Signing day proves fruitful as DeBord announces 20 recruits

Wednesday was the day thousands of high school football players, and hundreds of college programs, had waited for all year, national signing day.

The CMU football team joined in the excitement of the day as Head Coach Mike DeBord announced the signing of 20 student-athletes to national letters of intent for the fall season, his first recruiting class as the Central head coach.

Fifteen players from Michigan highlight the recruits, a point not lost on DeBord.

“I want to build this program around Michigan high school-coached kids first,” he said. “We’ve got to go compete in Ohio and Indiana for the MAC (Mid-American Conference) title and I want to do it with Michigan kids.”

The signees included five defensive linemen; William Brookshire, (Muskegon/Reeths-Puffer); Jay Davidson, (Frankfort); Mike Morris, (Livonia/Catholic Central); Kalani Muragin, (Orlando, Fla./Colonial) and Matt Wohlgemuth, (Lake Orion). Davidson, Morris, Muragin and Wohlgemuth were all-state selections.

Four offensive linemen will join the Chips led by 6-6, 290-pound D.J. London from Marshall. Eric Ghiaciuc, (Oxford); Adam Kieft, (Rockford) and Brandon Pitzer, (Brighton) have also signed on. All four recruits were all-state picks.

All-stater Joe Ballard (Cheasaning) leads the defensive back corps and is joined by Ron Bartell (Detroit/Renaissance) and James King (Walled Lake/Western). King also joined Ballard in earning all-state honors.

Jon Nelson (Lake Zurich, Ill.) and all-stater Eddie Hillery (Rochester Hills/Rochester) were the only linebackers signed and both signed as outside linebackers.

Three all-staters headline the backs signed on Wednesday; tailbacks Tyrone Dalton, (Pottstown, Pa./Valley Forge Military) and Terrence Jackson, (Somerset, N.J./Franklin) along with fullback Anthony Tyus, (Lansing/Sexton). Tailback Omari Colen, TB, (Lathrup Village/Southfield Lathrup) has also signed.

The lone receivers who signed were Richard Kiel, (Detroit/Murray-Wright) and Stephen Messam, (South Bay Fla./Glades Central). Both were all-state choices and Messam won three state titles and played for a third while in high school.

“This is a great group of guys,” DeBord said. “They have a great fiber and are great people who want to be great players.”

When asked on Wednesday which of the recruits would likely see action in the fall, he was uncertain.

“I will give every kid the opportunity to play. That’s what they were all told when they were recruited,” he said. “It’s hard to tell right now before we get into spring practice to really see what we’ve got.”

DeBord dismissed the notion that his prior coaching experience, offensive coordinator at Michigan, had anything to do in the successful signing period.

“I think it has more to do with our great academic programs, the great people here and the outstanding facilities we’ve along with the great work of our staff.”