UCA adds eight players on signing day; 2018 class now has 19 members

Nathan Brown
Nathan Brown

The University of Central Arkansas announced eight additional players to its 2018 football signing class Wednesday, extending its incoming class to 19 members.

It is the first signing class for UCA Coach Nathan Brown, 31, who was introduced as the Bears' new head football coach on Dec. 9.

Former coach Steve Campbell had been hired as the head coach at South Alabama on Dec. 7.

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.

Here's the full list of UCA's announced 2018 football signing class:

National signing day signees

Abbott Ashiofu -- 6-4, 235, defensive end -- Kempner High School (Sugarland, Texas)

• Abbott was a first team District 20-6A selection at Kempner High after the 2017 season, when he had 64 tackles, 6 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 5 forced fumbles. He also had other offers from Alcorn State, Southern University and Texas Southern University.

Jon Campbell -- 6-1, 285, defensive tackle -- Klein Oak High School (Spring, Texas)

• Campbell earned a $1,000 scholarship after the 2017 season for being named as one of 100 nominations in Wendy's Academic Heisman, which rewards high school athletes for their academic and community achievements. One boy and girl is nominated from each state. He also had offers from Army, Air Force, Southeastern Louisiana, Harvard, Abilene Christian, Holy Cross, Indiana State and Incarnate Word.

Cameron Godfrey -- 6-0, 175, Safety -- Klein Collins High School (Spring, Texas)

• Godfrey was a Houston Touchdown Club Defensive Player of the Year Finalist after the 2017 season, when he had 51 tackles, 5 interceptions, 13 passes defended and 2 defensive touchdowns. He also had offers from Army, Southeastern Louisiana and Southern University.

Jeremiah Gray -- 6-3, 225, Defensive end/Bandit -- Dallas Skyline High School (Dallas)

• Gray was a first team District 9-6A selection at Skyline High after the 2017 season, when he had 60 tackles, 15 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and a defensive touchdown. He also had offers from Jackson State, Northwestern State and Incarnate Word.

Jaylin Hendrix -- 6-4, 315, offensive line -- Everman High School (Everman, Texas)

• Hendrix was the 2017 District 9-5A Overall Player of the Year for Everman High and was a 247Sport 3-star recruit. He also had offers from Incarnate Word and Texas Southern.

Demauryon Holmes -- 6-2, 200, outside linebacker -- Mansfield Legacy High School (Mansfield, Texas)

• Holmes was an ESPN 3-star recruit and a Texas Associated Press Class 5A All-State Honorable Mention after the 2017 season, in which he had 163 tackles, 11 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 8 blocked punts and 2 blocked field goals. He also had offers from Tulane, Louisiana Lafayette, Kent State, Sam Houston State, Northwestern State, Incarnate Word, Missouri State, Stephen F. Austin and The Citadel.

Logan Jessup -- 6-3, 275, defensive tackle -- Wynne High School (Wynne)

• Jessup was a 247Sports 2-star recruit and the 20th-ranked recruit in Arkansas. He was an all-state selection by the Arkansas Activities Association in both the 2016 and 2017 season and was the Conference 5A East Defensive Player of the Year. In 2017, he had 96 tackles, 14 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 4 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 4 blocked kicks.

Imani Partlow -- 5-11, 180, cornerback -- Jones High School (Orlando, Fla.)

• Partlow was a 247Sports 3-star recruit, the 124th-ranted cornerback in the nation and the 220th-ranked recruit in Florida. During the 2017 season, Partlow had 41 tackles, 4 interceptions, 12 passes defended and a defensive touchdown. He also had offers from Appalachian State, Marshall, Massachusetts, Kennesaw State and Florida A&M.

Early signees:

Alex Bridges -- 6-5, 315, offensive lineman -- Cisco Community College (Cisco, Texas)

• Bridges was named all-conference in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference and was an ESPN 3-star recruit, a 247Sports 2-star recruit, and had offers from New Mexico State, Stephen F, Austin, Northwestern State and Tennessee Tech.

Dylan Desper -- 6-4, 290, offensive lineman -- Jones County Community College (Ellisville, Miss.)

• Desper was named to the second team in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges and had offers from Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana.

Cameron Myers -- 6-1, 185, running back -- Durant High School (Plant City, Fla.)

• Myers was the 140th-rated running back by 247Sports, the 333rd ranked-Florida recruit and the District 9-7A Offensive Player of the Year at Plant City High. He had 157 rushes for 1,738 Yards and 21 touchdowns during the 2017 season. He also had offers from Arkansas State, Appalachian State, Marshall and Coastal Carolina.

Duke Upshaw -- 6-0, 180, cornerback -- East Mississippi Community College (Scuba, Miss.)

• Upshaw was named a NJCAA first team All-American and had 39 tackles, 4 interceptions, a defensive touchdown and 12 passed defended in EMCC's national championship season in 2017. He also had offers from Southern Mississippi, Western Kentucky and Southeastern Louisiana.

Taylor Wallace -- 6-1, 200, punter -- Jones County Community College (Ellisville, Miss.)

• Wallace was a first team all-state selection in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges, and he averaged 40.8 yards per punt (fifth in the NJCAA) and had 14 punts within the 20-yard line during the 2017 season. He also had offers from Tennessee Martin and Tennessee Tech.

Raleigh Wood -- 6-2, 210, long snapper -- East Mississippi Community College (Scuba, MS)

• Wood was named to the Academic All-State team in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges and was a part of EMCC's 2017 NJCAA national championship. He also had offers from Jackson State and Tennessee Tech.

High school signees:

Will Burgess -- 6-4, 330, offensive line -- Lake Hamilton High School (Lake Hamilton)

• Burgess was a Conference 6A all-state selection by the Arkansas Activities Association in 2016 and 2017, and he was an ESPN 2-star recruit. He also had offers from Missouri State, Southeast Missouri State and Eastern Illinois.

Austin Eldridge -- 6-3, 240, tight end -- Plant City High School (Plant City, Fla.)

• Eldridge was a third team all-state selection with the Florida High School Athletic Association after the 2017 season, when he had 44 catches for 600 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also had 80 tackles, 12 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. He also had offers from Youngstown State, Jacksonville University and Stetson University.

Jacob Ingram -- 6-2, 300, offensive line -- West Monroe High School (West Monroe, La.)

• Ingram was a first team all-state selection in 2017 by the Louisiana High School Coaches Association, and he had other offers from Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana.

Alejandro Ramirez -- 6-2, 300, defensive tackle -- Har-Ber High School (Springdale)

• Ramirez was a 247Sports 3-star recruit, the 141st-rated defensive tackle in the nation and the 18th-ranked recruit in Arkansas. He was a Conference 7A All-State selection by the Arkansas Activities Association in each of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons and had 44 tackles, 6 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 3 forced fumbles in 2017. He had other offers from Army, Navy, South Dakota State and Stephen F. Austin.

Bennie Smith -- 5-8, 175, wide receiver -- Klein Oak High School (Spring, Texas)

• Smith was a first team District 15-6A selection in both the 2016 and 2017 seasons for Klein Oak High, and he finished the 2017 season with 106 rushes, 719 Yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had 25 catches for 362 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had another offer from Northern Colorado.

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