Banner Crop of Football Recruits Sign on Dotted Line

Coming off one of the most successful seasons in recent history, including rising in the national polls to as high as No. 12 and knocking off three BCS Automatic Qualifying Schools, the University of Houston continued to ride this momentum, as Cougar head coach Kevin Sumlin announced today that 25 high school seniors have signed National Letters of Intent to play with Houston in the fall.

The Class of 2010 also includes two junior-college players-linebacker Sammy Brown from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and College of San Mateo defensive lineman Matangi Tonga-who signed Statements of Financial Aid and already have enrolled at Houston.

The 2010 haul includes 22 players from the state of Texas, 10 from the Greater Houston area, 10 members of the Houston Chronicle's All-Greater Houston Top 100 and four players who were Touchdown Club of Houston Player of the Year finalists.

Headlining this year's crop are two 4-star recruits: Tonga and quarterback Terrance Broadway out of Capital High Academy in Baton Rouge, La. Tonga was the No. 22-ranked junior-college player, while Broadway threw for over 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to being selected First-Team All-State by the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Continuing his pattern of pounding the recruiting trails locally, Sumlin signed 10 players from the Greater Houston Area. Included in this group are tight end Kenneth Bibbens, Jr., from Fort Bend Kempner High School; Humble Atascocita High School's Kent Brooks, a defensive back; the Pearland Dawson High School duo of running back Xavier Brown and Darian Lazard; North Shore High School standout defensive back Alton Demby; Hill of Yates High School; wide receiver Jordan Jolly of Fort Bend Elkins High School; defensive back Zachary McMillian of Fort Bend Dulles High School; Langham Creek High School's Efrem Oliphant, a linebacker; and, linebacker Jon Witten from Clear Lake High School.

The Cougars also signed Lone Star standouts from the Metroplex, East Texas and Central Texas. Four future Cougars prepped in the Metroplex, including Southlake Carroll quarterback David Piland, wide receiver Dominique Sanders from Fort Worth Dunbar High School, Arlington Bowie High School wide receiver Langston Williams and defensive lineman Rodney Williams from Dallas Skyline High School.

Hailing from East Texas is the Longview High School tandem of defensive lineman Jeremiah Farley and his teammate, former quarterback Aaron Johnson. Both Austin Lunsford (Garrison High School) and linebacker Austin Wilson (Tyler Lee High School) played their high school ball in the piney woods of East Texas.

Sumlin and his staff recruited Central Texas aggressively this year as well, inking Killeen Shoemaker High School defensive lineman Eric Braswell, Cibolo Steele High School defensive back D.J. Jones, and wide receiver DeAndre Perry from Austin Bowie High School.

Joining Broadway, Sammy Brown and Tonga as out-of-state recruits are offensive lineman Rowdy Harper from Broken Arrow High School in Oklahoma and punter/kicker Richie Leone who arrives from Roswell High School in Georgia.

The Cougars finished the 2009 season with a 10-4 record, capturing the Conference USA West Division title and playing for the league title for the second time in the past four years. Houston finished as the nation's top offense in total offense, passing yards, scoring and first downs this past season, while junior quarterback Case Keenum not only finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy balloting, but also captured the FBS total offense title for the second year in a row.

Houston is set to open its spring practice on Saturday, March 27, with the Red-White game booked for Saturday, April 24.