Tulane adds three to 2018 class on National Signing Day

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane football completed its solid 2018 signing class with the addition of three high school seniors – Keitha Jones Jr., La’Dedric Jackson and Alfred Thomas – head coach Willie Fritz announced Wednesday.

The Green Wave, who signed 22 student-athletes during the December early signing period, signed three players rated as four-star recruits by Rivals.com, 247Sports.com or ESPN.com and 18 three-star recruits. The class features additions from eight states, including eight players from Louisiana, and is ranked No. 65 in the nation by Rivals.com, fourth-best among American Athletic Conference schools.

The group is composed of 11 players on offense (one quarterback, four offensive linemen, three running backs, two wide receivers and one tight end), 13 on the defensive side (five defensive backs, six defensive linemen and two linebackers) and one punter.

“This is a unique Signing Day format. Usually we sign everybody, but today we signed three guys,” Fritz said. “This is probably one of the highest-ranked classes Tulane has had. The coaches did a great job of going out and identifying top-notch talent and getting them to come here to Tulane. We’ve gotten better every year we’ve been here.”

Wednesday’s trio of three-star additions bolster the defensive side of the football. Jones, a 6-2, 210-pound linebacker, and Thomas, a 6-1, 268-pound defensive lineman, both hail from Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, Ala. Jones Jr., a 6-2, 190-pound linebacker from Port Arthur, Texas, was a high school teammate of current Tulane running back Corey Dauphine.

Thomas was an Alabama Class 6A First-Team All-State selection and the AL.com Super All-State Defensive Most Valuable Player, while Jackson earned Class 6A Honorable Mention All-State honors from the Alabama Sportswriters Association. The teammates led the Poets to a 10-2 record and a Class 6A second-round playoff appearance in 2017.

Jones Jr. is a versatile athlete who played quarterback, wide receiver and safety during his high school career. He played quarterback as a senior, passing for 1,604 yards with 14 touchdowns on 65 percent completions, and rushed for 629 yards and eight scores earning Class 5A District 22 first-team honors.

Fritz’s crop of signees includes three four-star recruits: Dorian Camel (DB/Baton Rouge, La./Scotlandville Magnet), Tyrick James (TE/China Spring, Texas/China Spring HS) and Keitha Jones Jr. (Port Arthur, Texas/Memorial HS).

The class also includes 18 three-star recruits: Ygenio Booker (Bradenton, Fla./Hernando HS), Larry Brooks (DB/Kennedale, Texas/Kennedale HS), Macon Clark (Destrehan, La./Drestrehan HS), Christian Daniels (QB/Elon, N.C./Western Alamance HS), Carlos Hatcher (DE/Carrolton, Texas/Hebron HS), Nik Hogan (OL/Flowood, Miss./Northwest Rankin HS), La’Dedric Jackson (Montgomery, Ala./Sidney Lanier HS), Jamiran James (DL/New Orleans/De La Salle HS), Jeffery Johnson (DL/Brookhaven, Miss./Brookhaven HS), Amare Jones (RB/Frisco, Texas/Heritage HS), Chris Joyce (Hampton, Ga./Dutchtown HS), Juan Monjarres (DE/New Orleans/St. Augustine HS), Jason Swann (OL/Pembroke Pines, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas School), Damien Tate (DB/New Orleans/Warren Easton HS), Alfred Thomas (Montgomery, Ala./Sidney Lanier HS), Jorien Vallien (WR/Alexandria, La./Alexandria Senior High), Davon Wright (DL/Donaldsonville, La./Donaldsonville HS) and Ryan Wright (P/San Ramon, Calif./California HS).

Notable among the Green Wave’s signees, eight elected to stay home in Louisiana: Camel, Jamiran James, Monjarres, Tate, Vallien, Davon Wright, Clark and Michael Remondet (OL/Youngsville, La./Ascension Episcopal School). Six additional signees hail from Texas – Brooks, Hatcher, Tyrick James, Amare Jones, Keitha Jones Jr. and Sorrell Brown (WR/Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) – four come from Florida – Booker, Swann, and Stephen Lewerenz (OL/Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz HS) – and three from Mississippi – Hogan, Johnson and Cameron Carroll (RB/Flowood, Miss./Northwest Rankin HS).

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2018 Tulane Football Signing Class Roster
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown/Previous School(s)
Ygenio Booker RB 5-11 190 Fr. Brooksville, Fla./Hernando HS
Larry Brooks DB 6-0 190 Fr. Kennedale, Texas/Kennedale HS
Sorrell Brown WR 6-3 190 Fr. Arlington, Texas/Martin HS
Dorian Camel DB 6-1 180 Fr. Baton Rouge, La./Scotlandville Magnet HS
Cameron Carroll RB 6-0 220 Fr. Flowood, Miss./Northwest Rankin HS
Macon Clark DB 6-0 185 Fr. Destrehan, La./Destrehan HS
*Christian Daniels QB 6-2 205 Fr. Elon, N.C./Western Alamance HS
Carlos Hatcher DE 6-3 230 Fr. Carrollton, Texas/Hebron HS
Nik Hogan OL 6-5 265 Fr. Flowood, Miss./Northwest Rankin HS
#La’Dedric Jackson LB 6-2 210 Fr. Montgomery, Ala./Sidney Lanier HS
Jamiran James DL 6-2 275 Fr. New Orleans, La./De La Salle HS
Tyrick James TE 6-2 232 Fr. China Spring, Texas/China Spring HS
*Jeffery Johnson DL 6-3 312 Fr. Brookhaven, Miss./Brookhaven HS
Amare Jones RB 5-10 185 Fr. Frisco, Texas/Frisco Heritage HS
#Keitha Jones Jr. LB 6-2 190 Fr. Port Arthur, Texas/Memorial HS
*Chris Joyce DB 5-11 175 Fr. Hampton, Ga./Dutchtown HS
Stephen Lewerenz OL 6-4 270 Fr. Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz HS
Juan Monjarres DE 6-1 215 Fr. New Orleans, La./St. Augustine HS
Michael Remondet OL 6-4 265 Fr. Youngsville, La./Ascension Episcopal School
Jason Swann OL 6-3 270 Fr. Pembroke Pines, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas School
Damien Tate DB 5-10 175 Fr. New Orleans, La./Warren Easton HS
#Alfred Thomas DL 6-1 268 Fr. Montgomery, Ala./Sidney Lanier HS
Jorien Vallien WR 6-4 178 Fr. Alexandria, La./Alexandria Senior HS
*Davon Wright DL 6-1 287 Fr. Donaldsonville, La./Donaldsonville HS
Ryan Wright P 6-3 225 Fr. San Ramon, Calif./California HS

# – Signed in February
* – Mid-year enrollee