In a time where the only sports available are basketball or hockey, the emergence of National Signing Day gives football fans a reason to be excited in the offseason. Fans follow high school recruits (often way too closely) to see if they sign with their favorite school to play their college career. The University of Tulsa recently added twenty of these new faces to the football team.
The offensive and defensive lines were bolstered with this class, with the signing of five offensive linemen and four defensive linemen. Three linebackers were signed, as well as two wide receivers, defensive backs and athletes (players that played multiple positions in high school). Coach Montgomery continued to use his Texas pipeline, signing eleven players from the Lone Star State. This was more than twice than the second state (Oklahoma, with five). Signees also came from Arizona, California and Louisiana.
The top signee in the 2016 class is Deya Mhiesen, a 6’7”, 305-pound junior college transfer from Arizona Western College in Yuma. The top high school recruit came from TU’s backyard, as offensive guard Rowdy Frederick was signed from Broken Arrow. The rest of the top five signees are linebacker Robert Revels from Houston, Texas, wide receiver Josh Stewart from Cedar Hill, Texas, and defensive tackle Johnnie Williams from Austin, Texas.
In a press conference held on Wednesday, head coach Philip Montgomery was excited about the upcoming class. “I’m excited about this class. We were able to sign a lot of tremendous kids.” Montgomery then went on to break down the class. “As we looked at it, we really had to start up-front on both sides of the ball with this recruiting class,” he said of the nine linemen signed. Montgomery continued, highlighting the receivers and athletes, saying “We added some length and speed at the receiver position and really believe we have some outstanding candidates there. I’m excited what they bring to the table and their talent will allow us to keep doing the things we like to do offensively.”
National Signing Day is a time where football fans can look forward to the future of the team. Head coach Philip Montgomery has signed another solid recruiting class, and with each class comes the possibility of one of these signees reaching their dreams of becoming a star college football player.
Offense
Jordan Brown
Wide receiver
Stillwater High School
Three-year letterwinner, caught passes for 355 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 279 and three touchdowns during his junior season. Was rated the No. 14 prep senior in the state of Oklahoma by 247Sports.
Tiller Bucktrot
Offensive lineman
Stroud High School
Four-year letterwinner and three-year starter, where he played both offensive and defensive line. Helped lead Stroud to the second round of the state playoffs both his junior and senior season. Was named the District 2A-5 Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior and rated as the No. 16 perp senior in Oklahoma.
David Fitzwater
Tight end
Calvary Baptist Academy
Four-year letterwinner and started three years on offense and two on defense (defensive end). Was moved to tight end during his senior season where he had 78 yards and two touchdowns. Had five sacks and 91 tackles as a defensive end in the same season. Was named a first-team all-district player as a tight end and a defensive end.
Rowdy Frederick
Offensive lineman
Broken Arrow High School
A three-year letterwinner and starter, earned first-team all-state honors from the Tulsa World and the Oklahoman as a senior, the same season that he helped lead his team to a runner-up finish in the Class 6A-I. Rated as the No. 22 prep senior in Oklahoma.
Clay Greathouse
Offensive lineman
Rider High school
Played left tackle in high school where he was a two-time first-team all-district 5-5A performer. Helped lead his team to 5–2 mark in Class 5A Region I District 5 during his senior season.
Keenen Johnson
Athlete
Alto High School
Played receiver and defensive back at Alto, where he rushed for 2,669 yards and 38 touchdowns during his senior season, and also recorded 42 tackles, three for losses, eight pass break-ups and three forced fumbles.
Deya Mhiesen
Offensive lineman
Arizona Western College (Jr.)
Was the No. 10 ranked Junior College offensive lineman in the nation and the 46th overall prospect in the country. Only played one season for Arizona Western Colllege.
Waahid Muhammad
Offensive lineman
La Vega High School
Two-year letterwinner where he started on both the offensive and defensive lines. Only played football during his junior and senior seasons. Recorded 70 pancake blocks and 20 knockdowns as a senior, when he helped lead his team to an undefeated record and the UIL Class 4A-1 state title.
Luke Skipper
Quarterback
Forney High School
Three-year starting quarterback completing 175 of out 299 passes for 2,706 yards and 33 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,188 yards and 17 touchdowns during his senior season. Was named the District 12-5A Offensive Player of the Year in that same season.
Josh Stewart
Wide receiver
Cedar Hill High School
Helped lead Cedar Hill to a 9–2 record as a senior when he caught 20 passes for 353 yards and six touchdowns, while averaging 40.6 ounting yards.
Defense
DJ Allen
Linebacker
Brennan High School
Four-year starter in high school, top year was his junior season where he recorded 113 tackles, with 20 of those for losses and four sacks.
Manny Bunch
Safety
Roland High School
A three-year starter, played both quarterback and free safety at Roland. Led his team to a first place district finish as a quarterback in his senior season. Recorded 87 tackles, 10 for a loss, 10 pass break-ups and three interceptions. Rated as the No. 24 prep senior in Oklahoma.
Cooper Edmiston
Linebacker
Gatesville High School
Four-year letterwinner and three-year starter playing as a linebacker and tight end. Credited with 145 tackles, eight for losses, three pass break-ups and two sacks as a senior. Named the District co-Defensive MVP as a senior.
Keanu Hill
Cornerback
Long Beach Community College (Jr.)
During his sophomore season he recorded 40 tackles, 10 pass break-ups and two interceptions. Before Long Beach he was a two-year starter at Junipero Serra High School where he helped his team win a state championship in his senior season.
Jimmy Nelson
Defensive end
Martin High School
A two-year letterwinner and starter where he played defensive end and tackle, recording 72 tackles, 16 for losses, seven sacks, six quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his senior season. Was named the District 4A-6 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.
Montray Norris
Cornerback
Davis High School
Played cornerback and wide receiver where he earned second-team UIL all-district 18-6A honors as a senior.
Robert Revels III
Linebacker
John H. Reagan High School
A three-year letterwinner and starter at middle linebacker. Collected 75 tackles, seven for loss, three sacks, four fumbles recoveries, 10 quarterback hurries and three interceptions, while returning two for touchdowns during his senior season. Named the District 20-6A Defensive MVP his senior year.
Shemarr Robinson
Defensive tackle
Central High School
A four-year letterwinner and starter on offense and defense. Credited with 65 tackles, 16 for losses and nine quarterback sacks in his senior season. Tulsa Wolrd named him to the all-metro team in the same season. Earned all-VYPE Class 4A honors as well.
Tyarise Stevenson
Defensive tackle
Donaldsville High School
Played on both offensive and defensive lines in high school. Received a three-start rating from 247Sports. Chose Tulsa over Texas Tech, Tulane, UCF and UNLV.
Johnnie Williams
Defensive end
Lyndon B. Johnson High School
A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter in high school where he played defensive end and tight end. Was named the District 26-5A Lineman of the Year as a junior when he recorded 135 tackles and 13 sacks. Was a second-team all-state selection as a junior.
