2012 Lenoir-Rhyne Football Newcomer Information
Placid Ajoku II (DL, 6-2, 240, Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove HS):
Played at Hillgrove High for Head Coach Phil Ironside ... As a senior, tallied 59 tackles (45 solo), 9.5 sacks and eight tackles for a loss ... Selected to the Cobb County Senior Bowl All-Star Game ... Also competed in track and field.
Nathan Benfield (OL, 6-6, 280, Mount Holly, N.C./East Gaston HS):
Three-year letterwinner at East Gaston High School and Sean Joyce ... A 2011 captain ... A 2010 and 2011 all-league pick and a 2011 All-Gaston Gazette selection ... Also lettered four seasons in track and field ... Earned second place in the discus throw at the county meet as a junior ... A four-year member of FCA.
Edward Blackburn (WR, 6-5, 210, Kings Mountain, N.C./Kings Mountain HS):
Lettered four seasons at Kings Mountain High School for Greg Loyd ... A 2011 Big South 3A Conference selection ... A Cleveland County and Gaston Gazette honorable mention pick ... Part of the 2008 NCHSAA 3AA Western Regional semifinalist squad ... Cleveland County Scholar-Athlete (September 2011) ... Also lettered two seasons in basketball.
Victor Brannan (WR, 6-2, 205, Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern HS):
Lettered two years at McEachern High School under Kyle Hockman ... Also lettered in track and field (four years) and basketball (two seasons) ... Was a member of the state runner-up 400-meter relay team.
Damien Butler (DB, 5-11, 175, Woodbine, Ga./Camden County HS):
Played at Camden County High School for Head Coach Jeff Herron.
C.J. Cody (CB, 6-0, 170, Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern HS):
Played football at McEachern High School for Kyle Hockman ... Picked off three passes senior and had 16 total for his career ... Also forced three fumbles ... Senior Bowl nominee ... Also lettered in track and field and baseball.
Josh Compton (LB, 6-1, 210, Richlands, Va./Richlands HS):
Four-year letterwinner at Richlands High School for Greg Mance ... As a senior, compiled 67 tackles including 14 for a loss, four sacks, four interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries en route to second-team All-State accolades ... Also earned first-team all-region and all-district honors ... Led squad to a 10-0 mark in 2011 including the district championship ... Also lettered three years in baseball and two seasons in golf.
Savon Dukes (LB, 6-1, 230, Gaffney, S.C./Gaffney HS):
Played high school at Gaffney under Dan Jones ... Was an all-area and all-region pick ... Won the Coaches Award ... A SCHSL All-State honoree.
Zach Ferguson (WR, 6-3, 210, Matthews, N.C./David W. Butler HS):
Lettered three years at David W. Butler High School for Head Coach Brian Hales ... As a senior in 2011, caught a school-record 75 passes for 1,153 yards and 15 touchdowns ... Also picked off three passes ... For his prep career, tallied 1,975 yards receiving on 125 catches ... A 2010 and 2011 all-conference pick ... Earned All-Mecklenburg County and All-Charlotte Observer honors as a senior ... Team MVP and North Carolina Preps All-State Football Team selection as a senior as well ... Member of the 2009 and 2010 state championship football squads ... ... Also lettered three years in basketball and one in track and field.
Dakota Fish (UTIL, 5-10, 235, Lincolnton, N.C./Lincolnton HS):
Lettered three years at Lincolnton High School for Scott Cloninger ... Was a two-time all-conference honoree (2010-11) and a 2011 All-Gaston Gazette pick ... Also lettered two seasons in wrestling ... Member of FCA.
Jordan Forney (LB, 6-0, 215, Belmont, N.C./South Point HS):
Played at South Point High Schoool under Head Coach Mickey Lineberger ... As a senior, tallied 136 tackles, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception and one blocked field goal ... A 2011 all-conference honoree and co-league defensive MVP ... Was also a 2010-11 All-Gaston Gazette honoree ... All-region pick ... Part of four straight league championship squads (2008-11) ... Member of the 2009 NCHSAA 3AA State Championship Teams and was named the final's defensive player of the game ... Also lettered in track and field and basketball .. Member of FCA.
Travis Frizsell (UTIL, 6-0, 190, Swannanoa, N.C./Charles D. Owen HS):
Lettered four seasons at Charles D. Owen High School under Head Coach Kenny Ford and Anthony Lee ... As a senior, rushed for 549 yards with 10 touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards per carry and tallied 64 tackles and five sacks on defense ... Also averaged 38.9 yards per punt ... All-conference honoree ... Also lettered four seasons in track and field and basketball ... Holds the school record in the long jump (20'7") ... Three-year state qualifier in the 100-meter dash (2009-11) ... An all-conference and all-region selection in track and field ... Member of FCA and a three academic all-conference honoree (2009-11).
Xavier Gill (LB, 6-0, 210, Wake Forest, N.C./Wake Forest-Rolesville HS):
Played three seasons at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School for Reggie Lucas ... Was an all-conference selection ... Part of a 2010 squad that advanced to the state finals ... Also lettered in basketball ... Member of the National Honor Society.
Callan Gillison (OL, 6-1, 285, Alpharetta, Ga./Chattahoochee HS):
Two-year letterwinner at Chattahoochee High School under Head Coach Terry Crowder ... Member of the 2011 7-AAAA Regional Championship squad and the state championship in 2010 (15-0 record) ... First-Team All-State by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association ... First-Team All-Metro by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and First-Team All-Area ... Played in the AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl ... Also lettered four years in wrestling and one in track and field.
Austin Glisson (OL/LS, 5-10, 230, Thomasville, N.C./Ledford HS):
Four-year letterwinner for Ledford Senior High School under Chris Adams ... Earned all-conference honors as a senior ... Golden Helmet Award winner ... Also lettered in baseball and wrestling ... Member of FCA.
Jerry Goodson (DL, 6-0, 255, Raleigh, N.C./East Wake HS):
Lettered in high school football at East Wake for John Poulnott ... Was an all-conference and academic all-league honoree ... Named the Team's Most Valuable Player ... Also lettered in track and field and basketball ... Member of Student Council and FCA.
Lucas Hayes (DL, 6-1, 265, Taylorsville, N.C./Alexander Central HS):
Played at Alexander Central High School for Tom Harper ... An All-Northwest 3A/4A Conference honoree ... School's defensive lineman of the year in 2011 ... As a senior, totaled 41 tackles including 12 for a loss, three quarterback sacks and three forced fumbles ... Member of the Beta Club.
Kaleel Hollis (DB, 5-10, 180, Kannapolis, N.C./A.L. Brown HS):
Three-year letterwinner at A.L. Brown High School and Head Coach Mike Newsome ... As a senior, totaled 42 tackles, six pass break-ups, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and one touchdown ... An all-county and all-conference honoree who was named the Cabarrus County Player Of The Year.
Jordan Kagen (OL, 6-2, 215, Belmont, N.C./South Point HS):
Played high school football at South Point under John Devine and Mickey Lineberger ... A three-time all-conference honoree and two-time winner of the Unsung Hero Award .. Starter on the 2009 NCHSAA 3AA State Championship squad ... Also part of four straight conference championship squads ... Also lettered and started on the basketball team.
Trevon Knighton (DE/LB, 6-1, 210, Simpsonville, S.C./Woodmont HS):
Played high school football at Woodmont High School for Head Coach Chad Dockery ... An all-region honoree.
Marcus Kincaid (DB, 6-0, 205, Morganton, N.C./Freedom HS):
Lettered four seasons at Freedom High School for Mike Helms, a Lenoir-Rhyne graduate ... Associated Press First-Team All-State selection ... All-conference, All-Charlotte Observer and all-Unifour honoree ... Played in the North Carolina/South Carolina Shrine Bowl ... Also lettered in wrestling, baseball and track ... Student Body President.
Mike Maness (LB, 5-11, 200 Burlington, N.C./Western Alamance HS):
Played three years at Western Alamance High School for Jeff Snuffer ... As a senior, compiled 197 tackles, 32 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks ... Was the state's leading tackler ... A two-time all-conference honoree ... 3A All-State selection as well ... For his career, finished with 396 tackles, 84 tackles for a loss, 23 sacks and two interceptions ... Also lettered four years in lacrosse and three in wrestling ... Two-time all-league in lacrosse ... Member of FCA.
Rhett Odom (DL, 5-10, 280, Stanley, N.C./East Gaston HS):
Lettered three seasons at East Gaston High School under Head Coach Sean Joyce ... Two-time all-conference honoree ... Team the team's defensive player of the year in 2011 ... Also lettered one year in wrestling and track and field.
Chris Phillips (OL, 6-1, 275, Elm City, N.C./Ralph L. Fike HS):
Played four seasons at Ralph L. Fike High School for Tom Nelson ... Two-time all-conference and all-area selection ... Played two seasons of baseball.
James Phillips (RB, 5-9, 195, Carrollton, Ga./Carroll Central HS):
Four-year letterwinner at Carroll Central High School and Head Coach Grant Chesnutt ... An all-region and all-area selection ... Earned the Captains Award as well ... Also lettered four seasons in track and field and three years in basketball ... Homecoming King and a member of National Honor Society.
Logan Reach (OL, 6-3, 245, Bishop, Ga./Oconee County HS):
Played three seasons at Oconee County High School under Mitch Olson ... Team Captain ... Won the Coaches Award in 2011 ... An 8-AAA All-Region Second Team honoree ... Member of FCA.
Rodney Singleton (DB, 6-2, 190, Hawthorne, Fla./Hawthorne HS):
Played at Hawthorne High School under Head Coach James Sims ... As a senior, caught eight passes for 200 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 300 yards and scoring four times on the ground ... On defense, totaled 75 takedowns to go along with three interceptions ... A two-time all-area selection as a defensive back ... Member of two district championship squads ... Part of the Florida vs. Georgia Border War All-Star Game ... Also lettered in baseball, track and basketball.
Jacob Slagle (OL, 6-2, 245, Sharpsburg, Ga./Northgate HS):
Lettered three years at Northgate High School for Tommy Walburn ... A 2011 all-county and all-region selection ... Team Co-Captain ... Part of the 3-AAAA Region Championship Football Team as a senior ... Also played three seasons of baseball ... A member of the 2011 Georgia High School Academic Honor Roll.
Lendre Sparrow (DL/LB, 6-3, 210, Green Cove Springs, Fla./Clay HS):
Played prep football at Clay High School and Head Coach Josh Hoekstra ... Team captain and MVP ... Led the squad in tackles ... Part of the 2009 and 2010 district championship teams ... Also lettered in track and field and weighligting.
Bryan Veazey (OL, 6-2, 295, Broxton, Ga./Coffee County HS):
Played at Coffee County High School for four seasons under Ken Eldridge ... 2011 Team Offensive MVP ... A 1st-team All-Region 5-AAAAA pick ... Member of the Florida-Georgia All-Star Border War Team ... Also lettered in track and field (four years) and wrestling (one season).
