Middle Tennessee head football coach Rick Stockstill announced today the signing of eight players to scholarship agreements during National Signing Day to go with the 11 inked during the early period.
The 2018 class consists of 10 players on offense and nine players on defense. The 21 players hail from 10 different states with four each from Tennessee and Florida, two from Texas, California and Georgia, and one from Maryland, Missouri, Washington, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Offensively, the Blue Raiders inked six linemen, two wide receivers and two quarterbacks. Only two were added on that side of the ball during the late period (a lineman and a receiver).
Defensively, the Blue Raiders brought in four cornerbacks, two linemen, two linebackers and a safety. Six of the nine defensive players inked on the dotted line today.
The Blue Raiders will begin spring practice on March 13 and conclude on April 14.
2018 MIDDLE TENNESSEE SIGNEES
NAME POS HT WT CL HOMETOWN/LAST SCHOOL
Dawson Bragg OL 6-6 285 Fr. Goodlettsville, TN/White House HS
Jordan Branch DL 6-1 280 Fr. Maury City, TN/Crockett County HS
Jarek Campbell LB 6-0 201 Fr. Murfreesboro, TN/Riverdale HS
Gatlin Casey WR 6-3 210 Gr. Navarre, FL/Lehigh University
*Tyler Falvey OL 6-4 310 Fr. Altamonte Springs, FL/Lake Brantley HS
*Will Gilchrist OL 6-3 295 Jr. Pasadena, TX/Blinn College
*Kendricks Gladney S 6-0 195 Jr. Capitol Heights, MD/ASA College
Gregory Grate Jr. DB 5-11 180 Fr. Miami, FL/Miami Carol City Senior HS
*Marcus Greer OL 6-3 297 Fr. St. Louis, MO/Chaminade College Prep
Cordell Hudson CB 5-11 192 Gr. Largo, FL/Syracuse
*Devon Jackson WR 6-2 190 Jr. Renton, WA/Santa Ana College
*Avery Jones LB 6-1 235 Jr. Anaheim Hills, CA/Golden West College
*Matt Martin OL 6-3 285 r-So. Pasadena, TX/Trinity Valley CC
*Chance Nolan QB 6-2 195 Fr. Menifee, CA/Paloma Valley HS
Teldrick Ross DB 5-11 170 Fr. Macon, GA/Jones County HS
*Jahlil Ryles OL 6-3 305 Fr. Phenix City, AL/Central HS
*Luke Shiflett QB 6-2 185 Fr. Dalton, GA/NW Whitfield HS
*Chris Stamps CB 6-1 180 r-Jr. Vicksburg, MS/NW Mississippi CC
Jorden Starling DE 6-6 235 Fr. Chattanooga, TN/McCallie School
BOLD indicates players who enrolled in January
*Signed during the early period
SIGNEE BIOS
DAWSON BRAGG
OL, 6-6, 285, Fr., Goodlettsville, TN
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Bragg: “Dawson is the true definition of an offensive tackle. He’s long, athletic, and finishes his blocks. We knew from the moment we met Dawson he would be a great fit in our offensive line room and with our coaching staff. We wanted to add a bookend to this class of offensive lineman, and Dawson provides us that.”
High School
Lettered in football and basketball at White House High School
Was all-state and all-region in football
Did not play football his junior year
Played for Coach Jeffery Porter
Personal
Full name: Dawson O’neal Bragg
Parents: Brian and Cindy Escue
Born: 10/5/99
Major: Undecided
JORDAN BRANCH
DL, 6-1, 280, Fr., Maury City, TN
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Branch: “Jorden is a multi-positional player for Crockett County High School in Alamo, Tennessee. Whether you’re watching tape of him playing running back or defensive tackle, his size and athleticism immediately jump out at you. We are excited to add Jordan’s skills to our defensive interior.”
High School
Lettered in football and basketball at Crockett County High School
Was all-state and all-region in football
Personal
Full name: Jordan Eugene Branch
Parent: Vickie Dickerson
Born: 3/17/00
Major: Undecided
JAREK CAMPBELL
LB, 6-0, 201, Fr., Murfreesboro, TN
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Campbell: “Coach Shafer and our defensive staff were excited when they turned on Jarek’s tape and saw his speed. Jarek is a natural hitter, smooth runner and has played multiple positions throughout his time at Riverdale High School here in Murfreesboro. Jarek is a great fit for what we do defensively at linebacker and we are excited to welcome him and his family to ours.”
High School
Lettered in football at Riverdale High School
Rated a three-star recruit by 247Sports and the 27th best prospect in Tennessee
Was all-region in football
As a senior he had 42 tackles from his safety position while adding 16 catches for 386 yards on offense and five touchdowns
As a junior he tallied 32 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and added five receptions for 113 yards on offense
Played for Coach Will Kriesky
Personal
Full name: Jarek Austin Campbell
Parents: Emmanuel and Jamie Chestnutt
Born: 5/9/99
Major: Undecided
GATLIN CASEY
WR, 6-3, 210, Gr., Navarre, FL
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Casey: “Gatlin will bring plenty of college football playing experience to our wide receiver room. As a productive outside receiver at Lehigh University, our hope is Gatlin will provide a new big-body target for our offense. We are excited to add him to this year’s signing class as a graduate transfer.”
Lehigh
Was second on the team with 60 catches for 854 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior
Earned first team all-conference honors and honorable mention ECAC all-star recognition as a junior after having 62 receptions for 1,135 yards and 14 touchdowns
Had 34 receptions for 488 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore
Career highs were 11 receptions, 196 receiving yards, and three touchdowns
High School
Associated Press second team all-state selection
Member of WEAR/Pensacola News General All-Area team
Named one of Preseason “Dandy Dozen” (top 12 football players in area)
Averaged a touchdown every five touches and fifteen yards per touch
Led team in points scored, receiving yards, touchdowns and kickoff return touchdowns
Had the team’s highest GPA and was a National Honor Society member
Personal
Full name: Gatlin Thomas Casey
Parents: Patrick and Maryetta Casey
Born: 1/17/96
Major: Biology
TYLER FALVEY
OL, 6-4, 310, Fr., Altamonte Springs, FL
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Falvey: “Tyler is as equally smart on the football field as he is in the classroom. His awareness and strength are two factors that drew us to him immediately. Tyler’s size is a great upside as well. We are excited to add Tyler to the Blue Raiders.”
High School
Lettered in football, wrestling and weight lifting at Lake Brantley High School
Was all-district and all-conference in football
A member of the National Honor Society and an Eagle Scout
Played for Coach Dave Delfiacco
Personal
Full name: Tyler Paul Falvey
Parents: Rodger and Jessica Falvey
Born: 3/6/00
Major: Engineering
WILL GILCHRIST
OL, 6-3, 295, Jr., Pasadena, TX
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Gilchrist: “Will is one of those players that loves contact. He’s constantly searching for the next block and works hard getting to the second level of defenders. Recruiting Will was fun because he was high school teammates with fellow signee, Matt Martin.
Blinn College
Played in eight games at offensive tackle as a freshman and 10 games as a sophomore
High School
Lettered in football at Deer Park High School
Earned first team all-district honors and second team all-area recognition
Played for Coach Chris Massey
Personal
Full name: William Anthony Gilchrist
Parents: Anthony and Michelle Gilchrist
Born: 6/13/98
Major: Undecided
KENDRICKS GLADNEY
S, 6-0, 195, Jr., Capitol Heights, MD/ASA College
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Gladney: “Kendricks joins us from ASA College in New York City. Kendricks is a hard worker and a hard hitter. In both run fits and pass coverage, Kendricks will have an opportunity to make an impact with our team next season. We look forward to seeing him in Middle Tennessee Blue.”
ASA College
Rated a 3-star recruit by 247Sports and the 13th best safety in JUCO
Had 35 tackles to go with two sacks, seven TFLs, eight pass breakups and an interception in 2017
Led team in pass breakups and was sixth in tackles
High School
Lettered in football at Charles Herbert Flowers High School
Personal
Full name: Kendricks Andre Gladney Jr.
Parents: Kendricks Gladney Sr. and Star Payne
Born: 8/21/97
Major: Undecided
GREGORY GRATE JR
DB, 5-11, 180, Fr., Miami, FL
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Grate: “Greg joins us from Miami Florida’s Carol City Senior High School. Greg was a three-way player helping his team on offense, defense and special teams. Greg can play safety and cornerback, and his versatility in the defensive secondary immediately stuck out to Coach Shafer and our defensive staff.”
High School
Lettered in football at Carol City Senior High School
Helped lead team to a state championship in 2016
Played for Coach Benedick Hyppolite
Personal
Full name: Gregory Grate Jr.
Parents: Greg Grate and Leshawn Mears
Born: 8/14/99
Major: Undecided
MARCUS GREER
OL, 6-3, 297, Fr., St. Louis, MO
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Greer: “Everyone we spoke to about Marcus could not say enough about how tough he was. Whether our staff was on the road at summer camps, in high schools, talking with area coaches – everyone said the same thing… Marcus is tough. Needless to say, we wanted that toughness here in Murfreesboro.”
High School
Lettered in football four years at Chaminade College Prep
Earned all-state, all-conference and all-district honors
Named offensive lineman of the year in St. Louis
Played for Coach Antoine Torrey
Personal
Full name: Marcus Issac Paul Greer
Parents: Matt and Lisa Greer
Born: 5/28/99
Major: Undecided
CORDELL HUDSON
CB, 5-11, 192, Gr., Largo, FL
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Hudson: “Cordell comes to us from Syracuse University as a graduate transfer student-athlete. Cordell is a natural fit for our defense schematically at the corner position, having started his collegiate career with Coach Shafer. Cordell is a sharp kid, and will bring new leadership and experience to our defensive secondary.”
Syracuse
Transferred to MT from Syracuse after graduating in December 2017
Played in 25 career games and had 10 starts at cornerback
Struggled with injuries in 2017 and only played last four games
Had 43 tackles in 2016 and 42 tackles in 2015 after redshirting in 2014
Collected three interceptions and returned one for a touchdown
Earned three letters
High School
2013 Tampa Bay Times Class 6A All-State Second Team
Defensive MVP at the BCP Ignite Football Combine
Recorded 32 tackles and two interceptions as a senior and had 83 stops and five interceptions during his career
Team captain as a junior and senior
Played for Coach Rick Rodriquez
Personal
Full name: Cordell D. Hudson
Parents: Curtis Hudson and Tera Booze-Hudson
Born: 4/30/96
Major: has bachelor’s degree in economics and working on master’s in information systems
DEVON JACKSON
WR, 6-2, 190, Jr., Renton, WA
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Jackson: “It’s hard not to like Devon Jackson when you meet him. Devon is a highly productive player and competes for every ball thrown his way. Devon’s work after the catch is also very impressive. We are excited for him to make the trip from his hometown of Renton, Washington to Middle Tennessee.”
Santa Ana College
Earned CCCFCA First Team All-America honors in 2017 while also garnering first team all-region IV recognition
Led SAC in receiving with 67 receptions for 1,270 yards (second in the state) and 14 touchdowns
Had 13 catches for 232 yards as a freshman
High School
Lettered in football, basketball and track at Lindbergh High School
Earned the Offensive Back of the Year award and was also a first team all-conference pick as a wide receiver and defensive back as a junior and senior
Owns single-season records in receptions (67) and receiving yards (1,270)
Played for Coach Geoff Jones
Personal
Full name: Devon Jackson Jr.
Parents: Devon Jackson Sr. and Corrina Wells
Born: 6/21/97
Major: Undecided
AVERY JONES
LB, 6-1, 235, Jr., Anaheim Hills, CA
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Jones: “Avery is an exciting linebacker to watch. He’s constantly around the football as a middle-backer. At one point in his career, Avery played on the defensive line, and we loved the idea of taking an athletic middle linebacker with some DL experience.”
Golden West College
Collected 45 tackles (second on team) to go with two sacks, eight TFLs, an interception and two fumble recoveries in 2017
Earned second team all-conference honors in 2017
High School
Lettered in football, basketball and track at Canyon High School
Named All-Orange County and selected to the Orange County All-Star team
Voted the league’s defensive player of the year in 2015 after posting 120 tackles
A four-time scholar athlete winner and received the presidential award for academic excellence
Personal
Full name: Avery Alexander Jones
Parents: David and Christina Jones
Born: 4/7/98
Major: Undecided
MATT MARTIN
OL, 6-3, 285, r-So., Pasadena, TX
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Martin: “The moment you turn on Matt’s film you notice the consistency with which he finishes blocks. Doesn’t matter if he’s blocking on the line, or out in the flat, Matt is going to put everything into his finish. Adding that mentality was a priority for us with this signing class, and Matt will provide that.”
Trinity Valley
Named NJCAA First Team All-American
Earned NJCAA First Team All-Conference honors
Was the TVCC Player of the Month in 2017
Was redshirted in 2016
High School
Lettered in football, choir and academics at Deer Park HS
Was all-district in football and was selected to the Bayou All-Star Bowl
Earned honorable mention all-state honors in academics
Played for Coach Chris Massey
Personal
Full name: Matthew Keith Martin
Parents: Donald and Kimberly Martin
Born: 5/13/98
Major: Undecided
CHANCE NOLAN
QB, 6-2, 195, Fr., Menifee, CA
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Nolan: “Chance is a great quarterback and competitor. His football intelligence and driven personality make him a great fit for what Coach Stockstill and Coach Franklin want in their quarterbacks. Chance is a record setter in high school and we hope to see that same productivity here at Middle Tennessee.”
High School
Lettered in football and basketball at Paloma Valley High School
Named the league’s Offensive MVP as a junior and senior and was All-CIF as a junior and senior
For his career, he set school records in passing yards (9,000) and touchdown passes (104)
Graduated in top 10 of his class academically
Played for Coach Juan Merida
Personal
Full name: Chance Joseph Nolan
Parents: Mark and Sheri Nolan
Born: 9/7/99
Major: Actuarial Science
TELDRICK ROSS
CB, 5-11, 170, Fr., Macon, GA
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Ross: “The first thing you notice when you turn on Teldrick’s film is his speed. Teldrick was the starting quarterback at Jones County High School in Macon, Georgia and was a dual threat in every aspect. His quick twitch and ball-skills made him the perfect candidate to join our defensive secondary as a cornerback.”
High School
Lettered in football and baseball at Jones County High School
Earned all-state and all-region honors
Threw for 1,095 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior while rushing for 1,026 yards on 108 carries (9.5 per rush) to go with 14 touchdowns
Batted a combined .385 as a junior and senior with eight home runs and 73 RBI
Played for Coach Justin Rogers
Personal
Full name: Teldrick Jarquez Ross
Parents: George and Shelborn Ross
Born: 10/5/99
Major: Undecided
JAHLIL RYLES
OL, 6-3, 305, Fr., Phenix City, AL
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Ryles: “Jahlil continues the theme of tough-nosed offensive lineman. He was an Alabama vs. Mississippi All-Star selection and his work this season proved that. Jahlil has seen lots of success on and off the football field and we are excited he will be joining us here in Murfreesboro.”
High School
Lettered in football four years at Central High School
Earned all-state honors in 2016 and 2017
Helped lead team to an 11-1 record his senior year
Played for Coach Jamey DuBose
Personal
Full name: Jhalil Ja’tez Ryles
Parents: Khalil and Shalanda Ryles
Born: 12/6/99
Major: Undecided
LUKE SHIFLETT
QB, 6-2, 185, Fr., Dalton, GA
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Shiflett: “Luke is a fantastic quarterback and athlete from the Dalton, Georgia area. Luke is a 3-sport letterman and his athleticism really shows when you turn on his tape. We witnessed his ability at our summer camps over the years and knew he would be a player for us to keep an eye on.”
High School
Lettered in football, basketball and track at NW Whitfield High School
Earned 6-AAAA honorable mention all-state honors
Was the Region 6-AAAA Offensive Player of the Year and the 6-AAAA Athlete of the Year
A 2017 finalist for Chattanooga Best of Prep Male Athlete of the Year
Threw for over 5,000 yards and had nearly 2,000 rushing yards for his career (2 years) to go with 52 TD passes and 25 rushing TDs
Holds school record for touchdown passes in a game (5) and single-season completions
Earned all-state honors in basketball and was the 6-AAAA Player of the Year
Honor student and scholar athlete
Played for Coach Josh Robinson
Personal
Full name: Randall Luke Shiflett
Parents: Chris and Stacy Shiflett
Born: 2/24/00
Major: Undecided
CHRIS STAMPS
CB, 6-1, 180, r-Jr., Vicksburg, MS/NW Mississippi CC
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Stamps: “Chris is a great football player and young man. He has SEC experience, which will be nice to add in our secondary, and was a target early in the recruiting process for us. Coupled with his leadership skills and athletic ability, Chris has the makeup to be a special player at MT.”
NW Mississippi JC
In his lone season, Stamps had 34 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception in 2017
Team finished 8-3 overall and was 7th nationally in the final poll
Mississippi State
Redshirted with the Bulldogs in 2015 and played in nine games during the 2016 season
Had two tackles in a reserve role in 2016
High School
Played for Coach Josh Morgan at Warren Central High School
Rated a 4-star defensive back by 247Sports and a 3-star by ESPN.com
Ranked the No. 10 player in the state of Mississippi by Scout.com, No. 11 by 247Sports and No. 14 by Rivals.com
In four seasons at receiver, accumulated 902 receiving yards on 65 receptions to go with eight touchdowns
Recorded 112 tackles and two-for-loss in 36 games on the defensive side of the ball
Over his career, intercepted 13 passes and returned them for a total of 123 yards and deflected 21 passes, recorded two forced fumbles and blocked one field goal his final three seasons
Personal
Full name: Chris Stamps
Parents: Charles and Lelia Stamps
Born: 11/16/96
Major: Undecided
JORDEN STARLING
DE, 6-6, 235, Fr., Chattanooga, TN
Director of Player Personnel Will Redmond on Starling: “The first thing you notice when you see Jorden is his size. At 6’6, 235 it’s hard not to be excited about adding his frame to our defensive end unit. Jorden is not only a great football player, but a gifted basketball player as well, and had opportunities to play both at the next level.”
High School
Lettered in football and basketball at McCallie School
Earned all-state, all-region and Best of Preps honors
Played for Coach Ralph Potter
Nickname is Moose
Personal
Full name: Jorden Tyon Starling
Parents: Antonio Edwards and Brandi Nollie
Born: 10/20/99
Major: Undecided
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