Thomas Ford welcomes 29 new student-athletes to Clan family, praises group for academic and on field potential.
BURNABY, BC — Simon Fraser University football head coach Thomas Ford made a splash on National Signing Day, announcing the commitment of 29 new players for the upcoming 2019 season.
The 2018 GNAC Coach of the Year believes that the recruiting class, which is made up of 16 offensive players, 12 defensive players and a kicking specialist, will be a crucial piece to taking the upstart program to another level.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the 2019 recruiting class. We really feel that we’ve been able to bring in guys that we have built genuine relationships with and believe in the vision of the program moving forward,” said Ford. “There are a ton of guys in this group that should come in right away and compete for playing time and will complement the guys we have on campus now busting their humps this offseason.”
NSD 2019!!! #RepTheLeaf #Ris1n9 pic.twitter.com/CuNQ4rOAc7 — SFU Football (@SFUFootball) February 5, 2019
Highlighting the 2019 class are several local talents, including Gideone Kremler,
a two-time BC High School Provincial title champion quarterback with
Mount Douglas Secondary in Victoria. He will be joined at SFU by his
brother Zairech Kremler — a BC All-Conference defensive back — and their older sibling Justice Kremler, an inside linebacker who is set to rejoin the Clan after spending last season with the Vancouver Island Raiders.
“Gideone Kremler
is one of the top players in BC province who is a natural leader with a
cannon for an arm and is dynamic with his feet,” said Ford. “Zairech Kremler is a do-everything type of player that has played a lot of football at multiple positions on both sides of the ball. Justice Kremler
will bring size and experience to our linebacking core. He has
experience in the GNAC and knows what it takes to compete at our level
of play and will bring physicality to our defence and special teams
units.”
The
Kremlers are just three of 10 players from British Columbia, alongside
five lower mainland athletes, led by defensive lineman Evan Nolli,
a two-star recruit from New Westminster Secondary who was named the
2018 Provincial Defensive Player of the Year and earned first team
All-Canadian honours.
“Evan Nolli
stood out immediately when he came to our camp in the spring and we
knew he was poised to have a great year,” said Ford. “He will be the
lynchpin of this year’s defensive line class and if he continues his
trajectory, he’ll be a nightmare for offensive lines in the GNAC for the
next four years.”
Two players were also picked up from Abbotsford, with inside linebacker Luke Szmutko signing from Abbotsford Senior Secondary, and Sam Davenport
— a wide receiver and kicker — making history as the first product of
Robert Bateman Secondary to join an NCAA football program.
The
former head coach of Stadium High School in Tacoma, Ford also added 16
players from Washington state. Six of the players are set to line up on
the defensive side of the ball, including two-star recruits Darrion Smith (OLB), Peyton Reed (CB) and Roman Casey (DB).
On offence, standouts include quarterback Brandon Niksich, tight end Tanner Nelson, offensive lineman Garret Wallace and wide receivers Colin Gale and Riley Morrison. SFU also added what Ford describes as a “program changing prospect” in offensive lineman Bailey Elder, who played three seasons under the coach at Stadium.
“Bailey Elder
is a three-star offensive tackle that had multiple NCAA Div. I offers
including two from Power 5 schools,” said Ford of the 6’6, 310-pound
Tacoma product. “He is a guy we expect to compete for playing time
immediately and make a difference on our offence, playing the game with
unmatched emotion and intensity.”
Simon Fraser also added a kicker in David Eisenkraft from Everett High School and restocked their defensive line with transfer Brandon Kennedy of Reedley College, another former pupil of Ford’s at Stadium.
Rounding out the 2019 recruiting class are athletes from Alberta, Oregon and California. Ryan Bertelsen from Lake Oswego, OR was a 2018 first team All-State selection and won a state championship with Lake Oswego High School.
“The
group as a whole is very deep, and will instantly provide the numbers we
needed to give our program the depth and competition level necessary to
build a championship level football team,” Ford added. “This is a group
of high character guys that are serious about their academics and love
the game of football.”
2019 Simon Fraser University Football Recruiting Class
| FULL NAME | POS. | HT. | WT. | HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL | PREVIOUS TEAM |
| Ryan Bertelsen | OL | 6-3 | 275 | Lake Oswego, OR | Lake Oswego HS | |
| Christian Butenschoen | DL | 6-2 | 270 | Bellingham, WA | Bellingham HS | |
| Roman Casey | DB | 6-2 | 195 | Bonney Lake, WA | Bonney Lake HS | |
| Ryan Clarin | OL | 6-1 | 295 | Covington, WA | Tahoma HS | |
| Ian Crocker | OLB | 6-1 | 205 | Seattle, WA | Ballard HS | |
| CFC100 Jerrell Cummings | CB | 5-10 | 175 | Vancouver, BC | Notre Dame Regional Secondary | |
| Sam Davenport | WR/K | 6-0 | 150 | Abbotsford, BC | Robert Bateman Secondary | |
| David Eisenkraft | K | 6-0 | 160 | Everett, WA | Everett HS | |
| Bailey Elder | OL | 6-6 | 310 | Tacoma, WA | Stadium HS | |
| Colin Gale | WR | 6-4 | 210 | Sammamish, WA | Seattle Preparatory Academy | |
| Nate Hebert | RB | 5-11 | 190 | Lynnwood, WA | Meadowdale HS | |
| Mahyar Hosseini | ILB | 6-1 | 195 | North Vancouver, BC | Carson Graham Secondary | |
| Ethan Janto | WR | 6-3 | 220 | San Jose, CA | Santa Teresa HS | |
| Brandon Kennedy | DL | 6-1 | 295 | Tacoma, WA | Stadium HS | Reedley College |
| CFC100 Gideone Kremler | QB | 6-0 | 185 | Victoria, BC | Mount Douglas Secondary | |
| Justice Kremler | ILB | 5-11 | 230 | Victoria, BC | Mount Douglas Secondary | Vancouver Island Raiders |
| CFC100 Zairech Kremler | DB | 5-11 | 170 | Victoria, BC | Mount Douglas Secondary | |
| Ethan Lock | OL | 6-1 | 245 | West Vancouver, BC | West Vancouver Secondary | |
| Riley Morrison | WR | 5-7 | 165 | Bothell, WA | Bothell HS | |
| Tanner Nelson | TE | 6-4 | 200 | East Wenatchee, WA | Eastmont HS | |
| Brandon Niksich | QB | 6-3 | 160 | Federal Way, WA | Todd Beamer HS | |
| CFC100 Evan Nolli | DL | 6-3 | 250 | New Westminster, BC | New Westminster Secondary | |
| Jean Olivier Pitte | RB | 5-11 | 170 | Edmonton, AB | Harry Ainlay Secondary | |
| Peyton Reed | CB | 6-2 | 175 | Kenmore, WA | Inglemoor HS | |
| Michael Simone | WR | 5-9 | 150 | Burnaby, BC | St. Thomas More Collegiate | |
| Darrion Smith | OLB | 6-1 | 215 | Enumclaw, WA | Enumclaw HS | |
| Luke Szmutko | ILB | 6-2 | 220 | Abbotsford, BC | Abbotsford Senior Secondary | |
| Brandon Thompson | RB | 5-10 | 175 | Yelm, WA | Yelm HS | Tacoma CC |
| Garret Wallace | OL | 6-7 | 280 | Bellevue, WA | Eastside Catholic HS |
Stay connected with SFU football on Twitter throughout the offseason for updates, behind-the-scenes content and more.
source: Brad McLeod – Digital Media & Sports Information Specialist ([email protected])
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