Editor's note: This story was updated at 1 p.m. Feb. 4 with the addition of two more recruits.

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University announced the addition of 20 senior high school football student athletes as part of the 2011 National Signing Day event.

The newest members of the Green and White will include five offensive/defensive linemen, four defensive backs, three wide receivers, two tight ends, one linebacker, one punter/kicker, one running back and one student athlete classified as an "athlete."

"I congratulate Coach Makrinos and the rest of our coaching staff for identifying and signing another outstanding recruiting class," said Rock Head Coach George Mihalik (left photo). "We look forward to having this great group of young men join The Rock program next fall."

“We are extremely happy with the talent we have acquired as part of this class,” said Jason Makrinos, The Rock's first-year recruiting coordinator and defensive backs coach. “We feel like we have the nucleus of another group that will keep us competitive within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, the Western Division and NCAA Super Region One.”

The following are thumbnail profiles of The Rock's new recruits:

• Calvin Anderson (6-2, 185, defensive back, Johnstown/Greater Johnstown HS) “is a ballhawk and a big-time return specialist,” Makrinos said. “He plays the ball well when it's in the air, either coming up with the interception or making sure the pass is not completed. He also has good physical size and is not afraid to come up and lay a hit on a receiver.”

Anderson led the state in interceptions with 11, which he returned for a combined total of 197 yards, and earned first-team Class AAA all-state honors last fall after also receiving top honors in both the all-conference and all-area voting. He also caught 20 pass receptions for 331 yards (16.7 yards per catch) and five TDs, averaged 30.4 yards per kickoff return and had a pair of 92-yard returns for TDs, as well as a 62-yard punt return for a TD and a 32-yard fumble return for a TD for the District 6 Class AAA champions. In the classroom, Anderson attained High Honor Student status and he was a member of the National Technical Society.

• Chuck Bradford (6-0, 170, athlete, Euclid, Ohio/Euclid HS) is “an electrifying playmaker who can help us both on offense and kick returns,” Makrinos said. “He's the kind of player you hold your breath every time he touches the ball waiting for something big to happen.”

Bradford earned special mention AP Northeastern Lakes All-District honors last fall.

• Mike Cleveland (6-3, 185, wide receiver, Washington, Pa./Trinity HS) joins fellow recruit Derek Durand as a "legacy" addition. The son of former Rock wide receiver Rich Cleveland (1981-84), "Mike has a big body and catches the ball very well," Makrinos said.

Cleveland earned first-team All-Big Eight Conference honors as both a kicker and defensive back last fall.

•Ben Cobb (5-9, 195, defensive back, Aliquippa/Aliquippa HS) is “fast, quick and can hit,” in the words of Makrinos (photo to the right). “He's going to be part of our defensive secondary as either a cornerback or safety. He could even play running back, if needed. He has good 'ball skills.' “

Cobb, who played his first three seasons at Center HS, was a member of Aliquippa's WPIAL runner-up team last fall that compiled a 12-1 record with the only loss coming to eventual state champion South Fayette in the WPIAL championship game. He earned first-team All-Midwestern Athletic Conference Class AA running back and honorable mention defensive back honors last fall. Cobb was an All-Midwestern Athletic Conference selection as both a running back and defensive back and a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Fab 22” defensive back in his junior season at Center. As a sophomore, he earned a MAC “Top 22” honor as a defensive back in his sophomore season. He has earned a total of four varsity letters in football, three in track and field and two in basketball during his scholastic career.

• Royce Copeland (5-11, 180, defensive back, Vista, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista HS) has recorded a 4.57 time in the 40-yard dash and “played against the best talent in the state of California, so he's battle-tested in big games,” Makrinos said. “He can play cornerback for us right away and grow into a safety. He likes to play press coverage and just generally get after people in pass coverage.”

The school's career interception record holder, Copeland was a three-time all-conference football performer for Rancho Buena Vista who also played three seasons of baseball and earned Academic Scholar Athlete status.

• Brett Crenshaw (6-0, 205, running back, Monessen/Monessen HS) “is a big-body running back who has quick feet and is not afraid to lower his shoulder and hit you while he's carrying the football,” Makrinos said. “He has a tremendous upside and is the kind of player who will improve each year he's in your program.”

• Derek Durand (6-1, 175, wide receiver, Freeport/Freeport HS) will follow the path taken by his father, former Rock defensive back (1984-87) and current Freeport assistant coach Todd Durand. “He's a great competitor who goes up and attacks the football while it's in the air,” according to Makrinos. “He will bring a toughness to our wide receiver group and will be a positive contributor to our team.”

Durand caught 33 passes for 834 yards (25.3 yards per reception) and 10 touchdowns as a senior en route to being named as a fourth-team all-state performer. A three-year letterman in football and four-year award winner in both basketball and track and field, he also earned first-team all-conference wide receiver and second-team all-conference free safety, as well as Butler Eagle and Valley News Dispatch all-star honors in his senior season. He and Cleveland will join sophomore linebacker Gary Allen (Rick Allen, 1979-82) as sons of former Rock football players on the 2011 Rock roster.

• Nate Erlich (6-3, 275, offensive line, Highlands HS) "has the ability to gain weight and become a good player," Makrinos said. "He is very aggressive and likes to get after people.

Ehrlich earned second-team All-Greater Allegheny Conference honors as an offensive guard in his senior season and was selected to play in Pittsburgh-North All-Star Classic. He also served as a team captain and helped lead his team to a WPIAL Class AAA playoff berth. A two-year varsity letterwinner, he was a member of a conference championship and WPIAL semifinalist team in his sophomore season.

• Sam Funk (6-1, 225, linebacker, Pottstown/Owen J. Roberts HS) “runs well and hits hard,” Makrinos said. “He was a fullback, wide receiver and linebacker in high school. He will start out on our special teams and be a great linebacker for us.”

Funk rushed for 844 rushing yards and nine touchdowns and caught eight passes for 132 yards and two TDs on offense in his senior season. He also recorded 85 tackles en route to being named as a third-team Pennsylvania Football News all-state linebacker. He also earned a pair of first-team All-Pioneer Athletic Conference honors and one second-team honor as an outside linebacker. Funk also received a second-team all-conference offensive blocking back honor last fall to go along with an honorable mention honor as a wide receiver in his sophomore season. A four-year starter at Roberts, Funk also earned two all-area honors as an outside linebacker and helped lead his baseball team to an appearance in the Class 4-A state finals.

• Travis Gallagher (6-5, 240, offensive lineman, Beaver Falls/Blackhawk HS) was a two-way lineman in high school but is projected to be an offensive lineman at The Rock. “He's extremely athletic for his size, ” Makrinos said. “He was very active on defense in high school. He has good feet and aggressiveness and has the frame to put on more weight as time goes on.”

Gallagher received a Parkway Conference Top 24 Defense honor as a senior.

• Mike Grata (6-0, 195, defensive back, Hermitage/Hickory HS) played the rare combination of quarterback and middle linebacker in high school but will be converted to safety at SRU. “He made things happen on offense at Hickory,” Makrinos said, “and he was very physical in the box on defense as a linebacker.”

Grata earned first-team District 10 Region 3 status as a linebacker and second-team status as a punter in his final scholastic season.

• Carlin Henderson (6-0, 190), wide receiver, Beaver Falls/Beaver Falls HS) played quarterback in his final scholastic season and is “extremely fast, extremely quick and extremely athletic,” in the words of Makrinos. “He will bring unbelievable play-making abilities to our offense.”

Henderson earned honorable mention All-Midwestern Athletic Conference status in his senior season.

• Kyle Henderson (6-4, 260, offensive lineman, Moon Township/Moon HS) is a football/basketball student athlete who has added 15 pounds of muscle to his frame since the end of the gridiron season, according to Makrinos. “He averages a double-double in basketball, which tells you how athletic he is. He has a ton of potential based on his size and has the ability to contribute early for us.”

Henderson, who is projected to be an offensive tackle at The Rock because of his speed and quickness, earned honorable mention All-Parkway Conference honors last fall.

• Nathan Prenatt (6-2, 250, offensive/defensive lineman, Hempfield/Hempfield HS) battled through a knee injury during his senior season, “but he's a guy we like because he can play on both sides of the football and he has tremendous feet,” Makrinos said.

Prenatt earned a second-team all-conference honor in his junior season.

• Nick Stoyer (6-4, 235, tight end/defensive end, Greenville/Greenville HS) is “a big kid with a frame to get even bigger,” according to Makrinos. “He gives us flexibility to use him at either tight end or defensive end. He has good hands for a tight end and he's physical on defense.”

Stoyer earned first-team All-District 10 Region 3 status as a linebacker in his senior season at Greenville.

• Cory Tucker (6-4, 265, offensive lineman, South Park/South Park HS) “is a big kid who played on both the offensive and defensive lines in high school,” Makrinos said. “He has good feet, is physical and plays with an attitude. He will give us good depth on the offensive line next year and has a chance to be a pretty good player before he's done playing here.”

A three-year letterman at South Park, Tucker earned first-team All-Big Eight Conference defensive lineman and second-team offensive lineman honors as a senior.

• Caleb Vescovi (6-3, 215, quarterback, Ebensburg/Cambria Heights HS) “has a very strong arm and a gunslinger mentality,” Makrinos said. “He can stretch the field with his arm and make every throw necessary.”

Vescovi passed for 2,453 yards and 22 touchdowns in his senior season, highlighted by a 380-yard, two-TD performance Oct. 30 vs. Westmont Hilltop. He also threw for 366 yards and five TDs vs. Bedford, 345 yards and three TDs vs. Ebensburg Bishop Carroll and 330 yards and three TDs vs. Central Cambria. He earned honorable mention PA Football Class AA all-state honors as a junior, honorable mention Altoona Mirror all-area honors last fall and honorable mention Johnstown Tribune-Democrat all-area status as a sophomore. He is the younger brother of Rock baseball pitcher Brett Vescovi.

• Michael Wainauskis (6-1, 170, punter/kicker, Pittsburgh/Thomas Jefferson HS) “has a big-time leg and can handle both the punting and kicking very effectively, which is something you don't often see,” Makrinos said. “He's also from a winning program, so he's kicked in a lot of big games and pressure situations.”

Wainauskis was named as a third-team all-state punter and earned first-team All-Big Eight Conference punter and second-team kicker honors in his senior season. He averaged 33.3 yards per punt with nine downed inside opponent's 20-yard line and booted 51 extra points and five field goals. He was the second-team all-conference punter in his junior season.

• Terrell Watson (6-4, 205, defensive end, Hatboro/Upper Moreland HS) “is a Division I caliber player,” according to Makrinos. “He runs like a wide receiver, has the explosiveness of a defensive back and the physicality of a linebacker. He also has a huge frame with room to put on a lot of weight.”

Watson earned second-team All-Suburban One League American Conference honors as a defensive end in his senior season after being named to honorable mention all-league status as a linebacker in his junior season. He also received his team's Defensive Hard Hat and Pride And Desire awards in his senior season. As a junior, he was the district champion, a first-team all-league performer and placed seventh at the state Class AAA track and field championship in the javelin throw.

• “The sky's the limit” for Brandon Weaver (6-4, 255, tight end, Reynolds/Reynolds HS) according to Makrinos. He has the frame to put on more weight, he's got good feet and hands and he's a good blocker. Who knows where the future will take him once he gets in the weight room but for now we're looking at him as a tight end.”

Weaver earned first-team All-District 10 Region 3 defensive lineman honors as a senior at Reynolds.

The 2011 Rock season opens Sept. 3 with a road game at Seton Hill University in Greensburg. The Green and White open their home schedule one week later against Cheyney University (6 p.m. kickoff).

Mihalik enters his 24th season as The Rock's head coach with a 153-95-4 career record that stands as the highest win total ever recorded by an SRU coach.