JONESBORO — Arkansas State University football Coach Blake Anderson announced Wednesday afternoon the commitments of 22 athletes to the program's 2018 recruiting class, which were made as part of the NCAA's first early signing period.
In previous years, high school recruits could first sign their National Letters of Intent on the first day of February. In April, the NCAA approved an additional 72-hour signing window every December, which began this year at 7 a.m.
"I'm excited, exhausted, both at the same time," said Anderson, whose priority shifted to recruiting after the Red Wolves' 35-30 Camellia Bowl loss to Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 16. "I'm proud of the class we put together."
ASU's 2018 class includes five players who played this season, including junior punter Cody Grace and sophomore defensive lineman Hunter Moreton. Those players were listed as "blueshirts," which meant they could enroll at the university and play this fall, but their scholarships would count toward the next season's scholarship total.
The class was gathered from 12 different states and covered eight positions. There were 14 high school signees, five junior college transfers and three NCAA FBS transfers.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
Here's the Red Wolves class listed in full:
Tukua Ahoia: 6-0, 310, So., DL, Mountain View, Calif. (College of San Mateo)*
Triston Anderson: 6-0, 167, Fr., CB, Rockwall, Texas (Rockwall)
Derrick Bean: 6-2, 195, Fr., LB, Pinson, Ala. (Clay-Chalkville)
Antonio Fletcher: 6-0, 183, Fr., S, Lithonia, Ga. (Martin Luther King)
Cody Grace: 6-2, 223, R-Jr., P, Perth, Western Australia (Warwick Senior)***
Dahu Green: 6-5, 193, R-Jr., WR, Oklahoma City, Okla. (Oklahoma)**
Detravion Green: 6-0, 175, Fr., S, Ashdown, Ark. (Ashdown)
Jaden Harris: 6-2, 190, Fr., DB, Monroe, La. (Ouachita Parish)
Christian Howard: 6-2, 281, R-Sr., DL, Indianapolis, Ind. (Independence (Kan.) CC)***
Christian Hoz: 6-5, 308, Fr., OL, Covington, La. (Archbishop Hannan)
Jevon Jones: 6-0, 160, Fr., CB, Allen, Texas (Allen)
Donovan Mitchell: 5-11, 179, Fr., RB, St. Louis, Mo. (Lutheran North)
Demari Medley: 5-10, 175, So., S, Gainesville, Fla. (Gainesville)***
Hunter Moreton: 6-1, 293, So., DL, Fort Smith, Ark. (Southside)***
Marcel Murray: 5-10, 200, Fr., RB. Hiram, Ga. (Hiram)
Bubba Ogbebor: 6-0, 189, R-So., WR, Frisco, Texas (Boise State)**
Ross Painter: 6-4, 225, Jr., TE, Hernando, Miss. (Northeast Mississippi Community College)
Kevin Powers: 6-0, 213, R-Jr., LB, Sacramento, Calif. (College of San Mateo (Calif.)***
Ryan Taylor: 6-2, 311, Fr., DL, Loganville, Ga. (Grayson)
Kevin Thurmon: 6-3, 288, R-Jr., DL, Chicago, Ill. (Ball State)**
Thomas Toki: 6-1, 290, So., DL, Mountain View, Calif. (College of San Mateo (Calif.)*
Reed Tyler: 6-3, 236, Fr., TE, Brandon, Miss. (Brandon)*
*mid-year signee available for spring camp
**already enrolled and sat out 2017 season due to NCAA transferring rules
***enrolled fall 2017 and participated in the 2017 season, but counted toward the 2018 signing class