The trenches have been fortified at the University of New Hampshire. Of the 14 recruits the UNH football team signed yesterday, six were linemen and two project at linebacker.

"We were looking for all types of linemen - offensive, defensive, interior, exterior - where the past couple of years we were really looking for offensive tackle-type players," UNH Coach Sean McDonnell said. "And we feel good about the guys we got. It was an important area of need for our program."

The 'Cats earned a fourth consecutive trip to the Football Championship Series playoffs last year, but they had to squeak in as the No. 16 seed, and then lost in the first round to top-seeded Northern Iowa, 38-35. The recurring problems that plagued UNH during its 7-5 2007 season could be traced to the lines.

Defensively the Wildcats had difficulty stopping the run (187.7 rushing yards allowed per game, 80th in the nation) and rushing the passer (1.75 sacks per game, 74th in the nation). Offensively they struggled to run the ball consistently (130 rush yards per game, 86th in the nation) and

protect the passer (2.58 sacks allowed per game, 89th in the nation).

Enter the beef.

Pinkerton Academy's Josh Lane is one of the six linemen recruits and the only New Hampshire player to commit to UNH yesterday. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound Lane was a first-team Division I All-State selection for the last three years as the Astros have run off three consecutive DI titles. McDonnell was watching all along.

"He's a very athletic kid, great balance, great quickness, an explosive athlete. He's the best lineman in the state of New Hampshire and we're excited to have him," McDonnell said. "We were able to see him at camps, clinics, in person and on tape and he showed up every time."

Lane's bulk is representative of the incoming linemen's overall size. In recent years the line recruits have been closer to 240-250 and have required large chunks of time to gain the weight and strength needed to compete at the collegiate level.

That isn't the case this year. Mike DiLima, an interior offensive lineman from Maryland, is 6-5, 285. Isaiah Martin, an interior offensive lineman from New Jersey, is 6-2, 285. Jared Smith, a defensive lineman from Pennsylvania, is 6-2, 285. Chris Zarkoskie, a center prospect from New Jersey, is 6-2, 290. The only exception is Walter McCarthy, an offensive lineman from Warwick, R.I., who is 6-5, 240.

"The size is there in a lot of them," McDonnell said. "The biggest thing we need to make sure of is that weight is good weight, because it's the strength totals that are really important."

While all of the recruits were decorated high school players, Zarkoskie stands out. He was a three-time all-conference and all-county selection at Seton Hall Prep and a second-team all-state selection as a senior. The scouting report on Zarkoskie on espn.com said, "He is a feisty player that displays solid strength and will wrestle a defender out of the hole. He looks comfortable when asked to pull. He is adequate in space and does a solid job of getting up to the second level and getting a piece of moving targets. He displays the ability to be a solid pass blocker."

Alan Buzbee (6-3, 225) was Zarkoskie's teammate at Seton Hall Prep and one of the two UNH linebacker recruits. Buzbee was named the Junior Defensive Player of the Year in Essex County after compiling 82 tackles, five sacks and an interception. Injuries during his senior year may have allowed the 'Cats to nab Buzbee, whose brother Alex was a rookie defensive lineman with the Washington Redskins this year.

Matt Evans (6-0, 200) from Thayer Academy and Hanover, Mass. is the other linebacker recruit and one of four New England student-athletes in the UNH class along with Lane, McCarthy and Matt Welch (6-5, 210), a versatile athlete from Lowell, Mass. who could play tight end, quarterback or safety.

The 'Cats pulled four athletes out of Pennsylvania, including Tyler Sargent from Fairview, the third Fairview player to come to UNH, joining T.J. Taylor, a sophomore defensive lineman, and David Sundberg, a graduated offensive tackle. Sargent (5-11, 180) is an outstanding athlete who has run the 100 meters in 10.7 seconds and set a county record in the long jump at 22-5. He projects as a defensive back. Quarterback Josh Vick (6-1, 215) and receiver Joey Orlando (5-10, 175) are the other Pennsylvania recruits along with Sargent and Jared Smith, one of the six linemen.

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