Racers Add 17 On Early Signing Day

Seventeen student-athletes from nine different states made it official Tuesday that they have chosen to continue their academic and football careers at Murray State as part of the 2021 National Signing Day early signing period. In the first part of his second signing class, head coach Dean Hood added size and speed with an emphasis on the offense, which represented 9 of the 17 signees. In total, MSU signed four offensive linemen, three wide receivers, three defensive linemen, two defensive backs, two athletes, a running back, a linebacker and a quarterback.

"We are really proud of this class and I want to thank our assistant coaches for all they work they put in to get us here," said Hood. "In these 17 student-athletes, we think we have really improved our team in some key areas by adding size and speed to all positions and bringing in some guys who can make an immediate impact. However, bigger than their impact on the field, we feel that we have brought in young men that will excel in the classroom and be great ambassadors for both our team and our university in our community and beyond."

Below are highlights, accolades and statistics from each of the 17 new Racers.

Matt Baker · ATH · 6-4 · 210 · Rochester, Ill. (Rochester HS)
• Racked up 278 yards and four touchdowns as a junior
• Had 27 tackles and five tackles-for-loss
• Played key role in Rockets' 2019 Class 5A state championship
• Has also been successful in the classroom and is on track to graduate with a 3.5 GPA

Rod Boller · OL · 6-4 · 290 · Louisville, Ky. (DuPont Manual HS)
• Helped lead DuPont to a playoff appearance and a 3-2 record
• Played for an offensive line that rushed for 174 yards per game and passed for 105
• Is a three-time first team All-District selection

Tariq Bitson · WR · 6-2 · 200 · Tulsa, Okla. (Adams State)
• Graduate transfer from DII Adams State where he was 2019 RMAC Offensive Player of the Year
• Caught 63 passes for 1,335 yards and 11 touchdowns last season
• Led DII nationally in 2019 with 144.9 receiving yards per game
• Was named to 2019 AFCA All-America second team

Devin Brown · LB · 6-4 · 180 · Covington, Ga. (Eastside HS)
• Helped Eastside HS advance to Georgia AAAAA quarterfinals in 2020
• Tallied 43 tackles, 4.0 tackles-for-loss, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception in his senior season
• Finished career with the Eagles 167 tackles and 12.0 tackles-for-loss in three seasons

Brandon Burton · DB · 6-1 · 200 · Los Angeles, Calif. (New Mexico)
• Graduate transfer from FBS New Mexico where he had 22 tackles in 2019
• Spent two seasons at UCLA where he played in 20 games for the Bruins
• Was a four-star recruit and No. 13 safety in the country, according to ESPN, out of LA's Junipero Serra HS

Tony Davis · DL · 6-3 · 300 · Jonesborough, Tenn. (David Crockett HS)
• Helped lead David Crockett to region 1-5A championship in 2020
• Named as the 2020 All-Mountain Lake Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year
• Had 54 tackles, 8.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks in his senior season

Nyjah Gray · WR · 6-1 · 175 · Panama City, Fla. (Mosley HS)
• Averaged 62.1 yards per game and 17.1 yards per catch with six touchdowns in 2020
• As a junior, tallied 744 yards on 27 catches with six touchdowns for 27.6 yards per catch
• In a 2019 game against Escambia, caught seven balls for 271 yards and a score

Gaige Jacobs · OL · 6-4 · 285 · Murray, Ky. (Murray HS)
• Played on an offensive line that helped lead Murray to 2020 Class 2A semifinals
• Tallied 15 tackles and 3.0 tackles-for-loss

Q'Daryius Jennings · RB · 5-11 · 200 · Hartford, Ky. (Ohio County HS)
• Rushed for nearly 1,000 yards in 2020, averaging 121.6 per game with eight touchdowns
• As a junior, ran the ball 163 times for 1,026 yards and 11 touchdowns
• This season, he added 19 tackles and an interception

Henry Kofowo · OL · 6-3 · 265 · Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stone Mountain HS)
• Agile blocker who has strong hands, good balance and drives opponents
• A three-sport athlete, also competes in wrestling and track and field
• Named to 2020 5-5A All-Region team

Dimonyai Lacey · DL · 6-5 · 243 · Eufaula, Ala. (Eufaula HS)
• Racked up 22 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks for Eufaula 2020
• Is a two sport-star that also plays basketball for the Tigers

Drew London · ATH · 6-4 · 225 · Mt. Zion, Ill. (Mt. Zion HS)
• Helped lead Mt. Zion to a 9-0 regular season and an Apollo Conference title in 2019
• Had a breakout season in 2019 with 475 yards on 32 catches with six touchdowns
• Defensively, he added 52 total tackles and three interceptions

Quindarrius Mayes · WR · 6-2 · 215 · Hueytown, Ala. (Hueytown HS)
• Played a key role in three straight playoff appearance for Hueytown, including a trip to the quarterfinals in 2019
• As a senior, caught 20 passes for the Golden Gophers for 245 yards and one touchdown

Donovan McBride · DL · 6-4 · 280 · Grain Valley, Mo. (Grain Valley HS)
• Helped Grain Valley win Class 5 District 7 title and advance to state quarterfinals in 2020
• Finished senior season with 25.2 tackles and 2.0 sacks
• Is a two-sport athlete that also wrestles for Grain Valley

Michael Rich · QB · 6-4 · 205 · Gadsden, Ala. (Southside HS)
• Played key role in helping Southside qualify for 2020 Class 6A playoffs
• Was 140-for-238 passing in his senior season for 2,375 yards and 16 touchdowns
• Rushed for an additional 339 yards and nine touchdowns on 69 carries
• Qualified for 2019 AHSAA 5A State Golf Tournament as an individual

Darian Weedman · OL · 6-5 · 290 · Louisville, Ky. (Fairdale HS)
• Helped lead Fairdale to a 7-0 record in 2020 before team withdrew from Class 5A quarterfinals
• Blocked on an offensive line that averaged 223 rushing yards per game

Tam Williams · DB · 5-11 · 160 · St. Louis, Mo. (Trinity Catholic HS)
• Helped lead Trinity Catholic to playoffs and a first-round win in first season in Class 4
• Recorded 38 tackles with a fumble recovery in 2020
• As a junior, had 432 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns in addition to 24 tackles

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