Jags Add A Total of 43 Players In First Ever Recruiting Class
Here are the numbers: 31 players signed National Letter of Intents, 22 of those players helped lead their teams to the state playoffs. Six players would win state championships. 19 players came from the state of Alabama, 3 of those came from Mobile itself. 3 sets of teammates signed with USA from the state of Alabama. Plus, one player signed from Montreal, Canada.
Another 12 mid-year newcomers round out the total of 43 that Coach Jones and his staff signed this year for the first recruiting class for the University of South Alabama.
Coach Jones said, “We were interested in bringing individuals with good character who are good students so that they can come to South Alabama and earn their degree.”
Also, nothing breeds success better than those with experience with success. Thus, the USA staff looked to find players from winning programs.
Since the Jaguars will begin playing football for the first time come September 5th, 2009, Coach Jones and his staff had to be very disciplined about signing players for the positions they help with. They had to be very careful not to pick up an extra player at a position that was covered while they still had need in other places.
They did an excellent job at signing good multi-position players. The highlight video compiled for the event in the Mitchell Center yesterday seemed to show several players that could play positions on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Not just your typical defensive back that can sub as a receiver, but a linebacker that can sub as a running back or receiver.
Probably the most surprising signee was Myles Gibbon from Montreal Canada. Coach Jones relayed the story of his father driving 27 hours to come to the official visit at USA then turn around and drive 27 hours back to Canada when it was over with.
The event at the Mitchell Center was very good, it was covered by all three local television stations. President Moulton spoke about the football program and showed a short video recapping the beginnings of football on campus, the board of trustees voting on football, and the hiring of Coach Jones for the head coaching position. He then turned it over to Joe Gottfried who also spoke about the process of football and hiring of Coach Jones. Then Coach Jones spoke about the overall recruiting class and their process of evaluating potential recruits. They let us all know that they probably reviewed film on over 800 players in order to whittle down to these 43 signees.
Since Les Koenning left the program earlier this year, Coach Jones introduced the quarterbacks. He then let the position coaches come to the podium and talk about the recruits by position.
Once it was finished, they presented another film with highlights of each of the signees from the previous season. The coaches then assembed in the lobby of the Mitchell Center and signed autographs for the attendees.
Below are the players who signed and comprise USA’s first ever recruiting class:
Name (Ht., Wt., Class, Pos., Hometown, Previous School)
Matt Autry (6-4, 210, Fr., DL, Norcross, Ga., Norcross HS)
Logan Bennett (6-0, 205, Fr., LB, Cairo, Ga., Cairo HS)
Corey Besteda (6-2, 175, Fr., WR, Jackson, Ala., Jackson HS)
Zach Brownell (6-1, 190, Fr., DB, Prattville, Ala., Prattville HS)
Randon Carnathan (6-2, 265, Fr., DL, Leeds, Ala., Leeds HS)
Clifton Crews (6-3, 200, Fr., LB, Atlanta, Ga., Jonesboro HS)
Marquise Diamond (5-11, 190, Fr., DB, Piedmont, Ala., Piedmont HS)
Myles Gibbon (6-2, 190, Fr., QB, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Vanier College)
Dalvin Harris (6-0, 185, Fr., LB, New Orleans, La., John Ehret HS)
Ellis Hill (5-9, 190, Fr., RB, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Hillcrest HS)
Greg Hollinger (6-4, 205, Fr., WR, Frisco City, Ala., Excel HS)
Bryson James (6-3, 200, Fr., LB, New Orleans, La., East St. John HS)
Jereme Jones (5-9, 170, Fr., WR, Mobile, Ala., McGill-Toolen HS)
Romelle Jones (6-2, 270, Fr., DL, New Orleans, La., East St. John HS)
Sean Kennedy (6-4, 300, Fr., OL, Mobile, Ala., Theodore HS)
Bryant Lavender (5-11, 180, Fr., WR, Gulfport, Miss., Gulfport HS)
Gabriel Mass (6-4, 255, Fr., DL, Jackson, Ala., Jackson HS)
Alex Page (6-2, 240, Fr., DL, Prattville, Ala., Prattville HS)
Jared Palmer (6-2, 170, Fr., WR , Tuscaloosa, Ala., Northridge HS)
Alex Phifer (5-10, 180, Fr., DB, Greenville, Ala., Greenville HS)
Devondrick Richardson (6-3, 210, Fr., LB, Clayton, Ala., Barbour County HS)
Vernon Saffold (6-3, 250, Jr., DL, Clarksdale, Miss., Coahoma [Miss.] CC)
Kyle Stewart (6-3, 225, Fr., QB, Tallahassee, Fla., Florida HS)
Josh Terry (6-3, 280, Fr., OL, Fort Payne, Ala., Fort Payne HS)
Will Thompson (6-5, 235, Fr., DL, Huntsville, Ala., Buckhorn HS)
Tony Threatt (6-3, 180, Fr., DB, Leeds, Ala., Leeds HS)
Tyler Tisdale (6-3, 265, Fr., OL, Petal, Miss., Petal HS)
Corey Waldon (5-10, 165, Fr., WR, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Central Tuscaloosa HS)
Enrique Williams (6-1, 210, Fr., LB, Mobile, Ala., Blount HS)
Montavious Williams (6-2, 270, Fr., DL, Cairo, Ga., Cairo HS)
Tyrone Williams (6-1, 200, Fr., LB, Thomasville, Ala., Thomasville HS)
Below are mid-year transfer students who enrolled in school for the spring semester:
*Heath Blount (6-6, 290, Jr., OL, Cleveland, Miss., Northeast Mississippi CC)
*Levi Slaydon (6-3, 270, Jr., OL, Picayune, Miss., Pearl River [Miss.] CC)
*Corey Pittman (6-5, 300, Jr., OL, Chickasaw, Ala., Mississippi Gulf Coast CC)
*Chris Payne (6-3, 320, Jr., OL, Vicksburg, Miss., Copiah-Lincoln [Miss.] CC)
*Steven Pease (5-11, 175, Fr., DB, Williamstown, N.J., Millford [N.Y.] Academy)
*Early James (6-2, 190, Jr., QB, Killona, La., Jones County [Miss.] JC)
*Jon Griffin (6-2, 280, Jr., OL, Ventura, Calif., Ventura [Calif.] JC)
*Chris Brunson (6-3, 300, Jr., OL, Tyler, Texas, Tyler [Texas] JC)
*Kevin Helms (6-3, 235, Jr., TE, Gulfport, Miss., Mississippi Gulf Coast CC)
*Brian Krauskopf (6-3, 285, Jr., OL, Santa Fe, Texas, Blinn [Texas] JC)
*Jordan Means (6-1, 180, Fr., PK, Hoover, Ala., Alabama)
*Limbric Windham (6-3, 175, Fr., WR, Mobile, Ala., Alma Bryant HS)