Hughes signs quantity and quality with big recruiting class

Nick Alvarado

Head Football Coach Hunter Hughes speaks during the National Signing Day press conference at the Buffalo Club Room at the First United Bank Center on Wednesday, Feb. 7

Austin Heinen, Co-Editor
February 7, 2018

In his first full off-season, head football coach Hunter Hughes has brought in a class of 63 total commits. With 57 of which being incoming freshman, while also bringing in six transfers to the class.

Last year, WT brought in only 32 commits. After his first full offseason, Hughes and his staff have nearly doubled that number. Time, of course, plays a part in that. Hughes says that during that extra time he and the coaches were able to share more schemes to recruits.

“When our coaches go out, they talk about the schemes we are running,” Hughes said. “Last year, we didn’t have that much time. We came in late and a lot of guys got brought in the middle of this process. Now we’re spread out through the state of Texas. Playing a year, and seeing what we are doing, I think helped us tremendously.”

That year not only made an impression on players, but it also helped with building relationships with high school coaches as well. Hughes says having a chance to show the who the coaching staff was and how they worked help build those ties.

“I think it’s having them know who we were, the type of coaching staff, and the way we do things,” Hughes said. “The culture we’ve established, I think is resonating around the state. I believe, we go out and we don’t try to play the recruiting game. We go out and speak the truth, tell them who we are, what we are about, show them this campus, talk about the academics, and the city of Canyon we are in. I think those coaches trust us. If they send their kid here, they know we are going to take care of them.”

West Texas A&M has always provided an opportunity to get noticed. With four players on current NFL rosters, according to ESPN, WT has been one of the best division two schools in producing next level talent, one of them, Bryan Braman being apart of a Super Bowl championship this season with Philadelphia. Hughes knows not a lot of division two teams can say the same.

“I think you make sure everyone knows, that’s an opportunity for the player,” Hughes said. “They got to do their job to get noticed and you can get noticed here at West Texas A&M. I don’t think there’s too many other D-II schools that can say that.

West Texas A&M Football Signees

Incoming Freshman Class

 

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High School
Basel Abu-Ahmad DB 5-11 175 Arlington, Texas Martin HS
Keenon Bell    TE 6-1 210 Cedar Hill, Texas Cedar Hill HS
Wellington Bridges WR 6-3 185 Burleson, Texas Centennial HS
Steven Brock RB 6-0 180 Pueblo, Colorado South Pueblo HS
Marshawn Brown RB 5-8 180 Schertz, Texas Samuel Clemens HS
Devin Bryan ILB 6-1 210 Arlington, Texas Martin HS
Josh Campbell OL 6-4 320 Justin, Texas Northwest HS
Davion Chisolm DB 5-10 160 Dallas, Texas W.W. Samuell HS
Terrance Clark ILB 5-11 200 Dallas, Texas Lake Highlands HS
Jarrod Compton RB 5-10 185 Lubbock, Texas Coronado HS
Corey Corbin DB 6-1 170 Aurora, Colorado Eaglecrest HS
Brandon Davis DL 6-1 215 Mesquite, Texas Horn HS
Leo Dugue RB 6-0 220 Austin, Texas McNeil HS
Jacob Fernandez OLB 6-2 210 Fort Worth, Texas Fossil Ridge HS
Darrell Fields TE 6-4 215 Pampa, Texas Pampa HS
Quinton Freeman RB 5-9 195 Dallas, Texas Lake Highlands HS
Miguel Garcia DL 5-11 250 Lubbock, Texas Coronado HS
Omuiri Garcia WR 6-2 180 Fort Worth South Hills HS
Dalton Gray TE 6-3 215 Happy, Texas Happy HS
Jamaal Hamilton WR 5-10 170 Dallas, Texas Duncanville HS
Kolbe Harris OL 6-2 240 Universal City, Texas Judson HS
Tobias Harris DB 5-9 175 Pflugerville, Texas Hendrickson HS
Weston Holdren FB 5-10 225 Grand Junction, Colorado Central HS
Matthew Hunt OLB 5-11 195 Dallas, Texas Carter HS
Cleon Jackson DL 6-2 250 Coppell, Texas Coppell HS
Jakobe Jackson WR 6-0 180 Houston, Texas Cypress Ridge HS
Warren Jones DB 6-0 170 Houston, Texas Cypress Ridge HS
Jonathan Kelly OL 6-0 275 Leander, Texas Cedar Park HS
Dyshaundrick Lacy DL 6-4 250 Lubbock, Texas Monterey HS
Tanner Lacy     WR 6-1 180 Oak Ridge, Texas Oak Ridge HS
Devin Lawrence WR 6-1 190 Cypress, Texas Langham Creek HS
David Leonty WR 6-2 190 Carrollton, Texas Hebron HS
Zane Madison OL 6-3 295 Van Alstyne, Texas Van Alstyne HS
Donevin Manuel OLB 5-11 190 Spring, Texas Spring HS
Dillon Mata DL 6-2 240 Austin, Texas Austin HS
Zion Mills DB 5-10 175 DeSoto, Texas Arlington HS
Chandler Ojiaku ILB 6-2 200 Cypress Springs, Texas Cypress Springs HS
Marcel Paige DL 6-1 210 Fort Worth, Texas Brewer HS
Maxwell Perez QB 6-4 220 Austin, Texas McCallum HS
Elijah Prince DB 6-0 180 Midland, Texas Lee HS
Tydrick Ranson OLB 6-1 210 Lubbock, Texas Monterey HS
Janarieon Reynolds ILB 5-10 190 Lancaster, Texas Lancaster HS
Reginald Robinson OLB 6-1 185 Tomball, Texas Tomball Memorial HS
Laurent Swanson DB 5-11 180 White Settlement, Texas Brewer HS
Tanyitaku Tanyi OL 6-3 320 Houston, Texas Bush HS
Christopher Thomas OLB 6-3 210 Humble, Texas Atascocita HS
David Threadgill ILB 6-0 205 Midland, Texas Midland Christian HS
Rowdy Vaughn DB 6-0 175 Canyon, Texas Canyon HS
Darrell Wair ILB 6-0 210 Arlington, Texas Martin HS
DeAndre Warren WR 6-2 180 Carrollton, Texas Hebron HS
Justice Watson ILB 6-4 230 Corpus Christi, Texas Roy Miller HS
Preston White OL 6-5 255 Lovington, New Mexico Lovington HS
Travis White WR 6-2 185 Richmond, Texas Foster HS
Brock Williams TE 6-4 225 Burleson, Texas Burleson HS
Malik Williams OLB 6-1 200 Dickinson, Texas Dickinson HS
Rashadd Williams OL 6-5 240 San Antonio, Texas Marshall HS
Kade Wilson OL 6-3 295 Altus, Okla. Altus HS
Transfers
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown Previous School
Blake Adamson      TE 6-5 255 R-So. San Marcos, Calif. Palomar JC
Duke Carter IV RB 5-9 200 R-Jr. Grand Prairie, Texas Louisiana-Monroe
Mitch Hood QB 6-5 210 R-Jr. Sonoma, Calif. Santa Rosa JC/Miss. St.
Davin Lemon-Rodriguez QB 6-6 240 R-Jr. Vista, Calif. Contra Costa College
Semaj Mitchell WR 5-10 175 R-Jr. Arlington, Texas Contra Costa College
Logan Vallo RB 6-0 200 Jr. San Diego, Calif. San Diego Mesa CC