OSHKOSH, Wis. (NBC 26) — UW-Oshkosh football welcomed in a special recruiting class Wednesday: Peter Jennings' first as the Titans head coach.
Jennings, who was hired in early March of 2022 and led the Titans to a 6-4 record last season, is the first UWO coach to hold a National Signing Day event.
"This is such a special day for 17 and 18-year-olds," Jennings said. "That's worth celebrating. This is a big day. (The players) need to know how much we appreciate their decision to come join us in the (Fox) Valley."
Jennings said 75 percent of the incoming players are from Wisconsin, with a large chunk coming from the Fox Valley.
The young head coach said he wants to improve the game-day atmosphere at JJ Keller Field at Titan Stadium, and he believes recruiting local players is a great way to start.
"We did a great job in the Fox Valley and we did a great job locally," he said. "That's a commitment we have because I look at pictures from the late-70s, early-80s of Titan Stadium and there's 10, 12 thousand people in that thing and it's standing room only.
"That's the expectation of where we're moving to here," he continued. "Not just the brand of football on the field but the atmosphere at the game, the atmosphere at the tailgate. And you do that by keeping the really talented kids at home."
Most players may be from Wisconsin, but the headliner comes from out of the country. England-born Josh Allsebrook, the top-rated quarterback from the United Kingdom, has committed to UWO.
"He's a great young man, he's as highly-rated as they come," Jennings said. "We're looking forward to getting him acclimated. He's got a lot of arm talent, very mobile and from what I've been told he's a true student of the game."
Jennings said Allsebrook will arrive in Oshkosh Thursday and will enroll in classes in the spring semester.
UWO has two England natives on its coaching staff - offensive coordinator Rich Worsell and runnings backs coach Rory Humprey - who played a big role in recruiting Allsebrook.
