The 21 football recruits Miami University added Wednesday left head coach Chuck Martin excited for next season, as the program achieved the improved size and depth it desperately needed.
"I'm super-excited about this class. Super-excited we covered all the positions," Martin said. "We're starting to balance out our roster. It's been a three-year process."
Scout.com ranks MU's 2016 recruiting class second in the Mid-American Conference and 82nd in the nation, while 247sports.com ranks MU third in the MAC and 93rd overall.
"I told my guys at the first meeting in January, 'it's finally on at Miami,'" Martin said.
Martin, who holds a 5-19 record through his first two seasons with the RedHawks, said the football program's new depth is critical to making the next step as a football program.
The third-year coach cited the cornerback spot as one of his main concerns during recruitment.
"It was a pretty high-position need, we were only about two-deep at CB," Martin said. "We have to play better there. We weren't winning that position battle during the season."
The solution was signing four defensive backs, and two in particular -- Quentadrian "Tay" Gowan and Travion Banks. Though he didn't want to single out any recruits as better than the others, Martin said he didn't think these two would keep Miami on their radar through signing day.
Scout ranks Banks as the No. 3 corner in Illinois and the No. 14 corner in the Midwest.
"They have all the traits that good corners have. They're raw and need to be developed, but we're pretty excited about those kids," he said.
Another focus was the trenches: MU brought on two defensive linemen, three linebackers and four offensive linemen - one of whom, Trent Maynard of Indianapolis, is already 325 pounds. Two others, Dalton Struck of Liberty Township, Ohio and Danny Godlevske of Indianapolis, check in at 290 pounds each. Scout ranks Godlevske as the No. 1 recruit in his position in Indiana.
"We improved our size greatly, we improved our strength greatly," Martin said. "Particularly our linemen and linebackers are throwing around some serious weight."
Six recruits are from Georgia, and of the 15 from the Midwest, three are from Ohio. Martin said he wasn't trying to stay in-state.
"I've recruited long enough to know that people who usually recruit just in-state usually get fired," he said. "We said we're gonna put a circle around the Midwest … and Georgia's gonna be our second home."
Though the new RedHawks won't join the rest of the squad until summer camp, Martin doesn't want any veteran players stepping off the gas pedal. He hopes the new depth motivates veterans to compete for their positions.
In the previous two seasons, Martin had players he "didn't even want to look at" when a starter went down. But the 2016 class gives him a "Plan B" and "even some Plan Cs."
The class also includes five wide receivers and quarterback Noah Wezensky, who Martin said is ready to compete with freshman Billy Bahl and redshirt freshman Gus Ragland for the quarterback position.
"There's some balance and some ready-made players," he said. "I think there's some players physically that can compete and are gonna help us right away. I still think we're at the point where we need that. I'm hopeful this is the last year where we need young guys to come in and play the major roles that we've witnessed the last two years."
The recruits:
Nigel Adams, linebacker, 6-foot-0, 220-pounds, Lawrenceville, Ga. (Central Gwinnett): 2-star recruit with offers from Georgia State and South Alabama.
Travion Banks, defensive back, 6-foot-0, 175-pounds, Evanston, Ill. (Evanston): 3-star recruit with offers from Ball State and Bowling Green. Scout ranks Banks as No. 3 cornerback in Illinois and No. 14 corner in the Midwest. 40 time is listed as 4.76.
Kobe Burse, defensive bank, 6-foot-2, 210-pounds, Muskegon Heights, Mich. (Mona Shores): 2-star recruit.
Doug Costin, defensive line, 6-foot-3, 255-pounds, West Chester, Pa. (Bishop Shanahan): 2-star recruit with offers from Albany, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Villanova and Western Michigan. Had committed to Villanova on Jan. 18.
Tommy Doyle, offensive line, 6-foot-7, 275-pounds, Edina, Minn. (Edina): 3-star recruit with offers from Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Western Michigan. Scout ranks Doyle No. 3 in his position in Minnesota and No. 24 in his position for the Midwest. 247sports ranks Doyle the No. 15 overall player in Minnesota.
Stori Emerson, wide receiver, 6-foot-3, 210-pounds, Indianapolis, Ind. (Ben Davis): 3-star recruit with an offer from Western Michigan. Scout ranks Emerson the No. 3 wideout in Indiana and No. 23 wideout in the Midwest. 40 time listed as 4.60. 247sports lists Emerson as No. 19 overall player in Indiana.
Tyler Fleetwood, wide receiver, 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, Lilburn, Ga. (Parkview): Non-rated recruit.
Danny Godlevske, offensive line, 6-foot-3, 290-pounds, Indianapolis, Ind. (Bishop Chatard): 3-star recruit with offers from Ball State, Buffalo, Toledo and Western Michigan. Scout's position rankings for centers list Godlevske at No. 1 in Indiana, No. 4 in the Midwest and No. 8 overall. 247sports ranks him the No. 15 overall recruit in Indiana and No. 10 nationally for his position.
Quentadrian "Tay" Gowan, defensive back, 6-foot-3, 175-pounds, Covington, Ga. (Newton): 2-star recruit who received offers from Coastal Carolina, Massachusetts and Samford.
KJ Hancock, wide receiver, 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, Suwanee, Ga. (North Gwinnett): 2-star recruit with offers from Georgia State, Jacksonville State and Western Carolina. 40 time is listed as 4.71.
Andrew Homer, tight end, 6-foot-5, 220-pounds, Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier): 2-star recruit with offers from Ball State, Bowling Green, Connecticut, Ohio and Toledo.
DeAndre Huff, wide receiver, 6-foot-0, 190-pounds, Covington, Ga. (Newton): 3-star recruit with offers from Bethune-Cookman, Charleston Southern, Charlotte, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia State, Indiana, Liberty, Massachusetts, Mercer, Minnesota, Rutgers and Western Kentucky.
Benjamin Kimpler, defensive line, 6-foot-6, 240-pounds, Libertyville, Ill. (Libertyville): 3-star recruit with offers from Buffalo, Connecticut, Illinois State, Nevada, Toledo, Western Michigan and Wyoming. Rankings from 247sports list Kimpler as the No. 48 overall player in Illinois.
Trent Maynard, offensive line, 6-foot-5, 325-pounds, Indianapolis, Ind. (Decatur Central): 3-star recruit with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio and Western Michigan. Position rankings at Scout list Maynard as No. 1 in Indiana, No. 12 in the Midwest and No. 52 overall. Overall player rankings at 247sports list Maynard as No. 17 in Indiana.
Myles Reid, linebacker, 6-foot-2, 206-pounds, Atlanta, Ga. (Mays): 2-star recruit with offers from Alcorn State, Colorado State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Middle Tennessee State, Troy and Western Kentucky.
Jack Sorenson, wide receiver, 6-foot-1, 185-pounds, Kildeer, Ill. (Stevenson): 2-star recruit with offers from Air Force, Army West Point, Ball State, Cornell, Dartmouth, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan.
Tyrece Speaight, defensive back, 5-foot-11, 183-pounds, Columbus, Ohio (Upper Arlington): 3-star recruit with offers from Ball State, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Ohio and Toledo. Scout lists Speaight as No. 4 in Ohio, No. 15 in the Midwest and No. 104 overall for his position. 40 time is listed as 4.60. 247sports lists Speaight at No. 56 overall player in Ohio.
Kyle Speas, tight end, 6-foot-5, 220-pounds, Plainfield, Ill. (Plainfield North): 3-star recruit according to Scout, 0-star recruit according to 247sports. Scout ranks Speas as No. 4 in Illinois, No. 15 in Midwest and No. 78 overall for tight ends.
Dalton Strunk, offensive line, 6-foot-6, 290-pounds, Liberty Township, Ohio (Lakota East): 2-star recruit with offers from Georgia State and Western Michigan.
Cameron Turner, linebacker, 6-foot-0, 205-pounds, St. Louis, Mo. (Hazelwood East): 2-star recruit. 40 time listed as 4.70. 247sports ranks Turner as No. 31 overall player in Missouri.
Noah Wezensky, quarterback, 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, Fort Wayne, Ind. (Bishop Luers): 2-star recruit with offers from Akron, Central Michigan and Toledo. 40 time listed as 4.95. 247sports ranks Wezensky as the No. 28 overall player in Indiana.
H/t to 247sports.com and Scout.com for their star ratings and offer lists.