NEW YORK – Thirty-two newcomers will join Columbia Football in the fall of 2008, Norries Wilson, The Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football, announced.

Seventeen states are represented in the Lions’ Class of 2012, including four from New York. Three players each hail from Illinois, New Jersey and Ohio, and six states are home to two Lion newcomers.

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“I am very happy with the students that we have recruited to our program,” Wilson notes, adding, “Time will tell whether or not this is a good class or not.”

Seven of the class are defensive backs, five are defensive linemen, five are offensive linemen, four are linebackers, four are fullbacks or running backs, four are wide receivers, two are quarterbacks and one is a tight end.

“The coaching staff did a great job in targeting this class and the support staff of the athletic department was very helpful in securing the commitments of the thirty-two students,” Wilson says.

According to Wilson, four of the student-athletes were admitted early decision, and the remaining 28 matriculated regular decision.

Columbia opens its 2008 campaign at home vs. Fordham for the Liberty Cup on Saturday, September 20 at 12:30 p.m.

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School
Jeff Adams OL 6-7 270 Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township
Pete Batesko WR 6-2 205 Point Pleasant, N.J./Red Bank Catholic
Jerry Bell QB 6-2 196 Corpus Christi, Texas/W.B. Ray
James Burrell WR 5-10 180 Richmond, Va./Bridgton Academy
Sam Cecil OL 6-4 250 New Martinsville, W.Va./The Linsly School
David Chao RB 5-10 185 Park Ridge, Ill./Maine Township South
Will Claunch LB 6-1 225 Palm City, Fla./South Fork
Alex Cornish LB 6-2 210 Frederick, Md./Frederick
Christian Daniel WR 6-3 195 Anaheim, Calif./Canyon
Ben Evans OL 6-6 275 St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis University HS
Owen Fraser DL 6-1 290 Newburgh, N.Y./Trinity-Pawling School
Chris Groth DL 6-3 280 South Lyon, Mich./South Lyon
Ryan Haslett FS 6-3 205 Holmdel, N.J./Holmdel
Bob Hauschildt OL 6-6 280 Rosedale, Ill./Lake Park
Peter Holst-Grubbe FB 6-2 250 Torrington, Conn./Avon Old Farms School
Kalasi Huggins DB 5-11 185 Plainfield, N.J./Kent School
Kevin Lenehan QB 6-3 210 Middletown, Conn./Xavier
Rafael Lopez TE 6-3 235 Los Angeles, Calif./Birmingham
Anthony Maddox SS 5-9 175 St. Rowlett, Texas/Garland Lakeview Centennial
Donnie Miller RB 6-2 215 Spring Lake, Mich./Muskegon Catholic
Evan Miller LB 6-1 205 Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier
Nick Mistretta LB 6-2 225 Nanuet, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep
Ross Morand CB 6-2 170 Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier
Mark Muston WR 6-0 180 Eden Prairie, Minn./St. Margaret’s
Nico Papas FB 6-0 225 Watertown, Mass./ Buckingham Browne & Nichols Sch.
Chris Paruch S 6-3 205 Bayside, N.Y./Chaminade
Ben Popeck DL 6-4 230 Olive Branch, Miss./St. George’s School
Neil Schuster CB 5-11 175 Dunwoody, Ga./Marist School
Shea Selsor DL 6-2 230 Piqua, Ohio/Piqua
Kyle Stupi OL 6-3 265 Eldersberg, Md./Loyola Blakefield School
J.D. Tyree DL 6-5 225 Martinsville, Va./Martinsville
Kurt Williams CB 6-0 180 Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep

Football’s Class of 2012 Announced
By Columbia University Athletics
Photo Credit: Columbia University Athletics/Ben Shyman
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