Three Marquette Senior High School football players signed national letters of intent on National Signing Day on Wednesday to attend and play football at a pair of Upper Peninsula universities. From left are Austin Ridl, who signed at Michigan Tech; Owen Beauchamp, who signed at Northern Michigan University; and Desmond Mullen, who signed at MTU. (Photo courtesy Alex Tiseo of MSHS)

HOUGHTON — Two players from Marquette Senior High School are among the 16 football players who have signed national letters of intent to attend and play football at Michigan Tech.

That’s according to head coach Steve Olson and the Huskies’ athletic staff.

Fourteen of the 16 are from Michigan with one each from Wisconsin and Texas. Fifteen will be freshmen and one is a transfer.

“I think every year you try to identify what are the key positions and the recruits you want to bring in that will add to our team,” said Olson, who coached Tech to 6-4 overall and 5-2 GLIAC records last fall. “We are trying to add depth to all positions, with some areas more critical than others.”

The MSHS players joining the MTU roster are quarterback Austin Ridl and running back and safety Desmond Mullen.

Both were voted to the All-Upper Peninsula Dream Team last fall, Ridl as quarterback and Mullen as a defensive back.

Ridl, listed at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, is termed by the Huskies staff as an athletic, competitive quarterback who brings speed and composure to the position. He threw for 2,237 yards and 26 touchdowns in last fall’s regular season, completing 135 of 225 passes with just nine interceptions. As runner-up for U.P. Offensive Player of the Year last fall, he also rushed for 252 yards and three more TDs on the ground.

He was an All-U.P. Dream Teamer three times, twice all-conference and was all-state honorable mention for Divisions 3 and 4.

Mullen, at 5-9 and 180, is termed an explosive runner who can play both offense and defense. He had 93 tackles, two fumble recoveries and numerous passes defended as he was also named First Team All-Great Northern Conference and a conference Defensive Player of the Year. He also rushed for five TDs.

One other Upper Peninsula player was also signed Wednesday, Dryden Nelson of Calumet, a 5-9, 180-pound running back and slot receiver who is lauded for having great hands and can play multiple positions, contribute on special teams, including as a kick returner. He was another All-U.P. Dream Team honoree at running back, scoring 19 TDs, along with earning all-state honors.

These are the other 13 Tech recruits, with their height, weight, position and high school (and hometown if different than high school):

• Grant O’Brien, 6-6, 350, offensive line, Goodrich (Gaines)

• Aidan Webb, 6-6, 300, offensive line, Brighton

• Hudson Maddox, 6-3, 270, offensive line, Bath

• Ethan Post, 6-2, 248, offensive line, Lowell

• Brandon DeVries, 6-4, 270, offensive line, Hackett Catholic (Kalamazoo)

• Asher Gregory, 5-8, 170, running back, East Lansing

• Jake Rueff, 6-0, 190, running back/safety, Lawton

• Sean Burant, 6-3, 235, defensive end, Kimberly, Wisconsin

• Junyoung Chung, 5-11, 190, linebacker, Berrien Springs

• Joe Marano, 5-11, 185, linebacker, Edsel Ford (Dearborn)

• JaKobe Davidson, 5-11, 185, cornerback, Drake University (a transfer — high school: Hutte, Texas)

• Dionte Good, 5-11, 195, linebacker, Churchill (Livonia)

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Dakota Blackwell, 6-1, 185, cornerback/safety, South Lyon

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.