TU gets 20 players in the fold

TULSA - To turn Tulsa into a perennial Top 25 team, coach Bill Blankenship knows he's going to have to beat schools from the powerhouse conferences not only on the field but on the recruiting trail.

He believes the Golden Hurricane took a step in that direction on college football's signing day Wednesday.

Blankenship and his staff brought in six recruits who chose Tulsa over schools from the Big 12, Southeastern Conference and Big Ten among a class of 20 incoming players. That includes quarterback Dane Evans, who has already enrolled in school to join the competition to replace exiting starter G.J. Kinne.

The balanced class includes eight offensive players, 10 defenders, kicker Daniel Schwarz and one player who could end up on offense or defense.

Last year Blankenship was hired to replace the departed Todd Graham just 2 weeks before signing day, and had little time to gather a recruiting class a year ago. This time he had plenty of time, and an 8-5 record to brag about to incoming players.

 
2012 Tulsa Football Signees
Name            Pos.            Ht.            Wt.            Cl.            Hometown/Previous School            
Joshua Atkinson            WR            6-2            185            Fr.            Carrollton, Texas/The Oakridge School
Blake Belcher            OL            6-5            285            Fr.            Guthrie, Okla./Guthrie
Adam Boyd            WR/SAF            6-1            195            Fr.            McAlester, Okla./McAlester
Jeremy Brady            SAF            5-11            185            Fr.            North Little Rock, Ark./Pulaski Academy
Johnell Celistan            CB            6-1            161            Fr.            Luling, La./Hahnville
*Dane Evans            QB            6-2            200            Fr.            Sanger, Texas/Sanger
James Flanders            RB            5-11            186            Fr.            Midwest City, Okla./Midwest City
Dylan Foxworth            OL            6-2            265            Fr.            Claremore, Okla./Claremore
Damian Gibson            DE            6-4            235            Fr.            Tulsa, Okla./East Central
Taylor Grove            TE            6-5            240            Jr-JC            Chandler, Ariz./Phoenix CC
% Matt Linscott             SAF            6-2            200            Fr.            Tulsa, Okla./Jenks
Cory Rahmings            DE            6-3            255            Fr.            Broken Bow, Okla./Broken Bow
Rob Riederer            LB            6-1            212            Fr.            Holton, Kan./Holton
Daniel Schwarz            PK            6-3            189            Fr.            Lawton, Okla./MacArthur
Conner Sherwood            LB            6-2            218            Fr.            Tulsa, Okla./Cascia Hall
Craig Suits            LB            6-1            210            Fr.            Sunnyvale, Texas/Poteet
Micheal Thomas            SAF            6-0            200            Fr.            Lawton, Okla./MacArthur
Darnell Walker Jr.            CB            5-11            165            Fr.            Bolivar, Mo./Bolivar
Chris Wallace            OL            6-5            310            Fr.            Sperry, Okla./Sperry
*Davis Walton            OL            6-3            279            Jr-JC            Tulsa, Okla./NE Oklahoma A&M
Tyler Wilson            TE            6-7            260            Fr.            Ponca City, Okla./Ponca City