MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones announced on Wednesday that 10 individuals — nine from high schools and one junior-college transfer — signed National Letters-of-Intent and will join the program for the 2017 season.

Each of the nine prep student-athletes received at least two stars from one of the four national recruiting services, including five of those who are considered three-star recruits.  The Jaguars' 2017 recruiting class features three members from Mobile, while all nine high school individuals helped their teams to the state playoffs last fall.

Click here for bios on South Alabama's 2017 football recruiting class

"Overall when you look at the quality of this class — we don't have big numbers because of the 14 blueshirts we took last summer — it is way up there; I was told we were No. 1 in the Sun Belt Conference as far as average rating per recruit," said Jones.  "We're real excited about the quality of this class, and we hit some needs at wide receiver and in the secondary."

Tywun Walters (Lambert, Miss.) signed with the Jags out of Northwest Mississippi C.C. in December after rushing for 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns for a team that finished the season ranked sixth in the final National Junior College Athletic Association poll.  On Wednesday, Malik Stanley (Topeka, Kan.) joined the program after spending the last two years at Coffeyville (Kan.) C.C., where he earned first-team all-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference honors as a sophomore after catching 58 passes for 712 yards and six touchdowns.

The trio from Mobile includes Kendric Haynes (Murphy High), Cephus Johnson (Davidson HS) and Jalen Tolbert (McGill-Toolen HS).  Haynes posted 412 total stops in his career while helping the Panthers reach postseason play all four years with the varsity, earning three stars from all four national recruiting services.  In his only season as a full-time starter, Johnson was 108-of-187 passing for 1,849 yards with 22 touchdowns against just three interceptions to guide the Warriors to a 9-2 finish, while Tolbert had 37 receptions for 696 yards and nine scores for a Yellow Jacket squad that advanced to the state 7A championship game; both received two stars from 247Sports.com.

"We've had guys who have transferred back here like Marvin Shinn, Danny Woodson, Kendall Houston and Terrance Timmons," Jones stated.  "But it all started when we signed Jalen Thompson, that was a big hit around this town.  Every year that goes by we are getting better and better recruits out of the Mobile area, which is certainly our goal."

AJ DeShazor (Lakeland, Fla.), Davyn Flenord (Lineville, Ala.), Kenard King (Auburndale, Fla.) and Devin Rockette (Oxford, Miss.) each are considered three-star prospects according to at least one national recruiting organization.

DeShazor — a four-year starter with 392 career stops at Lake Gibson HS — was selected third-team all-state in 2016 after posting 114 tackles while helping the Braves go 13-1 on the way to the state 6A title contest.  Flenord, the son of former Alabama and National Basketball Association player Gerald Wallace, caught 37 balls for 781 yards and seven touchdowns in the fall at Central Clay County HS to be named second-team all-state, and he was also a first-team all-state honoree in basketball as a junior.  King was credited with 82 stops, and he intercepted four passes while breaking up four others for Auburndale High.  After recording 16 passes defensed and a pair of interceptions while making 45 total tackles his senior season at Oxford High, Rockette collected first-team all-state and all-region recognition.

Gus Nave (DeKalb, Miss.) helped lead Kemper County HS to the state 3A championship as a senior, posting 42 tackles, eight interceptions and six passes defensed, and he also blocked three kicks as the Wildcats finished 15-1.  Zeke Powell (Georgiana, Ala.) was a first-team all-state selection on the offensive line his final season at Georgiana High, with his efforts helping the Panthers go 12-1 after moving on to the quarterfinals of the state 1A playoffs.

The Jaguars are coming off their second postseason bowl appearance in the last three years after playing Air Force in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl on Dec. 30.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

—USA—