By the time national signing day had come to an end in the college football world, 23 players from around the country had inked their commitment to play at Wake Forest. Signing players from Florida to Ohio, Coach Jim Grobe is very excited about the new recruits. "I think it is a real talented class," Grobe said, "We've got a lot of great players as well as a lot of great kids that will represent Wake Forest well on and off the field."

According to Grobe and the rest of the football staff, the emphasis of this recruiting process was a solid mix of players at every position, and for the most part the Deacons achieved this. "Most of all we wanted a balance and we didn't want to over do it," Grobe said. "I feel this is a fairly balanced class É overall I feel we took care or our needs on both sides of the ball." Grobe did go on to say that the one thing his staff might have missed out on was another running back and a tall receiver.

Highlighting the recruiting class is Ohio quarterback Ben Mauk, who was Mr. Ohio in his senior season, the highest state honor awarded for football.

Mauk threw 179 touchdowns in his career, and set national records for career passing attempts, completions and yards.

The Deacon football staff had been recruiting Mauk for some time, not only for his abilities on the field. "He's very strong academically and there is not a better kid in America," Grobe said.

The Deacons were also very pleased with the signing of Winston-Salem's Carver High School offensive line product Matt Brim. At over 300 pounds, Brim was a key ingredient on his school's state championship team and was ranked among the top prep players in North Carolina.

Brim was part of the strong effort to bolster the line on both sides of the ball, as the Deacs signed four offensive linemen. Most notable among them was Danville, Ky., star Brodie Overstreet, who was considered one of the state's top linemen.

Louis Frazier and Steve Justice rounded out the offensive linemen, both from the state of Florida.

On the defensive front, five players committed to the Deacs, including a trio of solid defensive linemen from the state of Georgia.

Jeromy Jones, Zachary Stukes and Matthew Robinson all come with great potential, Robinson having been listed among the nation's top defensive ends. Aaron McKenzie of Florida and Jyles Tucker of New Jersey were the other defensive line recruits. Tucker originally signed with Wake in 2002, but spent last year at Hargrave Military Academy.

While Wake did very well recruiting size and strength, the football staff is also very pleased with the speed players they attracted. Devin Blake of Florida and D'Angelo Bryant of South Carolina are extraordinary athletes that will line up in the secondary. To add depth to the running back position, Grobe and his staff also signed Micah Andrews of Georgia and Travo Woods of Florida, the former being the son of former NFL star William Andrews.

Kevin Marion of Florida is perhaps the most intriguing athlete to come to Wake Forest, as he was also a track star in high school.

He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, and holds the Florida state high school record in the long jump at over 25 feet, a record that had previously stood for 16 years. Marion will line up at wide receiver for the Deacs.

While the Deacons did very well outside of North Carolina, most notably in the states of Florida and Georgia, the football staff is also very pleased with their local players. In addition to the Matt Brim, the Deacs signed Delon Lowe and Kenneth Moore, two very sought-after high school players. Lowe is a 6-foot 4-inch wide receiver from Fayetteville, who combines speed (4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash) with height and skill. Moore is a cornerback from Charlotte, who in high school used his athleticism to play many different positions, including wide receiver and running back.

Another player Wake Forest is very pleased to get is tight end Zac Selmon, who excels in the classroom every bit as much as on the football field. Selmon comes to Wake from Norman, Okla., and in addition to being on all of Oklahoma's top recruits list, he was named valedictorian in a class of over 500. Selmon represents the definition of student athlete, and will be a very welcome addition to campus next year.

The Deacons finished the season with a 7-6 record and a win at the Seattle Bowl, and are looking to turn the corner next year from good team to great team. The Deacons are losing many solid senior players, including Fabian Davis and Calvin Pace, and will be thinnest at running back and defensive line. Grobe thinks this recruiting class could help immediately. "I think that if you looked at our needs next year, probably the defensive linemen have a chance to play," Grobe said. "We don't have a lot of depth (at running back), so there are a lot of guys that we are going to take a real hard look at, and some of those guys may have the chance to step in there right away."