TOLEDO – University of Toledo Head Coach Jason Candle announced today that the Rockets have signed 23 student-athletes to their 2017 football recruiting class. The class is ranked No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference by 247 Sports, Scout.com and Rivals.
 
            "I feel like this is a complete class," said Candle. "We signed at least one player at each position. We addressed some needs on the defensive front. That was a high priority for us. But mostly we are looking at character, young men who fit into our program and are passionate about football. Out staff did a really good job of fostering relationships and bringing the right kind of players into our program."
 
            This is the second recruiting class for Candle as head coach. His 2016 class was ranked No. 2 in the MAC by 247 Sports, and No. 3 by Rivals and Scout.com. Before taking over as UT's head coach in December of 2015, Candle had been an assistant on the Rockets' staff since 2009. In 2010, Candle was named one of the top recruiters in the nation by Rivals, the only coach from the MAC to make the list that season. He was named Mid-American Conference Recruiter of the Year in both 2011 and 2012 by Scout.com.
 
            Candle and his staff recruited heavily in Ohio and surrounding states, but they also signed talent further from Toledo. Twelve signees came from Ohio, two from Pennsylvania, one from Michigan, one from Kentucky and one from Illinois. The Rockets went south for six recruits, signing four players from Alabama and two from Florida.
 
            "The state of Ohio and a four-hour radius from campus will always be our home base," said Candle. "But we will also go where we need to find players. Playing on TV and in bowl games definitely helps expose your brand to different parts of the country. I don't think it's a coincidence that we signed six players from Alabama and Florida, states where we've played our last three bowl games."
 
            The following is a brief look at each of the Rockets' 2017 signees:
 
2017 Toledo Recruiting Class

Click here to view highlight clips of each of the 2017 signees.

Tycen Anderson
Defensive Back, 6-2, 185, Toledo, OH-St. John's Jesuit
High School Coach: Doug Pearson
Anticipated Major: Business

Rated a three-star recruit by Scout.com, Tycen Anderson had 14 interceptions in three seasons at Toledo St. John's. He earned first-team all-conference, first-team all-district and first-team all-state honors as a senior, totaling five interceptions, 40 tackles and six blocked kicks. As a junior, Anderson had five interceptions, 30 tackles and blocked five kicks, earning first-team all-conference. He had four interceptions and 15 tackles as a sophomore. Anderson also plays basketball and is a talented track & field athlete, taking third in the state in the long jump as a junior. He is joined in the Rockets' 2017 recruiting class by teammate Mitchell Berg.

Coach Candle: "Tycen Anderson is a tremendous athlete who will play defensive back for us. He's a three-sport athlete at a very good high school. He understands the winning culture we have here at Toledo. I think he's ready for the challenge of playing highly competitive football in his home city."

Kelvin Ateman, Jr.
Offensive Line, 6-5, 285, Detroit, MI-Cass Tech
High School Coach: Thomas Wilcher
Anticipated Major: Business
 
Kelvin Ateman, Jr. is a three-star offensive lineman, according to ESPN, Scout.com and 247 Sports. Ateman earned all-city and all-state honors as a senior at Detroit Cass Tech, the same high school as current Rocket Edrick Mathews, and former Rockets Kishon Wilcher and DeJuan Rogers. Ateman, a three-year letterwinner, helped lead Cass Tech to the 2016 Division I state title.

Coach Candle: "Kelvin Ateman comes from a great program where a winning culture has been instilled and cultivated in him. We've had some players from Cass Tech who have been really successful here and I wouldn't expect anything less from Kelvin. He's a big-bodied offensive tackle who will come in and add some much needed depth on the offensive line."
 
Mitchell Berg
Offensive Lineman, 6-6, 305, Maumee, OH-Toledo St. John's Jesuit
High School Coach: Doug Pearson
Anticipated Major: Business Administration
 
Offensive lineman Mitchell Berg is rated as a three-star recruit by Scout.com, 247 Sports and ESPN. Berg, a three-year letterwinner, earned first-team All-Toledo Blade, first-team all-district and first-team all-state as a senior at St. John's Jesuit High School in Toledo. He is joined in the Rockets' 2017 recruiting class by teammate Tycen Anderson.

Coach Candle: "Mitchell Berg is one of the best offensive linemen in Northwest Ohio this year. Coach (Doug) Pearson has done such a good job getting his players prepared to play competitive football at our level, so I'm sure Mitchell will come in and be ready to compete from day one."
 
Dakari Carter
Wide Receiver, 5-9, 165, Bedford Heights, OH-Streetsboro
High School Coach: John Arlesic
Anticipated Major: Pre-dentistry
 
Dakari Carter caught 65 passes for 568 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior at Streetsboro High School. He played only briefly as a junior due to an injury but caught 41 passes for 702 yards and four TDs as a sophomore. Carter is a three-time state champion in the 100-meter dash, and will be going for his fourth consecutive title this spring.

Coach Candle: "Dakari Carter is a dynamic receiver who will play in the slot for us. He adds a lot of value in the return game as a kick returner and potentially as a punt returner. He's the state 100-meter champion the last three seasons and has the chance to be the first ever four-time 100-meter champion in the history of Ohio track & field. He's a very impressive guy who can really do some explosive things with the football in his hands."
 
Tyrone Chambers
Defensive Lineman, 6-5, 325, Cleveland, OH-Lyndhurst Brush
High School Coach: Jeff Fink
Anticipated Major: Undecided
 
Tyrone Chambers is rated as three-star recruit by 247 Sports, Scout.com, Rivals and ESPN. He earned first-team all-district and special mention all-state honors in both his junior and senior seasons at Lyndhurst Brush High School. He had 52 tackles and nine sacks as a senior, 34 tackles and seven sacks as a junior.

Coach Candle: "Tyrone Chambers will come in and add some depth to the interior defensive line. He has tremendous size at 6-5 and 300-plus pounds. He's very explosive for an athlete of his size. He does a good job of penetrating and creating havoc on the offensive front. He certainly has a very bright future at Toledo."
 
Darius Corbett
Wide Receiver, 6-1, 165, Tampa, FL-Catholic
High School Coach: Mike Greg
Anticipated Major: Communication
 
Darius Corbett caught 104 passes for 1,945 yards  in four seasons at Tampa Catholic High School. He caught 38 passes for 595 yards as a senior, 34 passes for 825 yards as a junior, 22 passes for 450 yards as a sophomore and 10 passes for 75 yards as a freshman.

Coach Candle: "Darius Corbett has good speed and solid fundamentals, and is a dynamic playmaker on the perimeter. He can stretch the defense on the outside and has a very good catch radius."
 
AJ Crider
Linebacker, 6-1, 215, Clinton, PA-Hookstown South Side
High School Coach: Luke Travelpiece
Anticipated Major: Civil Engineering
 
AJ Crider made all-conference at linebacker and running back as a senior at Hookstown South Side High School. He rushed for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns, and added 57 tackles and eight sacks. As a junior, Crider made all-conference at linebacker, racking up 71 tackles and 11 sacks. He also rushed for 700 yards and seven TDs as a junior. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Crider moved to Pennsylvania following his sophomore year in high school.

Coach Candle: "AJ Crider is a very good athlete whose best football is still ahead of him as he gets settled into playing one position. He did a lot for his high school football team, played at many positions, but he will come in and play linebacker for us. He's an explosive athlete who has a bright future."
 
Devonte' Dunn
Defensive Lineman, 6-2, 290, Plainfield, IL-Nazareth Academy
High School Coach: Tim Racki
Anticipated Major: Undecided
 
Devonte' Dunn is a three-star recruit according to Scout.com, 247 Sports and ESPN. He had 40 tackles and three sacks as a senior, 50 tackles and three sacks as a junior, and 60 tackles and 10 sacks as a sophomore. Dunn earned all-conference honors in his junior and senior seasons. His high school, Nazareth Academy, won the 6A state championship in his sophomore and junior campaigns.

Coach Candle: "Devonte' Dunn is a big defensive tackle who will add great depth inside. He plays in a great league in the Chicago area. We fell in love with him when he came to our camps over the summer. He's been committed to us for a long time so he has embraced really being a Rocket.  We look forward to getting him on campus and having a chance to coach him."
Nate Givhan
Defensive Lineman, 6-4, 230, Montgomery, AL-Carver
High School Coach: Billy Gresham
Anticipated Major: Sport Management
 
Nate Givhan racked up 72 tackles and 13 sacks as a senior defensive lineman at Montgomery Carver. He also is a talented basketball player who averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds as a junior. He joins teammate Jamal Turner in the 2017 Toledo recruiting class.

Coach Candle: "Nate Givhan is a long pass-rush specialist who really has a nose for getting after the quarterback and a knack for getting to the football. He's very young in terms of his football playing career. He hasn't played for a long time, so he doesn't have a lot of experience when it comes to doing some of the things that we're going to ask him to do. But he has a very high ceiling as a player so we're excited to see him grow as a player."
 
Kedonis Haslem
Offensive Lineman, 6-3, 308, Miami, FL-St. Thomas Aquinas
High School Coach: Roger Harriott
Anticipated Major: Communication
 
Offensive lineman Kedonis Haslem helped lead St. Thomas Aquinas to the Florida 7A State Championship in 2016. A three-star recruit, according to Scout.com, Rivals, ESPN and 247 Sports, Haslem is the son of 14-year NBA veteran Udonis Haslem.

Coach Candle: "Kedonis Haslem is a big-bodied, long, athletic offensive tackle. He played at a great high school program, St. Thomas Aquinas, which won another state championship this year. He certainly understands winning and understands the day-to-day business of what it takes to become really good."
 
Jamal Hines
Defensive End, 6-2, 228, Cincinnati, OH-Princeton
High School Coach: Pat McLaughlin
Anticipated Major: Criminal Justice
 
Jamal Hines is a three-star recruit at defensive end, according to Rivals and 247 Sports. He was an Associated Press Division II second-team all-district selection this past season for Cincinnati Princeton High School, and earned first-team all-Greater Miami Conference honors in both his junior and senior seasons. He totaled 80 tackles, four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries as a senior, and 95 tackles, 8.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries as a junior. As a sophomore, Hines had 95 tackles and 8.0 sacks.

Coach Candle: "Jamal Hines is a tremendous young man from a great family. He's had to work for everything he's got. He's a good student who comes from a winning football program at Princeton. We're looking forward to watching his growth as a Rocket."

Saeed Holt
Defensive Back, 6-0, 180, Pittsburgh, PA-Woodland Hills
High School Coach: George Novak
Anticipated Major: Undecided
 
Saeed Holt is an all-conference defensive back from Pittsburgh Woodland Hills High School. A first-team WIPIAL Class 5A "Alleghany Nine" selection, Holt also played linebacker and running back.

Coach Candle: "Saeed Holt gives us a lot of position flexibility on the defensive side of the ball. We'll start him out playing at safety. We expect him to have the same success as past players that we've had on our team from Woodland Hills."
 
Reggie Howard
Defensive Lineman, 6-3, 280, Cincinnati, OH-Withrow/Fort Scott (KS) CC
High School Coach: Jim Place
Junior College Coach: Kale Pick
Anticipated Major: Education
 
Reggie Howard is a three-star defensive lineman, according to Scout.com, Rivals and 247 Sports. In his sophomore season at Fort Scott Community College, Howard played in 11 games, making 60 tackles, seven sacks and two forced fumbles.

Coach Candle: "Reggie Howard is a very disruptive defensive lineman. He enrolled in January and has already been training with us, so that should really help him. We're excited to see what his ceiling can be. He gives us position flexibility on the defensive front. He's a really a good run defender and certainly has the ability to get after the quarterback, as well.
 
DeAmonte King
Wide Receiver/Defensive Back, 5-11, 175, Akron, OH-St. Vincent-St. Mary
High School Coach: Marcus Wattley
Anticipated Major: Business Management
DeAmonte King is a three-star wide receiver/defensive back, according to Scout.com, Rivals, ESPN and 247 Sports. As a junior, he made the Associated Press Inland District second team on offense in Division III, catching 32 passes for 728 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had two interceptions, nine pass breakups and 26 tackles on defense. A standout in basketball and track, King helped Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to a Division II state championship in the 800 relay in 2016. King also finished third in the 400 and helped the 1,600 relay team place second.

Coach Candle: "DeAmonte King is a three-season athlete, football, basketball and track. He's strong in all three sports. He's got loose hips and can really run. We'll probably start him off in the defensive backfield, but he could see some action at wide receiver."
 
Nick Kovacs
Wide Receiver, 6-3, 195, Springboro, OH-Springboro
High School Coach: Ryan Wilhite
Anticipated Major: Business
 
Nick Kovacs is Springboro High's all-time leading receiver, catching 203 passes for 2,850 yards and 37 touchdowns in his high school career. Listed as a three-star recruit by Scout.com, 247 Sports and ESPN, Kovacs had 89 receptions for 1,159 yards and 13 TDs as a senior, earning second-team all-state, first-team all-district and first-team all-conference honors. He was the conference Offensive Player of the Year. As a junior, Kovacs had 78 receptions, 1,190 yards and 19 touchdowns, earning first-team all-state recognition. As a sophomore, Kovacs grabbed 36 passes for 501 yards and five scores, making second-team all-conference.

Coach Candle: "Nick Kovacs is a big, long, athletic receiver with a big catch radius. He will play on the outside for us. He is very strong at the point of attack and at the reception point in traffic. I think he will help us on special teams early on in his career."

Woodford Lankford
Offensive Lineman, 6-4, 270, Paris, KY-Lexington Catholic Central
High School Coach: Mark Perry
Anticipated Major: Business
 
A three-year starter at Lexington Catholic Central High School, Woodford Lankford earned first-team all-city and first-team all-state honors as a senior. He was the right tackle of the Kentucky squad in the Best of the Bluegrass All-Star Game.

Coach Candle: "Woodford Lankford comes from a great family and is a well-coached player coming out of a great program at Lexington Catholic. He is very fundamentally sound.  He certainly will help us in the future."

Caleb Martin
Quarterback, 6-2, 200, Fort Recovery, OH-Fort Recovery
High School Coach: Brent Niekamp
Anticipated Major: Marketing
 
Quarterback Caleb Martin is a three-star recruit, according to Scout.com and 247 Sports. In his three-year career at Fort Recovery High School, Martin threw for 5,786 yards and 54 touchdowns. As a senior, he completed 119-of-234 passes for 1,648 yards and 16 touchdowns. Martin also connected on 176-of-307 passes for 2,490 yards and 22 TDs as a junior, and was named MVP of the Division VII state championship game after setting divisional title game records for completions (25), yards (385) and TDs (five) in a 33-14 win over Mogadore. As a sophomore, Martin threw for 1,648 yards and 16 scores.

Coach Candle: "Caleb Martin is what you want your quarterback to be -- very cerebral, very smart, with a lot of leadership capabilities. He has been a winner his entire career and certainly has the ability to make other people around him better, which is the number one quality you want your quarterback to have."

Bryce Mitchell
Wide Receiver, 6-3, 196, Toledo, OH-Bowsher
High School Coach: Chip Strahm
Anticipated Major: Sport Management
 
Wide receiver Bryce Mitchell is a three-star recruit, according to Scout.com and 247 Sports. He earned all-city and all-district honors in both his junior and seniors seasons at Toledo Bowsher High School. As a junior, Mitchell gained 1,700 all-purpose yards and scored 17 touchdowns. He also lettered in basketball and baseball.

Coach Candle: "Bryce Mitchell is a big-time receiver. He will play as an outside receiver for us. He has enough speed to get behind you, is very good in traffic in the intermediate routes and is very strong at the reception point."

Tadarrius Patterson
Linebacker, 6-1, 215, Birmingham, AL-Carver
High School Coach: Rod Carson
Anticipated Major: Business Management
 
Tadarrius Patterson is a three-star recruit, according to Scout.com, ESPN and 247 Sports. He recorded 69 tackles and 19.5 sacks as a senior, and had 56 tackles and 11 sacks as a junior at Carver High School in Birmingham. He earned all-city honors in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

Coach Candle: "Tadarrius Patterson is a long, athletic linebacker who has also played down lineman throughout his career. We'll start him out at linebacker. He's been a really a productive player wherever he's played in his high school career."

Drew Rosi
Defensive End/Tight End, 6-4, 245, Powell, OH-Olentangy Liberty
High School Coach: Steve Hale
Anticipated Major: Business
 
Drew Rosi is a three-star recruit, according to Scout.com, Rivals, ESPN and 247 Sports. He caught 29 passes and scored four touchdowns as a tight end in his senior season at Olentangy Liberty High School. He earned first-team all-conference honors as a defensive end, racking up 27.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, 28 QB hurries, six pass deflections and two forced fumbles. Rosi also earned all-district honors in basketball as a junior.

Coach Candle: "Drew Rosi is a very versatile player. We'll get him slotted into where he has the best chance to be successful early in his career, whether that's tight end or defensive end. I think he has the chance to be a major impact player down the road on either side of the football."
 
Nicholas Sims
Running Back, 5-11, 205, Mobile, AL-Murphy
High School Coach: Rick Cauley
Anticipated Major: Marketing
 
Nicholas Sims rushed for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior at Mobile Murphy High School. He earned first-team All-Mobile County, all-coastal, all-area and all-city honors in his junior and senior seasons. As a sophomore, he made honorable mention all-coastal honors. Sims also runs track, earning state runner-up honors in the 100 meters as a freshman, sophomore and junior.

Coach Candle: "Nicholas Sims is a patient runner, with good balance and very good vision. He has the separation speed and the 100-meter speed to score from anywhere on the field. It's very rare that you've got a guy that size that has that type of speed to finish runs. His best football is yet to come."

Jamal Turner
Tight End, 6-6, 230, Montgomery, AL-Carver
High School Coach: Billy Gresham
Anticipated Major: Sports Management
 
Jamal Turner racked up 603 yards receiving and eight touchdowns as a senior, and 328 yards and four TDs as a junior. He also is a top basketball player, averaging 23.3 points and 14 rebounds as a junior for Montgomery Carver. He joins teammate Nate Givhan on the 2017 Toledo recruiting class.

Coach Candle: "Jamal Turner is a big-bodied tight end. He has basketball skills that translate onto the football field. He's very similar to (former Rocket tight end) Michael Roberts. He's a big-bodied guy who has a big catch radius and is very quarterback-friendly in the intermediate zones of the passing game."

Victor Williams, Jr.
Defensive Back, 5-10, 185, Warren, OH-Howland
High School Coach: Dom Menendez
Anticipated Major: Business
 
Victor Williams, Jr. is a three-star recruit, according to Scout.com and 247 Sports. As a senior at Warren Howland High School, he earned first-team all-state honors and was named the Division III Defensive Player of the Year. As a junior, he had 977 all-purpose yards with nine total touchdowns, 74 tackles, 22 TFL, 13 sacks, and four forced fumbles, earning first-team all-state honors.

Coach Candle: "Victor Williams was a do-everything player for his high school football team. He played running back, quarterback and receiver, in addition to defensive backfield. He will play safety for us. He's an intelligent football player. He was the quarterback of the defense for his high school team and he could certainly be that for us, as well."