FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (December 19, 2019) – Head coach
Chris Ball and the Northern Arizona football team got a jump start on their 2020 Signing Class with 13 commitments on Wednesday, the first day of the early national signing period.
"We're very excited about this class not just because of their talent, but because of the traits they bring to the program.," Ball said. "Character, Smart, Hardworking and Tough; let's CHOP!"
Nine of the 13 commitments will be incoming freshmen to complement four transfers (two FBS, one FCS, one JUCO). The 13 new Lumberjacks are split down the middle on either side of the ball with seven slated to compete on the offensive side and six on the defensive side.
Offensively, NAU announced three running backs and one of each of the following – quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and offensive lineman. Half of the Lumberjacks' defensive signees are defensive linemen with an additional two in the secondary. NAU's last remaining signee is a linebacker.
The remainder of the Lumberjacks' 2020 class will be announced on Feb. 5, 2020 on National Signing Day – the first day of the regular signing period.
Detailed bios of NAU's early signing commitments are below.
2020 NAU Football Early Signing Class
Bryan Certain
5-10 – 210 – Inside Linebacker
Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman HS
Recorded 177 tackles, with 78 solo stops, and 18.0 tackles for loss in his career at Bishop Gorman HS…Averaged 4.2 tackles per game for his career…Totaled 76 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in his senior season…Returned two interceptions for touchdowns as a junior…Also forced a fumble and blocked a field goal in his junior season…Part of two AAAA State Championship teams in 2017 and 2018… Named to MaxPreps All-State Team as a senior…Named 2018 Nevada Preps All-State Honorable Mention…Two-time All-Southwest League honoree… Ranked No. 16 prospect in Nevada by 247sports.com.
Kevin Daniels
6-2 – 225 – Running Back
Glendale, Ariz./Glendale HS
Rushed for 4,926 yards and averaged 8.1 yards per carry in his career at Glendale HS…Recorded 89 career rushing touchdowns…Posted three 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 25 games with 100-plus yards…Rushed for 1,517 yards and averaged 7.2 yards per carry with 29 touchdowns in his senior season…Posted 1,935 rushing yards and averaged 10.0 yards per carry with 38 rushing touchdowns in his junior season…Averaged 175.9 yards per game as a junior…Rushed for 1,001 yards and 15 touchdowns as a freshman…Recorded 120 receptions for 2,227 yards and 23 receiving touchdowns in his career…Averaged 18.6 yards per reception in his career and over 21 yards per reception in both his sophomore and junior seasons…Totaled 53 receptions for 917 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns as a senior…Recorded 7,523 all-purpose yards and 198.0 all-purpose yards per game in his career…Averaged 231.5 all-purpose yards as a senior…Two-time 4A Black Canyon Region Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, 4A All-Conference First Team and All-4A Black Canyon Region First Team in 2018 and 2019…Also earned All-5A Union Region honors as a wide receiver and quarterback in 2016 and 2017…Named All-Arizona Honorable Mention as a junior.
David Haen
6-1 – 183 – Wide Receiver
Phoenix, Ariz./Sunnyslope HS
Totaled 129 receptions for 2,204 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career at Sunnyslope HS…Averaged 17.1 yards per reception in his career…Caught 12 touchdowns each in his final two seasons…Recorded 63 receptions and 978 receiving yards and averaged 97.8 yards per game in his senior season…Compiled 1,263 all-purpose yards and averaged 126.3 all-purpose yards per game as a senior…Recorded 54 receptions and 973 receiving yards as a junior…Also played defensive back and totaled 113 tackles, with 60 solo, in his career…Recorded 59 tackles and averaged 5.4 tackles per game as a junior…Also recorded four interceptions and four pass breakups in his junior season…Totaled five interceptions in his career…for two years with 3,510 punting yards…Averaged 38.2 yards per punt in his career…Named 5A Northwest Region Offensive Player of the Year and to All-5A Northwest Region First Team as a senior…Named to All-5A Northwest Region First Team as a wide receiver and All-5A Northwest Region Second Team as a defensive back as a junior.
Niko Haen
6-0 – 185 – Quarterback
Phoenix, Ariz./Sunnyslope HS
Threw for 7,044 yards and completed 61.9 percent of his passes in his career at Sunnyslope HS…Passed for 55 career touchdowns and had a quarterback rating of 97.1…Rushed for 1,510 yards and averaged 5.7 yards per carry with 13 rushing touchdowns in his career…Completed 155-of-247 passes for 2,202 yards and 23 touchdowns with a rating of 109.1 in senior season…Also ran for 751 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior…Threw for career-best 2,832 yards as a junior…Also punted for two years with 3,510 punting yards…Averaged 38.2 yards per punt in his career…Named to 5A All-Conference Second Team and All-5A Northwest Region First Team as a punter as a senior…Named to All-5A Northwest Region First Team as a quarterback as a junior.
Adam Giordano
6-5 – 245 – Tight End
Pennsauken, N.J./Milford Academy/Wagner College
Played four seasons at Wagner College…Appeared in 33 games over four seasons and made 13 starts…Totaled 31 receptions for 367 yards and two touchdowns in his career…Recorded nine receptions for 101 yards in four games in final season in 2019…Posted career-highs of 14 receptions and 141 yards with both of his career touchdowns as a junior…Averaged 15.6 yards per reception as a sophomore…Started his collegiate career as a linebacker at Syracuse…Spent final prep year at Milford Academy where he was primarily a linebacker…Converted wide receiver…Named to Phil Steele's 2019 Preseason All-NEC Third Team.
De'Von Graves
6-1 – 200 – Defensive Back
Appomattox, Va./Appomattox County HS/NC State
Played two seasons at NC State…Appeared in 20 games over two seasons in 2018 and 2019…Compiled 26 tackles, with 20 solo, in his two-year career…Played in 11 of 12 games in 2019 and recorded 23 tackles, with 18 solo, and added four pass breakups and one fumble recovery…Played both cornerback and wide receiver at Appomattox County HS…Helped team win three straight Virginia 2A State Championships…Was a three-time All-State First Team selection at both wide receiver and cornerback…Was a four-star recruit and named No. 18 athlete nationally and No. 8 prospect in Virginia by rivals.com…Also ranked No. 44 athlete and No. 11 prospect in Virginia by 247sports.com.
Tyson Grubbs
5-10 – 190 – Running Back
Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista HS
Rushed for 1,934 yards and averaged 6.8 yards per carry in his career at Desert Vista HS…Recorded 26 career rushing touchdowns…Rushed for 1,004 yards and averaged 7.4 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns in his senior season…Totaled 678 yards and averaged 7.8 yards per carry with 12 rushing touchdowns in just five games before suffering an injury as a junior...Averaged 135.6 rushing yards per game in his junior season…Also played linebacker…Helped team reach Arizona 6A State semifinals in 2019…Named to 6A All-Conference Second Team and All-6A Central Region First Team as a senior…Named to All-6A Central Region First Team as a junior.
Kamdan Hightower
6-1 – 180 – Defensive Back
Scottsdale, Ariz./Chapparal HS
Recorded 142 tackles, with 88 solo stops, in his career at Chapparal HS…Also recorded five interceptions, 21 pass breakups and two forced fumbles in his career…Averaged 6.0 tackles per game as a senior and 4.7 tackles per game for his career…Tallied 66 tackles, with 58 solo, and 3.0 tackles for loss in his senior season…Also caught seven passes for 91 yards and one touchdown as a senior…Helped team qualify for the Arizona Open State Tournament in 2019…Named to 6A All-Conference First Team and All-6A Desert Valley Region First Team as a senior…Named to All-6A Desert Valley Region Second Team as a junior.
Tye Kassen
6-3 – 270 – Offensive Line
Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro HS
Helped team reach the Arizona Open State Championship game and runner-up finish in 2019…Helped team win Arizona 4A State Championship in 2018…Named 4A All-Desert Sky Region Second Team as a senior…Named to 4A All-Conference First Team and 4A All-Desert Sky Region First Team as a junior…Had offers from Arizona State, Louisville, Memphis and Utah State…Ranked No. 40 prospect in Arizona by ESPN and No. 41 prospect in Arizona by 247sports.com.
Xavier Lyas
6-5 – 245 – Defensive Line
Plant City, Fla./Durant HS/NC State
Spent three years and played two seasons at NC State…Appeared in 14 games over two seasons in 2018 and 2019…Recorded 14 tackles, with eight solo, and 7.0 tackles for loss in his two-year career…Ranked fourth on the team with 4.0 sacks and led the team with two forced fumbles as a redshirt sophomore in 2019…Played only two years of football at Durant HS…Tallied 65 tackles, with 40 solo, along with three sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles in final prep season…Ranked the No. 102 defensive end nationally and No. 17 defensive end in Florida by scout.com.
AJ Maluia
6-2 – 260 – Defensive Line
Henderson, Nev./Liberty HS
Played on the offensive and defensive line at Liberty HS…Recorded seven tackles, with four solo, in his senior season…Named one of the top players to watch in 2019 by Southern Nevada Coaches Association…Named to MaxPreps All-State Team as an offensive lineman as a senior…Earned All-Southeast League First Team honors as a junior…Helped team win the 2019 state championship.
Traemaine Savea
6-1 – 290 – Defensive Line
Monrovia, Calif./Desert Pines HS/East Los Angeles College
Played two seasons at East Los Angeles College…Appeared in 16 games over two seasons in 2018 and 2019…Recorded 23 tackles, with 13 solo, in his two-year career…Totaled 16 tackles, with nine assisted, along with 3.0 tackles for loss and one sack in 2019…Recovered a fumble in 2018…Posted 36 tackles, with 27 solo, in senior season at Desert Pines HS…Also recorded 4.0 tackles for loss, one sack and two quarterback hurries in final prep season…Earned All-State and All-Region honors.
Rene Zaldivar
6-0 – 200 – Running Back
Hacienda Heights, Calif./Los Altos HS
Played running back, wide receiver and defensive back at Los Altos HS…Rushed for 1,259 yards and averaged 8.0 yards per carry with 12 touchdowns in his career…Recorded 82 career receptions for 1,166 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns…Also totaled 100 career tackles, seven interceptions and six pass breakups…Rushed for 670 yards and averaged 9.7 yards per carry with eight touchdowns in his senior season…Compiled 1,275 all-purpose yards and averaged 106.3 all-purpose yards per game as a senior…Also recorded 58 tackles, with 36 solo, and 8.0 tackles for loss as a senior…Totaled 49 receptions for 647 yards and nine touchdowns in his sophomore season.
