MOBILE, Ala. - The University of South Alabama football program experienced immediate success on the field in 2009 when the school fielded its first-ever team, finishing 7-0 while outscoring the opposition 321-41. That same trademark can be seen in the Jaguars' 2010 recruiting class.
17 of the 20 individuals who signed National Letters-of-Intent to join the program in the fall helped their high schools qualify for state playoffs in 2009, including a trio who were part of championship squads. The Jags' recruiting class includes a total of 22 student-athletes with a junior-college transfer who enrolled in school last month as well as a high school senior who opted to join the program over scholarship offers from other NCAA Division I schools.
The group includes eight defensive backs and seven offensive linemen, with a total split of 12 players on offense, nine individuals on the defensive side of the ball and one listed as an athlete.
"We were looking for offensive linemen and guys in the secondary. That was the major emphasis, knowing that we would sprinkle in players at other positions," USA head coach Joey Jones stated. "Last year we took the stance that we wanted the best players available, so we ended up a little heavy in some positions knowing that we would go back this year be more targeted in what we were doing.
"This class should be real good for us. You never want to be low on offensive linemen. I sometimes think that it is the most overlooked position in recruiting because you see all these skill players stand out on film, but it's the linemen who are making that happen.
The group of defensive backs is comprised of two junior-college transfers - including Jonathan Cameron from Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C., who signed with the Jaguars in December - three individuals from Georgia, two from Alabama and one from Florida.
Cassius Bradley played at Blinn (Texas), J.C. the last two seasons, helping the Buccaneers finish 11-1 while claiming the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship in the fall. The native of Caldwell, Texas, finished with 56 total stops as a sophomore, as well as with 66 his first year at BJC when the Bucs ended the season 11th in the final poll.
A Waynesboro, Ga., resident, Terrell Brigham was credited with 49 stops the last two seasons at Burke County High. An honorable mention all-state selection, his efforts helped the Bears go 7-4 while advancing to the state AAA playoffs in 2009. Vondre Jackson - who hails from West Point, Ga. - was part of a Troup County HS squad that qualified for the same bracket of the state playoffs as Brigham and Burke County. Trey Sims, who prepped at North Gwinnett HS and is from Buford, Ga., posted 37 stops and forced three fumbles, helping the Bulldogs finish 12-1 overall after advancing to the quarterfinals of the state AAAAA playoffs.
Both Davin Hawkins and Antwan Williams are defensive backs from Alabama. The former earned all-region honors as a senior at Etowah High, while the Gadsden resident was credited with 47 tackles and six interceptions in only six games his junior year. The latter, a native of Hoover, was part of the Buccaneers' state 6A champions - Hoover HS ended the campaign 14-1 overall, winning its first four postseason contests by double figures.
David Crumitie (pronounced CRUMM-it-ee), who hails from Monticello, Fla., was a four-year letterwinner at Jefferson County High School, where he garnered all-area accolades after amassing 30 tackles and picking off six passes last season.
Three of the seven offensive linemen are also from Alabama. Drew Dearman comes to USA after lettering for three years at Vestavia Hills High, where he aided the Rebels in advancing to the state 6A playoffs every season. The Vestavia Hills resident participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic after being named first-team all-state, all-region and all-metro as a senior. A native of Tuscumbia, Chris May was an all-area selection as a senior after helping Deshler HS go 12-2 en route to reaching the semifinals of the state 4A playoffs. Ucambre Williams of Phenix City was credited with an 89 percent overall grade in the fall, earning honorable mention all-state recognition, while helping Central HS move on to the second round of the state 6A playoffs.
Melvin Meggs, who hails from Petal, Miss., and prepped at Petal High, also played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic in December. He started three years for the Panthers, helping them go 17-7 the last two seasons - PHS qualified for the state 6A playoffs in '09 - and was a first-team all-state, all-district and all-area honoree as a senior. A native of Buford, Ga., Shaun Artz was part of a Buford High team that defeated previously unbeaten Calhoun HS to claim the state's AA playoff championship - his efforts helped the Wolves end the season 14-1. Audoniss Madison was named first-team all-state, all-district and all-metro in the fall after Karr HS reached the quarterfinals of the state 4A playoffs on the way to an 11-2 finish. The New Orleans, La., resident started and lettered three seasons for the Cougars.
The final offensive lineman in the group is an individual the Jaguars are familiar with. After starting for four years at Annandale (Va.) High School, Shane Doty prepped last fall at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy, where he earned one of the highest grades on the team. USA defeated FUMA on Oct. 31 last year.
Three other signees hail from the Jags' home state, including a pair of teammates from Auburn HS. Quarterback Calvin Jenkins and defensive lineman Rodney Thomas helped the Tigers go 13-1 en route to the semifinals of the state 6A playoffs. Jenkins was an all-region selection after accounting for 2,501 yards of total offense, as he completed 104-of-180 passes for 1,601 yards and 18 scores while rushing for 900 yards on 132 attempts. A two-time all-region honoree, Thomas posted 46 total stops with 18.5 of those coming behind the line of scrimmage in 2009. Thomas also had 7.5 tackles for loss as a junior. Johnny Lockett rushed for 1,149 yards and 18 touchdowns despite missing two contests in the fall for Sweet Water High, earning first-team all-state and all-region recognition while helping the Bulldogs go 11-2 on the way to the quarterfinals of the state 1A playoffs.
USA also added three other future student-athletes from the Sunshine State - C.J. Bennett and T.J. Glover both hail from Tampa, and Rush Hendricks is from Jay. Glover's Plant HS squad defeated Bennett's team from Alonso High in the second round of the state 5A playoffs on the way to winning the title, with the athlete picking up 914 yards and 11 scores on 79 rushing attempts to go along with 20 receptions for another 341 yards and six touchdowns. Bennett completed 187-of-304 pass attempts for 2,385 yards and 27 touchdowns, adding 210 yards and four scores on the ground, in the fall, which included a 300-yard passing day in the regular-season match-up against PHS. Hendricks is a fullback from Jay High School, where he gained 750 yards rushing although he played in only five games due to injury.
Wide receiver Colby Harper will join the program after playing at Wylie High in Wylie, Texas. As a junior, Harper caught 87 passes for 993 yards and 10 touchdowns, and last season he added 63 receptions for 804 yards and five scores.
Ten members of the Jag's signing class are ranked among the top 15 at their position in their state by Scouts, Inc., with a pair - Bennett and Thomas - making the organization's national list as well.
"I think that we have stepped up in skill level with this group," commented Jones. "One of the things we tried to do as a staff was make sure that any kid we took this year had to be as good or better than the ones we have - that was our standard. Last year, we didn't really know what our standard was going to be, but we ended up with a great class. This year we had something to look at, to see how a recruit compared to someone already on our team.
"Next year, we'll do that even more. That's the approach we're taking in recruiting."
The Jaguars - who recorded an average attendance of more than 18,000 fans per game in 2009 - will play 10 contests in the fall, all against four-year schools, before beginning a two-year transition to the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly NCAA I-A) level. USA will be eligible to compete for a bowl berth and the Sun Belt Conference championship in 2013.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
-USA-
Click here for a link to the 2010 USA recruiting class roster and notes
Click here for a link to a highlight video of the 2010 USA recruiting class
