Murray State University Athletics
Football Announces 2008 Recruiting Class
2/6/2008 6:00:00 AM | Football
Murray State head football coach Matt Griffin has announced the signing of 14 student-athletes to National Letter's of Intent to attend the University and begin playing football for the Racers in Fall of 2008. The list includes six players from Florida, three from Kentucky, three from Tennessee, one from Georgia and one from Texas.
Wednesday is the first day that potential recruits can sign with the program of the their choice.
"We are very excited about this year's group of signees," said Griffin. "The staff did a great job of identifying and recruiting these young men. In addition to being an asset to this football team, this is a group that will also be an asset to the University and campus community."
The group of incoming players includes four offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, three linebackers, two wide receivers, one defensive back and one athlete.
The Racers return eight starters on offense and 10 on defense from the 2007 squad.
Below is a list of the student athletes that will join the MSU football program in the fall.
Durron Bailey, 6-6, 210, WR, Memphis, Tenn. (Central High School)
Bailey played his senior season for Tom Nesmith at Central High School...owns a 3.4 GPA and is a member of the Student Council...also a member of the basketball team as a freshman and sophomore.
Tyler Bray, 6-3, 285, OL, Cocoa, Fla. (Space Coast High School)
Bray played three seasons on the varsity for head coach Douglas Ruggles...selected to play in the East-West and North-South All-Star Games...named the offensive lineman MVP...earned all-Cape Coast Conference honors...finished the season with 78 tackles and three sacks.
Jamal Crook, 6-1, 230, LB, Tampa, Fla. (Alonso High School)
Crook was a four-year letterwinner for coach Mike Heldt...finished his career with 38 sacks and 19 forced fumbles...earned second-team all-state honors by the Florida Sports Writers Association after recording 52 tackles and 15.5 sacks as a senior...named to the St. Petersburg Times all-county first team...registered 12 tackles and three sacks in a victory over Blake...posted a season-high 4.5 sacks against Freedom.
Dexter Durrante, 5-11, 200, DB, Ft. Campbell, Ky. (Ft. Campbell High School)
Durrante was a four-year letterwinner for coach Shawn Berner at Fort Campbell High School...earned first-team all-state honors from the Associate Press and Bluegrass Prep after helping his team to a 13-2 record and the state championship...recorded 7.5 tackles and rushed for 120 yards, including the game-winning touchdown, in the state championship victory over Newport Central Catholic...finished the season with 138 tackles, five interceptions and three forced fumbles, while rushing for 700 yards...earned defensive player of the year accolades after registering 152 tackles and six forced fumbles as a junior...first-team all-Western Kentucky Conference selection as a junior and senior.
Tyler Evans, 6-2, 300, DL, Tampa, Fla. (H.B. Plant High School)
Evans was a three-year varsity letterwinner for coach Robert Weiner at Plant High School...helped the Panthers to a 35-5 record, three-straight district championships and the 2007 State Championship...finished his career with 165 tackles (124 solo), 77 tackles-for-loss, 10 sacks and three fumble recoveries...posted 55 tackles and five sacks his senior season on his way to earning first-team all-Florida Athletic Coaches Association...earned second-team all-state and first-team all-county accolades as a junior.
Lamar Hall, 5-9, 180, ATH, St. Petersburg, Fla. (Gibbs High School)
Hall helped Gibbs High School to a 6-4 mark his senior year...tallied 1,500 total yards and 16 touchdowns on his way to earning first-team all-District 10-5A honors as a senior...had 1,100 total yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior...also a three-year letterwinner on the track and field team.
Andy Mahoney, 6-2, 290, OL, Lexington, Ky. (Lexington Catholic High School)
Mahoney helped lead Lexington Catholic to a 47-7 record...earned all-city and all-district accolades on his way to leading the Knights to a 13-2 mark and the 4A State Championship...earned first-team all-state, all-city and all-district honors as a junior...helped LCHS to a 14-1 mark and the 2005 4A State Championship.
Josh McWherter, 6-1, 215, LB, Ft. Campbell, Ky. (Ft. Campbell High School)
McWherter was a four-time all-Western Kentucky Conference performer for coach Shawn Berner at Ft. Campbell High School...earned first-team all-state accolades from the Associated Press and Louisville Courier-Journal in leading the Falcons to the Kentucky 2A State Championship in 2007...named the Leaf Chronicle Defensive Player of the Year as a senior after registering 201 tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions...three-time all-Kentucky New Era team selection...recorded 160 tackles and three sacks as a junior, after posting 112 tackles and four sacks as a sophomore and 98 tackles as a freshman.
Michael Ogbevoen, 6-1, 205, LB, Humble, Texas (Nimitz High School)
Ogbevoen played for coach David Suggs at Nimitz High School...earned all-district honors after recording 76 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, five pass break-ups, one interception and three forced fumbles...three-year member of the NHS basketball team.
Brock Rydecki, 6-2, 275, OL, Venice, Fla. (Venice High School)
Rydecki played his senior season for Venice High School...helped lead the Indians to an 8-4 record and the District Championship...earned first-team all-region and all-district honors in 2007 after recording 38 pancake blocks and helping VHS rank second in the area in total offense...garnered honorable mention all-state honors as a senior...nominated for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game...participated in the Sarasota County/Manatee County PAL Bowl...played two years on varsity at Lake Placid High School...helped clear the way for the areas top rushing attack.
Lamar Theus, 6-2, 300, DL, Paris, Tenn. (Henry County High School)
Theus helped Henry County High School to a 12-2 record and the state semifinals in 2007...earned all-state honors after posting 155 tackles (16 for loss), nine sacks, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries...named team MVP.
Jordan Toler, 6-1, 290, DL, Alpharetta, Ga. (Chatahoochee High School)
Toler helped Chattahoochee High School to the Region 6B-5A championship...earned first-team all-Region 6B-5A honors...named to the Atlanta Journal Constitution all-Northside team...garnered second-team all-North Fulton laurels...helped the Cougars to a runner-up finish in the region in 2006.
Roderick Tomlin, 6-5, 285, OL, Jackson, Tenn. (Jackson North Side High School)
Tomlin lettered three years for coach Pat Massey at North Side High School...earned outstanding lineman honors after averaging five pancakes a game...named to the all-region and all-West Tennessee first team...also a member of the track and field team.
Ja-Vonta Trotter, 5-10, 175, WR, St. Petersburg, Fla. (Boga Ciega High School)
Trotter helped lead Boga Ciega High School to an 8-3 record as a senior...finished the season with 19 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns...returned 17 punts for 318 yards and three touchdowns...returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown in the season opener against Dunedin...posted 19 tackles and one interception on defense...caught two passes for 134 yards against Osceola...named to the All-Pinellas team as a utility player...member of the All-Suncoast team as a kick returner...selected as the most valuable player of the Pinellas All-Star Football Classic.
