SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State head football coach Bobby Petrino announced Wednesday (Dec. 15) the receipt of National Letters of Intent from eight prospects for the 2022 season on the first day of the football early signing period, which runs through Friday.
The class features four freshmen, two junior college transfers and two four-year transfers. The class also has balance from a positional standpoint with four offensive players (two wide receivers, a running back and a lineman) and four defensive players (three linemen and a defensive back) added to the roster.
“We tried to be real selective, but I felt like it went really well,” said head coach Bobby Petrino. “Our assistant coaches did a great job. The visit weekend we had here was very successful, and we got a couple of our goals met with today’s signing group.”
Joining the Bears next fall will be:
- Tico Brown (DL, 6-2, 290, Jr., Kokomo, Ind., Homestead High, Central Michigan)
- Connor Lair (RB, 6-1, 225, Fr., West Plain (Mo.) High)
- Jayson McGaskey-Caldwell (DE, 6-6, 220, Fr., Dickinson (Texas) High)
- Liam O’Reilly (WR, 6-2, 180, Fr., Springfield (Mo.) Catholic High)
- Kaleb Peleki-Elisaia (DL, 6-4, 265, Fr., Bethel (Calif.) High)
- Shaylon Roberts (OL, 6-4, 325, Jr., Pflugerville, Texas, Hendrickson High, Butler (Kan.) CC)
- Raylen Sharpe (WR, 5-8, 160, So., Allen (Texas) High, Univ. of Houston)
- DeAndre Washington (DB, 6-2, 180, Jr., Wellington (Kan.) High, Hutchinson (Kan.) CC)
A summary of this year’s early signing class is below. The regular signing period for Division I football commences Feb. 2, 2022.
Tico Brown (DL, 6-2, 290, Jr., Kokomo, Ind., Homestead High, Central Michigan)
Brown played 8 games for Central Michigan in 2021 with 7 starts. On the season, He recorded 18 total tackles and a pair of sacks. In 2020, Brown started all 6 games and made 14 tackles. As a redshirt freshman in 2019, Brown played in all 14 games and made 13 tackles. A native of Kokomo, Ind., he was named third-team all-MAC by Pro Football Focus in 2020. In high school, he racked up 224 career tackles, a school-record 21.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 39 tackles for loss and five pass breakups for coach Chad Zolman at Homestead High in Fort Wayne, Ind. He was named as the team’s Outstanding Defensive his last three seasons, was a two-time all-state selection and earned All-Summit Athletic Conference first-team honors as a junior and senior. He was also named to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette All-Northeast Indiana Team in 2016 and 2017. He led Homestead to an 8-2 record in 2017 and back-to-back sectional titles in his last two seasons with the Spartans.
Connor Lair (RB, 6-1, 225, Fr., West Plain (Mo.) High)
One of the top prep prospects in Missouri, Lair is coming off a senior season in which he racked up 720 yards on 87 carries in 2021 with 20 ground touchdowns at West Plains High. Defensively, he totaled 90 tackles with 21.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks for the Zizzers as part of a 10-2 team. He also finished with 539 yards on 22 pass receptions for coach Matt Perkins. As a junior in 2020, he posted 105 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and three sacks in just 6 games and finished his prep career with 257 tackles and 43 touchdowns.
Jayson McGaskey-Caldwell (DE, 6-6, 220, Fr., Dickinson (Texas) High School
A standout defensive lineman, McGaskey-Caldwell was part of a 9-3 team as a senior for the Dickinson (Texas) High Gators in 2021. Dickinson had an impressive eight-game win streak during the 2021 season in which it allowed just 17.5 points per game. McGaskey-Caldwell earned District 24 6A all-district first-team honors as a senior.
Liam O’Reilly (WR, 6-2, 180, Fr., Springfield (Mo.) Catholic High)
A local product from Springfield Catholic High School, O’Reilly is coming off a high-level senior campaign for coach Richard Rehagen in which he caught 35 passes for 588 yards and 4 touchdowns for the Fightin’ Irish. The all-state honoree also brought down 49 ball carriers on the defensive side of the ball with 3 interceptions. As a junior in 2020, he caught 38 passes for 544 yards and 8 touchdowns in a COVID-shortened, seven-game campaign.
Kaleb Peleki-Elisaia (DL, 6-4, 265, Fr., Bethel (Calif.) High)
A solid defensive lineman who prepped at Bethel High School in Vallejo, Calif., where he earned All-Tri County Athletic League Stone Division first team honors. Was a multiple-position standout for the 7-3 Jaguars of coach Daniel Martinez in 2021. Peleki also helped Bethel win the Vallejo Mayor’s Cup three times in four seasons.
Shaylon Roberts (OL, 6-4, 325, Jr., Pflugerville, Texas, Hendrickson High, Butler (Kan.) Community College)
Roberts earned second-team All-Jayhawks Conference honors in 2021 for the Butler Community College Grizzlies in El Dorado, Kan. Roberts signed with Kilgore (Texas) College out of high school, before transferring to Butler. He was also a standout player at Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Texas where he helped coach Chip Killian’s squad to a 10-4 record as a senior.
Raylen Sharpe (WR, 5-8, 160, So., Allen (Texas) High, Houston)
Sharpe was a three-star athlete prospect in the class of 2020, according to 247Sports. He also participated in track and field at the University of Houston, compiling three top-10 finishes as a freshman, including a first-place finish in the 4×400 relay team at the H-Town SpeedCity Series. According to 247Sports, Sharpe had offers from SMU, Air Force, Arizona and Army coming out of Allen (Texas) High where he helped lead coach Terry Gambill’s Eagles to an 11-1 record his senior year.
DeAndre Washington (DB, 6-2, 180, Jr., Wellington (Kan.) High, Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College)
Washington recorded 13 total tackles and 11 solo stops in 10 games this season at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. He logged a season-high four tackles at Dodge City on Oct. 23 and was credited with two passes defended during the 2021 season. Was part of a 9-2 championship campaign and KJCCC this fall for coach Drew Dallas. He prepped at Wellington (Kan.) High where he holds the school’s career reception record with 95 (2016-18) while reeling in 50 catches for 833 yards his senior year. On the defensive side, he racked up four interceptions and 23 tackles as a senior while earning Class 4A all-state first-team honors by the Topeka Capital-Journal and was selected to the 2019 Kansas Shrine Bowl.
