Elon University football head coach Jason Swepson announced the Phoenix’s recruiting class of 2012 today.

“We feel like this is one of the top classes in the Southern Conference this year,” Swepson said.

The class includes 18 scholarship players. Five hail from North Carolina, four from Florida, two each from Georgia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and one each from Massachusetts, Virginia and South Carolina.

There are also 12 non-scholarship, preferred walk-ons in the recruiting class of 2012.

Swepson said that he likes to put a recruiting emphasis in the trenches, saying that the offensive line is “the foundation of this team.”

“For us to be successful, we have to be strong and nasty up front,” he said.

Leading the way in beefing up the front are four offensive linemen, including Rivals.com three-star prospect Jacob Ingle, a product of Burlington’s Walter M. Williams High School. Swepson said that Ingle was the “first kid I offered” a scholarship to.

“I watched him grow while I was at NC State,” he said. “He has an opportunity to play right away.”

With the losses of key offensive linemen Rodney Austin, Ned Cuthberson and starting center Logan Hardin, the Phoenix needed to fill those spots. Gordon Acha (Duxbury, Mass.), Ty Alt (Sewickly, Pa.) and Haris Cesko (Grayson, Ga.) were the other offensive line signees. Swepson and recruiting coordinator/special teams coordinator Scott Browne project Alt, was was listed as one of the top 30 centers in the nation by Scout.com, to play the same position for the Phoenix.

The Phoenix also filled a need at running back by signing B.J. Bennett (West Columbia, S.C.) and Tracey Coppedge (Nashville, N.C.). Swepson said that Coppedge was a “tremendous, tremendous game-changing-type player” that almost signed with North Carolina State University. The running back job is up for grabs after top rushers A.J. Harris, Dontay Taylor and Jamal Shuman’s final seasons.

One of the highest-praised recruits by the coaches was Chris Jones (Fayetteville, N.C.), a recruit Swepson called “probably the best recruit we’ll have walking through the doors here” that reminded him of former NC State and current Houston Texans defensive lineman Mario Williams.

“This kid is for real,” Browne said of Jones. “He’s got all the size, all the speed and all the quickness you want in a defensive lineman.”

Elon also signed quarterback John Loughery (Wayne, Pa.), the first cousin of current Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, whom Swepson recruited for Boston College.

“To watch John develop and throw is an amazing thing,” Swepson said. “I’m very close to the family and this kid is coming in with a chip on his shoulder. Everyone’s switching to a spread offense with an athletic QB, so he slipped through the cracks.”

The Phoenix also signed three targets for 2012 senior quarterback Thomas Wilson: wide receiver Justin Osborne (Jacksonville, Fla.) and tight ends Jesse Tate (Toms River, N.J.) and Doug Warrick (Hamilton, N.J.). Warrick is already enrolled at the university.

The coaching staff was also especially high on linebacker John Silas (Powder Springs, Ga.). Silas was committed to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a Southern Conference rival of Elon, and was offered a scholarship by the University of Maryland Tuesday night. But Silas chose Elon. Defensive coordinator Ed Pinkham compared the effect Silas has on the field to Joshua Jones, who will be graduating this year after four years playing for the Phoenix.

Elon will open the 2012 football season against the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Sept. 1 as part of an 11-game schedule in Swepson’s second season as head coach.

[box]Scholarship Recruits:

Gordon Acha (OL • 6-4 • 270 • Duxbury, Mass. • Duxbury)

Ty Alt (OL • 6-2 • 255 • Sewickley, Pa. • Greensburg Central Catholic)

B.J. Bennett (RB • 6-0 • 205 • West Columbia, S.C. • Hammond School)

Haris Cesko (OL • 6-4 • 260 • Grayson, Ga. • Grayson)

Tracey Coppedge (RB • 5-8 • 170 • Nashville, N.C. • Southern Nash)

Jeremy Gloston (LB • 6-2 • 190 • Orlando, Fla. • Colonial)

Jacob Ingle (OL • 6-2 • 285 • Burlington, N.C. • Williams)

Chris Jones (DL • 6-2 • 260 • Fayetteville, N.C. • Douglas Byrd)

John Loughery (QB • 6-5 • 215 • Wayne, Pa. • Hun School)

Adrian McClendon (DB • 5-9 • 155 • Jacksonville, Fla. • First Coast)

Corey Mitchell (LB • 6-1 • 205 • Jacksonville, N.C. • Northside)

Julius Moore (DB • 5-10 • 185 • Chesterfield, Va. • Cosby)

Justin Osborne (WR • 5-8 • 150 • Jacksonville, Fla. • First Coast)

Javaris Seastrunk (ATH • 6-2 • 180 • Crestview, Fla. • Crestview)

John Silas (LB • 6-0 • 225 • Powder Springs, Ga. • Hillgrove)

Jesse Tate (TE • 6-3 • 220 • Toms River, N.J. • Toms River North)

Mike Warren (DL • 6-4 • 230 • Jacksonville, N.C. • White Oak)

Doug Warrick (TE • 6-6 • 210 • Hamilton, N.J. • Cheshire Academy)

Preferred Walk-Ons:

Tyler Drake (DL • 6-1 • 204 • Annapolis, Md. • Broadneck)

Zach Duprey (TE • 6-1 • 228 • Stanardsville, Va. • William Monroe)

Bo Hartman (DB • 5-8 • 171 • Centreville, Va. • Westfield)

Jackson Huggett (DB • 6-1 • 175 • Coconut Grove, Fla. • Gulliver Prep)

John Lopez (LB • 5-10 • 195 • Westchester, N.Y. • Kennedy Catholic)

David Lowrey (WR • 6-0 • 164 • Maitland, Fla. • Orangewood Christian)

Aaron Siegel (OL • 6-2 • 289 • Duluth, Ga. • Northview)

Carson Simpson (WR • 6-0 • 157 • Greenwood, S.C. • Greenwood)

Chris Smith (K • 6-0 • 185 • Darien, Conn. • Darien)

Will Steele (DL • 6-0 • 305 • Burlington, N.C. • Williams)

Jack Williams (DL • 6-0 • 273 • Avondale Estates, Ga. • Woodward Academy)

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