National Signing Day Wrap-Up: Sun Belt
By Kyle Kensing
The SEC taketh away, but the SEC also giveth.
In two short seasons, Hugh Freeze rose from Arkansas State’s offensive coordinator (a post he held all of one season), took the RedWolves to the Sun Belt Conference championship, and accepted the Ole Miss head coaching position. Don’t feel too bad for ASU, though.
The program secured the services of one of the most sought after offensive coordinators in the nation to guide it. Gus Malzahn became ASU’s head coach in December, leaving Auburn and bringing with him to Jonesboro an impressive recruiting class. The RedWolves top the conference with their 2012 National Signing Day haul.
Additions from FBS programs — or in FIU’s case, thwarting of FBS programs — allowed south Florida Sun Belt teams FAU and FIU to land strong classes of their own. Both Mario Cristobal and Carl Pelini scoured south Florida for talent, but interestingly each went through other pipelines to shore up the class. Cristobal’s list of signees include several from Louisiana, while Pelini hit Arizona JUCOs particularly hard.
ARKANSAS STATE
- 28 Signees
Conf. Rank: 1
Notables: DE Ishmail Hayes; OL Jemar Clark; DB Chris Humes; DT Tevin Bryson
FAU
- 28 Signees
Conf. Rank: 4
Notables: DB Tony Grimes; OL Stern Vile; DB Adrian Burton; TE Terrell Mitchell
FIU
- 29 Signees
Conf. Rank: 3
Notables: DE Darrian Dyson; LB Patrick Jean; WR DeAndre Jasper
LA.-LAFAYETTE
- 24 Signees
Conf. Rank: 5
Notables: LB Tyren Alexander; QB Brooks Haack; OL Dominick Bilich
LA.-MONROE
- 22 Signees
Conf. Rank: 8
Notables: DB Lenzy Pipkins; LB Austin Moss; DB Tyren Hills
MTSU
- 20 Signees
Conf. Rank: 9
Notables: ATH Demetrius Frazier; QB Austin Grammer
NORTH TEXAS
- 22 Signees
Conf. Rank: 7
Notables: DB D.Q. Johnson; OL Boone Feldt; WR Roderick Lancaster
TROY
- 23 Signees
Conf. Rank: 6
Notables: WR Brandon Brooks; DB Shaq Beverly; RB Andre Allen
WESTERN KENTUCKY
- 13 Signees
Conf. Rank: 2
Notables: DT Tyrone Pearson; LB Daqual Randall; DE Calvin Washington; WR Austin Aikens
Scout.com named Western Kentucky’s Raymond Woodie Sun Belt Recruiter of the Year.
Note: South Alabama does not join the Sun Belt until 2013, participating in one final transitional season in the FCS. However, head coach Joey Jones signed three, 3-star recruits who will make the transition to FBS next season. They are TE Wes Saxton, OL Steve McKenzie and OL Jonathan Schelfo. They headline a class of 23 total.