Richmond brings in strong 08 recruiting class
New football head coach Mike
London announced Wednesday the signing of 12 incoming student-athletes who
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have agreed to attend the University of Richmond and play for the four-time
CAA Champion Spiders next season. The class is highlighted by five from the
Commonwealth of Virginia, with a trio of defensive stars from the Tidewater
area.
"I am pleased to welcome these 12 men to the Richmond Football
family," said London. "They each represent our need to bolster and
add depth to an already exciting team. I'm also excited about the in-state
representation in this class as it's a goal which we will continue to meet and
exceed. I look forward to adding my influence on these young men both on the
field and in the classroom. Lastly, I'm equally pleased and thankful to those
coaching staff members who, despite the transition, remained professional and
continued to recruit these young men."
Richmond's 12-player incoming class includes: WR
Harry Lee Daniel (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs HS), RB Christian Edwards (Huntington, W.Va./Hargrave Military Academy), TE
Kevin Finney (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest HS), S Darryl Hamilton (Centreville, Va./Centreville HS), QB
Nick Hicks (Marietta, Ga./Kell HS), DE Chis James (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian Academy), QB John Laub
(Coplay, Pa./Parkland HS), LB Derek Mayo (Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan HS), LB
Darius McMillan (Hampton, Va./Phoebus HS), LB Lee Rose (Charlotte, N.C./ Charlotte Christian Academy), RB
Garrett Wilkins (Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo HS) and LB Pierre Wynn (Hampton, Va./Hampton HS).
The Spiders finished the 2007 season 11-3 overall, setting a school-record for
wins on their way to the CAA Football title and the team's first-ever
appearance in the National Semifinals. Richmond's four conference titles since
1998 is the most of any team in CAA Football and its 26 wins over the last
three years is the fifth-most at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
level.
Biographical sketches on each student-athlete:
Lee Daniel - WR, 6-1, 190, Richmond, Va. / Highland Springs HS
Daniel put up prolific numbers as a wide receiver at nearby Highland Springs
High School. Playing for now Richmond assistant coach Scott
Burton, the 2007 First Team All-Region and Second Team All-State selection
reeled in 111 career passes for 1,745 yards (15.7 yards/catch) and 19
touchdowns. His team was Capital District Champions in 2005 and 2007 and
advanced to the regional championships in 2006. Daniel was an All-District
performer in each of those seasons. Also an accomplished basketball player,
HSHS won the state title in 2006 and Daniel was a First Team All-District and
Honorable Mention All-Region performer.
Edwards - RB, 6-0, 205, Huntington, W.Va. / Cabell Midland HS (Hargrave
Military Academy) -
Edwards rushed for 26 touchdowns on 212 carries as a captain during his senior
campaign at Cabell Midland High School, which ended in conference Player of
the Year honors, an All-State selection and a third-place finish for the
Kennedy Award (given to the top player in West Virginia). He lettered in
football all four years and garnered All-Conference and Honorable Mention
All-State accolades as a junior. In track, he set the school record in the
100-meter with a time of 10.86. After his graduation from Cabell Midland, he
spent last year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. His brother
Selden currently plays basketball at Cleveland State.
Finney, TE, 6-5, 215 - Lake Bluff, Ill. / Lake Forest HS
A highly-touted prospect out of Lake Forest High School, Finney is a 6-5,
215-pound tight end who caught 65 passes for 854 yards and six touchdowns
during his senior campaign. The Pioneer Press awarded him as its 2007
Offensive Player of the Year as well as ranking him 14th on its list of Top 25
All-Sport Prep Athletes. Additionally, Finney was a Chicago Tribune All-State
pick and an All-Conference performer as both a junior and senior. The two-year
team captain was presented the Community Volunteer of the Year Award by the
Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Rotary Club.
Hamilton, S, 5-10, 185 - Centreville, Va. / Centreville HS
Hamilton, a four-year football letterwinner and three-year track star,
recorded 330 tackles and 11 interceptions in his prep career at Centreville
High School. The speedster blocked four punts, taking two back for touchdowns
and holds the school record with a 92-yard interception return for TD. A team
captain, Hamilton was an All-District, All-Region and First Team All-State
selection as a senior. His brother Marcus played college football at Virginia
and is currently on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster, while his father Greg
played football in college at Boston University.
Hicks, QB, 6-1, 195 - Marietta, Ga./Kell HS
A quarterback, Hicks will graduate from Kell High School in the spring as the
school's all-time leading passer, while owning the school records in nearly
every passing category. The 6-1, 195-pounder threw for 1,865 yards as senior
with 14 touchdowns and rushed for 365 yards and four TDs. Hicks was 4-1 as a
starting QB his junior season on his way to Kell's Offensive MVP honors, while
his senior season ended with a First Team All-County selection and a spot in
the Cobb County Senior Bowl. On the baseball field, Hicks plays the middle
infield and was a First Team All-County selection after batting .350 with 15
stolen bases as a junior. Named to the National Honor Roll every semester in
high school, Hicks' uncle was a swimmer at Michigan State and his cousin
played football at The Citadel.
James, DE, 6-4, 220, Charlotte, N.C. / Charlotte Christian Academy -
James lettered three years in football and two years in baseball for Charlotte
Christian Academy. Named a team captain as a senior, James recorded 15 sacks
this season and was an All-Conference and All-State selection. CCA finished
10-3 and was defeated in North Carolina state championship game. The Knights
won the 2007 state baseball championship his junior season.
Laub, QB, 6-2, 190, Coplay, Pa./Parkland HS -
Laub led Parkland to a 15-1 record and PIAA Class 4A runner-up finish this
season as a senior. The 6-2, 190-pounder completed 113 of 222 passes for 1,677
yards and 22 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Both the yards and
touchdowns were Parkland school records. A Morning Call All-Area
selection, Laub was a Big 33 Team alternate and played in the Pennsylvania
East/West All-Star Game. Laub also lettered in baseball and track as a
prepster, finishing seventh in the conference in the javelin as a junior. The
QB was named to the honor roll every semester of high school and was a member
of both the National Honor Society and German Honor Society. His father John
played football at Delaware, his grandfather Doug played football at Penn and
his cousin is former NFL star and current Detroit Lions president and CEO Matt
Millen.
Mayo, LB, 5-10, 215 -
Hampton, Va./Kecoughtan HS
A cornerback, Mayo totaled 253 tackles, seven sacks and two interceptions over
his final two years at Kecoughtan High School. He was a team captain and
All-District selection both seasons, including a First Team pick as a senior.
Mayo's brother Jarod was an inside linebacker at Tennessee and will forego his
senior season to enter this year's NFL Draft. His brother Deron is a redshirt
sophomore at Hofstra.
McMillan,
LB, 6-0, 215 -
Hampton, Va./Phoebus HS
Another talented defensive recruit out of the Hampton Roads area, McMillan led
his team in tackles as a junior and senior. As a captain this past season, he
recorded 148 tackles on his way to Second Team All-State and First Team
All-District and All-Region honors. He was a First Team All-District and
Honorable Mention All-State pick as a junior. Phoebus defeated Hampton to
reach this year's Group AAA state semifinals.
Rose, FB, 6-0, 225 -
Charlotte, N.C. / Charlotte Christian Academy
A highly-touted prep prospect, Rose was a three-sport star at Charlotte
Christian Academy - an All-State football player, a state champion wrestler
and an All-Conference performer in the shot put. Rose, who was recruited by
Richmond as a fullback, finished with 412 career tackles, and as a senior,
scored six touchdowns while helping CCA to a state championship runner-up
finish. On the mat, he was a state champion in the 215-pound weight class and
a team captain as a senior. The Rose name is synonymous in the Charlotte
sports community as his grandfather is an assistant coach for the NBA's
Charlotte Bobcats and his father Mike, who played football at Indiana, is the
defensive coordinator at CCA.
Wilkins,
RB, 5-10, 175 -
Oviedo, Fla./Oviedo HS
A two-year team MVP and three-year captain, Wilkins was a multipurpose threat
for his Wing T-oriented Oviedo High School team. The 5-10, 175-pounder, who
was listed on his prep roster as a running back, wideout and safety, amassed
more than 1,000 offensive yards with eight TDs, while collecting 30 tackles
and two interceptions on defense this past season. As a junior, Wilkins led
his team to an 8-3 mark and rushed for 682 yards with six touchdowns. Wilkins
was a two-time All-Conference and All-District selection and played in the
Central Florida All-Star Game.
Wynn
LB, 6-2, 220, Hampton, Va. / Hampton HS
Wynn is another of the three standout defensive players in the Spiders' class
from the Tidewater area. The 6-2, 220-pounder played on Hampton's 2005 state
championship team and helped lead the Crabbers to a 9-2 record this season.
Rebounding from an injury that forced Wynn to miss much of junior season, he
was an All-District honoree as a senior after collecting 80 tackles and four
interceptions. Hampton finished this season 9-2 and was defeated by Phoebus in
the Group AAA regional semifinals.