By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Illinois Wesleyan football coach Norm Eash has unveiled a recruiting class of 49 freshman.
It’s one of his largest classes in his 30 seasons as head coach.
PODCAST: Listen to WJBC’s interview with Eash.
“We needed a big class because the last couple of years we’ve brought in classes of 32 and 34,” Eash said. “We needed that to keep our program viable and to play that JV schedule.”
Eash added the quantity of talent brought in this fall won’t come at the expense of quality.
“We are looking for a large group, at the same time you want to make sure it’s not just numbers but also talent and we were able to do that,” Eash said. “It’s a great class and there’s going to be some players in there that are going to make an impact.”
IWU brought in 27 players on offense, 20 on defense and two kickers. He said the focus on offense is always to look for quarterbacks while the need for running back will be strong after next season and the same can be said for the defense.
“We have some really great defensive players coming back,” Eash said. “We have our defensive ends and our linebackers, so we kind of recruited from that standpoint.”
The Titans added nine defensive lineman and six linebackers. IWU is bringing in eight receivers.
One recruit comes from Central Illinois, running back Aaron Carter from Fisher.
IWU is scheduled to open the season on Sept. 10 at Nebraska Wesleyan. The Titans are still seeking to fill the Sept. 3 open date on the schedule.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
