Esteban Cortez / The Collegian
New Bulldog football coach Tim DeRuyter announced his first recruiting class on Wednesday, when 15 athletes signed letters of intent to play football at Fresno State. The rookie head coach is proud of his first-ever recruitment class and said some of his recruits will suit up for action in the 2012 football season.
DeRuyter and his coaching staff toured the West Coast tracking down the best fits to add to the Bulldog football team. He and his staff brought on eight offensive players, six defensive players and one player that can play both sides of the ball.
“We knew that this was going to be a class that was going to set the tone and be our bedrock for the future,” DeRuyter said.
Among the talent in this class was Fresno’s very own David Keller, who starred at offensive line at San Joaquin Memorial High School.
“For us to be successful we’ve got to get guys like David Keller,” DeRuyter said. “A guy that can play at a very high level, who’s a local guy.”
The 6-foot-4, 285-pound lineman was initially recruited by former head coach Pat Hill, but still caught the eyes of DeRuyter and his coaching staff.
“One of the first calls I made as head coach was to David Keller to try and secure him,” DeRuyter said. “The first home visit was to David’s house. He’s a young man that’s wanted to be a Bulldog.”
DeRuyter’s recruitment process was kicked into high gear directly after being hired in December. Before hitting the road for recruitment, he and his coaching staff made sure to do their sweep of the Valley.
“We are always going to start here in the Valley and then expand throughout California,” DeRuyter said.
While targeting players primarily in California, DeRuyter and his staff set their sights on two out-of-state recruits: running backs T.J. Thomas from Mesa, Ariz. and Marteze Waller out of Georgia.
DeRuyter praised his coaching staff for the tireless work it put into the recruitment process, leaving its families for nearly a month and putting thousands of miles on the road. DeRuyter gave football operations coordinator Drew Hill, son of former coach Pat Hill, a special shout out for his connections in the Valley and his recruitment experience.
“Drew was invaluable to us,” DeRuyter said. “Having been here, knowing the ins and outs, knowing where the recruiting class was coming in, some of the guys we were on. He really did a fantastic job and really helped me out as far as knowing the process here at Fresno State.”
The ‘Dogs still have five remaining scholarships to give to potential recruits. Although the NCAA has strict rules about coaches continuing recruitment on the road, DeRuyter is not done recruiting locally.
“We will continue to make contact with high schools and junior colleges and do our due diligence to see if there is somebody out there that can still help us,” DeRuyter said.
Each of the recruits will have the chance to play in the 2012 season.
“This program is going to be about competition,” DeRuyter said. “Every one of our guys, whether he is a true freshman or a junior college transfer, is going to have the opportunity to start day one.”