Football team hopes for potential with new class

The University of Rhode Island football team grabbed 30 new recruits and appeared to be excited for the direction they are headed, as they unveiled the list on Wednesday, as part of National Signing Day, with an aura of optimism filling the room.

The group consisted of several all-state players, conference MVPs, and impressive athletes, including dynamic offensive additions like speedster North Carolina wide out Ja’Quan Buffaloe, who scored 28 touchdowns in his senior season at Northampton County High School, as well as some sure-fire defensive contributors like New York lineman, William Mack III, who recorded 90 tackles and nine sacks in his senior season at the prestigious Don Bosco High School.

The Rams were also able to land a few productive and seasoned transfer players like graduate wide receiver Sam Benjamin from Temple, punter John Bowers from Rutgers, who averages 37 yards per punt, and defensive lineman Brandon Ginnetti, who before playing a season at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, had committed to Syracuse.

Head coach Jim Fleming was thrilled with the efforts of his staff in snagging coveted recruits from all across the country.

“We go out there to sell a vision,” Fleming said. “Our vision and our recruiting message is really quite clear to the people we recruit. It’s challenging. You’re going to see a group of people that care very deeply about the university and we’re being charged as a football team and football staff to represent this school for what it is all about, which is an institution of excellence.”

URI attempted to solidify their offensive line with six-foot-five Jahmir Johnson and six-foot-four, 300-pounder Kevin Lawrence, while also strengthen areas in which they already excel by adding Deshawn Collins, who became the first running back in Sacramento to exceed 2,000 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons. He should bring welcomed depth behind already established star Harold Cooper.

“We addressed our needs,” Fleming said. “We decided what needed to do to be a better football team and then we hit the ground running.”

URI is hoping to ascend from years of futility and Fleming feels that they have the right guys, both on the field, and in the coaching staff, to make the next leap.

“We tell them like it is,” Fleming said. “We’re a program here that has not had a championship in 30 years. We tell them the last winning season was 2001. And what tell them all is that your challenge is to be able to step up as a University of Rhode Island football player and correct that.  And if you cannot embrace that challenge you’re probably not the right cut of cloth to be able to join our program.”