McNeese football signing class headlined by big offensive linemen

LAKE CHARLES – First year McNeese football head coach Gary Goff met with the media on Wednesday afternoon to officially discuss his 2022 signing class, one that was heavy with offensive and defensive linemen.

“It’s an exciting day, but that’s every coach right now on this day,” said Goff who he and his staff had about eight days to sign the 13 players on the day to bring the total class number to 22. “We signed a great group of young men that we hope will be with us for a long time. I really want to thank my staff. They did a great job. We only had about two weeks. We were on the road for eight days then get back every Thursday night and get ready for the recruiting weekend.

“For us to get the caliber of athletes to come here speaks volumes for this staff.”

The Cowboys signed six offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, three linebackers, five defensive backs, two running backs, a quarterback, tight end and kicker. Twelve of the 22 call Louisiana home, four from Florida, three hail from Texas and one each from Mississippi, Georgia and Colorado.

McNeese picked up five transfers during the mid-year period – quarterback Knox Kadum from Virginia Tech, defensive back Jermaine McMillian from Central Florida, defensive back Tyler Barnes from Southern Miss, offensive lineman Richard Leclair of Valdosta State, and kicker C.J. Moya from Hutchinson Community College.

“It was nice to get the mid-years signed right off the bat,” said Goff.

All players signed on Wednesday are from the high school ranks, including four offensive linemen to bring the total number signed to six and a unit that averages 6-foot-5, 305 pounds.

“It’s a good mixture of players from all areas,” said Goff. “It’s hard for us to sit here and decide exactly on what we need to improve on since we haven’t taken one snap with the guys on the field. It’s like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. We have a good team here but we need to add more pieces to that. After spring ball we’ll have a better idea of some areas that need improvement.”

Goff said he has held on to several scholarships in case he needs to seek some transfers out of the portal.

“We have four if we need to dip into the portal,” said Goff. “We signed a good bit of high school players that we’ll develop and be really good players for us. A few of them might contribute early.”

The largest of the offensive linemen is Austin Cowart of South Sumter High School in Webster, Florida. Cowart stands 6-5 and weighs 335. Hayes Creel out of St. Paul’s HS in Mt. Herman, is 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds. Greg Knox III (6-6, 305) was highly recruited by all Southland Conference schools, and after narrowing his list to three, chose McNeese over Southeastern and Grambling. Jayden Davis is a 6-4, 280-pound lineman who played tackle for West Brook HS in Beaumont. Richard Leclair transferred from Valdosta State where the 6-3, 297-pounder helped the Blazers to the Division II title game. The Cowboys signed local product Jayln Easton (6-5, 295) from Lake Charles College Prep back in the early signing period in December.

McNeese loaded back up on defensive back talent with five signees after several of would-be returners opted to test the NCAA portal.

McMillian will help bring experience to a group that includes returners Corione Harris, Trent Winbush, Rae’kwon Starks, Enos Lewis, Alijah Hamilton, and Twillie Lovett, among others.

Quarterback Kadum will join a group that will bring a lot of competitiveness to a position that hasn’t seen a different starter behind center since the 2017 season with returners Cade Bartlett, Devon Tott, Dillon Simon and Walker Wood, who could play quarterback or stay at receiver if needed.

McNEESE FOOTBALL 2022 SIGNING CLASS

Sedric Applewhite • DE • 6-6 • 200 • Bossier HS • Bossier City, La.
*Tyler Barnes • CB • 5-10 • 190 • Southern Miss • D’Iberville HS • D’Iberville, Miss.
Crajaun Bennett • CB • 5-11 • 160 • Iowa HS • Iowa, La.
*Jayce Bludau • LB • 6-1 • 220 • Kilgore CC • Halletsville, Texas
Phillip Bradford • DL • 6-6 • 318 • Ouachita Parish HS • Monroe, La.
Austin Cowart • OL • 6-5, 335 • South Sumter HS • Webster, Fla.
Hayes Creel • OL • 6-7 • 300 • St. Paul’s HS • Mt. Hermon, La.
Jayden Davis • OT • 6-4 • 280 • West Brook Sr. HS • Beaumont, Texas
Javon Davis • DB • 6-0 • 170 • John Curtis HS • New Orleans, La.
*Jayln Easton • OL • 6-5 • 295 • Lake Charles College Prep • Lake Charles, La.
Tyronne Hayes • TE • 6-3 • 205 • Archbishop Rummel HS • New Orleans, La.
Trevor Jones • OLB • 6-4 • 215 • Willis HS • Willis, Texas
*Knox Kadum • QB • 6-3 • 185 • Virginia Tech • Rome HS • Rome, Ga.
Greg Knox III • OL • 6-6 • 305 • Peabody HS • Pineville, La.
*Richard Leclair • OL • 6-3 • 297 • Valdosta State • Middleburg, Fla.
Masey Lewis • DE • 6-4 • 250 • Lafayette Christian Academy • Breaux Bridge, La.
*Marcus McElroy Jr • RB • 6-0 • 235 • Colorado State • Mullen HS • Denver, Colo.
*Jermaine McMillian • DB • 6-2 • 195 • Central Florida • Booker T. Washington HS • Miami, Fla.
*C.J. Moya • K • 5-9 • 180 • Hutchinson CC • Palmetto Ridge HS • Naples, Fla.
Jarvis Newton II • RB • 5-11 • 190 • Alexandria Senior HS • Alexandria, La.
Jordan Toaston • DE • 6-3 • 230 • Catholic HS • Baton Rouge, La.
*Joe Ward • DB • 5-11 • 170 • Lake Charles College Prep • Lake Charles, La.
* – Early Signee

SIGNEE PROFILES

Sedric Applewhite • DE • 6-6 • 200 • Bossier HS • Bossier City, La.
1st Team All-District 1-3A… Selected as member of West All-Star team in the I-20 Bowl… A dominant force at the line of scrimmage all season… Finished the season with 57 total tackles, 10 sacks, 17 tackles for a loss and four forced fumbles… Team finished 6-5 overall and 2-2 in District 1-3A play and qualified for the Louisiana Class 3A playoffs… Also offered by Tulsa, HBU, Lamar, and Southeastern.

Tyler Barnes • CB • 5-10 • 190 • Southern Miss • D’Iberville HS • D’Iberville, Miss.
Defensive back transfer from Southern Miss… Appeared in 42 games in four seasons… Recorded 73 tackles in his career including 37 plus an interception in 2020… Class 6A Second-Team All-State selection by the Mississippi Association of Coaches…Named Second-Team All-State as an American Family Insurance All-USA Mississippi team pick…Racked up 136 tackles (11.3 per game), six tackles for loss, nine pass breakups, three blocked field goals, three forced fumbles and four interceptions at D’Iberville High School as a senior…Helped lead his team to an 8-4 record and the Region 4-6A title, where he was the region’s MVP…Posted 72 tackles, three passes defended and two fumble recoveries as a junior…Also played baseball… Rated as a two-star recruit by Rivals and Scout.

Crajaun Bennett • CB • 5-11 • 160 • Iowa HS • Iowa, La.
Earned All-District 4-3A honorable mention honors… recorded 30 total tackles, 17 of those solos… picked off three passes and accumulated 66 interception return yards… broke up 10 passes and blocked two field goals… helped lead the Yellowjackets to a 4-1 district record and 10-2 overall and an appearance in the Louisiana Class 3A playoff second round… offers from Southeastern, Southern and UAB.

Jayce Bludau • LB • 6-1 • 220 • Kilgore CC • Halletsville, Texas
Early Signee Transfer
At Kilgore CC, recorded 47 tackles, three tackles for a loss, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble… Season-high 9 tackles with a tackle for a loss in a win over Navarro College… Teams posted a 13-7 record in his two seasons… Offered by Northwestern State, Akron and Mississippi Valley State.

Phillip Bradford • DL • 6-6 • 318 • Ouachita Parish HS • Monroe, La.
1st Team All-District 2-5A… All-NELA Honorable Mention… Helped lead his team to a tri-district championship, a 9-4 overall record, and an appearance in the Louisiana Class 5A state quarterfinals… Offered by New Mexico, Nicholls, HBU, and Grambling.

Austin Cowart • OL • 6-5, 335 • South Sumter HS • Webster, Fla.
2-Time All-State… 2-time All-District… FACA All-Star… Big offensive lineman who helped his team average nearly 240 yards rushing per game and 42 rushing touchdowns… selected and played in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Football Classic where he played nearly the entire game in helping his North Team defeat the South Team 33-3… received offers from South Dakota State, Western Carolina, Stetson, among others.

Hayes Creel • OL • 6-7 • 300 • St. Paul’s HS • Mt. Hermon, La.
1st Team All-District 6-5A… 1st Team All-Parish… 2nd Team Class 5A All-State… Academic All-State… team finished 8-3 overall and 6-1 in district play and played in the Louisiana Division I semifinals, falling by one point to the eventual state champion… received offers from Nicholls, Northwestern State and Southeastern.

Jayden Davis • OT • 6-4 • 280 • West Brook Sr. HS • Beaumont, Texas
Earned 2nd Team 21-6A All-District honors… Blocked for a quarterback that threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 27 TDs… part of an offensive line that led a rushing game to over 200 yards per game… His West Brook team posted a 5-5 record in a competitive 21-6A league.

Javon Davis • DB • 6-0 • 170 • John Curtis HS • New Orleans, La.
Recorded 44 tackles with a tackle for a loss as a senior… team finished 5-4 in 2021 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Louisiana Division II Playoffs… Also made 56 catches for 876 yards and nine touchdowns while at John Curtis Christian HS… 29 catches for 340 yards and 5 TDs his junior season… averaged 15.6 yards per catch.

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Jayln Easton • OL • 6-5 • 295 • Lake Charles College Prep • Lake Charles, La.
Early Signee
2nd Team 4-3A All-District… Selected to play in the I-10 Bowl… Helped lead his team to a perfect 5-0 district record and 8-2 overall… will reunite with former HS teammate Dillon Simon at McNeese… also offered by Grambling according to Rivals.

Tyronne Hayes • TE • 6-3 • 205 • Archbishop Rummel HS • New Orleans, La.
Tight end and wide receiver at Rummel… Team posted a 5-4 record, 3-3 in district play, and qualified for the Louisiana Division IV Playoffs… five touchdowns including three rushing TDs on the season… Had 5 catches for 67 yards in a big win over St. Augustine… A GeauxPreps.com top Louisiana tight ends players to watch… Honor roll student with a 3.5 GPA.

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Trevor Jones • OLB • 6-4 • 215 • Willis HS • Willis, Texas
Recorded 74 total tackles with 66 solos… had three sacks and forced two fumbles… team advanced to the second round of the UIL Texas Football State Championships.

Knox Kadum • QB • 6-3 • 185 • Virginia Tech • Rome HS • Rome, Ga.
Early Signee Transfer
Played three seasons at Virginia Tech where he completed 7 of 10 passes for 85 yards in reserve action… threw for 73 yards on seven completions against Boston College… 61 passing yards vs. Duke… saw his first collegiate duty in 2020 against Clemson where he completed 4 of 6 passes for 68 yards while running for another 24… In high school, A three-star recruit by 247 Sports’ composite rankings … As a senior, he threw for 1,633 yards with 21 touchdowns and no INTs, while also rushing for 619 yards and 11 touchdowns … Over his four-year career as a starter he completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 7,400 yards with 76 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and also rushed for 2,414 yards and 37 touchdowns … Led Rome to back-to-back state championships in 2016 and 2017 … Finished his career with a 49-6 record as a starter.

Greg Knox III • OL • 6-6 • 305 • Peabody HS • Pineville, La.
1st Team LSWA Class 4A All-State… 1st Team 3-4A All-District… 1st Team All-CENLA… One of the top offensive linemen in the state and ranked as the 5th-best OL prospect in the state by Dandy Don website… Played a critical part in producing one of the top running backs in the state who rushed for over 2,100 yards and scored 23 touchdowns… also offered by Southeastern and Grambling.

Richard Leclair • OL • 6-3 • 297 • Valdosta State • Middleburg, Fla.
Early Signee Transfer
At Valdosta State, a part of an offensive line that helped the team to the NCAA Division II championship game… the Blazers’ offense led the NCAA in total offense with a 528 per game average… 5th in the NCAA in rushing (268 ypg) and 30th in passing yards per game (260)… In high school, 1st Team All-County OL and DL for two seasons … First Team All-Conference… Earned All-State Honorable Mention Honors … Named North Florida Super 40.

Masey Lewis • DE • 6-4 • 250 • Lafayette Christian Academy • Breaux Bridge, La.
1st Team 6-2A All-District… 1st Team Acadiana All-Metro… 48 tackles with 14 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks in helping his team to a district championship and Division III championship game appearance… LCA Outstanding Player in 2020 when he ded his team to the Louisiana Division III State Championship.

Marcus McElroy Jr • RB • 6-0 • 235 • Colorado State • Mullen HS • Denver, Colo.
Early Signee Transfer
Appeared in 33 games at Colorado State, making 11 starts… Rushed for 708 yards and 6 TDs in his CSU career… also caught 10 passes for 89 yards… had 370 yards rushing with 3 scores in 2019 season… Rated as the Class of 2017’s No. 7 prospect in the state of Colorado (Rivals and 247Sports), including the top running back by Scout … Earned CHSAA first-team all-state honors as a senior running back in 2016 … Rushed 153 times for 1,175 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2016, averaging 106.8 rushing yards per game … Helped Mullen to a 9-3 record and the quarterfinals of the Colorado Class 5A state playoffs … Named a 2016 National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter (NFFCC) Scholar Athlete … Rated as a three-star prospect by Scout, Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN … Offers included Colorado State, Colorado, Kansas State, Purdue and Air Force.

Jermaine McMillian • DB • 6-2 • 195 • Central Florida • Booker T. Washington HS • Miami, Fla.
Early Signee Transfer
At Central Florida, 3-time AAC All-Academic honors… redshirt sophomore season, played in all 10 games and recorded 25 tackles… career-high 11 tackles vs. BYU at the Boca Raton Bowl… 24 career games played and made 36 tackles… in high school, broke up 14 passes his senior season at Booker T. Washington… played for Miami Central as a junior in 2016 and helped his team advance to the Class 6A Regional Semifinals.

C.J. Moya • K • 5-9 • 180 • Hutchinson CC • Palmetto Ridge HS • Naples, Fla.
Early Signee Transfer
2nd Team All-KJCCC… At Hutchinson Community College, connected on 57 of 60 point after kicks and 6 of 10 field goals… scored a total of 75 points on the season… ranked second in the league in PAT percentage… made a season-high 2 FGs in 2 attempts in a blowout win over Hinds CC.

Jarvis Newton II • RB • 5-11 • 190 • Alexandria Senior HS • Alexandria, La.
1st Team All-District 2-5A… LSWA Class 5A All-State Honorable Mention… Rushed for 1,157 yards on 166 carries and scoring 20 touchdowns… Rushed for 256 yards and 5 TDs in an early-season game against St. Thomas More… Received offers from other Southland Conference and Sun Belt Conference schools.

Jordan Toaston • OLB/DE • 6-3 • 230 • Catholic HS • Baton Rouge, La.
2nd Team All-District 5-5A… Rated as one of the top 150 prep prospects in Louisiana by Dandy Don… Helped lead his team to the Louisiana Division I State Championship with a 12-1 record, beating Jesuit 14-10 in the finals.

Joe Ward • DB • 5-11 • 170 • Lake Charles College Prep • Lake Charles, La.
Early Signee
Helped lead his team to a perfect 5-0 district record and 8-2 overall… LCCP won the district title in a thrilling 27-26 win over Iowa in a battle of unbeatens… as a junior, had a 12-tackle game in the Louisiana Class 3A Semifinals in a heartbreaking 43-42 loss to Union Parish.