UCA spreads out to bring in 8 more

Nathan Brown’s new coaching staff spent a lot of time on the road to sign eight more players to the University of Central Arkansas football team, seven of which were out of state.

The Bears’ recruiting class for 2018 expanded to 19 players on Wednesday’s national signing day, and UCA’s firstyear head coach said he was “very excited” about the additions to the Conway campus.

Brown, 31, a former UCA quarterback who served as an offensive assistant since 2009, was named head coach Dec. 9 — two days after former coach Steve Campbell left for the head job at South Alabama.

Brown called the 11 signees on the Dec. 20 early signing deadline “a good starting point,” and that group had just one defensive player.

Seven of the eight players on Wednesday’s list were defensive players, including Wynne defensive end Logan Jessup, who chose the Bears over other offers such as Air Force, Louisiana-Monroe and Stephen F. Austin.

“We’re fortunate enough to get [Jessup] to campus,” Brown said. “We expect big

things UCA out Holmes, also of him signed early.” an outside Damauryon linebacker from Mansfield, Texas, who Brown said was committed to Baylor four months ago.

Holmes had 163 tackles, 11 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 8 blocked punts and 2 blocked field goals for Mansfield High during the 2017 season, and he chose UCA over schools such as Tulane, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin.

“I hate pointing one [player] out over another,” Brown said. “I’m excited about the whole class.”

UCA is coming off a 10-2 season in which the Bears won their first Southland Conference championship since 2012. UCA lost 21-15 to New Hampshire in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

Brown had 11 days to prepare a staff by December’s early signing day, and afterward

he and his coaching staff traveled from Texas to Florida to fill out the rest of the class.

Six of the eight new additions were from Texas, and one — cornerback Imani Partlow — was from Florida.

Partlow was the 124thranked cornerback in the nation, according to 247 Sports.

“Our recruiting footprint is probably as wide as anyone in our conference,” Brown said.