Carthel Begins 2019 Class with Signing of Caiden Walker and Zach Ingram
12/19/2018 5:22:00 PM | Football
‘Jacks sign pair of offensive lineman on opening day of early signing period
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – New SFA football head coach Colby Carthel, who has been hot on the recruiting trail since arriving in Nacogdoches, announced his first two signees of the 2019 Lumberjack class Wednesday afternoon on day one of the early signing period. A pair of offensive lineman inked their national letters of intent to play in Texas' oldest town beginning in the fall of 2019.
Caiden Walker, a three-star recruit from east Texas football powerhouse Newton High School, and Butler Community College transfer Zach Ingram will both be donning the Purple and White.
A four-year varsity letter winner from Newton, Texas, Walker will play for his second consecutive state championship Thursday afternoon at AT&T Stadium in Arlington after being part of a Newton offense that has averaged 505 yards per game in 2018. Leading the Eagles to back-to-back Class 3A Division II state championship games his junior and senior seasons, Walker helped Newton capture a state title in 2017.
He was named All-District 10-3A Division II Second Team offense as a sophomore in 2016 and also claimed all-district honors in 2017 as a junior en route to earning a spot on the Collin Street Bakery/Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Class 3A All-State First Team offense. Twice selected to the Beaumont Enterprise's Super Gold First Team offense, Walker was placed on the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Class 3A All-State Second Team offense as a senior this fall.
Rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com and a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, Walker originally committed to Louisiana Tech and received additional offers from Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese and Lamar. He is the son of Jaime and Joe Walker and plans on studying engineering at SFA.
"I'm really excited about Caiden Walker, we know we've got to build this program from the inside out and that starts up front with the offensive line," coach Carthel said. "To sign a player of his caliber is a big lick for us, he had several FBS offers and wanted to sign early. We brought him in and did our homework and did a home visit done and were able to sign him early, he'll be the only early high school signee we have."
A native of Independence, Missouri, Ingram spent two seasons at Butler C.C. in El Dorado, Kansas, where he helped the Grizzlies claim the 2018 Midwest Classic Bowl. Ingram played in five games at offensive tackle as a sophomore in 2018 and registered a solo tackle after seeing action in a trio of games his true freshman year.
Lettering in both football and basketball at Fort Osage High School, Ingram played defensive end on the gridiron and at forward on the hardwood. He was named 2015 Examiner All-Area as a junior and claimed All-Suburban Conference honors before earning a spot on the Missouri roster of the 2016 Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association All-Star Game. As a senior in 2016, Ingram registered 54 total tackles, including 11 solo stops, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks in 12 games played. Ingram chose SFA over offers from Illinois State, Missouri State, Southeast Missouri and Mississippi Valley State.
"We know we've got some immediate needs up front at the offensive tackle position," added Carthel on Ingram. "We're really excited to get a guy with his physical abilities. With what he's put on film, he's going to have a chance to come in and have an immediate impact up front for the Lumberjacks."
NCAA Division I football's early signing period will end Friday, Dec. 21 with eligible midyear junior college transfers able to sign through Tuesday, Jan. 15. National Signing Day 2019 will take place Wednesday, Feb. 6.
A complete list of Lumberjack football newcomers can be found on SFA's 2019 signees' page.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Lumberjack football leading up to the 2019 season.
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