ASU's Blake Anderson: 'We're happy with the class'

Arkansas State University announced Wednesday that it has added six players to its 2019 recruiting class, including four high school products and two junior-college transfers.

The Red Wolves' high school signees are offensive players: Wide receiver David Clayton (Grapevine, Texas), wide receiver Seth Hayes (Magnolia, Texas), offensive lineman Carson Williams (Forest, Miss.) and Little Rock Catholic running back Samy Johnson.

ASU's two junior-college pickups were running back Ryan Graham from Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif., and defensive end Billy Tuitavake from the College of San Mateo in San Mateo, Calif.

Graham and Tuitavake will each be juniors in 2019. Graham is a mid-year signee and will be eligible to participate in ASU's spring camp.

The Red Wolves' 2019 class sits at 23 players from 10 different states, including 12 offensive additions and 11 on defense. ASU's class also features 12 total junior-college transfers and 11 high school signees.

"We're happy with the class," said ASU Coach Blake Anderson on Wednesday. "We met the needs that we set out to attack."

ASU announced 14 signees as part of its 2019 recruiting class on Dec. 19, the first day of the NCAA's early signing period.

ASU's 2019 class also includes three players who played for the Red Wolves in 2018 -- starting sophomore cornerback Jerry Jacobs, starting junior defensive tackle Forrest Merrill and reserve defensive end Jeffmario Brown.

Clayton and Hayes were ASU's only two signees in the 2019 class that were a byproduct of the program's comprehensive coaching staff changes earlier this month.

ASU replaced or fired seven of their nine primary assistant coaches in January. Clayton and Hayes, two Texas-based receivers, will join the school after being targeted mainly by ASU's new outside wide receivers coach Malcolm Kelly, whom Anderson hired away from the University of Houston on Jan. 9.

"Those were guys that were on their radar [at Houston]," Anderson said. "And so, when he came, those were names that he brought up. ... Those were really the only two we didn't have relationships with."

Despite the massive staff turnover, ASU's four other signees -- Williams, Tuitavake, Johnson and Graham -- were targets by Anderson before the staff turnover.

"We recruit collectively," Anderson said. "We recruit as a group, anyway. I think that alleviates some of the problems when you lose some staff members."

ASU targeted certain position groups in the 2019 class. Among the signees, the Red Wolves inked 5 defensive ends, 4 offensive lineman, 4 wide receivers and 3 running backs, which filled more than half of ASU's overall recruiting class.

"This was a big step in the right direction," Anderson said.

Sports on 02/07/2019

Arkansas State signees

PLAYER POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWN/SCHOOL

Elery Alexander* S 6-0 190 Van Vleck, Texas (Kilgore [Texas] College)

Isaiah Azubuike RB 5-11 200 St. Louis (Lutheran North HS)

Jeffmario Brown** DE 6-3 229 Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Hutchinson [Kan.] CC)

Coltin Clack* QB 6-3 215 Texarkana, Texas (Texas HS)

David Clayton WR 6-0 184 Grapevine, Texas (Grapevine HS)

Kailon Davis DE 6-4 240 New Orleans (Independence [Kan.] CC)

Aaron Donkor* DE 6-2 240 Aachen, Germany (New Mexico Military Institute)

Jeff Foreman WR 6-2 175 Oklahoma City (Del City HS)

Ryan Graham* RB 5-11 200 Lincoln, Calif. (Sierra [Calif.] College)

Seth Hayes WR 6-4 195 Magnolia, Texas (Magnolia West HS)

Amir Howard CB 5-10 190 Citra, Fla. (Fort Scott [Kan.] CC)

Jerry Jacobs** CB 5-11 204 Atlanta (Hutchinson [Kan.] CC

Samy Johnson RB 5-10 175 Little Rock (Catholic HS)

Forrest Merrill** DL 6-1 338 Willard, Mo. (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M)

Ethan Miner OL 6-3 285 West Hartford, Conn. (Kingswood-Oxford HS)

Eugene Minter* WR 6-5 220 Birmingham, Ala. (Dodge City [Kan.] CC)

Dane Motley LB 6-0 193 Alpharetta, Ga. (Alpharetta HS)

Ernesto Ramirez* OL 6-3 295 La Puente, Calif. (Cerritos [Calif.] College)

Jarius Reimonenq S 5-11 180 Hattiesburg, Miss. (Oak Grove HS)

Vershaud Richardson DE 6-4 235 Paris, Texas (Paris HS)

Ivory Scott* OL 6-4 315 Kenner, La. (Pearl River [Miss.] CC)

Billy Tuitavake DE 6-2 265 San Diego, Calif. (College of San Mateo (Calif.)

Carson Williams OL 6-4 290 Forest, Miss. (Scott Central HS)

BOLD represents Wednesday’s additions

*Mid-year signee available for spring camp

** Participated in the 2018 season, but counted toward the 2019 recruiting class

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