John Grass Comments Head CoachComments

2016 FOOTBALL SIGNEES (16)

JANUARY ENROLLEES (5)

2016 SIGNEE BIOS & HIGHLIGHTS

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State football team received National Letters of Intent from 16 players on Wednesday's National Signing Day, a day head coachsaid filled needs and made the program better.The Gamecocks signed 12 high school players and four junior college transfers on Wednesday. Of the 16 signees on National Signing Day, five were rated three-star recruits and four received two stars from national recruiting services."We have had a great signing day and this class is really outstanding from top to bottom. We took five guys at the break and they are really good players and we will sign around 15 by the end of the day today, so we will have a class of 20 coming in. We are excited about this class and when you rank them and the guys coming out with three or two stars and some four stars, we have about 15 guys that are ranked coming out of high school. For an FCS program to say that, it says a lot because we are competing against a lot of FBS programs and some Power Five conferences for some guys. Our coaches have done a great job recruiting and it has been a great day so far and looking forward to celebrating tonight and then tomorrow start to go over some highlights of these guys and show the Gamecocks what we have for the future.""Overall, we did a good job of filling some needs and we did fill some needs at some positions that we had from the senior class. When you graduate two tight ends, we picked up two at the break. We picked up some defensive backs after really losing four defensive backs out of our top five, so we feel really good about the guys we redshirted last year and the guys we signed today. We met every need that we had.""It sealed some deals and I think it opened some doors. Our staff does a great job of recruiting these guys and building relationships. They do a tremendous job of identifying the kids and then building the relationships. I think the playoff run and playing in the national championship game sealed some deals. The atmosphere here is pretty special and I feel like that is one of the ways our fan base helps us so much. When you get a kid on campus during the regular season or a playoff game, there might be a kid in Florida somewhere watching one of those ESPN2 games in the playoffs and they see the atmosphere. Most programs don't have the type of fan base that we do outside of the power conferences. I think guys want to come and be a part of that."Below is a complete list of players that have signed their NLI to join the Gamecocks, as well as their bios and highlights from their prep careers.Kurtis Beaman (DL, 6-1, 315, Birmingham, Ala./Huffman HS)Josh Brady (LS, 6-3, 225, Ringgold, Ga./Silverdale Baptist Academy)Robert Chambers (DL, 6-3, 275, Conyers, Ga./Salem HS)Evan Crossing (WR, 5-11, 175, Atlanta, Ga./Riverwood HS)Kendrick Doss (QB, 6-1, 205, Florence, Ala./Florence HS/NE Mississippi CC)Lorenzo Fields (DE, 6-3, 235, Stockton, Ala./Daphne HS/Highland (Kan.) CC)Tyus Flakes (RB, 5-8, 195, Auburn, Ala./Auburn HS)Peyton Gilliland (SAF, 6-0, 215, Cleveland, Ala./Cleveland HS)Satchel Goodrich (WR, 6-0, 175, Fayetteville, Ga./Starr's Mill HS)Brock Gould (OL, 6-3, 255, Mobile, Ala./McGill Toolen HS)Jonathan Hagler (SAF, 6-0, 210, Leeds, Ala./Leeds HS/Arizona Western College)Bryce Handy (LB, 6-1, 220, Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep)Terrence Harris (LB, 6-3, 215, Birmingham, Ala./Huffman HS)Keegan Hill (CB, 5-10, 163, Carrollton, Ga./Carrollton HS)Jacquez Payton (CB, 6-0, 165, Georgiana, Ala./Georgiana HS)Penny Smith (QB, 6-2, 181, Knoxville, Tenn./Fulton HS/NE Oklahoma A&M)Jonathan Curry (TE, 6-2, 250, Phenix City, Ala./Central HS/Purdue)BJ Hammond (TE, 6-4, 210, Gadsden, Ala./Gadsden City HS/Mississippi State)Pat Porter (CB, 5-9, 163, Tuscaloosa, Ala./Paul W. Bryant HS/Washington State)Tramel Terry (CB, 6-0, 195, Goose Creek, S.C./University of Georgia)Al'Dreecous Wilson (SAF, 5-11, 165, Opelika, Ala./Opelika HS/Jones County JC)A three-star recruit by 247sports, scout.com and rivals.com…played for head coach Alex Wilson at Huffman High School in Birmingham…rated the No. 72 DT in the country and the No. 39 player in Alabama by 247sports and the No. 4 DT in Alabama by scout.com…a second team all-state selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior after earning honorable mention all-state honors from the ASWA as a freshman in 2012…selected to play in the Alabama vs. Mississippi All-Star Game…helped lead the Vikings to their first AHSAA Playoff appearance in 10 seasons in 2015…chose the Gamecocks over offers from Arkansas State, Memphis, South Alabama, Southern Miss and Western Kentucky.Played for head coach Al Rogers at Silverdale Baptist Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn…ranked No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in his class by Kornblue Kicking…Kohl's Professional Camps listed him No. 6 nationally at the long snapper position…went to the 2013 Rubio Underclassmen Invite Only Camp in Burbank, Calif…named to the USA 15 and Under National Football Team in 2001 and 2012…chose the Gamecocks over Chattanooga.A two-star recruit by rivals.com…played for head coach John Starr at Salem High School in Conyers, Ga…an honorable mention all-state selection in GHSA Class AAAAA by the Atlanta Journal Constitution…chose the Gamecocks over offers from Charlotte, Eastern Kentucky and Troy.Played for head coach Ben Stready at Riverwood High School in Atlanta, Ga…recorded 39 catches for 679 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior in 2015…helped RHS to a 7-3 record and was selected as the team's Offensive Player of the Year…was named the North Georgia Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Week in Week Six…had 130 receiving yards and a touchdown in a win over sub-region No. 1 Cambridge...chose the Gamecocks over Navy.Originally signed with Ole Miss out of Florence High School, where he was a three-star recruit by most major recruiting services, including Rivals, Scout and 247Sports…spent one season at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, Miss., where he was 92-for-197 for 1,094 yards and five touchdowns through the air, while running for 239 yards and eight scores on 74 carries…at Florence High School, played for head coach Jamey DuBose…one of the top 15 prospects in the state of Alabama and the 11th best dual-threat quarterback nationally by Rivals…received multiple scholarship offers from schools inside power conferences such as the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big 10 Conference and Southeastern Conference (SEC)…the 2014 TimesDaily Athlete of the Year award among male athletes in its coverage area…also picked by the TimesDaily as its Class 4A-6A Player of the Year following his senior campaign…racked up 2,105 yards through the air and 1,170 yards on the ground for FHS…added 35 total touchdowns during his final campaign at the prep level…had 2,945 yards total offense with 37 touchdowns accounted for in his senior year.Spent the past two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Highland Community College after prepping at Daphne High School in Daphne, Ala…as a freshman at MGCCC in 2014, played in all 10 games for head coach Chad Huff, recording 24 tackles…had one tackle for a loss and 1.5 sacks, while also forcing a fumble…played for head coach Glenn Vickery at Daphne High School…was a first team Al.com Coastal Alabama All-Region linebacker that was also named all-county…recorded 119 tackles as a senior in 2013, including a team-high 14 tackles for a loss…led the Trojans to back-to-back region titles in his junior and senior seasons.A three-star recruit by 247Sports and espn.com and a two-star by scout.com and Rivals…prepped for head coach Tim Carter and Adam Winegarden at Auburn High School in Auburn, Ala…AHS's all-time leading rusher, was an honorable mention all-state pick by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a junior in 2014, when he ran for 1,380 yards and 10 touchdowns…helped AHS to a 13-2 record, a region title and a berth in the AHSAA Class 6A State Championship Game in his sophomore season…suffered a knee injury in the spring of 2015 that forced him to miss his senior season…received offers from over a dozen schools, including Indiana, Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Cincinnati, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Marshall, North Texas, South Alabama and Southern Miss.Played for head coach and father Gardner Gilliland at Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Ala…played both quarterback and defensive back for CHS, who he helped to the best season in program history…was a first team all-state pick by the Alabama Sports Writers Association at defensive back and was a finalist for the ASWA Class 2A Back of the Year…recorded 61 tackles, intercepted seven passes and scored four defensive touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a 12-1 record and into the AHSAA Class 2A Quarterfinals…on offense, ran for 1,348 yards and 20 touchdowns, while throwing for 1,168 yards and 15 scores…in three seasons at CHS, racked up 8,500 yards of total offense and accounted for 107 touchdowns…was a first team all-state pick as a quarterback as a junior, while also being a finalist for Class 2A Back of the Year…played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic…also had offers from Army and Navy.Prepped for head coach Chad Phillips at Starr's Mill High School in Fayetteville, Ga…was a first team all-county selection as a senior after recording 210 receiving yards and leading the Panthers' defensive backfield, despite missing some time to an injury…led the Panthers to a 10-2 record and into the second round of the GHSA Class AAAAA Playoffs…as a junior in 2014, had 799 all-purpose yards, thanks to 20 catches for 445 yards and five touchdowns and 151 rushing yards and a score on 27 carries…was a first team all-region by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and an all-county performer.Prepped for head coach Caleb Ross at McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile, Ala…was an all-area selection as a senior in 2015 after helping the Yellow Jackets to the AHSAA Class 7A State Championship, the first in school history…pace MTHS to a 13-1 record and a perfect 8-0 record in AHSAA Class 7A Region 1 play…helped anchor a front line that paved the way for an offense that outscored its foes 245-70.A two-star recruit by scout.com out of junior college…played the 2015 season for head coach Tom Minnick at Arizona Western College in Yuma, Ariz…had 33 tackles and two interceptions as a sophomore for the Matadors…played his freshman season at Shasta College in Redding, Calif…led the team with 76 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss…intercepted eight passes and amassed 199 interception return yards, while breaking up a pass and forcing one fumble…returned two interceptions for touchdowns in 2014…prepped at Leeds High School in Leeds, Ala., for head coach Keith Etheridge…was an honorable mention all-state pick by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior in 2012…helped the Green Wave to an 11-2 record and the AHSAA Class 3A Region 4 Championship.A three-star recruit by 247Sports and scout.com and a two-star recruit by Rivals…played for head coach Earl Sims at Gulliver Prep in 2015, where he was a First Team All-Dade selection by the Miami Herald…recorded 85 tackles in 2015…his father Darren was a starting offensive lineman on Miami's 1989 National Championship team…chose the Gamecocks over offers from Army, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Kentucky and Temple.A three-star recruit by scout.com, espn.com and Rivals…also a three-star recruit by 247Sports, who also rated him the No. 28 player in Alabama and the No. 31 inside linebacker in the country…played for head coach Alex Wilson at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Ala…helped lead the Vikings to their first AHSAA Playoff appearance in 10 seasons in 2015…received offers from several schools, including Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Memphis, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Alabama and Western Kentucky.Played cornerback and wide receiver for head coach Ed Dudley at Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Ga…had two interceptions and 101 interception return yards for the Trojans as a senior, when he also recovered a fumble…was a return specialist, as well…had a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Sandy Creek…had a 60-yard punt return for a score against North Hall.A two-star recruit by 247Sports, scout.com and Rivals prepped for head coach Ezell Powell at Georgiana High School in Georgiana, Ala…a second team all-state selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior, Georgiana's first all-state player in 11 years…helped the Panthers to an 11-2 record and to the third round of the AHSAA Class 1A Playoffs…also an all-state point guard for the Panthers on the basketball court…chose JSU over offers from Liberty, Memphis, Samford and South Alabama.Spent the 2015 year at Northeast Oklahoma A&M in Miami, Okla…a two-star recruit out of Fulton High School in Knoxville, Tenn., by 247Sports, Rivals and scout.com…as a senior at FHS, threw for 2,183 yards and 34 touchdowns on 94-for-155 passing…ran for 456 yards and five scores on 34 rushes…threw for 1,494 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior…team went a combined 28-2 in his last two years at FHS and won back-to-back Class 4A State Championships in Tennessee…signed with Chattanooga out of high school and was redshirted during the 2014 season.