On the heels of a 2018 campaign which saw the program spend substantial time in the national rankings and resulted in an 8-4 record overall with an 8-3 mark in Great American Conference play as well as a postseason bowl game appearance, the Southern Arkansas Muleriders restocked on talent as head football coach Bill Keopple and his staff saddled up 35 new signees from the high school ranks on National Signing Day 2019 in addition to adding a trio of transfers at semester.
Defensively, the Muleriders tagged 18 new recruits on that side of the football including a National Signing Day program record 11 defensive backs which does not include the three mid-year transfers that are also all secondary players. Additionally, SAU added four linebackers, and three defensive linemen as well.
In terms of offense, Southern Arkansas posted a balanced signing class as the Muleriders will welcome four new offensive linemen as well as a tight end to go along with five wide receivers, three running backs, three quarterbacks and an all-purpose athlete.
Of the 35 signees, a Texas-sized portion came out of the Lone Star State as 25 athletes played their prep ball in the state. Five signees are from the state of Arkansas, and the remaining five represent Louisiana.
Below is SAU Football’s newest NSD class as well as the three transfers with links to each athlete’s HUDL highlights.
• MJ Loggins | WR | 5’10” | 160 | Little Rock Christian HS
• OB Jones | QB | 6’2” | 190 | Henderson, Texas (Tatum HS)
• Camden Engelke | OL | 6’4” | 280 | Magnolia West, Texas HS
• Omaric Battles | CB | 5’10” | 190 | Spring, Texas (Klein HS)
• Onyei Orupabo | S | 5’11” | 185 | DeSoto, Texas HS
• AJ Smith | OL | 6’4” | 275 | McKinney, Texas Boyd HS
• Blake Barber | OL | 6’3” | 275 | Lewisville, Texas (Hebron HS)
• Jabin Gulley | CB | 6’2” | 190 | Bryant HS
• Malik Neal | DE | 6’3” | 225 | Pine Bluff Watson Chapel HS
• Stephen Carroll | WR | 6’4” | 180 | Blooming Grove, Texas HS
• Da’Veon Ve’an | RB | 5’10” | 205 | Tomball, Texas HS
• Kendall Reid | TE | 6’3” | 210 | Texarkana, Texas HS
• Tyler Youngdale | OL | 6’4” | 275 | Tomball, Texas HS
• Garrett McWhorter | DE | 6’3” | 215 | Bearden HS
• Khristion Little | RB | 5’11” | 240 | Tyler, Texas (Chapel Hill HS)
• Eric Gipson | LB | 6’2” | 210 | Jefferson, Texas HS
• Jakauri Woods | ATH | 6’0” | 175 | Daingerfield, Texas, HS
• Deandre Bagley | S | 5’11” | 165 | Lufkin, Texas HS
• Will Harris | WR | 6’5” | 190 | Little Elm, Texas HS
• Gavin Roe | LB | 6’0” | 230 | Haughton, La., HS)
• Nathan Wilson | CB | 6’0” | 175 | Richmond, Texas (W.B. Travis HS)
• Martavian Jackson | S | 5’11” | 175 | Galveston, Texas (Ball HS)
• Deiontrae Wheat | S | 6’2” | 170 | Overton, Texas (Kilgore HS)
• Jachais Jenkins | RB | 5’10” | 180 | Tatum, Texas HS
• Shaivonn Robinson | CB | 6’0” | 170 | Vacherie, La. (E. Ascension HS)
• Myles Washington | WR | 6’1” | 175 | Wake Village, Texas HS
• Cory Wallace | QB | 6’0” | 190 | Shreveport, La. (Southwood HS)
• Shane Bradford | CB | 5’11” | 185 | Lake Charles, La. Prep
• Traveon Scott | DT | 6’2” | 275 | Port Allen, La. (Port Allen)
• Peyton Davis | LB | 6’3” | 200 | Maud, Texas (Redwater HS)
• Tyree Holliman | LB | 5’11” | 240 | Camden Fairview HS
• Dekendrick Bender | WR | 6’2” | 185 | Avinger, Texas (Marshall HS)
• Demond McKelvey | CB | 6’0” | 180 | Lufkin, Texas HS
• Trey Hodge | QB | 6’3” | 225 | Jefferson, Texas HS
Four-year transfers
• Trent Franklin |SO | DB | 6’2” | 185 | (Northwestern, La. State
• Delkristoffher Wade | RsFR | DB | 6’0” | 175 | Kilgore Junior College
• La’Vonte White |JR | DB | 6’0” |175 |Lufkin, Texas (Northeastern State).