Northern Michigan University head football Coach Bernie Anderson announced the addition of 27 players to the fall 2011 Wildcat roster.  Of those players, 26 signed National Letters of Intent on the first day of the signing period. These 26 players will come to NMU, along with current enrollee Cody Scepaniak, as one of the strongest recruiting classes in Anderson’s tenure at the helm of the Wildcats.

“This is clearly the best recruiting class in my time here at Northern Michigan University,” Anderson said. “They all bring in very high character and academics;  our prime two areas of focus for this year’s recruiting class.”

The class includes 20 players from Michigan, eight of them from the Upper Peninsula, three from Wisconsin and one each from Illinois, Indiana, New York and New Jersey. There are 17 defensive and 10 offensive players, with key recruits coming in the secondary and quarterback positions.

“This class has more impact players, more players that can help us early and the overall talent is better,” Anderson said. “This fits exactly what we needed and wanted to accomplish with this class.”

In the 2010 season the Wildcat defense was ranked first in the GLIAC in total defense and eight in the country. The Wildcats finished 5-6 overall in 2010 and 5-5 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and featured the Wildcats in the first year of the spread offense.

Listed to the right are the individuals signed as of the first day of the signing period.

Daniel Bingel DB 6-4 190 Negaunee, Mich./Negaunee

Luke Capen WR 6-3 185 Ithaca, Mich./Ithaca

Matthew Dobson LB 6-0 180 Green Bay, Wis./Preble

Gabe Eppert WR 6-3 200 Ishpeming, Mich./Ishpeming

Zakary Green DT 6-1 260 Marquette, Mich./Marquette

Loran Jaddou DB 5-11 200 Bloomfield Hills, Mich/Brother Rice

Jim Joski DL 6-2 235 Kingsford, Mich./ Kingsford

Wyatt Jurasin LB 6-1 210 Marquette, Mich./Ishpeming

Ken Kalish OL 6-5 310 Schaumburg, Ill./Conant

Mitchell Kell OLB 6-2 210 Wyandotte, Mich./ Wyandotte

Brad Macario DT 6-1 270 Negaunee, Mich./Negaunee

Josh McNeil WR 6-0 185 West Orange, NJ/ West Orange

Bryan Mellema LB 6-2 205 Grand Rapids, Mich./ Grand Rapids Christian

Ryan Morley QB 6-1 180 Grand Blanc, Mich./ Grand Blanc

Joe Neeb RB 5-10 175 Menominie, Wis./ Menominie

Henry “Levi” Perry DB 6-1 200 Northville, Mich./Northville

Ryan Powell FS 5-11 175 Northville, Mich./-Canton

Scott Rademaker DL 6-0 230 Canton, Mich./ Canton

Cody Scepaniak QB 6-3 220 Bestao, N.Y./Bestao (Alfred State College)

Matt Smith LB 6-4 215 Hudson, Mich./ Hudson

Kyle Steuck OL 6-2 280 De Pere, Wis./ West De Pere

Colin Terry WR 6-3 180 Marquette, Mich./ Marquette

Bret Thomas WR 6-4 195 Charlotte, Mich./ Charlotte

Nate Thompson DB 5-11 175 Grand Rapids, Mich./ Grand Rapids Christian

Raymond Walsh DT 6-2 250 Whiting, Ind./ Bishop Noll

Zane Weaver DL 6-4 220 Greenville, Mich./ Greenville Sr. High

Chris Weber LB 6-0 210 Sault. Ste. Marie, Mich./ Sault Ste Marie