FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW Ranks the HBCU FCS Top 10 Recruiting Classes

For the fourth time in five years FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW has ranked the top 10 HBCU FCS recruiting classes. The rankings are based on the talent that was brought in and research that we did based upon school releases and recruiting boards. This is not an exact science, but an opinion.

Feedback is greatly appreciated at hbcu@boxtorow.com.

Rankings

1. South Carolina State continues to be ranked amongst our top four or five recruiting classes every year and it’s not hard to see why.  Over the years head coach Buddy Pough and staff has signed some high profile players like two-time Palmetto Player of the Year QB Malcolm Long who is poised to be one of the top quarterbacks in Black College Football this year.  They have even signed less heralded players like a young man from tiny Travelers Rest, SC by the name of Will Ford and all he did was become the MEAC’s all-time leading rusher.  But Pough and staff may have signed its best overall class to date.  The Bulldogs were flirting with being number one on our list and solidified it with the signing of three-star DE Kendrick Frazier (Denmark-Ola), who signed two days after National Signing Day began.  Frazier received offers from South Carolina and Kentucky.  Three other three-star players committed to the Bulldogs including ATH Antuawn Blue (Dillion), DE Kegan Funderburk (Central), who received offers from Michigan State and Wisconsin, and DT Curtis Hill (Blythewood), who received offers from four other schools including Wisconsin.  And as important as signing some high profile players, the Bulldogs really filled some needs.  Blue can help at the wide receivers position which was hit the hardest by graduation, the biggest loss being Tre Johnson, the Bulldogs all-time leading receiver.  The Bulldogs also signed a couple of two-star players.  RB Charles Brown of Washington, DC’s St. John’s which could help with the loss of Ford and Travil Jamison.  Brown received offers from Akron, Kansas State, Kent State, and New Mexico amongst others.  DB Xavier McFadden (Rock Hill) received an offer from Kentucky and could help offset the loss of hot pro prospect Phillip Adams.
   
   
2. Prairie View A&M and head coach Henry Frazier had another outstanding class and the fruits of their labor have paid off as the Panthers have lost only two games the last two years and won their first SWAC Championship in 45 years last year.  The most high-profile signee by any HBCU may have been the signing of Idreis Augusts of Springfield, VA’s Lee High School.  His development could ensure the Panthers don’t miss a beat when Boxtorow.com/BASN All-American Donald Babers graduates next year.  The Panthers also signed another three-star player and perhaps filled an immediate need at the same time with the signing of S Keith Hutchins (Upland, CA).  The Panthers signed quite a few two-star players including RB JaMichael Rozier (Klein Collins) son of former Houston Oiler and 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier, DT Jordan Turner of Las Vegas’ Canyon Springs and QB Jerry Lovelock of Baltimore’s Edmonson-Westside, who turned down Akron, Central Michigan, Kent State and Temple.  Mid-year transfer CB JohnMark Henderson from Syracuse could be key to the Panthers defense and will participate in spring drills.
   
   
3. Florida A&M signed a total of 22 players, a mix of high school prep stars and transfers.  Seven of those players were offensive linemen.  One of head coach Joe Taylor’s biggest high school commitment was from Hargrave Military Academy’s DE Brandon Green.  Green is a three-star recruit who can give the Rattlers some much needed help on the edge.  The Rattlers signed a couple of other three-star high school recruits including OL Kevin House (Edward White), Boyd Anderson WR Lenworth Lennon, and Mainland LB Anthony Hamm.  The Rattlers also signed seven transfers that should be able to come in and help the Rattlers right away including University of Mississippi transfer Willie Ferrell who attended FAMU High School and was a four-star recruit.

   3. North Carolina A&T had one of its best recruiting classes in a very long time.  According to Rivals.com, A&T signed 16 two-star players and two three-star players.  What is even more impressive is that this is head coach Alonzo Lee and staff’s first full year of recruiting and they got just about every player they went after.  One of the prize recruits in this class was the signing of West Johnson (NC) RB C.J. Fredrick.  RB has been one of the bright spots over the last couple of years for the Aggies, with two backs having played in the NFL over the last 10 years (Maurice Smith, Maurice Hicks).  Frederick was rated the #1 best running back in the state and #54 nationally.  Having a stable of running backs means you need some blocking.  Once again A&T did a good job signing players in the trenches; a total of four including three-star recruit William Robinson from Maryland’s Riverdale Baptist.  Robinson was offered by a number of schools including Buffalo and New Mexico State.  Coach Lee’s specialty is defense and the Aggies got a late commitment from Durham Hillside’s Eric Young.  At 6-3, 350 he is already physically ready to play right away on the collegiate level.  Quite a few schools had interest in Young including Florida State who offered him a scholarship.  A lot of times, most recruits may not contribute right away but the case may be different for some of these A&T recruits.  Eleven of A&T’s signees were outside of North Carolina and included Michigan, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Washington, DC.*

4. Bethune-Cookman’s new head coach Brian Jenkins has only been on the job six weeks.  But his first recruiting class totaling 20 is one filled with talent.  All but two of Bethune-Cookman’s signees were from Florida including 12 from South Florida where Jenkins is from and recruited while the wide receivers coach at Rutgers.  Fort Pierce QB/WR/ATH Tim Smith is one of those signees and it was no coincidence that Smith was high on Rutgers’ board.  Smith was ranked the #43 best athlete and will be given the chance to play quarterback.  Other signees who previously committed to FBS programs include Miami Edison defensive back Dion Hanks, who is a three-star recruit and originally committed to Purdue, as well as Plantation CB Tim Burke who originally committed to Southern Miss and is a two-star recruit.  Another player that could have an impact right away is Cardinal Gibbon’s QB David Blackwell, who two years ago committed to Iowa and ended up playing a year at Iowa Western Community College.
   
   
5. Hampton signed a total of 20 new players including 12 high school players.  Head coach Donovan Rose and staff signed five from the state of Florida including QB Leon Thomas of Glade Central and Lorenzo Shinhoster of Miami’s Northwestern.  Thomas went 26-1 as a starter and threw for more 6,700 yards and 70 TDs.  He is ranked as a three-star recruit by ESPN.  Shinhoster won two state titles and caught 33 passes for 655 yards as a senior.  The Pirates also signed four from the Hampton Roads area, most notably ESPN two-star RB Cedric Johnson of Lakeland who rushed for over 1,000 yards and was offered a scholarship by Kent State.  Transfers that could come in and play right away include former Tennessee WR Nu’Keese Richardson and Marell Evans of Michigan, a two-time All-State performer from Richmond, VA’s Varina High School.
   
   
6. Grambling State head coach Rod Broadway and staff signed 16 players to national letters of intent.  One of the intriguing signings was that of Charlotte Independence QB Anthony Carrothers.  The Tigers are looking to the future as current QB Greg Dillon has at least one year of eligibility remaining.  Though small in stature at 5’8” Carrothers put up huge numbers as he threw for over 13,000 yards which is the 5th best total all-time in high school football history.  He also threw for 100 TDs in his career while rushing for 56 TDs.  DB Gaither Madison from Mobile AL’s Williamson was a three-star recruit and spurned an offer from Memphis and will come in and bolster one of the SWAC’s best secondaries.  Evangel Christian WR Thomas Bridgewater was a Rivals two-star recruit who received offers from Arkansas and Louisiana Tech.  Bridgewater averaged 20.1 yards per reception as a senior.
   
   
7. Jackson State future looks a little brighter as head coach Rick Comegy and staff signed 16 of their 19 targeted players.  The Tigers most prized signing has to be Yazoo City LB Turice King a Rivals and ESPN three-star recruit who could come in and play right away.  Quarterback play has been inconsistent for the Tigers the last couple of years and the Tigers signed four quarterbacks.  Te'Shon Burton is a two-star recruit from Leuzinger High (CA) and passed for over 2,600 yards with 23 TDs and only 6 INTs.  JUCO transfer Torry Harkness (Los Angeles Southwest College) could be more college-ready.  Running back has also been inconsistent so the Tigers signed two-star RB Michael Perkins (Valparaiso HS (IN)) who was recruited by a number of FBS schools.
   
   
8. Norfolk State signed a total of 16 players, including six from the Tidewater area.  Junior college transfer QB Chris Walley will have two more years of eligibility and is used to playing in the type of spread offense that the Spartans run.  Head coach Pete Adrian likes quarterbacks that have college experience and Walley should step in right away for the departed Dennis Brown, who was also a transfer.  ATH Dionte Sullivan of Illinois O’Fallon High School is a two-star recruit and will play cornerback.  Half of the Spartans recruits were linemen.
   
   
9. Morgan State has generally recruited the state of Florida well and this year is no exception.  Six of their 23 players were from the Sunshine State including three-star outside LB Michael Dallas of Miami Palmetto.  The Bears, who perennially have one of the best defenses in the country, lose quite a bit to graduation this year and Dallas could come in and contribute immediately.  On the offensive side of the ball, the Bears haven’t had consistent quarterback play since Bradshaw Littlejohn last played in 2003, but the Bears hope that Suitland (MD) High School recruit Devonte Lindsey can be that kind of player.  Lindsey has great size at 6-4, 220 pounds and has a rifle for an arm, but can also run the ball as well.  Also Rutgers RB Jordan Brooks transfers to the Bears program and hopefully can fill the void left by the graduation of Devan James.
   
   
10. Tie: Alabama State/Arkansas-Pine Bluff

    Alabama State signed a total of 25 recruits to national letters of intent.  Head coach Reggie Barlow and staff may have found a quarterback in Deion Woods from Memphis’ Kirby High School.  Woods was listed as a three-star recruit by ESPN.  Other highlights from this class include RB Dominique Roberts from Daytona Beach Florida’s Seabreeze.  Roberts is a Rivals two-star recruit and can also play wide receiver. 

    Arkansas-Pine Bluff had a solid recruiting class signing a total of 17 players, six of which are junior college transfers.  The Lions and head coach Monte Coleman’s biggest need may be at the linebacker position and one of their best recruits was LB Antonio Harding from Warren.  He was is a Rivals three-star recruit and ranked the 8th best linebacker in the state of Arkansas.  Also signing were JUCO transfers Roy Harvison (Fort Scott CC) and Daniel King (Gulf Coast CC) who should help right away at that position.  And while defense is of concern to the Golden Lions with the loss of seven starters, they signed eight players on that side of the ball.  QB C.J. Branch from Watson Chapel (AR) and two-star RB Larry Walls from White Hall (AR) should help bolster the offensive unit.

*Information for North Carolina A&T was not available at the time of the initial release.