KU Football Inks 21 on Signing Day

Feb. 1, 2006

Coach Mangino Quotes

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The University of Kansas football team signed 21 high school seniors to National Letters of Intent Head Coach Mark Mangino announced Wednesday during an afternoon press conference in Hadl Auditorium. ESPN.com recruiting analysts rate the 2006 class 36th among all NCAA I teams — KU’s highest ranked class in the Mangino era.

“I’m very pleased with this year’s recruiting class,” said Mangino. “We met our needs at every position on the field. We now look forward to developing these players at the Division I level.”

Among the signees were three of the top four recruits from the state of Kansas, including running back Jake Sharp, the Sunflower State’s No. 1 ranked high school senior by Rivals.com. The Jayhawls also inked nine highly recruited players from Texas and three from Oklahoma. Two of the signees in the class of 2006 — quarterback Todd Reesing and defensive back Olaitan Oguntodu — graduated early from their respective high schools and will join the Jayhawks for spring drills which begin March 11.

The Jayhawks finished the 2005 season with a 7-5 overall record and were crowned champions of the Fort Worth Bowl after defeating Houston 42-13 on Dec. 23.

Donte Bean
RB, 5-9, 180, Fr.-HS
Rowlett, Texas
North Garland HS
High School: A graduate of North Garland High School in Garland, Texas … A first-team all-district selection for the Raiders as a senior and second-team all-district selection in 2003 … Is No. 42 on the Dallas Morning News’ list of top 100 area recruits … Listed among the top 100 recruits in the state of Texas by Rivals.com … Named the team MVP as a sophomore … Coached in football by David Farris … Earned varsity letters in football, baseball and track … Was a regional qualifier in track in 2003 and 2004 … A member of the varsity baseball team as a freshman. Personal: Son of Charles and Cheryl Bean.

Sal Capra
LB, 6-3, 245, Fr.-HS
Kansas City, Mo.
Rockhurst HS
High School: A graduate of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo. … Named first-team all-state, first-team all-district and second-team all-metro in 2005 … A first-team all-state and all-district selection as a junior … A top-20 recruit in the state of Missouri by Rivals.com … Ended his high school career as the fifth leading tackler in RHS history … Had a career-best 18 tackles against Jefferson City HS … Helped the Hawklets football team to district championships from 2003-05 … Coached in football by Tony Severino … Earned varsity letters in football and basketball. Personal: Son of Mark and Claire Capra … Father played football at William Jewell College.

Bradley Dedeaux
TE, 6-3, 240, Fr.-HS
Midwest City, Okla
Midwest City HS
High School: A graduate of Midwest City High School in Midwest City, Okla. … Earned all-state honors as a senior and was also named all-state by the Daily Oklahoman in 2005 … An all-district and all-conference selection for the Bombers as a junior and senior … A second-team all-state selection in 2004 … Listed as the 15th best football prospect in Oklahoma by Rivals.com … Picked as the 40th best tight end in the nation by Rivals.com … Earned varsity letters in football and track … Coached in football by Jesse Wall … Had the third-best toss in the shot put at the state track meet as a junior and is one of the favorites to win the event in 2006. Personal: Son of Ellena Dedeaux.

Jamal Greene
DE, 6-4, 265, Fr.-HS
Kansas City, Kan.
Washington HS
High School: A graduate of Washington High School in Kansas City, Kan. … Listed as the third-best recruit in the state of Kansas by Rivals.com … A first-team All-KCK League selection following the 2005 season … Also earned all-metro honors as a senior … Collected 63 total tackles in 2005, including 26 solo stops … Garnered four quarterback sacks and forced two hurries as a senior … Served as the team’s punter in 2005 and finished the season with an average of 38.9 yards per attempt … Coached in football by Darwin Franklin and Eric King … Earned varsity letters in football and basketball for the Wildcats … A member of the school’s academic honor roll. Personal: Son of Wyvonne Hill and Derek Page … Cousin, Martez Wesley, played football at Kansas State.

Tertavian Ingram
WR, 6-0, 181, Fr.-HS
Tampa, Fla.
Jefferson HS
High School: A graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Tampa, Fla. … A third-team all-state selection in 2005 … Garnered first-team All-Western Conference honors in 2005 … Named the team’s most valuable wide receiver after collecting 66 catches and scoring 13 touchdowns as a senior … Helped the team to the 2003 and 2004 district championships … Earned varsity letters in football and basketball for the Dragons … Coached in football by Michael Simmons. Personal: Son of Ernestine Upshaw and Terry Ingram … Father, Terry was a wide receiver at Washburn University.

D’Marcus Lang
RB, 6-2, 212, Fr.-HS
Scurry, Texas
Scurry-Rosser HS
High School: A graduate of Scurry-Rosser High School in Scurry, Texas … An honorable-mention all-state selection at running back … Earned All-Kaufman County area honors and was listed as an All-District 14 AA runner … Listed among the top 100 recruits in the state of Texas by Rivals.com … Is No. 40 on the Dallas Morning News’ list of top 100 area recruits … Collected 1,365 rushing yards on 210 carries and scored 12 touchdowns in 2005 … Also completed 15 passes for 516 yards and six touchdowns as a senior … Helped the Wildcats to the district championship in 2005 … Coached in football by Virgil Crow … Earned varsity letters in football, basketball and track. Personal: Grandson of Huey and Erma Lang.

Tyler Lawrence
QB, 6-3, 205, Fr.-HS
Shawnee, Kan.
Shawnee Mission West HS
High School: A graduate of Shawnee Mission West High School in Overland Park, Kan. … Named 6A all-state and was the team’s offensive MVP in 2005 … Was an all-state selection by Hovpen Sports … Named All-Sunflower-League, All-KC metro, and All-Johnson County following the 2005 season … Ranked as the No. 4 player in the state of Kansas by Rivals.com … Threw for over 2,500 yards and rushed for 1,230 yards during varsity career … Tossed 27 touchdowns and rushed for an additional 13 scores during his career at SMWHS … Had a quarterback rating of 130.7 as a senior … Helped the Vikings to regional titles in 2004 and 2005 … Coached in football by Tim Callaghan … Earned varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball … A member of National Honor Society and a four-year scholar-athlete award winner. Personal: Son of Michael Lawrence and Lisa Heath … Father was an All-America football player at William Jewell College.

Dakota Lewis
LB, 6-1, 206, Fr.-HS
Sulphur, Okla.
Sulphur HS
High School: A graduate of Sulphur High School in Sulphur, Okla. … Named all-state as a senior by the Oklahoma Coaches Association and by the Daily Oklahoman … Was the all-area Defensive Player of the Year and the 2A-4A District Player of the Year in 2005 … Helped the team to the 2A state championship in 2004 and a runner-up finish in 3A during the 2003 season … Led the team with 174 tackles as a senior … Carried the ball for more than 1,000 yards and scored 31 touchdowns as a senior … Collected 162 tackles as a junior and 151 stops as a sophomore … Holds the school record with 487 career tackles … Coached in football by Jim Dixon … Earned varsity letters in football, powerlifting, baseball and track for the Bulldogs … Helped the team to a state baseball championship as a junior … Was also the state powerlifting champion and member of the state’s best 4×100 relay team in 2005 … A member of National Honor Society and the Oklahoma Honor Society. Personal: Son of Alvern and Deneen Gulla.

John Marshall
OL, 6-3, 280, Fr.-HS
New Pleasant, Texas
Mount Vernon HS
High School: A graduate of Mount Vernon High School in Mount Vernon, Texas … Listed among Dave Campbell’s Top 300 players in the state of Texas … A first-team all-district selection as a junior and senior … Earned honorable-mention all-state honors in 2005 by the Texas Sportswriters Association and second-team all-state honors in 2004 … Helped the Tigers to district and bi-district titles in 2004 and 2005 … Coached in football by Dickey Meeks … Earned varsity letters in football, track and golf … Advanced to the state golf tournament as a junior in 2005. Personal: Son of David and Linda Marshall.

Olaitan Oguntodu
DB, 6-0, 200, Fr.-HS
Mesquite, Texas
John Horn HS
High School: A graduate of John Horn High School in Mesquite, Texas … Earned all-district and all-area honors for the Jaguars … Listed among the top 70 recruits in the state of Texas by Rivals.com … Is No. 32 on the Dallas Morning News’ list of top 100 area recruits … Collected 86 total tackles as a junior including 55 solo stops … Also forced five fumbles in 2004 … Coached in football by Don Payne … Earned varsity letters in football and track … An academic all-district selection in the classroom. Personal: Son of Aduk and Oye Oguntodu … Has enrolled at KU and will practice with the team during spring drills.

Maxwell Onyegbule
LB, 6-4, 220, Fr.-HS
Arlington, Texas
Arlington HS
High School: A graduate of Arlington High School in Arlington, Texas … A second-team all-state selection at linebacker after his senior season … Also was named District MVP and first-team all-district in 2005 … Named first-team all-district as a junior in 2004 … Collected 141 tackles, nine quarterback sacks and seven pass break-ups in 2005 … Coached in football by Scott Peach … Earned varsity letters in football and track. Personal: Son of Maxwell and Julie Onyegbule.

Xavier Rambo
WR, 6-0, 185, Fr.-HS
Dallas, Texas
South Oak Cliff HS
High School: A graduate of South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, Texas … A first-team all-district selection in 2004 and 2005 … Earned first-team honors on the All-Region II team as a senior … Played on the varsity team as a freshman … Best games included a 147-yard receiving effort and a four touchdown performance … Coached in football by J.B Wallace and Mike Robinson … Earned varsity letters in football and track. Personal: Son of Ruenia Wilkerson.

Todd Reesing
QB, 5-11, 190, Fr.-HS
Austin, Texas
Lake Travis HS
High School: A graduate of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas … Was the 4A Player of the Year in the state of Texas as a junior and Central Texas Player of the Year as a senior … Threw for 3,340 yards and 41 touchdowns with just five interceptions in 2005 … Also rushed for 750 yards and eight TDs during his final high school season … Ranked first in the state of Texas by completing 72.3 percent of his pass attempts as a senior … Named District MVP as a junior and senior … Was a first-team all-state quarterback in 2004 and third-team punter in 2005 … Earned academic all-state and all-district honors … Led the Cavaliers to their first 10-0 record in school history … Led the team to district and bi-district championships in 2005 and the district championship in 2004 … Coached in football by Jeff Dicus … Earned varsity letters in football and baseball … Earned second-team all-district honors as an outfielder in baseball … A member of National Honor Society … Was in the top one percent of the 2005 graduating class at Lake Travis HS. Personal: Son of Steve and Debi Reesing … Has enrolled at KU and will join the team during spring drills.

Jake Sharp
RB, 5-10, 190, Fr.-HS
Salina, Kan.
Central HS
High School: A graduate of Central High School in Salina, Kan. … Named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Kansas in 2005 … Earned EASports All-America honors as a multi-purpose player as a senior … Was recognized as a Top 11 All-State running back by the Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle as a junior and senior … Set a state of Kansas record with 63 touchdowns … Ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Kansas by Rivals.com … Is the all-time leading rusher in the history of the school with 6,524 career rushing yards — the second-highest total in KSHAA history … Helped the Mustangs to an undefeated state championship as a senior in 2005 … Team also captured the state title in 2002 … Coached in football by Marvin Diener … Earned varsity letters in football and track … A two-time 5A state champion in the long jump … A four-year member of the school’s honor roll. Personal: Son of Rick and Jackie Sharp.

Phillip Strozier
DB, 6-0, 190, Fr.-HS
Kansas City, Mo.
Rockhurst HS
High School: A graduate of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo. … Named first-team all-state and all-district as both a junior and senior … Earned Kansas City Metro Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2005 … Helped the Hawklets to district titles from 2003-05 … Collected eight tackles and a pair of interceptions in the game versus Lee’s Summit HS … Ranked as the No. 9 player in the state of Missouri by Rivals.com … Had five catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns versus Blue Springs HS … Coached in football by Tony Severino … Earned varsity letters in football, basketball and track. Personal: Son of Brenda and Charles Strozier … Brother, Noah, and uncle, Arthur, played football at Kansas State … Father, Charles is enshrined in the Central Missouri State basketball hall of fame.

Jeremy Terry
LB, 6-1, 190, Fr.-HS
Belle Glade, Fla.
Glades Central HS
High School: A graduate of Glades Central Community High School in Bell Glade, Fla. … Listed as one of the top players in the state of Florida by Rivals.com … Participated in several post-season all-star games including the Outback Steakhouse Game and the Palm Beach County All-Star Game … Earned the Coaches Defensive Player of the Year Award in both 2003 and 2004 … Helped the Raiders to three-straight district championships from 2003-05 … Coached in football by Willie Snead … Earned three varsity letters in football. Personal: Son of Debra Booth and Willie Terry.

Jason Thompson
DE, 6-6, 245, Fr.-HS
Dallas, Texas
James Madison HS
High School: A graduate of James Madison High School in Dallas, Texas … A second-team all-state selection in 2005 … Named the 10-3A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior … Earned all-district honors for three seasons from 2003-05 … Led the team as a senior with 82 solo tackles … Helped the Trojans to the district championship in 2005 … Coached in football by Ronald Johnson … Earned varsity letters in football, basketball and track. Personal: Son of Paul and Felicia Thompson.

Anthony Webb
DB, 6-0, 175, Fr.-HS
Glenn Heights, Texas
South Oak Cliff HS
High School: A graduate of South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, Texas … An honorable-mention all-state selection as a senior … Is No. 22 on the Dallas Morning News’ list of top 100 area recruits … Named preseason first-team All-Texas (all classes) by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine as a defensive back … Led the state of Texas in interceptions in 2005 … Named South Oak Cliff’s Special Team’s Player of the Year … A first-team all-state and all-district performer at Wilmer-Hutchins High School as a junior … Listed among the top 40 recruits in the state of Texas by Rivals.com … Coached in football by Mike Robinson and J.B. Wallace … Earned varsity letters in football. Personal: Son of Anthony and Daphne Webb.

John White
DL, 6-2 ½, 285, Fr.-HS
Moore, Okla.
Moore HS
High School: A graduate of Moore High School in Moore, Okla. … An honorable-mention all-state selection as a senior for the Lions … In addition, was a first-team all-district and first-team all-conference selection in 2005 … Was the team’s Sophomore Player of the Year in 2003 and the Junior Player of the Year in 2004 … Coached in football by Bill Bayes and Tom Noles … Earned varsity letters in football and baseball. Personal: Son of John and Mary White.

Carl Wilson
OL, 6-4, 275, Fr.-HS
Redlands, Calif.
East Valley HS
High School: A graduate of East Valley High School in Redlands, Calif. … A first-team All-CIF and all-area honoree as a senior … Named first-team All-CBL and first-team all-county in 2004 and 2005 … Led the team to the CBL championship in 2003 and 2005 … Coached in football by Kurt Bruich … Earned varsity letters in football and track for the Wildcats … A four-year member of the school’s academic honor roll. Personal: Son of Larry and Karin Wilson.

Ian Wolfe
OL, 6-5, 280, Fr.-HS
Fort Collins, Colo.
Fort Collins HS
High School: A graduate of Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins, Colo. … A first-team all-state and all-league selection in 2005 … Earned all-league honors as a junior in 2004 … Listed as the seventh best recruit from the state of Colorado by Rivals.com … Named Academic all-state in 2004-05 … Helped the Lambkins to a tie for the league championship in 2005 … Coached in football by Eric Rice … Earned varsity letters in football. Personal: Son of Jack and Cindy Wolfe … Father, Jack played basketball at Ohio State … Sister, Erica is scheduled to graduate from KU this spring.

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