JONESBORO, Ark. (12/16/20) – The Arkansas State football team added 10 players from eight different states to its 2021 recruiting class, its first under new head coach Butch Jones, on Wednesday.

Named A-State’s 31st all-time head football coach just this past Saturday, Dec. 12, Jones and the Red Wolves’ current class consists of seven offensive and three defensive players. The group includes two players at each of the linebacker, offensive line, wide receiver and running back positions.  The program also added one defensive back and a quarterback.

Today’s announced class on the first day of the early signing period includes four who will be available to participate in the Red Wolves’ spring camp, including wide receiver Te’Vailance Hunt (TCU), running back Alan Lamar (Yale), quarterback Wyatt Begeal (Cibolo, Texas) and defensive back Justin Parks (Gardendale, Ala.).

Including Begeal and Parks, nine of the 11 players inking with the Red Wolves were high school recruits.  The six other high school players joining A-State were linebacker Ethan Hassler (Collierville, Tenn.), defensive back Cam Jeffery (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), running back Bobby McMillian (Vero Beach, Fla.), Tristan Shorter (Oxford, Miss.), Nason Simmons (Canton, Ga.), Makilan Thomas (Little Rock, Ark.) and Omari Walker (McKinney, Texas).

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY ROSTER

Mid-year signee available to participate in A-State’s spring camp . . . Starter since freshman season at Steele HS . . . Passed for 5,585 yards and 46 touchdowns while rushing for 1,119 yards and 20 more TDs since his breakout freshman season (entering senior year). . . Won first seven games as a starter in freshman season, leading Steele to Class 6A Division II state quarterfinals in 2017 . . . Led Knights to 23-8 record prior to his senior season (still playing heading into weekend) . . . Selected to the San Antonio Sports All-Star Football Game to be played on January 30, 2021 . . . 3-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN . . . 2-star recruit by Rivals . . . Listed in 247Sports composite rankings as the No. 42 dual-style quarterback in the nation and the No. 221 overall player in the state of Texas . . . Ranks No. 12 among dual-threat QBs according to QB Hit List . . . Listed as the No. 19 dual-threat QB in the nation and No. 155 overall player in the state of Texas by ESPN . . . Also recruited by schools such as Rice, Texas State and Bowling Green.

Named First Team Region 7-6A and Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2020  . . . In seven games as a senior in 2020, recorded 47 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and 3 passes defended . . . Finished 2019 junior season with 69 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, one forced fumble and an interception . . . . ESPN 3-star recruit listed as the No. 131 defensive end in the nation and No. 37 overall player in the state . . . 247Sports 3-star prospect ranked as the No. 66 weak-side defensive end in the nation and the No. 28 overall player in Tennessee . . . Rivals 3-star prospect listing him as the No. 37 overall player in the state of Arkansas . . . Also recruited by teams such as Southern Miss, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Liberty, Louisville, Memphis, Tulsa and Wake Forest.

Mid-year signee available to participate in A-State’s spring camp . . . Played in three games at TCU in 2020 . . . As a sophomore in 2019, posted 20 receptions for 308 yards and one touchdown . . . Played in all 12 games with nine starts . . . Had at least one reception in nine games with multiple grabs in seven contests . . . His first career touchdown was a spectacular 24-yard grab, in which he got a hand down in the end zone, on a 4th-and-9 pass to tie the Baylor game in the first overtime . . . Had career-high totals of four receptions for 78 yards at Iowa State . . . Recorded a career-long grab of 49 yards, as part of two catches, in the 51-14 win over Kansas . . . Posted three receptions against Oklahoma and UAPB . . . Had two catches in wins over No. 15 Texas and Texas Tech . . . Saw action in nine games as a freshman season in 2019 . . . Totaled four receptions for 45 yards . . . Had a career-long catch of 21 yards at Kansas . . . His first collegiate reception was a 9-yard grab versus Texas Tech . . . also had a reception against West Virginia and Oklahoma State . . . Rated as four-star recruit by 247Sports.com coming out of Texas High School in Texarkana . . . Ranked as the No. 4 wide receiver in Texas and No. 23 in the country . . . Rated the No. 15 overall player in the state and No. 161 nationally . . . Totaled 69 receptions for 1,243 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior . . . Named first-team District 16-5A . . . Chose TCU over Oklahoma State and Iowa State. 

Named all-state in 2020 by MaxPreps after recording 125 tackles as a senior . . . As a junior, caught 34 passes for 800 yards and 15 touchdowns, as well as 29 tackles and four interceptions on the defensive side of the ball . . . Rivals 3-star prospect rated as the No. 59 safety in the nation and No. 31 overall player in the state . . . 3-star prospect by 247Sports, which lists him as the No. 36 athlete in the country and No. 19 overall player in the state of Alabama . . . ESPN 3-star prospect listed as the No. 45 Athlete in the nation and No. 20 overall player in the state . . . Also recruited by schools such as Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee, South Alabama, South Florida, Tennessee, Troy and Auburn.

Graduate transfer available to participate in A-State’s spring camp . . . Senior season posted 70 rushing attempts for 229 yards and two touchdowns, while catching 12 passes for 93 yards and another score . . . Helped lead Yale to a 9-1 overall record and claimed the Ivy League championship with a 6-1 mark . . . Earned First Team All-Ivy League honors in 2018 . . . Also tabbed All-New England and Phil Steele Second Team All-Ivy League . . . Led team in rushing with 685 yards on 124 attempts in eight games . . . Missed two games due to injury . . . Averaged 5.5 yards per carry and totaled nine touchdowns . . . Against Penn, earned Ivy League Player of the Week and College Sports Madness Ivy League Player of the Week after rushing for 179 yards on 24 attempts and two touchdowns . . . Missed the 2017 season due to a preseason injury . . . Team's freshman MVP and earned Freshman All-America honors in 2016 . . . Second-Team All-Ivy League running back . . . Served as top kickoff return man for the first four games until he was needed at tailback . . . Led Yale with 557 yards and five TDs . . . Got first collegiate snaps in the backfield vs Dartmouth and ran 23 times for 180 yards and touchdowns of seven and 43 yards . . . His Dartmouth total was five yards shy of Robert Carr’s freshman school rushing record of 185 yards and got him STATS FCS (national) Rookie of the Week and Ivy co-Rookie of the Week . . . First start vs. Penn with 118 yards and a TD catch . . . Scored on one-yard run in win at Harvard . . . Varsity football letterman at DeSoto Central High School, where he was tabbed Parade High School All-American . . . First-team all-state . . . First-team USA Today All-Mississippi Team . . . First-team Mississippi All-Southern Elite Sports . . . Shelby/Metro Player of the Year . . . DeSoto County Player of the Year. . . Started for Mississippi in the MS vs AL All-Star HS Football Classic . . . Three-time first-team all-district . . . Three-time Commercial Appeal (Memphis Area) Best of the Prep . . . Clarion-Ledger Mississippi Best of the Prep . . . Three-time TEAM Offensive Player of the Year . . . Two-time team MVP . . . Tied a state record with 9 rushing TDs on 59 carries with 421 rush yards in a game . . . Started 40 games . . . Rushed for 5,118 yards and accumulated 6,534 All-Purpose Yards while scoring 77 touchdowns and throwing 3 touchdown passes . . . Led MS Class 6A in regular season rushing junior and senior years . . . Led Mississippi in scoring senior year with 266 points (43 TDs) . . . Scored 62 points in one game . . . Was a team captain . . . Ten varsity letters in football (4), Powerlifting (3) and Track (3) . . . Qualified for state championship meet in powerlifting . . . National Honor Society . . . Mu Alpha Theta Mathematic Honor Society . . . National Society of High School Scholars.

Three-year varsity letterman who posted 165 rushing attempts for 1,116 yards (101.5 ypg) and 20 touchdowns as a senior . . . Went over 100 yards rushing in six outings . . . Averaged 6.8 yards per carry . . . Also caught 37 passes for 419 yards and four touchdowns in 2020 . . . Finished his junior year with 440 rushing yards on 81 carries with four touchdowns . . . Recorded 17 receptions for another 253 yards . . . Named a CBS12 (TV) Athlete of the Week after scoring two touchdowns in a regional semi-final game against Boone.

Mid-year signee available to participate in A-State’s spring camp . . . 3-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals . . . Listed as the No. 68 overall player in the state of Alabama and No. 133 cornerback in the 247Sports composite rankings . . . Also recruited by schools such as Appalachian State, FAU, Georgia State, Liberty, Louisiana, Memphis, Middle Tennessee, Southern Miss, South Alabama, Toledo, Troy and UAB.

Helped Oxford High to a second-straight Mississippi 6A North Half title in 2020, finishing his senior year with a 12-1 record . . . Logged a pick-six in first quarter to help Oxford advance to play for the 6A state title . . . As lone returning starter on defense in his senior season, posted 75 tackles, 12 TFL and six interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns . . . Helped the Oxford High defense win 25-straight wins, before a 29-28 defeat in the Mississippi 6A state title game in 2020 . . . Part of defense that allowed just 11.1 points per game in 2019 . . . Posted 84 tackles, including 12 TFL and 4 sacks, along with one interception in junior season . . . 2-star recruit by Rivals . . . Also recruited by schools such as Air Force, Army, South Alabama, UAB and ULM.

Varsity football and basketball letter winner . . . Helped lead Cherokee to the state playoffs in 2019 and 2020 . . . Named 4-7A All-Region as a senior . . . Also recruited by schools such as Liberty, South Alabama and Mississippi State.

Played at right guard for Little Rock Central High School . . . Selected to the Arkansas 7A All-State Team as a senior . . . Helped Tigers to second round of the 7A state playoffs . . . Earned All-Conference honors in 2019 . . . 3-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN . . . 2-star recruit by Rivals . . . Listed as No. 16 overall player in the state of Arkansas and No. 80 offensive guard in 247Sports composite rankings . . . Listed as the No. 10 overall player in the state of Arkansas and No. 78 offensive guard by ESPN.

3-start recruit by 247Sports and ESPN . . . Clocked in at 10.50 in the 100 meter dash and is a Junior Olympic All-American on the track . . . 2-star recruit by Rivals . . . Listed in 247Sports composite rankings as No. 232 wide receiver and No. 252 overall player . . . Listed as No. 246 wide receiver and 270 overall player in the state of Texas by ESPN . . . Also recruited by schools such as SMU.