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Duke Signs 22 To Football Class
Feb. 6, 2002
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| Clemson | North Carolina |
| Duke | N.C. State |
| Florida State | Virginia |
| Georgia Tech | Wake Forest |
| Maryland | TheACC.com |
Duke University head football coach Carl Franks and his staff announced on Wednesday that 22 high school student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to join the Blue Devil program.
The class includes four defensive linemen, three defensive backs, three wide receivers, three running backs, three tight ends, two offensive linemen, two linebackers, one athlete and one quarterback. Thirteen states are represented in the class.
In the offensive backfield, Gilman School teammates Mike Dowling (Towson, Md.) and Malcolm Ruff (Baltimore, Md.) are joined by fellow running back Von Bryant (Turnerville, N.J.). Ruff is charted as the 42nd-best running back in the nation by Rivals100.com while Bryant rushed for 1,115 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. The lone quarterback in the class is Mike Schneider (Sharon, Pa.), who completed 70-of-139 passes for 1,320 yards and 13 touchdowns against two interceptions this past fall.
Three wide receivers - Ronnie Elliott (Huntsville, Ala.), Kendrall Felder (Wilson, N.C.) and Eric Lyon (Charlotte, N.C.) - are in the group as well as three tight ends in Paul Campitelli (Dunkirk, Md.), Justin Kitchen (Charlotte, N.C.) and Ben Patrick (Savannah, Ga.). Elliott is an all-state performer in Alabama who won the 200- and 400-meter titles at the state track and field championships as a junior. Felder caught 44 passes for 706 yards and six touchdowns as a senior while Lyon, a member of back-to-back state championship teams at Independence High School, finished 2001 with 962 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Kitchen, who could also play defensive end, led Charlotte Country Day to a 10-2 record and the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) state title while Patrick is listed as the 15th-top tight end in the nation by Rivals100.com. Campitelli led DeMatha Catholic High School to consecutive league titles and, as a senior, caught 23 passes for 323 yards.
Lavdrim Bauta (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Tyler Krieg (Tualatin, Ore.) are the two offensive linemen in the class. Bauta played for Poly Prep which finished the season ranked 10th in the nation by USA Today after posting a perfect 8-0 record while Krieg was an all-state pick as both an offensive lineman and linebacker in Oregon.
On defense, the group includes linebackers Codey Lowe (Houston, Texas), who was named the All-Greater Houston Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 by the Houston Chronicle after registering 110 tackles, and Birkes Williams (Hot Springs, Ark.), an all-state pick out of Arkansas. On the line, Eli Nichols (Crawfordville, Fla.) was a third team all-state pick in Florida after registering 21 sacks while Bob Benion (Milton, Pa.) earned all-state honors in Pennsylvania. Also up front is Joel East (Cambridge, Ohio), a selection for the prestigious Big 33 All-Star Game, and two-time all-region pick Kevin Wilson (Riverdale, Ga.).
The defensive secondary features a pair of all-state picks in Deonto McCormick (Adel, Ga.) and C.J. Woodard (Henderson, N.C.) along with DeAndre White (Suffolk, Va.). McCormick led Cook County High School to a 13-1 record in 2001 while Woodard is listed as the 31st-top athlete in the nation by Rivals100.com. White twice earned first team all-district honors and registered 137 tackles in his final campaign.
The final member of the class - Derek Bryant (Richmond, Va.) - is listed as an athlete. Bryant was a two-way all-district performer as a defensive back and wide receiver while helping Highland Springs High School to an 8-3 overall record and the school's first state playoff berth since 1995.
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown | High School |
| Lavdrim Bauta | OL | 6-5 | 250 | Brooklyn, N.Y. | Poly Prep Country Day |
| Bob Benion | DL | 6-3 | 270 | Milton, Pa. | Milton |
| Derek Bryant | ATH | 6-3 | 200 | Richmond, Va. | Highland Springs |
| Von Bryant | RB | 6-0 | 190 | Turnerville, N.J. | Washington Township |
| Paul Campitelli | TE | 6-4 | 235 | Dunkirk, Md. | DeMatha |
| Mike Dowling | FB | 6-2 | 240 | Towson, Md. | Gilman School |
| Joel East | DE | 6-4 | 235 | Cambridge, Ohio | Cambridge |
| Ronnie Elliott | WR | 5-9 | 170 | Huntsville, Ala. | Lee |
| Kendrall Felder | WR | 6-3 | 170 | Wilson, N.C. | Beddingfield |
| Justin Kitchen | TE/DE | 6-4 | 210 | Charlotte, N.C. | Charlotte Country Day |
| Tyler Kreig | OL | 6-5 | 255 | Tualatin, Ore. | Tualatin |
| Codey Lowe | LB | 6-2 | 215 | Houston, Texas | Langham Creek |
| Eric Lyon | WR | 6-2 | 190 | Charlotte, N.C. | Independence |
| Deonto McCormick | DB | 5-10 | 180 | Adel, Ga. | Cook County |
| Eli Nichols | DE | 6-4 | 225 | Crawfordville, Fla. | Wakulla |
| Ben Patrick | TE | 6-4 | 250 | Savannah, Ga. | Jenkins |
| Malcolm Ruff | RB | 6-1 | 220 | Baltimore, Md. | Gilman School |
| Mike Schneider | QB | 6-3 | 215 | Sharon, Pa. | Sharon |
| DeAndre White | DB | 6-0 | 200 | Suffolk, Va. | Lakeland |
| Birkes Williams | LB | 6-5 | 210 | Hot Springs, Ark. | Hot Springs |
| Kevin Wilson | DE | 6-2 | 250 | Riverdale, Ga. | Riverdale |
| C.J. Woodard | DB | 6-0 | 170 | Henderson, N.C. | Northern Vance |
Lavdrim Bauta
OL * 6-5 * 250 * Brooklyn, N.Y. * Poly Prep Country Day High School
Helped Poly Prep to a perfect 8-0 season in 2001 - the school's fifth unbeaten campaign in six years ... played on both the offensive and defensive lines ... had 55 tackles including eight sacks as a senior ... Poly Prep finished the season ranked second in the East Region and 10th in the nation by USA Today ... played football for Dino Mangiero.
Bob Benion
DL * 6-3 * 270 * Milton, Pa. * Milton High School
Two-time all-state and three-time all-conference selection ... listed as the 89th-top strongside defensive end in the nation by Rivals100.com ... named first team all-state and defensive player of the year by Pennsylvania Football News as a senior ... also earned Central Susquehanna Conference Offensive and Defensive Lineman of the Year honors ... as a senior, recorded 86 tackles, six sacks and three fumble recoveries ... in junior season, had 66 tackles and three sacks and was named first team all-state by Pennsylvania Football News and Central Susquehanna Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year ... played football for Max Shnyder ... also participated in basketball and track and field ... member of the National Honor Society ... named to the Pennsylvania Football News All-Academic Team.
Derek Bryant
ATH * 6-3 * 200 * Richmond, Va. * Highland Springs High School
Two-way all-district performer in 2001 ... earned second team All-Capital District recognition as a defensive back and honorable mention All-Capital District honors as a wide receiver ... as a senior, caught 15 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns while recording 37 tackles defensively ... helped Highland Springs to an 8-3 overall record and the school's first state playoff berth since 1995 ... as a junior, garnered honorable mention all-district honors ... a three-time Academic All-Capital District selection ... played football for Scott Burton ... also participated in track and field.
Von Bryant
RB * 6-0 * 190 * Turnerville, N.J. * Washington Township High School
Ranked by Rivals100.com as the 70th-top running back in the country ... named honorable mention All-East Region by Prep Star magazine ... helped Washington Township High School to a 17-5 record over his final two seasons ... as a senior, rushed 120 times for 1,115 yards and 13 touchdowns ... finished prep career with 23 scores ... played football for Tom Brown.
Paul Campitelli
TE * 6-4 * 235 * Dunkirk, Md. * DeMatha Catholic High School
Charted as the 24th-top overall prospect in the Mid-Atlantic Region by SuperPrep ... named honorable mention All-Atlantic Region by Prep Star magazine ... two-year starter at tight end as DeMatha won back-to-back Washington Catholic Athletic League championships ... as a senior, caught 23 passes for 323 yards while recording 87 tackles on defense ... earned all-county and all-state honors following senior season ... helped DeMatha to 22 straight wins ... DeMatha finished the 2001 season ranked third in the East Region and 21st in the country by USA Today ... played football for Bill McGregor ... also participated in basketball, lacrosse and track and field ... earned the 2001 Scholar-Athlete Award from the Washington Pigskin Club.
Mike Dowling
FB * 6-2 * 240 * Towson, Md. * Gilman School
Charted as the 50th-top fullback in the nation by Rivals100.com ... named All-Atlantic Region by Prep Star magazine ... averaged 4.9 yards per carry and earned all-county honors as a senior ... helped Gilman School to three-year record of 24-6 ... prep teammate of fellow Duke signee Malcolm Ruff ... played football for Biff Poggi ... also competes in wrestling.
Joel East
DE * 6-4 * 235 * Cambridge, Ohio * Cambridge High School
Named All-Midwest Region by Prep Star magazine ... as a senior, recorded 86 tackles, nine sacks and four caused fumbles ... three-time all-league pick ... two-time all-district selection ... served as team captain in final season ... selected to play in the Big 33 All-Star Game in Hershey, Pa., in July as well as the OVAC All-Star Game ... as a junior, credited for 110 tackles ... All-America selection by Bigger, Faster, Stronger magazine ... played football for Rick Goodrich ... also participated in track and field, weightlifting and wrestling ... three-year member of the National Honor Society ... named to Who's Who Among High School Students.
Ronnie Elliott
WR * 5-9 * 170 * Huntsville, Ala. * Lee High School
Listed as the fourth-top wide receiver and the 12th-top overall prospect in Alabama by SuperPrep ... charted as the 75th-best cornerback in the country by Rivals100.com ... named honorable mention All-Southeast Region by Prep Star magazine ... as a senior, named all-city and all-metro while earning City Offensive Player of the Year and Region Eight Player of the Year honors ... as a quarterback, rushed for 897 yards and 12 touchdowns while passing for 487 yards and three scores during final campaign ... as a junior, rushed for 978 yards and nine touchdowns while passing for 635 yards and seven touchdowns en route to garnering all-city, all-metro and all-region accolades ... finished career with 2,661 yards rushing and 2,172 yards passing ... also excelled in track, winning Alabama state championships in both the 200-meter (21.3) and 400-meter (47.5) dashes ... won back-to-back titles in both the 200-meter and 400-meter competitions at the 2000 and 2001 Southern Invitational ... won the 400-meter dash at the 1998 AAU Junior Olympics while finishing second in the 200-meter event ... played football for Don Thomas ... also participated in basketball.
Kendral Felder
WR * 6-3 * 170 * Wilson, N.C. * Beddingfield High School
Named All-Atlantic Region by Prep Star magazine ... as a senior, caught 44 passes for 706 yards and six touchdowns and earned all-conference and all-area honors ... also averaged 36.4 yards per kickoff return while leading Beddingfield High School to a 6-4 overall record ... as a junior, hauled in 25 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns ... played football for Bennett Jones ... also participated in basketball and track and field ... finished sixth in the 400-meters at the 2001 state track and field championships.
Justin Kitchen
TE/DE * 6-4 * 210 * Charlotte, N.C. * Charlotte Country Day School
Charted as the 70th-top tight end in the nation by Rivals100.com ... named All-Atlantic Region by Prep Star magazine ... in 2001, led Charlotte Country Day to a 10-2 record and the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) state title ... named the defensive player of the year in the state as a senior after recording 110 total tackles, four quarterback sacks and one interception ... also caught nine passes for 162 yards - good for an average of 18.0 yards per reception ... played football for Bob Witman ... also participated in track and field, winning the state championship in the discus as a junior.
Tyler Krieg
OL * 6-5 * 255 * Tualatin, Ore. * Tualatin High School
First team all-state and conference defensive player of the year as a linebacker in 2001 ... also named Team MVP, all-league and third team all-state at offensive guard ... three-time all-conference selection ... two-year team captain ... named second team all-state as a junior ... played football for Craig Hastin ... also played baseball, earning all-league honors as a junior ... member of the National Honor Society ... named the recipient of the 2001 Scholar Athlete of the Year award given by the Portland chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Codey Lowe
LB * 6-2 * 215 * Houston, Texas * Langham Creek High School
Listed as the eighth-top linebacker and the 67th-best overall prospect in Texas by SuperPrep ... charted as the 93rd-best inside linebacker in the nation by Rivals100.com ... named the All-Greater Houston Defensive Player of the Year in 2001 by the Houston Chronicle after registering 110 tackles including three caused fumbles and three fumble recoveries ... tabbed to the All-Southwest Team by Student Sports ... also earned District Defensive MVP, Team MVP and honorable mention all-state honors following final season ... named first team all-district as a junior after recording 93 tackles and three interceptions ... credited with 85 tackles and four fumble recoveries during sophomore season ... helped Langham Creek to three straight state playoff berths ... finished career with 288 tackles including 56 tackles for loss, nine fumble recoveries and five interceptions ... played football for Dennis Demel.
Eric Lyon
WR * 6-2 * 190 * Charlotte, N.C. * Independence High School
Named honorable mention All-Southeast Region by PrepStar magazine ... listed as the 73rd-best wide receiver in the country by Rivals100.com ... helped Independence to back-to-back state championships in 2000 and 2001 ... in Independence's 49-25 win over Wilmington Laney in the 2001 state title game, caught five passes for 83 yards including a 16-yard touchdown and was named the Offensive Player of the Game ... for the season, had 962 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns ... Independence finished the 2001 season ranked second in the South Region and sixth in the nation by USA Today ... as a junior, caught 66 passes for 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns ... played football for Tommy Knotts, who lettered three seasons in football at Duke from 1975-77 and is one of the most successful high school coaches in North Carolina.
Deonto McCormick
DB * 5-10 * 180 * Adel, Ga. * Cook County High School
First team all-state selection by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Sports Writers Association ... also earned Region 2-AA Player of the Year honors ... helped Cook County High School to a 13-1 record and berth in the state championship semifinals in 2001 ... Cook County, which went 10-0 in the regular season by outscoring its opponents 417-92, finished the year ranked third in the state for Class AA by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ... as a senior, rushed 76 times for 770 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 40 passes for 661 yards and nine touchdowns ... defensively, had three incerceptions ... in 2000 as a junior, rushed 71 times for 648 yards and nine touchdowns and caught seven passes for 110 yards and one score ... played football for Michael Pollack ... also played baseball ... named to the Region 2-AA All-Academic Team ... named to Who's Who Among High School Students.
Eli Nichols
DE * 6-5 * 225 * Crawfordville, Fla. * Wakulla High School
Third team all-state pick as a senior after leading North Florida in sacks with 21 ... also registered 106 tackles in 2001 and earned all-district and All-Big Bend honors ... listed as the 41st-top weakside defensive end in the nation by Rivals100.com ... ranked by the Florida Times-Union as the seventh-top defensive end in Florida ... charted as the 96th-best overall prospect in Florida by the Orlando Sentinel ... as a junior, was named second team all-district and second team All-Big Bend ... four-year starter at Wakulla High School ... played football for J.D. Jones ... also participated in weightlifting ... member of the Natoinal Honor Society ... honored as a Sunshine State District Scholar.
Ben Patrick
TE * 6-4 * 250 * Savannah, Ga. * Jenkins High School
Listed as the 15th-top tight end in the nation by Rivals100.com ... ranked by SuperPrep as the second-top tight end and 41st-best overall prospect in Georgia ... earned All-Southeast Region honors from Prep Star magazine ... named the Player of the Year in Southeast Georgia by the high school coaches ... as a senior, earned first team all-city and Team MVP honors ... in 2001, played quarterback, tight end, linebacker and punter and led the team in passing yards, receptions and tackles ... played football for Rick Bond ... also played baseball and basketball ... listed with Who's Who Among High School Students.
Malcolm Ruff
RB * 6-1 * 220 * Baltimore, Md. * Gilman School
Listed as the 42nd-best running back in the nation by Rivals100.com ... ranked by SuperPrep as the second-best running back and 12th-top overall prospect in the Mid-Atlantic Region ... earned All-Atlantic Region honors from Prep Star magazine ... ranked by Prep Star as the eighth-best running back in the Atlantic Region ... named all-league and all-metro as senior after rushing 114 times for 660 yards and 12 touchdowns and recording 43 tackles and two interceptions on defense ... as a junior, earned all-state and all-metro honors after rushing for 1,213 yards and 14 touchdowns ... set state record with 54 rushing attempts against State College (Pa.) High School in 2000, totaling 254 yards in the contest ... helped Gilman School to three-year record of 24-6 ... prep teammate of fellow Duke signee Mike Dowling ... played football for Biff Poggi.
Mike Schneider
QB * 6-3 * 215 * Sharon, Pa. * Sharon High School
Listed as the seventh-top quarterback and 29th-best overall prospect in Pennsylvania by SuperPrep ... named All-East Region by Prep Star magazine ... as a senior, completed 70-of-139 passes for 1,320 yards and 13 touchdowns against two interceptions ... two-time first team all-conference pick ... honorable mention all-state selection in 2001 ... quarterbacked Sharon High School to 31 wins and three district championships ... finished prep career with 3,700 passing yards with 42 passing touchdowns along with 823 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns ... played football for Jim Wildman ... also played basketball ... member of the National Honor Society ... named to the area all-academic team ... participated in volunteer activities with the Special Olympics.
DeAndre White
DB * 6-0 * 200 * Suffolk, Va. * Lakeland High School
Two-time first team all-district pick ... two-time second team All-Tidewater selection ... four-year letterman in football ... as a senior, recorded 137 tackles along with three caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries ... had 106 tackles as a junior ... finished prep career with 400 tackles ... earned all-state honors in track and field ... played football for Vincent Pugh ... two-time recipient of the Virginia High School Academic Excellence Award.
Birkes Williams
OLB * 6-5 * 210 * Hot Springs, Ark. * Hot Springs High School
Ranked by Rivals100.com as the 85th-top outside linebacker in the nation ... honorable mention All-Southeast Region pick by Prep Star magazine ... as a senior, recorded 97 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions and earned all-conference, all-county, all-region and all-state honors ... played football for Alfred Mohammed ... also participated in basketball and track and field ... earned academic all-region and all-state honors.
Kevin Wilson
DL * 6-2 * 250 * Riverdale, Ga. * Riverdale High School
First team all-region and all-county pick as a senior after leading Riverdale High School in quarterback sacks with eight ... set school single-game record with four sacks against North Clayton High School ... two-year team captain ... as a junior, earned honorable mention all-region honors after totaling 108 tackles and eight sacks ... helped Riverdale to a 13-1 record and region championship as a freshman ... played football for Rodney Hackney ... also participated in track and field ... member of the National Honor Society and Who's Who Among High School Students.
C.J Woodard
DB * 6-0 * 170 * Henderson, N.C. * Northern Vance High School
Listed as the 31st-top overall athlete in the nation by Rivals100.com ... garnered All-Atlantic Region accolades from Prep Star magazine ... named all-state, all-area and all-conference following senior season ... also named the conference player of the year ... helped Northern Vance to a 7-4 record in 2001 ... as a senior, recorded 79 tackles and four interceptions ... had 64 total stops and two interceptions during junior season ... played football for Randy Long ... also participated in basketball and track and field ... earned all-conference honors in track and field.
