Stockstill 'very excited' about 2020 class

2/5/2020 4:30:00 PM | Football

By: Josh Vardaman

2020 CLASS BIOS

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee officially welcomed 21 new student-athletes to its football family Wednesday during National Signing Day.

After inking 12 players during the December signing period, head coach Rick Stockstill and his staff announced nine additions Wednesday. The class includes 17 freshmen, two junior college transfers and two transfers from Power 5 conference schools.

"I'm very excited about this class," Stockstill said. "Our coaches did a great job of evaluating and working this last month and a half on the recruiting trail. We have some really good players in this class, and I'm really fired up about it.

"As excited as I was in December about the guys we signed, I'm equally, if not more, excited today."

Last season, the Blue Raiders struggled to find a consistent running game outside of quarterback Asher O'Hara. The rising redshirt junior rushed for 1,058 of the team's 2,063 yards with nine touchdowns, becoming just the second signal caller to rush for 1,000 yards in program history.

While O'Hara's legs were a weapon, Stockstill wanted to inflate the talent in the backfield alongside his QB in 2020. He did that by adding two of the most sought-after running backs in this year's transfer portal, as well as freshman Frank Peasant, who's listed as an athlete but could play either running back or linebacker.

Redshirt seniors Martell Pettaway and Amir Rasul are coming to Middle Tennessee from West Virginia and Florida State, respectively. Pettaway was the Mountaineers' second-leading rusher in 2018 with 623 yards on 97 carries, while Rasul, ranked the No. 7 running back in the 2016 class by ESPN, had 244 yards in three years with the Seminoles. Both took a redshirt last season, and both are on campus already.

"[Pettaway and Rasul] were both highly recruited guys out of high school," Stockstill said. "We're excited to be able to go through spring practice with them. … It'll give them an advantage to go through spring practice to learn the offense, then in the summer they're working and preparing with what they already know."

Stockstill also put an emphasis on restocking his linebacker cupboard with this class.

Losing Khalil Brooks and Chris Melton to graduation has left an opportunity for new backers to step in alongside rising senior DQ Thomas, who was second on the team with 74 tackles and led the way with 12 tackles for loss last year.

The Blue Raiders are bringing in junior college transfer Johnathan Butler and five freshmen linebackers — Devyn Curtis, Drew Francis, Evian Irving, James Shellman IV and Peasant — to compete for those spots.

"The big thing I'm really fired up about with [Butler, Curtis and Francis] is the size they have to them … and they have some physicality to them," Stockstill said. "Then, Evian and Shellman, those are more your outside linebacker guys who aren't quite as big but run well."

Stockstill was also bullish Wednesday on the work his staff did to bring in a talented group of both big guys and skilled position players on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, the Blue Raiders will add five new players to their line, including four freshmen — Conner Griffin, Wilson Kelly, Lance Robinson and Parker Rogers — and junior college transfer Jordan Palmer. Freshmen wide receivers Bryce Bailey, Jaylin Lane and JaMichael Thompson will bring speed and toughness on the outside.

"We signed five offensive linemen, and two of them are here now — Jordan Palmer and Parker Rogers," Stockstill said.

"I really like our receiver class. There's a lot of speed in there … and they're very athletic and come from good programs."

The defensive side will gain three freshmen on the line — Vincent Dinkins, Tyrece Edwards and Ralph Mency — and freshmen defensive backs Davon Martin and Deidrick Stanley II.

"We're excited about our defensive linemen. … We got some really good players up front there," Stockstill said.

"You always want speed on the outside, and we have that with this class. They can really roll, now, and that's where it always starts. Especially in this league with it being so spread out, if you can't run, you can get exposed in a hurry."

Completing the 2020 signing class is another step along the path towards getting back to the Conference USA title game and a bowl for MT.

The Blue Raiders have around seven months until they'll take the field at Duke for the 2020 season opener. Between now and then, they'll take part in mat drills and spring practice in the next few weeks, then prepare for summer workouts and fall camp in August.

"We have some time, and I have a good list of guys that we're still evaluating," Stockstill said. "We still have three scholarships left … but I feel really good about where we are. I'm fired up about this class."

*Players in bold signed Wednesday.