Published: 12:32 PM, 02/04/2010

Last updated: 12:40 PM, 02/04/2010

By: Steve Behr Sports Editor

By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com
Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore wanted to make his defensive line bigger. He also needed to add depth to an offensive line that has been relatively thin the last two years.
Moore feels the Mountaineers accomplished both by signing five offensive linemen and four defensive linemen in their latest recruiting class that signed Feb. 3. The Mountaineers went back to a familiar source, Georgia Military College, to find three players in these areas.
"We don't necessarily want to redshirt them," Moore said. "You go after the junior college guys because of immediate needs. We've had a great relationship with Georgia Military for a number of years. Every kid we've taken from there has gone on to get a degree."
Appalachian State got two defensive linemen, both earning three stars from the recruiting Web site rivals.com, from Georgia Military College. Derrick Shumake stands 6-foot-4, and weighs 285 pounds, while teammate Dan Wylie is 6-1, 280 pounds.
Another three-star player from Georgia Military to sign with Appalachian State is tight end Antonio Danzy, who is 6-3, 260 pounds.
Shumake and Wylie were just two defensive linemen to sign letters. The Mountaineers got a signature from William Corbin, a 6-6, 285-pound freshman from Triton High in Dunn.
Chris Aiken, a 6-1, 310-pound defensive lineman from Austin, Texas, has already enrolled at Appalachian State. Aiken is a 25-year old veteran of the Iraq war who was also recruited by BYU, and can participate in spring workouts.
"He's a great young man," Moore said. "We saw him on tape and he's a guy who can run for a guy who weighs 300 pounds."
The Mountaineers have always put an emphasis on speed when recruiting any position and the offensive line is no exception. Moore said that although the recruiting class has bigger players than usual, they did not sacrifice speed.
"We try to get kids in here who can run well," Moore said. "That's always been a major factor here. It just so happened this year that we had a lot of kids who were taller and bigger than in the past. We looked for the same ingredients, it just so happened that they are just bigger, heavier and stronger."
The Mountaineers picked up two-star recruit Dylan Bostic (6-6, 280) from Neptune Beach, Fla, and Ian Barnard (6-4, 255) from Norcross, Ga. Appalachian State also signed two-star offensive lineman Grahamm Fisher (6-2, 275) from Waynesville, Kalan Jones (6-4, 275) from Cornelia, Ga., and Kendall Lamm (6-6, 270) from Butler High in Matthews.
Another two-star recruit, tight end Drew Bailey (6-4, 250), signed from Dorman High in Spartanburg, S.C.  One more two-star tight end, Trevor Sawyer (6-6, 215) signed from Asheville High.
Appalachian State also added two quarterbacks who will likely compete for a spot on the depth chart. Elijah Adamiak (5-10, 170) from Carroll, Ga., and Kalik Barnes (6-0, 190) from Atlanta both signed with the Mountaineers.
Appalachian State also added linebacker A.J. McDonald (6-0, 220) from Suwannee, Ga., and defensive back Tevin McDermott (6-2, 190) from Athens, Tenn.

Appalachian State football recruiting class
Name     Pos.    Ht.    Wt.    Yr.    Hometown/High School (Prev. College)
Elijah Adamiak        QB     5-10    170    Fr.     Carroll, Ga./Central
Chris Aiken#        DL     6-1     310    Jr.     Austin, Texas/Reagan (Blinn College)
Drew Bailey**        TE    6-4    250    Fr.    Spartanburg, S.C./Dorman 2-star rivals
Ian Barnard        OL     6-4     255    Fr.    Norcross, Ga./Wesleyan School
Kalik Barnes        QB     6-0     190     Fr.     Atlanta, Ga./Parkview
Dylan Bostick**        OL      6-6     280     Fr.     Neptune Beach, Fla./Fletcher
William Corbin        DL    6-6    285     Fr.     Dunn, N.C./Triton
Antonio Danzy***       TE      6-3      260    Jr.       Sandersville, Ga./Washington Co (Georgia Military College)
Graham Fisher**    OL     6-2    275    Fr.    Waynesville, N.C./Tuscola
Kalan Jones        OL    6-4     275    Fr.    Cornelia, Ga./Habersham Central
Kendall Lamm        OL     6-6      270    Fr.        Charlotte, N.C./Butler
Tevin McDermott        DB    6-2     190     Fr.        Athens, Tenn./McMinn
A.J. McDonald         LB        6-0     220    Fr.     Suwannee, Ga./Peachtree Ridge
Trevor Sawyer**       TE      6-6     215    Fr.        Asheville, N.C./Asheville
Derrick Shuemake***    DL    6-4     285    Jr.        Swainsboro, Ga./Swainsboro (Georgia Military College)
Dan Wylie***        DL     6-1     280     Jr.        Washington, Ga./Washington-Wilkes (Ga Military College)
*Number of stars according to rivals.com
#enrolled at ASU in January

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