Texas Southern University Tigers Football Releases 2017 Schedule

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Texas Southern Tigers football team released their 2017 schedule this week highlighted by a total of five home games.

TSU will open the season at Florida A&M (Aug. 26) playing in the Jake Gaither Classic in Tallahassee.

The Tigers will return home to the friendly confines of BBVA Compass the following weekend as they face cross town rival Prairie View A&M (Sept. 2) in the Labor Day Classic.

Texas Southern will have a quick turnaround for its next outing as the Tigers will host Houston Baptist for Community Day (Sept. 7) at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Texas Southern will return to Southwestern Athletic Conference play the next week as the Tigers travel to Huntsville, Alabama to face Alabama A&M (Sept. 23).

TSU will host the defending SWAC East Champion Alcorn State Braves (Sept. 29) at BBVA Compass Stadium for its third home game of the season.

The Tigers will travel to Kennesaw, Georgia to face Kennesaw State (Oct. 7) in non-conference the following week before returning home to host Alabama State for Homecoming (Oct. 14).

Texas Southern will conclude the regular season portion of its schedule with three of its last four games on the road.

The Tigers will travel to face the HBCU National Champion Grambling State Tigers (Oct. 28) before going to Itta Bena, Mississippi to face Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 11).

The Texas Southern Tigers will wrap-up the 2017 campaign versus Southern (Nov. 11) at home for Senior Day prior traveling to Pine Bluff, Arkansas to face Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 18) in their season finale.

Date	SWAC	Opponent	Location	Time/Result
8/26/2017		Florida A&M (Jake Gaither Classic)	Tallahassee, Fla.	TBA
9/2/2017		Prairie View A&M (Labor Day Classic)	HOUSTON	8:00 pm
9/7/2017		Houston Baptist (Community Day)	HOUSTON	7:30 pm
9/23/2017		Alabama A&M	Huntsville, Ala.	TBA
9/29/2017		Alcorn State	HOUSTON	8:00 pm
10/7/2017		Kennesaw State	Kennesaw, Ga.	TBA
10/14/2017		Alabama State (Homecoming)	Houston, TX	2:00 pm
10/28/2017		Grambling State University	Grambling, LA	TBA
11/4/2017		Mississippi Valley State	Itta Bena, Miss.	TBA
11/11/2017		Southern (Senior Day)	HOUSTON	5:00 pm
11/18/2017		Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Pine Bluff, Ark.	TBA

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Shaw Bears Announces 2017 Football Schedule

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Shaw University Athletics released its 2017 football schedule on Wednesday evening during the official signing day celebration in the Willie E. Gary Student Center. The Bears slate is highlighted with a game at Division I FCS North Carolina Central and matchups with Division II institutions that include the University of New Haven and Malone.

Shaw will have five homes contests this year, including its season opener against Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) member New Haven on Saturday, Sept. 2 The Bears will then travel to Durham for its first meeting with NCCU for the first time since 2006 on Sept. 9.

The following week (Sept. 16) will put the Bears back at home with a contest versus Malone, a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) for the first time ever in program history.

The Bears begin Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play with a road contest at Bowie State (Sept. 30) before returning home to host Elizabeth City State on Sept. 30. Shaw will start division action at Fayetteville State on Oct. 7, followed by a home contest with Livingstone on Oct. 14.

dATE	OPPONENT	NOTES	RESULT	STATUS	LINKS
Sep. 02	New Haven			1:00 PM
Sep. 09	at North Carolina Central			6:00 PM
Sep. 16	Malone			4:00 PM
Sep. 23	at Bowie State *			TBA
Sep. 30	Elizabeth City State *			TBA
Oct. 07	at Fayetteville State * ^			1:00 PM
Oct. 14	Livingstone * ^			1:00 PM
Oct. 21	at Johnson C. Smith * ^			1:00 PM
Oct. 28	at Winston-Salem State * ^			TBA
Nov. 04	Saint Augustine's ^			12:00 PM

* Conference 

^ Division  

Bold: Home event

Shaw will take part in a two-game road skid on Oct. 21 at Johnson C. Smith and Winston-Salem State (Oct. 28).

Cross-town rival Saint Augustine's will provide opposition to the Bears in this year's homecoming test. The game is scheduled for Nov. 4 at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

Shaw is coming off a 2-8 finish and 2-5 record in the CIAA under first year head coach Adrian Jones. The Bears closed out the season with a 35-32 victory over Saint Augustine's for the first annual Raleigh Classic. In addition, Shaw had five players receive All-CIAA Conference honors, two named to the All-Rookie Team and one CIAA Rookie of the Year.

All home football games are played at Durham County Memorial Stadium located on 750 Stadium Drive, Durham, NC 27704.

For the most up-to-date information on Shaw football and its 11 varsity sport teams, please visit www.shawbears.com.

SHAW UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Howard University Releases 2017 Football Schedule

Add caption

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Howard University releases its 2017 football schedule. The Bison open the season under new head coach Mike London and will kick off the season in a game against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

The game will be a joint effort between the two schools to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Howard University.

"This is a great event," said Howard University Director of Athletics, Kery Davis. "To celebrate the University 150-year legacy in a game played in Las Vegas is huge. There is a lot of excitement from alums and fans surrounding it."

The game scheduled for September 2, marks the first time that the two have met on the gridiron.

The Bison will follow with road games at Kent State from the tough MAC conference on September 9, then onto the University of Richmond on September 16 before finally coming home to play the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman on September 23.

Howard will then travel to Hampton, Va to take on the rival Pirates of Hampton University on September 30. The Bison will then host North Carolina Central on October 7 before traveling to Dover, DE to play the Hornets of Delaware State on October 14.

The 2017 homecoming will follow on October 21 when Howard hosts longtime rival Morgan State. The Bison close out the season with games at South Carolina State on October 28 and at Florida A&M on November 4 before closing out the regular season hosting Norfolk State on Senior Day, November 11.

"The 2017 schedule looks to be very challenging and competitive," noted London. "We have seven road games and four home games. We must quickly develop in the spring and summer months leading into August camps. We must be prepared to play at a high level preparing for two BCS opponents and an always ranked FCS Richmond team. With all that said, we look forward to the opportunity to play at our best, be competitive and improve Howard football as a contender in our conference and the FCS division." London formerly served as head coach at Richmond where he won an FCS national championship.

Below is the full 2017 Schedule:

Date                                         Opponent                                         Location
2-Sep                                       UNLV                                               Las Vegas, NV
9-Sep                                       Kent State University                       Kent, OH
16-Sep                                     University of Richmond                   Richmond, VA
23-Sep                                     Bethune Cookman University          Washington, DC
30-Sep                                     Hampton University                          Hampton, VA
7-Oct                                       North Carolina Central University    Washington, DC 
14-Oct                                      Delaware State University                Dover, DE
21-Oct                                      Morgan State University                   Washington, DC (homecoming)
28-Oct                                      South Carolina State University       Orangeburg, SC
4-Nov                                       Florida A&M University                     Tallahassee, FL 
11-Nov                                     Norfolk State University                     Washington, D.C 

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Steve ‘Air’ McNair’s legacy lives on at Alcorn State

LORMAN, Mississippi -- The pain is still there for Fred McNair.

As he prepares to celebrate his first anniversary as Alcorn State University’s head football coach, the original Air McNair often thinks about his late younger brother Steve, who adopted the nickname and soared to an impressive collegiate and NFL career.

Steve “Air II” McNair was a legendary quarterback at Alcorn State. In 1994 pro scouts routinely came to Lorman, Mississippi, to see him perform at the small Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) school. He was a running and throwing talent who would finish third in the Heisman Trophy voting.

“People forget that I’m the original Air McNair,” quipped Fred, who is five years older than Steve. “He followed me and he took off. I’m very proud of what he was able to accomplish. Some people mistakenly called me Steve. In fact, some still call me Steve. It’s always been that way and I guess it will continue. I’m OK with it.”

On July 4, 2009, Steve McNair was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds in a Nashville, Tennessee, condominium he rented. He was found next to the body of a young woman, Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi, with whom he was involved in a relationship. The case was ruled as a murder-suicide.

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NSU Baseball Picked to Win MEAC North, 7 on Preseason All-MEAC Teams

NORFOLK, Virginia – The Norfolk State University baseball team was picked to win its third consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Northern Division title and seven Spartans were selected to the preseason All-MEAC team as the league released its preseason predictions on Friday.

In voting by league head coaches and sports information directors, pitcher siblings Jonathan and Alex Mauricio and outfielders Denathan Dukes and Brian Beard were voted to the preseason All-MEAC first team. Pitcher Devin Hemmerich, first baseman Roger Hall and second baseman Chase Anderson were chosen to the second team as NSU tallied the most preseason all-conference picks of any MEAC program.

Both Mauricios are coming off All-MEAC first-team seasons. Jonathan Mauricio, a senior right-handed starter, was 6-2 with a MEAC-leading 2.29 ERA last season. He struck out 59 batters in 59 innings and tossed three complete games, including a pair of shutouts. Alex Mauricio, a junior, was voted to the All-MEAC first team at relief pitcher after earning the same postseason honor last season. Also a starting infielder for the Spartans, Alex Mauricio tied for the MEAC lead with five saves last season, compiling a 3-1 record with a 3.23 ERA and a .210 opponents' batting average.

Seniors Dukes and Beard make up half of the MEAC's first-team outfielders. Dukes earned All-MEAC second-team honors at the end of last season. Dukes batted .290 with 41 runs scored, 16 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 26 attempts. His 25 steals were second-most in the MEAC, and he led the conference in both runs scored and stolen bases per game. Beard, a utility man who ended last season as the starting left fielder, batted .299 with one home run, nine doubles and 27 RBI. He ranked third in the MEAC with 19 stolen bases in 20 attempts and was a MEAC All-Tournament Team selection.

Hemmerich, a senior left-hander, also earned MEAC All-Tournament Team honors last year. He finished the season 5-4 with a 3.86 ERA and ranked second in the MEAC in both innings pitched (81.2) and strikeouts (84) in 2016. Hall, a senior, led the Spartans with a .316 batting average last season and was third in the MEAC with 17 doubles. Hall, another MEAC All-Tournament Team pick, drove in 31 runs last season. Anderson, a sophomore who also pitches for NSU, batted .244 with 11 RBI while playing strong infield defense as a freshman last season.

The Spartans received 15 of a possible 18 first-place votes among the MEAC North teams. Second-place Delaware State earned one and third-place Coppin State earned two. Maryland Eastern Shore was selected fourth.

In the Southern Division, defending MEAC tournament champion Bethune-Cookman was picked to finish first and received 10 first-place votes. Last year's MEAC South regular-season champion, Florida A&M, was second with six first-place votes. North Carolina Central was predicted third and had one first-place vote, while Savannah State (one first-place vote) was picked fourth and North Carolina A&T fifth.

The Spartans return 14 letterwinners, including six starters from the everyday lineup and six pitchers, from last year's MEAC tournament runner-up squad. The Spartans won their second straight MEAC Northern Division title a year ago and set the school's Division I-era wins record with a 29-21 mark. They open the season Feb. 17-19 at Marty L. Miller Field with a three-game series against Villanova.

Preseason MEAC Predictions

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Linemen, defensive playmakers dominate FAMU's 2017 signing class

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M head coach Alex Wood tackled his third National Signing Day with more or less the same strategy he used during his first two years at the helm of the Rattlers.

Fill needs. Bring in strong, academically-sound players. Make sure there’s a group of strong lineman ready to provide depth.

And, of course, generate some excitement.

Wood closed out Signing Day with another rundown of his recruits at FAMU’s College of Pharmacy and made sure the crowd knew he was pleased with all 24 of his signees. All 18 of his high school recruits came from Florida, and he added a few quality JUCO transfers to round out this year’s class.

“It’s always exciting when you have a chance to bring in new talent to your school, to your program,” Wood said. “We’re optimistic about all of the young men when had a chance to go out and investigate and interview and bring here for an official visit.

“We’re excited, always. That’s part of football. It’s a national deal now. It’s almost a national holiday, Signing Day. I see all of the stuff going on on camera, nationally. We’re happy to be a part of all of that.”

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Jeff Mills: A&T Aggies continue building on their success

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The rebuilding project at N.C. A&T is over. Now the Aggies football program is simply building.

A&T hosted a reception for alumni and fans on National Signing Day, a holiday of sorts for college football, when everyone is excited and hopeful for the next season.

It’s easy to get excited when you’re winning.

“We’ve gotten somewhat ebullient as far as who we’re recruiting,” A&T coach Rod Broadway said. “I say that, because the first couple of years here, we would drive down Benbow Road and throw scholarships out the window hoping to find someone.

“And now we’re competing for players against App State, UNC-Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, The Citadel, Old Dominion, people like that. We haven’t competed much against other teams in the MEAC. We’ve upgraded our recruiting in the types of kids we bring in.”

Broadway and his staff are bringing in a recruiting class of 17 players — five of them already are enrolled for the spring semester — to add to a program that finished the 2016 season ranked No. 20 in both the FCS Coaches Poll and the STATS Top 25 national rankings.

Nine of the 17 players are linemen, and six of those are offensive linemen. That includes 6-foot-3, 285-pound Dacquari Wilson of Greensboro, who helped Dudley win a state championship.

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Randy Anyanwu transfers from Buffalo to North Carolina Central

RANDY ANYANWU
Height:6-2
Weight:226
Year:Junior
Hometown: Lovejoy, GA
High School: Lovejoy
Position: LB

BUFFALO, New York -- It's the time of year we find out who is becoming a Bull and who has decided to finish their college careers somewhere else.

One player leaving Buffalo this year is Defensive End Randy Anyanwu. The would be Junior is leaving the Bulls to play for North Carolina Central of the MEAC

Randy had dropped a commitment to WKU and picked Buffalo back in 2014. He also selected Buffalo over offers from Marshall, Old Dominion, Georgia State, Texas Tech, UAB, and West Virginia.

In High School Anyanwu was a Georgia Sports Writers Association all-state second team selection on the defensive line as he helped lead the Lovejoy Wildcats to a perfect league season and an appearance in the 2013 Georgia Boys State Football Playoff Brackets.

At UB the would be Junior became a special teams player who recorded ten tackles in 21 games as a Bull.



High School: Came to Buffalo after an outstanding career at Lovejoy High School. Anyanwu led the defense all season long as a senior as he was named first-team All-Region and All-County. He also earned second-team All-State for his dominance as a senior. Anyanwu is also a three-time state finalist for the discus throw as a part of his high school’s track and field team. He holds the school’s all-time record for the discus throw.

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The SWAC is Texas Southern...and everyone else

HOUSTON, Texas -- The last SWAC team to win a game in the NCAA Tournament was Arkansas Pine-Bluff in 2010, and no SWAC team has advanced to the Round of 32 since 1993 (ed. note: Ellie was like -30 in 1993).

Texas Southern is looking for its third tournament appearance in the last four years. The Tigers are the class of the SWAC, and few seem ready to challenge them.

The Tigers lead the SWAC with an 8-1 conference record, two games better than second-place Alcorn State. But the gap is really wider than that. Alcorn State is just 9-11 overall, and earlier this season lost by 23 to an Evansville team that is 1-9 in the Missouri Valley. Although Texas Southern has suffered some horrific losses against ranked opponents, the Tigers have beaten Rice and barely lost to UT Arlington.

Zach Lofton is averaging a conference-high 18 points per game and racking up a ton of steals. If the Tigers want to keep up their level of play, the former Illinois State Redbird will need to continue to score in bunches.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, they are without former AP All-American Honorable Mention forward Derrick Griffin. The sophomore left the team despite averaging 11.3 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game so he can focus on preparation for the NFL Draft. Griffin was last year’s SWAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in basketball, and was all-SWAC in football, leading the league in touchdowns with 11 in 2015.

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JCSU Football Inks Six on National Signing Day

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith University third-year head football coach Kermit Blount has announced the signing of six student-athletes to the binding National Letter of Intent as part of National Signing Day.

"It's an exciting day for Golden Bull football," said Blount. "These additions will add much needed depth as we continue to build the foundation of our program. This group will add some size and speed to our defense, particularly to the defensive front."

Of the six signees, four are defensive players that will help add depth to a JCSU side that finished the 2016 season ranked 11th in total defense in the CIAA. Offensively, creating depth and competition at the quarterback position was a priority as well as adding depth the JCSU receiving corps.

A complete list of today's signees can be found below. Additional signees will be released as they are received.

Name	Position	HT	WT	Hometown/Previous School
Isaiah Butler	DT	6-2	285	Orlando, Fla. (Evans HS)
Markel Freeman	ATH/WR	6-4	195	Williamston, N.C. (Riverside HS)
Ernest Harper	QB	6-0	187	Fort Washington, Md. (National Christian Academy)
Sterling McCarrall	DT	6-3	290	Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (Brother Rice HS)
Shylik Mearite	LB	6-0	230	Fayetteville, N.C. (Terry Sanford HS)
Jabriel Robinson	DE	6-1	208	Bluffton, S.C. (Bluffton HS)

JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

2017 VUU Football NSD Signees

2017 VUU Football Signees

Jordan Wall         6'0  220 LB     Highland Springs High School (Richmond Times Dispatch 2nd  Team All-Metro LB)
D'Angelo Williams   6'3  320 OL     Highland Springs High School  First Team All-Conference
Brian Epps          6'0  190 DB     Highland Springs High School (1st Team All-Conference DB)
Jaiden Reavis       5'10 175 WR     Highland Springs High School (1st Team All- Conference WR)
James Jackson       6'3  175 WR     Highland Springs High School (1st Team All-Conference WR)
Woody Winborn      5'10 180 ATH    Hermitage High School (2nd Team All-Metro QB)
D'Andre Walker      5'10 180 CB     Henrico High School (1st Team All-Metro & 1st Team All State)
Erwin Faison        6'1  180 QB     Norview HS 757 (1st Team All- State)
Jirod Carr          6'2  300 OL     Vance HS NC (1st Team All- Conference)
Omoniyi Fatirgun    6'1  200 SS     Dwight Morrow HS NJ (1st Team All-North Jersey)
Brion Byrd          6'0  220 LB     Deerfield Beach HS FL (1st Team All County)
Drew Stephens       5'11 175 ATH    Abraham Clark HS NJ (1st Team All-Conference)
Kewann Calloway     5'9  175 ATH    Fort Lauderdale HS (1st Team All-Broward County)
Jordan Woods        6'3  180 SS     Dundalk HS MD (1st Team All-County)
Rodney Mckay        5'8  180 RB     Pahokee HS FL (1st Team All-State & Candidate for Mr. Florida)
Cortez Grace        6'1  220 OLB    Deerfield Beach HS FL (1st Team All County)
Darien Williams     6'1  290 DT     Dean College JC  
James Tillman       6'1  300 OL     Northview HS
Markell Thomas      6'2  300 OL     Monroe JC
Rickey Benson       6'3  330 OL     Dean College JC
 
2017 Mid Year Signees
Darius Taylor       6'5  200 QB     Monroe JC
Taj Watkins         6'1  220 LB     Dean College

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SC State Adds 22 Prospects to 2017 Signing Class

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- South Carolina State, Wednesday, announced the signing of twenty-two (22) football prospects to national letters. This year's entire class represents the Palmetto State.

Seven defensive backs, five running backs, three defensive lineman, four wide receivers, two offensive lineman, and one quarterback make up this year's signing class.

The Bulldogs return a young veteran core on the offensive and defensive line with the departure of only ten (10) seniors from last year's squad. The defense will be spearheaded by the talented linebacker duo of All-American Darius Leonard and All-MEAC performer Dayshawn Taylor.

Center Victor Ishmael, Jr., will be the veteran leader on the offensive line with the departure of All-MEAC and NFL prospect Javarius Leamon.

SC State coach Buddy Pough,(117-56) who is entering his 16^th year at the helm and needs just 12 victories to eclipse the 128 wins of Head Coach Emeritus Willie Jeffries, called the class a good, solid one.

 "We feel like we were able to get some quality talent out of the state of South Carolina with our signees," said Pough during a Wednesday press conference. "When you have a chance to get some of the guys we signed from some of the solid high school programs in this state, then everything falls in place in the recruiting process.

"Our coaches always felt it was important to keep the talent in-state, despite having to compete for such players with schools like Clemson, South Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Furman, Wofford, The Citadel , Charleston Southern , Newberry and Presbyterian, just to name a few. We signed five running backs in this class because most running backs are pure athletes and can pretty much play multiple positions."

Among the Palmetto State prospects are six All-Star selections – RB Omar Cummings of Beaufort, SC; DB Jaylen Evans of Hartsville, SC; DL Shaheem Haltiwanger of Lexington, SC; OL Khalil Moore of Sumter, SC; QB Tyrece Nick of Johnston, SC; and DB Corey Riley of Columbia, SC.

Pough stated, "Overall, I think we did a great job addressing our needs with this class. We are still looking for a kicker or two down the line but for the most part we (coaches) did a great job putting together another solid recruiting class."




For more information on South Carolina State Athletics log onto www.scsuathletics.comor call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803)536-7060.

2017 SC State Signing Class

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
2017 FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS

SIGNEE POSITION HT WT HIGH SCHOOL HOMETOWN

Tyshawn Baines RB 5’10 195 Lake City HS Lake City, SC

•  2 time WPDE All-Zone Team
• 2 time WMBF All-Blitz Team
• Senior year accounted for 1,463 yards & 24 touchdowns
• Played for Coach Terrell Fleming

Jacory Benson RB 5’9 170 Seneca HS Seneca, SC

•  2016 High School Sports Report All State selection
• 3 time All-Region 1-3A selection
• Accounted for over 4,500 career rushing yards and 62 touchdowns
• Played for Coach Hal Capps

Andre Brown DE 6’2 200 Scott’s Branch HS Summerton, SC

• 2 time All-State selection
• 3 time All-Region 5-1A selection
• Played for Coach Wayne Farmer

Mikail Coleman DB 5’11 170 Boiling Springs HS Boiling Springs, SC

• 2016 All-Region 3-5A selection
• Senior year totaled 103 tackles, 5 interceptions, & 2 fumble recoveries
• Played for Coach Johnathan Tate

Omar Cummings RB 5’9 175 Beaufort HS Beaufort, SC

• Selected to play in the North-South All Star Game
• 2016 High School Sports Report All State selection
• High School Sports Report Top 100 Seniors
• 2 time All Region 8-4A selection
• Senior year accounted for 1,270 yards and 17 touchdowns
• Played for Coach Mark Clifford

Jaylen Evans DB 6’0 177 Hartsville HS Hartsville, SC

• Selected to play in the North-South All Star Game
• 2016 High School Sports Report All State selection
• Played for Coach Jeff Calabrese

Tim Ewing DB 5’11 170 Greenwood HS Greenwood, SC

• 2016 All-Region 2-5A selection
• Senior year responsible for 75 tackles and 4 interceptions
• Played for Coach Dan Pippin

Tison Gray OL 6’4 300 Keenan HS Columbia, SC

• 2 time All-Region 3-2A selection
• Played for Coach Sean Gilley

Farrika Grier RB 5’11 225 Lancaster HS Lancaster, SC

• The Herald 2016 All-Area Football Team
• 2 time All-Region 3-4A selection
• Rushed for over 3,200 career yards & 34 touchdowns
• Played for Coach Bobby Collins

Shaheem Haltiwanger DL 6’3 255 White Knoll HS Lexington, SC

• Selected to play in the Shrine Bowl All Star Game
• USA Today 2016 All-State Football Team
• The State Newspaper 2016 All-Midlands Football Team
• Played for Coach Dean Howell

Deprince Haynes FB 5’11 216 Spring Valley HS Columbia, SC

• The State Newspaper 2016 All-Midlands Football Team
•  2016 All Region 5-5A selection
• Senior year accounted for 143 tackles
•  Played for Coach Robin Bacon

Xaiver Johnson DE 6’1 240 Lake View HS Lake View, SC

•  Member of the 2016 1A State Champions
•  2016 High School Sports Report Class A Defensive Player of the Year
•  Played for Coach Daryl King

Zafir Kelly DB 6’1 170 Irmo HS Columbia, SC

•  The State Newspaper 2016 All-Midlands Football Team
•  2016 All-Region 5-5A selection
•  Senior year responsible for 50 tackles, 2 interceptions, & 7 pass break ups
•  Played for Coach Reggie Kennedy

Khalil Moore OL 6’4 275 Sumter HS Sumter, SC

• Selected to play in the North-South All Star Game
• The Sumter Item 2016 All-Area Team
• 2 time All-Region 6-5A selection
• Played for Coach Mark Barnes

Jonathan Muhammad WR 6’1 180 South Pointe HS Rock Hill, SC

•  Member of the 2016 4A State Champions
• Senior year caught 30 passes for over 700 yards and 6 touchdowns
• Played for Coach Strait Herron

Duane Nichols DB 6’0 190 Lake View HS Hamer, SC

• Member of the 2016 1A State Champions
• 2016 High School Sports Report Class A Player of the Year
• Played for Coach Daryl King

Tyrece Nick QB 6’0 170 Strom Thurmond HS Johnston, SC

• Selected to play in the North-South All Star Game
• Selected to play in the SC/GA Border Bowl
• The Augusta Chronicle 2016 All-Area Football Team
•  Senior year accounted for over 1,200 yards rushing, 1,200 passing yards and 14 touchdown passes
• Played for Coach Antwaun Hillary

Marcus Reid TE 6’3 200 CE Murray HS Greeleyville, SC

• 2016 High School Sports Report All State selection
• 2 time All-Region 5-1A selection
•  High School Sports Report Top 100 Seniors
•  Played for Coach Brian Smith

Cory Riley DB 5’10 175 AC Flora HS Columbia, SC

• Selected to play in the North-South All Star Game
• The State Newspaper 2016 All-Midlands Football Team
• High School Sports Report Top 100 Seniors
• 2 time All Region 5-4A selection
• Played for Coach Reggie Shaw

Chris Simmons DB 5’11 185 Orangeburg Wilkinson HS Orangeburg, SC

• 2016 The Times & Democrat All-Area Football Team
• Played for Coach Tommy Brown

Rodriques Thomas WR 6’2 180 Fork Union / Westside HS Anderson, SC

• Averaged over 15 yards per reception at Fork Union & scored 7 touchdowns
• Played for Coach John Shuman at Fork Union

Will Vereen ATH 5’11 197 Myrtle Beach HS Little River, SC

• 2016 All-Region 7-4A selection
• Senior year accounted for 59 receptions, 968 yards, 7 touchdowns
•  Played for Coach Mickey Wilson

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Savannah State Tigers Announce 25 Recruits on Signing Day

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- The Savannah State Tigers announce the signing of 25 recruits in head football coach Erik Raeburn's first recruiting class.

The class includes 23 recruits out of high school and two mid-year transfers.
 
In a position breakdown, there are: six offensive linemen, five defensive backs, three defensive linemen, three wide receivers, two tight ends, two running backs, three linebackers and one quarterback.
 
Of the players signed, 18 are from the state of Georgia, five are from Florida, two from Virginia and one from South Carolina.
 
Three local players signed were: Mekhi Cooper (6-0, 195), a linebacker from Savannah's Memorial Day School where he was a member of three state championship teams; Harvey King (6-4, 275), an offensive lineman from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; and Jamichael Baldwin (5-9, 165), a wide receiver who grew up in Savannah but spent the last couple of years playing for his father at Rockdale County High School in Conyers.
 
Of the six offense lineman signed, two are mid-year transfers.
 
Michael Johnson (6-7, 325) and Jacob Martin (6-4, 285) both come to SSU from Fork Union Military Academy.
 
Other offensive linemen signed were King, Maurice Jones (6-3, 315), Dylan McCloud (6-3, 280) and Christian Pennington (6-3, 305).
 
Defensive backs coming to SSU are Milton Woodward IV (6-1, 190), Ismail Abdul-Qawee (5-11, 188), Deonta Clark, Jr. (6-0, 215), Chukwudifu Ogbonna (6-2, 180) and Antonio Spooney, Jr. (6-0, 195).
 
Micah Thomas (6-4, 250), Aaron Robinson (6-4, 235) and Devon Holmes (6-2, 275) were the defensive lineman that signed.
 
Wide Receivers Baldwin, D'Andre Snead (6-3, 190) and Ronnie Stevens (5-10, 175) plan on making many receptions as does tight ends Stavion Stevenson (6-3, 220) and Jontae Baker (6-2, 220).
 
Rounding out the new signees are running backs Cedric Cole (5-10, 210), Jaylen McCloud (6-1, 195), linebackers Josh Thomas (6-3, 222) and Tyqueze Johnson (6-2, 210) and quarterback Dvonn Gibbons (6-2, 205).
 
Raeburn, who was hired in June 2016, posted a 3-7 record in his first season as head coach at SSU.

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