Feb. 4, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

und.com Signing Day Central

Seventeen high school seniors will have their names added to the University of Notre Dame’s football roster and begin playing for the Irish in 2009.

The 17 student-athletes represent 11 different states – California (two), Connecticut, Florida (three), Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana (two), New Jersey (three), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

As listed by position, Notre Dame adds two running backs, one wide receivers, two tight ends, three offensive linemen, one defensive lineman, four linebackers, one defensive backs, one kicker, one punter and one long snapper.

Three of the 17 players – cornerback E.J. Banks, linebacker Zeke Motta and defensive lineman Tyler Stockton – enrolled at the University in January and are taking classes. They will participate in Notre Dame’s spring football practices that begin in March. The other 14 players have signed national letters of intent.

Among the 17 players are:

• Three who received First-Team All-America accolades from USA Today – linebacker Manti Te’o, offensive lineman Chris Watt and running back Cierre Wood.
• Three named Parade prep All-Americans – Te’o, Wood and Watt.
• Four rated among the top 100 players nationally by the Chicago Sun-Times (and Tom Lemming) – Te’o (seventh), Wood (17th), Watt (43rd) and wide receiver Shaquelle Evans (44th).
• Four ranked in the top 100 by Sporting News – Te’o (second), Wood (10th), Watt (35th) and Evans (44th).
• Seven rated nationally in the ESPNU150- Te’o (second), Wood (25th), Stockton (32nd), Evans (41st), Watt (69th), offensive lineman Zach Martin (110th) and Banks (135th).
• Eight ranked in Scout.com’s Top 300 – Te’o (sixth), Watt (31st), Wood (54th), Stockton (121st), Evans (127th), offensive lineman Alex Bullard (171st), Motta (179th) and running back Theo Riddick (241st).
• Seven ranked in the Rivals250 by Rivals.com – Te’o (12th), Motta (54th), Wood (76th), Watt (77th), Evans (160th), Stockton (193rd), and Riddick (242nd).
• Eight rated in the TAKKLE Top 200 presented by Sports Illustrated – Te’o (fifth), Wood (12th), Stockton (17th), Evans (20th), Watt (68th), Martin (107th), Banks (139th) and Motta (168th).
• Five rated in the Offense-Defense Top 100 – Te’o (first), Wood (4th), Evans (36th), Riddick (82nd) and tight end Jake Golic (88th).
• Six who participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio last month – Evans, Golic, Motta, Stockton, Watt and Wood.
• Two who participated in the Under Armour All-American game last month in Orlando – Martin and Te’o.
• Two were selected to Long Beach Press-Telegram’s Best in the West first team – Te’o and Wood.
• Three named to the Western 100 by Tacoma News Tribune – Evans, Te’o and Wood.
• Two who were named to the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 – Motta and Bullard.
• One selected to the Super Southern 100 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Bullard.
• Two named to the Detroit Free Press’ Best in the Midwest team – Martin and Watt.
• Two selected Gatorade Player of the Year by state – Te’o (Hawaii), Watt (Illinois).

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown/Previous School	Video Highlights
Banks, E.J.	DB	5-11	181	Pittsburgh, PA (Montour)
Bullard, Alex	OL	6-3	275	Franklin, TN (Brentwood Academy)
Calabrese, Carlo	LB	6-2	225	Verona, NJ (Verona)
Cowart, Jordan	LS	6-2	255	Plantation, FL (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Eifert, Tyler	TE	6-6	220	Fort Wayne, IN (Bishop Dwenger)
Evans, Shaquelle	WR	6-1	203	Inglewood, CA (Inglewood)
Fox, Dan	LB	6-4	219	Rocky River, OH (St. Ignatius)
Golic, Jake	TE	6-4	220	Avon, CT (Northwest Catholic)
Martin, Zach	OL	6-5	270	Indianapolis, IN (Bishop Chatard)
Motta, Zeke	LB	6-2	207	Vero Beach, FL (Vero Beach)
Riddick, Theo	RB	5-10	185	Manville, NJ (Immaculata)
Stockton, Tyler	DL	6-1	290	Linwood, NJ (Hun School)
Tausch, Nick	K	6-1	180	Plano, TX (Jesuit)
Te’o, Manti	LB	6-2	225	Laie, HI (Punahou)
Turk, Ben	P	6-0	190	Davie, FL (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Watt, Chris	OL	6-3	280	Glen Ellyn, IL (Glenbard West)
Wood, Cierre	RB	6-0	192	Oxnard, CA (Santa Clara)

Selected as first-team all-state defensive back in 2007 as junior and first-team all-state special teams player in 2008 as senior … selected to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Fabulous 22 as well as Pittsburgh Tribune-Reviews Terrific 25 as junior and senior … high school team was 12-1 and WPIAL Class AAA state runner-up and conference champion during his junior year … rated as 139th-best overall player according to SI/TAKKLE Top 200 … ranked 135th overall player in ESPNU150 and 13th among “athletes” according to ESPN … rated 43rd-best “athlete” according to Rivals.com … named 13th best player from Pennsylvania in Superprep’s Pennsylvania 35 … started at quarterback and safety beginning with his freshman year … passed for more than 1,000 yards in each season, as a sophomore (1,076), junior (1,235) and senior (1,027) … threw for career-high 10 touchdowns as a senior, after throwing for six during his junior campaign and seven as a sophomore … rushed for 1,015 yards and 14 TDs as a senior and 920 yards with 10 TDs during junior season in 2007 … tallied 50 tackles and four interceptions as junior in 2007 … also participated in basketball and track in high school … one of three early enrollees at Notre Dame, joining Zeke Motta and Tyler Stockton … comes from same hometown as former three-year Irish starting quarterback Tom Clements … played for head coach Lou Cerro at Montour High School … born Jan. 31, 1991 … son of Cardelle and Edgar Banks.

Selected to Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super Southern 100 recognizing him as one of best 100 high school football players in combination of Georgia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee … the Knoxville News Sentinel rated him second in its Top 10 in Tennessee … named to Division II all-state team by Tennessee Sportswriter’s Association following senior season … rated 171st overall player according to Scout.com … ranked the fifth-most agile offensive lineman and 15th-best offensive guard by Rivals.com … named fifth-best prospect in Tennessee in Rivals.com postseason prospect rankings by state … named third-best player in Tennessee according to Superprep’s Tennessee 24 … named first-team all mid-state as junior and senior by Nashville Tennessean … recorded 52 pancake blocks as junior at Brentwood Academy … led high school team to Tennessee’s Division II Class AAA state championship game as senior in 2008 … helped high school team capture the 2007 Division II Class AAA state title as a junior with an 11-1 overall record … blocked for two running backs who combined for 1,736 yards in 2007 … father was an offensive lineman with the Seattle Seahawks (1978-80) and at Jackson State … played for head coach Ralph Potter at Brentwood Academy … born March 20, 1991 … full name is Alex Eugene Bullard … son of Dorothy and Louis Bullard.

Named to 2008 MaxPreps All-America second team … ranked 23rd among inside linebackers and the fourth-best run stopper by Rivals.com … named 11th-best prospect in the Rivals.com postseason New Jersey Top 30 … ranked 12th-best inside linebacker by ESPN … selected to Superprep All-America team as the 30th-best linebacker nationally … rated as sixth-best player in New Jersey 35 by Superprep … rated 234th-overall player and 14th-best middle linebacker by Scout.com … named first-team all-state and New Jersey defensive player of the year as a senior at Verona High school … named second-team all-state, first-team all-group 1 and first-team all-Essex County as junior by Newark Star-Ledger, to go along with Essex County sophomore defensive player of the year … totaled 131 tackles and three sacks as senior … played quarterback and receiver on offense, catching 27 passes for 488 yards and four touchdowns his senior year … led team to New Jersey state championship in 2008 … recorded 104 tackles including 34 tackles for a loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions during junior campaign … rushed for 800 yards as starting quarterbacks during junior season in 2007 … recorded 53 tackles, 2.5 sacks and four fumble recoveries as sophomore in 2006 … named freshman defensive player of the year by Star-Ledger after tallying 50 solo tackles and three sacks in 2005 … played for head coach Lou Racioppe at Verona High School … born Nov. 25, 1990 … son of Annie and Carlo Calabrese.

Ranked as 66th overall “athlete” according to ESPN … strictly a long snapper in high school at St. Thomas Aquinas High School … made 370 long snaps during four-year high school career … member of 2007 and 2008 Florida Class 5A state championship teams … Raiders finished their season ranked first nationally by USA Today and ESPN Rise … high school teammate of fellow Irish signee Ben Turk … hails from same high school as current Notre Dame offensive linemen Sam Young and Dan Wenger … played for coach George F. Smith at St. Thomas Aquinas … born July 19, 1991 … son of Jodi and Gary Cowart.

Named to Indiana Class 4A first-team all-state team as a defensive back in 2008 by Associated Press … named to Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 All-State team as tight end as senior … placed on all-Northeast Indiana first team by Fort Wayne Journal Gazette in 2008 … rated as 10th-best prospect in Indiana according to Rivals.com’s postseason state rankings … rated as 12th-best tight end in the country by ESPN … ranked 24th-best tight end according to both Rivals.com and Scout.com … recorded nine touchdowns on offense and 97 tackles as well as five interceptions, returning one for a TD on defense as a senior in 2008 … caught 33 passes for 586 yards and four touchdowns as a junior … received honorable mention all-state accolades as a junior in 2007 … tallied 40 tackles and three interceptions as a defensive back during junior season … logged minutes at tight end, wide receiver, linebacker and safety during senior season at Bishop Dwenger High School … led team to perfect record entering Indiana 4A state championship game in 2008 … Superprep named him 51st-best overall player in Midwest … as junior his quarterback was current Irish wide receiver John Goodman … played for head coach Chris Svarczkopf in high school … born Sept. 8, 1990 … son of Greg and Julie Eifert.

Selected to play in U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio … ranked 41st-overall player in ESPNU150 and fourth-best wide receiver … rated 44th-best player nationally and the eighth-best wide receiver in the country by Sporting News … dubbed the best playmaker in the west by Sporting News … named to the Western 100 following senior year by Tacoma News Tribune … ranked as 20th-best overall player according to SI/TAKKLE Top 200 … rated 36th in the Offense-Defense Top 100 … rated 127th-overall player according to Scout.com … ranked 160th in Rivals250 … named 17th-best overall prospect in California according to Rivals.com’s postseason state rankings … ranked as one of top 100 high school football prospects according to Tom Lemming of CBS College Sports … rated 39th in Athlon 2009 Consensus 100 … selected to Superprep All-America team as the ninth-rated wide receiver … named to Superprep’s Far West 150, ranked as the seventh-overall player and best wide receiver in the area … lauded as the top wide receiver and sixth overall player in California by Contra Costa Times in 2009 class … named honorable mention for 2009 Long Beach Post-Telegram’s Best in the West team … placed on all-state third team by CalHiSports.com following senior season … earned tri-player of the year award in Ocean League as senior … caught 51 passes for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns as senior following his junior campaign in which he caught 37 passes for 700 yards and six TDs at Inglewood High School … participated in Hawaii Prep Football Classic, matching all-star team from the U.S. mainland against all-star team from Hawaii, as a member of the mainland team … played for head coach Charles Mincy at Inglewood High School … born March 7, 1991 … son of Kelisha Wright.

Rated 13th-best outside linebacker by Rivals.com and 15th-best overall prospect in Ohio according to their postseason prospect state rankings … ranked as fourth-best outside linebacker and best in pass coverage according to OhioVarsity.com … named to Ohio All-Championship Team by Bill Greene and Dave Berk, who rank the best players in Ohio during championship weekend … selected to Division I second-team all-state squad by Associated Press … named third-team Division I-II all state by OhioVarsity.com … ranked 76th-best player in Midwest by Superprep … member of St. Ignatius High School state championship football team in 2008 … the Wildcats finished the season ranked 12th nationally by USA Today … intercepted one pass in 2008 state title game … recorded 76 tackles as junior, including nine tackles for loss and three interceptions … former high school teammate of current Irish players Robby Parris and John Ryan … played safety throughout prep career but is expected to play linebacker at Notre Dame … played for head coach Chuck Kyle at St. Ignatius … born March 17, 1991 … full name is Daniel Patrick Fox … son of Kathleen and Michael Fox.

Participated in 2009 U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio … named first-team all-state following senior season by Hartford Courant … ranked 88th in Offense-Defense Top 100 … Rivals.com ranked him as sixth-best player in Connecticut’s postseason rankings 2009 … named 10th-best player in New England 12 by Superprep … caught 43 passes for 613 yards and eight touchdowns as senior on offense at Northwest Catholic High School … made 32 tackles and recorded a sack defensively in 2008 … tallied 21 receptions for 410 yards and two TDs as a junior in 2007 … brother Mike Jr. currently plays for Notre Dame … father, Mike, and uncles Bob and Greg, all played for the Irish … played for head coach Mike Tyler at Northwest Catholic High School … born Dec. 25, 1990 … full name is Jacob Kenneth Golic … son of Mike Sr. and Chris Golic.

Selected to play in 2009 Under Armour All-American game in Orlando … named to Best in Midwest team by Detroit Free Press as the fifth-best player and second-best offensive lineman (behind future classmate Chris Watt) in the Midwest … ranked as 107th-best prospect in the SI/TAKKLE Top 200 … rated 110th in ESPNU150 and 10th-best offensive tackle according to ESPN … named to Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 All-State team as an offensive lineman in senior year … selected first-team all-state in 2008 by Indianapolis Star and Associated Press … also named to Indianapolis Star’s 2008 Super Team … tallied 114 pancake blocks during senior campaign … first-team all-state selection as senior and junior … named to Bloomington Herald Times Junior All-State team as sophomore … selected to Bloomington Herald Times Top 33 team as junior and senior … selected as Superprep All-American and 20th-best offensive lineman … Superprep ranks him as 16th-best player in the Midwest … ranked as second-best prospect in the Rivals.com Indiana postseason rankings … member of Indiana Class 3A State Championship team as sophomore with 12-3 record … helped lead high school team to 14-1 record and second consecutive Indiana Class 3A state championship as junior in 2007 … started both ways as sophomore along offensive and defensive lines … recorded 73 tackles including five tackles for loss as defensive tackle during sophomore season in 2006 … father played football at Kentucky … played for head coach Vince Lorenzano at Bishop Chatard High School … born Nov. 20, 1990 … full name is Zachary Edward Martin … son of Pam and Keith Martin.

Participated in 2009 U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio … selected to play in Hawaii Football Prep Classic, featuring all-star team from the U.S. mainland against all-star team from Hawaii … Rivals.com ranked him 54th in Rivals100 rankings … rated the eighth-best overall prospect in Florida according to Rivals.com’s postseason prospect rankings by state … rated the 168th overall prospect in SI/TAKKLE Top 200 … ranked 179th overall player according to Scout.com … member of Florida Varsity Top 100 … named Class 6A first-team all-state in Florida in 2007 and first-team academic all-state in 2008 for Florida Class 6A football … named District 17 Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008 … named Superprep All-American as 25th-best linebacker nationally … ranked 13th among Florida’s best players according to Superprep’s Florida 110 … selected to the Jacksonville Times-Union’s Florida Super 75 squad … tabbed the second-best outside linebacker in Florida by the Times-Union … named first-team Class 6A all-state as a senior … tallied 137 tackles including eight tackles for a loss and three sacks during senior campaign at Vero Beach High School … one of three early enrollees at Notre Dame, joining E.J. Banks and Tyler Stockton … played for head coach Gary Coggin at Vero Beach High School … born May 14, 1990 … full name is Ezekiel Edward Motta … son of Bill Motta, who was the defensive coordinator at Vero Beach High School.

Ranked 82nd in Offense-Defense Top 100 … member of Rivals250, ranking 242nd overall … 241st overall player in country according to Scout.com … named Superprep All-American, rating him as 23rd-best running back nationally … Superprep ranks him as seventh best player in New Jersey 35 … first-team all state performer senior year at Immaculata High School … selected third-team all-state running back during junior season by Newark Star-Ledger … Star-Ledger named him to first-team non-public school all-state squad after junior season …named second-team all-state performer as defensive back during sophomore campaign by Associated Press and Newark Star-Ledger … as junior carried 159 times for 1,192 yards and 13 touchdowns on offense and added 17 tackles on defense … tallied 1,352 yards and 23 TDs on 172 carries during sophomore season … added 13 catches for 157 yards offensively and five interceptions as safety on defense in 2006 sophomore season … ran for 217 yards in 2006 state championship game, leading his team to victory and perfect 12-0 season … added three TDs and an interception in the end zone with 57 seconds left to preserve victory in state championship … rushed for 4,042 yards and 52 TDs during high school career … ranked second in New Jersey preseason top 30 according to Rivals.com and fourth in its postseason rankings … played for head coach Pierce Frauenheim at Immaculata High School … born May 4, 1991 … son of Celeste Bell.

Selected to play in 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio … rated third-best defensive tackle in country by ESPN … ranked 17th in SI/TAKKLE Top 200 … ranked 32nd in ESPNU150 … rated as 121st overall player by Scout.com … Rivals.com ranked him 192nd in its Rivals250 … ranked top player in New Jersey in postseason state rankings according to Rivals.com … named to Superprep All-American team as 22nd-best overall defensive lineman … rated second among New Jersey’s top 35 players according to Superprep … named first-team all-state by the Newark Star-Ledger as a junior at The Hun School … Trenton Times named him all-area performer during junior season in 2007 … earned Mid-Atlantic Conference defensive player-of-the-year honors as junior … helped team to 9-0 record and recorded 68 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and nine sacks during junior campaign … one of three early enrollees at Notre Dame in 2009, joining E.J. Banks and Zeke Motta … played for head coach Dave Dudeck at The Hun School … born Feb. 11, 1990 … son of Naomi and Lyndon Stockton.

Ranked as ninth-best kicker nationally according to Rivals.com … connected on nine of 15 field goals during senior season including made FGs of 51 and 53 yards … 22 of 41 kickoff attempts resulted in touchbacks as senior … opposing teams averaged 16.0 on kickoff returns in 2008 … participated in Hawaii Prep Classic, converting only field goal attempt from 37 yards and averaging 47.2 yards on four punts … named to Dallas Morning News Top 100 list for area players – the only kicker placed on the list … also named first-team all-area by the Dallas Morning News … placed on third-team all-state following senior year by the Texas Sports Writers Association … named to first-team all-district squad as both punter and placekicker as senior … attended same high school as former Irish star Omar Jenkins … father, Terry, played offensive line in the NFL for eight years (Minnesota, 1982-88; San Francisco 1989) and was with the 49ers team that won Super Bowl XXIV … brother, Eric, is a 280-pound offensive lineman who will sign with TCU on signing day … played for head coach Bob Wunderlick at Jesuit Prep … full name is Nicholas Andrew Tausch … son of Ela and Terry Tausch.

Selected to play in 2009 Under Armour All-American game in Orlando … participated in Hawaii Prep Football Classic, which featured an all-star team from U.S. mainland against an all-star team from Hawaii … named 2008 High School Athlete of the Year by Sporting News … selected as defensive player of the year by USA TODAY … became inaugural high school recipient of the Butkus Award, given to the best linebacker in the country … two-time recipient of Hawaii Gatorade Player-of-the-Year award in 2007 and 2008 … Sporting News rated him the top defensive player in the nation and second-best player in the country … rated second-best overall prospect in the ESPNU150 and best linebacker according to ESPN … ranked fifth nationally in SI/TAKKLE Top 200 for 2008 … rated third in 2009 Athlon Consensus 100 … ranked sixth nationally by Scout.com and its top linebacker prospect … Rivals.com ranked him as 12th-best overall player nationally and second-best inside linebacker … rated as the best player in Hawaii according to Rivals.com’s postseason state rankings … listed seventh nationally in Chicago Sun-Times rating of top 100 players … Tom Lemming of CBS College Sports rated him as 12th-best all around player in his Top 100 … named to Superprep Elite 50 squad as 12th-best overall player and made Superprep All-America team as second-best linebacker in the county … also named Superprep Farwest Defensive Player of the Year … named top overall prospect in the Offense-Defense 100 … top vote-getter among defensive players in Long Beach Press-Telegram’s 2009 Best in the West team … selected to Western 100 in 2008 by Tacoma News Tribune … named to 2008 MaxPreps All-America first-team defense as a senior … named 2007 defensive player of the year and first-team all-state linebacker by Honolulu Star-Bulletin … received first-team all-state and conference defensive player of the year honors as junior and senior by Honolulu Advertiser … as sophomore named 2006 second-team all-state linebacker by both Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin as well as first-team all-conference … registered 129 tackles, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, three interceptions, one which he returned for a touchdown and a blocked punt that he scored a touchdown on during his senior campaign … helped Punahou High School team capture its first ever state championship by racking up eight tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in title game en route to 38-7 victory … recorded 90 tackles and five sacks as junior in 2007 … named an Eagle Scout in 2008 and volunteers his time at Hawaii Special Olympics and Head Start Preschool program … attends President Barack Obama’s alma mater … played for head coach Kale Ane at Punahou School … born Jan. 26, 1991 … full name is Manti Malietau Louis Te’o … son of Ottilia and Brian Te’o.

Scout.com ranks him as the third-best punter nationally … rated the sixth-best kicker in the country by Rivals.com … named first-team all-state for Class 5A following senior year … selected to Florida Super 75 squad by Jacksonville Times-Union and also tabbed the state’s top kicker by the Times-Union … named first-team all-Broward County following senior season … averaged 41 yards per punt as a junior and 39 yards per punt during his senior campaign at St. Thomas Aquinas … landed 14 of his 28 punts inside the 20-yard line as a senior in 2008 … high school teammate of fellow Irish signee Jordan Cowart … attends same high school as current Irish offensive linemen Sam Young and Dan Wenger … nephew of current Houston Texans punter Matt Turk … helped his high school to a 29-1 record as a junior and senior and was a member of 2007 and 2008 Florida Class 5A state champions … the Raiders finished the 2008 season ranked first nationally by USA Today and ESPN Rise … played for head coach George Smith at St. Thomas Aquinas High School … born June 5, 1990 … son of Kelly and Tony Turk.

Participated in 2009 U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio … named to USA Today All-American team … placed on Parade All-America team following senior year … honored as the top high school recruit in the Midwest in the Detroit Free Press’ Best in the Midwest rankings … named to Tom Lemming’s 26-man All-America team … ranked 31st-best overall player and top overall offensive guard according to Scout.com … considered 35th-best player nationally and the fifth-best offensive lineman by Sporting News … rated as 68th-best overall prospect in the SI/TAKKLE Top 200 … ranked as 67th-best overall prospect in country according to Tom Lemming of CBS College Sports … Rivals.com ranks him as 77th-best overall player and second-best offensive guard … selected first-team All-American by MaxPreps in 2008 … ranked second in Illinois postseason Top 30 according to Rivals.com … named to Superprep All-American team as the third-best overall offensive lineman in the country … selected as an Elite 50 player, 40th overall, by Superprep … selected first-team all-state as senior by Illinois High School Football Coaches Association, Chicago Tribune and Champaign News-Gazette … named 2008-09 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year … selected to Chicago Sun-Times’ all-area team as a senior … named special mention all-state as junior by Chicago Tribune and Champaign News-Gazette … Arlington Heights Daily Herald named Watt captain of 2008 all-area football team for DuPage County … named West Suburban Silver Conference Most Valuable Player in 2008 … recorded 118 pancake blocks as a junior and 107 as a senior despite missing two games due to an ankle sprain in 2008 … led Glenbard West High School to 12-1 record in 2008 … played three different positions along offensive line and never surrendered a sack … brother Kevin just completed his second season as a defensive end at Northwestern … played for head coach Chad Hetlet at Glenbard West High School … born Aug. 17, 1990 … son of Mary Pat and Rich Watt.

Selected to play in 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio … named to USA Today All-American team … rated 10th-best overall player nationally and second-best running back by Sporting News … ranked 12th-best overall prospect and second-best running back in SI/TAKKLE Top 200 … rated 15th-best overall player and third-best running back in Tom Lemming’s Top 100 football prospects rankings … rated 17th-best player nationally by Chicago Sun-Times … ranked 76th in Rivals100 by Rivals.com and rated as the 8th-best running back prospect in the country … rated as eighth-best overall prospect in California according to Rivals.com’s postseason state rankings … ESPN ranks him as 25th-best overall player in ESPNU150 … rated as 54th-best overall player according to Scout.com … ranked 17th overall in the 2009 Athlon Consensus 100 … was the only running back selected to 2009 Long Beach Press-Telegram’s Best in the West first team … named to Western 100 by Tacoma News Tribune in 2008 … named first-team all-state by CalHiSports.com as a multi-purpose player following senior season … selected to 2008 all-Ventura County small schools football team … tabbed 2008 defensive back of the year … co-offensive player of the year in Tri-Valley League as senior … lauded as the top running back and 12th-best player in California by Contra Costa Times in 2009 class … named first-team all-Ventura County as junior … named Division IV state player of the year by Maxpreps.com … rated fourth in Offense-Defense Top 100 … selected Superprep All-American as the 14th-rated running back … named to the Superprep Far West 150 as 15th overall player and top pure running back in the area … rushed for 1,632 yards and 20 touchdowns and caught eight passes for 182 yards and four TDs as senior following 2,612 yards rushing with 34 TDs during junior year … posted 33 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 2008 … led high school team to first division title in 42 years as junior … also handled punting duties and played cornerback, recording 63 tackles and two interceptions in 2007 … tallied 1,407 rushing yards with 17 TDs rushes as a sophomore, to go along with 585 receiving yards on 16 catches with seven additional scores … also returned four kickoffs for TDs during high school career … named first-team all-area as sophomore by Ventura County Star … CalHiSports.com named him sophomore player of the year in 2006 … recorded 64 tackles on defense as sophomore … named second-team all state as junior in 2007 by CalHiSports.com … named offensive player of the year for CIF Southern Section Mid-Valley division after junior season … as special teams player in 2007 he returned seven punts for 373 yards, had seven kickoff returns for 307 yards and also kicked off five times resulting in three touchbacks … tallied 2,480 all-purpose yards as sophomore and named receiver of the year in Frontier League after averaging 37.2 yards per catch … played for head coach Fran Fredette at Santa Clara High School … born Feb. 21, 1991 … full name is Cierre Marcelle Wood … son of Valerie and Martine Robertson.