MONROE,
La.-ULM football head coach Todd Berry announced the signing of 19
student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday afternoon for the
first signing class of his Warhawk head coaching career.
"I am very
excited about the group of student-athletes we have signed," Berry said. "I think this
is a good group of young men and a good group of players. We will find out if
it's an excellent group about four years from now. I am tremendously proud of
our staff, considering how long we had to recruit in relation to the NCAA
calendar. We only had about two weeks to put a class together.
"A good portion of the players I already knew
because I had been recruiting them before and I had watched them practice in
the spring and conversed with them in the fall. That was important to me with
this class. I wanted to make sure that we weren't just getting players that we
knew were talented, but we were also getting players that want to get a degree
and are good young men."
The Warhawks
signed a trio of three-star rated players by Rivals.com, including one
of the top centers in the nation in Josh Allen. The native of Cedar Hill, Texas, is rated as the
seventh best center in the nation by ESPN, the 11th best center in
the nation by Rivals.com and the 24th best center in the nation by
Scout.com. Wide receiver Luke Russell (Ponder, Texas) and offensive lineman
Jeremy Burton (Muskogee, Okla.) are also three-star players on Rivals.com.
ULM's main
focus with Berry's first recruiting class was on both the offensive and
defensive lines. The Warhawks signed six players on both lines including defensive
lineman Ray Stovall (Tulsa, Okla.) who was named the Tulsa World Oklahoma Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Six of ULM's
signees are nationally ranked at their position by Scout.com. Joining
Allen and Stovall with this distinction are defensive back Cordero Smith,
offensive lineman Jon Fisher, running back Centarius Donald and wide receiver
Je'Ron Hamm.
The Warhawks
hit the Lone Star State hard signing 10 players from Texas. The remainder of
the class came from Louisiana (3), Oklahoma (3), Arkansas (1), Mississippi (1)
and Kansas (1).
Fans will
have an opportunity to see the returning Warhawks in action when spring
practice begins on March 15. The team will practice every Monday, Wednesday and
Friday until the Maroon & Gold Spring Game on April 24 in conjunction with
Super Warhawk Weekend.
Josh Allen
6-3, 260, OL
Cedar Hill, Texas (Cedar Hill HS)
Prep:
Ranked as the 7th
best center in the nation by ESPN Scouts Inc...ranked as the 11th best
center in the country and the 95th best player in the state of Texas
by Rivals.com...ranked as the 24th best center in the country by
Scout.com...earned first team all-district honors in 2009 and was selected to
play in the Team USA vs. World All-Star Game...ranked 95th best player
in the state of Texas by the Dallas Morning News...Cedar Hill finished ranked 51st
in the final Rivals Top 100 in 2009 after finishing the season 11-1...helped lead
Longhorns to the 2008 and 2009 district championship...played both tackle and
center as a senior...also lettered in powerlifting and track & field
Personal:
Full name is Josh Nathanial
Allen...son of Ellen Robinson...has two brothers, Cedric Godfrey and Demarcus Allen,
and a sister, Sha Allen...brother Cedric played football at Tulsa (defensive
end/linebacker)...born December 30, 1991, in Dallas, Texas
Demiere Burkett
6-2, 285, OL
Balch Springs, Texas (West Mesquite HS)
Prep:
Earned first team all-district
honors his junior and senior seasons at West Mesquite High School...participated
in the Max Emfinger All-America Game following his senior season...helped lead
the Wranglers to a district championship his junior and senior seasons
Personal:
Full name is Demiere Sherrod
Burkett...born August 20, 1992, in Ft. Stewart, Ga...son of Thomas Burkett and Juli
Jackson...has one sister, Brittany White...lived in Belgium for seven years as a
child
Jeremy Burton
6-3, 290, OL
Muskogee, Okla. (Muskogee HS)
Prep:
Ranked as the 29th best
player in the state of Oklahoma by Rivals.com...as a senior earned first team
all-district, first team all-region, first team academic all-region and
defensive lineman of the year honors...four-year starter for the Roughers
Personal:
Full name is Jeremy Alexander
Burton...born November 28, 1991, in Dallas, Texas...son of Derek Burton, Sr., and
Roberta Burton...has a brother, Derek, and a sister, Ma'Kaila...father played
football at Oklahoma State and professionally for the Minnesota Vikings (1988-89)...brother is a three-year letterwinner at
Oklahoma State as a defensive tackle
Kentarius Caldwell
6-3, 245, DL
Richardson, Texas (Berkner HS)
Prep:
Lettered in both football and
track for the Rams...finished his senior season with 58 tackles, seven sacks,
four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries
Personal:
Full name is Kentarius
Andrevian Caldwell...son of Kenneth Caldwell and Fullisha Pickrom...born January
11, 1992, in Lake Village, Ark...has one sister, Keniesha
Justin Criswell
5-9, 185, DB
Morrilton, Ark. (Morrilton HS)
Prep:
Played both wide receiver and
defensive back for Morrilton High School...finished his senior season with 65
tackles and four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown...on the
offensive side of the ball he totaled 1,342 yards rushing on 166 carries and
scored 18 touchdowns, also had 331 yards receiving...Criswell also returned kicks
for Morrilton...earned all-state honors as a junior and senior...named to the
honor roll...holds the school record after rushing for 422 yards against Greenbrier...as
a junior rushed for 472 yards and eight touchdowns, also caught 51 passes for
870 yards four touchdowns...defensively he totaled 110 tackles and two
interceptions as a junior...also lettered in track & field
Personal:
Full name is Justin Rashad
Criswell...born March 3, 1992, in Little Rock, Ark...son of Carnell and Amanda
Green, has two brothers, Jamar and Carnell
Centarius Donald
6-1, 210, RB
Columbia, La. (Caldwell Parish HS)
Prep:
Earned first team
all-district, first team all-northeast Louisiana and first team all-state
honors following his senior season when he rushed for 1,985 yards and 22
touchdowns...as a junior rushed for 2,020 yards (9.5 yards per carry) and 32
touchdowns and as a sophomore rushed for 1,345 yards in just seven games...also lettered
in basketball for the Spartans
Personal:
Full name is Centarius
Donald...son of Ahmed Varner and Kim Donald...born November 6, 1991, in Urania,
La...has one brother, Jaquarius, and two sisters, Ameha and Deshannon...has a
daughter, Ceniya
Patrick Dvoracek
6-3, 320, OL
Fort Riley, Kan. (Trinity Valley CC)
Trinity Valley CC:
Transferred to TVCC after a
redshirt season at Utah State...part of an offensive line that paved the way for
Chad Winbrush to rank second in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference
with 1,020 yards rushing (8.6 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns...TVCC
quarterback Garrett Beal finished second in the conference with 1,405 passing
yards and third with 12 touchdowns
Prep:
A two-time all-district
selection at offensive line and an all-district selection as a punter his
senior year at Mansfield Timberview High School....helped lead the Wolves to the
third round of the Texas State Playoffs for the first time in school
history...also lettered in powerlifting and track & field...two-time district
discus champion, three-time district shot put champion and two-time area
runner-up in the shot put
Personal:
Full name is Patrick Hunter
Dvoracek...born April 6, 1990, in Rolla, Mo...son of John and Sara Dvoracek...has one
sister, Rachel...cousin Dusty Dvoracek played football at Oklahoma and
professionally with the Chicago Bears
Vincent Eddie
5-10, 170, DB
Desoto, Texas (Desoto HS)
Prep:
Named first team all-district
as a junior (cornerback) and senior (safety) for Desoto High School...finished
his senior season with 115 tackles, two interceptions, six pass break-ups and
two tackles for loss...helped lead Eagles to three district championships...forced
the game-winning fumble in the district championship game his sophomore season
Personal:
Full name is Vincent Eugene
Eddie...son of Vincent and Latonya Eddie...born December 19, 1991, in Dallas,
Texas...has one brother, Tony...cousin Tim Brown won the Heisman Trophy at Notre
Dame and played professionally for 17 years, nine-time Pro Bowl
selection...brother is a defensive lineman at Texas A&M
Malcolm Edmond
6-2, 240, DL
Texarkana, Texas (Liberty-Eylau HS)
Prep:
Named first team all-district
and all-area as a junior and senior...also lettered in basketball for
Liberty-Eylau High School
Personal:
Full name is Malcolm Beauford
Edmond...born February 16, 1992, in Texarkana, Texas...son of Beauford and Eula
Edmond...has one brother, Marquan...cousin Matt Forte played at Tulane and plays
professionally for the Chicago Bears
Jon Fisher
6-3, 285, OL
Oxford, Miss. (Oxford HS)
Prep:
Ranked as one of the Top 150
offensive linemen in the nation by Scout.com...earned first team all-state and
all-district honors as a senior...named to the Clarion Leger 100 Players to Watch
list...played in the 2009 Bernard Blackwell Mississippi All-Star Classic...second team
all-district as a junior...four-time academic honor roll selection...also lettered
in powerlifting, basketball and track & field for Oxford High School
Personal:
Full name is Jon 'O
Fisher...born April 8, 1992, in Decatur, Ga...son of Jon T. and Elizabeth Fisher...has
one brother, Farris, and one sister, Sallie...grandfather played football at
Millsap's College
Je'Ron Hamm
6-3, 201, WR
Leesville, La. (Leesville HS)
Prep:
Earned first team
all-district, first team all-Vernon Parish and first team all-central Louisiana
honors as a senior after setting the single-season school record for receiving
yards (750) and receiving touchdowns (8)...helped lead Leesville to back-to-back
district championships...also lettered in basketball
Personal:
Full name is Je'Ron Marquis
Hamm...son of Ronald and Sonya Hamm...born
June 15, 1992, in Sulzbach-Rosenburg, Germany...has two sisters, Tyresia and
Brynique...cousin Maurice Williams played football at Kentucky...both parents are
pastors
Jake Keller
6-4, 275, OL
Tulsa, Okla. (Union HS)
Prep:
Named Oklahoma 6A-4 Lineman of
the Year following his senior season...helped lead Union High School to the 2007
and 2009 Oklahoma State Championship...academic all-conference honoree
Personal:
Jacob Christopher Keller...born
May 23, 1991, in Tulsa, Okla...son of Chris and Leigh Ann Keller...has one sister,
Katie...father played football at Missouri...speaks German...does volunteer work with
the Tulsa Boys & Girls Club
Darius Lively
6-3, 225, DL
Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster HS)
Prep:
Earned first team all-district
honors following his senior season at Lancaster High School...recorded 90 tackles
and 12 sacks in his final season...also lettered in basketball
Personal:
Full name is Darius M.
Lively...son of Byron Lively and Wanda Lewis...born December 16, 1991, in Dallas,
Texas...has one sister, Dayzia Lewis
John Nard
6-2, 250, DL
Shreveport, La. (Evangel Christian)
Prep:
Racked up numerous honors at
Evangel Christian -- was a three-time all-district selection, also earned
all-city and honorable mention all-state honors...finished his senior season with
60 tackles and four sacks...helped lead the Eagles to a district championship as
a junior
Personal:
Full name is John Isaac Nard...son
of Tommy and Kimberly Nard...born April 28, 1991, in Shreveport, La...has three
brothers, Mike, Tommy and Tymmon, and one sister, Tasahana...youngest of the five
children...both parents are pastors
Luke Russell
5-10, 177, WR
Ponder, Texas (John H. Guyer HS)
Prep:
Finished his career at John H.
Guyer High School with 125 catches for 2,510 yards and 30 touchdowns and with
1,523 yards and 12 touchdowns on 88 carries on the ground...helped lead the
Wildcats to a pair of bi-district championships...had eight catches for 230 yards
and rushed for 142 yards on three carries against rival Arlington High School
Personal:
Full name is Randall Luke
Russell...born August 31, 1991, in Amarillo, Texas...son of Darin and Maurita
Russell...has one sister, Leah...father played basketball at Clarenden
College...distant relative of General Robert E. Lee
Cordero Smith
6-0, 190, DB
Garland, Texas (Naaman Forest HS)
Prep:
Earned all-district honors as
a junior and a senior at Naaman Forest High School...also lettered in track &
field...member of the National Honor Society
Personal:
Full name is Cordero Pierre
Smith...born September 19, 1991, in Fort Polk, La...son of Les and Badia Harlin...has
one sister, Paris Smith
Ray Stovall
6-2, 210, DL
Tulsa, Okla. (Booker T. Washington HS)
Prep:
Ranked as of the Top 150
defensive ends in the country by Scout.com...named top defensive lineman in the
state of Oklahoma by Tulsa World...named Conference Defensive Player of the
Year...also earned all-state and all-metro honors as a senior...finished the year
with 109 tackles, nine sacks, 32 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two
fumble recoveries and one interception...as a junior, had 112 tackles, 12 sacks,
24 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles
Personal:
Full name is Ray Anthony
Stovall, Jr...born March 21, 1992, in Tulsa, Okla...son of Ray, Sr., and Lisa
Stovall
Roland Veal
6-1, 185, DB
Houston, Texas (Cesar Chavez HS)
Prep:
Earned first team all-district
honors as a junior and second team all-district honors as a senior and
sophomore...tied the Chavez High School record with 11 career
interceptions...earned second team all-academic honors as a senior...finished
second on the team in tackles as a senior...had 45 tackles and five interceptions
as a junior...also lettered in basketball, baseball and track & field
Personal:
Full name is Roland Reid
Veal...son of Reginald and Zonnicia Veal...born March 25, 1991, in Houston, Texas...has
three older brothers, Ray, Reginald and Roston
