Lumberjack Football Adds 11 for 2018 in Early Signing Period
12/20/2017 5:51:00 PM | Football
SFA signs 11, including seven early high school signees and four junior college transfer additions, during the December signing period for the 2018 season
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin football team welcomed a total of 11 signees to Nacogdoches for its 2018 class Wednesday as the early signing period got underway. Head coach Clint Conque and his staff received signed National Letters of Intent from four midyear junior college transfers, in addition to seven early high school recruits, who were able to sign in December for the first time.
With a talented mix of newcomers from Texas and Mississippi, the Lumberjacks will have six of the 11 signees for spring workouts as two high school additions and the four JUCO transfers will enroll at SFA in January. Six on the offensive side of the ball, including three on the offensive line, two tight ends and a wide receiver, signed with the 'Jacks Wednesday, while SFA got signatures from five defensive players, counting three defensive backs, a linebacker and a defensive lineman.
Midyear Junior College Transfers
Tanner Elliot | OL | 6-3 | 290
Tyler Junior College | Carthage HS | Carthage, Texas
Aretavious Hendrix | CB | 6-1 | 185
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | Starkville HS | Starkville, Miss.
Quin Jones | LB | 6-1 | 230
East Mississippi Community College | Lafayette County HS | Abbeville, Miss.
Bryce Wempa | TE | 6-5 | 248
Tyler Junior College | Royse City HS | Royse City, Texas
Early High School Signees
Brody Anderson | S | 5-10 | 190
Katy HS | Katy, Texas
QuenTyvian "Q" Borders | WR | 6-2 | 180
San Augustine HS | San Augustine, Texas
JaTerious Evans | S | 6-1 | 190
Center HS | Center, Texas
Barclay Ford | TE | 6-3 | 225
North Forney HS | Forney, Texas
Amad Murray | DL | 6-3 | 255
Huntsville HS | Huntsville, Texas
Jeffrey Rose | OL | 6-4 | 287
Cy Ranch HS | Cypress, Texas
John Wilkowski | OL | 6-6 | 284
Cy Ranch HS | Cypress, Texas
The 'Jacks will benefit from both experience and skill with the additions of Tyler Junior College transfers Tanner Elliott (Carthage, Texas) and Bryce Wempa (Royse City, Texas), Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer Aretavious Hendrix (Starkville, Miss.) and East Mississippi Community College standout Quin Jones (Abbeville, Miss.). Elliott, a 6-foot-3, 290-poiund offensive lineman, spent last season helping the Apaches to a 5-0 start and a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) ranking of No. 2 after a successful prep career east Texas football powerhouse Carthage High School. Wempa, the nation's No. 1 rated JUCO tight end by Scout.com entering the 2017 season at 6-foot-5, 248 pounds, will look to fill a position that was hit hard by injury this past year. Hendrix, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback who spent the last two years competing for the Bulldogs in the Magnolia State, will bring experience to a cornerback group that lost three seniors in Tarrin Mitchell, Aaron Foy and Trent Perriman. Jones, a very solid linebacker with good size at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, helped the Lions to a NJCAA national championship this past fall and a 22-2 composite record over the last two seasons.
"Anytime you look at signing transfers, whether it be FBS or community college transfers, you're looking for young men that have an opportunity to come in and fill an immediate need and create competition at those positions," commented coach Conque. "We feel like we've accomplished that with the four young men that we are bringing in. We're very excited, all of those young men had multiple offers. One originally committed to another school and obviously signed with us today, so we are extremely excited about Bryce Wempa, Quin Jones, Tanner Elliott and Aretavious Hendrix. We think they will all come in and provide an immediate impact at their positions and, obviously, immediate competition."
Highlighted by January enrollees Brody Anderson (Katy, Texas) and John Wilkowski (Cypress, Texas), SFA brings in local talent with the signing of QuenTyvian "Q" Borders (San Augustine, Texas) and JaTerious Evans (Center, Texas). Anderson, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound safety, played at Texas football stalwart Katy High School and will get invaluable practice time this spring to prepare for next fall, along with Wilkowski, an offensive lineman from Cy Ranch High School with great size at 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds. Borders, the lone wideout signed Wednesday, is 6-foot-2, 180 pounds and brings a ton of athleticism to an already talented receiving corps after staring at nearby San Augustine High School. Evans, a Center High School product, is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety who will be a great option in the Lumberjacks' secondary.
"Any recruiting cycle, you want to look in your backyard first and we feel like we did that," Conque said about getting a pair of local talents. "Two young men from right here in east Texas, Q Borders and JaTerious Evans, are dynamic, multi-sport athletes who are two-position players. Both of them can run and are athletic. We got to see them in camp this summer and we feel really good about them having an opportunity to create a role for themselves, possibly as early as next year, but certainly in the future."
"When you look at the other young men, we were able to secure a couple of linemen on both sides of the football to address some needs for next season and for the future of our program," continued Conque. "Of course, Brody Anderson comes in from Katy High School, high-level football down there, and both he and John Wilkowski will be January enrollees, so they will be able to go through offseason and spring practice with us which will be huge."
Barclay Ford (Forney, Texas), Amad Murray (Huntsville, Texas) and Jeffrey Rose (Cypress, Texas) are also eager to compete as 'Jacks after signing Wednesday morning. Ford, another tight end with good size at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, hails from North Forney High School and will help out at the position after the departure of senior veteran leader Will Taylor. Murray, the first defensive lineman of the 2018 class, enjoyed his prep career at Huntsville High School and adds to an already skilled defensive front at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds. Rose, one of two Cy Ranch High School pickups for SFA Wednesday, rounds out the Lumberjacks' three offensive line additions as a 6-foot-4, 287-pound two-star recruit by 247Sports.
"All in all, we bring in 11 new players to the program, six of which will be here in January and five who will be here this summer," the head coach added "We're excited about their trust in our program, the direction we are going and want to go. Each one of them, individually, bring Division I talents to our program. Some with experience, some still in the high school ranks. I think having the two high school kids here in the spring will be invaluable to their progress."
"We are still actively pursuing several young men," coach Conque remarked. "We have an opportunity to bring one more into the program before classes start in January. Obviously, we are being very selective but we are looking for somebody that can come in and impact our football team and be here for the offseason and drills. We're not quite finished yet. To the process itself, this is new. We have two signing dates now but we feel that we have accomplished a great deal at this point with the first signing period."
The 11 newcomers kick off the 2018 signing class and are the starting blocks to the 2018 SFA football team, a squad that envisions new heights next fall. The 'Jacks went 4-7 overall and 4-5 in Southland Conference play in 2017 but posted a 4-1 record against in-state FCS opponents, marking the first time since 1995 SFA claimed four victories over Texas schools in a single season.
Friday, Dec. 22 is the last day high schoolers can ink a NLI in the December early signing period, while midyear transfers can sign until Monday, Jan. 15. National Signing Day 2018 will take place Wednesday, Feb. 7 when the Lumberjacks' 2018 class will be made complete with the signatures of additional high school standouts. SFA's full 2018 schedule will be released in January.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football.
-SFA-
With a talented mix of newcomers from Texas and Mississippi, the Lumberjacks will have six of the 11 signees for spring workouts as two high school additions and the four JUCO transfers will enroll at SFA in January. Six on the offensive side of the ball, including three on the offensive line, two tight ends and a wide receiver, signed with the 'Jacks Wednesday, while SFA got signatures from five defensive players, counting three defensive backs, a linebacker and a defensive lineman.
Midyear Junior College Transfers
Tanner Elliot | OL | 6-3 | 290
Tyler Junior College | Carthage HS | Carthage, Texas
Aretavious Hendrix | CB | 6-1 | 185
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | Starkville HS | Starkville, Miss.
Quin Jones | LB | 6-1 | 230
East Mississippi Community College | Lafayette County HS | Abbeville, Miss.
Bryce Wempa | TE | 6-5 | 248
Tyler Junior College | Royse City HS | Royse City, Texas
Early High School Signees
Brody Anderson | S | 5-10 | 190
Katy HS | Katy, Texas
QuenTyvian "Q" Borders | WR | 6-2 | 180
San Augustine HS | San Augustine, Texas
JaTerious Evans | S | 6-1 | 190
Center HS | Center, Texas
Barclay Ford | TE | 6-3 | 225
North Forney HS | Forney, Texas
Amad Murray | DL | 6-3 | 255
Huntsville HS | Huntsville, Texas
Jeffrey Rose | OL | 6-4 | 287
Cy Ranch HS | Cypress, Texas
John Wilkowski | OL | 6-6 | 284
Cy Ranch HS | Cypress, Texas
The 'Jacks will benefit from both experience and skill with the additions of Tyler Junior College transfers Tanner Elliott (Carthage, Texas) and Bryce Wempa (Royse City, Texas), Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer Aretavious Hendrix (Starkville, Miss.) and East Mississippi Community College standout Quin Jones (Abbeville, Miss.). Elliott, a 6-foot-3, 290-poiund offensive lineman, spent last season helping the Apaches to a 5-0 start and a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) ranking of No. 2 after a successful prep career east Texas football powerhouse Carthage High School. Wempa, the nation's No. 1 rated JUCO tight end by Scout.com entering the 2017 season at 6-foot-5, 248 pounds, will look to fill a position that was hit hard by injury this past year. Hendrix, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound cornerback who spent the last two years competing for the Bulldogs in the Magnolia State, will bring experience to a cornerback group that lost three seniors in Tarrin Mitchell, Aaron Foy and Trent Perriman. Jones, a very solid linebacker with good size at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, helped the Lions to a NJCAA national championship this past fall and a 22-2 composite record over the last two seasons.
"Anytime you look at signing transfers, whether it be FBS or community college transfers, you're looking for young men that have an opportunity to come in and fill an immediate need and create competition at those positions," commented coach Conque. "We feel like we've accomplished that with the four young men that we are bringing in. We're very excited, all of those young men had multiple offers. One originally committed to another school and obviously signed with us today, so we are extremely excited about Bryce Wempa, Quin Jones, Tanner Elliott and Aretavious Hendrix. We think they will all come in and provide an immediate impact at their positions and, obviously, immediate competition."
Highlighted by January enrollees Brody Anderson (Katy, Texas) and John Wilkowski (Cypress, Texas), SFA brings in local talent with the signing of QuenTyvian "Q" Borders (San Augustine, Texas) and JaTerious Evans (Center, Texas). Anderson, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound safety, played at Texas football stalwart Katy High School and will get invaluable practice time this spring to prepare for next fall, along with Wilkowski, an offensive lineman from Cy Ranch High School with great size at 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds. Borders, the lone wideout signed Wednesday, is 6-foot-2, 180 pounds and brings a ton of athleticism to an already talented receiving corps after staring at nearby San Augustine High School. Evans, a Center High School product, is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety who will be a great option in the Lumberjacks' secondary.
"Any recruiting cycle, you want to look in your backyard first and we feel like we did that," Conque said about getting a pair of local talents. "Two young men from right here in east Texas, Q Borders and JaTerious Evans, are dynamic, multi-sport athletes who are two-position players. Both of them can run and are athletic. We got to see them in camp this summer and we feel really good about them having an opportunity to create a role for themselves, possibly as early as next year, but certainly in the future."
"When you look at the other young men, we were able to secure a couple of linemen on both sides of the football to address some needs for next season and for the future of our program," continued Conque. "Of course, Brody Anderson comes in from Katy High School, high-level football down there, and both he and John Wilkowski will be January enrollees, so they will be able to go through offseason and spring practice with us which will be huge."
Barclay Ford (Forney, Texas), Amad Murray (Huntsville, Texas) and Jeffrey Rose (Cypress, Texas) are also eager to compete as 'Jacks after signing Wednesday morning. Ford, another tight end with good size at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, hails from North Forney High School and will help out at the position after the departure of senior veteran leader Will Taylor. Murray, the first defensive lineman of the 2018 class, enjoyed his prep career at Huntsville High School and adds to an already skilled defensive front at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds. Rose, one of two Cy Ranch High School pickups for SFA Wednesday, rounds out the Lumberjacks' three offensive line additions as a 6-foot-4, 287-pound two-star recruit by 247Sports.
"All in all, we bring in 11 new players to the program, six of which will be here in January and five who will be here this summer," the head coach added "We're excited about their trust in our program, the direction we are going and want to go. Each one of them, individually, bring Division I talents to our program. Some with experience, some still in the high school ranks. I think having the two high school kids here in the spring will be invaluable to their progress."
"We are still actively pursuing several young men," coach Conque remarked. "We have an opportunity to bring one more into the program before classes start in January. Obviously, we are being very selective but we are looking for somebody that can come in and impact our football team and be here for the offseason and drills. We're not quite finished yet. To the process itself, this is new. We have two signing dates now but we feel that we have accomplished a great deal at this point with the first signing period."
The 11 newcomers kick off the 2018 signing class and are the starting blocks to the 2018 SFA football team, a squad that envisions new heights next fall. The 'Jacks went 4-7 overall and 4-5 in Southland Conference play in 2017 but posted a 4-1 record against in-state FCS opponents, marking the first time since 1995 SFA claimed four victories over Texas schools in a single season.
Friday, Dec. 22 is the last day high schoolers can ink a NLI in the December early signing period, while midyear transfers can sign until Monday, Jan. 15. National Signing Day 2018 will take place Wednesday, Feb. 7 when the Lumberjacks' 2018 class will be made complete with the signatures of additional high school standouts. SFA's full 2018 schedule will be released in January.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football.
-SFA-
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