The 2012 National Signing Day has officially started for Georgia Southern University’s football program, which is in the process of receiving signed national letters of intent that are faxed by recruits who now are Eagles.
According to the GSU athletics department’s Facebook.com/GSAthletics page, offensive lineman Wintz Terrell of Hardee Senior High School in Wauchula, Fla., was the first GSU recruit to sign and fax his national letter of intent.
The second recruit to fax his signed NLI was A-back Devonte Wheaton of Etowah High in Woodstock.
Next was linebacker Patrick Flowe of Parkview High in Lilburn, followed by offensive lineman Darien Foreman of Dunwoody High in Ellenwood; quarterback Kevin Ellison of Habersham Central High in Cornelia; offensive lineman Diego Rodriguez of Dacula High; A-back Shun Tribble of Woodruff High in Enoree, S.C.; defensive lineman Deonte Dempsey of Victory Christian in Lakeland, Fla.; athlete Nardo Govan of Savannah Christian; quarterback Matt Dobson of North Florida Christian in Tallahassee, Fla.; safety Grady Redding of Cocoa (Fla.) High; offensive lineman Michael Young of Tucker High in Stone Mountain; defensive lineman Dequan Clark of Buford High; quarterback Vegas Harley of Mount Dora (Fla.) High; defensive lineman Tre Griffin of North Cobb High in Powder Springs; defensive end Jamal Johnson of Southeast Bulloch High; B-back James Dean of Glynn Academy in Brunswick; defensive back Tay Hicklin of South Point High in Rock Hill, S.C.; defensive back Corey Neely of South Pointe High in Rock Hill, S.C.; defensive lineman Jermaine Morris of Archer High in Dacula; wide receiver Montay Crockett of South Pointe High in Rock Hill, S.C.; tight end Da’Quan Heard of Washington-Wilkes High; defensive back Deshawntee Gallon of Madison (Fla.) County High and B-back Irving Huggins of St. Cloud, Fla., who attended Hargrave Military Academy.
GSU fans can visit Statesboroherald.com throughout the morning for updates as GSU’s athletics department releases the names of signees as they become certified. At 2 p.m., GSU head coach Jeff Monken will conduct a news conference for media at the Parrish Football Center to announce the signees.
GSU is inviting fans to join Monken at a “Signing Day Celebration” at 7 p.m. at Locos Grill & Pub.

Bios of Georgia Southern's 2012 Football Signees who signed Wednesday from GSU Athletics:

Dequan Clark – Buford, Ga./Buford High School – 6’1”/275 – DL

Ranked as the 64th best defensive tackle in the country and the 79th best player in the state of Georgia... Noted by ESPN for his run defensive and overall strength... Had offers from a number of FBS schools including Illinois, Indiana, Memphis and Mississippi State... Selected in December of 2011 as a Second Team All-County Defensive Lineman by the Touchdown Club of Gwinnett... Helped Buford hold opponents to just 7.4 points per game and advance to the Class AA Football State Championship.

Montay Crockett – Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe High School – 6’0”/175 – WR

Named All-Area in 2011... Earned All-Region honors junior and senior seasons... Received South Pointe Captain’s Award... Caught 27 passes for 605 yards and seven touchdowns... Averaged 22.41 yards per catch and posted a season-long 82 yard grab against Nation Ford on October 7th... Caught five passes for a season-high 148 yards in a 28-21 win over Rock Hill on September 16th... Helped South Pointe to a 14-1 record and the Class-AAA State Title with a 42-27 victory over Bluffton.

James Dean – Brunswick, Ga./Glynn Academy – 6’1”/195 – B-Back

Named First Team All-State by the AJC twice... Selected to the GACA Coaches All-State Class 4A Team... Coastal News Player of the Year and Region 2 AAAA South Defensive Player of the Year in 2011... Named All-Region and All-Area his senior season... Shane’s Rib-Shack Georgia Player of the Year... Selected to the Georgia Junior Bowl Team... Team MVP his senior year and earned the Captain’s Award... Received Atlanta Falcons Captain in the Community Award in 2010... Earned a number of Defensive Player of the Year Awards including Region 2 AAAA and Coastal News... Played both sides of the ball... Fullback on offense and linebacker on defense... Totaled over 100 tackles his final two seasons at Glynn... Scored 108 points in 2011... Blocked two kicks his senior year and four his junior season... Carried the ball 116 times for 1,011 yards last year and notched 500 yards in 2010... Rushed for 254 yards and five scores in a win over South Effingham to propel Glynn Academy to the Class AAAA State Playoffs... Received offers from Air Force and Navy.

Deonte Dempsey – Lakeland, Fla./Victory Christian Academy – 6’3”/245 – DL

Named one of Lemming’s top players at his position... PolkPrep’s Super Sixteen selection... Helped the storm to a 8-3 record and a perfect 7-0 mark in division play... Led Victory to the 2011 FHSAA Class 2A State Playoffs... Notched nine sacks including three in a pair of games... Totaled 33 tackles his senior year... Also punted for Victory Christian Academy.

Matt Dobson – Monticello, Fla./North Florida Christian School – 6’0”/205 – QB

Ranked as the #29 best dual-threat quarterback by Rivals.com and the 57th overall quarterback by ESPN... Three-star quarterback by both associations... Four year starter at North Florida Christian School, playing two years at safety and two at quarterback... Completed 174 of 303 pass attempts for 2,509 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2011... Also carried the ball 98 times for 828 yards and 15 scores on the ground... Finished his career at North Florida with 4,297 yards passing and 42 touchdowns on 304 completions in 526 attempts... On the ground he carried the ball 192 times for 1,415 yards and 20 touchdowns... First Team All-State selection both seasons at quarterback... Tallahassee QB Club Offensive Player of the Year in 2010 and MVP in 2011... Named All-District by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association... Appeared in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and the Florida-Georgia War of the Border All-Star Game in 2011... Led North Florida to two state titles and a 38-8 record during his career... Post a top-10 GPA in all four years of varsity football and was named to the National Honor Society... Had offers from Georgia Tech, Navy, Florida International and Samford.

Kevin Ellison – Cornelia, Ga./Habersham Central High School – 6’0”/180 – QB

Four year letter winner in football and basketball... Tallied 5,100 yards and 83 touchdowns on the ground and 1,412 yards and 15 touchdowns passing in his career at Habersham Central... Ranks 10th behind Herschel Walked on the All-Time Georgia touchdown list... Named the190th best player in Georgia and ranked as a one-star recruit by ESPN... Set school records for single-season and career rushing yards and touchdowns... AJC Class AAAA Offensive Player of the Year for 2011 after rushing for 2,138 yards and 32 touchdowns... Ranked sixth in the nation for rushing yards his senior season... Led the 2011 squad to the AAAA State Playoffs while averaging nearly 200 yards rushing per game... Carried the ball 24 times for 214 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs against Chattahoochee... Jaycees High School Player of the Week for September 14th... Received offers from South Alabama, Air Force and Appalachian State.

Patrick Flowe – Lilburn, Ga./Parkview High School – 6’1”/210 – LB

Ranked as a two-star recruit by ESPN and the 134th best player in the state of Georgia... Gwinnett County TD Club Player of the Week and Kevin Maloof Award Winner... Seven-time Parkview Player of the Week... Noted by ESPN for his zone coverage and run support... Selected by his peers as team captain and served on the team’s leadership counsel... Son of 29 year head coaching veteran at Parkview Cecil Flowe... Combined for 168 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 3 interceptions in his final two seasons at Parview... Also tallied 12 quarterback hurries, 8 pass deflections and 4 forced fumbles in those two seasons... Posted 11 tackles against Norcross and 10 against Stephenson to open the 2011 season... Also a track region champion... Had offers from Georgia State, Troy and Toledo... Holds a 3.9 GPA at Parkview... Earned a number of Academic Awards including Great American Rivalry Scholarship, Outstanding Math Student and Scholar-Athlete.

Darien Foreman – Ellenwood, Ga./Dunwoody High School – 6’4”/285 – OL

Two-time All-DeKalb County First Team selection... Invited to play in the 2011 GACA North-South All-Star Game... Started 20-straight games at right tackle and played both ways his senior year... Earned school’s Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award twice and was named the Co-Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year in 2011... Dunwoody finished 6-4 and fifth in AAAA Region 6 and averaged 276 yards rushing... Team finished on a three-game win streak... Helped the offense score 38 or more points in their final four games of the season and a season-high 49 points against Douglass in the season finale... Received offers from Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky and South Carolina State.

Deshawntee Gallon – Madison, Fla./Madison County High School – 5’11”/190 – DB

Rated as a two-star recruit by Rivals... Earned 2011 First Team Class 3A All-State honors... All-District senior season... Selected to the Tallahassee Democrat All Big Bend Team in 2011... Finished the season with 125 tackles, four picks and five forced fumbles... Named to the Miami Herald Class 1A-2A-3A-4A All-Tournament Team... Recorded nine tackles in the Florida Class 3A State Championship Game against American Heritage... Helped team to a 13-2 record that included a perfect 6-0 home mark... Received FHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award... Named Mr. Madison County High School in a vote by the school’s faculty.

Lanard Govan – Garden City, Ga./Savannah Christian School – 6’2”/230 – ATH

Ranked as a three-start recruit by Rivals... Helped lead Savannah Christian to their first Class A State Title and 15-0 record in 2011... Appeared in three-straight state championships... Part of a senior class that went 52-5... Named Savannah Christian Prep’s MVP in 2010 and 2011... Region 3A Player of the Year for 2010 and 2011... Earned All-County and All-Region honors three-straight seasons... Named All-State by the Georgia Sportswriters Association... Broke open the game with a 25-yard touchdown run up the middle in the fourth quarter... Saw time on both sides of the ball... Played all over the field on both defense and offense... Appeared at running back, wide receiver, tight end and safety... Rushed for 510 yards in 41 attempts and found the endzone ten times his senior year... Received offers from Cincinnati and Mississippi State.

Tre Griffin – Powder Springs, Ga./North Cobb High School – 6’2”/235 – DL

Rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN and a two-star recruit by Rivals... Three-year starter at North Cobb... Cobb County Touchdown Club First Team... Noted by ESPN for his run defense and pursuit skills... Ranked as the 77th best player in the state and the 91st best defensive end... Helped North Cobb advance to the Class AAAAA State Playoffs after a 5-5 regular season... Finished 2011 season with 64 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks...  Averaged 5.2 tackles per game his junior season... Received offer from Vanderbilt.

Vegas Harley – Mount Dora, Fla./Mount Dora High School – 6’0”/185 – QB

Ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals and ESPN... Noted by ESPN for his play making abilities... Ranked as the 54th best player in the state... Ranked #11 on the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida Super60 list... Named Lake County Offensive Player of the Year in 2010... First Team All-Central Florida selection... Earned All-State First Team quarterback and All-District Honors in 2011... Received All-State honors twice, All-District, All-Area, All-County and All-Central Florida three times... Finished his career with 7,910 yards of total offense in three years at quarterback...  Rushed for 1,384 yards and 16 touchdowns his senior year... Completed 99 passes for 1,328 yards and 11 scores through the air and made 45 tackles on defense... Earned Offensive MVP honors at the Florida-Georgia War of the Border after helping Florida rally from a 23 point deficit... Racked up over 3,000 yards of total offense his junior year and was named Offensive Player of the Year for Lake County... Received over 14 offers including ones from South Florida, Memphis, Washington State, Illinois and Florida Atlantic.

Da'Quan Heard - Washington, Ga./Washington-Wilkes High School - 6'3''/245 - TE

Caught a 60-yard pass against Warren County and scored the opening touchdown of the contest... Caught three passes for 80 yards in the game and tallied two scores... Caught three passes for 67 yards in a loss to Lincoln County...  Helped lead Washington-Wilkes to the Class A GHSA state playoffs and caught a 62-yard touchdown pass against Prince Avenue Christian.

Tay Hicklin – Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe High School – 5’10”/175 – DB

Ranked as a two-star recruit by ESPN... Received All-Region honors in back-to-back seasons... Earned South Pointe Stallion “Iron Man” Award in 2010 and Skill Player of the Year Award in 2009... Noted by ESPN for his versatility... Lined up at a number of spots including quarterback, receiver and defensive back... Ranked as a top-50 player in the state of South Carolina... Helped lead team to Class AAA State Title with a 42-27 victory over Bluffton... South Pointe finished 2011 with a 14-1 record... Finished with 67 tackles, 11 pass breakups and one pick... Named to Rock Hill, S.C.’s the Herald’s All-Area Football Team.. Selected to participate in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolina’s All-Star game held at Wofford’s Gibbs Stadium.

Irving Huggins – St. Cloud, Fla./Hargrave Military Academy – 6’1”/215 – B-Back

Rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN and the 19th best player in the state of Virginia... Two-star recruit by Rivals... Noted for his power running, elusiveness and hands by ESPN... Transferred to Hargrave Military Academy for his senior year... Ran for 702 yards and six touchdowns... Ranked 10th in the Orlando Sentinel’s 2012 Central Florida Super60 while attending St. Cloud High School... Named All-County his sophomore and junior seasons... Rushed for 1,389 yards and 19 touchdowns his junior season at St. Cloud and added 417 yards receiving... Carried the ball 214 times for 997 yards and 13 scores his sophomore season... Scored five touchdowns on 165 yards rushing in a win over Hagerty that season.

Jamal Johnson – Statesboro, Ga./Southeast Bulloch High School – 6’3”/240 – DL

Rated as one-star recruit by ESPN... First Team All-Region Tight End in 2011 and Second Team All-Region Defensive Line in 2010... Earned a spot on Statesboro Herald’s All-Area Team in 2011... Southeast Bulloch’s Player of the Year in 2010... Ranked as the 197th player in the state and the 250th best player at his position... Played both sides of the ball and a multitude of position... Fought through injuries his junior year and finished strong to lead the team in tackles his senior season... 2011 Region 3AA Discus Champion and placed 4th in the state... Son of David and Sophia Johnson.

Jermaine Morris – Dacula, Ga./Archer High School – 6’1”/235 – DL

Named First Team All-County Defensive End... Earned Gwinnett Touchdown Club Player of the Month honors... Two-way starter at running back and defensive end... Saple on the field for newly christened Archer High School and was a force in the weight room... Named Defensive Player of the Week by the Gwinnett Daily Post after recording four sacks for 75 yards, recovered a fumble for a score and tallied two other tackles for loss in a win over Parkview... Racked up 59 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2011... Also posted 20 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and five total touchdowns... Averaged 8.4 yards per carry on offense... Blocked two punts on special teams...  Also played basketball and led the team to the state playoffs last season.

Corey Neely – Rock Hill, S.C./South Pointe High School – 6’1”/190 – DB

Named the AAA Area Denfensive Player of the Year... Earned All-Region honors senior season... Tallied 60 tackles and 243 yards on punt returns in just seven returns... Helped lead South Pointe to a Class AAA State Title with two punt return touchdowns in the win over Bluffton... Also intercepted a pass in that game in the red zone to quell a scoring opportunity... South Pointe finished 2011 with a 14-1 record.

Grady Redding – Cocoa, Fla./Cocoa High School – 5’11”/190 – DB

Ranked as two-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals... Noted by ESPN for his run support abilities... Recorded over 150 tackles to lead Cocoa to an 8-5 record and an appearance in the Class 4A Semifinals... Posted a team-best 11.8 tackles a game.. Also recorded five sacks, recovered two fumbles and blocked a punt.

Diego Rodriguez – Dacula, Ga./Dacula High School – 6’3”/250 – OL

Helped Dacula to a 2011 Region 8 runner-up finish... Squad ranked 7th in the state by the AP and finished as a AAAAA quarterfinalist... Named a Gwinnett Touchdown Club Player of the Week... Part of offensive line that helped Dacula’s offense average 28 points a game and allowed only six sacks... Three year letter winner and two-year starter...  Graded out as an 88% for the season... Tallied 30 pancake blocks.

Wintz Terrell – Hardee, Fla./Hardee Senior High School – 6’2”/297 – OL

Helped Hardee Senior High School to a 9-3 record and a 3-1 mark in league play... Part of an offense that racked averaged 230.3 rushing yards per game... Hardee Senior High School advanced to the second round of the Florida High School State Playoffs in class 5A.

Shun Tribble – Enoree, S.C./Woodruff High School – 5’9”/170 – A-Back

Rated as a one-star recruit by ESPN... Ranked 49th in the state of Georgia and 229th overall at his position... Rushed for over 1,200 yards on 215 carries and scored 21 touchdowns in 13 games in 2011... Also Caught 25 passes for 220 yards... Helped Woodruff to a 14-1 record and an appearance in the finals of the South Carolina Class AA State Playoffs... In 2010 he ran 1,995 yards and 29 scores... Received offers from Newberry and Gardner-Webb.

Devonte Wheaton – Woodstock, Ga./Etowah High School – 5’9”/170 – A-Back

Finished the regular season with 793 rushing yards on 127 carries and five touchdowns... Also racked up 165 receiving yards in 13 grabs... Ran for 82 yards and a score in the first round of the Class AAAAA State Playoffs... Helped Etowah to a 6-5 record and wins in four of their last six games... In 2010 he rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the Region 5AAAAA opener... Received an offer from Middle Tennessee State.

Michael Young – Stone Mountain, Ga./Tucker High School – 5’11”/265 – OL

Selected to the 6-AAAA All-Region Team... Named to Tucker Patch Football Honor Roll... Tucker High School’s Offensive Player of the Week for all games played through October 14th... Named All-Region and All-County... Selected as one of the top-50 players in the state of Georgia... Four-year letter winner... Played center for Tucker and helped the team to a strong offensive season... Senior class finished with a 51-5 record and two state titles... Helped Tucker to the 2011 AAAA State High School Playoffs and a State Title with a 22-7 win over Lovejoy... Tucker finished with a perfect 16-0 record and scored 50 or points in six games... Started playing football at six-years old after moving to the United States from his birthplace of Jamaica.