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Greg Bryant, who started his career at Notre Dame before transferring to ASA College in Miami, signed with UAB on Wednesday (photo courtesy 247Sports)

Shaquille Jones wasn't that familiar with the UAB football situation last summer, but the more he researched it, the more he wanted to be a part of history.

Jones, who started his career at Georgia before transferring to Iowa Western Community College, was the first commitment for what ended up being a midyear signing class of 19 for head coach Bill Clark and the Blazers.

He committed to UAB in early August and many more followed. UAB could still add more midyear signees before the Blazers start the spring semester.

Other players who were highly-ranked high school recruits, including former five-star linebacker Clifton Garrett (former LSU player), also joined the fold early. Junior college recruits who started their careers at Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan State and Middle Tennessee followed suit.

"I think that first guy that got on and said, 'This is real,' then that intrigued the next guy," Clark said Wednesdady. "Then it was, 'Come here and just see it. Wow, it is real.' Then the next guy (commits) and the next guy."

All recruits who committed said, at the time, that they wanted to be a part of history and felt a strong bond with UAB's remaining players since the program originally shut down last December before returning in June. Clark anticipates around 70 players could be available for spring practice, which will begin sometime in February. A large chunk will still be walk-ons, but the foundation will be there and so will the numbers.

"I'm very excited," said Jones, a defensive back who has been vocal on Twitter about helping recruit players. "I'm just ready to start something new and just be a part of history. I've been trying to recruit guys hard. My plan is to get there and win Conference USA every year."

Clark and his staff didn't settle. Currently, the class ranks No. 47 nationally by 247Sports and tops among Conference USA. Including this midyear class, the Blazers will add 45 new scholarship players by the time the February signing class comes around.

Former Notre Dame running back Greg Bryant, former Alabama offensive lineman Brandon Hill, former Michigan State defensive end Noah Jones and other highly-ranked junior college prospects like Iowa Western defensive back Darez Diggs joined the fold.

"We have expensive taste," Clark said. "I just said that we don't see ourselves as anything but a national team. That's what we're expected to be.

"We've undersold ourselves (in the past), with what our expectations are on facilities. Our school is too good. Our town is too good. This is who we expect to be."

Clark said that UAB found out a month ago that they could sign more than 15 this December. He said the hardest part was telling some prospects that they would have to wait until May to enroll, and they lost one recruit because of it. But, UAB could add a few more to this 19 before the spring semester and subtract that from 45, giving it a number it can sign in February. Right now, it would be 26.

Clark said that class would still be heavy on junior college prospects since that's where coaches focused relationships on with this signing class. The 2017 class will gravitate toward high school prospects, though the 2016 class has commitments from three-star players Tyler Johnston, a three-star quarterback from Spanish Fort and Tyler Marshall, a quarterback/tight end from Northview High in Dothan.

"We've got some high-profile high school guys that we're after and that we will sign," Clark said.

But this class was all junior college recruits and they came from all over the country. UAB hit Mississippi, signing five from that state and signed six from junior colleges in California and Arizona.

"I felt like this team is going to be special and I just had to be apart of it," said safety Mark Jonassaint, who played at Los Angeles-Pierce Community College but is from Atlanta. "I felt the love from the staff and it just felt right."