2, 290 pounds
High School: Raines High School, Jacksonville, Fla.
Other offers: Indiana, South Florida, Appalachian State
DB Thadd Daniels: 2-star, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds
Junior college: Cerritos Community College, Calif.
Other offers: Utah, Purdue, BYU
DB Jatairis Grant: 3-star, 6-foot, 180 pounds
High school: Garfield High School, Akron, Ohio
Other offers: Toledo, Cincinnati, Ohio
DT Jamahl Johnson: 3-star, 6-foot-1, 310 pounds
High school: Prior Lake High School, Prior Lake, Minn.
Other offers: Rutgers, South Dakota
DB Lonnie Johnson: 3-star, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds
Junior college: Garden City Community College, Garden City, Kan.
Other offers: Texas Tech, Toledo, Alabama-Birmingham
LB Carson Lensing: 2-star, 6-foot-4, 235 pounds
High school: South Winneshiek High School, Calmar, Iowa
Other offers: South Dakota, South Dakota State
DE Jerrion Nelson- 2-star, 6-foot-2, 260 pounds
High school: Battle High School, Columbia, Mo.
Other offers: Iowa, Toledo, Syracuse
DB D’Andre Payne- 2-star, 5-foot-10, 186 pounds
Junior College: Arizona Western Community College, Ariz.
Other offers: None
LB Tymar Sutton- 3-star, 5-foot-10, 220 pounds
High school: McKeesport High School, McKeesport, Penn.
Other offers: Wisconsin, Toledo, West Virginia
DE Eyioma Uwazurike- 3-star, 6-foot-6, 250 pounds
High school: Southfield- Lathrup High School, Detroit, Mich.
Other offers: Toledo, Central Michigan, Kent State
DB Romelo Webster- 3-star, 5-foot-10, 170 pounds
High school: Hallandale High School, Miramar, Fla.
Other offers: Pittsburgh, South Florida, Toledo
DB Lawrence White- 3-star, 6-foot, 170 pounds
High school: Ridgeview High School, Bakersfield, Calif.
Other offers: Colorado State, Nevada, New Mexico
