Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Football Announces Recruiting Class
4/19/2011 8:00:00 AM | Football
April 19, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell head football coach Joe Susan has announced that 29 student-athletes will join the Bison program this fall. The recruiting class features 23 players from Pennsylvania (13) and New Jersey (10), and 28 of the 29 members hail from within reasonable driving distance of Bucknell.
The biographies on the members of the Class of 2015 include a long list of all-state, all-conference and all-academic accolades. Of the 29 incoming student-athletes, Susan and his staff project 12 to play on the defensive side of the ball, 11 to play offense, one to serve as a kicker and a handful of others who have excelled on both sides of the ball whose positions have not yet been determined.
"We are very excited about the quality of the young men we were able to recruit this year," said Susan of his first full recruiting class as Bucknell head coach. "They represent a group of talented student-athletes. We were fortunate to take care of some unique position needs in this group. They represent the best and the brightest. They will prosper by their experience at Bucknell and will be great additions to our program and to the University. Because we cannot redshirt players, some will be called on to play right away. We look forward to having them on campus and the privilege of coaching them the next four years."
Bucknell wrapped up spring practice this past Saturday with the annual spring game. The Bison open their 2011 campaign Sept. 3 against Duquesne at 6 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/High School |
| Jaylen Amaker | DB | 6-0 | 180 | Bronx, N.Y./Mount St. Michael Academy |
| Demetrius Baldwin | DE | 6-1 | 275 | Rankin, Pa./The Linsly School (W. Va.) |
| Josh Brake | WR | 6-3 | 200 | Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound |
| Josh Butler | LB | 6-0 | 210 | Quakertown, Pa./Woodberry Forest (Va.) |
| Evan Byers | LB | 6-0 | 218 | Roaring Brook, Pa./Wyoming Seminary/Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.) |
| Dominique Daniels | LB | 6-0 | 200 | Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt |
| Matt Donaldson | DE | 6-3 | 245 | Wayne, Pa./Archbishop Carroll |
| Jordan Dudas | SAF | 6-0 | 190 | Lake City, Pa./Girard |
| Nevin Hagman | OL | 6-3 | 265 | McMurray, Pa./Peters Township |
| Jake Hartman | WR | 6-3 | 200 | Little Egg Harbor, N.J./Pinelands |
| Kareem Hyman | QB/DB | 6-1 | 200 | Somerset, N.J./Franklin |
| Connor Hayes | DE | 6-2 | 230 | Allenhurst, N.J./Ocean Township |
| Christopher Ibrahim | QB/DB | 6-0 | 185 | Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central |
| Patrick Kelly | TE/DE | 6-4 | 225 | Murrysville, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic |
| Trey Lauletta | QB | 6-1 | 190 | Exton, Pa./Downingtown East |
| Josh Lebo | TE | 6-3 | 220 | New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Cliff |
| Lee Marvel | LB | 6-0 | 200 | Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North/The Hill School |
| Derek Maurer | K | 6-0 | 180 | Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway |
| Dylan McDonnell | LB | 6-1 | 235 | Brick, N.J./Brick Township |
| Daniel McManus | DL | 6-0 | 275 | Baltimore, Md./Eastern Tech |
| Brandon Noblett | OL | 6-2 | 285 | East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow |
| Vinnie Pini | WR/KR | 5-10 | 185 | Burlington, N.J./Burlington Township |
| Lonnie Rawles | OL | 6-4 | 275 | Perth Amboy, N.J./Perth Amboy |
| Drake Rodgers | WR | 6-3 | 190 | Marlton, N.J./Cherokee |
| Mike Spear | OL | 6-3 | 280 | Pennsauken, N.J./Bishop Eustace |
| Matthew Steinbeck | SAF | 6-0 | 190 | Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny |
| Mike Taylor | OL | 6-4 | 265 | Hershey, Pa./Hershey |
| Ryan Woo | DB/WR | 5-9 | 180 | Ebensburg, Pa./Bishop Carroll |
| Tyler Zbytek | TE/DE | 6-3 | 225 | Lockport, N.Y./Akron |
Jaylen Amaker, DB, 6-0, 180, Bronx, N.Y./Mount St. Michael Academy
Jaylen Amaker ... born Oct. 3, 1993 in Harlem, N.Y. ... son of Jeanette Chirico ... has one brother, Joel ... played football, basketball and baseball at Mount St. Michael Academy, earning three varsity letters in each ... two-year football team captain ... named all-league and all-city in football ... also earned All-Bronx/Manhattan honors ... named Old Spice Football Player of the Year ... Outback Empire State Challenge participant ... didn't play organized football until ninth grade ... played quarterback and cornerback during high school ... all-league selection in baseball ... member of National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.
Demetrius Baldwin, DE, 6-1, 275, Rankin, Pa./The Linsly School (W. Va.)
Demetrius Lamonte Baldwin ... born July 3, 1993 in Pittsburgh, Pa. ... son of Lisa Baldwin-Youngblood and Marlon Youngblood ... has two siblings, Amon Baldwin-Youngblood and Niyah Baldwin-Youngblood ... played football, basketball and track at The Linsly School in Wheeling, W. Va. ... football team captain ... All-OVAC Honorable Mention ... chosen to participate in the OVAC All-Star game ... Stubbs Award recipient ... named the track team's top thrower ... uncle, Greg Baldwin, played football at Louisville ... uncle, Jeff Baldwin, played basketball at Duquesne ... cousin, Lewis Askew, played football at Maryland ... great uncle, Alonzo Johnson, was a professional boxer.
Josh Brake, WR, 6-3, 200, Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound
Joshua Alexander Brake ... born Oct. 29, 1992 in Portland, Ore. ... son of Donnie and Beth Brake ... has two siblings, D.L. and Caleb ... lettered in football and basketball as a junior and senior at Flower Mound High School ... football team captain as a senior ... earned team's Fighting Heart Award for leadership and work ethic ... two-time First Team All-District 8 wide receiver ... First Team All-Texas 5A as a senior ... had 53 catches for 1,219 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior ... most receiving touchdowns in North Texas ... 1,549 all-purpose yards ... returned punts and kickoffs ... had a school-record 97-yard receiving touchdown ... served as holder for extra points and field goals ... All-Academic 5A District in basketball as a junior ... father played professional basketball in France ... anticipating to major in psychology.
Josh Butler, LB, 6-0, 210, Quakertown, Pa./Woodberry Forest (Va.)
Joshua Steward Butler ... born May 22, 1992 in Williamsville, N.Y. ... son of Patrice and Steward Butler ... has one brother, Matthew ... member of football and track teams at Woodberry Forest School ... Virginia Prep League Defensive All-Prep Team ... Second Team All-Virginia ... 2010 All-Central Virginia Honorable Mention LB ... father played football at Washington & Lee.
Evan Byers, LB, 6-0, 218, Roaring Brook, Pa./Wyoming Seminary/Trinity-Pawling (N.Y.)
Evan Christopher Byers ... born Oct. 15, 1991 in Alexandra, Va. ... son of Scott and June Byers ... has two brothers and one sister ... spent a post-graduate year at Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling, N.Y., after graduating from Wyoming Seminary ... earned four varsity letters in football at Wyoming Seminary and one at Trinity-Pawling ... also played basketball first three years at Wyoming Seminary ... two-time football team captain ... First Team All-Founders League and First Team All-New England Prep A in football ... basketball team captain as a junior ... three-time first-team all-division selection ... second-team all-area as a junior ... brother, Elliott, will be a senior on Stanford's baseball team in 2011-12.
Dominique Daniels, LB, 6-0, 200, Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt
Dominique Kahlil Daniels ... born July 12, 1993 in Newark, Del. ... son of Desiree Davis and Derrick Daniels ... has one sibling, BaKari Mapp ... earned three varsity letters in football at Eleanor Roosevelt High School ... only sophomore on varsity in 2008 ... all-county selection and team captain as a senior ... earned Coaches Award as a senior ... four-time academic award winner ... Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Student Leader in 2010-11 ... active in church community, volunteering with Children's Ministry ... traveled abroad as Student Ambassador with People to People to London and Brussels, France ... member of Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
Matt Donaldson, DE, 6-3, 245, Wayne, Pa./Archbishop Carroll
Matthew Otis Donaldson ... born Sept. 20, 1992 in Philadelphia, Pa. ... son of Angela Donaldson ... has one brother, Dan, and one sister, Cara ... earned three varsity letters in football and two in basketball at Archbishop Carroll High School ... three-time All-Catholic selection, twice on defense and once on offense ... All-State, All-Delco, All-Main Line, All-Area and All-County selection ... Philadelphia Inquirer Player of the Week ... Old Spice Player of the Year nominee.
Jordan Dudas, S, 6-0, 190, Lake City, Pa./Girard
Jordan David Dudas ... born May 26, 1992 in Erie, Pa. ... son of Gary and Kim Dudas ... has two brothers and three sisters ... three-sport (football, basketball, track) star at Girard High School ... football team captain ... first-team all-conference DB and RB ... qualified for states and nationals in 60-meter dash.
Nevin Hagman, OL, 6-3, 265, McMurray, Pa./Peters Township
Nevin Alexander Hagman ... born Aug. 10, 1993 in Pittsburgh, Pa. ... son of Eric and Mary Lou Hagman ... has one brother, Arden ... two-year football letterwinner at Peters Township High School ... two-time WPIAL AAAA Great Southern Conference all-conference selection ... team captain as a senior ... selected to participate in annual BEE-Graphic Football Classic.
Jake Hartman, WR, 6-3, 200, Little Egg Harbor, N.J./Pinelands
Jacob Ryan Hartman ... born Feb. 12, 1993 in Mt. Holly, N.J. ... son of Stephen and Sandi Hartman ... has three brothers, Stephen Jr., Jeremy and Noel, and one sister, Elisha ... four-year basketball and baseball letterwinner at Pinelands Regional High School ... earned three letters in football ... football team captain and MVP ... first-team all-division selection ... named Second Team All-Shore ... basketball team captain and two-year MVP ... first-team all-division ... scored more than 1,000 points in career ... father played football at West Chester.
Kareem Hyman, QB/DB, 6-1, 200, Somerset, N.J./Franklin
Kareem Jabar Hyman ... born Dec. 8, 1993 in Somerville, N.J. ... son of Kevin and Shelby Hyman ... has one brother, Kevin ... football team captain at Franklin High School ... first-team all-area, first-team all-county, first-team all-division and second-team All-Group 4 ... earned Team Award for Excellence, also known as the Patrick Dolan Award.
Connor Hayes, DE, 6-2, 230, Allenhurst, N.J./Ocean Township
Connor Anthony Hayes ... born Sept. 8, 1992 in Long Branch, N.J. ... son of Fran and Lisa Hayes ... has two brothers, Tyler (21) and Trevor (13), and one sister, Alexa (7) ... Tyler is a student at Duke ... member of football and lacrosse teams at Ocean Township High School ... football team captain ... three-year, two-way starter ... second-team all-division ... recipient of 2011 Lombardi Award ... All-Academic/All-Spartan Team in 2011 ... three-time Spartan Scholar ... 2011 All-Shore All-Academic Team ... senior class president ... member of National Honor Society ... DECA-2010 state finalist.
Christopher Ibrahim, QB/DB, 6-0, 185, Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central
Christopher Robert Ibrahim ... born Sept. 17, 1992 in New Brunswick, N.J. ... son of Robert and Doniki Ibrahim ... has two sisters, Karlie Rose and Kassandra ... member of football and track and field teams at Hunterdon Central Regional High School ... football team captain ... Hunterdon County Democrat Player of the Year ... Star Ledger All-West Jersey Player of the Year ... All-Mid-State Conference First Team QB ... Courier News All-Area First Team QB ... All-Hunterdon County First Team QB ... Star Ledger All-West Jersey First Team QB ... Star Ledger All-State Group 4 First Team ... selected as team MVP ... National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award ... helped team to 19-3 record as a starter ... 3,128 passing yards, 24 TD passes, 772 rushing yards and 12 rushing TDs in varsity career ... school record-holder in the two- and three-man long jumps as a member of the track and field team ... posted longest jump in New Jersey by a sophomore in 2009 (21-8 ½) ... father is a 1984 graduate of Bucknell who was a member of the football team ... uncle, Micahel, played football at Maine in the early 1980s.
Patrick Kelly, TE/DE, 6-4, 225, Murrysville, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic
Patrick Robert Kelly ... born Oct. 31, 1992 in Pittsburgh, Pa. ... son of Bob and Nancy Kelly ... has three sisters, Melissa, Molly and Kathleen ... football team captain at Pittsburgh Central Catholic ... received Rock Award for special teams play ... second-team all-conference tight end ... cousin, Rodney, played football at Virginia Tech.
Trey Lauletta, QB, 6-1, 190, Exton, Pa./Downingtown East
Trey Joseph Lauletta ... born May 5, 1993 in Pensacola, Fla. ... son of Joe and Kim Lauletta ... has three siblings, Kyle, Bryce and Brooke ... three-year football and four-year lacrosse letterwinner at Downingtown East High School ... football team captain ... three-time all-conference QB ... Mini-Max Award winner ... helped team to three conference championships ... lacrosse team captain and all-conference selection ... also helped lax squad to three conference titles, resulting in six career conference crowns ... father, Joe, and uncle, Lex Lauletta, played football at Navy ... uncle, Lance Lauletta, played football and lacrosse at Bucknell before graduating in 1980.
Josh Lebo, TE, 6-3, 220, New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Cliff
Joshua David Lebo ... born Aug. 26, 1992 in Harrisburg, Pa. ... son of David and Marjorie Lebo ... has one brother, Matthew ... four-time letterwinner in football and basketball at Cedar Cliff High School ... also earned one letter in track and field as a senior ... captain of both football and basketball teams ... Mid-Penn Keystone All-Star Team TE ... Honorable Mention AAAA TE ... helped football team to regional playoffs and basketball team to state playoffs as a senior.
Lee Marvel, LB, 6-0, 200, Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North/The Hill School
Stanley Warner Marvel IV ... born Dec. 13, 1991 in Abington, Pa. ... son of Lee and Sue Marvel ... has three sisters, Amy, Kim and Bethany ... first four-time football letterwinner in school history at Council Rock High School North ... helped team to two District 1 AAAA playoff appearances ... three-time two-way all-league selection at RB and LB ... two-time First Team Suburban One National League selection as a LB ... team captain as a senior ... captain of 2010 Bucks County All-Star Game South team ... school's all-time leading tackler (354) ... 2009 Mini-Maxwell Award recipient ... helped The Hill School to a 6-3 record and second-place finish in Mid-Atlantic Prep League in 2010 during post-grad year ... First Team All-MAPL as both RB and LB ... recorded 134 tackles, rushed for 723 yards and scored eight touchdowns ... received Player's Player Award ... father played football at Delaware, graduating in 1975 ... sister, Amy, is a 2003 graduate of Bucknell who was captain of the Bison field hockey team ... sister, Bethany, played field hockey at Penn State was team captain in 2010 ... in addition to sister, Amy, uncle, Kevin Shinners '76, attended Bucknell.
Derek Maurer, K, 6-0, 180, Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway
Derek John Maurer ... born May 14, 1993 in Highland Park, Ill. ... son of John and Missy Maurer ... has one brother, Jackson (19), and one sister, Jenna (15) ... Jackson is a long-snapper at Rutgers, Bison head coach Joe Susan's former school ... father, John, played offensive line at Dayton ... two-year letterwinner in football and a four-time letterwinner in volleyball at Piscataway High School ... first-team all-area football player as a senior ... Honorable Mention all-area as a junior ... three-year volleyball team captain ... two-time all-area selection progressing from third team as a sophomore to second team as a junior.
Dylan McDonnell, LB, 6-1, 235, Brick, N.J./Brick Township
Dylan Christopher McDonnell ... born Oct. 14, 1992 in Freehold, N.J. ... son of Rose and Bill McDonnell ... has one sister, Brittany ... earned four letters in basketball, three in football and one in baseball at Brick Township High School ... three-year starter on football team ... earned team's Defensive Player of the Year Award and led team in rushing as a junior ... two-time all-division and all-county ... All-Shore Elite Squad selection ... All-Shore Academic Team ... team captain and team MVP as a senior ... selected as team's Weightlifter of the Year ... played RB, TE, LB and LS during career ... finished career with 245 tackles, two interceptions, 15 sacks and 47 tackles for loss ... four-year basketball starter and two-year team captain ... led team in scoring as both a junior and senior ... scored more than 900 career points ... earned team's leadership award and Big A Award (academics) ... was a pitcher and outfielder on the baseball team.
Daniel McManus, DL, 6-0, 275, Baltimore, Md./Eastern Tech
Clayton Daniel McManus ... born Dec. 30, 1993 in Baltimore, Md. ... son of Clayton and Sharon McManus ... has two siblings, Jake and Sam ... earned varsity letters in football and lacrosse at Eastern Technical High School ... two-time All-Metro and all-county in football ... 2010 all-state selection ... 2009 Small School All-State choice.
Brandon Noblett, OL, 6-2, 285, East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow
Brandon Thomas Noblett ... born May 26, 1993 ... son of Tom Noblett and Gina Ingardi ... has three sisters, Jenny, Keri and Marissa ... member of football, lacrosse and track teams at east Meadow High School ... two-year football team captain ... two-time all-county selection ... member of academic all-conference team ... named to Golden Eleven squad as one of the top 11 scholar-athletes in Suffolk County.
Vinnie Pini, WR/KR, 5-10, 185, Burlington, N.J./Burlington Township
Vincent Paul Pini ... born June 9, 1993 in Willingboro, N.J. ... son of Laura and Louis Pini ... has two sisters, Leah and Amanda ... member of football and track teams at Burlington Township High School ... football team captain ... named All-South Jersey and all-county ... two-time all-conference choice ... all-county and all-conference selection in track ... also helped relay to state title.
Lonnie Rawles, OL, 6-4, 275, Perth Amboy, N.J./Perth Amboy
Lonnie Cornelius Rawles ... born June 2, 1993 in New Brunswick, N.J. ... son of Thomas and Carla Rawles ... has three brothers, Larry Alexander, Thomas Rawles and Jamal Rawles, and one sister, Jaclyn Edwers ... member of football, track and basketball teams at Perth Amboy High School ... football and track team captain ... football first-team all-conference selection.
Drake Rodgers, WR, 6-3, 190, Marlton, N.J./Cherokee
Drake Michael Rodgers ... born April 14, 1993 in Voorhees, N.J. ... son of Don Rodgers ... has one sister, Kylie ... played football and basketball at Cherokee High School ... two-time First Team All-South Jersey Group 4 ... two-time First Team Burlington County All-Academic ... two-time First Team Lenape Regional All-Star ... First Team Olympic Conference All-Star ... First Team West Jersey League American Division All-Star.
Mike Spear, OL, 6-3, 280, Pennsauken, N.J./Bishop Eustace
Michael Generro Spear ... born Nov. 22, 1992 in Philadelphia, Pa. ... son of Rand and Laura Spear ... two-year football letterwinner at Bishop Eustace Preparatory ... also wrestled for one year ... football team captain as a senior ... First Team All-West Jersey Divisional ... Second Team All-South Jersey ... team MVP as a junior ... Second Team All-Olympic Conference junior year ... uncle, Mike Laprocito, played football at Cornell.
Matthew Steinbeck, S, 6-0, 190, Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny
Matthew John Steinbeck ... born Oct. 14, 1992 in Pittsburgh, Pa. ... son of Robert and Stephanie Steinbeck ... has two brothers, Michael and David ... three-time football letterwinner at North Allegheny High School ... also earned two letters in baseball ... football team captain ... two-time all-conference selection at DB ... helped team to state title ... member of all-state team ... father played football at Pittsburgh ... mother was member of swimming team at Pittsburgh.
Mike Taylor, OL, 6-4, 265, Hershey, Pa./Hershey
Michael James Taylor ... born June 20, 1993 in Hershey, Pa. ... son of Michele and Billy Taylor ... has four siblings, Brooke, Shannon, Kevin and Meredith ... three-time letterwinner in football and power lifting at Hershey High School ... also earned two letters in track and field ... diagnosed with a brain tumor early in high school career ... football team captain as a senior ... all-conference in 2009 and all-area in 2010 ... two-time winner of the Hershey Football Combine ... earned 2009 PA Sports Hall of Fame Courageous Athlete Award ... 2009 Hershey Football Triple Effort Award ... 2009 Harry Chapman Unsung Hero Award winner ... three-time powerlifting national qualifier ... two-time Regional Champion ... also a Regional runner-up ... 2009 state runner-up ... three-time 1,000-pound member ... 2009 district qualifier in the shot put and discus ... 2009 throwing points leader ... relative, Duane Barnes, played football at West Virginia in the early 1980s.
Ryan Woo, DB/WR, 5-9, 180, Ebensburg, Pa./Bishop Carroll
Ryan Austin Woo ... born May 10, 1993 in Altoona, Pa. ... son of Philip and Beth Woo ... has two brothers, Christopher (20) and Dane (14) ... member of football, basketball, baseball, golf and track teams during high school career at Bishop Carroll High School ... football team captain as a senior ... led team to District 6 title and Class A semifinal appearance ... nominee for Ken Lantzy's Finest 40 All-Star Game ... rushed for 2,137 yards and scored 22 touchdowns ... PA Sportswriters and PFN First Team All-State RB ... WesternPAFootball.net First Team RB ... First Team All-Laurel Highlands conference ... PFN All-Academic Team ... National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete ... pitcher and center fielder on baseball team ... All-Laurel Highlands Conference selection as a pitcher in 2010 ... helped basketball team to District 6 title ... sixth in Districts in 100-meter dash in 2010.
Tyler Zbytek, TE/DE, 6-3, 225, Lockport, N.Y./Akron
Tyler Alan Zbytek ... born June 3, 1993 in Amherst, N.Y. ... son of Alan and Wendy Zbytek ... has two siblings, Shad and Kaylee ... member of football, lacrosse and hockey teams at Akron Central High School ... two-year team captain in all three sports ... two-time first-team all-league football TE ... two-time football team MVP ... 2011 Call to Courage Award nominee ... three-time first-team all-league lacrosse defenseman ... Second Team All-Western New York in lacrosse.
