JONESBORO, Ark. — Arkansas State Head Football Coach Butch Jones announced Wednesday that the Red Wolves have added 18 players from 11 different states to its 2022 recruiting class, which is currently ranked top in the Sun Belt Conference by both 247Sports and Rivals.
The Red Wolves’ additions on Early National Signing Day included 14 high school players and four FBS transfers, including 10 expected to play on the defensive side of the ball, seven on offense and one listed as an athlete.
“I’m extremely proud of this recruiting class,” said Jones. “When you look at it, I think we were able to address our immediate needs, but also ensure future success in the development of our football program football program that starts with our many high school additions.
“So many people were instrumental in assembling this class, and it starts with our coaching staff, administration, faculty, recruiting department, current players, community and local businesses. I talked all year long about how we have specific criteria and a profile in which we were going to recruit. We had very little drama today, and I think that is a direct correlation to the relationships that have been forged for over a year. ”
Not only is the 2022 class ranked No. 1 in the Sun Belt, it was also listed among the top two teams in the Group of Five and the highest in school history by Rivals.com (No. 48) as of Wednesday early evening. Ten high school players who are part of the class competed in the state playoffs in 2021, including two who won state titles.
“A lot goes into assembling the class, but the biggest thing we were looking for is competitive character,” said Jones. “We wanted to recruit individuals who love to compete in everything they do — in the community, in the class room, on the field and in the strength and conditioning arena.
“The accomplishments of this class — the state championships, semifinals, state playoffs, winning conference championships and their leadership capabilities — those were all very important to us and extremely critical in our evaluation process.”
Out of the players signing with the Red Wolves today, at the time they were coming out of high school, nine were consensus 3-star prospects by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN. Additionally, one was a four-star prospect and another four were 3-star per at least one of the recruiting web sites.
The class is made up of five players from the state of Tennessee, two from Arkansas, Florida and Louisiana and one from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri and Texas.
The largest number of signees on both sides of the ball are expected to play in the trenches, including three offensive lineman, three interior defensive lineman and two defensive ends. The Red Wolves also added four combined players currently listed as either cornerback, safety or defensive back. The remaining offensive players include one quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end.
2022 ARKANSAS STATE RECRUITING CLASS
1.Saidou Ba: 6-6, 285, Fr., OL, Memphis, Tenn. (PURE Academy)*
2.Keyron Crawford: 6-5, 240, Fr., DE, Memphis, Tenn. (Briarcrest Christian School)
3.Ja’Quez Cross: 5-11, 185, Fr.-R, ATH, Hampton, Ark. (Purdue)
4.Jaxon Dailey: 6-3, 215, Fr., QB, Pleasant Hill, Iowa (Southeast Polk HS)*
5.Websley Etienne: 6-0, 185 , Fr., S, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Western HS)
6.Daverrick Jenkins: 6-2, 175, Fr., WR, Miami, Fla. (Northwestern HS)
7.Kadan Lewis: 6-2, 260, Fr., DL, Houma, La. (Terrebonne HS)
8.Javante Mackey: 6-3, 215, Fr. LB, Memphis, Tenn. (Whitehaven HS)
9.Miller McCrumby: 6-4, 205, Fr., TE, Mount Pleasant, Texas (Mount Pleasant HS)*
10.James Reed III: 5-11, 180, Fr., CB, Nashville, Tenn. (Father Ryan HS)
11.Ahmad Robinson: 5-11, 180, Fr., CB, East St. Louis, Ill. (East St. Louis HS)*
12.Ashtin Rustemeyer: 6-2, 270, Fr., DL, St. Louis, Mo. (Lutheran HS)
13.Mike Sharpe II: 5-11, 190, Fr., RB, Pinson, Ala. (Pinson Valley HS)*
14.Eddie Smith: 6-0, 190, Jr.-R, DB, Slidell, La. (Illinois/Alabama)*
15.Terion Sugick: 6-2, 297, Fr.-R, DL, Landover, Md. (Vanderbilt)*
16.Blayne Toll: 6-6, 245, DE, So., Hazen, Ark. (Colorado/Arkansas)
17.Aleric Watson: 6-6, 265, Fr., OL, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Middle Tennessee Christian School)
18.Elijah Zollicoffer: 6-6, 330, Fr., OL, Covington, Ga. (Newton HS)
*Midyear signee eligible to participate in A-State’s 2022 spring camp
HIGH SCHOOL: 14
FBS TRANSFER: 4
BY POSITION
ATH (1): Ja’Quez Cross
OFFENSE (7)
QB (1): Jaxon Dailey
RB (1): Mike Sharpe II
WR (1): Daverrick Jenkins
TE (1): Miller McCrumby
OL (3): Saidou Ba, Aleric Watson, Elijah Zolicoffer
DEFENSE (10)
DL (3): Kadan Lewis, Ashtin Rustemeyer, Terion Sugick
DE (2): Keyron Crawford, Blayne Toll
LB (1): Javante Mackey
CB (2): James Reed III, Ahmad Robinson
S (1): Websley Etienne
DB (1): Eddie Smith
BY STATE (11)
Tennessee (5) Saidou Ba, Keyron Crawford, Javante Mackey, James Reed III, Aleric Watson
Arkansas (2): Ja’Quez Cross, Blayne Toll
Florida (2): Websley Etienne, Daverrick Jenkins
Louisiana (2): Kadan Lewis, Eddie Smith
Alabama (1): Mike Sharpe II
Georgia (1): Elijah Zollicoffer
Illinois (1): Ahmad Robinson
Iowa (1): Jaxon Dailey
Maryland (1): Terion Sugick
Missouri (1): Ashtin Rustemeyer
Texas (1): Miller McCrumby
BIOS
Saidou Ba: 6-6, 285, Fr., OL, Memphis, Tennessee (PURE Academy)
Midyear signee available to participate in A-State’s 2022 spring camp — Rivals.com 2-star prospect — Selected to play in the 19th Annual Autozone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game on Dec. 11 — Received an invitation to play in the Nashville All-American Bowl on Jan. 8, 2022 — Also recruited by schools such as Memphis and Tulane.
Keyron Crawford: 6-5, 240, Fr., DE, Memphis, Tennessee (Briarcrest Christian School)
Named the regional defensive MVP as a senior after recording 78 tackles and 14 sacks — 78 tackles ranked second in the Division II-AAA West Region –Selected to play in the 19th Annual Autozone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game on Dec. 11 — Received an invitation to play in the Nashville All-American Bowl on Jan. 8, 2022 — Played basketball growing up and didn’t play football until his senior season — Also recruited by schools such as Iowa, Nebraska, South Florida and Western Kentucky.
Ja’Quez Cross: 5-11, 185, Fr.-R, ATH, Hampton (Purdue)
Saw action in three games and redshirted his true freshman season at Purdue in 2021 — Recorded 13 rushing attempts for 27 yards with a long run of five yards — Caught one pass covering 6 yards — Helped guide Fordyce HS to a 2020 state title and 15-0 record with a 5-0 2A Region 8 record — As a senior in 2020, paced the team with 872 rushing yards on 100 carries with a team-best 20 touchdowns and added a squad-leading 751 receiving yards on 35 catches with nine touchdowns, also the most on the team, to total 2,002 all-purpose yards and 1,656 total yards — 3-star recruit by 247Sports — No. 11-ranked overall recruit in the state of Arkansas by 247Sports.com.
Jaxon Dailey: 6-3, 215, Fr., QB, Pleasant Hill, Iowa (Southeast Polk HS)
Midyear signee available to participate in A-State’s 2022 spring camp — Consensus 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com — Rated as the No. 43 quarterback in the nation and No. 7 overall player in the state of Iowa according to 247Sports’ composite rankings — Ranked as the No. 9 overall player in Iowa by Rivals — ESPN.com’s No. 56-rated quarterback in the country, as well as the No. 7 and No. 121 overall player in the state of Iowa and Midwest region — Posted a 22-2 record as a starter while passing for 3,585 yards and 40 touchdowns the last two seasons — Led the SEP to a 12-1 record and the 2021 Class 5A State Championship, the first in school history — Earned First Team Class 5A All-State honors from the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association (IPSWA) in 2021 — Per VarsityBound.com, completed 134-of-222 passes for 1,865 yards and 20 touchdowns, while adding 257 rushing yards and four scores on the ground — Des Moines Register’s All-Iowa Elite Team quarterback — Led the Rams to a 10-1 record and the state championship game in 2020, earning Second Team All-State recognition from the IPSWA — Per VarsityBound.com, completed 140-of-204 passes for 1,859 yards and 20 touchdowns and also posted 51 rushing attempts for 263 yards and eight touchdowns — First Team All-District CIML — As a sophomore in 2019, completed 98-of-163 passes for 1,297 yards and 14 touchdowns — Also recruited by schools such as Iowa State, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Rice, Buffalo and Western Kentucky.
Websley Etienne: 6-0, 185, Fr., S, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Western HS)
Consensus 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com — Listed as the No. 101 safety in the nation and No. 167 overall player in the state of Florida per 247Sports’ composite ratings — ESPN.com’s No. 78 safety in the nation and No. 159 overall player in Florida — Per MaxPreps, posted 56 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception and 8 pass break-ups as a senior — Four-year varsity letterman who recorded 168 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 3 interceptions, 25 pass break-ups, tw0 fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles during his high school career — Helped lead Western to a 9-3 record and the second round of the state playoffs as a senior in 2021 — Also recruited by schools such as Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi State, Syracuse, Utah, Florida Atlantic, Buffalo, Ole Miss, Charlotte, North Carolina, Middle Tennessee, UConn, Yale, UAB and Marshall.
Daverrick Jenkins: 6-2, 175, Fr., WR, Miami, Florida (Northwestern HS)
Consensus 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com — 247Sports composite rankings list Jenkins as the No. 182 wide receiver in the nation and No. 181 overall player in the state of Florida — Rated as the No. 185 wide receiver in the country and No. 179 overall player in Florida by ESPN.com — Senior season helped lead Northwestern to a 10-4 record and the state semifinals — Recorded 55 receptions for 941 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior in 2021 — Also recruited by schools such as Indiana, Appalachian State, Mississippi State, Penn State, Toledo, Buffalo, Western Kentucky, UAB, East Carolina and Florida Atlantic.
Kadan Lewis: 6-2, 260, Fr., DL, Houma, Louisiana (Terrebonne HS)
Consensus 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com — Ranked as the No. 195 defensive lineman and No. 60 overall player in the state of Louisiana according to 247Sports’ composite ratings — ESPN.com No. 111 defensive tackle in the country and No. 52 overall player in Louisiana — Per MaxPreps.com, recorded 20 tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss in four games played as a junior — As a sophomore, recorded 46 stops, including 4.0 tackles for loss — Also recruited by schools such as Tulane, Louisiana, Memphis, Ole Miss, ULM, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky.
Javante Mackey: 6-3, 215, Fr. LB, Memphis, Tennessee (Whitehaven HS)
ESPN.com 3-star prospect rated as the No. 61 outside linebacker in the nation, No. 370 player in the Southeast region and No. 27 overall player in the state of Tennessee — Per MaxPreps.com, posted 55 tackles, 15.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles as a senior — Selected to play in the 19th Annual Autozone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game on Dec. 11 — PrepRedZone.com 2021 Breakthrough Performer — Tabbed the TSSAA Region 8-6A Defensive Player of the Year — Helped lead the Tigers to a 7-4 record and the Tennessee high school state playoffs — Also recruited by schools such as Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Eastern Michigan and Western Kentucky.
Miller McCrumby: 6-4, 205, Fr., TE, Mount Pleasant, Texas (Mount Pleasant HS)*
Midyear signee available to participate in A-State’s 2022 spring camp — Consensus 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com — Listed as the No. 36 tight end in the nation and No. 104 overall player in the state of Texas according to 247Sports’ composite ratings — ESPN.com No. 151 wide receiver in the nation, No. 211 player in the Midlands region and No. 156 overall player in the state of Texas — Tabbed First Team All-District 9-5A and Academic All-State as a senior — Helped lead Mount Pleasant to the Texas high school state playoffs in 2021 — As a junior, posted 25 receptions for 375 yards and four TDs — Finished sophomore season with six receptions for 140 yards — Three-sport athlete who also lettered in basketball and track & field — Also recruited by schools such as Texas Tech, Colorado State, Kansas, Louisiana, Rice and New Mexico.
James Reed III: 5-11, 180, Fr., CB, Nashville, Tennessee (Father Ryan HS)
Earned D2 AAA All-Region honors as a senior — Helped lead Father Ryan High School to the state playoffs — Rated as a 2-star cornerback by Rivals –Speedy defensive back who is also a standout on the track for Father Ryan HS — Finished fifth in the 100 meters at the 2021 TSSAA State Track Championships — Also recruited by schools such as Northwestern, Middle Tennessee, Liberty, Western Kentucky and Marshall.
Ahmad Robinson: 5-11, 180, Fr., CB, East St. Louis, Illinois (East St. Louis HS)*
Midyear signee available to participate in A-State’s 2022 spring camp — Consensus 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com — Listed as the No. 72 cornerback in the nation and No. 20 overall player in the state of Illinois according to 247Sports’ composite ratings — Rivals’ No. 43 cornerback in the country and No. 15 overall player in Illinois — ESPN.com No. 98 cornerback in the nation, No. 109 player in the Midwest region and No. 18 player in the state — Finished his senior season with 92 tackles and in interception — Helped lead East St. Louis to the state playoffs in 2021 — Posted 37 tackles and an interception in six games during East St. Louis’ 2020 spring season — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Super 30 top senior prospects — All-Metro selection by the Post-Dispatch — All-conference selection — Also recruited by schools such as Missouri, Indiana, Bowling Green, South Alabama, Wyoming, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Akron, Purdue, Miami (OH), Maryland, Illinois and Minnesota.
Ashtin Rustemeyer: 6-2, 270, Fr., DL, St. Louis (Lutheran HS)
Consensus 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com — Rated as the No. 183 defensive lineman in the nation and No. 27 overall player in Missouri in 247Sports’ composite rankings — Ranked as the No. 25 overall player in Missouri by Rivals — Listed as the No. 111 defensive tackle in the nation, No. 311 player in the Midlands region and No. 24 overall player in Missouri by ESPN.com — Helped lead Lutheran High School to the 2021 state championship — As a senior, named Class 3-A Lineman of the Year, and first team all-state, all-district and all-conference — Completed the 2021 season with 74 tackles, 18.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, five fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and 18 quarterback hurries — Also recruited by schools such as Kansas, Rice, Ball State, Buffalo, Illinois, Air Force, Army, Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern.
Mike Sharpe II: 5-11, 190, Fr., RB, Pinson, Alabama (Pinson Valley HS)*
Midyear signee available to participate in A-State’s 2022 spring camp — Listed as a 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com and ESPN.com — Per 247Sports’ composite ratings, listed as the No. 122 running back in the nation and No. 64 overall player in the state of Alabama — Helped lead Pinson Valley to a pair of state titles in 2018 and 2020, as well as a 9-4 record and another trip to the state playoffs in 2021 — Also recruited by schools such as Memphis, Marshall, New Mexico, South Alabama, Western Kentucky, Air Force, Charlotte, Georgia Southern, East Carolina, Georgia State, Middle Tennessee, Army and Mississippi State.
Eddie Smith: 6-0, 190, Jr.-R, DB, Slidell, Louisiana (Illinois/Alabama)
Midyear signee available to participate in A-State’s 2022 spring camp … Spent the 2018-20 seasons at Alabama and was a member of the 2021 Illinois team before transferring to Arkansas State … Played in four games at Illinois as a redshirt sophomore in 2021, recording four tackles (all solo stops) … Recognized as a versatile defender for Alabama in 2020 who could multiple positions in the secondary … Saw action in two games against Mississippi State and Kentucky … Played in one game in 2019 against New Mexico State and redshirted at the end of the season … As a true freshman in 2019, built a role on special teams for Alabama … Played in six games … Saw his first career action against Louisiana and followed with playing time against Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, The Citadel and Oklahoma … Was an outstanding defensive back prospect with excellent versatility, explosiveness and ball skills at Salmen (La.) High School … Three-star prospect who garnered interest from across the country … Ranked as the No. 27 cornerback by 247Sports and the No. 11 player in the state of Louisiana … No. 42 cornerback in the 247Composite and the No. 15 player in Louisiana … Rated as the 47th cornerback back by Rivals.com and the No. 17 player in Louisiana … ESPN’s No. 61 cornerback … Earned honorable mention 4A All-State honors by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association … Registered 29 tackles with three interceptions and a forced fumble as a senior while adding 35 receptions for 628 yards and nine touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball … Posted 30 tackles in 2016 as a junior with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown on defense with 11 catches for 275 yards and five scores on offense … Chose Alabama over Missouri, Mississippi State and Tennessee in the SEC along with Arizona State and TCU.
Terion Sugick: 6-2, 297, Fr.-R, DL, Landover, Maryland (Vanderbilt)
Midyear signee available to participate in A-State’s 2022 spring camp … Transfer from Vanderbilt with four years of eligibility remaining with the Red Wolves … saw action in three games with Vanderbilt in 2021, drawing a redshirt season … Posted two tackles (one solo/one assist) and a forced fumble … Worked in games against Colorado State, Stanford and South Carolina … Posted one tackle and his lone forced fumble against South Carolina, while also posting one stop against Colorado State … Prior to Vanderbilt, lettered three years at National Christian Academy and one year at Rock Creek Christian … Consensus three-star prospect, according to ESPN.com, 247Sports.com and Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 31 defensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com, No. 46 by ESPN.com and No. 53 by 247Sports.com … The No. 22 prospect in Maryland, according to ESPN.com and 247Sports.com and No. 19 by Rivals.com … Two-time defensive player of the year … Honorable mention All-MET selection … Team did not play in the fall of 2020 due to COVID-19
During sophomore year, booked 73 tackles and 9.0 sacks … As a freshman, helped National Christian to a 9-2 record … Also recruited by schools such as Vanderbilt, Virginia, Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, Wester Virginia, Purdue and Kentucky.
Blayne Toll: 6-6, 245, Fr.-R, DE/TE, So., Hazen (Colorado/Arkansas)
Transferred to Arkansas State from Colorado and will participate in the Red Wolves’ 2022 spring camp … Already enrolled at Arkansas State University … Saw action in three games in 2021 at Colorado, recording three tackles (all solo) … Bounced between tight end and defensive end in his one season at Arkansas, moving positions four times from the start of spring practices through bowl game practices at the end of the season … Played in six games, mostly on special teams for the Razorbacks, and finished the season with one tackle … Coming out of high school, was a four-star prospect by ESPN and three-star by Rivals, 247Sports and the 247Sports Composite … ESPN ranked him as the No. 19 athlete in the class, No. 3 player from Arkansas and No. 119 player in the south region … Came in at No. 268 on the ESPN 300 … Rivals ranked him as the No. 4 player from Arkansas and No. 37 athlete in the class … The 247Sports Composite lists him as the No. 3 player from Arkansas, No. 16 strongside defensive end and No. 447 overall player in the class … 247Sports ranked him as the No. 5 player from Arkansas and No. 22 strongside defensive end in the country … Participated in The Opening Regional and National Combine in 2019, that’s when he became more highly regarded in the recruiting world, putting up a time of 4.88 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 4.49 seconds in the shuttle, a power ball throw of 41 feet, and a 31.3 inch vertical jump … Lettered four times in football at Hazen and played on both sides of the ball, lining up at quarterback, tight end and defensive end … Put up monster numbers in his career, compiling 177 tackles including 77 tackles for loss, 37.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception on defense … Offensively in his career, he had 1,316 passing yards with 14 touchdowns, 1,396 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns and 304 receiving yards and three touchdowns … In all he had 2,712 yards of total offense, 1,700 yards from scrimmage and 3,016 all-purpose yards and scoring 36 touchdowns … Hazen went far in the playoffs in both his junior and senior season, compiling a 10-2 record his senior season and appearance in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs … That season he had 60 tackles, including 35 for a loss with 16 sacks, adding two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown … On offense as a senior, he had 178 rushing yards and five touchdowns and 203 receiving yards and two touchdowns … His junior season Hazen advanced to the state championship game, falling just short of a 2A state championship … That season he had 75 tackles on defense, including 18 for a loss with 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception … Offensively, he had 756 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, 601 passing yards and six touchdowns, and five receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown … Sophomore season he tallied 42 tackles, including 24 tackles for loss including nine sacks, also adding three forced fumbles on defense … Offensively that season, he had 465 rushing yards with six touchdowns threw for 715 yards and eight touchdowns … Played freshman football until the playoffs where he appeared on varsity and scored the team’s only touchdown that game on a six-yard bootleg run … Also played baseball and lettered every season since his freshman season … Junior season in baseball, he hit .417, had a .912 fielding percentage and earned a 1.75 ERA pitching.
Aleric Watson: 6-6, 265, Fr., OL, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Middle Tennessee Christian School)
Rated by Rivals.com as a 2-start offensive tackle … Named the District II-A East Offensive Lineman of the Year … Helped Middle Tennessee Christian School to a region crown and the semifinals of the state playoffs … Tabbed All-State by the Tennessee Football Coaches Association in 2020 … Also recruited by schools such as Memphis, Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State and Murray State.
Elijah Zollicoffer: 6-6, 330, Fr., OL, Covington, Georgia (Newton HS)
Consensus 3-star prospect by 247Sports.com, Rivals.com and ESPN.com … Two-way player who is tabbed by ESPN as the No. 79 offensive tackle nationally and the No. 96 overall player in the state of Georgia … Rivals’ No. 98 player in Georgia … 247Sports Composite’s No. 78 overall player in Georgia and No. 107 defensive tackle nationally … Also recruited by schools such as Auburn, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, UCF, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Florida State, West Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Minnesota and Virginia.
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