New University of Delaware football head coach Danny Rocco had a look of satisfaction Wednesday, Feb. 1, as he announced that a talented group of 14 high school standouts had signed the NCAA National Letter of Intent to attend Delaware on scholarship and compete for the Blue Hens this coming fall. 

Rocco, who took over the helm of the Blue Hens in December after a successful five-year run at the University of Richmond that included three NCAA tournament appearances, introduced a recruiting class that included 10 student-athletes on the offensive side of the ball and four on defense.

“This is a great day and a great group,” said Rocco, who noted that 14 of the 15 students offered by the UD coaching staff accepted scholarships. “This is the first time I can remember in my career that we had all the commitments signed by 8 a.m. We wanted to recruit the best available student-athletes out there and we succeeded by recruiting a group of young men highly motivated to achieve both academically and athletically. These are achievement-oriented people who are willing to work. We are off to an amazing start.”

The list includes three wide receivers (Thyrick Pitts of Manassas, Virginia, Gene Coleman II of Montclair, New Jersey, and Tylan McElhenie of Virginia Beach, Virginia), three offensive linemen (Carter Lynch of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, David Kroll of Reston, Virginia, and Mickey Henry of Wilmington, Delaware), and two tight ends (Luke Frederick of Altoona, Pennsylvania, and Braden Atkinson of Glenville, Pennsylvania) set to join the Blue Hen family this coming fall. 

Also included in the class were two defensive linemen (Shane Hogarth of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, and Artis Hemmingway of Hillside, New Jersey), one quarterback (Nolan Henderson of Smyrna, Delaware), one running back (Khory Spruill of Clinton, Maryland), one linebacker (Ship Adrizi of Fort Lee, New Jersey), and one defensive back (C.J. McAnally of West Chester, Pennsylvania). The recruits hail from the states of Pennsylvania (4), New Jersey (4), Virginia (3), Delaware (2) and Maryland (1).

For a complete list of recruits and biographical information, see the National Signing Day site.

“I think this class certainly shows that our (recruiting) footprint will be well-defined,” said Rocco. “This class will model those going forward. This is our footprint and we will put a lot of efforts in these areas, including our home state. We are in a really good spot. I could not be more excited as we move into the player development phase of our program.”

Delaware will begin spring drills in April leading up to the annual Blue-White Spring Game set for Saturday, May 6, at 7 p.m. Delaware Stadium.

UD will celebrate its annual fun-filled fan event, Fandemonium VIII, from 4-7 p.m. earlier that day outside the stadium. 

Delaware will host six games at Delaware Stadium this fall, including the season opener Aug. 31 against Delaware State, a date with defending NCAA champion James Madison on Sept. 30, and a meeting with Rocco’s old team, Richmond, on Oct. 21.

Fans can now renew their 2017 season tickets online.