NATIONAL SIGNING DAY! Ferris State Football Inks Highly-Touted 38-Member Recruiting Class

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Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University football program, which has reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals three of the past four years, has inked one of its largest National Signing Day classes ever as the Bulldogs announced the names of 38 signees on Wednesday (Feb. 5).

Head Coach Coach Annese, who ranks as the nation's winningest active head coach, announced FSU's 2020 recruiting class with a live afternoon press conference at the Wheeler Pavilion. The outstanding class refelcts the Bulldogs' recent success and name on a national level in addition to continuing the program's strong ties from Michigan.

The Bulldogs' 38-member class features a heavy dose players with championship experience and nearly all of this year's signees also received all-state accolades on an individual basis. They will join a FSU program that has posted the GLIAC's best league record over the past seven seasons (87-16) and a squad that owns the top overall eight-year record of all collegiate programs in Michigan or in the GLIAC.

"We're thrilled with this year's class and our staff did an outstanding job in identifying talented student-athletes for our program," said Annese. "Our goal is to prevent any gaps and this group of young men will help carry on the championship tradition we've been able to establish. It's a big class and an exceptional one."

Ferris State's 2020 class features standouts on both sides of the ball as the Bulldogs inked 19 touted prospects on the offensive side to go with 16 defensively in addition to a kicker/punter and two "athletes" with position yet to be determined. The total number of signees on both sides of the ball includes a nice mix of student-athletes from nearly every position.

Offensively, FSU added six offensive linemen, four wide receivers, two slots, three potential quarterbacks, two tight end/H-Backs and two running backs to fit the Bulldogs' high-powered offense, which has ranked among the nation's leaders in total offense, scoring offense and rushing offense throughout Annese's tenure.

On the defensive side, the Bulldogs brought in five in the secondary, five on the defensive line and six linebackers to bolster a unit that ranked among the nation's best this past season.

Ferris State again placed a heavy emphasis on its home state and grabbed plenty of the top talent in the state of Michigan with 29 coming from within the state, including nearly a dozen from home in West Michigan in the Bulldogs' back yard. FSU also continued its highly-successful pipeline to Florida, inking six talented performers from the Sunshine State, in addition to standout signees from Ohio, Texas and Quebec.

Within Michigan, Ferris State again attracted top talent from West Michigan with signees from schools such as Mona Shores, Muskegon Oakridge, Rockford, Dowagiac, Comstock Park, Forest Hills Central, Jenison, Battle Creek Central, Battle Creek Lakview, Montague and Grand Rapids Union. FSU also again capitalized in the southeast corner of the state and the Metro Detroit area with incoming recruits from high schools such as Detroit Edison, Eastpointe, Martin Luther King, Rochester Adams, Southfield, Robichaud, River Rouge, Oak Park, Chippewa Valley Harper Woods, West Bloomfield and others. The Bulldogs landed a pair of student-athletes from the Saginaw area.

This past fall, along with reaching the national semifinals, FSU also claimed a second-straight GLIAC Championship with an unblemished league record. This past year marked the Bulldogs' fourth-straight trip to the national quarterfinals or beyond, which is the longest streak in the country. Thes national semifinal contest marked the first-ever semifinal played at home for the Bulldogs and the latest game ever played in a year at Top Taggart Field. Over the past two seasons, the Bulldogs have compiled a 27-2 mark.

Over the last six seasons at Ferris State, the Bulldogs have compiled a 72-9 overall record and claimed four conference championships, posted four unbeaten regular-seasons, captured three regional titles and reached the national quarterfinals four times. Ferris State has also accumulated three Harlon Hill National Player of the Year trophies, twice had a student-athlete tabbed as the nation's National Scholar-Athlete of the Year and won 12 postseason games in addition to an appearance in the 2018 National Championship game.

The Bulldogs are one of only four teams in all of college football at any NCAA level to win 11 games each of the last six years along with Alabama, Ohio State and North Dakota State. FSU is also the only D2 team in the country to reach the national quarterfinals for four consecutive years and the Bulldogs' six-straight playoff appearances is the second-longest longest streak in the nation.

Ferris State also holds the GLIAC's best mark and the best overall record of all 21 collegiate programs in Michigan at 87-16 overall since the arrival of Annese as head coach in 2012.

Ferris State is presently midst the winter conditioning slate with spring practice drills scheduled to begin in March. FSU opens the 2020 schedule in September.

For complete coverage of the 2020 football signing day class, stay tuned to FerrisStateBulldogs.com


2020 Ferris State Football Recruiting Class
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