DURANGO, Colo. — Fort Lewis College head football coach Cesar Rivas-Sandoval announced the signing of linebacker Tyler Holmes to his 2012 recruiting class, raising the number of newcomers to join the Skyhawk roster to 25.

“Tyler is a great student of the game, being a coach's son,” said Rivas-Sandoval, who begins his third year as the Skyhawks' head coach in 2012. “He has great leadership skills and is a hard-nosed, downhill, throwback linebacker.”

Holmes, a 5-foot-11, 215-lb. senior from Chandler High School, was an honorable mention all-state and first team all-section linebacker for the Wolves in 2011. He earned all-region honorable mention as a sophomore and junior.

An outstanding student-athlete, Holmes earned National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete honors as a senior and is a member of the National Honor Society.

The son of James E. Holmes and Chris Pilikau of Chandler, Ariz., Holmes plans to study Education and Exercise Science at Fort Lewis.

He becomes the second Chandler player to sign his National Letter of Intent with Fort Lewis in 2012, joining his quarterback, Jackson Holmes, who was recruited as a multi-position athlete.

“Our blueprint is recruiting young men who have great character and have a vested interest in obtaining their degree at Fort Lewis College,” Rivas-Sandoval said of his 2012 recruiting class.

“We had some areas to address with our second full season of recruiting under our belt,” he said. “We had to get faster. We have improved tremendously in many areas, especially in the secondary and offensive skill positions. We have brought in a solid number of athletes who can play more than just one position, which will make us a more well-rounded football team.”

Rivas-Sandoval expects additional players to commit to Fort Lewis in the coming weeks. “We still have a few areas to address, but we want to continue to look for the young man who will be the right fit for FLC football. We will continue to recruit for a little while longer, as well as address a few more of our needs and add to our walk-on class.”

Rivas-Sandoval will discuss the signees that he and his staff have received to that point at the next Skyhawk Coaches' Luncheon, held in the basement of the Irish Embassy Pub at noon on Monday, Feb. 6. Cost is $10 and no RSVP is necessary.

Further information on each new recruit can be found on the 2012 FLC football signing day page.

Fort Lewis finished 3-8 overall, 2-7 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, tied for eighth place in the league. FLC loses seven seniors to graduation: punter Frank Atherton, defensive lineman David Ferris, wide receiver Justin Garman, defensive back Eric Hills, wide receiver David Matos, running back Justin Peters, and wide receiver Harrison Scheider.