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Feb. 2, 2005

OXFORD, Ohio -- First-year Miami University head football coach Shane Montgomery announced his first recruiting class Wednesday, as 13 prep standouts inked their names to National Letters of Intent and commited to joining the program for the upcoming 2005 season. While the number of available scholarships limited the size of the class, according to Montgomery its potential to impact the program could make it special.

"This wasn't a large class in quantity because of our smaller senior class, but I think it's a tremendous class in terms of quality," Montgomery said. "Not only did we sign good football players and good people, we also signed good students. I'm very proud of this class and the work our coaching staff invested in getting it signed."

The class, which includes eight defensive players and five offensive players, encompasses student-athletes from six different states, with seven players hailing from Ohio. Montgomery's staff retained all of the verbal commitments it had received prior to the departure of former head coach Terry Hoeppner and a number of assistant coaches in late December. The position breakdown of the class includes four defensive backs, three linebackers, two defensive linemen, two offensive linemen, one wide receiver, one quarterback and one running back.

"I feel like we took care of all the needs we identified before the recruiting period began," Montgomery said. "We addressed our needs on both sides of the line and the secondary in particular. I'm also pleased that we were able to hold on to all of the commitments we had before the coaching change."

2005 SIGNEES

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Andre Bratton
RB 5-11 180
Woodbridge, VA (Woodbridge)

Coach's Comments: An explosive running back with great field vision ... has the rare ability to make cuts without losing speed ... always a threat to break the big run. Notes: Second-team all-state selection as a senior, rushing for 1,751 yards and 13 touchdowns ... rushed for at least 100 yards in all 11 games and averaged nearly 8.0 yards per carry as a senior ... also named first-team all-Northwest Region and Northwest Region Offensive Player of the Year as a senior ... rushed for 980 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, despite battling injury ... ranked as one of the top 50 players in Virginia by the Roanoke Times. Other Schools Interested: Syracuse, Kent State.

Antonio Brunson
DB/WR 5-11 175
Ft. Pierce, FL (John Carroll)

Coach's Comments: An athletic cover corner, whose experience as a pressing corner fits well into Miami's defensive system ... has great hands and awareness for the ball. Notes: Four-year letterwinner as a defensive back and wide receiver at John Carroll High School, spending three seasons as a starting corner back ... helped the Rams to a three-year record of 27-7 and back-to-back district and regional titles ... intercepted a personal-best seven passes during his sophomore season ... honorable mention all-state pick in 2004 ... competed in the Outback Steakhouse Treasure Coast All-Star Game as a senior ... also an impressive leaper, boasting a 22-3 mark in the long jump and 43-11 mark in the triple jump. Other Schools Interested: Auburn, Iowa, Florida Atlantic.

Heath Cartwright
OL 6-6 265
Westville, IN (Chesterton)

Coach's Comments: Tall, athletic lineman who is very good in pass protection ... has a great frame with room to grow ... possesses tremendous potential. Notes: Three-year letterwinner as an offensive lineman and defensive end at Chesterton, serving as team captain during his senior season ... totaled 39 tackles and three forced fumbles on the defensive side, while allowing only one quarterback sack on the offensive side during his senior season ... an Indiana Top 33 selection and first-team all-area and all-state selection as an offensive tackle. Other Schools Interested: Toledo, Western Michigan.

Brayden Coombs
DB 6-1 180
Cincinnati, OH (Colerain)

Coach's Comments: Versatile athlete who is a very intelligent football player ... possesses good ball skills ... also an excellent student who ranks at the top of his class. Notes: Lettered three seasons as a defensive back and return man for Colerain ... helped the Cardinals to a three-year record of 38-3, including three straight conference titles and an undefeated record and state championship in 2004 ... totaled 16 pass breakups and four interceptions as a senior corner back for the Cardinals ... an all-league, all-city, all-district, all-region and second-team all-state performer as a senior ... also an all-state performer as a sprinter on the track team ... son of Colerain head football coach Kerry Coombs. Other Schools Interested: Stanford, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati.

Travis Craven
DE 6-4 220
Ft. Wayne, IN (Snider)

Coach's Comments: Very productive defensive end with an uncanny knack for getting to the quarterback and the ability to cover a lot of ground ... tall, athletic player with great speed ... an athletic big kid who still has room to grow. Notes: Three-year letterwinner at R. Nelson Snider High School, where he helped the Panthers post a four-year record of 39-4 and post two state runner-up finishes ...set Snider season and career records for quarterback sacks, totaling 22 as a junior and 43 for his career ... forced 14 fumbles during his career ... all-conference, all-region and all-state selection as a junior and senior ... conference and area player of the year in 2004 ... named to Indiana's Tremendous 26 prior to the 2004 season. Other Schools Interested: Northern Illinois, Ball State, Western Michigan.

Brad Goatley
LB 6-2 220
Maumee, OH (Maumee)

Coach's Comments: A physical linebacker who is a punishing hitter ... very active player with great size and speed ... an impact-type player who could see the field early in his career. Notes: Averaged more than 15.0 tackles per game as a senior linebacker, while also rushing for more than 500 yards ... totaled 326 career tackles ... first-team all-league and named to the Toledo Blade's All-Blade Team as a senior ... second-team all-state selection in 2004 ... three-time all-district honoree ... helped the Panthers to back-to-back state semifinal appearances as a junior and senior ... played at Toledo St. John's as a sophomore, advancing to the state semifinals in both football and basketball. Other Schools Interested: Kentucky, Duke, West Virginia.

Joe Hudson
LB 6-2 218
Piqua, OH (Piqua)

Coach's Comments: A smart, active player with good athletic ability ... has a nose for the ball ... is already enrolled at Miami and working out with the team. Notes: Lettered three seasons as a linebacker and tight end at Piqua ... was team captain of the Indians' football and basketball teams as a senior ... totaled 80 tackles, including 17 for loss, two quarterback sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception in 2004 ... first-team all-conference as a sophomore, junior and senior ... league defensive MVP as a senior ... also first-team all-region and second-team all-state in 2004. Other Schools Interested: West Virginia, Ball State, Kent State.

Sean Kavanagh
DB 6-1 205
Westlake, OH (St. Ignatius)

Coach's Comments: A nice athlete from a traditionally strong high school program with a reputation of producing Division I athletes ... runs well and always seems to be around the ball. Notes: Three-year letterwinner as a linebacker and strong safety at St. Ignatius ... totaled 88 tackles, while making six interceptions, forcing two fumbles and blocking two field goals during his senior season ... helped the Wildcats to a three-year record of 30-9 ... first-team all-district, all-county and all-state in 2004 ...competed at the Ohio State Track & Field Championships in the 4X100 relay. Other Schools Interested: Michigan State, Ohio.

Brian Klesmith
OL 6-6 276
Grand Rapids, MI (Ottawa Hills)

Coach's Comments: Big, powerful lineman with good feet ... physical player who competes at a high intensity level ... another nice frame that still has room to develop. Notes: Four-year starter on the Ottawa Hills offensive line, serving as team captain during his senior season ... two-time all-city and all-area selection ... named to Western Michigan Dream Team ... first-team all-state pick by the Detroit Free Press. Other Schools Interested: Central Michigan, Western Michigan.

E.J. Morton-Green
WR 6-4 198
Mason, OH (Princeton)

Coach's Comments: A tall, athletic, big-play wide receiver .... hails from a strong program ... has all the tools and potential to flourish in Miami's passing offense ... selected to compete in the Ohio North-South All-Star Game. Notes: Three-year letterwinner as a wide receiver and defensive back at Princeton ... hauled in 59 passes for 688 yards and 10 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons ... first-team all-conference, all-city and all-valley as a senior ... honorable mention all-Southwest Ohio pick as a senior ... helped the Vikings to a conference championship as a junior ... also a sprinter on the track team. Other Schools Interested: Boston College, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Cincinnati, Toledo, Bowling Green.

Daniel Raudabaugh
QB 6-4 205
Coppell, TX (Coppell)

Coach's Comments: Tall, athletic quarterback with a strong arm and excellent feet ... has the ability to throw in the pocket or on the run ... showed a lot of promise in only one season as a starter and will only get better with experience. Notes: Completed 95-of-187 passes for 1,282 yards and eight touchdowns during senior season at Coppell ... two-year letterwinner who served as team captain during a senior season in which the Cowboys went 4-6 ... second-team all-district selection in 2004 ... selected to compete in Dallas/Fort Worth Coca-Cola All-Star Game ... also a second-team all-district selection as a pitcher on the Coppell baseball team. Other Schools Interested: UTEP, SMU

Kevin Samy
DL 6-1 255
Canton, OH (Jackson)

Coach's Comments: First commitment from this class ... an explosive, powerful defensive lineman with surprising quickness ... type of high-energy, aggressive player best suited for Miami's style of defense. Notes: Three-year letterwinner on the Jackson H.S. defensive line ... first-team all-conference, all-Inland District and all-county as a junior ... also second-team all-state honoree in 2003 ... finished first in the bench press at Ohio State's senior camp, lifting 27 reps at 225 lbs ... also a three-year letterwinner as a thrower on the track & field team. Other Schools Interested: Cincinnati, Ball State

Jeff Thompson
DB 5-10 175
Worthington, OH (Worthington Kilbourne)

Coach's Comments: Versatile athlete who competes in multiple sports ... has the skills and speed to be a strong cover corner ... also a dangerous return man Notes: Three-year letterwinner at Worthington Kilbourne, serving as a team captain during his senior season ... totaled 13 career interceptions to rank second all-time at Kilbourne ... averaged 14.6 yards per punt return and 30.4 yards per kick return during his career ... three-time first-team all-conference selection ... second-team all-district pick as a junior and senior ... honorable mention all-state selection in 2004 ... helped Kilbourne to a regional football title in 2004 ... also an all-state honoree on the baseball diamond. Other Schools Interested: Northwestern, Akron