HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky head men's soccer coach Stu Riddle has announced the program's 2020 recruiting class. Deryn Armstrong, Dylan Bufton, Roberto Burlew, Trey Dennigan, Kyle Healy, Ben Hegge, Tobias Karlsen, Daniel Kaufman, Cam Newton, Sam Robinson and Andrès Zaffino are all set to join the program

"My staff and I have worked incredibly hard to put this class together and are very pleased with the outcome," said Riddle. "I can't thank both Blair and Sam enough for their help during the calendar year and we are all looking forward to assembling what we believe will be a group that edges us closer to a Horizon League championship"

Deryn Armstrong
Armstrong is a 6-0 midfield/forward from Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He attended St. Roch Catholic Secondary School, where In 2019, he was named the St. Roch Senior Boys Soccer MVP. Armstrong also played club ball for Oakville Blue Devils FC, was a Canadian Premier League U-21 Men's Showcase Match selection and led his squad to a 2019 Ontario Academy Soccer League championship.

Dylan Bufton
A Johannesburg, South Africa native, Bufton joins the Norse after two seasons at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas. The forward scored a total of 14 goals and notched six assists in his two years on the squad, helping Tyler compile a 38-8 record in that span.

Roberto Burlew
A Cincinnati product joins the Norse with the signing of Burlew, a 6-0 midfielder out of Finneytown High School. In 2018 and 2017, he was named to the All-Southwest Ohio team and was a first team All-Cincinnati Hills League selection. Burlew also played for local club Kings Hammer Academy, where he sent in eight goals and dished an assist en route to a 10-1-1 team record.

Trey Denigan
Denigan is a midfield/forward out of Union, Kentucky. He finished his senior season at Ryle High School with eight goals and six assists, helping his squad to a 33rd District Championship appearance. He also has played for Kings Hammer Academy and was a first team Academic All-State honoree.

Kyle Healy
Healy transfers to NKU after the University of Cincinnati discontinued its men's soccer program this spring and will be immediately eligible to play. The rising-sophomore appeared in 12 games for the Bearcats last season and scored a goal against Xavier on September 6. A product of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, Healy is a 2018 All-Greater Cleveland first team selection.

Ben Hegge
Hegge also heads south to Highland Heights after transferring from the Cincinnati. The midfielder appeared in 11 games in his debut season for the Bearcats in 2019, logging 294 minutes and taking five shots. A Cincinnati native, Hegge went to Moeller High School, where he was named the 2018 Greater Catholic League South Co-Player of the Year and put together a 15-goal, 10-assist output in his senior season.

Tobias Karlsen
Karlsen joins the Norse and becomes the second Norwegian on the squad, coming to the U.S. from Drammen, Norway. A 5-11 midfielder, Karlsen last played for Mjøndalen IF under coach Bjarne Ingebrigtsen, where he had seven goals and 12 assists.

Daniel Kaufman
Kaufman is another Norwegian addition for the Norse. The Oslo native is a 5-11 defender that most recently played for KFUM-Kameratene, where he recorded two goals and six assists in the last two years. In that span, KFUM-Kameratene went 30-8-6.

Cam Newton
Newton is a Sandbach, England product where he most recently played for Sandbach United. He helped his squad to a 2019 Cheshire County Cup runner-up performance, a 2018 Potteries League title and a Mid-Cheshire League title in 2017. He also captained the Cheshire School and Cheshire County FA U-18 teams during the 2019-20 season.

Sam Robinson
Robinson is the third player to join the Norse following the discontinuation of the UC program. The rising-sophomore played in 16 games for the Bearcats and started in three in 2019, recording 13 shots and a goal against Horizon League foe Cleveland State on October 19. Over the course of his high school career at Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio, Robinson netted 61 goals and had a hand in 30 more by contributing via assist.

Andrès Zaffino
To round out the class, Zaffino is another European addition to the program, coming to Highland Heights from Modena, Italy. He has played on U.S. Sassuolo Calcio's U-19 squad, logging time in 24 games over the past two years as a defender.