New Early Signing Day Success for the Texas State Bobcats

By Reed Graff
Sports Reporter

December 20th, 2017 marks the first time college football held its new Early Signing day for college football recruiting. While this new signing day was not well received by all, the period is beneficial for teams such as Texas State that have struggled and are looking to rebuild as it gives them a bit of a head start in recruiting. The Bobcats took full advantage of the day and on the morning on December 20th, the Letters of Intent started flowing in.

The action kicked off early, with several future Bobcats sending in their signatures as soon as they could, with the deadline opening up at 7 a.m.! The Bobcats addressed several glaring needs with this recruiting class. Some of the first players to sign with the team were 2 Star Offensive linemen Jalen Momerelle from Manvel, TX, Kylar Cooks from Texarkana, TX, Morgan Moore from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Miles Macadory from Sachse, TX. These four look to be the future of the trenches for the Bobcats. Macadory is the biggest of the trio at 6’6, 290 lbs., Whereas, Momerelle is the highest rated. The Bobcat coaching staff is high on Momerelle as they believe he is just scratching the surface of his potential, and believe he can be one of the steals of the class.

The Bobcats added a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, but one of the most athletic players to join the class also signed on the Early Signing Day. 3 Star WR Blake Aragon from Stephenville, TX brings elite athleticism and size to the Bobcat receiving corps. Blake is a State Champion in High Jump, and excels on the basketball court as well. It is safe to say his athleticism is his best trait, and his 6’4 frame should allow him to win jump balls for balls in the air. 2 star WR Jahmarae Sharead, 3 star TJ Graham, and the highest rated recruit in the class 3 star Jacoby Hopkins all signed with the Bobcats as well. Sharead is a smaller (5’7 160) receiver, but his electricity with the ball in his hands makes him special. Sharead could make an impact immediately in the return game. TJ Graham comes from Mansfield, TX, and at 6’1, 175, Graham is an excellent athlete, only making this receiver corp even more deadly. He has soft hands capable of catching anything that gets into his catch radius, and excels at going up and attacking the ball in the air. Jacoby Hopkins from Houston, TX, had offers from several schools, including Louisville, Florida Atlantic, and Yale. The highly sought after receiver can do some special things on a football field, and will look to be the anchor of this Bobcat offense.

Two tight ends also signed with Texas State, only strengthening that offense. 2 Star Jackson Lanaam from Corpus Christi, TX, and 2 star Seth Caillouet both joined the Bobcats The Bobcats are still waiting on the decision of 3 star WR August Pitre, and if he stays committed to the team, Pitre will more than likely sign in February.

So who is going to be throwing the ball to these athletes? It figures to be one of the 4 quarterbacks that joined the Bobcats last season, but you can throw a new name into the mix. 3 Star QB Tyler Vitt from Macarthur High School in San Antonio, Texas is coming to San Marcos. The 6’1 athlete is rated as the 59th Pro style QB in the country, but from what I have seen, the kid can scramble. Typically, Pro-styles are pocket passers, but Vitt has elite skills when running outside of the pocket as well. He will have to compete with now Sophomore Willie Jones III, and redshirt freshmen Jaylen Gipson and Kishawn Kelley, but Vitt is rated as a much higher prospect than any of those three coming out of high school.

The Bobcats were strong defensively in 2017, but they did have weaknesses in their secondary and up front on their d-line. Both issues were addressed in this class. The most notable additions in the secondary came in the form 3 star safety Pierce Withers from Austin, TX, and 3 Star CB Jarron Morris from Orange, TX. Pierce Withers’ name may seem familiar, and that is because he is the son of Texas State’s head football coach Everett Withers. Pierce is an exciting player from Bowie High School, where he dominated in the secondary. Withers held offers from Air Force, Army, and Toledo. Jarron Morris from

West-Orange Stark High School in Orange, Texas knows a thing or two about playing in big games. The 3 star Corner Back has played in the Texas State Championship game every single year in his high school football career. Not only that, but Morris is a true lock-down corner, and a much needed acquisition for the Bobcat secondary. Also joining the secondary is 2 star Safety CJ Johnson III from Allen, TX. Johnson comes from a very successful program at Allen High School. He possesses great instincts and will be a great addition to the Bobcat secondary.

Two big players along the defensive line joined the Bobcats as well. 3 Star LB/DE Jake Lynch comes in as one of the higher ranked players in the class, and 2 star Dotson Schaefer brings great athleticism to the edge for the Bobcats. Jake Lynch comes from Richmond, TX where he played at Fort Bend Travis High School. He possesses elite Athleticism and his 6’5 frame leaves plenty of room for growth. The Bobcats seem likely to ask Lynch to move to Defensive End, and to do that, he will need to bulk up. However, his natural ability and pure instincts should carry over, and Lynch should develop into an elite pass rusher. 2 Star Dotson Schaefer recorded 11 sacks his senior season in Fayetville, Arkansas. He possesses great strength, solid speed, and a good frame at 6’4, 240. Schaefer will be a legit pass rush threat as soon as he gets on the field.

The Bobcats signed 18 of their 23 commits on the new Early Signing period. It was a very successful day for the team, and many great athletes committed to play their college days in San Marcos. The class is not done however, as they still have five players that did not sign that they need to make sure remain with the team come the February signing day. They also still have seven scholarships left, so look for the team to remain hot on the recruiting trails.

Featured image by Madison Tyson.