The Western Mustangs unveiled their 2017 recruiting class on Thursday evening at TD Stadium in London.
It’s a hometown-heavy group, with 18 of the 34 announced of the players coming from London. Offensive lineman Dawson Hitsman is from nearby Aylmer, but has played with the London Jr. Mustangs.
“We do not want to let the best kids leave London. One or two did escape us,” Mustangs recruiting co-ordinator and academic advisor Chris Marcus said following the announcement. “London football is some of the best in the country, and we are going to do out best to have them stay.”
Western has had one of the most consistent university programs in Canada. Last year’s team was a win away from getting to a Vanier Cup semi-final when they suffered through a heartbreaking Laurier fourth-quarter comeback that snatched that spot away — and with it, some top players who have now graduated the program.
To fill those positions, recruiters had to look outside London as well and head coach Greg Marshall points to the kind of success the Mustangs have had in attracting players from across Canada.
“Western is a national university,” he said. “We attract players and students from across the country, and our football team needs to reflect that.”
Marshall has seen the results of good recruiting classes. Those have propelled the consistency Western has become known for, but he describes it as a long-term process.
“A lot of these boys come in at 17 or 18 years old and find themselves on the field against 22-, 23- and 24-year old men,” Marshall says. “We wouldn’t throw a freshman into a senior or a PhD academic class, and yet in a physical sport like football where there’s a six-year difference in age, it happens. So, in a lot of cases there is great potential, but it is going to take a year or two.”
As with everything, there are always exceptions — for Western, that might be 6’3″, 270-pound defensive lineman Austin Miller.
“That kid’s motor is unbelievable,” Marcus says, smiling. “He had a lot of U.S. interest. Great kid. He is already enrolled in school here and was so excited to tell me that he got an 82 on an exam. I was maybe even a little more excited the next day to watch him bench 300 for ten reps.”
Given some of the losses on Western’s D-line, Miller could find himself starting right away.
Other players who may rise quickly are a pair of defensive backs — Daniel Valente played last year at CCH and Tommy Ngongo in Windsor.
Valente believes one aspect of his game could help him climb a crowded depth chart in the secondary.
“I think my versatility will help me,” he says. “I can play any position in the defensive secondary. I have good speed. Put me anywhere and I can play.”
Players have a great deal to adjust to, from everyday university life and academic demands to no longer being the best player on the field as they might have been in high school.
As fast as the four or five years at Western can go by, Marshall stresses the process it takes to earn a spot on the team.
“It’s not easy to get into Western, so we need good students and good athletes,” he says. “And just as important as good recruiting is good retention. Everyone studies the recruiting class, but nobody looks four years down the road and asks, ‘How many of those recruits did they retain?’ So, retention is huge for us.”
That focus has helped keep the Mustangs among the elite programs year after year in both the OUA and U Sports, a legacy the team hopes to continue as they look towards the next season.
Here is a list of the recruits courtesy of the Western Mustangs:
Mustangs Football 2017 Recruiting Class
Name: Jacob Andrews
Position: Defensive Back
Height: 5’10
Weight: 205 lbs
Hometown: Niagara Falls, Ont.
Last Team: A.N. Meyer, Niagara Spears
Awards: Team Canada, Team Ontario, 2016 OFSAA Champion
Name: Cam Bailey
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6’4
Weight: 233 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: A.B. Lucas, London Jr. Mustangs
Awards: 2014 OFSAA Champion, 2014 LDAA All-Star
Name: Isaiah Ballah
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6’4
Weight: 275 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Saunders
Name: Elliot Beamer
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6’3
Weight: 255 lbs
Hometown: West Vancouver, B.C.
Last Team: West Vancouver
Awards: B.C. Provincial All-Star
Name: Chase Boycotte
Position: Defensive Back
Height: 6’3
Weight: 190 lbs
Hometown: Windsor, Ont.
Last Team: Holy Names, Essex Ravens
Awards: Team Ontario, Essex Defensive Player of the Year, WECSSAA First Team All-City
Name: Dante Brown
Position: Defensive Back/Kicker
Height: 6’0
Weight: 190 lbs
Hometown: Mississauga, Ont.
Last Team: St. Joseph’s College
Awards: Three-time GTA All-Star, NCAA Five Star Recruit, 26th ranked kicker and 31st ranked punter in NCAA 2016
Name: Peter Brown
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6’3
Weight: 268 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Catholic Central, London Jr. Mustangs
Awards: Team Ontario, 2015 OFSAA Champion
Name: Griffin Campbell
Position: Receiver
Height: 6’1
Weight: 175 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: London Central, London Jr. Mustangs
Awards: Two-time TVRA All-Star, London Jr. Mustangs Offensive MVP
Name: Sean Foulkes
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6’6
Weight: 290 lbs
Hometown: North Vancouver, B.C.
Last Team: Handsworth
Awards: Pacific Conference All-Star, North Shore All-Star
Name: Jack Hancock
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6’1
Weight: 280 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Sir Wilfrid Laurier, London Jr. Mustangs
Name: Dawson Hitsman
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6’1
Weight: 300 lbs
Hometown: Alymer, Ont.
Last Team: East Elgin, London Jr. Mustangs
Name: Garrett Holmes
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’0
Weight: 185 lbs
Hometown: Oakville, Ont.
Last Team: St. Thomas Aquinas
Name: Daniel Jaffe
Position: Receiver
Height: 5’11
Weight: 163 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: London Central
Name: Noah Johns
Position: Receiver
Height: 6’0
Weight: 170 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: London South, London Jr. Mustangs
Awards: U19 Team Canada, Team Ontario, 2016 OFSAA Champion
Name: Hunter Joseph
Position: Defensive Back
Height: 5’10
Weight: 185 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: A.B. Lucas, London Jr. Mustangs
Awards: TVDSB All-Star
Name: Zach Lindley
Position: Defensive Back
Height: 6’0
Weight: 170 lbs
Hometown: Chatham, Ont.
Last Team: Chatham Kent
Name: Myles Manalo
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’3
Weight: 245 lbs
Hometown: Burlington, Ont.
Last Team: Corpus Christi, Burlington Stampeders
Awards: #CFC100, Team Ontario, Corpus Christi MVP, Burlington Stampeders Defensive MVP, Team Canada U19 Captain
Name: Austin Miller
Position: Defensive Line
Height: 6’3
Weight: 270 lbs
Hometown: Chatham, Ont.
Last Team: Canada Prep
Awards: #CFC100, Team Ontario
Name: Nick Morello
Position: Fullback
Height: 5’11
Weight: 200 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: London South
Awards: 2016 OFSAA Champion
Name: Tommy Ngongo
Position: Defensive Back
Height: 5’11
Weight: 185 lbs
Hometown: Windsor, Ont.
Last Team: L’Essor, Essex Ravers
Awards: #CFC100, Second Team All-Canadian, 2016 WECSSAA and SWOSSAA AA Champions
Name: Justin Nickson
Position: Receiver
Height: 6’1
Weight: 175 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Jean Paul II
Name: Jake Pow
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’2
Weight: 177 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: London Central, London Jr. Mustangs
Awards: Two-time TVRAA All-Star
Name: Dimitri Pronko
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6’2
Weight: 290 lbs
Hometown: Ottawa, Ont.
Last Team: Bishop’s Gaiters
Name: Thomas Ramsay
Position: Defensive Line
Height: 6’1
Weight: 270 lbs
Hometown: Milton, Ont.
Last Team: Royal Imperial Collegiate
Awards: Top 10 Midwest Defensive Line
Name: Ben Schmidt
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’2
Weight: 205 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: St. Andrew’s College, London Jr. Mustangs
Awards: St. Andrew’s Addison Award Winner, 2015 London Jr. Mustangs Offensive MVP, Team Ontario
Name: Spencer Smyth
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’2
Weight: 225 lbs
Hometown: Dundas, Ont.
Last Team: Canada Prep
Awards: #CFC100, Team Canada, Team Ontario
Name: Nicolas Theriault
Position: Defensive Line
Height: 6’0
Weight: 230 lbs
Hometown: Quebec City, Que.
Last Team: Champlain College
Name: Brandon Thompson
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6’3
Weight: 190 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Catholic Central, London Jr. Mustangs
Awards: 2015 OFSAA Champion
Name: Daniel Valente
Position: Defensive Back
Height: 5’10
Weight: 170 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Catholic Central
Awards: #CFC100, 2015 OFSAA Champion, LDAA All-Star, U19 Team Canada
Name: Kyle Watson
Position: Defensive Line
Height: 6’3
Weight: 225 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Catholic Central
Awards: 2015 OFSAA Champion, Mike Circelli Leadership Award
Name: Zach Wilson Jr.
Position: Defensive Line
Height: 6’3
Weight: 252 lbs
Hometown: Ajax, Ont.
Last Team: Pickering
Awards: Team Canada, Team USA East, Three-time National Bowl MVP
Name: Ali Yasir
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’1
Weight: 175 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Oakridge, London Jr. Mustangs
Awards: Oakridge Rookie of the Year, Oakridge Defensive Player of the Year
Name: Jacob Zynomirski
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’1
Weight: 213 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Saunders
Awards: TVRA Defensive MVP, Saunders Defensive MVP, TVRA All-Star
Name: Zach Zynomirski
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’1
Weight: 208 lbs
Hometown: London, Ont.
Last Team: Saunders
Awards: Saunders Special Teams Player of the Year, Saunders Defensive MVP, TVRA All-Star
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