DURANGO, Colo. — Fort Lewis College head football coach Cesar Rivas-Sandoval announced the signing of running back Josh Roybal to his 2012 recruiting class, raising the number of newcomers to join the Skyhawk roster to 27.

“Josh is a very solid running back who can play a few positions between offense, defense, and special teams,” said Rivas-Sandoval, who begins his third season as head coach at FLC next fall. “He is a very smooth runner who we think will continue to create the completion at the running back position that we are looking for.”

Roybal is a 5-foot-10, 170-lb. senior from Santa Fe High School, where he was a three-year starter at running back and defensive back for the Demons. He earned all-conference honors at both positions as a junior and senior, and was also an all-area and academic all-district performer and chosen to participate in New Mexico's North vs. South All-Star Game. In addition to football, he participated in basketball and track & field at Santa Fe.

The son of Kenneth Roybal and Yvonne Montoya of Santa Fe, N.M., Roybal plays on majoring in Engineering at Fort Lewis.

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.”

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.