Elliott, Duggan join SRU recruit list
SLIPPERY ROCK — Knoch linebacker Bill Elliott and Seneca Valley receiver Zach Duggan are among the latest football recruits to join Slippery Rock University.
The Rock recently added nine recruits to the original seven the program signed Feb. 1.
The 6-foot-1, 245-pound Elliott led the playoff-bound Knights in tackles last season. He is the son of Knoch defensive coordinator Ken Elliott.
"You can never over-estimate the value of getting a coach's son," SRU coach George Mihalik said. "Those players seem to have an extra edge. They always know what's expected of them.
"Those players bring the intangible of having an understanding of the game and a love for the game because they grew up with it."
Because of The Rock's depth at linebacker, Elliott will likely be red-shirted next season.
"Bill Elliott is an aggressive, tough and hard-nosed kid," SRU recruiting coordinator Shawn Lutz said. "His type of player is what our program is all about."
"We've won a lot of football games here with Bill Elliott-types anchoring our defense," Mihalik agreed.
Duggan stands only 5-8 and weighs 145 pounds, but is leaving Seneca Valley as the Raiders' all-time leading receiver. He caught 43 passes for 612 yards and five touchdowns last fall.
"He could play either H-Back or wide receiver for us," Mihalik said. "He's not a big kid, but he's a strong kid.
"Zach Duggan can come here and do a lot of the same things that Jeremy Rock did. Jeremy was a small receiver from Butler who came to Slippery Rock and had an outstanding career.
Rock caught 57 passes for SRU in 1996 — fourth on the school's single-season list — and caught 112 passes for 1,538 yards in his collegiate career.
The other seven late recruits signed by The Rock are McKeesport defensive back Robert Doiley, Reading Central Catholic defensive lineman Brian Henion, Moshannon Valley defensive back Brandon Murarik, offensive linemen Brandon Smith of Coudersport and John Skebo of Curwensville, defensive linemen Aaron Nall of Independence (Ohio) and Marty Kern of St. Ignatius (Ohio).
Doiley, with 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash for PIAA Quad-A champion McKeesport, is considered the plum of the group.
"He's a shut-down corner with Division I talent," Lutz said. "Physically, he can play for us right away. It all comes down to how quickly he picks up our schemes mentally."
Mihalik said Doiley will also join the list of kick and punt return candidates this fall.
"Paul Favers is back from last year, now we add Doiley and (Ringgold running back Robert) Heller ... We need quality people back there because we have to replace one in Josh Kniess," Mihalik said.
Doiley is 5-9, 170 pounds. Murarik is 6-foot, 200 pounds and may be in the mix at safety.
"Big plays killed us last year and these are the kind of players who can change that," Lutz said.
Skebo is 6-3, 300 pounds and Smith is 6-5, 260 as offensive linemen. Nall and Kern are both 6-0, 265 pound defensive linemen.
"When you get that kind of size and strength in linemen out of high school, there's a lot of upswing there," Lutz said. "We definitely filled some needs this recruiting season and depth up front was one of them."
