HATCHER
Georgia Southern head coach Chris Hatcher speaks about his 2007 signing class at a press conference on Wednesday. Ten short days was all the time he had to put together his first Eagle recruiting class, but first-year Georgia Southern football coach Chris Hatcher signed a group he felt pretty good about on Wednesday, National Signing Day.
Hatcher, who took over the program on Jan. 19, announced the addition of 22 players — 16 who signed national letters-of-intent and six who enrolled at GSU in January. Fifteen newcomers are from Georgia, four hail from Florida, two from South Carolina and one from Virginia.
“It was a wild and woolly couple of weeks,” Hatcher said. “We had three full-time assistants including myself really hammering away at this recruiting process. We feel very comfortable with the 16 commitments that we have. Time will tell. All these guys come highly recommended from their high-school coaches, and we’re excited they chose to be Georgia Southern Eagles.”
Greater Atlanta Christian quarterback Lee Chapple (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and Bleckley County running back Zeke Rozier (6-0, 205) head the group who signed letters-of-intent, which includes seven offensive players, five defensive, three all-around athletes and one placekicker.
Along with Chapple and Rozier, other offensive players are: linemen Jared Flowers (6-5, 305, David Emanuel Academy), Chris Gray (6-5, 250, Landrum, S.C.), Brandavious Mann (6-3, 245, Mary Persons), William Maxwell (6-1, 250, Brooks County), who also plays defensive line, and running back James Lewis (5-11, 195, Collins Hill).
Defensive players include: linemen Charwell Brown (6-2, 220, Brunswick/Coffeeville Community College), Brandon McEachern (6-2, 240, Buford) and Kenny Stanley (6-2, 275, Twiggs County) and defensive backs Elbert Lee (5-11, 175, Early County) and Roger King (5-7, 180, Peach County/Georgia Military College). King returns to Georgia Southern where he played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2004. He missed 2005 with an injury, spent last season with the Bulldogs and rejoins the Eagles with two years of eligibility remaining.
“We felt through the recruiting process that he deserved another opportunity to play here,” Hatcher said. “He’s very excited, and he’s learned a lot of lessons.”
As for the three all-around athletes, Jordan Delk (6-1, 155, Toombs Academy) and Chris Teal (5-7, 180, Cairo) will vie for time at receiver, while Brett Layson (6-1, 180, Tattnall Square Academy) could be used as a quarterback, receiver or defensive back. The placekicker is Dalton’s Adrian Mora (5-11, 195).
Of the six players already enrolled, three are Football Bowl Subdivision transfers, two are prep school signees and one is a freshman. Running back Mike Hamilton (6-1, 215) joins the Eagles from Oklahoma State with two years of eligibility and former Indiana defensive lineman Neal Jones (6-4, 253) will have three years left. Quentin Taylor, a 6-0, 240-pound linebacker from Ole Miss, has two years remaining.
Tight end Chase DeCarlo (6-5, 224) and linebacker Aaron Webb (6-1, 205) came to Statesboro from Fort Union Military Academy and both have four years of eligibility left. Freshman James Boger, a 6-4, 310-pound offensive lineman from Dixie Hollins in Pinellas Park, Fla., is the sixth and final player already enrolled.
With limited time to sign the class, Hatcher said he was unable to take an in-depth inventory of what the Eagles had and what they needed.
“Our goal was to sign the very best football players we could sign, no matter what position they played,” Hatcher said. “Of course, we are always big on recruiting linemen — that’s where you win games. But we went out and it just worked out that we were able to fill a couple needs in certain positions.”
Hatcher said four or five signees were already being recruited to Georgia Southern by the former coaching staff and the rest were new. Due to the late start, some doors were closed, Hatcher added, because players had already committed to other schools, but GSU was altogether well-received.
Hatcher used 11 scholarships (Football Championship Subdivision schools are allowed to split them) to sign the ’07 class and saved several for a later date.
“We held some (scholarships) back because I’m sure there are a few guys on the team that will need to be rewarded if they have a good spring, and maybe we can get a few (players) late, a transfer or two,” Hatcher said. “There are also some high school guys who have fallen under the radar.”
Hatcher is hoping all the newcomers will make an impact immediately.
“Each one of these players will have ample opportunity to make the starting lineup if they are capable of doing that,” he said.
Hatcher’s system will leave the door open for walk-ons, who have fared well at Southern in the past. At Valdosta State, Hatcher won a Division II national championship in 2004 with eight former walk-ons in starting roles.
“We don’t discriminate against walk-ons, half-scholarship or full-scholarship — the best players always play, and that’s the way I like to do it,” Hatcher said. “Hopefully these guys right here will come in and push because the way you get good is you have competition every day at practice.”
Hatcher thanked former Eagle recruiting coordinator Jeff Beckles, Southern Ambassadors, recruiting interns, football administrative assistant Lisa Kingery, athletic director Sam Baker and the Georgia Southern and Statesboro communities for their assistance during the abbreviated recruiting period.
“We couldn’t have done this recruiting without the help of a lot of key folks,” Hatcher said. “They are the ones who actually signed this class. Without those people we couldn’t have had a successful recruiting class.”
Alex Pellegrino can be reached at (912) 489-9413.
Hatcher, who took over the program on Jan. 19, announced the addition of 22 players — 16 who signed national letters-of-intent and six who enrolled at GSU in January. Fifteen newcomers are from Georgia, four hail from Florida, two from South Carolina and one from Virginia.
“It was a wild and woolly couple of weeks,” Hatcher said. “We had three full-time assistants including myself really hammering away at this recruiting process. We feel very comfortable with the 16 commitments that we have. Time will tell. All these guys come highly recommended from their high-school coaches, and we’re excited they chose to be Georgia Southern Eagles.”
Greater Atlanta Christian quarterback Lee Chapple (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and Bleckley County running back Zeke Rozier (6-0, 205) head the group who signed letters-of-intent, which includes seven offensive players, five defensive, three all-around athletes and one placekicker.
Along with Chapple and Rozier, other offensive players are: linemen Jared Flowers (6-5, 305, David Emanuel Academy), Chris Gray (6-5, 250, Landrum, S.C.), Brandavious Mann (6-3, 245, Mary Persons), William Maxwell (6-1, 250, Brooks County), who also plays defensive line, and running back James Lewis (5-11, 195, Collins Hill).
Defensive players include: linemen Charwell Brown (6-2, 220, Brunswick/Coffeeville Community College), Brandon McEachern (6-2, 240, Buford) and Kenny Stanley (6-2, 275, Twiggs County) and defensive backs Elbert Lee (5-11, 175, Early County) and Roger King (5-7, 180, Peach County/Georgia Military College). King returns to Georgia Southern where he played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2004. He missed 2005 with an injury, spent last season with the Bulldogs and rejoins the Eagles with two years of eligibility remaining.
“We felt through the recruiting process that he deserved another opportunity to play here,” Hatcher said. “He’s very excited, and he’s learned a lot of lessons.”
As for the three all-around athletes, Jordan Delk (6-1, 155, Toombs Academy) and Chris Teal (5-7, 180, Cairo) will vie for time at receiver, while Brett Layson (6-1, 180, Tattnall Square Academy) could be used as a quarterback, receiver or defensive back. The placekicker is Dalton’s Adrian Mora (5-11, 195).
Of the six players already enrolled, three are Football Bowl Subdivision transfers, two are prep school signees and one is a freshman. Running back Mike Hamilton (6-1, 215) joins the Eagles from Oklahoma State with two years of eligibility and former Indiana defensive lineman Neal Jones (6-4, 253) will have three years left. Quentin Taylor, a 6-0, 240-pound linebacker from Ole Miss, has two years remaining.
Tight end Chase DeCarlo (6-5, 224) and linebacker Aaron Webb (6-1, 205) came to Statesboro from Fort Union Military Academy and both have four years of eligibility left. Freshman James Boger, a 6-4, 310-pound offensive lineman from Dixie Hollins in Pinellas Park, Fla., is the sixth and final player already enrolled.
With limited time to sign the class, Hatcher said he was unable to take an in-depth inventory of what the Eagles had and what they needed.
“Our goal was to sign the very best football players we could sign, no matter what position they played,” Hatcher said. “Of course, we are always big on recruiting linemen — that’s where you win games. But we went out and it just worked out that we were able to fill a couple needs in certain positions.”
Hatcher said four or five signees were already being recruited to Georgia Southern by the former coaching staff and the rest were new. Due to the late start, some doors were closed, Hatcher added, because players had already committed to other schools, but GSU was altogether well-received.
Hatcher used 11 scholarships (Football Championship Subdivision schools are allowed to split them) to sign the ’07 class and saved several for a later date.
“We held some (scholarships) back because I’m sure there are a few guys on the team that will need to be rewarded if they have a good spring, and maybe we can get a few (players) late, a transfer or two,” Hatcher said. “There are also some high school guys who have fallen under the radar.”
Hatcher is hoping all the newcomers will make an impact immediately.
“Each one of these players will have ample opportunity to make the starting lineup if they are capable of doing that,” he said.
Hatcher’s system will leave the door open for walk-ons, who have fared well at Southern in the past. At Valdosta State, Hatcher won a Division II national championship in 2004 with eight former walk-ons in starting roles.
“We don’t discriminate against walk-ons, half-scholarship or full-scholarship — the best players always play, and that’s the way I like to do it,” Hatcher said. “Hopefully these guys right here will come in and push because the way you get good is you have competition every day at practice.”
Hatcher thanked former Eagle recruiting coordinator Jeff Beckles, Southern Ambassadors, recruiting interns, football administrative assistant Lisa Kingery, athletic director Sam Baker and the Georgia Southern and Statesboro communities for their assistance during the abbreviated recruiting period.
“We couldn’t have done this recruiting without the help of a lot of key folks,” Hatcher said. “They are the ones who actually signed this class. Without those people we couldn’t have had a successful recruiting class.”
Alex Pellegrino can be reached at (912) 489-9413.
