The NCAA's regular football signing period began on Wednesday, Feb. 7. All of Southeast Missouri's 2018 Football Signees are in. This year's class includes a total of 22 players, including 13 which signed during the early period in December.

CAMERON JOHN, OLB, 6-4, 215, BRIGHTON, TENN./BRIGHTON H.S.

Played defensive end and outside linebacker at Brighton High School...Was teammates with fellow Southeast signee Aaron Alston.

ZION CUSTIS, RB, 5-8, 180, LOVEJOY, GA./LOVEJOY H.S.

Honorable mention all-state selection at Lovejoy High School...Named Region 4-AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year and Clayton County Player of the Year...Racked up 4,430 rushing yards and scored 50 touchdowns in three years as Lovejoy's starting running back...Ran for 1,943 yards and 27 touchdowns, and averaged 176.6 rushing yards per game as a senior...His 1,943 yards marked a new single-season record...Had eight 100-yard games...Rushed for 1,487 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior...Also recorded eight 100-yard games and averaged over 100 yards per game (123.9)...Caught 18 passes for 167 yards and another touchdown out of the backfield...Scored a total of 246 points in his career, including 168 as a senior...Ran for 261 yards and a single-game school record six touchdowns on 31 carries against East Coweta.

AARON ALSTON, WR, 6-4, 185, BRIGHTON, TENN./BRIGHTON H.S.

Standout wide receiver and all-state defensive back at Brighton High School...Was teammates with fellow Southeast signee Cameron John...Helped lead the Cardinals to a 10-5 record and Class 5A State Semifinals appearance in 2017, their best season in school history...Also a member of Brighton's basketball team, where he currently averages 8.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 steals and two blocks per game.

NATE KORTE (KORTEE), OL, 6-6, 295, MORRIS, ILL./MORRIS COMMUNITY H.S.

Offensive tackle and guard at Morris High School...Ranked among the top players who played in the Illinois High School Association state football championships.

  
TRAI HODGES, DB, 6-0, 175, ROME, GA./ROME H.S.

Ended his prep career by helping Rome High School win back-to-back Class 5A state titles...Had 38 tackles with 27 solo stops as a senior...Recovered three fumbles...Registered eight interceptions and returned three of those for touchdowns...Also plays basketball.

JOSH PRICE*, DL, 6-2, 295, VICKSBURG, MISS./ ST. ALOYSIUS H.S./HINDS CC

Spent the last two seasons at Hinds Community College...Notched eight tackles in eight games in 2017...Added 18 stops in eight games as a freshman...Started all four years at St. Aloysius High School...Registered 52 tackles and 12 sacks as a senior...Turned in a career-best 72 tackles and seven sacks as a junior...Finished with 212 total tackles in his prep career.

CAMERON MEEKS, DL, 6-2, 295, AUSTIN, TEXAS/LYNDON B. JOHNSON H.S./BUTLER CC

Tallied 20 tackles in 11 games at Butler Community College in 2017...Recorded six solo stops and two tackles for loss...Attended Lyndon B. Johnson High School.

MARK ROBINSON, RB, 6-0, 215, LEESBURG, GA./LEE COUNTY H.S./PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE

Played in all 11 games and made two starts as a freshman at Presbyterian College in 2017...Gained 332 yards and led the team with five rushing touchdowns on 75 carries...Became the first Presbyterian player to rush for two touchdowns in a game since 2015...Was named Big South Freshman of the Week after picking up 86 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries against Campbell...Also found the end zone against Wake Forest, Forest, Cumberland and Liberty...First-Team All-Region selection at Lee County High School.

KESHON HEARD, DB, 5-11, 175, HAMILTON, MISS./HAMILTON H.S./ITAWAMBA CC

Recorded 27 tackles in nine games at Itawamba Community College in 2017...Posted one interception, four pass breakups and one forced fumble...Returned two fumbles for 120 yards...Notched a season-high 10 tackles with eight solo stops vs. Holmes Community College...Was teammates with his older brother, Quinshay at Itawamba CC... Played at Northwest Mississippi Community College as a freshman...Had one pass breakup in three games... Attended Hamilton High School...Scored seven touchdowns as a senior and rushed for 1,800 yards and two touchdowns his junior season...Named second team all-state and Offensive MVP as a junior...Also played basketball and ran track, winning state in the 100-meter and qualifying for the state meet four times...Named school's "Most Athletic"...Participated in the school's FFA chapter.

Early Signees (Signed during the NCAA Early Period from December 20-22)

Warren Byrd, DB, 6-1, 190, TUNICA, MISS./ROSA FORT H.S.
Played football and basketball at Rosa Fort High School.


Caleb Strauss, TE, 6-8, 230, WARRENTON, MO./WARRENTON H.S.
Caught 39 passes for 548 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior at Warrenton High School...Was the Warriors top receiver...Tallied 67 tackles and ranked second on the team with seven sacks on defense...Also had three fumble recoveries and two interceptions...Had 13 receptions for 204 yards and three touchdowns as a junior...Added 39 tackles and five sacks...GAC North All-Conference pick in basketball.

Will Christopher, OL, 6-5, 290, GIRARD, ILL./NORTH MAC H.S.
Played offensive and defensive line at North Mac High School...Also a member of the basketball and baseball teams.

Lawrence Johnson, DB, 6-1, 170, ST. LOUIS, MO./RIVERVIEW GARDENS H.S.
Completed 69-of-127 passes for 1,214 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior at Riverview Gardens High School...Ran for 799 yards and another nine scores, averaging 9.4 yards per rush...Threw for 908 yards and six touchdowns on 57-of-126 passes as a junior...Carried the ball 45 times for 127 yards and five more touchdowns.

Daniel Santacaterina*, QB, 6-2, 205, GENEVA, ILL./GENEVA H.S./NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Played in six games and made four starts at Northern Illinois University in 2017...Completed 62-of-97 passes for 712 yards and seven touchdowns...Averaged 118.7 passing yards per game and boasted a .639 completion percentage...Threw for 128 yards on 15-of-22 passes to lead NIU to a 21-17 victory at Nebraska (Sept. 16)...Finished with a season-high 269 passing yards and three touchdowns at San Diego State (Sept. 30)...Threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns vs. Eastern Illinois (Sept. 9)...Appeared in the last three games of the 2016 season at quarterback and started the season finale at Kent State (Nov. 25)...Threw for 361 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 107 yards and another score that year...Was NIU's Offensive Player of the Week at Eastern Michigan (Nov. 16) where he ran for 91 yards on 13 carries and threw for 103 yards and a touchdown to lead the Huskies to a come-from-behind win...Threw for 258 yards and ran for 16 yards and a touchdown in NIU's victory over Kent State...Saw his first collegiate action late in the Toledo (Nov. 19) game in Chicago, Illinois...Redshirted at NIU in 2015...Star quarterback at Geneva High School...As a senior, he guided the Vikings to the Illinois 7A quarterfinals by passing for 2,443 yards and 23 touchdowns...Was the 2014 Upstate Eight River Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year...Garnered 2014 First-Team All-Area honors from Aurora Beacon-News and Kane County Chronicle...As a junior, threw for 2,266 yards and 27 touchdowns, and advanced to the Illinois 7A playoffs with the Vikings...2013 Daily Chronicle Tri-Cities All-Area and All-Upstate Eight River Conference selection...Also rushed for more than 400 yards and six touchdowns at Geneva.

Jeremy Tucker, LB, 6-2, 220, CHARLESTON, MO./CHARLESTON H.S.
Went to Charleston High School...Won the Derland Moore Award which goes to the top defensive player in the SEMO Conference...Had 143 tackles, including 28 for a loss and five sacks...Forced three fumbles and recovered two, and had one interception...Earned all-conference honors at tight end...Scored 72 points and hit paydirt on six of his 13 catches...Had over 500 career tackles for a Bluejays team that went 6-5 after going winless the previous season.

Geno Hess, RB, 5-9, 185, PEORIA, ILL./PEORIA H.S.
Ran for 574 yards and eight touchdowns and broke a state record with 64 carries against Normal West High School...Named to the CBS MaxPreps 2016 Medium Schools All-American second team...Was the only player from the state of Illinois named to either the first or second team among medium schools, which have enrollment between 1,000 and 2,000 students...Ran for 2,821 yards and 44 touchdowns for the Class 5A state champion Peoria High School Lions as a junior...Was one of three players to rush for at least 1,000 yards at Peoria High that year...Ranked second in single-game rushing yards in Illinois High School Association history after going for 567 in a 70-63 win over National Community in the opening week of the 2016 season...Was named to the Journal Star Big-School All-Area Team and played for USA Football in the International Bowl.

Preston Haynes*, OL, 6-5, 305, OLIVE BRANCH, MISS./LEWISBURG H.S./ITAWAMBA CC
Will participate in spring drills...Appeared in six games at Itawamba Community College in 2017...Attended Lewisburg High School.


Elijah Swehla*, OL, 6-3, 300, DES MOINES, IOWA/DOWLING H.S./IOWA WESTERN CC
Saw action in 10 games at Iowa Western Community College in 2017...Named to both the ICCAC All-Conference and All-Region teams...Attended Dowling High School.


Jacob Buie, QB, 6-5, 200, MEMPHIS, TENN./UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF JACKSON
Threw for 6,143 yards and 51 touchdowns on 438-of-760 passes in his career at University School of Jackson...As a senior, he completed 178-of-321 passes for 2,296 yards and 15 touchdowns, and ran for 425 yards and seven TDs...Threw for a career-best 3,752 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior...Scored a total of 54 points in his prep career...Played basketball up until his senior year...Class Division II-A All-State selection.

DJ Freeman*, DB, 5-8, 162, DEL CITY, OKLA./DEL CITY H.S./NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA A&M
Recorded 24 tackles and eight pass breakups at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in 2017...Spent two years at the University of Wyoming, where he redshirted in 2015...Had an impressive spring and entered the 2016 season at second on the depth chart at cornerback...Was ranked No. 14 on The Oklahoman's Super 30 recruiting rankings July 2014....The Oklahoman also selected Freeman to its 2014 Big All-City Football Team as a kick returner... Outstanding cornerback, wide receiver and kick returner at Del City High School...Received a three-star rating from 247Sports.com recruiting service, and was ranked by 247 Sports as the No. 18 recruit in the state of Oklahoma...As a senior, he had four interceptions and returned one for a touchdown as a defensive back, and caught 36 passes for 640 yards and scored six receiving TDs...His junior season, he returned eight kickoffs or punts for touchdowns...Was also a shooting guard on his Del City basketball team and an outstanding track performer...He placed 10th in the 200-meter dash at the 2014 Oklahoma 5A State Track and Field Championships as a junior...Was part of Del City's 4x100 meter relay team that placed second at the 5A State Championships his junior season...Class 5A is the second largest classification in the state of Oklahoma...Best time in the 200-meter dash entering his senior season was 22.54....Was also offered scholarships by Arkansas State, New Mexico, New Mexico State and North Texas.

Jerrick Orr*, WR, 6-0, 195, ABERDEEN, MISS./ABERDEEN H.S./NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI CC
Ranked third on the team in receptions (41) and second in both receiving yards (543) and receiving touchdowns (7) at Northwest MIssissippi Community College in 2017...Averaged 60.3 receiving yards per game...Scored 42 points... Started in all 12 games as a freshman in 2016...Hauled in 25 receptions for 402 yards and three touchdowns...Averaged a team-high 16.1 yards per catch...Boasted a career-long 83-yard reception at East Mississippi...Off the field, was named to the 2016-17 MACJC All-Academic Team...Rated a 3-star prospect by 247Sports composite at Aberdeen High School...Helped the Bulldogs to an 11-4 record and the Class 3A North Half semifinals...Had 73 receptions for 1,223 yards and 16 touchdowns, while also rushing for 206 yards and three touchdowns...Two-time first-team all-state selection and all-district MVP...Named to the Super 22 and the 247sports.com "Top 30 in Mississippi" lists...Was committed to Memphis and also received interest from Arkansas State, Troy, Southern Miss, Mississippi State and South Alabama.

JOE PYLE*, QB, 6-2, 225, FALLON, NEV./CHURCHILL COUNTY H.S./GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE
Started nine games in his only season at Golden West College in 2017...Threw for 2,216 yards and 17 touchdowns on 174-of-265 passes...Completed 65.7 percent of his passing attempts...Ran for 358 yards and five touchdowns on 76 carries...Enrolled at the University of Nevada as a preferred walk-on after high school...Completed 60 credits in the Nevada Electrical Engineering program...Went to Churchill County High School...Completed 118-of-194 passes (61 pct.) for 1,754 yards and 20 touchdowns...Ran for 347 yards and another six touchdowns as a senior...Finished his final prep season with 2,100 total yards and ranked first or second in every quarterback category for his conference...Named Nevada D1A First-Team All-State quarterback and was the Nevada Northern D1A Offensive Player of the Year in 2014.

* - Will participate in spring drills.