MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Coming off of consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 2002 and 2003 seasons, the Southern Arkansas football team has continued to make strides toward building a championship-caliber program with the signing of 28 student-athletes for the 2014 season.
"Overall, we are very pleased with our signing class this year," exclaimed head football coach
Bill Keopple. "We were able to address our needs in a big way and also get a majority of our top guys that we identified when we first set up our prospect board."
"Each and every year that we have been at SAU, we have been able to recruit a higher-caliber player each year and this year was no exception," added Keopple. "In fact, this is no-doubt our most talented signing class. It's a big day for Mulerider football."
The following is a list of the student-athletes that have signed National Letters of Intent to play football at Southern Arkansas. More information on these future Muleriders will be updated throughout the evening.
Kaylen Burks
WR | 6-1 | 175 | Malvern, Ark. | Malvern HS
Darren Crawford
DB | 5-11 | 190 | Ruston, La. | Ruston HS
Jaylon Dews
WR | 6-1 | 170 | Whitehouse, Texas | Whitehouse HS
Desmond Gavin
DL | 6-5 | 200 | Searcy, Ark. | Searcy HS
Tevion Hicks
WR | 6-2 | 180 | Strong, Ark. | Strong HS
Karonce Higgins
WR | 6-2 | 185 | Searcy, Ark. | Searcy HS
Wanya Jenkins
DE | 6-3 | 225 | Texarkana, Texas | Texas HS
Jenkins was named as a 14-4A All-District First-Team defensive end in 2013 at Texas HS (Texarkana, Texas)…As a senior; Jenkins recorded 57 tackles and totaled eight sacks.
Omari Jones
QB | 6-3 | 190 | New Orleans, La. | McMain HS
Stacy Lawrence
DB | 5-11 | 170 | Irving, Texas | MacArthur HS
Oshen Matheson
LB | 5-10 | 185 | Plano, Texas | Plano West HS
Kendrix McCann
DL | 6-0 | 250 | Texarkana, Ark. | Arkansas HS
McCann was named a 6-A South All-State defensive lineman for Arkansas High (Texarkana, Ark.) in his senior season of 2013…McCann also appeared on the Farm Bureau Award Watch List prior to the 2013 season.
Jeremy Meshell
DE | 6-4 | 185 | Strong, Ark. | Strong HS
Louis Mills
RB | 5-9 | 205 | Shreveport, La. | Byrd HS
Sidney Moore
WR | 6-0 | 170 | Conway, Ark. | Conway HS
Cole Murray
DL | 6-2 | 220 | Hot Spring, Ark. | Fountain Lake HS
Chandler Nance
DE | 6-3 | 240 | Shreveport, La. | Byrd HS
Nance was named as a LSWA Class 5A All-State Honorable Mention defensive lineman in 2013 for Byrd HS (Shreveport, La.)…A Louisiana West All-Star selection, Nance also earned All-City and All-District Second-Team honors in 2013.
Paul Odukoya
DE | 6-2 | 220 | Houston, Texas | Alief Hastings HS
Named as the team defensive MVP in his senior season at Alief Hastings HS (Houston, Texas), Odukoya was also named as an 18-5A All-District Second-Team at defensive end.
Jaquel Owens
LB | 6-3 | 230 | Ruston, La. | Ruston HS
Owens was named as an All-Northeast Louisiana, All-State, All-Parish, and All-Shreveport-Times linebacker in 2013 for Ruston HS (Ruston, La.).
Jonathan Palmer
DB | 6-0 | 180 | Hope, Ark. | Hope HS
Malik Preston
LB | 6-0 | 225 | Shreveport, La. | Southwood HS
Preston was named a 1-5A All-District Second-Team linebacker for Southwood HS (Shreveport, La.) in his senior season of 2013.
Barrett Renner
QB | 6-3 | 170 | Dallas, Texas | Bishop Lynch HS
Kaseem Smith
DB | 6-1 | 165 | White Hall, Ark. | White Hall HS
Smith was named an All-Area, All-Conference, and All-State defensive back in his senior season at White Hall HS (White Hall, Ark.).
Josh Stroud
LB | 6-2 | 200 | Fordyce, Ark. | Fordyce HS
Stroud received All-3A Conference honors as a linebacker in his senior season at Fordyce HS (Fordyce, Ark.)…Stroud was also named as a Farm Bureau Player of the Week five times and named to the
Fordyce New Advocate First-Team.
Brandon Toombs
OL | 6-5 | 250 | Jacksonville, Ark. | Jacksonville HS
Toombs is expected to play on the offensive line at SAU, but prior to the 2013 season, Toombs was named to the 5A Farm Bureau Awards Watch List for defense.
Blake Trahan
OL | 6-3 | 280 | Vinton, La. | Vinton HS
David Vazquez
OL | 6-2 | 280 | Carrollton, Texas | Newman Smith HS
Vazquez was named to the 10-4A All-District Second-Team as a center for Newman Smith HS (Carrollton, Texas) in 2012.
Jactavis Williams
DB | 6-1 | 175 | El Dorado, Ark. | El Dorado HS
Kaelyn Young
DB | 6-1 | 185 | McKinney, Texas | McKinney Boyd
Young was named a 10-5A All-District First-Team defensive back for McKinney Boyd HS (McKinney, Texas) in 2013…recorded 18 solo tackles and defensed eight passes as a senior.
