Beckman signs 5 JUCOs
By: Aaron Bennett
Updated: December 19, 2012
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (UI Release) -
Illinois
head football coach Tim Beckman announced Wednesday the signing of five
junior college student-athletes to national letters of intent to play
football at the University of Illinois.
"We're extremely excited about
these five young men and their families joining the Fighting Illini family," Beckman said of the newest Illini. "These
men
are coming to Champaign from winning programs around the country. There
are two national champions and several conference champions in the
group. The most exciting part is that they fill immediate needs for us.
They all play a different position of need
and are spread across all areas of the team. The fact that we were able
to go throughout the country and sell Illinois football to these young
men and their families shows the work ethic and commitment from our
staff. We also are very grateful to everyone who
helped us with this process."
| 2013 Illinois Football Junior College Signees | ||||
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/High School/Last College |
| Martize Barr | WR | 6-0 | 190 | Washington, D.C. / Calvin Coolidge HS / Iowa Western CC |
| Abe Cajuste | DT | 6-3 | 290 | Miami, Fla. / North Miami Beach HS / Victor Valley College (CA) |
| Eric Finney | STAR | 6-1 | 205 | Corona, Calif. / Centennial HS / College of the Canyons (CA) |
| Dallas Hinkhouse | OL | 6-5 | 275 | Clive, Iowa / West Des Moines Valley HS / Iowa Western CC |
| Zane Petty | S | 6-1 | 190 | Corning, Calif. / Corning HS / American River College (CA) |
MARTIZE BARR (pronounced mar-TEZ)
WR, 6-0, 190, Washington, D.C. / CalvinCoolidge HS / University
of New Mexico / Iowa Western Community College
Remaining Eligibility: Will
have 2 years to play 2 starting in 2013
Junior College Coach:
Scott Strohmeier
High School Coach:
Jason Lane
Intended Major:
Communications
Illinois Academic Recruiting Assistant:
Anthony Fontana - AssociateDirector, Undergraduate Admissions, College of Business
College/Junior College:
Three-star recruit by Rivals ... Ranked the No. 26 junior college wide receiver in the nation by 247 Sports ...
Transferred to Iowa Western for the 2012 season after two seasons at the University of New Mexico
... Had 31 receptions
for 498 yards (16.1 ypc) and five touchdowns in 2012 ... Helped lead Iowa
Western to the NJCAA national championship and a Midwest Football
Conference (MFC) title with a perfect 11-0 record ... Played in 10 games
at New Mexico in 2011, making eight catches for
79 yards and rushing for 40 yards on six carries on the season ...
Also
started five games at safety and had 21 tackles, two TFLs and 2 PBUs ...
Played in the Lobos' 2010 season-opener at Oregon but suffered a hand
injury that forced
him to sit out the rest of the year.
High School:
Helped
Coolidge compile a 23-12 record over his final three years, including a
playoff berth in 2008 ... Had 35 receptions for 563 yards and six TDs as a
senior in 2009
... First-team D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association selection by TheWashington Post
and named one of the top 60 players in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia
area (DMV) after making 51 catches for 1,000 yards and nine TDs as a
junior in 2008 ... Also scored twice on punt returns in 2008 ...
Was a sprinter for the Colts' track team ... Made the honor roll in 2009.
Beckman on Barr:
"Martize brings a lot of game experience to our group of wide receivers.
He has played on both sides of the ball at the Division I level and
spent this past season in a very explosive offense at Iowa Western.
Martize will work extremely hard to help the Fighting
Illini in every way possible. He won a national championship this year,
and that is the type of guys we want in our program."
ABE CAJUSTE (pronounced ka-JUST)
DT, 6-3, 290, Miami, Fla. / North MiamiBeach HS / Central
Connecticut State / Victor Valley College (CA)
Remaining Eligibility: Will
have 2 years to play 2 starting in 2013
Junior College Coach:
Dave Hoover
High School Coach:
Jeff Bertani
Intended Major:
Communications
Illinois Academic Recruiting Assistant:
Jermaine Martinez - Graduate Teaching Assistant, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
College/Junior College:
Three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout and 247 Sports ... Ranked the No. 20 junior college defensive tackle in the country by 247 Sports
... Played in only six games in 2012, totaling 14 tackles and a half-TFL ...
Played in eight games in 2011, making 17 tackles and four TFLs ...
Redshirted the 2010 season at Central Connecticut State before
transferring to Victor Valley ...
One of the most sought after defensive tackles nationally.
High School:
Helped North Miami Beach win district championships in 2006 and '07.
Beckman on Cajuste:
"Abe gives us a big body on the defensive line. He will help add depth
with the departure of several key seniors from the line. Abe's strength
and his get-off were the things that we noticed when we originally
watched the film. He plays to theecho of the whistle
on every snap."
ERIC FINNEY
STAR, 6-1, 205, Corona, Calif. / Centennial HS /College of
the Canyons (CA)
Remaining Eligibility: Will
have 3 years to play 3 starting in 2013
Junior College Coach:
Garrett Tojague
High School Coach:
Matt Logan
Intended Major:
Kinesiology
Illinois Academic Recruiting Assistant:
Amy O'Neill - Undergraduate Advisor, College of Applied Health Sciences (Kinesiology and Community Health)
Junior College:
Sat out the 2012 season due to injury ... Played in seven games in 2011, making 19 tackles with one TFL, one interception
and one pass break-up.
High School:
Played wide receiver in high school before switching to defense in college.
Beckman on Finney:
"Eric is a big safety that can play the star position for us. He is a
big athlete who runs extremely well and will provide depth and
competition on the defensive side of the ball, as well as on special
teams. Getting Eric here for spring ball was a huge priority
for us."
DALLAS HINKHOUSE
OL, 6-5, 275, Clive, Iowa / West Des Moines Valley HS / Iowa
Western Community College
Remaining Eligibility: Will
have 3 years to play 2 starting in 2013
Junior College Coach:
Scott Strohmeier
High School Coach:
Gary Swenson
Intended Major:
Communications
Illinois Academic Recruiting Assistant:
Annie White - Football Academic Advisor
Junior College:
Three-star recruit by Rivals ... Ranked the No. 18 junior college offensive tackle in the nation by 247 Sports
... First-team NJCAA All-American in 2012 after helping
Iowa
Western to the NJCAA National Championship and a Midwest Football
Conference (MFC) title with a perfect 11-0 record ... Helped pave the way
for an Iowa Western offensive that led the nation in points per game
(62.8) and yards per game (598.4) in 2012 ... Team
went 9-2 and averaged 482 yards per game in 2011.
High School:
Two-time CIML Iowa All-Conference selection ... All-Des Moines Team selection as a senior.
Beckman on Hinkhouse:
"We're excited to have Dallas join the program. We graduated two key
players on the offensive line that played a lot of football in their
careers here. Dallas comes from a great program in Iowa Western where he
learned how to work and compete for the last two
seasons. He has played in two bowl games and won a national
championship, making him exactly the kind of guy we want involved in our
program."
ZANE PETTY
S, 6-1, 190, Corning, Calif. / Corning HS / Colorado State
University / American River College (CA)
Remaining Eligibility: Will
have 2 years to play 2 starting in 2013
Junior College Coach:
Jerry Haflich
High School Coach:
John Studer
Intended Major:
Kinesiology
Illinois Academic Recruiting Assistant:
Amy O'Neill - Undergraduate Advisor, College of Applied Health Sciences (Kinesiology and Community Health)
College/Junior College:
Ranked the No. 11 junior college safety in the country by 247 Sports ... Played in 11 games and racked up 90 tackles,
seven interceptions - including one pick-six - and one fumble recovery as American River went 8-3 in 2012 ... Was
first-team All-Valley Conference in 2012 ... Totaled 50 tackles and four interceptions in 2011 ... Originally went to Colorado State and redshirted the 2010 season before
transferring to American River.
High School:
Played on both sides of the ball at Corning HS, leading the team with five interceptions as a senior ... Also
returned punts and kicks throughout his high school career.
Beckman on Petty:
"Zane brings a lot of playing experience to a young secondary. He fills a
critical need for us with the departure of several key seniors in the
defensive backfield. We are excited to see Zane develop into a physical
safety in ourdefense."
