Meet the future

With a new head coach and a batch of new assistants, the UB football program welcomed another group of newcomers to the team on Wednesday, including two local standouts and the nephew of a former Bills great.

When hired last month, coach Turner Gill was praised for his recruiting prowess, and in his first class of Bulls, the former Husker has signed a group of 14 high school players that includes local quarterback Naaman Roosevelt, the co-New York State Player of the Year who UB managed to steal away from powers Boston College and 1-AA New Hampshire.

On a day that marked the start of the national signing period, one group of analysts at Rivals.com ranked UB's incoming class fourth in the conference, only the second time the Bulls climbed into the top five. Roosevelt might have a lot to do with that. Named the consensus Western New York Player of the Year, Roosevelt threw 35 touchdowns and 3,452 all-purpose yards in his senior year at St. Joseph's Collegiate.

After making an impact on his high school's football program and record book, Roosevelt enters the UB program as a viable candidate for the starting job next year.

"When we looked at recruits, we asked, 'Can they be physical?' " Gill said, "Are you athletic? And do you want to come be a part of a program that you're going to start, that you're going to be special in?"

Another recruit that isn't going to have to travel far to play in UB Stadium is Williamsville North's Peter Bittner. At 6-feet-4-inches and 289 pounds, Bittner is an offensive lineman that can play either guard or tackle. The two-way starter and first-team All-Western New York player joins the Bulls after recently being named the WNY Lineman of the Year.

"This is going to be a special, special program," Gill said. "We want the players here to set the tone. This is the foundation that we're setting our program on - this group here."

Brian Kelly isn't a local like Roosevelt and Bittner, but he certainly has family ties in Buffalo. Kelly is the nephew of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly and comes to Buffalo from Hargrave Military Prep. Kelly is expected to play offensive line for the Bulls and touts an impressive bench press of 330 pounds and squats 550 pounds.

In addition to Kelly, Kyle Brey may also be a familiar name in the sports world. Brey is the son of Mike Brey, the head coach for Notre Dame men's basketball, and comes out of Indiana where he played tight end.

Keeping with the speed and athleticism that Gill is trying to build on his team, Skyler Hagg will also join the Bulls out of Arizona. Playing both running back and receiver in high school, Hagg is expected to be both kick and punt returner.

Rounding out the eight offensive recruits are offensive linemen Solomon Richberg from Queens, N.Y., Brandon Flanagan from North Reading, Mass., and Jordan Jerrold from Fairless Hills, Penn.

Gill and his staff also signed six defensive players on Wednesday, which consisted of two defensive linemen, three linebackers, and one defensive back.

Cornerback Keon Perry joins the Blue and White as a transfer from Coffeyville Community College. Perry has been described as a shut-down defender with great man-to-man instincts.

"The thing about Keon that sticks out like a sore thumb is his attitude on the field," said defensive coordinator Charlie Jackson.

Bolstering the defensive line in the future will be Anel Montanez and Zach Williams. Montanez played both sides of the line in high school where he was known for his rushing abilities. Williams finished his senior season with 18 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, two pass breakups and 46 total tackles overall, earning him All-District and All-Region honors in Erie, Penn.

"He has the potential to come here and be a dominant player in the MAC," Jackson said about Williams.

Tom Drewes, Patrick Pinson, and Richard Ferere will round out UB's linebacker corps.

Drewes, who has already enrolled for the spring semester, was ranked as a Top 50 prep school recruit by Rivals.com, while Ferere racked up 85 tackles, seven sacks, and five forced fumbles as a high school senior.

"Blowing it up and making it happen," Jackson said of Ferere. "That's the kind of guy we're looking for."

Although Gill had little time to recruit due to his late hire, and the class of 14 is one of the smallest in recent memory, UB's coaches are confident that these recruits will be a step in the right direction for a program that has consistently been among the worst in the country in recent years.

Buffalo hopes that the young men will not only will be starting a new chapter of their lives when they become a part of the team, but will also be a part of a new start for the program.