SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Evangel University football has officially announced 28 signees for the 2016 football season. Exactly half of the list are from area high schools. The Crusaders also landed five are from state powers in Oklahoma and two mid-year transfers with a junior college offensive lineman and a quarterback out of Oklahoma Baptist University, both of whom are already attending spring classes at Evangel.
"Recruiting the right fit for this university and our football program, no matter where those guys come from, is our top priority but the fact that half of our class has come from the local area is a huge bonus!” said Evangel head football coach Brenton Illum. “I’m very proud of the work that both our current players and our coaching staff have done in the recruiting process to identify and recruit the types of men who will graduate from Evangel University and make a long term investment into this football family.”
Among the area signees is offensive lineman Zac Bray, a 1st Team All-State selection in Class 6 who helped Kickapoo reach the state semifinals, and Strafford linebacker Samuel Morton, a 1stTeam All-State selection in Class 2 who owns state records for tackles in a season (232) and high school career (569).
Quarterback Blake Woodard transfers to Evangel from Oklahoma Baptist University where he was a 2nd Team All-Central States Football League selection as a sophomore. The Newcastle, Oklahoma native will be a senior for the Crusaders next season and arrives on campus with 2,556 career passing yards and 23 career touchdowns in three seasons that saw the Bison transition from the NAIA to NCAA-II.
The Crusaders picked up 14 players on offense including eight offensive linemen, three quarterbacks, two running backs, and a wide receiver in addition to 14 on defense with six defensive backs, five defensive linemen and three linebackers.
"Six of our nine seniors last year were O and D linemen, so we really needed to build up our depth in those areas with high quality players,” added Illum, who enters his seventh season as head coach next year. “I’m very certain that we’ve accomplished that. We have found a really good mix of guys who will push to contribute their freshman year as well as some guys who have the character to build themselves into really outstanding players a couple of years down the road.
"There is no question that the quarterback position is extremely vital to any team’s success. With these additions to the group that we already have, we look to be deeper and more talented at that position than we’ve been since I’ve been here."
Evangel’s 26 high school signees were on teams that posted a combined record of 224-91 last season with several making deep runs in state tournaments.
DB Chipper Berry and WR Madison Davis were on a Skyline team that went 12-1 and got to the Class 1 quarterfinals. OL Logan Dreibelis, OL Walter Gilstrap and OL Cale Potter were on a Carthage squad that went 11-2 and was a Class 5 state semifinalist. DL Dalton Smith played for a Poteau, Oklahoma program that went 12-1 and was in the 4A state semifinals and DB Terrell Posada played in a Florida state semifinals in Class 6A for Naples HS. RB Ben Friend helped Lighthouse Christian Academy to a national runner-up in the national home school association tournament and national championships in his junior and sophomore seasons.
While Evangel lost nine players to graduation last season, they return five All-Heart of America conference performers including first team selections LB Devon Overall and OL Charles Scott. The Crusaders are scheduled to open the season Aug. 27 at home against Benedictine.
EVANGEL 2016 SIGNEES
OL Ronald Bell, 6-3, 310, Anaheim, Calif., Buena Park HS / Santa Ana Coll.
DB Chipper Berry, 5-10, 175, Tunas, Mo., Skyline HS
OL Zac Bray, 6-2, 285, Springfield, Mo., Kickapoo HS
DL Tyler Bowman, 6-1, 250, Antler, Okla., Antler HS
QB Chanler Collins, 6-1, 185, Strafford, Mo., Strafford HS
LB Devin Cochran, 5-10 200, Muskogee, Okla., Hilldale HS
DB Micah Daniels, 6-0, 180, Kansas City, Mo., Staley HS
WR Madison Davis, 6-3, 185, Preston, Mo., Skyline HS
OL Logan Dreibelbis, 6-1, 240, Carthage, Mo., Carthage HS
DB Jacob Eden, 5-10, 180, Strafford, Mo., Strafford HS
RB Ben Friend, 6-0, 197, Bolivar, Mo., Lighthouse Christian Acad.
OL Walter Gilstrap, 6-2, 290, Carthage, Mo., Carthage HS
RB Jeffery Griffin, 6-0, 190, Sterlington, La., Sterlington HS
OL Troy Gunckel, 6-0, 275, Muskogee, Okla., Hilldale HS
OL Skylar Hale, 6-4, 265, Republic, Mo., Republic HS
QB Cameron Hardesty, 5-11, 185, Norman, Okla., North HS
DB Larry Johnson, 6-0, 165, Tulsa, Okla., East Central HS
OL Nathan Mallard, 6-3, 300, Fair Grove, Mo., Fair Grove HS
DL Garrett McGuire, 6-0, 250, Springfield, Mo., Hillcrest HS
LB Isaac McWilliams, 5-9, 210, Muskogee, Okla., Hilldale HS
LB Samuel Morton, 6-2, 200, Strafford, Mo., Strafford HS
DB Terrell Posada, 6-0, 165, Naples, Fla., Naples HS
OL Cale Potter, 6-0, 250, Carthage, Mo., Carthage HS
DB Charles “Bailey” Rettmann, 6-0, 175, Rogersville, Mo., Logan-Rogersville HS
DL Dalton Smith, 6-2 266, Poteau, Okla., Poteau HS
DL Myles Williams, 6-0, 290, Houston, Tex., Cypress Creek HS
DL Hunter Wilson, 6-3, 255, Bolivar, Mo., Bolivar HS
QB Blake Woodard, 6-3, 205, Newcastle, Okla., Newcastle HS / Oklahoma Bapt. Univ.
