UWA brings in big signing class
Published 9:13 am Thursday, February 7, 2013
LIVINGSTON – The point of emphasis for West Alabama head football coach Will Hall and his staff on signing day was to stock the shelves with big, athletic players on both the offensive and defensive lines.
According to Hall … Mission accomplished.
Fifteen members of the 27 in the 2013 UWA signing class ply their trade with their hands on the ground on either side of the line of scrimmage.
“It’s not as difficult to find players who can ran and jump and catch the ball,” Hall said. “God only makes so many people who are really big and can move, and we think we have found some of them who can really play.
“This is the best class we have ever signed in the trenches,” Hall said. “That’s why the SEC is the SEC because they have big people up front who can move. The more guys we can get in there and keep fresh who can blocked or not get blocked, the better off we are going to be.”
Breaking down the 2013 class, Hall and his staff signed seven offensive linemen, six from the high school ranks, and eight defensive linemen, seven of them high school players. Rounding out the class are a quarterback, two wide receivers, a tight end, five defensive backs and three linebackers.
Bios for the 2013 University of West Alabama Football Signing class are listed below.
Titus Adams – Defensive End … 6-4, 205 … Kingwood Christian High School; AISA All-Star player as a tight end, wide receiver and defensive end … averaged six tackles per game as a senior … had two rushing attempts for 71 yards (35.5 pc) … averaging 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds during his senior basketball season.
Tyshaan Alston – Wide Receiver, 6-2, 180, Coahoma (Miss.) Community College; Signed with William Penn out of high school in 2009 … Red Zone Player of the Year at Kirby High School in Memphis, Tenn. … All-metro and all-region selection … As a senior in high school had 30 receptions for 534 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Cameron Andrews – Linebacker … 5-9, 198 … Maplesville High School; Named 1A Defensive Player FOX6 Sideline All-Star … led Maplesville with 120 tackles in 13 games in 2011 season … 2011 Alabama Sports Writers Association honorable mention all-state selection … averaged over 10 tackles per game as a senior … 2011-2012 Sideline All-Stars, 1A Defensive player of the year.
Anthony Barganier – Defensive Lineman … 6-2, 250 … Thompson High School … Recorded 66 total tackles as a senior … also had six sacks and 17 tackles for loss his senior season, as well as three broken up passes.
Desmond Brown – Defensive Back, East Central (Miss.) Community College … Signed with Clemson out of high school and played in nine games as a special teams player as a redshirt freshman … Played his high school football at Cherokee County (Ala.) High School … Honorable mention MACJC All-State … 10 player in Alabama by SuperPrep … 43 defensive back in nation by SuperPrep … named to All-Southeast Region team by Prep Stars … had 536 yards rushing and 330 yards receiving to go with 11 touchdowns in 2009 … played all over the field in 2009, he played running back, cornerback, wide receiver and returned kicks … ranked as 13th best player in Alabama by the Mobile Press-Register.
Courtney Collins – Linebacker, 5-11, 205, Beauregard (La.) High School; Helped lead his team to an 11-2 finish as a senior … Recorded 134 total tackles as a junior, 88 solo … averaged 11.2 tackles per game … had double digit tackles in eight games, including a 21-tackle night against Benjamin Russell … recorded 5.5 sacks, caused a fumble and recovered two fumbles … Named as a Super 8 Senior by Opelika-Auburn News.
Conner Cramer – Quarterback … 6-2, 190 … Alma Bryant High School; Passed for over 3,500 career yards 33 touchdowns pass for just over 1,600 yards and 15 TDs as a senior … rushed for over 1,600 yards and 23 career TDs … ran for 900 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior … 2010 Newcomer of the Year … 6A All-Region 2011 … three-time Press-Register Gridiron Star … honor student who works with Special Olympics.
Ashton Derico – Defensive End, 6-3, 242, Robert E. Lee High School; Also played tight end at Lee in Montgomery … Graded out 74.2 on blocking assignments over three years in high school with 41 pancake blocks.
Montell Dent – Defensive Back, 5-7, 175, Northridge High School; Tuscaloosa News first team All-West Alabama … honorable mention All-State … recorded 75 total tackles as a senior, including 3.5 tackles for loss … also broke up five passes as a senior, as well as recovering a fumble and forcing four as a junior had two interceptions, seven broken up passes, two forced fumbles and 50 total tackles … Had seven interceptions as a sophomore.
Tray Fletcher – Defensive Lineman … 6-4, 255 … Tanner High School; Helped lead his high school team to a state championship as a senior … also played offensive guard.
Juantez Hartsfield – Defensive Lineman, 6-3, 285, West Hills (Calif.) Community College; Made 45 tackles, including 6.5 sacks, as a true freshman … Missed last season due to knee injury … All-conference honors in his first year at West Hills CC … runs a 4.7 40 yard dash … played high school ball at Upson Lee High School in Thomaston, Ga. … won the Knight Award and Team Captain Award … won FCA Scholarship.
Daniel Hill – Offensive Lineman … 6-4, 300 … Dothan High School; A leader on the offensive front for DHS and one of the top lineman prospects in the state … graded 90 percent for the season … recorded 27 pancake blocks and 43 knockdown blocks.
Dwight Herlong – Defensive End … 6-3, 205 … Davidson High School; Played outside linebacker and defensive end at Davidson … Awarded his high school team’s practice award as a senior … Recorded 71 tackles, 38 solo … had nine tackles for loss and three sacks … Chalked up 10 quarterback hurries.
Steve Horton – Defensive back … 5-11, 175 … Coahoma (Miss.) Community College; Played his high school ball at Clarksdale (Miss.) High School … Recorded 51 total tackles as a juco sophomore, 31 solo … Broke up eight passes and had two interceptions … Also recovered a fumble … Had 13 receptions for 227 yards as a senior at Clarksdale High School … Played in the Mississippi Junior College All-Star Game.
Brady Ingram – Offensive Lineman … 6-5, 285 … Bibb County High School; Selected to West Alabama All-State team following junior and senior seasons.
Vodrick Lucious – Defensive Lineman, 6-5, 260, East Central (Miss.) Community College; Played his high school football as Tuscaloosa County (Ala.) High School … recorded three tackles in three games at defensive tackle at ECCC last season.
Casey McCluskie – Offensive/Defensive Lineman … 6-3, 275 … Edgewood Academy Played offensive tackle and defensively end in high school … led team to a 14-0 record as a senior, back-to-back state title and finished his career as part of a team that won 31 straight games … AISA All-State selection … In 2012 he recorded 150 tackles, seven for loss and two sacks, while playing both sides of the ball.
Quinn McLendon – Linebacker … 6-4, 240 … East Mississippi Community College; Played high school basketball at Sumter (S.C.) High School … made 37 tackles (18 solo), five for loss and two sacks last season … played at Hargrave Military Academy in 2011 … recorded 140 total tackles (86 solo) as a senior in high school … had 18 tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions as a senior at SHS.
Stephanio McNair – Wide Receiver, 6-1, 193, Jones (Miss.) Junior College; Had 21 receptions for 324 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season at Jones … averaged 15.4 yards per catch … played in the MACJC All-Star Game … played at Purvis (Miss.) High School.
Alex Pagonis – Offensive Lineman … 6-4, 325 … Gulf Breeze (Fla.) High School; 2012 Subway All-Star Team … played both sides of the line of scrimmage in high school … routinely was praised by opposing coaches and players as the strength of that Gulf Breeze offense … All-American Bowl East Team Offensive Line Co-MVP.
Trey Rembert – Defensive Back … 5-10, 177 … Daphne High School; Selected to play in Max Emfinger’s All-American Bowl Game … selected by coaches to the All-Baldwin County Team … Speedster who was in on 36 total tackles and had an interception … also caused a fumble and recovered one.
Anthony Robinson – Defensive back … 5-9, 147 … Linden High School; Three-time first team Alabama Sports Writer Association All-State selection … in 2011 had 44 rushes for 335 yards and 11 touchdowns, 95-for-128 passing for 1,595 yards and 20 touchdowns with only two interceptions; 80 tackles, seven interceptions, with two returned for touchdowns. Blocked kick returned for a touchdown on special teams … played quarterback for four years and safety for two years.
Shaundale Smith – Offensive Lineman … 6-4, 290 … Bibb County; Selected to the West Alabama All-State Team as both a junior and a senior … one of two Bibb County linemen to sign with the Tigers in 2013.
Ezekiel Ufomadu – Defensive End, 6-2, 240, Selma High School; Recorded 107 total tackles as a senior … Credited with 17 sacks, six forced fumbles and also blocked two punts his senior year … Also played fullback in high school … Also threw discus (68-9), shot put (35-7) and ran 400 meters (1:01.21) as member of high school track and field team.
Keivondre “Buddy” Watford – Tight End, 6-4, 235, East Central Community College; Played high school football at Tusclaoosa Central High School … Listed as a wide receiver by ECCC and had six receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown at East Central last year … Signed with Southern Miss out of high school … Made the switch to tight end after playing quarterback in high school … also a standout prep basketball player voted a West Alabama All-Star.
Deonte Williams – Defensive Lineman … 6-3, 235 … Davidson High School; Racked up 188 tackles, 121 solo … had 13 career tackles for loss and six sacks … caused a fumble and recovered one … broke up five passes … had 29 quarterback hurries … also put the shot for track and field team.
James Williams – Offensive Lineman … 6-2, 305 … Williamson High School; Graded out 87 percent as a blocker his senior year … generally regarded as one of the top offensive lineman prospects in the state … recorded 30 pancake blocks as a senior.
Mike Williams – Defensive Lineman … 6-2, 256 … Barbour County High School; 2012 Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State selection.