Feb. 3, 2010

2010 Biographical Sketches | Press Conference Audio

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State University head football coach Tony Samuel unveiled his 2010 signees during a press conference on campus Wednesday. Seventeen players from 11 different states comprise Samuel's fifth recruiting class at Southeast.

"We tried to focus on filling those necessary needs that can take us to the next level," said Samuel. "This could potentially be a great class for us."

The Redhawks added seven skilled position players, including running backs Ron Coleman (Omaha, Neb./North H.S.), Lennies McFerren (Paris, Tenn./Henry County H.S.), Josh Nicks (Union City, Tenn./Union City H.S.), Jordan Solomon (Roselle, N.J./Abraham Clark H.S.) and Bryant Worts (Jersey City, N.J./Ferris H.S.); and quarterbacks Tyler Peoples (Glendale, Ariz./Independence H.S.) and Kyle Portell (Crestwood, Mo./Lindbergh H.S.).

Coleman earned first-team all-state honors at North High School, where he ran for 800 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. He is a three-time state champion wrestler, who was rated the No. 2 wrestling prospect in Nebraska by numerous publications.

McFerren attended New Madrid County Central High School until his junior year before rushing for 440 yards and nine touchdowns on 64 carries at Henry County High School last season. His grandfather, also named Lennies McFerren, played basketball at Southeast in 1973-74 and is a member of the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame. Coach McFerren won over 500 games and nine state championships at Charleston and New Madrid County Central. He was named the 2000 National High School Coach-of-the-Year and is currently the head principal at Henry County High School.

Nicks garnered all-state and all-region honors at Union City High School. He rushed for 1,682 yards and 35 touchdowns, and broke a state record for most carries in a game (47) in his final prep campaign.

Solomon was a first-team all-conference selection at Abraham Clark High School. He averaged 7.6 yards per carry en route to 968 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago.

Worts is out of Ferris High School, the same high school as Southeast WR Chantae Ahamefule and FS Branden Spann. He ran the ball 25 times for 223 yards and one touchdown, while averaging nearly nine yards per carry in 2009. He was also named the Old Spice Player-of-the-Year as a junior.

Peoples, the younger brother of former Redhawks WR Walter Peoples, completed 201-of-304 passes (66.1 percent) for 2,461 yards and 32 touchdowns at Independence High School last season. He is an athletic quarterback with good size and arm strength, who appears to be more of a shotgun, spread offense type player. Additionally, he ran for 833 yards.

Portell is a dual-threat quarterback, who comes to Southeast from Lindbergh High School. He threw for 1,304 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 791 yards and eight TDs as a senior.

Tight end Ben Schmidt (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills H.S.) and center Billy Munker (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Royal Palm Beach H.S.) round out the newcomers on the offensive side of the ball.

Schmidt was a two-time first-team Greater Miami Conference selection and three-year starter at Oak Hills High School, while Munker took first-team Class 5A all-conference honors at Royal Palm Beach High School.

Defensively, the Redhawks welcome linemen Rod Benman (DE, Santa Monica, Calif./Santa Monica College), Trent Peterson (DE, Little Rock, Ark./Milford Academy), Navarus Thompson (DL, West Palm Beach, Fla./Hofstra) and Charles Tillman (DT, Washington, D.C./Dunbar H.S.); cornerbacks Kweku Arkorful (Dolton, Ill./Rock Valley JC) and Jaren Butler (Pittsburgh, Calif./Los Medanos JC); and inside linebacker David Smart (Rogers, Ark./Rogers H.S.).

Benman recorded 56 tackles, 10 sacks and blocked a field goal at Santa Monica College in 2009.

Peterson posted 25 tackles, a sack and two fumble recoveries as a senior at Milford Academy. His father, Chris Peterson, is the Director of Athletics at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. Chris also served as the Director of Athletics at Creighton University and worked with Samuel at Nebraska during his career.

Thompson redshirted at Hofstra University and transferred to Southeast after the Pride announced the termination of their football program. He had 87 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and a team-high eight sacks as a senior at Palm Beach Lakes High School. Thompson also played in the Outback Steakhouse All-Star Game.

Tillman graduated from Dunbar High School, the same high school as Southeast tight end D.T. Lesane. He notched 49 tackles en route to first-team all-conference and all-area honors last season.

Southeast lost its top two corners in Eddie Calvin and Salim Powell, but junior college transfers Arkorful and Butler will look to help fill those voids.

Arkorful played the last two seasons at Rock Valley College and spent the 2007 campaign as a walk-on at Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State. He saw action in the Racers season-opener against Louisville, before missing the rest of that year due to injury.

Butler, a two-time Golden Gate all-conference pick at Los Medanos Junior College, earned his team's Defensive Player-of-the-Year award as a sophomore and was team captain as a freshman.

Meanwhile, Smart was a Class 7A all-state linebacker at Rogers High School, where he recorded 81 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and two sacks a year ago.

Return specialist Spencer Davis (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central H.S.) completes the 2010 class.

A multiple-position athlete, Davis was part of two state championship teams at Hazelwood Central. He scored 12 touchdowns, including eight on punt returns, as a senior. Davis returned eight kickoffs for 313 yards and 25 punts for 459 yards. His 76-yard punt return for a touchdown against Blue Springs was the longest in a state championship game. He was also a member of the track & field team, where he garnered all-state honors in both the 100m dash and 4x100 relay.