Henderson State signs 34 to play for National Signing Day | HS Sports

by Troy Mitchell

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. -- It was another big signing class for Head Football Coach Scott Maxfield as 34 student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent to play at Henderson State University.

Among the 34 signees were 14 from the state of Arkansas including Bentonville High School quarterback Dallas Hardison.

Hardison had a stellar career at Bentonville throwing for over 6000 yards and completing 73.5 percent of his passes (377-of-513). An All-State selection and member of the Vype Magazine All-Arkansas Team, Hardison passed for 69 career touchdowns and rushed for 14.

In the 2011 Class 7A State Championship Game against Fayetteville, Hardison completed 31-of-40 passes for 370 yards and three touchdowns.

Wendell Thompson of El Dorado highlights the receivers signing to play for the Reddies. An All-State selection, Thompson collected nine receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown in El Dorado’s 24-20 win over Lake Hamilton in the 2011 Class 6A State Championship.

Additional receivers include Rashad Shepherd of Conway High School, Corey Chappell of Rowlett (TX) High School, Cody Clayton of Sulpher Springs (TX) High School, James Jackson of Centerpoint High School in Birmingham, Ala., and junior college transfer Demitrius White of Feather River Community College.

Prescott High School running back Daniel McCoy hopes to help the Reddie running game in the future. McCoy rushed for 2,259 yards and compiled more than 40 touchdowns this past season earning him All-State honors.

McCoy ended his prep career with 4,051 yards rushing on 547 attempts while totaling 436 points.

Quinta Thomas joins McCoy as one of four running backs to sign with the Reddies. Thomas played at Catholic High School in Little Rock and was an All-State pick after rushing for over 1,000 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Additional running backs signing with the Reddies are Cordarius Irby of Conway High School and Terrence Brown of Borger (TX) High School.

Henderson State has had some talented tight ends the past five years, and Sheridan High School product Josh Miller looks to follow suit.

Miller is a Class 6A All-State selection who averaged 18.5 yards per reception last season totaling 796 yards on 43 receptions. 

A three-year letterman, Miller doubled as a return specialist having 17 kickoff returns for 319 yards and ended the year averaging 100.8 all-purpose yards per game.

Seven offensive linemen will join the Reddies next fall.  Among those signees are Arkansas products Billy Couch of Rogers Heritage, Ricky Miller of El Dorado,

and Garrett Whitley of Centerpoint. Also joining the squad is Anthony Brister of Henderson (TX) High School, Patrick McGrath from Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn., Austin Sherrod from Briarcrest High School in Collierville, Tenn., and Trevor Rogers from Ouachita Parish High School in Monroe, La.

Henderson State added 14 players on the defensive side of the football including six linebackers.

Headlining the linebackers is Class 6A All-State selection Josh Davis of El Dorado High School and Brian McDaniel of Little Rock Central.

Davis helped lead the Wildcats to three straight state championships, while McDaniel was an All-Conference selection.

Additional linebackers include Brennan Broussard of Slidell (LA) High School, Charles Linares of North Dallas (TX) High School, Miles McKinney from Borger (TX) High School, and Alex Reason from West Mesquite High School in Balch Springs, Texas.

Defensive backs continuing their playing careers at Henderson include Sean Frierson from El Dorado High School,  Beau Baker from Keller (TX) High School, Darius Owens from Yukon (OK) High School, Ony Nwoke of Rowlett (TX) High School and Caleb Shannon of Carthage (TX) High School.

Also signing with the Reddies is All-Conference defensive tackle Will Yeager from Lovelady High School in Crockett, Texas, and defensive end Larry Carroll of New Boston (TX) High School.

NAME                                 POS.        HT          WT         SCHOOL                               HOMETOWN
Baker, Beau                      DB            6-1          190         Keller HS                              Keller, Texas
Brister, Anthony             OL             6-2          280         Henderson HS                   Henderson, Texas
Broussard, Brennan      LB             6-0          215         Slidell HS                              Slidell, La.
Brown, Terrence            RB             5-9          185         Borger HS                            Borger, Texas
Carroll, Larry                     DE             6-3          235         New Boston HS                 New Boston, Texas
Chappell, Corey              WR           5-7          150         Rowlett HS                          Rowlett, Texas
Clayton, Cody                  WR           5-8          170         Sulpher Springs HS          Sulpher Springs, Texas
Couch, Billy                       OL             6-3          285         Rogers Heritage HS         Rogers, Ark.
Davis, Josh                        LB             6-0          215         El Dorado HS                      El Dorado, Ark.
Frierson, Sean                 DB            5-10       180         El Dorado HS                      El Dorado, Ark.
Hardison, Dallas              QB            5-11       180         Bentonville HS                   Bentonville, Ark.
Irby, Cordarius                RB             5-11       215         Conway HS                         Conway, Ark.
Jackson, James               WR           5-11       185         Centerpoint HS                 Birmingham, Ala.
Linares, Charles              LB             6-0          195         North Dallas HS                 Dallas, Texas
McCoy, Daniel                 RB             6-0          185         Prescott HS                         Prescott, Ark.
McDaniel, Brian              LB             6-2          220         Central HS                           Little Rock, Ark.
McGrath, Patrick            OL             6-6          285         Ravenwood HS                 Brentwood, Tenn.
McKinney, Miles            LB             6-2          215         Borger HS                            Borger, Texas
Miller, Josh                       TE             6-1          225         Sheridan HS                        Sheridan, Ark.
Miller, Ricky                      OL             6-2          310         El Dorado HS                      El Dorado, Ark.
Nwokoye, Ony                DB            5-11       170         Rowlett HS                          Rowlett, Texas
Owens, Darius                 DB            5-11       185         Yukon HS                             Yukon, Okla.
Polite, Cammeron         ATH          5-10       200         Central HS                           Little Rock, Ark.
Reason, Alex                    LB             6-0          205         West Mesquite HS          Balch Springs, Texas
Rogers, Trevor                OL             6-4          280         Ouachita Parish HS          Monroe, La.
Shannon, Caleb              DB            6-0          190         Carthage HS                       Carthage, Texas
Sheperd, Rashad            WR           6-2          190         Conway HS                         Conway, Ark.
Sherrod, Austin              OL             6-2          275         Briarcrest HS                      Collierville, Tenn.
Thomas, Quinta              RB             5-10       185         Catholic HS                          Little Rock, Ark.
Thompson, Wendell     WR           5-9          150         El Dorado HS                      El Dorado, Ark.
Turner, Rashidi                WR           6-2          190         Rowlett HS                          Rowlett, Texas
White, Demitrius            WR           5-7          160         Feather River CC              Waycross, Ga.
Whitley, Garrett             OL             6-4          290         Centerpoint HS                 Glenwood,Ark.
Yeager, Will                      DT             6-3          245         Lovelady HS                        Crockett, Texas