
“We really enjoyed getting to know these new student-athletes and their families over the course of this recruiting cycle,” Lembo said. “We have got some terrific young men coming on board that will be great additions to the football program and the university community. The three signees already with us this spring semester have fit right into the program. We are really hoping many of these new players arrive with great focus and maturity. There will be opportunities for some to help us early if they have the right mindset and compete at everything they do.”
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Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown (High School)
Clayton Cook WR 6-1 184 Fr./Fr. North Webster, Ind. (Wawasee)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Coach Josh Ekovich at Wawasee . . . helped team to a 6-4 record as a senior and a 20-11 mark in career . . . All-State as a junior and senior . . . All-Northern Lakes Conference as a junior and senior after receiving honorable mention as a sophomore . . . named Wawasee’s Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and the school’s Special Teams Player of the Year as a senior . . . caught 34 passes for 395 yards with five touchdowns as a senior . . . registered 126 catches for 2,023 yards with 27 TDs in career . . . set the school record for receiving yards in a season with 845 as a junior . . . helped the Warriors to a sectional title as a sophomore . . . also competed in track and field as a sprinter . . . two-time all-state and four-time all-conference . . . set the school record in the 100-meter dash (11.07), the 200 (21.7) and part of the school’s record-setting 400 relay team (43.49) . . . PERSONAL: Son of Franklin and Peggy Cook . . . two sisters . . . owns a 3.4 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born Nov. 25, 1996, in Chesapeake, Va. . . . full name is Clayton Anthony Cook.
Malik Dunner WR 5-10 189 Fr./Fr. Carpentersville, Ill. (Dundee Crown)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Ball State alum Michael Steinhaus at Dundee Crown . . . helped the team to a playoff appearance for the first time in 20 years during his career . . . team captain as a senior . . . All-Fox Valley Conference as a junior and senior . . . all-area as a junior and senior after receiving honorable mention as a sophomore . . . named Dundee Crown’s Most Valuable Offensive Player as a senior . . . caught 40 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns as a senior . . . also competed in track and field and was all-conference as a sprinter in his junior season . . . track team’s Most Valuable Runner as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Thelma Dunner . . . three brothers . . . born Aug. 6, 1996, in Elgin, Ill. . . . full name is Milik Akeem Paeham-Dunner.
Meshech Floyd DB 6-1 185 Fr./Fr. Altamonte Springs, Fla. (Lyman)
HIGH SCHOOL: Played football at Lyman High School for Coach Jeff Gerke . . . all-conference as a senior . . . All-Central Florida Second Team as a senior . . . All-Seminole County as a senior after earning second-team honors as a junior . . . team captain as a senior . . . managed 65 tackles, 11 pass breakups, two interceptions as a senior . . . also tallied 10 receptions for 172 yards and three touchdowns as a senior . . . also played basketball at Lyman . . . all-conference as a junior . . . averaged 17.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.0 steals as a senior . . . two-time basketball team Most Valuable Player . . . PERSONAL: Son of Cosette Floyd . . . one brother . . . born Nov. 20, 1996, in Orlando, Fla. . . . full name is Meshech Floyd-Brathwaite.
James Gilbert RB 5-8 186 Fr./Fr. Indianapolis, Ind. (Arsenal Tech)
** Graduated from high school in December of 2014 and began classes at Ball State in January 2015 . . .
HIGH SCHOOL: Played for Coach Anthony Henderson at Arsenal Tech High School . . . set the school’s career record for rushing yards with 4,817 . . . Indianapolis Public Schools Player of the Year in 2014 . . . earned all-state honors as a senior . . . three-time All-City . . . named Tech’s Most Valuable Player as a sophomore and junior . . . Indiana Football Coaches Association Top-50 as a senior after earning all-state as a junior . . . ranked as the second best running back prospect in the state by 247 Sports . . . rushed for a school record 357 yards in a sectional game against Perry Meridian as a sophomore . . . set the school record with a 97-yard touchdown run as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Takeisha Brandon . . . two sisters . . . born Nov. 10, 1995, in Indianapolis, Ind. . . . full name is James Derrick Gilbert Jr.
Morgan Hagee PK 5-9 156 Fr./Fr. Plainfield, Ind. (Plainfield)
** Graduated from high school in December of 2014 and enrolled in classes at Ball State in January of 2015 . . .
HIGH SCHOOL: Played for Coach Brian Woodard at Plainfield High School . . . earned three letters for the Quakers and was named to the All-Mid-State Conference First Team and Academic All-Conference squad as a senior . . . made 11-of-14 field goals with a long of 49 as a senior . . . connected on 25-of-26 extra point kicks and averaged 35.8 yards per punt in his final season . . . made 16-of-21 field goals and 58-of-60 extra points while averaging 36.0 yards per punt in career . . . set the Plainfield school records for field goals in a game (3), field goals in a season (11) and field goals in a career (16) . . . named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association Top-50 All-State Team . . . selected All-Hendricks County as a senior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Mark and Lori Hagee . . . one brother . . . managed a 3.76 grade-point average in high school . . . born July 4, 1997, in Indianapolis, Ind. . . . full name is Morgan Aaron Hagee.
Corey Hall DB 5-8 179 Jr./Jr. Stockbridge, Ga. (Stockbridge)
PREVIOUS SCHOOL: Played two seasons of football at Eastern Arizona Junior College for Coach John Omera . . . helped team to a 6-5 record in his second season . . . team captain for each season . . . All-Western States Football League as a sophomore after earning second-team honors in his first campaign . . . tallied 162 tackles, four interceptions and two blocked field goals in his two seasons . . . HIGH SCHOOL: Played football for Coach Kevin Whitley at Stockbridge High School . . . helped his team to an 11-2 record as a senior and a 29-17 mark in his career . . . All-Southern Crescent Conference Second Team as a senior after earning first-team honors as a junior . . . All-Henry County and All-Region as a senior . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . managed 70 tackles, two interceptions and two tackles for loss as a senior . . . tallied 214 tackles, five interceptions and six tackles for loss in career . . . named Stockbridge’s Most Valuable Player as a junior . . . also played baseball at Stockbridge as a shortstop and centerfielder . . . PERSONAL: Son of Fredrick and Crystal Hall . . . two brothers and one sister . . . managed a 3.18 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born Jan. 22, 1995, in Atlanta, Ga. . . . full name is Corey James Hall.
Sean Hammonds Jr. DL 6-1 227 Fr./Fr. Louisville, Ky. (Ballard)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in football for Coach Mike Jackson at Ballard High School . . . helped his team to a 10-4 record as a senior and a 29-20 mark in his career . . . helped the Bruins to three district championships, one semistate crown and one regional title . . . team captain as a senior . . . All-District Five as a junior and senior . . . District Player of the Year as a senior . . . All-Metro and All-Bluegrass as a senior . . . all-state second team in final season . . . managed 72 tackles with 10 sacks as a senior . . . tallied 171 tackles and 31 sacks in career . . . also played basketball . . . averaged 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game . . . helped basketball team to a state runner-up finish in 2012 . . . helped the Bruins to a 32-5 mark as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Sean and LeTonya Hammonds . . . his father played basketball at Wright State and his uncle, Juan Hammonds, played for the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers . . . one sister . . . owns a 3.2 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born March 17, 1997, in Louisville, Ky. . . . full name is Sean Delwyn Hammonds Jr.
Akeem Hutchinson DL 6-2 247 Fr./Fr. Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. (Stranahan)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned two letters in football for Coach Tally Adams at Stranahan High School . . . team captain as a senior . . . all-county and all-conference second team as a senior . . . registered 96 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, six pass deflections and one interception as a senior . . . also competed in basketball . . . helped team to a 16-7 record so far as a senior . . . averaging 5.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game . . . PERSONAL: Son of Natoy Smith . . . born May 2, 1997, in Jamaica . . . full name is Akeem Rodney Hutchinson.
Abdallah Jaffal OLB 6-0 202 Fr./Fr. Dearborn, Mich. (Fordson)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Coach Fouad Zaban at Fordson High School . . . helped his team to a 10-1 record and a ranking as high as fourth in the state as a senior . . . helped the Tractors to a 30-11 mark in career . . . anchored a defense that allowed the fewest points in a season by a Fordson team since the 1973 campaign . . . team captain as a senior . . . received honorable mention on the all-state team . . . all-city, all-league and all-conference as a junior and senior . . . tallied 91 tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries as a senior . . . managed 380 tackles, 24.5 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries and five interceptions in career . . . selected Fordson’s Most Valuable Player as a senior . . . selected his team’s Hardest Hitter as a junior and senior . . . also played basketball at Fordson . . . received honorable mention on the all-city, all-conference and all-league teams as a junior . . . averaged 15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2.5 steals in junior season . . . set the school record for most 3-pointers in a quarter . . . two-time Most Valuable Player . . . PERSONAL: Son of Maurouf and Claudia Jaffal . . . one sister . . . owns a 3.2 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born Feb. 13, 1997, in Farmington Hills, Mich. . . . full name is Abdallah Zein Jaffal.
Kenny Knight Jr. DL 5-11 244 Fr./Fr.
East St. Louis, Ill. (East St. Louis)
HIGH SCHOOL: Played for Coach Darren Suncket at East St. Louis High School . . . helped team to a 7-4 record as a senior . . . helped team to the quarterfinals of the state tournament as a senior and the semifinals as a junior . . . team captain as a senior . . . all-conference as a senior . . . managed 90 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Kenneth and Shell Knight . . . two brothers . . . owns a 3.5 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . Forensic Science Honor Society . . . born Oct. 24, 1996, in East St. Louis, Ill. . . . full name is Kenneth Edward Knight Jr.
Armani McNulty DB 5-10 171 Fr./Fr. Bolingbrook, Ill. (Bolingbrook)
HIGH SCHOOL: Played football for Coach John Irlow at Bolingbrook High School . . . helped the Raiders to a 9-4 record as a senior and a 44-9 mark in career . . . helped the team to a ranking of No. 1 in the state during career . . . helped Bolingbrook to a Southwest Suburban Blue Conference titles in 2013 and the state championship in 2011 . . . team captain as a senior . . . All-SSBC as a senior . . . managed 56 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries as a senior . . . tallied 114 tackles, seven interceptions and five fumble recoveries in career . . . named Bolingbrook’s Most Improved Player as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Alex and Pashun McNulty . . . two brothers and one sister . . . brother, Alex, plays football at Eastern Illinois . . . born May 29, 1997, in Chicago, Ill. . . . full name is Armani Latrell McNulty.
Riley Neal QB 6-5 211 Fr./Fr. Yorktown, Ind. (Yorktown)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Coach Mike Wilhelm at Yorktown High School . . . helped team to an 11-2 record as a senior and a 27-9 mark in career . . . helped the Tigers to the first 11-win season in school history as a senior . . . helped Yorktown to a sectional title as a senior and a 6-1 record in the Hoosier Heritage Conference . . . team captain as a senior . . . three-time all-conference . . . Indiana Football Coaches Association and Associated Press All-State as a senior . . . named to the 2014 All-USA Today Indiana Team . . . passed for 2,900 yards and 29 touchdowns plus rushed for 1,351 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior . . . compiled 4,239 total yards with 56 total TDs as a senior . . . set school records in a single game for passing yards (375 in 2013), completions (30 in 2013 & 2014), passes attempted (49 in 2014) and TD passes (5, 4 times) . . . set school single season records for passing yards (2,888), completions (233) and passing attempts (376) as a senior plus for passing touchdowns (35) as a junior . . . set Yorktown career records for passing yards (7,285), completions (564), pass attempts (930), completion percentage (60.6) and passing touchdowns (78) . . . PERSONAL: Son of Jess and Shawn Neal . . . father played football at Ball State . . . uncle, Jay Neal, played football at Ball State . . . one brother and one sister . . . owns a 3.6 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born Oct. 2, 1996, in Muncie, Ind. . . . full name is Riley Joseph Neal.
Rontrell Peyton DB 5-10 183 Jr./Jr.
West Potomac, Va. (West Potomac)
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons as a defensive back at Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania under the guidance of head coach Mark Duda . . . team captain in second season . . . played in nine games and tallied 61 total tackles with 10 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three pass breakups in his second season . . . All-Northeast Football Conference First Team in his second season . . . helped Lackawanna to a 5-5 overall record in 2014 . . . HIGH SCHOOL: A 2012 graduate of West Potomac High School in Virginia . . . played for Coach Eric Henderson at West Potomac . . . helped the team to an 8-4 record as a senior . . . earned honorable mention on the All-Metropolitan Conference team in final campaign . . . PERSONAL: Son of Cheryl Peyton . . . born March 4, 1993, in Alexandria, Va. . . . full name is Rontrell Graffton Peyton.
Danny Pinter TE 6-4 244 Fr./Fr. South Bend, Ind. (John Adams)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Coach Craig Redman at John Adams High School . . . helped team to an 18-14 record in his career, including the school’s winningest season in over 50 years as a sophomore . . . team captain as a senior . . . All-Northern Indiana Conference as a senior after earning second-team honors as a junior . . . Indiana Football Coaches Association All-State as a senior . . . IFCA Junior All-State in his junior year . . . named Adams’ Most Valuable Player as a senior and the team’s Toughest Player as a junior . . . registered 27 catches for 492 yards with two touchdowns as a senior plus tallied 66 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, eight sacks and three blocked kicks . . . managed 46 catches for 792 yards in career plus tallied 138 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and four blocked kicks in career . . . also played basketball at Adams . . . helped team to back-to-back sectional championships . . . named basketball team’s Most Improved Player as a junior . . .PERSONAL: Son of John and Laurie Pinter . . . one brother and one sister . . . owns a 3.68 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born June 19, 1996, in South Bend, Ind. . . . full name is Daniel James Pinter.
Andrew Poenitsch OL 6-2 285 Fr./Fr. Waukesha, Wis. (Sussex Hamilton)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Coach John Damato . . . helped team to a 4-3 record in the Greater Metro Conference as a senior . . . all-state as a senior . . . all-conference as a senior after earning second-team honors as a sophomore . . . named the conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior . . . all-region and all-area as a senior . . . team captain as a senior . . . named the team’s Scholar-Athlete as a senior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Mary Brown . . . two brothers and one sister . . . owns a 3.6 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born Dec. 5, 1996, in Vincennes, Ind. . . . full name is Andrew James Poenitsch.
Zac Ricketts OL 6-3 301 Fr./Fr. Bremen, Ind. (Bremen)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Coach Robert Holmes . . . helped team to a 7-6 record as a senior and a 35-15 mark in career . . . helped team to conference, sectional and regional championships as a freshman . . . helped Bremen to sectional crowns as a junior and senior . . . Indiana Football Coaches Association All-State as a junior and senior . . . Associated Press All-State as a senior . . . team captain for Bremen as a senior . . . named school’s Most Valuable Offensive Lineman as a senior . . . team captain as a senior . . . also competes in track and field at Bremen in the shot put and discus . . . three-time track team captain . . . helped team to conference championship as a junior . . . All-State Hoosier State Relays as a junior . . . named Bremen’s Most Valuable Field Event Performer as a junior . . . named team’s Most Improved as a freshman and sophomore . . . PERSONAL: Son of Mike and Raquel Ricketts . . . two brothers . . . owns a 3.4 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born Jan. 8, 1997, in Bremen, Ind. . . . full name is Zaccarry Taylor Ricketts.
Kyle Schrank TE 6-2 229 Fr./Fr. Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Coach Scott May . . . helped team to a 19-12 record in career . . . All-Hoosier Roads Conference as a senior . . . Indiana Football Coaches Association All-State as a senior . . . received honorable mention on the Associated Press All-State team as a senior . . . team captain as a senior . . . managed 33 receptions for 302 yards and two touchdowns as a senior . . . tallied 59 catches for 651 yards and three TDs in career . . . led the Royals in receptions as a junior and senior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Bob and Julie Schrank . . . one sister . . . owns a 3.8 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . three-time recipient of the school’s Scholar-Athlete Award . . . born July 20, 1996, in Muncie, Ind. . . . full name is Kyle Mathew Schrank.
Anthony Sheko DB 6-2 205 Fr./Fr. Harvey, Ill. (Simeon)
HIGH SCHOOL: Played football for Coach Dante Culbreath at Simeon High School . . . helped team to an 11-2 record as a senior, including a 5-0 mark in the conference . . . helped team to state semifinals as a senior . . . registered 55 tackles and three interceptions as a senior . . . all-city as a senior . . . team captain as a senior . . . ranked the No. 46 prospect in the state of Illinois . . . PERSONAL: Son of Anthony Sheko and Vickie Maxwell . . . one brother . . . born Jan. 16, 1997, in Harvey, Ill. . . . full name is Anthony Sheko.
Kevin Thurmon DL 6-1 271 Fr./Fr. South Holland, Ill. (Mount Carmel)
HIGH SCHOOL: Played football for Coach Frank Lenti at Mount Carmel High School . . . helped team to an 8-5 record as a senior . . . helped team to a 36-8 mark in career . . . helped Mount Carmel to state championships in 2012 and 2013 . . . helped team to a 13-1 record as a junior and a 15-2 mark as a sophomore . . . all-state as a senior . . . ranked as the 21st best player in the state of Illinois by 247 Sports . . . managed 46 tackles with 16 sacks as a senior . . . tallied 39 tackles and nine sacks as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Kevin and Tiffany Thurmon . . . two sisters . . . born Sept. 14, 1996, in Chicago, Ill. . . . full name is Kevin L. Thurmon.
Romero Wade DB 5-11 212 Fr./Fr. Altamonte Springs, Fla. (Lyman)
HIGH SCHOOL: Played football at Lyman High School for Coach Jeff Gerke . . . ranked as the 32nd best player in Central Florida . . . All-Seminole Athletic Conference as a sophomore, junior and senior . . . team captain as a senior . . . threw for 737 yards with seven passing touchdowns as a senior . . . three rushing TDs and two touchdown catches as a senior . . . threw for 737 yards in final season . . . tallied four interceptions as a senior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Melissa Florence . . . one brother . . . born Feb. 24, 1997, in Orlando, Fla. . . . full name is Romerodari Leroyn Wade.
Marc Walton DB 5-9 181 Fr./Fr. Mentor, Ohio (Mentor)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned two letters in football for Coach Steve Trivisonno at Mentor High School . . . helpted team to an 11-2 record as a senior and a 47-8 mark in career . . . helpted team to a state runner-up finish as a senior . . . helped the school to two regional crowns in career . . . helped Mentor to a ranking of No. 2 in the state four times in career . . . helped team to a national ranking in the top-10 in the 2012 season . . . All-North Ohio Conference as a senior after helping team to a 6-1 league record . . . named team’s Most Valuable Defensive Back as a senior . . . all-county and All-Northeast Ohio as a senior . . . managed 46 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions, one fumble recovery and 12 pass breakups as a senior . . . tallied 86 tackles, four TFLs, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 23 pass breakups in career . . . also competes in track and field at Mentor . . . three-time all-conference . . . three-time conference champion . . . member of the school’s record-setting 800- and 1600-meter relay teams . . . two-time state qualifier as a sprinter . . . placed 12th in the state in the 400 as a junior . . . helped track team to district and conference championships . . . PERSONAL: Son of Terrence and Kinja Walton . . . two brothers and two sisters . . . uncle, Donovan Boyd, played football at Fordham . . . owns a 3.04 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born March 26, 1997, in Cleveland, Ohio . . . full name is Marc Alexander Walton.
John Whitman III DL 6-1 296 Jr./Jr. Columbus, Ohio (Westerville Central)
PREVIOUS COLLEGE: Played two seasons at Lackawanna Community College in Pennsylvania for Coach Mark Duda . . . All-Northeastern Conference in final season . . . team captain in final season . . . received honorable mention on the All-America Team in second season . . . tallied 72 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in career . . . set the school record for most tackles for loss in a season . . . ranked eighth all-time in tackles for loss in junior college record books . . . HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Coach Jon Magistro at Westerville Central High School . . . helped team to a 7-3 record as a senior and a 17-14 mark in career . . . helped the Warhawks to the playoffs as a junior -- the first playoff appearance in school history . . . team captain as a senior . . . two-time all-conference . . . managed 35 tackles, including 10.5 sacks as a senior . . . set the school’s sack record . . . PERSONAL: Son of John and Netta Whitman . . . two sisters . . . born Aug. 11, 1995, in Westerville, Ohio . . . full name is John Albert Whitman III.
Grant Williamson OL 6-2 271 Fr./Fr. Rolling Prairie, Ind. (New Prairie)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned three letters in football for Coach Russ Radtke at New Prairie High School . . . helped team to a 13-2 record as a senior and a 38-5 mark in career . . . helped the Cougars advance to the state finals for the first time in school history as a senior . . . helped team to conference, regional and semistate titles as a senior . . . helped New Prairie set the state record for rushing yards in a season and most points scored in a game . . . All-Northern State Conference as a junior and senior after receiving honorable mention as a sophomore . . . team captain as a senior . . . also competed in baseball . . . owns a .400 career batting average . . . earned all-conference honors as a junior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Allen and Brenda Williamson . . . brother, Jason, played basketball at Bethel College . . . cousin, Cody Williamson, played football at St. Francis (Ind.) . . . father played baseball at Kentucky Wesleyan . . . owns a 3.5 grade-point average on the school’s 4.0 scale . . . born Oct. 29, 1996, in South Bend, Ind. . . . full name is Grant Lee Williamson.
Blake Yager OL 6-4 255 Fr./Fr.
Fort Wayne, Ind. (Carroll)
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned two letters in football for Coach Douglas Dinan at Carroll High School . . . helped team to an 11-1 mark and the school’s first-ever Northeast Hoosier Conference Championship as a senior . . . helped the Chargers to the best record in school history as a senior . . . helped team to three straight sectional titles . . . all-conference as a junior and senior . . . Indiana Football Coaches Association All-State as a senior . . . PERSONAL: Son of Matthew and Mandi Yager . . . three brothers and three sisters . . . cousin, Adam Anderson, played football at Hanover College . . . born Oct. 2, 1996, in Honolulu, Hawaii . . . full name is Blake Matthew Yager.