Rocket Docket

Georgia defensive back commits to Rockets

The University of Toledo football team received a nonbinding verbal commitment tonight from Aaron Taylor, a defensive back from Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Rated as a two-star prospect by Scout.com, Taylor (6-1, 180) is the Rockets' 15th commitment for the 2012 recruiting class. He projects as a safety in college, or possibly the star (linebacker/safety hybrid in UT's 4-2-5 base defense).

Taylor reportedly also had offers from Ball State, Georgia State and Ohio, and was getting some pretty serious interest from Georgia Tech as well. As a junior last season, Taylor recorded 91 tackles, three pass breakups, one interception and one sack.

Per NCAA rules, UT coach Tim Beckman is not permitted to comment on any incoming recruits until they sign a national letter of intent.

And since he can't say it, I will. The Rockets' coaching staff has a nice number of recruits already signed, considering we're not even halfway through October. This in turn will allow them to take some more chances and go after some higher-caliber recruits as we get closer to Signing Day, knowing they already have surefire talent in the bag.

It's also a good sign of how far this program has risen that mid-level recruits aren't waiting around for bigger offers and see enough in the Rockets to give them a solid verbal well before Signing Day.

Beckman receives verbals from 2 Ohio standouts

Tim Beckman and the University of Toledo football team have recently received two more verbal commitments from Ohio prep standouts for the 2011 recruiting class.

Wide receiver Justin Olack from Massillon Washington and defensive back Noah Key from Columbus Bishop Hartley have given Beckman nonbinding pledges to join the Rockets next season.

Olack (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) is rated a three-star recruit by most scouting services and was originally committed to Pittsburgh before coach Dave Wannstedt was let go.

Key (5-11, 180), whose father David played cornerback at Michigan, was the Division IV co-offensive player of the year as a running back and helped Bishop Hartley win its first state title since 1986 last fall.

Per NCAA rules, Beckman cannot comment on any incoming recruits until they sign a national letter of intent. National signing day is Wednesday.

According to my count, these two commitments give Toledo 16 incoming freshmen and JUCO transfers, plus three D-I transfers (Emilien and the Haden brothers) and four grayshirts (Suggs, Gibbs, Lewis and James).

TOLEDO'S 2011 RECRUITING CLASS
OL Ethan Wirth (Williamston, Mich.)
OL Kyle Cameron (Toledo Central Catholic)
LB Trent Voss (East Grand Rapids, Mich.)
LB Gabe Gilbert (Clyde)
CB Kishon Wilcher (Detroit Cass Tech)
TE Colby Kratch (North Dakota State College of Science, two years of eligibility left)
K J.D. Detmer (Hilliard Davidson)
CB Cheatham Norrils (St. John's Jesuit)
LB Jordan Barnes (Western Oklahoma Community College, three years of eligibility left)
S Jordan Haden (Florida, must sit out 2011 season, three years of eligibility left)
RB Josh Haden (Boston College, two years of eligibility left)
S Vladimir Emilien (Michigan, must sit out 2011 season, three years of eligibility left)
WR Alonzo Russell (Milford Prep Academy)
CB Chris Dukes (Cincinnati Colerain)
S Junior Sylvestre (South Broward, Fla.)
DL Collin Perchinske (Padua Franciscan)
DL Matt Neal (Merrillville, Ind.)
WR Justin Olack (Massillon Washington)
DB Noah Key (Columbus Bishop Hartley)
DL Keenan Gibbs (Cincinnati LaSalle, grayshirt)
CB John James (Cleveland John Adams, grayshirt)
DL Phil Lewis (Grand Rapids Community College, grayshirt, two years of eligbility left)
CB Keith Suggs (Indianapolis Ben Davis, grayshirt)

Indiana defensive lineman commits to Toledo

The University of Toledo football team has received another commitment for its 2011 recruiting class.

Defensive lineman Matt Neal (6-4, 255) of Merrillville, Ind., gave coach Tim Beckman a nonbinding verbal pledge this morning to join the Rockets next season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Neal is the younger brother of Green Bay Packers rookie defensive end Mike Neal, who is on injured reserve. Neal was a standout at Purdue.

Per NCAA rules, Beckman cannot comment on any incoming recruits until they sign a national letter of intent. National signing day is Feb. 2.

According to my count, Neal's pledge gives Toledo 14 incoming freshmen and JUCO transfers, plus three D-I transfers (Emilien and the Haden brothers) and four grayshirts (Suggs, Gibbs, Lewis and James).

Here's an updated list of incoming recruits for the Rockets:

TOLEDO'S 2011 RECRUITING CLASS
OL Ethan Wirth (Williamston, Mich.)
OL Kyle Cameron (Toledo Central Catholic)
LB Trent Voss (East Grand Rapids, Mich.)
LB Gabe Gilbert (Clyde)
CB Kishon Wilcher (Detroit Cass Tech)
TE Colby Kratch (North Dakota State College of Science, two years of eligibility left)
K J.D. Detmer (Hilliard Davidson)
CB Cheatham Norrils (St. John's Jesuit)
LB Jordan Barnes (Western Oklahoma Community College, three years of eligibility left)
S Jordan Haden (Florida, must sit out 2011 season, three years of eligibility left)
RB Josh Haden (Boston College, two years of eligibility left)
S Vladimir Emilien (Michigan, must sit out 2011 season, three years of eligibility left)
WR Alonzo Russell (Milford Prep Academy)
CB Chris Dukes (Cincinnati Colerain)
S Junior Sylvestre (South Broward, Fla.)
DL Collin Perchinske (Padua Franciscan)
DL Matt Neal (Merrillville, Ind.)
DL Keenan Gibbs (Cincinnati LaSalle, grayshirt)
CB John James (Cleveland John Adams, grayshirt)
DL Phil Lewis (Grand Rapids Community College, grayshirt, two years of eligbility left)
CB Keith Suggs (Indianapolis Ben Davis, grayshirt) 

3 more verbals for UT football

As signing day approaches, the University of Toledo football team's 2011 recruiting class is starting to take shape.

Coach Tim Beckman received nonbinding verbal commitments this week from cornerback Chris Dukes of Cincinnati Colerain High, safety Junior Sylvestre of South Broward (Fla.) High, and defensive lineman Collin Perchinske of Padua Franciscan High.

Per NCAA rules, Beckman cannot comment on any incoming recruits until they sign a national letter of intent, with the earliest date they can do that being Feb. 2.

Dukes, Sylvestre, and Perchinske become the 10th, 11th, and 12th members of the Rockets' incoming class. UT is expected to sign anywhere from 14-15 new players on signing day, joining four grayshirts who committed to play for the Rockets in 2010 and three transfers from other Division I programs.

TOLEDO'S 2011 RECRUITING CLASS
OL Ethan Wirth (Williamston, Mich.)
OL Kyle Cameron (Toledo Central Catholic)
LB Trent Voss (East Grand Rapids, Mich.)
LB Gabe Gilbert (Clyde)
CB Kishon Wilcher (Detroit Cass Tech)
TE Colby Kratch (North Dakota State College of Science, two years of eligibility left)
K J.D. Detmer (Hilliard Davidson)
CB Cheatham Norrils (St. John's Jesuit)
LB Jordan Barnes (Western Oklahoma Community College, three years of eligibility left)
S Jordan Haden (Florida, must sit out 2011 season, three years of eligibility left)
RB Josh Haden (Boston College, two years of eligibility left)
S Vladimir Emilien (Michigan, must sit out 2011 season, three years of eligibility left)
CB Chris Dukes (Cincinnati Colerain)
S Junior Sylvestre (South Broward, Fla.)
DL Collin Perchinske (Padua Franciscan)
DL Keenan Gibbs (Cincinnati LaSalle, grayshirt)
CB John James (Cleveland John Adams, grayshirt)
DL Phil Lewis (Grand Rapids Community College, grayshirt, two years of eligbility left)
CB Keith Suggs (Indianapolis Ben Davis, grayshirt) 

Rockets sign 2 JUCO transfers

The University of Toledo football team has added a pair of a junior college transfers, coach Tim Beckman announced today.

Colby Kratch, a 6-4, 245-pound tight end from the North Dakota State College of Science, and Jordan Barnes, a 6-1, 240-pound linebacker from Western Oklahoma Community College, signed national letters of intent to play for the Rockets in 2011.

Kratch will have junior eligibility next fall, while Barnes will be a sophomore. Both players will enroll in school in January and participate in spring practice.

Beckman said he expects to add more mid-year transfers to the program in January. The signing day for high school recruits is Feb. 2.

More info on each player:

Jordan Barnes

• Linebacker, Sophomore, 6-1, 240, Fort Wayne, Ind.-Homestead H.S./Western Oklahoma Community College
• High School Coach: Chad Zolman
• Anticipated Major: Communication
• UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Ray Jackson, College of Arts & Sciences
• Quote from Beckman: “Jordan is an aggressive and physical linebacker who runs well and has good size. I recruited him at Oklahoma State so I’m familiar with him as a player and as a person. He is eligible to play next fall, which is important because we are losing Archie Donald and Drey’Lon Pree to graduation.”
• Notes: Barnes sat out the 2009 season as a redshirt at Oklahoma State, then transferred to WOCC (which does not have a football program) this past summer where he earned his Associate's degree. He was recruited to Oklahoma State by Beckman, who was the defensive coordinator there at the time. He earned first-team all-state, all-area and all-conference honors in both his junior and senior years in high school. His father, Roosevelt Barnes, was a linebacker at Purdue and also played with the Detroit Lions from 1982-85.

Colby Kratch

• Tight End, Junior, 6-4, 245, Watertown, Minn.-Watertown-Mayer H.S./North Dakota State College of Science
• High School Coach: Craig Johnson
• Junior College Coach: Chuck Parsons
• Anticipated Major: Communication
• UT Faculty/Staff Recruiting Assistant: Ray Jackson, College of Arts & Sciences
• Quote from Beckman: “Colby is an aggressive, hard-nosed tight end. He’s a tough possession receiver and an aggressive blocker in the run game. He comes from an athletic family. His father played at Iowa and then in the NFL for the Giants and the Patriots, and his mother was a high jumper at Iowa.”
• Notes: Kratch had 10 receptions as a sophomore in 2010 at the North Dakota State College of Science. He played his high school football at Watertown-Mayer High School in Minnesota where he had 40 tackles and seven sacks as a senior on the defensive line, earning all-conference honorable mention. Kratch, who also played high school hockey, is the son of Bob Kratch, an offensive lineman at the University of Iowa who also played in the NFL for eight years for the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Kratch’s mother, Kristi, was a high jumper at Iowa.

Ohio kicker commits to Rockets

University of Toledo coach Tim Beckman received a verbal commitment today from Hilliard Davidson kicker J.D. Detmer, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Detmer (5-10, 169) was a Columbus Dispatch All-Metro first-team selection after making 13 of 16 field goal attempts last season, including a 58-yarder and six of 40 or longer. He also was 53 of 55 on extra points for a Columbus-area-leading 92 points.

Originally a soccer player, Detmer joined his high school's football team for his sophomore season and was a key component of a Davidson team driven by defense, field position and ball control, according to The Dispatch.

The Rockets have struggled mightily in the placekicking department this season, so this is a pretty huge commitment for them. Junior kicker Ryan Casano tore his ACL in practice at the end of September, and this pickup is an insurance policy in case Casano isn't back in time for the start of the 2011 season or struggles with his consistency like he did before he got hurt. Wauseon freshman walk-on Clay Simpkins, who redshirted this season, could be another option for the Rockets next season.

All told, UT kickers have made just 5 of 13 FG attempts this season, so this was an issue that clearly needed to be addressed through recruiting. Kudos to Beckman and his staff for landing Detmer.

Wilcher becomes verbal No. 5

The UT football team picked up its fifth verbal commitment for the 2011 recruiting class over the weekend. Kishon Wilcher of Detroit Cass Tech was one of about 100 prospective recruits on campus for the homecoming game against Wyoming on Saturday, and he saw enough of the Rockets to give coach Tim Beckman an oral commitment after the game. 

Wilcher (5-8, 160) is considered an "athlete" by recruiting Web sites, and he'll likely be a wide receiver or defensive back at the next level. Rivals.com has Wilcher rated as a 3-star prospect, while Scout.com had him as a 2-star.

Read more about Wilcher tomorrow in The Blade.