TSU uses new coach’s ties
New to Texas Southern but no stranger to Houston, Clarence McKinney delved into his H-Town connections of being a college and high school coach in the area to wrap up his first signing class as TSU’s head football coach.
Of the Tigers’ 20 announced signings Wednesday on national signing day, 10 are from the Houston area. The class, which assembled a little from every position, includes two Power 5 transfers — receiver Montel Parker (Texas A&M) and defensive lineman Michael Johnson (Baylor).
Coming out of Dickinson, Parker was rated a four-star recruit. A product of Hightower, Johnson recorded nine tackles in 15 games for Baylor. The Tigers also signed
DeAndre Johnson ,a quarterback with a controversial history.
Johnson signed out of high school with Jimbo
Fisher and Florid State in 2015 but was dismissed from the team before the start of his freshman season because of an incident at a Tallahassee bar where he punched a woman.
Johnson then went to East Mississippi Community College for one season and then signed with Lane
Kiffin at Florida Atlantic. Johnson, who is featured in part of a Netflix series called “Last Chance U” didn’t start in two seasons at FAU. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Of the Houston-area players McKinney added include Hightower offensive linemen Marque Johnson and Trevyon
Robinson, as well as Hastings cornerback Ja’Corey
Benjamin and Manvel running back LaDarius Owens.
“For the most part, the guys in the city we wanted, we got them,” said McKinney, whose coaching stops include Houston, Texas A&M as well as being head coach at Yates High School. “Knowing a lot of the recruits in the area, having recruited the area for 10 years and coached in the area, helped.”
HBU bulks up with group of 23
Houston Baptist had a large class of 23 players, announcing 12 more signings on Wednesday, with an emphasis on offensive linemen and speed on defense.
“We’re getting closer to where our roster comprehensively looks like a Southland Conference roster,” said Huskies coach
Vic Shealy, in an attempt to improve on last year’s 1-10 record.
Shealy brought in a number of ready-made players up front on offense, including junior college linemen Dan Wilkins (6-5, 310), Doro Omerhi (6-4, 300) and
Nathan Beveridge (6-4, 295) among the six new offensive linemen.
Other players expected to make an impact in 2019 include linebacker James
Thomas, a transfer from Bakersfield College, and
freshman cornerback Delon Smith.
The additions consist of 16 freshmen and seven junior college transfers.
“It’s a big class that grows our numbers. It’s an athletic class,” Shealy said.
UT ex leads Bearkats’ class
Former Texas running back Toneil Carter headlines Sam Houston State’s 17-player class, in which every player is originally from the state of Texas.
One of four mid-year transfers, Carter redshirted in 2018. In 2017 for the Longhorns, the Langham Creek product played in nine games, making two starts, while rushing for 252 yards on 53 carries and scoring one touchdown.
The nine additions on offense and eight on defense include Oregon State transfer Dwayne Williams and offensive lineman Ylijahh Hall (6-5, 295), a Baylor transfer.