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Last year, Eastern Michigan head coach Chris Creighton was able to haul in 21 commits on National Signing Day. That was with a huge time crunch too, being only hired within two months without much of a class to work with. Now after his first season as the Eagles' head coach, Creighton is now able to call this class his own: a class of 25.
Meet the incoming class of 2015
| Player | Hometown (School) | Pos | Rating | HT/WT | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willie Parker | Tampa Bay, FL (Carrollwood Day) | RB | NR | 5'9"/170 | Yes |
| Cody Tuttle | Thousand Oaks, CA (Moorpark CC) | WR | 2-star | 6'4"/230 | Yes |
| Kwanii Figueroa | Brooklyn, NY (Paramus Catholic) | DT | NR | 6'2"/275 | Yes |
| Kezio Snelling | Lutz, FL (Steinbrenner) | WR | 3-star | 6'1"/175 | Yes |
| Braylin Collins | Duncan, SC (Byrnes) | WR | 2-star | 6'1"/175 | Yes |
| Breck Turner | Norwalk, OH (Norwalk) | RB | 3-star | 6'0"/190 | Yes |
| Clay Holford | Lewisville, TX (Hebron) | LB | 2-star | 6'2/230 | |
| Maxx Crosby | Colleyville, TX (Colleyville Heritage) | DE | 2-star | 6'4"/240 | Yes |
| Nick Dillon | Lincolnshire, IL (Stevenson) | DT | 3-star | 6'2"/283 | Yes |
| Anthony Brown | Iowa City, IA (Iowa Western CC) | LB | 2-star | 5'11"/205 | Yes |
| Juan Giraldo | Gilbert, AZ (Mesa CC) | S | 2-star | 6'0"/192 | Yes |
| Isaias Calderon | Neptune, NJ (College of the Desert) | S | 2-star | 5'9"/188 | Yes |
| Jaylen Pickett | Zephyrhills, FL (Zephyrhills) | DB | 2-star | 6'0"/191 | Yes |
| Isaac Holder | Tampa, FL (Sickles) | WR | 2-star | 5'11"/175 | Yes |
| Bryce Kemp | Baxter, IA (Collins Maxwell Baxter) | TE | 2-star | 6'5"/207 | Yes |
| Devon Russell | Elkton, MD (Eastern Christian Academy) | DB | 2-star | 5'11"/160 | |
| Pete Bergmann | Casper, WY (National County HS) | OL | 2-star | 6'9"/280 | Yes |
| Brian Alsobrooks | Livonia, MI (Churchill) | QB/P | 2-star | 6'2"/215 | Yes |
| Hunter Andrews | Lapeer, MI (Lapeer) | DE | 2-star | 6'4"/217 | Yes |
| Rob Pavletich | Neenah, WI (Neenah) | OT | 2-star | 6'5"/260 | Yes |
| Brody Hoying | Coldwater, OH (Coldwater) | DB | 3-star | 5'11"/185 | Yes |
| Sam Girodat | Jackson, MI (Lumen Christi) | TE | 2-star | 6'3"/245 | Yes |
| Eddie Daugherty | Mentor, OH (Mentor) | WR/RB | NR | 5'7"/160 | Yes |
| Danny Annee | Indianapolis, IN (Ronacalli) | TE | NR | 6'7"/225 | Yes |
| Bryan Glover | Pittsburgh, PA (Central Catholic) | LB | 2-star | 6'2"/205 | Yes |
Any needs filled?
Needing to replace Tyreese Russell, Creighton was able to get JUCO transfer Cody Tuttle from Moorpark CC (California). He originally went to Nevada right out of high school and EMU is giving him a second opportunity to play at the Division-I level. He will be playing the wide receiver/h-back role that Russell played in.
The defensive line has been an issue for the Eagles for some time now, and there's a few better-praised defensive linemen that Creighton was able to scoop up. Kwanii Figueroa and Nick Dillon are the most notable defensive linemen in this class, but EMU also got defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Hunter Andrews.
Where's the depth?
It's been a thing for years now: depth at running back. That's a reality that's still very true. With Bronson Hill and Ryan Brumfield as the notable running backs gone, Breck Turner and Willie Parker are both going to come into the program as 3-star and unranked prospects, respectively. Turner, from Norwalk, Ohio, chose EMU over 11 other offers including those from Marshall, Minnesota, Navy, and other MAC schools. Parker is unranked by 247sports (2-star back by Rivals), but with his shorter stature and playing style, it could give defenses a different look to play against.
The receiving corps as a whole was fairly dismal in 2014, and there aren't a lot of pieces missing from last year. With the additions of Tuttle, Kezio Snelling, Isaac Holder, Braylin Collins and Eddie Daugherty, there should be some gradual improvement in that department over time. The Eagles also got a trio of tight ends with Bryce Kemp, Sam Girodat and Danny Annee that have some height to them.
There are 13 offensive linemen on EMU's current roster. That number is now up to 15 with "Big" Pete Bergman and Rob Pavletich both signing today.
Any true freshmen?
Quite possibly, especially with how things have gone the past few years. Any time you sign a class of this size,
Offensively, Tuttle should be seeing some instant playing time. This is a receiver that was drawing interests from TCU, Nebraska, Syracuse, UCLA and Oregon State out of high school, too. While Darius Jackson is penciled in as EMU's top running back today, Turner might be able to carry the rock for the Eagles a few times this year when Jackson needs a rest.
The quarterback topic is always a big one for EMU. Fans have been asking themselves "who will be starting next week?" since 2012, and there's reason to believe that they'll be asking themselves the same thing this year. Competition at the starting role between Reggie Bell and Brogan Roback is to be expected, but how much can Brian Alsobrooks prove himself over the summer to add fuel to the fire?
On defense, Figueroa and Dillon could both compete for early playing time on the defensive line to act as counterparts to Pat O'Conner. JUCO transfer Anthony Brown could see some playing time as the flex outside linebacker/safety with his quickness and toughness.
Overall takeaways
For Creighton being able to offer kids Division-I football scholarships for the first time, he's really outdone himself. He wasn't listed, but Travis Smith was also a huge piece to EMU's recruiting after he transferred from Wake Forest. They're still waiting to see whether or not he'll be able to participate this season, or if he'll have to sit out this year. If he does practice and play this year, then the quarterback situation gets even crazier.
Breck Turner might be the best commit from this class. In high school, Turner ran for over 5,600 yards with 79 touchdowns in three varsity seasons.
Defense was heavily stressed with this class, and it started with loading up the box first. 12 players in this class are defensive players and five are defensive backs. EMU's defense was ranked last in the MAC last year, so the incoming class on this side of the ball will be watched under a microscope.