After posting two wins in the last two years, the Colonel football team will look for a better outcome this fall with the signing of 27 recruits from various sectors of Louisiana and other areas of the country. “As long as I have been in I-AA football, this is by far the best class we’ve been able to get in here,” Colonel head coach Daryl Daye said. “There are some impact guys in this class and we are not done yet.”
Daye said he credits his coaching staff for working hard to bring in a balanced recruiting class that consists of 16 in-state players and 12 players from other areas of the nation.
“I am proud of the fact that we were two coaches short on the road recruting, and these coaches got out an hustled their tailes off and got this kind of group in, its impressive,” Daye said. “I think each of them had at least one or two signees from each spot we put them in.”
Louisiana signees include Anthony Baldwin; RB, John Curtis, Tommy Lee Brown; DB, Amite High School, Colt Colletti; RB, John Curtis, Roman Green; OL, Karr Magnet School, Henry Johnson; DB, Shaw, Shane Kliebert; DL, St. James High School, Jamal Major; WR, Warren Easton High School, Robert Patterson; DB, Quachita High School, David Plaisance; RB, Redemptorist High School, Brennan Romero; DB, St. John High School, Corey Spears; DE, Baker High School, Wyatt Vial; RB, Hammond High School, Jamar Waiters; DE, Karr High School, Rogers Williams; RB, Jeanerette High School, David Willis; DB, St. Martinville and Michael Young; DE, De La Salle High School.
Others signees include Florida recruits Clarence Boggan; DT, Pine Forest High School, Roy Burchette; QB, New Mexico Military JC, Tim Riley; DT, Suwanee High School, LeJaun Walker; DB, Godby High School and Robert Wyche; LB, Ed White High School.
Mississippi signees include Randy Brunson; OL, East Central Mississippi JC, Jamie Jackson; OL, Southwest Mississippi JC, Kenyardia Johnson; OL, Holmes JC, David Laphand; WR, Quitman High School and Lester Magee; LB, Jones JC.
Texas signees include Yale Vannoy; QB, H.M. King High School and Wade Witcliff; OL, Blinn JC.
Besides Mississippi and Texas, the other state fielding a signee was Ohio, as place kicker John Manly inked with the Colonels after playing one season at the University of Toledo.
Daye said out of all the postions he and his coaching staff tried to fill he is most satified with the running backs and offensive linemen that were recruited.
“We should have an excellent offensive line this year, which makes your backs better, quarterback better and offense better,” Daye said.
“I was plenty suprised with the backs that we got. This was the first time we recruited for the fullback position because we haven’t had it, and we end up with Colt Colletti and others who are excellent players.”
Besides being pleased with the althleticism of the recruiting class, Daye said he is also proud of the group from an academic standpoint.
“One thing I would like everyone to understand is out of the 27 kids we signed there is not one prop 48 (academic requirement) kid in the group,” Daye said. “They are all expected to make it, and we are counting on all of of them to make it (academically).”
Daye said he would like to extend special thanks to his players who played an intergal role in the signing of all 27 players.
“They gave up three weekends of their time to greet the players and their parents when they came down to visit,” Daye said. “I didn’t ask them to do it, they decided to do it, and that says a lot for the kids we have, and I think it impressed the kids coming in.”
