HBU attracts prolific QB from El Paso
Quarterback Orion
Olivas, receiver Charles
King of North Shore and Bellaire linebacker Rodney Dansby headline Houston Baptist’s 2021 football recruiting class.
The three stalwarts signed with the Huskies during the December early signing period. On Wednesday, coach Vic Shealy and staff added seven more players to form a class of 21.
“This class has exceeded our expectations,” Shealy said. “We feel we have a talented roster coming back, and (with) the momentum that we’re building in our program, we feel that even without adding to it, we’re competitive. But these 21 guys have got a lot of ability to play the game and are good students.”
Olivas, out of El Paso Eastlake, threw for more than 5,400 yards over 19 career games.
“There’s no way we get a guy like that, (but) our offense is an attractive offense for a kid to be in, and we’re a quarterbackdriven offense,” Shealy said. “Even with Bailey Zappe gone, we love the talent we have at the quarterback position.”
Zappe, who threw for more than 10,000 yards over three years with the Huskies, transferred to Western Kentucky. Olivas will be competing for the starting position along with veterans Blaise Bentsen and Desmond Young.
King was a three-year starter at North Shore and the Chronicle’s 63rd-rated player in Houston. Dansby, also on the Chronicle’s Top 100 list, made 60 solo tackles in seven games in 2020.
Texas Southern
Clarence McKinney isn’t sure which position the four defensive linemen he’s brought in will play, but the Tigers coach knows they will see the field in some capacity, perhaps as soon as this fall.
Of the Tigers’ 19 signees, the down linemen on defense have McKinney feeling good.
“The one guy I’m most excited about is Terrance Fuller,” McKinney said. “But a guy like Michael Akins, we feel he can help us right away.”
Fuller is a pass-rusher deluxe from St. Louis, and Akins is from New Iberia, La.
Defensive back Brayden West of Frisco Independence is one of three players who signed with the Tigers on Wednesday. West is a physical safety who is a sure tackler and runs well.
But the biggest addition Wednesday was the signing of Corpus Christi Miller quarterback Andrew Body, who passed for more than 12,000 yards in his high school career. Also signing Wednesday to join the 16 who came aboard in December was Elkins wide receiver Savion Sims.
The Tigers signed three players from winning high school programs in La Vega and Duncanville. Offensive lineman Robert Allen and wide receiver Sol’dreveon Degrate played at La Vega and offensive lineman Kedric Williams at Duncanville.
Prairie View A&M
Panthers coach Eric Dooley is high on all the new arrivals, but Wednesday he singled out 6-3, 180-pound wide receiver Trejon Spiller of Killeen Ellison.
“I wish this young man could line up right now,” Dooley said.
Spiller caught 57 passes for 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns in nine games in 2020.
Dooley also brought in a pair of Lamar High School defensive backs in Khai’mon Samuel and Lamont Landry.
Luis Chavarria from Episcopal, who is graded as a three-star prospect, is one of three new offensive linemen, as is 6-7 Morgan State transfer Allen Jones. Stafford linebacker Kenneth Steward III cast his lot with the Panthers as well.
Prairie View added some punch to its offense. Quarterback Jordan Moore leaves Lufkin as the school’s career passing leader. Jaden Stewart of Dawson, who signed Wednesday, surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in 2020.
“We are bringing in guys that are going to be very exciting for our program,” Dooley said. “They bring depth, they bring competition, and some of these guys are going to be ready to play.”
Sam Houston State
Bearkats coach K.C. Keeler went heavily in the secondary, where he landed five of his 22 newcomers, including David Fisher of Dawson.
“Defensively, we’re going to graduate some really good backs, maybe three of the best that we’ve had,” Keeler said. “That’s a big class, but we really like the athleticism. These guys better hit the mark because we’re going to graduate three great ones a year from now.”
Keeler also feels the Bearkats fared well on the defensive line. Cameron Plummer of Ridge Point and Maize Washington of Alief Taylor will add to the team speed there.
Linebacker Tim Hart is a transfer from Memphis, where he played 41 games for the Tigers.
Offensively, the Bearkats landed quarterback Keegan Shoemaker ,a transfer from Lafayette College. Tight end Marcus Collins of Magnolia West originally was an Arizona commitment.
Keeler said the wide receiver group is phenomenal and that running back Zach Hrbacek is “special. He’s really dynamic.”