February 1, 2012

Secondary was the priority, with one quarterback – a “Bowe” – signed

Beau replaced a Bo with a “Bowe” at quarterback. And the Eagles replaced their National Championship trophy with a “Kupp” with Eastern and NFL bloodlines.

In all, Eastern Washington University head coach Beau Baldwin announced Wednesday (Feb. 1) a group of 20 high school players who signed letters of intent to attend EWU and play for the Eagles next fall.

With an emphasis on defensive backs, the Eagles also signed a high school quarterback – Bowe Merin from St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, Calif. He brings to three the current number of quarterbacks in Eastern’s program to replace graduated Walter Payton Award winner Bo Levi Mitchell.

“He has a lot of similarities in body type to Bo Levi Mitchell and (2005 Payton winner) Erik Meyer, and he can make throws when things aren’t perfect around him,” said Baldwin. “We’re really impressed and excited that he is our quarterback in this class.”

All-State wide receiver Cooper Kupp from Davis High School in Yakima, Wash., is the great-nephew of former Eastern offensive tackle Jeff Kupp (letterwinner from 1982-84). Cooper’s parents are both members of the Pacific Lutheran University Hall of Fame after his father Craig played quarterback there and played from 1990-91 in the National Football League. His mother, Karin, played soccer at PLU. In addition, Cooper’s grandfather, Jake Kupp, played 14 seasons in the NFL and was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame in 1991.

“He’s going to be a huge factor for us at receiver because there is going to come a time in a year or two where we lose some of our receivers who have done some great things,” said Baldwin, whose team has a trio of 1,000-yard receivers returning for the 2012 season. “It’s going to be the next group that comes up and makes plays, and Cooper is going to be a big part of that.”

Another player signed with Eastern connections is All-State linebacker Jordan Pulu from Federal Way (Wash.) High School. Pulu’s older brother Andru Pulu redshirted as a defensive lineman for EWU last fall after transferring from the University of Washington.

Eastern dipped into California for many of its skill players, both on offense and defense. Other local products signed were safety Miquiyah Zamora from Chiawana High School in Pasco, Wash., and Joe Hunt from Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, Wash.

“Every position required a hole or two to be filled, and we did a good job of that,” said Baldwin. “We covered a wide range, both offensively and defensively. More specifically, the secondary was an area where we signed a few players.

“When you sign 70-75 percent of the players you bring onto campus, you feel pretty good,” he added. “We feel strongly about signing the players we wanted. It’s great.”

Baldwin said the combination of having a new red Sprinturf surface and having won the NCAA Division I title in 2010 helped, but wasn’t the overriding factor in signing players.

“That helps a lot and some of those accomplishments might have helped even more this year than a year ago,” he explained. “It sort of sunk in and was sitting in the minds of high school players for a year. But the biggest factor it comes down to are the people. The people in the football program and athletic department, the people at Eastern and the people in the Cheney/Spokane area sell this program more than anything. They are the people they meet on a day-to-day basis on a visit.

“Current players are the No. 1 reason we win on certain players over another school,” he continued. “The tightness of our group and the great character we have in the locker room is special. It comes up over and over from the recruits when they decide this is where they are going to go. We are very fortunate, and we will continue to have a great group and keep this strategy going. It’s important.”

More about the 2011 & 2012 Eagles . . .

Spring practice begins in late March for the Eagles, and Baldwin is already looking forward to seeing how the competition shakes out at quarterback. Junior-to-be Anthony Vitto has been in the program for three seasons already, and 2011 freshman redshirt Vernon Adams was impressive last fall en route to winning EWU’s Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year award.

“Vitto will be taking snaps as No. 1 when we go into spring ball,” Baldwin said. “I’m excited for Anthony to have that chance. He’s shown great improvement, especially in the last year with what he was able to do last spring and definitely in the fall. He started to really separate himself as a quarterback. I’m excited to see what he can do.

“Vernon is going to come up and do some great things and compete for the position. We also have a freshman coming in, and there will be a fourth and maybe a fifth player added to our roster. We’re just not sure on that yet. But as a far as the two players we have on campus now, I feel comfortable with the way they will compete this spring.”

Eastern was devastated by injuries last fall, but was able to finish 6-5 after a 0-4 start. A total of 14 starters – seven on each side of the ball – suffered injuries that kept them out of the lineup, including seven players lost for the season. Baldwin said several of the injured players will be sidelined for spring practice, but should be back at full strength in the fall.

“There will be a few players who won’t go through the spring and you have a little bit of that each year,” he said. “But on the positive side, we feel like all of our injured players will be back at 100 percent by next fall. Yes, you would love to have them in the spring, but we don’t think a single injury will linger into the fall. That is huge.”

Because of the injuries, 46 different players started in the 2011 season – 24 on offense and 22 on defense – with only five players starting all 11 games. A total of 21 players made starting debuts during the season, and the Eagles expect to return eight starters on each side of the ball, plus the team’s starting punter.

“We have a lot of experience, but we’re going to need it – this is a tough conference,” Baldwin added. “And we have another tough non-league schedule, so that experience will be tested from the get-go. But with the combination of the experience we have on both sides of the ball and the young up-and-comers in the program, I’m excited about the competitive level we will have in the spring and ultimately in the fall. It’s a fun group.”

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Eastern Washington University 2012 Recruiting Class

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown (High School)
Will Boule	OL	6-7	295	El Dorado Hills, Calif. (Oak Ridge HS ’12)
Dalis Bruce	WR	5-10	180	Anaheim, Calif. (St. John Bosco ’12)
Cedric Gonzalez	LB	6-1	210	Tucson, Ariz. (Sunnyside HS ’12)
Benjamin Gossmeyer	DL	6-5	205	San Diego, Calif. (Steele Canyon HS ’12)
Austin Griffin	OG	6-4	315	Hillsboro, Ore. (Jesuit HS ’12)
Cam Hemmings	S	6-1	190	Norco, Calif. (Norco HS ’12)
Joe Hunt	DL	6-3	215	Kennewick, Wash. (Kamiakin HS ’12)
Jude Isbell	S	5-10	180	Chula Vista, Calif. (Eastlake HS ’12)
DeAndre Johnson	LB	6-4	220	Inglewood, Calif. (Inglewood HS ’12)
Jerrod Jones	OG	6-5	280	Arlington, Wash. (Lakewood HS ’12)
Cooper Kupp	WR	6-2	180	Yakima, Wash. (Davis HS ’12)
Anthony Lira	DL	6-2	245	San Marcos, Calif. (Mission Hills HS ’12)
Bowe Merin	QB	6-2	190	Stockton, Calif. (St. Mary’s HS ’12)
Jalen Moore	RB	5-10	195	La Puente, Calif. (Bishop Amat HS ’12)
Jordan Pulu	LB	6-2	240	Federal Way, Wash. (Federal Way HS ’12)
Charles Redd II	CB	6-0	175	Compton, Calif. (St. John Bosco HS ’12)
Jordan Thompson	S	6-3	195	Lacey, Wash. (Timberline HS ’12)
Diamonte Wiggins	CB	6-4	180	Compton, Calif. (Lynwood HS ’12)
Jabari Wilson	RB	5-11	200	Carson, Calif. (Orange Lutheran HS ’12)
Miquiyah Zamora	S	6-1	200	Pasco, Wash. (Chiawana HS ’12)

Pronunciations
William Boule – Boo-Lay
Bruce Dalis – Dallas
Jude Isbell – Iz-Bell
Bowe Merin – Mare-Uhn
Jordan Pulu – Pooh-Lou
Diamonte Wiggins – Dee-Uh-Mon-Tay
Jabari Wilson – Juh-Bar-Ee
Miquiyah Zamora – Muh-kie-uh

William Boule

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “We recruited him late, and part of that was because he grew a lot from his junior to his senior season. He’s a 6-7, 300-pound offensive tackle now. He shows great things on video – you see the footwork, his attitude and his mentality. But then his stock just rises that much more when you are around him. He loves to compete, and to study the game of football and nutrition to get his body in the best situation to be successful. He loves the whole process of it. It was impressive to me to see how mature he not only treats the season, but how mature he is 365 days a year to do what it takes to be a great football player. When you have that mentality and attitude to go along with his size, you have a recipe for a great offensive tackle.”

HS: Will graduate from Oak Ridge HS in 2012. Helped lead Oak Ridge to a 7-5 record in his senior season. The Trojans finished 7-4 in 2010.

Personal: Born 12/12/93 in Hayward, Calif. His parents are Michael and Marianne Boule. Intends on majoring in communications.

Dalis Bruce

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He’s talented. He was garnering some serious interest from some pretty great programs, but he felt extremely good about his relationship with coach Junior Adams. We couldn’t be more excited to have him come to Eastern. He has a chance to do a little bit of everything at the receiver position. He can run after the catch, he has the ability to run by people and he has the ability to make people miss. He’s strong too. He’s a receiver that has all the tools, and on top of that, he will add to our return game. We have some veteran receivers who have done a lot, but Dalis is one of those players will come in and have a chance one way or another to contribute early and be a great player here.”

HS: Will graduate from St. John Bosco HS in 2012. He earned honorable mention honors on the 2011 Long Beach Press-Telegram All-Area team as a wide receiver and defensive back. He earned second team All-Trinity League honors as a wide receiver. As a senior at St. John Bosco, he had 59 total tackles (43 solo), three interceptions and 18 passes defensed. He also had 32 catches for 459 yards and three touchdowns with a long of 53 as a wide receiver. He also averaged 32.3 yards per kickoff return, with a long of 87 and one touchdown. He caught nine passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-31 victory over Lakewood (9/9/11). He had a season-high eight tackles versus Servite (10/28/11). He had two interceptions and a pass deflection in a 33-28 playoff win over Alemany (11/18/11). He was rated as No. 72 cornerback in the nation by Scout.com and was rated as a 3-star recruit. He was also a 3-star recruit by Rivals.com and was rated as its 56th-best cornerback nationally. In addition, he received a grade of 76 (3-star) by ESPN and as the No. 101 athlete in the nation. The website 247Sports.com listed Bruce as the No. 63 recruit in California and the No. 54 cornerback in the nation. He helped lead St. John Bosco to an 8-4 record overall and 3-2 league mark. The Braves advanced to the quarterfinals of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Playoffs (Pac 5) before falling to San Clemente 42-24. As a junior at Monte Vista High School in Danville, Calif., he started as a cornerback and receiver and earned All-East Bay Athletic League honors. He rushed 31 times for 225 yards and four touchdowns as a running back and had nine catches for 122 yards and another score receiving. He was also credited with one interception and five passes broken up as a defensive back. As a sophomore in 2009, he had three interceptions and broke-up three more passes. High school teammate Charles Redd II also signed with the Eagles.

Personal: Born 2/13/94 in Denver, Colo. His parents are David Bruce and Necale Burnette. Intends on majoring in business.

Cedric Gonzalez

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He was somewhat out of our recruiting area, but we ran across his video and loved it. Coach John Graham developed a good relationship with him early in the recruiting process. He’s a wrestler and a great competitor. When he was here for his recruiting visit, you could just see his incredible excitement. Even in the weight room on a tour he was pumped up and fired up. He loves competing and loves the game of football. He’s going to be a great, young linebacker for us, and we expect great things from Cedric. He has all the tools – he can run, he can hit and he can cover. He’s the total package at linebacker, and he has the personality and leadership qualities we like.”

HS: Will graduate from Sunnyside HS in 2012. Earned Arizona Division 1 All-State second team honors as a senior linebacker. He was the Arizona Division 1 Southern Region Defensive Player of the Year, earning first team All-Arizona Division 1 Southern Region honors as a linebacker and second team as a wide receiver. In addition, he was a two-time first team Arizona Daily Star All-Southern Arizona selection at linebacker. He had 82 tackles and a pair of sacks as a senior, plus two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, a pass broken up and three blocked kicks. He also led the team in rushing with 487 yards on 62 carries (7.9 per carry) and 11 touchdowns, and was second in receiving yards with 466 on 29 catches (16.1 yards per catch) and three more scores. He had a season-high 147 yards on just 10 carries with two touchdowns and a long of 85 in a 34-20 victory over Rincon (9/2/11). He also had eight catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns versus Tucson (10/21/11). He had 10 or more tackles in four games, including a season-high 15 with a pair of sacks versus Sabino (9/16/11). Sunnyside finished the season 7-4. As a sophomore and junior, he was a first team All-5A Southern Region linebacker, leading the team as a sophomore with 125 tackles. Also an exceptional wrestler, he won the Division I State Championship at 171 pounds, and has been a part of three team wrestling titles. He placed fourth in the state as a sophomore. Currently, he is wrestling in the 220-pound weight class.

Personal: Born 12/17/93 in Tucson, Ariz. His parents are Victor Gonzalez and Margie Williams. Intends on majoring in communications and broadcasting.

Ben Gossmeyer

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He’s impressive, he’s absolutely impressive on video. His pass rush skills are at a level we maybe haven’t seen coming out of high school. We do a lot of things in our defensive package where Ben will have an impact right away with as many defensive linemen as we play. With his skill set, it can be special to see what he can do in this conference as a defensive end. You see his frame and you can see he’s going to put on 20-30 pounds like it’s nothing and still carry the speed and quickness that he has. We hope he becomes an absolute monster at defensive end for us.”

HS: Will graduate from Steele Canyon HS in 2012. Was a second team selection on the All-California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section squad as a defensive lineman. Earned first team All-Grossmont Hills League honors as well. Named to the All-East County Sports.com first team for the second-straight season as a defensive lineman. Was also selected to play for the San Diego CIF team in the PrepStar California Classic all-star game. He helped lead Steele Canyon to an 8-4 record as a senior with a 4-1 league mark. As a junior, he earned first team All-Grossmont Hills League honors as a defensive lineman. The Cougars finished the season 9-3 overall and 4-1 in the league.

Personal: Born 8/15/93 in La Mesa, Calif. His parents are Ken and Faye Gossmeyer. Intends on majoring in law enforcement.

Austin Griffin

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “We couldn’t be more excited to have Austin join our program. He was one of the first players we offered, and the first student-athlete to verbally commit to us as well. We had him in our summer camp and we absolutely loved his combination of great size, strength and footwork. We expect him to be an impact player at the guard position for us early in his career. It is hard to find players like Austin who have the ability to carry his weight and move with the agility he has. He comes from a great high school program in which he learned how to compete at a high level, win a lot of ballgames and develop into a true student-athlete. He has great character and meshed incredibly well with our current players when he was on his recruiting visit.”

HS: Will graduate from Jesuit HS in 2012. Earned second team All-Metro 6A League honors as a senior offensive lineman. He helped lead Jesuit to a 9-4 record his senior season. Was a two-year starter, and helped block for current Eastern player Jordan Talley in 2010. Talley rushed for 2,660 yards (221.8 average per game and 7.7 per carry) and 34 touchdowns that season. They led Jesuit to an 11-2 record, as the Crusaders advanced to the semifinals of the State 6A Payoffs.

Personal: Born 5/3/94 in Portland, Ore. His parents are Jeremy and Andrea Griffin. Intends on majoring in business management.

Cameren Hemmings

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He’s a great football player. He can easily play on either side of the ball, he’s that talented. He’s talented enough to play receiver or safety, and you want players like Cameren that are so talented they would be good at a number of positions. He’s rangy and can cover players one-on-one. He has the size to come down closer to the line of scrimmage and to tackle people. But he also has the great speed, cover skills and athleticism to lock people up and play man-to-man. He’s going to allow us to do a lot defensively with him at safety.”

HS: Will graduate from Norco HS in 2012. Was a first team All-Big VIII Conference selection as a senior wide receiver. He had 30 catches for 563 yards (18.8 per catch) and three touchdowns in 2011. He also had 32 rushes for 287 yards (9.0 yards per rush) and three touchdowns. He caught six passes for 109 yards against Santiago (10/7/11). In addition, he had a 95-yard kickoff return for a TD versus Upland (9/23/11). Norco finished its senior season with a 6-5 record and 4-3 league mark. In 2010, Norco was 9-3 overall and 5-2 in the league. He played at Norco for Todd Gerhart, father of former Stanford and current Minnesota Vikings RB Toby Gerhart.

Personal: Born 10/14/93 in Corona, Calif. His parents are Charles and Wendy Hemmings.

Joe Hunt

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He’s playing on an incredible basketball team and his athleticism shows. He competes all year around. He might be a little undersized now but we’ve seen that before. We saw that from Greg Peach when he came out of high school and he went on to become an All-American and Buck Buchanan Award winner. Joe has skills on the field, and competiveness, heart and drive. He has the attitude that he is going to maximize everything that he has. He’s very no-nonsense and serious, and cares very much about football and respects the game.”

HS: Will graduate from Kamiakin HS in 2012. A two-way All-State player, he earned first team 3A All-State honors as a defensive lineman and honorable mention as an offensive lineman from Associated Press as selected by sportswriters and broadcasters. He was the Columbia Basin Big Nine League 3A Offensive Lineman of the Year, and was also the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. He was named to the Tri-City Herald All-Area team as a first team selection as both an offensive and defensive lineman. He earned first team All-CBBN 3A honors as both an offensive and defensive lineman. Hunt has been nominated to play in the East-West All-Star game. He had 105 total tackles, with 24 1/2 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks as a senior. He also added two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three passes broken up. In addition, he averaged 46.7 yards per punt on seven punts in 2011. Kamiakin finished 12-1 and won the league title with a 7-0 mark. The Braves lost 21-0 to eventual champion Bellevue in the semifinals of the State 3A Playoffs. Hunt received a WIAA Sportsmanship Award at the semifinal game, and was a team captain. As a junior, he was a second team All-CBBN selection as a defensive lineman. Kamiakin finished the season 13-1 and 7-0 in the league, but lost to Bellevue 38-0 in the State 3A title game. Hunt also plays for Kamiakin’s basketball team, which is ranked second in the State 3A Rankings and is currently 17-1 overall and 11-1 in the CBBN (through Jan. 31). In his junior season, Kamiakin basketball finished 21-3 and placed third at the State 3A Tournament.

Personal: Born 12/15/93 in Albuquerque, N.M. His parents are Gerald and Diane Hunt. Intends on majoring in marketing.

Jude Isbell

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He dealt with some injuries as a senior. We’ve had recruits who have had injuries and when they get here it causes people to say ‘where did he come from?’ He didn’t get a chance to play as much as he would have liked, but he’s going to be a great safety for us. He can run and he can hit, and he did some great things offensively. We like having players in the secondary who were also great offensive players in high school. That shows their overall athleticism, and Jude certainly showed that. He’s physical – we saw that in some of the hits he put on opponents – and he can tackle. He also has great ball skills and is going to be a great player in the secondary for us.”

HS: Will graduate from Eastlake HS in 2012. Was a two-year starter, but played in only six games as a senior due to injury. He finished with 102 rushes for 629 yards (6.2 per carry) and seven touchdowns in 2011, and on defense had 41 total tackles (28 solos) and six passes broken up. Eastlake finished the season 8-4 overall and 3-1 in the Mesa League. He was a first team All-Mesa League selection as a running back as a junior in 2010. He also earned second team All-San Diego County honors. He had 129 carries for 1,344 yards (10.4 per rush) and 10 touchdowns, plus had seven receptions for 78 yards. On defense he had 43 tackles (33 solo) and one interception that he returned for a TD. Eastlake was the top-ranked team in the California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section before losing 20-0 in the semifinals of the playoffs to Mira Mesa. The Titans finished the season 11-1 with a perfect 4-0 league mark. In spring 2011, he participated in the Nike Combine in Long Beach, Calif.  He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds, which was the fifth-fastest in an event that featured nearly 1,000 high school football prospects.

Personal: Born 4/16/94 in Trail, British Columbia. His parents are Gary and Kimberly Isbell. Is considering business as a major.

DeAndre Johnson

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He has great size, speed and athleticism – we expect him to be extremely special at the linebacker position for us. To sign players with the size and speed of him and Jordan Pulu is exciting and it’s special. Deandre can run and he can hit, and he has great ball skills. He can play receiver and it’s just a natural position for him. Putting an amazing athlete at the linebacker position make it tough on offensive linemen trying to come up and block him. They are not quick enough to stay with him, and he’s tough for receivers to block because they aren’t big enough or strong enough. He’s a linebacker like that, and we expect him to be an absolute beast for us.”

HS: Will graduate from Inglewood HS in 2012. He helped lead the Sentinels to a 5-6 record overall and 4-1 league mark as a senior. Inglewood advanced to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Playoffs before falling to Chaminade 45-15 in the first round.

Personal: Born 1/13/94 in Los Angeles, Calif. His parents are Dennis Johnson and Elaine Lawson. Intends on majoring in .

Jerrod Jones

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “We expect him to play inside as an offensive guard for us. When you see some of the things he did on the defensive line, it makes you that much more excited about how good an offensive lineman he could be. I remember looking back at Ashton Miller and Chris Powers when they were playing on both sides of the ball in high school, and Jerrod Jones has that type of athleticism. We think he’ll be a great guard for us and he still might be growing a little bit. He’s aggressive, has good feet, plays at a good pad level and has good strength. We’re excited about Jerrod.”

HS: Will graduate from Lakewood HS in 2012. Was a first team All-Cascade Conference selection as a senior defensive lineman. Was selected as the team’s most improved player after helping lead the team to the Cascade Conference title. He had 29 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery in 2011. Lakewood finished 10-2 overall and 6-1 in the league, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the State 2A Playoffs where it lost to W.F. West 33-18.

Personal: Born 5/19/94 in Everett, Wash. His parents are Brett and Katie Jones.

Cooper Kupp

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “Cooper is somebody we’ve been on for a long time in the recruiting process. From the first day, he was one of our top in-state recruits. He has the combination of good size, speed, athleticism and body control to be an all-around great receiver in this program. Along with that, he has the intangibles you are looking for. He’s extremely competitive in everything he does, and that shows up on the basketball floor as well as on the football field. He’s an intelligent football player who loves to study the game. He also has great character and will not only be a great player for us, but will develop into a great leader and a great teammate in the locker room. To go along with all of that, he is a true student-athlete with a perfect 4.0 grade point average in high school.”

HS: Will graduate from Davis HS in 2012. Named by the Seattle Times as a "White Chip" selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. A two-way All-State selection, he earned first team 4A All-State honors as a defensive back and honorable mention accolades as a wide receiver from Associated Press as selected by sportswriters and broadcasters. Also selected among “others to watch” on Ron Siegel’s pre-season All-State team (seniors only). Was a unanimous first team All-Columbia Basin Big Nine League wide receiver and defensive back at Davis. He finished his senior season with 60 receptions for 1,059 yards (17.7 per catch) and 18 touchdowns, and scored 22 total touchdowns to set a school record. He also had 11 rushes for 122 yards and two touchdowns as he helped Davis come one game away from a berth in the State 4A Playoffs. Davis finished 6-4 for the second straight year, giving the program back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1968-69. Kupp’s career came to an end in a 68-22 playoff loss to Mead, as Kupp finished with six catches for 87 yards. But he also filled in at quarterback because of an injury to Davis’ starter, and was 5-of-10 for 76 yards. A three-year starter, Kupp had 31 catches for 811 yards (26.2 per catch) and seven touchdowns as a junior to earn first team All-CBBN honors. With 19 catches for 230 yards as a sophomore, he finished his career with 110 catches for 2,100 yards. Also a three-year letter winner in basketball, the Pirates are currently ranked second in the State 4A rankings and are 10-0 in the CBBN and 15-2 overall (through games of on Jan. 31). The Seattle Times ranked Davis No. 1 in 4A through games of Jan. 28. Kupp is a 4.0 honors student at Davis.

Personal: Born 6/15/93 in Yakima, Wash. Intends on majoring in exercise science at EWU. His parents are Craig and Karin Kupp, who were both inducted into the Pacific Lutheran University Hall of Fame in 2003. Karin (formerly Karin Gilmer) was a soccer player and Craig played football. Craig, who graduated from Selah (Wash.) High School, was a fifth-round draft by the New York Giants in 1990 and played in 1991 for the Phoenix Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys. Cooper’s great-uncle, Jeff Kupp, lettered as an offensive lineman at Eastern from 1982-84 during EWU’s transition from NAIA to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (then known as I-AA). Cooper’s grandfather, Jake Kupp, was an offensive lineman for the University of Washington and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1964 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played from 1964-75 as a guard with Dallas, the Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. Named to the NFL All-Rookie team, he later was a five-time captain for the Saints. He was named to the franchise’s 25-year All-Time Team and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1991, the same year that Craig played in the NFL.

Anthony Lira

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He could be a stout defensive end on the outside, or he get up to 275, 280 and be an inside pass rusher. He has the ability to out-athlete and out-quick some of the offensive guards in our conference. He has the ability to play either position, but our plan is to play him at defensive tackle. He’s tough, passionate, he cares and he’s excited. He’s going to be competitive and hungry to make an impact right away.”

HS: Will graduate from Mission Hills HS in 2012. Was a second team All-California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section selection as a defensive lineman as a senior. Earned first team All-Avacado East League honors as a defensive lineman in both 2010 and 2011. He helped lead Mission Hills to a 7-4 record overall and perfect 4-0 league mark, as the Grizzlies advanced to the semifinals of the CIF San Diego Section (Division II) Playoffs. As a junior, Mission Hills finished 10-3 overall and was 4-0 in the league. The Grizzlies had a 9-3 record overall and 4-1 league mark in 2009. Personal: Born 4/18/93 in San Marcos, Calif. His father is Mario Lira.

Personal: Born 4/18/93 in San Marcos, Calif. Father is Mario Lira.

Bowe Merin

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He was here for summer camp and we liked him a lot even before his senior year. His senior season was cut short by an injury, but that wasn’t something we were concerned with. We loved his video as a junior and we loved him here at camp. He even battled back from that injury to try to play at the end of the year, which shows a lot about his guts and toughness. He has a little bit of everything at that position. He has a good head on his shoulders and has moxie – he carries himself well. He has a good, live arm where he can make every throw. He’s athletic in terms of moving and sliding in the pocket.”

HS: Will graduate from St. Mary’s HS in 2012. He suffered a broken collarbone midway through his senior season. But in six games prior to his injury, he had completed 58-of-105 passes for 920 yards with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. He returned to play in the final game of the 2011 season and completed 15-of-29 passes for 238 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions versus Vacaville  (11/18/11) in the second round of the California Interscholastic Federation Sac-Joaquin Section (Division II) Playoffs. Earlier in the year, he completed 15-of-22 passes for 213 yards and four touchdowns in a 25-24 win over Central Catholic (9/9/11). For the season in his only year as a starter, he was 73-of-134 for 1,158 yards, 13 TD and seven interceptions. St. Mary’s finished the year 9-3 overall and won the Tri-City League title with a perfect 5-0 record. As a junior, Merin was 18-of-28 for 381 yards, three touchdowns and an interception as a backup to Mitch Walding, who signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Oregon but was drafted and signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies instead. St. Mary’s finished the season 11-2 and 5-0 in the league. Merin also played baseball at St. Mary’s.

Personal: Born 4/25/94 in Stockton, Calif. His parents are Scott Merin and Skye Jones. Intends on majoring in sports medicine with hopes of pursuing a career in physical therapy or athletic training.

Jalen Moore

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “We wanted to sign a couple of running backs in this class, and along with Jabari Wilson, we have two great running backs coming in. Jalen isn’t huge in stature, but he plays bigger than he is. He has the foot speed and skill set to make players miss and hit the home run. He is good in pass protection and can catch the ball out of the backfield – he’s all-purpose. He has all the skills to be a great running back for us and fit into what we do offensively. We couldn’t be happier to sign Jalen.”

HS: Will graduate from Bishop Amat HS in 2012. Was named to the fourth team as a running back on the Cal-Hi Sports All-State team as a senior. He also was a first team selection on the San Gabriel Valley Tribune All-Area squad and was a first team All-Serra League running back as both a senior and junior. He finished with 212 carries for 1,458 yards (6.9 per carry) and 18 touchdowns as senior in 2011, and caught 33 passes for 353 yards and three more scores. He had seven performances of at least 100 yards, including 299 on 17 carries (17.6 per carry) with five touchdowns in a 49-13 win over La Mirada (9/16/11), which is the former school of EWU Payton Award winner Erik Meyer. Moore had a season-high eight catches for 109 yards and two scores versus Santa Margarita (11/18/11). He helped Bishop Amat finish the season 6-5. He was the Serra League co-offensive MVP as junior, the same season Eastern quarterback Vernon Adams was the league MVP for Alemany High School. Moore had 1,634 yards rushing on 236 carries (6.9 per carry) and 23 TD as a junior in 2010. He had nine performances of at least 100 yards, including a pair with at least 262 in back-to-back victories. He rushed for 262 yards on 32 carries (8.2 per carry) against Crespi (10/15/11), then had 280 on 36 carries (7.8 per carry) with four touchdowns a week later versus Loyola (10/22/11). The Lancers finished the season 9-2 overall and 3-1 in the league.

Personal: Born 8/23/94 in Bellflower, Calif. His parents are Gralg Moore and Kennesha Hill. Intends on majoring in physical education.

Jordan Pulu

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He already weighs more than 230 pounds, so he’s going to be a big linebacker for us. His brother is here, so Jordan already feels close to this group and feels at home. We’re extremely lucky to sign him because he had the skill level and skill set to garner attention from bigger schools. But he loved what we do here. To have a player who runs and hits as well as he does carrying that much weight is hard to find and is unique. He’s another young player who will have an impact right away.”

HS: Will graduate from Federal Way HS in 2012. Was one of 11 defensive players selected to the Seattle Times All-State team as one of three linebackers on the squad. He was also named on the Tacoma News-Tribune All-State team as a linebacker and one of only 12 players selected to the defense. Earned first team 4A All-State honors as an defensive lineman from Associated Press as selected by sportswriters and broadcasters. Named by the Seattle Times as a "Red Chip" selection as one of the top 27 prospects in the state of Washington. He was also a member of the Seattle Times "Star Times" All-Area team and was also selected to the Tacoma News-Tribune All-Area squad. Also selected to Ron Siegel’s pre-season All-State team (seniors only). He was listed as a 3-star recruit by ESPN, and was ranked as the 26th-best inside linebacker nationally and the ninth-best prospect in Washington. Pulu’s senior season was cut short when he injured his ankle in a 41-14 State 4A Playoffs play-in game victory against Snohomish. Federal Way went on to lose in the first round to Eastlake 21-11 and end its season with a 10-1 record. Pulu had a spectacular year to that point, leading Federal Way in tackles for the second-straight season and guiding a defense that held teams to two touchdowns or less seven times. The Eagles allowed just 64.2 yards rushing per game (2.5 per play) in the regular season, as they advanced to the state playoffs for only the second time since 1976 and hosted their first state playoff game since 1976. Pulu was the Linebacker of the Year in the South Puget Sound League South Division. He made a team-high 61 tackles in the regular season, including 50 solo stops, and had a high game of 10 1/2. During his junior season, Pulu led Federal Way in tackles with 65 1/2 on the season, including 54 solo tackles. His best game came during a loss to Jefferson when he tallied 15 1/2 tackles. He also finished with 10 1/2 tackles and two sacks during a loss to Curtis. He was selected by the league’s coaches as a second team All-SPSL South Division selection at linebacker. Federal Way finished 4-6 in 2010, meaning they improved by six victories when Pulu was a senior. Also playing for the Eagles after graduating from Federal Way are his brother Andru Pulu (2009) and Trenton Pinson (2010).

Personal: Born 2/20/94 in Federal Way, Wash. His parents are Logo and Ana Pulu. Intends on majoring in education.

Charles Redd II

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “When we knew we had some holes to fill in the secondary, Charles was one of the first players we looked at and really liked. With what we do in our system, he might allow us to play a little more man-to-man defense. He has the size to play zone coverage, but he also has the skill set, speed and cover skills to lock guys up. We love that about him – he’s very multi-dimensional as a cornerback. He’s going to be a great player for us.”

HS: Will graduate from St. John Bosco HS in 2012. Was a second team All-Trinity League selection as a defensive back in his senior season. He had 41 tackles (27 solo), one interception and eight passes defensed in 2011. He also finished the season with 14 receptions for 179 yards and two touchdowns. He helped lead St. John Bosco to an 8-4 record overall and 3-2 league mark. The Braves advanced to the quarterfinals of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Playoffs (Pac 5) before falling to San Clemente 42-24. As a junior, the Braves were 5-5 overall. High school teammate Dalis Bruce also signed with the Eagles.

Personal: Born 12/5/92 in Bellflower, Calif. His parents are Charles Redd and Rhonda Brown. Hopes to become a sportscaster.

Jordan Thompson

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “We see him as a free safety. He’s 6-2 with good, long arms and moves well – he’s a very smooth athlete. On offense, he looked very natural catching the ball at receiver. Players with the ability to be effective on either side of the ball usually are your very best players, and Jordan is just that. We’re excited about him and his length and athleticism. He has the ability and skills to cover ground. In our defense, when we run with two high safeties, we want players who can cover that half of the field. He can do that.”

HS: Will graduate from Timberline HS in 2012. Was a first team All-Narrows 3A League selection as both a wide receiver and defensive back. He finished his senior season with 44 tackles. Timberline finished 7-4 overall, and was the runner-up in the 3A Narrows League with a 4-1 record. Current Eagle Ronnie Hamlin (2009) also graduated from Timberline.

Personal: Born 10/26/93 in Lacey, Wash. His parents are Alfred and Jakki Smack. Intends on majoring in sports medicine.

Diamonte Wiggins

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He’s a cornerback and fills a void we have in the secondary in terms of young depth. He’s long and rangy, and is extremely competitive. It’s tough to find those corners in the 6-2, 6-3 range, and he brings that size to that position. Having players that tall makes it challenge for wide receivers. What he did on the field and being around him in person, it made perfect sense to sign him. He’ll be a great fit into our program and have the potential to compete for playing time early in his career here.”

HS: Will graduate from Lynwood HS in 2012. Earned first team All-San Gabriel Valley League honors. The Knights finished the season 2-8 overall and 0-5 in the league. Rated as a 2-star recruit by Scout.com and as the No. 124 cornerback in the country. He was rated by 247sports.com as the No. 171 recruit overall in California and the 132nd cornerback in the nation. Named to the Wave Newspapers first team All-East region as a defensive back. In addition, he was listed as a 3-star recruit by rivals.com, and received a 74 grade (2-star recruit) and was listed as the #140 CB recruit by espn.com. Played as both a cornerback and quarterback in high school.

Personal: Born 2/21/94 in Lynwood, Calif. His parents are Keith Wiggins and Lisa Cary.

Jabari Wilson

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “He’s a true tailback – he’s tough and he’s fairly thick. He wrestles at 195 pounds, so has that competitiveness. I like athletes who show that in other sports too. He’s not only a great running back, but he shows that competitiveness in other sports and in his life. His personality is infectious – he came up here and gelled with our other players on his recruiting trip. He’s going to be a great tailback for what we do in our offense, but he’s also going to be huge in our locker room and be a great leader for our team down the road.”

HS: Will graduate from Orange Lutheran HS in 2012. Earned first team All-Trinity League honors as a running back. He had 105 carries for 630 yards (6.0 per carry) and eight touchdowns as a senior in 2011. He rushed for 158 yards on 20 carries in a 36-21 win over Los Osos (9/9/11). The Lancers finished the season 6-4 overall and 1-4 in the league. As a junior, he earned second team All-Trinity League honors as Orange Lutheran finished 5-5 overall and 2-3 in league play. He also wrestles, and placed sixth in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section as a junior.

Personal: Born 7/24/94 in Los Angeles, Calif. His parents are Michael and Tanya Wilson. Intends on majoring in either psychology or filmic arts.

Miquiyah Zamora

Eagle Head Coach Beau Baldwin: “We looked for competitive players with this class, and Miquiyah is another one of them. You see him on the basketball court competing hard and on the football field he’s hitting hard. We think he’s athletic enough and fast enough to play in the secondary for us, but he also has the size and frame to play an outside linebacker or nickel back for us. On top of that he has a great attitude and mentality – he loves football and loves to compete. We loved his skill set from the first time we saw him on video, and we’re fortunate to have him at Eastern.”

HS: Will graduate from Chiawana HS in 2012. Earned first team 4A All-State honors as an defensive back from Associated Press as selected by sportswriters and broadcasters. Named by the Seattle Times as a "White Chip" selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. Also selected to Ron Siegel’s pre-season All-State team (seniors only). He was the Columbia Basin Big Nine League Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 as senior, and was a unanimous first team selection as both a wide receiver and defensive back on the All-CBBN team. He was named to the Tri-City Herald All-Area team as a first team selection as both a wide receiver and defensive back. He had 40 receptions for 602 yards (15.1 yards per catch) and five touchdowns as a senior. His average of 14.4 yards per punt return ranked second in the CBBN. He helped lead Chiawana to an 8-0 regular season record and the CBBN 4A title, but the Riverhawks lost 24-0 to Central Valley in a play-in game for the State 4A Playoffs to finish 8-1. He was also a first team All-CBBN selection as a junior in 2010 as a wide receiver, defensive back, kick returner and all-purpose player. He had 27 catches for 431 yards (16.0 yards per reception) and three TD, and led the CBBN in punt returns at 14.6 yards per return. Chiawana finished 13-1 in 2010 and won the league title with a 6-0 record. Their undefeated season came to an end with a 13-7 loss to Ferris in the quarterfinals of the State 4A Playoffs. A four-year starter while at Pasco (2008 & 2009) and Chiawana (2010 & 2011) high schools, he was a first team All-CBBN selection as a defensive back and a second team pick as a wide receiver in 2008 as a freshman. His football coach at Chiawana was former Eagle Steve Graff (1981-82), who previously coached at Pasco. Zamora also plays for Chiawana’s basketball team, which is currently 10-9 overall and 6-5 in the CBBN (through Jan. 28).

Personal: Born 8/30/93 in Moses Lake, Wash. His mother is Polly Anna Fisher. Intends on majoring in military science.