Luginbill Fills Aztecs’ Roster With Some of State’s Top Recruits

Lounging in a new conference room at the Aztec Football Offices most of the day Wednesday, Al Luginbill was relaxed, upbeat and had a hard time talking about anything other than his first recruiting class as the head football coach at San Diego State.

“I think it’s vital that we have the physical talent of an athlete,” Luginbill said. “But also an athlete that academically wants to succeed and also has intangible character traits. I think what you’ll see in this recruiting class is a combination of all three.”

SDSU signed 22 high school players and one community college player, all of whom fit Luginbill’s definition as a solid athlete, with the desire to graduate and the drive to play for a championship football team.

For many coaches, the recruiting process is the worst aspect of their job. But for Luginbill, it appeared a pleasant situation, one that left the 42-year-old coach all smiles.

And why not?

He brought in five skill players from San Diego County--four of them Times’ all-county first team members and the other a second-team choice. He promoted SDSU throughout California and was successful, signing players from Chula Vista to Chico and many spots in between. He filled depth positions on the line, at linebacker and at defensive back. And he battled the Pacific 10 in the Los Angeles area, signing nine players out of USC and UCLA’s back yard.

“We felt we had to make an impact throughout the state,” Luginbill said. “The one thing that runs common in this class is that most of these young men had an opportunity to attend, on scholarship, Pac-10 institutions. We have to have our own identity. We feel we will be the Miami of the West, with student athletes. That is not a slam on Miami’s program in any way. What I am saying is it is important to graduate young men from the university. You can’t do that unless they have the willingness to graduate and that’s very important to us. I don’t think you have to sacrifice physical ability for that.”

Of the six offensive/defensive linemen signed by the Aztecs, the smallest is 6-foot-3.

Offensively, Luginbill and his aggressive staff brought in one of the state’s top quarterbacks in 6-foot-6 Cree Morris from Orange Glen High; Morris’ teammate Jake Nyberg, who led the state in receptions (93 for 1,700 yards); Garrett Ford, a 6-4 tight end from Tucson Sabino High, and all-state receiver Donnell Ragsdale of San Jose Oak Grove High.

Defensively, among the players signed were cornerback Marlon Andrews, a J.C. Grid-Wire first-team All-American; Carlson Leomiti, a 6-4, 340-pound defensive lineman who graduated from Wilmington Banning High early and is already enrolled at SDSU; Eric Thompson, a 6-3 225-pound inside linebacker from Los Alamitos High, and Curt Pieson, a 6-4, 210-pound outside linebacker from Rubidoux High in Riverside County.

Luginbill said Ford could make an impression as a freshmen. As could Ragsdale, who, Luginbill said, was being recruited by “the world” and was the biggest surprise on the first day of the two-week signing period.

“I think he is an impact player,” Luginbill said. “He’s as fine an athlete as there is in the state. This will shock a lot of people.”

So might Thompson’s decision to join the Aztecs.

“This young man is special,” Luginbill said. “He is the most dominant player we saw on film at that position the whole recruiting season.”

The Aztecs have a glaring hole at inside linebacker, a position Luginbill had hoped to fill this winter. The signing of Thompson--who selected SDSU over Arizona State--begins the patching process, but Luginbill had hoped to land a couple more inside linebackers that he didn’t get.

“I wished we could have gotten two more like (Thompson),” Luginbill said. “We look to him to have an immediate impact on the football team. We have to fortify that position.”

Locally, Luginbill wants to set a precedent.

“The basis of our program is going to be San Diego County kids,” he said. “I don’t want to ever get away from that. I want that to become tradition. I will take our local kids and rank them with anybody who went out of (San Diego).”

Although SDSU lost its bid for Morse High linebacker Tyrone Morrison (Ohio State), Point Loma safety Marcel Brown (USC) and Orange Glen defensive back Lenny McGill (Arizona State), it did keep some of the county’s best talent at home.

Along with Morris and Nyberg, the Aztecs signed receiver Will Tate (Southwest), kicker Andy Trakas (Patrick Henry) and defensive back John Louis (Point Loma). All but Louis were Times’ first-team choices; Louis made second team.

“In our system (Morris) will fit in immediately,” Luginbill said. “We are going to get spoiled at San Diego State with Cree and (6-8) Dan McGwire. With that type of height, I see the ball getting down field where we want it to go.”

One local player the Aztecs thought they had in hand was Lincoln High tight end Joe Temple, who gave verbal commitment Monday. Late Tuesday night, Temple sounded confused and said he would wait until after the basketball season.

“I can’t believe he would give up the opportunity to come here on scholarship unless he has something (a basketball scholarship offer) in hand,” Luginbill said. “There is no hope on Joe Temple. He is out. If he was going to go football, he had to sign today.”

Another player the Aztecs received a verbal commitment from but who changed his mind in the final hour was 6-5, 230-pound tight end Steve Ruthenbeck from Sacramento El Camino High. He opted for Utah.

The 23 additions gives the Aztecs 94 players on scholarship, just one under the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. maximum. It is the first time SDSU has had more than 90 players on scholarship. Luginbill hopes to fill his quota with Mike Alexander, a 6-4, 235-pound defensive lineman from Banning High. Alexander, is awaiting release from his scholarship from Arizona State before he can enroll at SDSU.

SAN DIEGO STATE SIGNINGS

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. High School Garrett Ford TE 6-4 215 Sabino (Tucson) George Glaze DL/OT 6-6 215 San Fernando Kipp Jeffries RB 5-8 165 Etiwanda Carlson Leomiti DL 6-4 340 Banning (Wilmington) John Louis DB 6-1 170 Point Loma Cree Morris QB 6-6 200 Orange Glen (Escondido) Jake Nyberg WR 6-1 170 Orange Glen (Escondido) Curt Pieson OLB 6-4 210 Rubidoux Greg Porter DL/LB 6-3 225 Highland (Bakersfield) Donnell Ragsdale WR 6-2X 190 Oak Grove (San Jose) Chris Rodahoffer DL/OL 6-5 225 Lodi Vaea Santos DE 6-4 270 Hogan (Vallejo) Bob Shults OL/DL 6-4 220 Chico Tom Siufanua Dl/OL 6-4 225 Banning (Wilmington) Turaj Smith DE 6-2 215 Riordan (San Francisco) Ramondo Stallings DL/OL 6-7 265 Ansonia (Ansonia, Conn.) Terrill Steen OLB 6-3 205 St. Bernard (Inglewood) Will Tate WR 6-0 160 Southwest Eric Thompson ILB 6-3 225 Los Alamitos Andy Trakas K 5-10 165 Patrick Henry Eric Williams CB 5-9 185 Banning (Wilmington) Keith Williams WR 5-11 170 Tokay (Lodi) Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Community College Marlon Andrews CB 5-11 185 Pasadena CC