2005 UNC National Signing Day Release in PDF Format
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GREELEY, Colo. - University of Northern Colorado head football coach O. Kay Dalton and his staff announced today the signing of 17 recruits on national signing day. Included in the Class of 2005 are five players who were named first-team all-state performers. The Bears were able to capture 12 in-state players and landed five out-of-state recruits.

Heading the list of all-state selections is All-Colorado linebacker and the Defensive Player of the Year in the state Jake Duren (6-0, 218) from Littleton, Colo./Mullen HS. Duren led the state in tackles with 211 stops and helped lead his squad to a state championships as a senior.

Joining Duren as first-team all-state selections from Colorado are LB Thomas Bauer (Longmont, Colo./Niwot HS) and DB Ryan Lutz (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood HS). Bauer was a first-team selection in Class 3A and led the Cougars to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the state playoffs. Lutz was an all-purpose player and was the only player in the state to score via receiving, rushing and passing this past season. The Bears also inked a pair of out-of-state first-teamers in WR Sam McCurdy (Oklahoma City, Okla./Heritage Hall HS) and OL Jacob Thornbrue (Oklahoma City, Okla./Moore HS). McCurdy notched 75 receptions and 26 touchdowns as a senior, while Thornbrue was known as the "Virtual Blocking Machine" by his prep teammates.

Comments from Coach Dalton

General comments ...
"We addressed several areas in our recruiting this season. We knew we had to address the offensive line and I think we accomplished that with some solid signings in the high school and junior college ranks. For the first time in our Division I move we were able to secure a recruiting budget and that certainly made a difference in who we were able to go after this year."

On where an emphasis during the recruiting occurred ...
"We also had to look at the defensive side of the ball and fill some voids left by graduation over the past two years. We were able to fill those needs as well with some quality talent."

On the class as a whole ...
"Overall, we had another successful recruiting class. I always give credit to our whole coaching staff because they are the ones that put in all the hours of evaluating prospects and making the phone calls so we can land the most talented players available."

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Martin Awachie, DL
6' 3", 263 pounds
Fort Collins, Colo. (Fort Collins High School)
Helped lead his team to the state semifinals as a senior ... earned all-conference honors as a defensive lineman ... tallied 58 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and an interception as a senior ... his strength and ability to run will help him become a force on any defensive front. High school coach: Eric Rice. Parent: Florence Awachie. Birthdate: Jan. 25, 1987.

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Thomas Bauer, LB
6' 2", 212 pounds
Longmont, Colo. (Niwot High School)
Helped lead the Niwot Cougars to an undefeated regular season and an appearance in the state semifinals ... earned first-team all-state (3A) honors ... named to the all-conference team as a senior ... 2004 CHSAA scholar-athlete recipient for his work in the classroom. High school coach: Ron Tesone. Parents: Ron and Deb Bauer. Birthdate: Oct. 21, 1986.

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Jake Duckett, DL
6' 3", 206 pounds
Littleton, Colo. (Dakota Ridge High School)
Earned honorable mention all-state (4A) honors as senior ... tallied 49 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss and four sacks ... helped lead the Daktoa Ridge Eagles to the Class 4A state championship game ... strong, physical player. High school coach: Ron Woitalewicz. Parents: Destry and Marilyn Duckett. Birthdate: Sept. 11, 1986.

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Jake Duren, LB
6' 1", 217 pounds
Littleton, Colo. (Mullen High School)
Named Rocky Mountain News Defensive Player of the Year ... earned All-Colorado honors at linebacker ... helped lead the Mullen Mustangs to an undefeated season and a Class 5A state championship ... led the state in tackles with 211 ... also earned all-conference honors. High school coach: Dave Logan. Parents: Gary and Karen Duren. Birthdate: Dec. 11, 1986.

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Andrew Emmerling, TE
6' 3", 217 pounds
Lakewood, Colo. (Green Mountain High School)
Helped lead the Green Mountain Rams to a 12-2 record (7-1 conference) to the Class 4A state playoffs ... two best receiving games came in the playoffs against Grand Junction Central (63 yards) and Greeley West (40 yards) ... excellent tight end for the Bears' system. High school coach: Don McGatlin. Parents: John and Kathy Emmerling. Birthdate: Oct. 3, 1986.

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Nate Falkner, TE/DE
6' 4", 198 pounds
Littleton, Colo. (Arapahoe High School)
Earned second-team all-state honors from the Rocky Mountain News ... named first-team all-conference as a senior ... recorded nine sacks for a net loss of 54 yards ... teammates named him the team MVP for his senior season at Arapahoe. High school coach: Mike Campbell. Parents: Patrick Falkner and Dena Carlson. Birthdate: Nov. 8, 1986.

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Ryan Hoot, DL
6' 1", 277 pounds
Alpharetta, Ga. (Chattahoochee High School)
Named defensive lineman of the year in Fulton County (Ga.) ... one of the most dominating linemen in the state of Georgia ... tallied numerous bone-crushing hits as a prep ... can make an immediate impact for the Bears. High school coach: Terry Crowder. Parents: Larry and Lisa Hoot. Birthdate: Feb. 22, 1987.

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Ryan Lutz, DB
5' 10", 184 pounds
Lakewood, Colo. (Lakewood High School)
All-purpose player for Lakewood HS ... was the only player in the state to score a touchdown via rushing, receiving and passing in 2004 ... finished No. 7 in the state in both receiving and tackles ... earned first-team all-state (Class 4A) honors from the Rocky Mountain News as a kick returner ... netted 128 rushing yards, 684 receiving yards and 90 passing yards. High school coach: Mark Robinson. Parents: Reed and Cheryl Lutz. Birthdate: June 16, 1986.

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Sam McCurdy, WR
5' 10", 173 pounds
Oklahoma City, Okla. (Heritage Hall High School)
An all-state performer from Oklahoma City ... torched defenses for 75 receptions and 26 touchdowns ... also a standout defensive back, who tallied 115 tackles and five interceptions as a senior ... has been compared to Wes Welker of the Miami Dolphins by opposing coaches. High school coach: Tracy Holland. Parents: Dr. Joe and Margaret McCurdy. Birthdate: Oct. 30, 1986.

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Stephen Michon, RB/DB
5' 10", 174 pounds
Englewood, Colo. (Cherry Creek High School)
Helped Cherry Creek reach the 5A state championship game ... finished his senior season with 174 carries for 925 yards (5.3 per carry) to rank No. 26 in the state ... possesses excellent speed, field awareness and athletic ability. High school coach: Greg Critchett. Parents: Joel and Louise Michon. Birthdate: May 3, 1987.

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Beau Miller, WR
6' 1", 180 pounds
Fresno, Calif. (Clovis West High School)
Tallied 56 catches for 990 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior at Clovis West HS in Fresno, Calif. ... nabbed five catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the Golden Eagles' Central Section Division I title game victory over Stockdale ... adept at catching passes in traffic. High school coach: Jim Hartigan. Parents: Kent and Victoria Miller. Birthdate: March 30, 1987.

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John Pryor, OL
6' 4", 301 pounds
Havana, Ill. (Havana H.S./Eastern Illinois Univ./Arizona Western College)
Enrolled at UNC and has been attending classes since school resumed in January ... attended Eastern Illinois University as a freshman ... transferred to Arizona Western Junior College and played there as a sophomore ... started all 10 games at AWC ... led the team in pancakes and achieved the Iron Man Award ... helped lead the nation in rushing and the squad finished 9th in the nation in total offense. High school coach: Butch Howerth. Parents: Dan and Julia Pryor. Birthdate: March 20, 1984.

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Kris Rainwater, TE/DE
6' 3", 208 pounds
Colorado Springs, Colo. (Pine Creek High School)
Earned honorable mention honors (Class 4A) from the Rocky Mountain News as a senior ... also earned all-conference honors as a tight end and defensive end ... solid blocker and sure hands as a tight end ... size and speed proved to be extremely valuable as a defensive end. High school coach: Mike Roof. Parents: Kerry and Kathleen Rainwater. Birthdate: Jan. 3, 1987.

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Jacob Thornbrue, OL
6' 6", 342 pounds
Oklahoma City, Okla. (Moore High School)
Known to his teammates as the "Virtual Blocking Machine" ... earned all-state honors in the state of Oklahoma ... his prep team averaged 340 total yards per game behind his blocking. High school coach: Tommy Noles. Parent: Debra Hayes. Birthdate: Dec. 27, 1986.

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Brian Wiedeman, QB
6' 3", 185 pounds
Greeley, Colo. (Greeley West High School)
Earned second-team all-state (Class 4A) honors from the Rocky Mountain News ... led the Spartans to a 10-3 record and its first trip ever to the state semifinals ... threw for 1,752 yards and 19 touchdowns, while rushing for 600 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. High school coach: Mark Roggy. Parents: Mike and Bobbie Wiedeman. Birthdate: Nov. 2, 1986.

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Quincy Wofford, DB
6' 2", 172 pounds
Pueblo, Colo. (Pueblo Centennial High School)
Three-sport star as a prep ... led the Bulldogs to a 6-1 conference record and 8-3 overall record as a senior ... the Bulldogs also earned a berth in the 2004 state playoffs ... great size, flashy speed and unparalleled athleticism. High school coach: Troy Niccoli. Parents: Sherman Wofford and Suzanne Gomez. Birthdate: Sept. 27, 1986.

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Jarrod Wright, OL
6' 4", 261 pounds
Centennial, Colo. (Arapahoe High School)
Earned honorable mention all-state (Class 5A) honors from the Rocky Mountain News ... anchored the offensive line for the Warriors as a senior ... ability to aggressively knock his opponent off the ball allowed Arapahoe the luxury of a great running game. High school coach: Mike Campbell. Parents: John and Jan Wright. Birthdate: Dec. 5, 1986.