Fresno State Athletics
Bulldog Football Signings Announced
2/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
"We have a great group of guys who are not only very talented, skilled athletes, but who are good students and have a great passion for the game," Hill said. "We love players who play hard-nosed, aggressive, fundamental football and this group definitely fits that mold. We have some guys who are relentless on the field and burn with competitive passion. While we may not show up on all of the recruiting guru's lists, these are the kind of players who have been the life blood of our program. Not only are they successful in our program and moved on to be successful in life."
Ten of the future Bulldogs earned 2006 California all-state honors, including first-team selections Eric Sproal, Tim Lang and Ryan Mathews, second-team honorees Matt Lindsey, Bryson Hodges and Philip Thomas, and third-team selections Chris Carter, Zak Hill, J.J. Stallworth and Devon Wylie. Fresno State has never before signed as many all-state players.
Mathews, from West High in Bakersfield, was the national rushing leaders and selected second-team All-America after gaining over 3,300 yards and scoring 44 touchdowns.
Among the 25 players who signed National Letters of Intent to attend Fresno State in the fall, one came from a junior college and one from the state of Texas. The remaining recruits were California prep players, 11 of them played at for Valley high schools.
"Signing high school players is always our priority," said Hill. "We always want to get the best players of the Valley and are very excited about those we have signed. I expect them to come in here and make an impact. We want to be the Pride of the Valley and have had great success with Valley players."
Under Hill, Fresno State has produced more NFL players than any other non-BCS program, including two recent Valley products (Cameron Worrell and Bernard Berrian) who played in Super Bowl XLI.
"Our coaching staff has once again done an outstanding job of working the State of California and we expect this signing class to contribute to our University as outstanding students and athletes," Hill said.
Hill signed two outstanding high school quarterbacks, including the Sacramento Bee Player of the Year Tim Lang of Grant High School. Lang, a first-team all-state selection, accounted for 35 touchdowns last season while leading his team to a perfect 13-0 record and San Joaquin Section Division II championship. Matt Faulkner, a prep passing star from Flower Mound, Texas will enroll at Fresno State. He's the first Bulldog high school player from that far from California since 1996, when current running backs coach Tim Skipper signed out of Louisiana.
It marked the third straight year Fresno State signed the Sacramento area player of the year, Seyi Ajirotutu and Andrew Jackson were the others.
In all, Fresno State signed six defensive backs, five offensive linemen, four defensive linemen, three receivers, two running backs, a kicker, a tight end and one linebacker.
"We have some very fast players in this class," Hill said. "With Isaiah Green, Devon Wylie, Sharrod Davis, Jermaine Thomas and Philip Thomas, we have really improved our overall team speed. Tim Lang is one of the most elusive players I've seen in a long time. This is probably the best overall group of offense lineman we've ever signed. We have a lot of players in this class with great position flexibility."
2007 Fresno State Football Signing Class Biographies
Ken Borg, Defensive Line, 6-3, 245, Seal Beach, Calif. (Los Alamitos)
Ranked as the 13th-best defensive end in California by one recruiting service ... in his senior season, made 57 total tackles, 40 were solo ... averaged 6.3 tackles per game ... had 10 sacks on the year ... recovered one fumble ... an honors student in high school who was on the honor roll for six semesters ... first-team All-Sunset League ... team captain and Most Valuable Player ... blocked one field goal ... helped Los Alamitos to a 7-4 record in 2006 ... Pat Hill: "He reminds me of Garrett McIntyre (2005 WAC Defensive Player of the Year) on film out of high school. He plays with a great motor."
Chris Carter, Linebacker/Defensive Line, 6-2, 220, Fontana, Calif. (Kaiser Fontana)
A tremendous pass rusher who is explosive off the ball ... tallied 106 tackles and 21 quarterback sacks in his senior season ... selected third-team All-State ... named Academic All-State ... nominated for Red Zone Player of the Year ... has been inducted into the San Bernadino Hall of Fame ... named the Defensive Most Valuable Player in his league ... was named to All-CIF, all-county and all-area teams ... in his junior season, had 89 tackles and 13 sacks ... one blocked punt ... rated as the fifth-best outside linebacker in California by one recruiting service ... helped his team to a 10-3 record ... brother, David, is a linebacker at UCLA ... Pat Hill: "Chris is an explosive player who makes a lot of big plays. He's got great potential to become an excellent pass rusher for us on passing downs. In the WAC, putting pressure on the quarterback is a premium and I see him filling a need."
Leslie Cooper, Offensive Line, 6-4, 260, Compton, Calif. (Dominguez)
First-team All-CIF Western Division selection as an offensive lineman ... led his team to a 13-1 record and a perfect 5-0 mark in the San Gabriel Valley League ... all-San Gabriel League ... second-team Long Beach Press Telegram Dream Team ... had one quarterback sack on defense and scored a touchdown against Chaminade ... Pat Hill: "Leslie won't be 18-years old until December. He has tremendous quickness and growth potential. He can play all five offensive line positions."
Devan Cunningham, Offensive Line, 6-6, 315, Rancho Cordova, Calif. (Grant)
A physically impressive player who was as dominating in high school as any player the Dogs recruited ... ranked as the seventh-best offensive tackle in California by one recruiting service ... helped his team to a 13-0 record and San Joaquin Section Division II championship ... paved the way for an offense that averaged better than 45 points per game ... with his already developed physical strength and skills, could see action early on his career ... a mature player who finishes plays ... earned all-area and first-team All-Sacramento Bee Metro team ... selected the conference lineman of the year and first-team All-Nor Cal ... recruited by BYU, Arizona and Colorado ... Pat Hill: "Devan is a very impressive football player. He has tremendous size and strength, but what we liked most is his intensity for the game. He has great character and I think he's got potential to play at a very high level of college football."
Sharrod Davis, Defensive Back, 5-11, 190, Spring Valley, Calif. (Grossmont College)
A junior college transfer who will have two seasons remaining ... expected to have an immediate impact for the Dogs ... signed in 2004 with Oregon, where he spent two years including one as a redshirt ... played the 2006 season at Grossmont College, where he was selected first-team All-Foothill Conference ... honorable mention Gridwire All-American ... helped his team to a 9-1 record ... tied for the team lead with four interceptions and had 84 yards in returns ... played on the best pass defense team in the league that allowed just five touchdown passes and had 18 interceptions on the season ... a good athlete, who returned punts and kickoffs ... while at Oregon in 2005, he averaged 20.9 yards per kickoff return, playing in eight games on special teams ... played at Monte Vista High School ... scored 12 touchdowns on offense ... helped his team to an 11-2 record and in which he had four interceptions ... rushed for more than 1,000 yards in both his sophomore and junior seasons .. a first-team All-East County player who was rated one of the Top 50 players in the state by Super Prep ... Pat Hill: "Sharrod is the only junior college player we signed. He fills an immediate need for us at cornerback and has the speed and experience to come in and contribute right away. He's played in the Pac-10 in some tough environments so I expect he will come here battle tested. He could be a big part of our special teams."
Terrance Dennis, Defensive Back, 5-11, 170, Pomona, Calif. (Diamond Ranch)
A quick defensive back with good feet that could play either corner or safety ... all-league and All-CIF nods as a senior safety ... selected All-San Gabriel Valley ... Prepstar Magazine preseason all-region ... ranked by one recruiting service as the 14th-best safety in California ... finished the year with 108 tackles, including 8 tackles for loss and 2 sacks ... earned first-team all-league and honorable mention All-CIF honors as a junior ... also recruited by Arizona State and Colorado State ... enjoys basketball and listening to music away from the field ... cousin Hershell Dennis played for USC ... father, Terry, played for the Bulldogs in 1983 and 1984 ... Pat Hill: "Terrance is a strong, physical player in the mold of some of our outstanding safeties. He can hit and cover and he understands our program. He's a Bulldog type of player."
Matt Faulkner, Quarterback, 6-2, 185, Highland Village, Texas (Marcus)
A strong-armed quarterback who will fit into the mold of outstanding Bulldog passers of years past ... among the top passing quarterbacks in Texas as a senior ... second-team 6-5A all-district selection ... completed 62 percent of his passes for over 2,300 yards and 20 touchdowns ... threw for 403 yards in the season opening game and set a school record with 35 pass completions in that game ... later broke that record with 37 completions, including four touchdown passes in a game ... played at a Texas High School powerhouse that won the 1995 state championship ... Pat Hill: "Matt's the kind of player we like to have in a quarterback. He's tough and smart. He makes great decisions on the field. He played in a very good league in Texas against some great competition. He's got the ability to be a very good college quarterback."
Kevin Goessling, Kicker, 5-10, 165, Placentia, Calif. (Servite)
Selected first-team All-Orange County Register ... made 29-of-30 PATs on the season and connected on 8-of-14 field goal attempts ... his season-long was from 41 yards ... has a strong leg and generally kicks the ball through the end zone on kickoffs ... All-Trinity League first-team selection ... considered by many the best to ever kick at Servite High School ... helped his team to a 7-3 record ... Pat Hill: "We have been fortunate to have a great legacy of kickers at Fresno State and Kevin fits into that mold. He's got a strong leg and should be able to come in here and learn from John Baxter, who I believe is the best special teams coach in the nation."
Isaiah Green, Cornerback, 5-10, 180, Long Beach (Long Beach Poly)
Had a strong senior year on one of the stingiest defenses in California... had 36 tackles and one interception... deflected 10 passes... excellent track runner ... has run the 100- meters in 10.50 ... anchored the 4x100 meter relay team that ran a 41.03 and won the 2005 World Youth Championships Gold medal held in Africa ... ran a leg on the national high school record-setting 4x200 meter relay team ... Pat Hill: "Isaiah comes from a premier high school program in the nation. He's a tremendous athlete with amazing speed. He will be one of the top sprinters in the state again this year."
Bryce Harris, Offensive Line, 6-6, 240, Tulare, Calif. (Tulare Union)
Has a 4.17 GPA ... outstanding high school basketball player ... averaging 15 points per and 3.3 blocks per game while scoring over 30 points in three games this season ... been selected All-East Yosemite League for three straight seasons ... had four sacks and 38 tackles on defense ... had season highs of seven tackles against Porterville and Monache ... Pat Hill: "I believe Bryce is going to be a very good offensive lineman for the Dogs. He's a tough guy and very smart who plays hard. He's strong and explosive and a great athlete."
Porter Hill, Defensive Line, 6-4, 275, Compton, Calif. (Compton)
One scouting service had him ranked as the fourth-best prep defensive tackle in California ... had 53 tackles, 19 of them solo from his defensive tackle position ... caught one touchdown pass as a tight end ... first-team All-Moore League ... first-team All-Dream Team West Coast ... selected the co-lineman of the year in his league ... helped Compton to an 8-4 record in 2006 ... had a season-high eight tackles in the season finale against Lutheran ... recovered one fumble ... highly recruited player, including offers from Washington State, Baylor and Colorado State ... Pat Hill: "A powerful, strong and aggressive player. We love the way he controls the line of scrimmage in the middle. With his passion and work ethic and physical skills, he should become an excellent college player."
Zak Hill, Defensive Back, 6-2, 190, Fresno, Calif. (Clovis West)
Defensive stalwart for local power Clovis West High School, a team that was nationally ranked for part of the season ... named third-team All-State by Cal-Hi Sports ... selected to the Fresno Bee All-Star First Team ... made 90 tackles in 11 games as a senior ... first-team All-TRAC ... coached by Jim Hartigan ... he says "Zak's a very good player capable of achieving success at the next level." ... son of Fresno State head coach Pat Hill ... brother Matt signed to play football with Cal Poly ... played basketball for Clovis West, a program that advanced to the California state title game last March ... also recruited by Utah, Stanford and Colorado ... Pat Hill: "His athletic ability comes from his mom. He's a smart player who is obviously very familiar with our program. I look forward to having him as a Bulldog."
Bryson Hodges, Running Back, 5-10, 200, Bakersfield, Calif. (Golden Valley)
Ran for 1,387 yards on 200 carries his senior year ... had a long of 57 yards ... scored 16 touchdowns on the ground ... first-team all-league ... second team All-State selection ... made 13 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown ... on defense, made 53 total tackles, 26 solo ... made two fumble recoveries ... returned 9 kickoffs for 178 yards ... had 213 rushing yards and four touchdowns against East Bakersfield ... helped the Golden Valley Bulldogs to a 9-3 overall record ... Pat Hill: "Bryson is a tough-running back who can get tough yards. He fits the mold of what we want from our running backs. He plays with a great motor and is very strong in the lower body."
Kyle Knox, Linebacker/Defensive Line, 6-1, 215, Los Angeles, Calif. (St. Bernard)
A standout player who led his team with 42 tackles and 10 sacks in his senior season... contributed 22 assists and 2 fumble recoveries... first-team all-Del Rey league ... selected the outstanding lineman his senior season .. led the Southern Section in quarterback sacks ... had a season-high 10 tackles against Bosco Tech ... scored on a 30-yard run following a fumble recovery...formerly known as Kyle Smith ... Pat Hill: "Kyle has a great motor and great explosiveness. He's going to fit into our program and we expect him to use his speed to put pressure on the quarterback."
Tim Lang, Athlete, 6-0, 190, Sacramento, Calif. (Grant)
A multi-position high school athlete, who as a quarterback accounted for 35 touchdowns as a senior, rushing for 16 and passing for 19 while guiding his squad to a perfect 13-0 record and San Joaquin Section Division II title ...named the Sacramento Bee Player of the Year ... selected first-team All-State ... two-time player of the year ... rated as the 12th best quarterback in California by one recruiting service ... led a high-powered offense that averaged over 45 points per game and scored 50 or more points six times... led his team to a 78-0 win over McClatchy ... Lang completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,330 yards and threw just four interceptions ... he averaged nearly 9.7 yards per carry ... a versatile all-round there who returned punts and kickoffs, played on defense and served as the Pacer's punter, averaging over 35 yards per punt ... played with Bulldog signees Devan Cunningham and J.J. Stallworth ... Pat Hill: "Tim Lang is a special young man. He's a tremendously gifted football player who had the potential to play a lot of different positions. He's got great position flexibility, from quarterback to several skill positions. He can make a great impact for our team and be a difference maker on the field."
Matt Lindsey, Receiver, 6-0, 185, Clovis, Calif. (Clovis)
Selected the Clovis Independent co-offensive Player of the Year after catching 77 passes for 1,260 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games ... averaged 16.4 yards per receptions .... had 13 receptions for 225 yards and two touchdowns in the season opening game against Bellermine Prep ... selected first-team All-TRAC ... selected second-team All-State ... an excellent basketball player for Clovis. Pat Hill: "Matt has some exceptional skills that will make him a good receiver in our program. He has great hands and runs great routes. I like the way we plays the game. He's a good football player."
Ryan Mathews, Running Back, 5-11, 205 Bakersfield, Calif. (West)
The national and California leader in rushing as a senior while playing as a combo of quarterback/running back ... selected second-team All-America ... took snaps in the shotgun formation, making direct runs from that position ... averaged just under 300 yards per game as a senior, tallying 3,396 yards and 44 touchdowns while also leading the state in scoring ... first-team All-State ... his rushing total was a Central Section record ... threw for 851 yards and 11 touchdowns ... had five games of 300 yards or more, including a season high 415 yards against South ... had 374 yards twice (vs. Ridgeview and Centennial) ... averaged 41 yards on his eight kickoff returns ... originally raised in Tehachapi, moved to Bakersfield to face tougher competition athletically with his adopted brother ... led the Vikings to a CIF championship in 2005, rushing for 1,104 yards and 18 touchdowns ... also played linebacker for West ...recruited by Colorado and Arizona State ... Pat Hill: "Ryan Mathews is a special football player. He was as dominating as player in the state last year. He was simply unstoppable. He runs very hard. He's a punishing runner who can wear down a defense."
Kyle Rainer, Offensive Line, 6-5, 265, Moorpark, Calif. (Moorpark)
An all-league tackle his senior year ... one of the best pass blockers in school history ... has good quickness and good size ... was a key part of an offensive line that produced a 3,000 yard rusher ... helped Moorpark to an 11-3 record in 2006 ... Moorpark head coach Tim Lins on Rainer: "He's a hard worker and he has great potential. What I like most about Kyle is his willingness to improve." ... Pat Hill: "He's the kind of player we love to have in our program. He's got the toughness we want in our offensive linemen. He's already got good size and will develop with our strength program."
Austin Raphael, Linebacker, 6-2, 225, Jamestown, Calif. (Sonora)
Prepped at Sonora High School ... was the first player to commit to Fresno State just prior to the start of his senior season ... has great speed ... played just two games in his senior season before suffering a season-ending injury ... was a dominating player in Fresno State's team in the summer of 2006 ... his team went 6-5 and lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2006 ... went 5-2 in the Valley Oak League ... his junior season the shared the Valley Oak Championship and reached the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III title game ... Pat Hill: "Austin is the only linebacker we signed in this class and we are very excited he's going to be a Bulldog. He has great explosiveness and playmaking ability."
Ryan Skidmore, Tight End, 6-5, 225, Bakersfield, Calif. (East Bakersfield)
A big-play tight end who averaged nearly 24 yards per reception as a senior ... had 28 receptions for 680 yards and six touchdowns ... ranked as the ninth-best tight end in California by one recruiting service ... his longest catch of the season was 55 yards against North ... first-team all-league and all-area ... a very good student ... recruited by Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State ... as a junior, had 22 receptions for over 300 yards and three touchdowns ... finished third in the Southeast Yosemite League in receiving yards ... served as the team's punter for part of the season ... Pat Hill: "Ryan has great size and will fit right in with the rest of our tight ends. He's a good athlete, a big target and runs well."
Eric Sproal, Offensive Lineman, 6-4, 280, Yorba Linda, Calif. (El Dorado)
First-team all-state selection as a senior at tackle for El Dorado High School in Yorba Linda ... will start out playing in the interior line ... also named first-team all-county and all-league after leading his team to a 13-1 record ... ranked as the eighth-best offensive guard in California by one recruiting service ... coached by Jeff Bailey, who describes Sproal as "an athletic big man ... very coachable" ... also recruited by Arizona, Arizona State and Nevada ... Pat Hill: "Eric is a great athlete. He has good strength and explosiveness. He fit the mold of a Bulldog guard, like Ryan Wendell and Cole Popovich."
J. J. Stallworth, Defensive Back, 5-11, 185, Sacramento, Calif. (Grant)
A versatile player with experience playing on both offense and defense ... on defense he had a Sacramento-area best 10 interceptions and also had two fumble recoveries ... third-team all-state selection ... had 30 tackles and 11 assists ... helped his team to a 13-0 record and San Joaquin Section Division II championship ... as a wide receiver he had 20 receptions for 484 yards with eight touchdown receptions ... had nine kickoff returns for 191 yards ... best game of the season was in the finale against Del Oro, in which he had 106 receiving yards and had three interceptions ... first-team All-Nor Cal ... was a Cal Hi All State Nominee from Sac Joaquin ... selected third-team All-State ... joins high school teammates Tim Lang and Devan Cunningham ... he is the younger brother of Philadelphia Eagles receiver Donte' Stallworth ... Pat Hill: "J.J. is an explosive player. He had great position flexibility and could play on either side of the ball."
Jermaine Thomas, Defensive back, 5-11, 180, Duarte, Calif. (Duarte)
A speedy and highly-touted two-way player in high school, will start out in the defensive backfield for Fresno State ... an athletic corner who will be able to make plays ... ranked among the top 100 cornerbacks in the country by multiple recruiting services ... as a senior, recorded eight interceptions and returned two for touchdowns ...had 215 yards in interception returns ... also amassed over 2,300 all-purpose yards while playing as a receiver and kick returner ... led team in scoring and in receptions, as the team went undefeated in the Montview League ... earned all-league honors two years running as a cornerback ... also named all-league as a wide receiver in 2006 ... also recruited by Washington State and Nebraska ... coached by Wardell Crutchfield ... Pat Hill: "Jermaine is a tremendous athlete. He's got great speed and change of direction, which should make for a good college cornerback."
Phillip Thomas, Athlete, 6-0, 190, Bakersfield, Calif. (Bakersfield)
Ran for 612 yards on 84 carries his senior season ... scored eight touchdowns on the ground with a long of 75 yards ... played in just six games ... first-team all-league for two straight years ... had 10 tackles in a 14-7 loss to high-power Sacramento Grant in the first game of the season ... selected second-team All-State ... rated as the 13th best cornerback in California by one recruiting service ... had three receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown ... also threw for two touchdowns ... as a defensive back, made 21 total tackles, 14 solo ... had two interceptions for 30 yards ... helped the Drillers to an 8-4 overall record in 2006 ... Pat Hill: "Phillip was one of our first offers and we are glad he committed to Fresno State. He's going to be a good player for us. He's a tremendous athlete and has great position flexibility."
Devon Wylie, Receiver, 5-9, 170, Roseville, Calif. (Granite Bay)
A third-team all-state selection ... scored 19 touchdowns last season, 15 on the ground as he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and had 532 receiving yards ... caught four touchdown passes ... averaged 7.9 yards per carry and nearly 14 yards per reception ... selected the offensive team MVP ... first-team All-Metro by the Sacramento Bee ... Sierra Foothills League MVP ... helped the Grizzlies to a 9-2 record ... comes from the same high school that produced for Bulldog star and current Atlanta Falcons receiver Adam Jennings ... rated as the 19th best receiver in California by one recruiting service ... Pat Hill: "He will remind Bulldog fans of Adam Jennings. He possesses that kind of explosiveness and change of direction. He's an exciting player who can score on any given possession."
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