2015 Football Signing Class Bios
2015 Signing Day Class Bios
First-team all-Sierra League defensive back as a junior ... Daily Bulletin all-area honorable mention as a senior ... three-star safety by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... Rivals named him to its 2015 California Postseason Top 100 ... played safety, wide receiver and kicker for Ayala HS (Calif.) ... in seven games as a senior in 2014 (he missed the first part of the season with an ankle injury), he made 58 tackles and three interceptions ... also caught four passes for 68 yards (17.0 average) and one touchdown in 2014 ... 86 tackles and four interceptions in 10 games as a junior ... including field goals and PATs, he led his team in scoring as a junior with 38 points ... made 4-of-9 field goals and 29-of-32 PATs in three seasons ... grew up playing soccer and had never even seen a football game before going out for the Ayala team as a freshman, when he was primarily a kicker ... son of Diana Afia (pronounced ah-fee-uh)... born Nov. 8, 1996.
Three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... MaxPreps All-Sac-Joaquin Section first-team running back as a senior in 2014 and Junior Player of the Year in 2013 ... Sacramento Bee first-team all-Metro his junior and senior seasons and Division II Offensive Player of the Year in 2013 ... 2013 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Football Underclass ... in three years on the Rio Linda HS (Calif.) varsity, he rushed for 5,457 yards and 70 touchdowns ... as a senior, he rushed 193 times for 1,972 yards (10.2 yards per carry) and 29 touchdowns, while averaging 151.7 yards a game ... also had nine catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns, as well as 19 tackles and two interceptions in 2014 ... averaged 184.6 yards rushing his junior year, with 212 carries for 2,031 yards (9.6 ypc) and 26 touchdowns ... rushed for 1,454 yards and 15 touchdowns his sophomore season ... scored six touchdowns (one on a 99-yard kickoff return) and rushed for 330 yards in Rio Linda High's Division III playoff win over Placer HS ... Cal-Hi Sports Northern California Offensive Player of the Week for playoff win over Placer ... son of Karen Brooks ... born Dec. 4, 1996.
Four-star recruit by Scout.com and Rivals.com will be a junior with three years to play two ... No. 17 on Rivals.com Junior College 2015 Postseason 100 Prospect Ranking ... No. 26 in the ESPN JC 50 ... National Division-Central Conference second-team defense in 2014 ... as a sophomore cornerback at L.A. Harbor College, had 46 tackles (4.0 TFL), five interceptions, six pass breakups and a fumble recovery ... led L.A. Harbor in kickoff returns (18 for 445 yards, 24.7 average, 1 TD) and punt returns (nine for 36 yards) ... as a freshman at L.A. Harbor in 2013, had 42 receptions for 583 and seven touchdowns and rushed 66 times for 327 yards (5.0 average) and two touchdowns ... went to high school at Centennial High in Compton, Calif., and graduated from West Adams Preparatory HS in Los Angeles ... born Nov. 12, 1994.
MaxPreps 2014 California Division II first-team all-state ... Sacramento Bee all-metro team, honorable mention all-Sac-Joaquin Section and SportStars All-NorCal "reserve" as a senior ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... made the Rivals.com California Postseason Top 100 ... also played some at defensive tackle and had 14 tackles and a fumble recovery in three seasons ... as a junior in 2013, he was a first-team all-Pioneer League selection ... son of Jeanine and Joey Sr. Capra ... younger brother Jacob played alongside him on the Placer HS (Calif.) offensive line.
First-team Division I all-state offense in 2014 by Arizona Football Coaches Association (AzFCA) and azcentral ... also AzFCA Top 25 as a senior ... No. 51 overall prospect in the state of Arizona by azcentral ... honorable mention all-state his junior season ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... No. 10 overall prospect in Arizona by Rivals.com ... 2014 Division I-II Arizona All-Academic Honorable Mention Football Team (3.81 GPA) ... son of Paula and Ken Carman ... born Dec. 11, 1996.
Has two years to play two ... ranked No. 48 overall in the 2015 ESPN Junior College 50 ... started college career at Dean College in Massachusetts in 2012 then redshirted in 2013 at Gavilan College (Calif.) ... as a redshirt sophomore last season, he averaged 88.4 yards per game with 50 receptions for 796 yards and six touchdowns in nine games ... Baltimore Sun and Maryland Big School second-team all-state offense his senior year at Catonsville High in 2011 ... No. 55 player in Maryland coming out of high school in 2011 by Rivals.com ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com ... 19 catches for 537 yards and nine touchdowns in 2011 ... of his 15 receptions in 2010, eight went for touchdowns ... two-time all-county free safety ... had six interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns ... competed in the Crab Bowl All-Star game for the Baltimore all stars ... also played basketball and ran track ... son of Purnell Carter ... father played football at Bowie State ... nickname is Niko ... born Mar. 20, 1994.
Seminole State College/South Carolina transfer enrolled in classes in January and will participate in spring camp ... has one year to play one ... spent last year playing baseball at Seminole State College ... in 42 games, he hit .253 with two home runs, 25 RBIs, 20 runs scored and seven stolen bases ... from 2012-13, he played in 24 football games at South Carolina ... played in all 12 regular season games as a sophomore in 2013 and started against Georgia ... eight tackles, two pass breakups and one forced fumble in 2013 ... also played on the Gamecock baseball team following his sophomore season, finishing with one hit in five at-bats over six games ... played in 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2012 and totaled eight tackles and two pass breakups ... named SC's Most Improved Defensive Back that spring ... redshirted in 2011 ... prepped at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Fla. ... as a senior in 2010, rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns ... also had 64 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries as a senior ... had a 99-yard run, the longest in state championship game history, against American Heritage ... ran for 866 yards (11.9 average) and 11 touchdowns as a junior in 2009 ... also logged 40 tackles and four interceptions and was named second-team all-state for the 1A classification as a defensive back ... two-sport athlete was a highly-touted all-state shortstop who represented the U.S. in an international baseball competition in Japan during the summer of 2010 ... selected in the 46th round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers ... recruiting sites Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports.com rated him a three-star prospect ... named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region class ... born Nov. 23, 1992.
Miami Herald second-team Class 7A all-state in 2014 ... No. 39 player in Broward County by the Sun Sentinel ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... played safety for St. Thomas Aquinas HS, which won the 2014 Florida Class 7A state title, the district title and was ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 8 in the nation in 2014 by MaxPreps ... second-team all-county as a junior when he finished with 31 tackles (27 solo), four interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble ... also plays basketball ... son of Deborah Hankerson ... born April 6, 1997.
First-team all-CIF Southwest Division offensive lineman as a senior in 2014 ... first-team all-Freeway League and second-team all-county OL in 2014 ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... named Buena Park HS (Calif.) co-Lineman of the Year and Most Improved Player as a senior ... also played on the defensive line and had 43 tackles (11.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks), an interception, a pass breakup and a blocked field goal in 2014 ... two career interceptions ... in 2011, he was Buena Park's Freshman Lineman of the Year (OL/DL) ... son of Sharon and Keven Dixon ... born Jan. 16, 1997.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune 5A all-state offensive guard in 2014 ... also made the 2014 All-Tribune Team ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... rated the No. 11 overall player in the state of Utah by Rivals.com ... also played on the defensive line for American Fork HS (Utah) ... 62 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a senior in 2014 ... 53 tackles, 3.0 TFL and a sack his junior year ... son of Stephanie and Mike Empey ... father played and coached at BYU ... born Oct. 27, 1996.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... Deseret News second-team 5A all-state safety as a junior in 2013 ... played in only three games as a senior due to injury ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... 94 tackles and an interception as a junior free safety in 2013 ... plans to serve a church mission before enrolling at Utah ... son of Melissa and Deno Fabrizio.
Has three years to play three ... signed out of Katy HS (Texas) with Baylor in 2013 before going to Blinn Community College ... redshirted last season at Blinn ... five tackles (0.5 sack) and a fumble recovery as a freshman at Blinn in 2013 ... also had 12 receptions for 169 yards and one TD and nine rushes for 56 yards and two touchdowns ... five catches for 72 yards vs. Tyler JC ... three catches for 54 yards and a TD and three rushes for 51 yards vs. Cisco College ... national position rankings among cornerbacks coming out of high school: No. 44 by 247Sports.com, No. 66 by Scout.com, No. 75 by Rivals.com ... No. 49 prospect in Texas by Austin American-Statesman and 247Sports.com ... Houston Top 100 by VYPE/Rivals publication ... led Katy HS to a 16-0 season and 2012 5A DII state championship as senior when he finished with 26 tackles, two interceptions and a pass breakup ... also a first-team all-district 19-5A wide receiver after totaling 385 yards and five touchdowns on 16 receptions ... helped Katy to 12-1 record and 2011 DII regional semis as junior when he had 24 receptions for 408 yards and eight TDs ... 2011 all-district 19-5A as both a receiver and all-purpose player ... member of Katy's 13-1 regional finalist squad in 2010 ... also ran track at KHS, placing second in the 5A state meet in the 100-meter dash (10.3) as a junior in 2012 and fourth in the 200 meters ... anchored the AAU record-breaking 4x100 relay team from Houston Youth Track Club that ran a 40.00 ... born Dec. 12, 1993.
Miami Herald second-team Class 7A all-state in 2014 ... No. 13 player in Broward County by the Sun Sentinel ... No. 56 ranked prep linebacker in the country by Rivals.com ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... played linebacker for St. Thomas Aquinas HS, which won the 2014 Florida Class 7A state title, the district title and was ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 8 in the nation in 2014 by MaxPreps ... second-team all-county as a junior when he had 45 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery ... also plays basketball ... son of Sandra and LaVester Hart ... born Feb. 28, 1997.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... played quarterback at Vacaville HS (Calif.) but projected as a defensive end at Utah ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com ... in 13 games as a senior in 2014, completed 75-of-131 (.573) pass attempts for 1,149 yards and 13 touchdowns (8 INT) ... also rushed 45 times for 292 yards (6.5 average) and five touchdowns ... in 12 games as a junior, was 71-of-123 (.577) passing for 1,614 yards and 17 touchdowns (4 INT) ... also punted his junior and senior seasons and was a first-team all-Monticello Empire League punter in 2013 ... had 66 career punts for 2,248 yards (34.1) with a long of 70 yards and 19 punts inside the 20 ... also plays basketball and is on the track team (110 hurdles, high and triple jump) ... brother Brock Hekking was an all-conference defensive end for Nevada ... son of Jennifer and Bob Hekking ... born July 3, 1996.
Initially signed in 2012 but first served an LDS church mission to San Antonio, Texas ... has enrolled in classes and will participate in spring camp ... first-team All-Avocado West League and All-San Diego Section defense as a senior in 2011 ... won player of the week three times ... linebacker and tight end made 103 tackles with 11 sacks and had 20 receptions for 362 yards in 2011 ... as a junior, he had 31 receptions for 424 yards and four touchdowns ... chosen as the tight end for the San Diego CIF All-Star team that played in the PrepStar California Classic All-Star Game ... team awards included Mavericks Player of the Week, Offensive Player of the Week and Hit of the Week ... La Costa Canyon High (Calif.) won the league title two years in a row ... made the Principal's List all four years ... son of Chris and Johnna Jackson ... both parents went to BYU ... two brothers and one sister ... hobbies include beach volleyball, skiing and wakeboarding ... born Oct. 11, 1993 in Provo, Utah.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News first-team all-state ... Salt Lake Tribune All-Tribune team ... Kohl's Kicking Camp 2014 High School first-team All-American ... MaxPreps.com 2014 second-team All-America punter ... two-time all-region ... academic all-region ... made 16-of-22 field goal attempts, including nine over 40 yards, with a long of 52 yards his senior year at Bingham HS (Utah) ... was 65-of-66 in PATs ... in three seasons, he made 23-of-34 field goal attempts and 141-of-147 PATs ... also kicked off 189 times in his career with 133 touchbacks ... punted his junior and senior seasons ... 36 punts for 1,528 yards (42.4 average) with a long of 67 and 10 inside the 20-yard line in 2014 ... Bingham High won two state championships ... named National Kicker of the Week by Kohl's after making both field goal attempts, including a 47-yarder in overtime, against the nation's No. 1 ranked team, Bishop Gorman ... Kohl's ranks him the No. 9 prep kicking prospect for 2015 and the 49th-ranked punter ... five-star Kohl's kicker rating and 4.5-star punt rating ... son of Megan and Jeff Johnston ... born Nov. 1, 1996.
Plans to serve a church mission before enrolling ... 2014 District 7-6A first-team all-district defense ... second-team all-district as a junior ... played linebacker and safety at Trinity HS (Texas) ... 52 total tackles (42 solo, 1.0 TFL) and an interception as a senior in 2014 ... in Class 6A Division I area playoff win over Plano West, he returned an interception 57 yards for a touchdown ... as a junior, he had 32 tackles (1.0 sack, 2.0 TFL) and four pass breakups ... son of Afu and Toutai Kautai (pronounced cow-tie) ... younger brother of BYU linebacker Teu Kautai ... born Aug. 31, 1996.
Initially signed in 2012 but first served an LDS church mission to Tulsa, Okla. ... has enrolled in classes and will participate in spring camp ... two-time first-team all-state safety (2010-11) ... lettered all four years at Alta High (Utah) and played as a freshman on Alta's 2008 5A state championship team ... Alta won the region title in 2009 and 2011 ... three-year starter ... as a junior, he totaled 101 tackles, two sacks, one interception, 14 pass breakups and two forced fumbles ... his senior year, he led Alta with 41 tackles, a half sack, an interception, 9 pass breakups and a fumble recovery ... made the all-tournament team at the 2009 and 2010 Badger Elite Tournament in Las Vegas (named one of the top 21 overall performers) ... honor roll student ... son of Doug and Jan Lee ... father played baseball at Utah, lettering in 1984 ... grandfather Gordon Lee played football at Utah from 1959-61 and coached the Ute running backs from 1964-65 ... has two brothers and one sister ... enjoys snowboarding and wakeboarding ... born Dec. 16, 1993.
MaxPreps second-team all-state in 2014 ... MaxPreps all-Norcal first-team offensive tackle 2014 and second team in 2013 ... 2014 Sacramento Bee all-Metro ... Offensive Lineman of the Year in the Delta Valley Conference his junior season ... three-star recruit by Rivals. com and Scout.com ... No. 62 ranked offensive tackle by Rivals.com ... helped Grant HS (Calif.) to a 14-1 record his senior year ... placed second in discus throw (184'2) at the 2014 CIF state track and field championship ... had a 56'6.25 best in the shot put ... son of Jane and Lee Paulo (pronounced pow-loe) ... born Mar. 6, 1997.
Played wide receiver in high school, but Utes want to try him at defensive end ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... as a senior at Los Osos HS (Calif.), had 34 receptions for 498 yards and five touchdowns ... due to a broken hand, he played in just six games in 2014, when he averaged 83.0 yards per game... also had five tackles and two interceptions his senior year ... 27 catches for 502 yards (18.6 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns as a junior ... also plays basketball and runs track ... best times included 11.65 (100 meters), 22.17 (200 meters) and 48.83 (400 meters) ... son of Sharon and Gary Repp ... born Mar. 6, 1996.
Times-Picayune 2015 Prospect Ranking Nifty 50 ... 2013 New Orleans Metro Area first-team all-district ... 2014 St. Charles Herald Guide second-team all-district ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... listed as the No. 8 offensive performer at the May 2014 Rivals Camp Series in New Orleans ... helped Destrehan HS (La.) to a 14-1 record and 7-0 league mark as a senior in 2014 when he had 42 catches for 563 yards and six touchdowns ... 54 receptions for 873 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior in 2013 ... Destrehan reached the Class 5A semifinals in 2013 ... nicknamed Tarzan.
Enrolled in school on Feb. 4 and will participate in spring ball ... did not play last year while completing academic requirements ... CentralValleyFootball.com's People's Choice All-Valley second team as a senior in 2013 ... named to the 2014 City County All-Star Game ... 20 catches for 437 yards as a senior at Edison HS (Calif.) in 2013 ... four catches for 131 yards with two touchdowns in win over Sanger ... Edison went 9-2 in 2013 ... 14 catches for 324 yards in 2012 ... also played basketball and ran track ... born Sept. 3, 1996.
Originally signed with Utah in 2012 before leaving on a church mission to Oakland, Calif. ... has enrolled in classes and will participate in spring camp ... two-time all-state offensive lineman (2010-11) will play defensive tackle at Utah ... anchored a line at East High (Utah) that produced four 1,000-yard rushers from 2010-11 ... also lettered in basketball and track and field ... 2011 Utah 4A state shot put champion (50-03.25) ... only child is the son of Vaha and Siupeli Vainuku (pronounced vy-ee-new-koo) ... cousin Soma Vainuku played football for USC ... born Oct. 21, 1993.
Played at UConn in 2012 before transferring to ASA College in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he played last season ... has two years to play two ... 2014 second-team NJCAA All-American as a sophomore at ASA ... first-team all-Northeast Football Conference in 2014 ... led the Northeast Football Conference in rushing and ranked fourth in the nation, averaging 156.1 yards per game ... 163 carries for 1,093 yards (6.7 average) and seven touchdowns in seven games in 2014 ... also had 16 receptions for 237 yards and three touchdowns his sophomore season ... led the conference in all-purpose yards, averaging 199.0 yards a game ... conference Offensive Player of the Week vs. Monroe College ... as a true freshman at UConn in 2012, he played in nine games, rushing three times for six yards (all against Temple) ... spent the fall 2011 semester at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy after graduating from Emmaus HS (Pa.) in the spring of 2011 ... at Emmaus, rushed for 1,243 yards as a senior and was second team all-area and first team all-Lehigh Valley Conference ... track standout won the LVC outdoor track titles in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash ... full name is Joseph Sterling Williams ... born Sept. 4, 1993.
MaxPreps 2014 California Division II second-team all-state, Orange County Register all-county and Southern Section all-Southwest Division as a cornerback ... played in Polynesian All-Star game in Oceanside, Calif., in January ... played receiver and corner for Tustin HS (Calif.) ... four-star recruit by 247Sports.com and ranked the No. 41 recruit in California ... three-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com ... made Rivals.com California Postseason 100 ... rated No. 8 by Rivals.com for his performance at the Huntington Beach 7-on-7 camp and No. 6 at the UCLA elite camp in 2014 ... six interceptions his senior season ... filled in for injured Tustin quarterback in two games in 2014 ... 28 receptions for 552 yards and five touchdowns his junior year ... also plays basketball and scored 19 points in Tustin win over No. 3-ranked Foothill this season ... son of Anna Mariner ... full name is George Siaosi Wilson ... born Jan. 25, 1997.
Philip Afia
Defensive Back - 6-0 - 175 - Fr. - HS - Chino Hills, Calif. (Ayala HS)
Marcel Brooks-Brown
Running Back - 6-0 - 205 - Fr. - HS - Rio Linda, Calif. (Rio Linda HS)
Cory Butler
Defensive Back - 5-9 - 175 - Jr. - JC - Compton, Calif. (Los Angeles Harbor College)
Johnny Capra
Offensive Line - 6-6 - 288 - Fr. - HS - Auburn, Calif. (Placer HS)
Nick Carman
Offensive Line - 6-3 - 274 - Fr. - HS - Tempe, Ariz. (Mountain Pointe HS)
Deniko Carter
Wide Receiver - 6-2 - 173 - Jr. - JC - Baltimore, Md. (Gavilan College)
Ahmad Christian
Defensive Back - 5-10 - 190 - Sr. - TR -Jacksonville, Fla. (Seminole State College)
Tyson Cisrow
Defensive Back - 6-0 - 180 - Fr. - HS - Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Saint Thomas Aquinas HS)
Keven Dixon
Offensive Line - 6-4 - 272 - Fr. - HS - Buena Park, Calif. (Buena Park HS)
James Empey
Offensive Line - 6-3 - 260 - Fr. - HS - American Fork, Utah (American Fork HS)
Quinn Fabrizio
Linebacker - 6-3 - 208 - Fr. - HS - Sandy, Utah (Alta HS)
Kyle Fulks
Defensive Back - 5-8 - 168 - So. - JC - Brenham, Texas (Blinn College)
Chris Hart
Defensive End - 6-1 - 238 - Fr. - HS - Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Saint Thomas Aquinas HS)
Chad Hekking
Defensive End - 6-4 - 217 - Fr. - HS - Vacaville, Calif. (Vacaville HS)
Jake Jackson
Linebacker - 6-3 - 205 - Fr. - HS - Encinitas, Calif. (La Costa Canyon HS)
Chayden Johnston
Kicker - 6-0 - 160 - Fr. - HS - South Jordan, Utah (Bingham HS)
TJ Kautai
Linebacker - 6-2 - 210 - Fr. - HS - Euless, Texas (Trinity HS)
Austin Lee
Defensive Back - 6-0 - 187 - Fr. - HS - Draper, Utah (Alta HS)
Darrin Paulo
Offensive Line - 6-5 - 315 - Fr. - HS - Sacramento, Calif. (Grant HS)
Caleb Repp
Defensive End - 6-4 - 202 - Fr. - HS - Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Los Osos HS)
Alfred Smith
Wide Receiver - 5-9 - 175 - Fr. - HS - Destrehan, La. (Destrehan HS)
Tyrone Smith
Wide Receiver - 6-4 - 197 - Fr. - HS - Fresno, Calif. (Edison HS)
Vaha Vainuku
Defensive Tackle - 6-3 - 298 - Fr. - HS - Salt Lake City (East HS)
Joseph Williams
Running Back - 5-11 - 200 - Jr. - JC - Allentown, Pa. (ASA College)
George Wilson
Wide Receiver - 6-3 - 185 - Fr. - HS - Tustin, Calif. (Tustin HS)
