University of Central Arkansas Coach Nathan Brown didn't have many holes to fill with his national signing day class.
With the Bears having eight players walk during last fall's senior day ceremony, they've spent the offseason looking to build depth on the 2022 c0-ASUN championship team rather than plugging holes.
"We needed to get some immediate impact guys, as well as some guys that are going to be developmental players over the next four or five years," Brown said. "We didn't graduate a ton of players. ... This was a group that won a lot of football games, [so] we didn't have to replace a ton of guys. We've got a lot coming back to the 2023 version of the Bears."
Brown announced Wednesday the final four members of UCA's 26-man recruiting class for 2023.
That group included in-state products Malachi Henry of Van Buren and Tyrique Newman of McGehee, Keller (Texas) High School's Tre Guerra and Braden Stafford from Hatton (Ala.) High School.
Brown and UCA have been recruiting Henry since last summer, initially as a defensive back but more recently as a wideout.
"He was a guy we offered early as a defensive back out of summer camp but knew his ability at wide receiver was just as good, just as talented. So he's got a ton of ability," Brown said.
Henry totaled 821 yards and 12 touchdowns in the fall playing for his father Moe Henry at Van Buren. He is the Pointers' all-time leader in receptions (166), receiving yards (2,834) and receiving touchdowns (35).
Newman rushed for 3,423 yards and 31 touchdowns for the Owls. He was a 2022 all-state selection as McGehee went 8-3, reaching the Class 4A state quarterfinals.
"Small-town ball has been good to us in this state," Brown said. "Tyrique Newman, the next name that comes out of my lips in similarity to him is Kylin James. Kylin James, 1,300-plus all-purpose yards this year in our program, as good a player in the nation at getting the ball in his hands and making plays. Well, Tyrique Newman is that similar build as a player and is obviously from a similar area. ... When he's got the football in his hands, good things happen."
Henry and Newman's additions bring UCA to eight signees from Arkansas high schools.
Guerra is the lone quarterback in the class. He totaled over 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in his career at Keller. Guerra chose UCA over offers from Abilene Christian, North Alabama, Austin Peay and Stephen F. Austin, among others.
"Trey just gets me excited to talk about him," Brown said. "You want to talk about winning recruiting battles, if you want to keep developing culture and program the way we have, you have to win recruiting battles. ... Just about every school in our conference really pursued him at a heavy load, and obviously, Coach [Ken] Collums, Coach [Bayley] Novak and our staff as a whole did a great job recruiting him and his family."
Stafford was another recruiting win for the Bears as he chose them over offers from Southeast Missouri and Austin Peay.
"He can play four of the five positions on the offensive line," Brown said. "His athletic ability bleeds through into other sports he plays. ... When you bring in an offensive lineman you think big, strong, burly, all those things. Well he's all that, but he's also got great feet, he's got athletic ability, he can do all the things that you're looking for."