The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Football Adds 11 Midyear Signees to Roster
12/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Head coach Bill Clark and the UAB football program added 11 midyear signees to the roster on Wednesday morning.
Four of the 11 players signed are offensive linemen, while eight of the 11 are offensive players. Along with the offensive linemen, UAB added two running backs, two tight ends, one wider receiver, one defensive end, one cornerback and one punter.
"We met a lot of needs with today's midyear signees," Clark said. "We needed offensive linemen, tight ends, receivers and running backs. We really needed to get some more offensive numbers in here so we addressed that. We also added a couple of defensive guys and a punter, so I think we were able to really address some needs.
"Today is the next step. We are very close. Guys here have done a great job and now we take the next step in addressing specific needs. This is a really good group to add to what I think is already a good group here. When our February signees come in, it will be mostly high school guys - kind of building it from the bottom up after this."
By Position:
Offensive Line: 4
Running Back: 2
Tight End: 2
Cornerback: 1
Defensive End: 1
Punter: 1
By Location:
Mississippi: 3
Texas: 2
Arizona: 1
California: 1
Maryland: 1
North Carolina: 1
Washington D.C.: 1
Australia: 1
ANTHONY RUSH | RALEIGH, N.C. | NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI CC | DL | 6-5 | 335
Recorded 33 tackles last season in nine games as a sophomore, which was followed by 40 tackles and three sacks as a freshman...Also had offers from Mississippi State and Middle Tennessee...RUSH HIGHLIGHTS
Wake up Blazers! Our first official fax is in...
Welcome to the UAB family, @CantBeBlocked25 pic.twitter.com/piczqy5Dny-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
JOEL DIXON | MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA | SAN JOAQUIN DELTA CC | P | 6-3 | 205
A native of Australia, Dixon had 59 punts for 2,018 yards in 2016...Recorded a career-long 57-yard punt during the season...Pinned 16 punts inside the 20...DIXON HIGHLIGHTS
Signee number two.@_JoelDixon_ making the @Uabspecialist 💪 pic.twitter.com/3oYmgr8TbM
-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
JONATHAN HADEN | UPPER MARLBORO, MD. | PRINCE GEORGES CC | RB | 5-8 | 190
Played his freshman and sophomore year of college at the University of Arizona...Transferred to Prince Georges last year which doesn't have a football team...Played in 25 career games for Arizona primarily on special teams...Had 84 all-purpose yards as a sophomore and also 10 tackles...Brother Joe Haden played at Florida and was a first round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns...Brothers Josh and Jordan played collegiately at Boston College and Toledo, respectively... HADEN HIGHLIGHTS
#theReturn just got better.
Welcome @tonburr7 👋 pic.twitter.com/BgfWJg6qyl-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
LOGAN SCOTT | PURVIS, MISS. | JONES COUNTY JC | TE | 6-5 | 228
Averaged 10.6 yards per catch, including three catches for 53 yards against No. 10 Copiah-Lincoln...All-District performer in high school which included helping Oak Grove with the MHSAA 6A Championship in 2013...SCOTT HIGHLIGHTS
Great Scott (@loganscott91)! #theReturn pic.twitter.com/Kg3fmyvkqK
-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
THAIR BLAKES | PHOENIX, ARIZ. | SCOTTSDALE JC | TE | 6-5 | 235
Helped Scottsdale go 7-4 in 2015 with 13 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown...BLAKES HIGHLIGHTS
Anotha one.
Welcome to UAB, @tbblakes11! #theReturn pic.twitter.com/3zDhOI4c72-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
CEDRIC BATTLE | WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS | TRINITY VALLEY CC | RB | 5-10 | 180
In 12 games as a sophomore for Trinity Valley, had 798 rushing yards and eight touchdowns...Averaged 66.5 yards per game and 7.7 yards per rush...Rushed for 113 yards on eight carries vs. Tyler JC...Had two 100-yard rushing games as a sophomore...BATTLE HIGHLIGHTS
Newest signee is ready for Battle... 🙃
Welcome, @ChillOut_L1lCed! pic.twitter.com/lfmesSYSMl-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
JUSTICE POWERS | CEDAR HILL, TEXAS | TRINITY VALLEY CC | OL | 6-4 | 305
All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference Second Team...Helped Trinity Valley go 11-1 and played in all 12 games...Paved the path for an offense that rushed for 3,125 total yards (260.4/game) and averaged 49.6 points per game...POWERS HIGHLIGHTS
.@abnormvl6 making the 🐲 OL bigger and better #theReturn pic.twitter.com/MykcDs8Gha
-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
CHIGOZIE ONYEKWERE | WASHINGTON D.C. | L.A. PIERCE COLLEGE | CB | 6-1 | 215
Had his season cut short as a sophomore, playing in just five games as a sophomore...Had 12 tackles, nine of which were solo...Rated a 3-star recruit by ESPN and Scout coming out of high school...ONYEKWERE HIGHLIGHTS
Guaranteed spot on the All-Name Team, for sure.
Welcome, to the 🐲 fam, @lifeOnTheRun101 pic.twitter.com/XbNRv68iZW-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
DAVID GALTEN | SAN MATEO, CALIF. | CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO | OL | 6-3 | 305
Contributed to an offense at City College of San Francisco that averaged 205.9 rushing yards per game and allowed just 18 sacks the entire year...GALTEN HIGHLIGHTS
Second OL commit of the day... Welcome @Galten72 💪 pic.twitter.com/AVJ9IyPJ9T
-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
KELTON BROWN | TYLERTOWN, MISS. | PEARL RIVER CC | OL | 6-5 | 330
Second Team All-State tackle for Pearl River in 2016...Rated the sixth best offensive tackle in the state of Mississippi and the 54th ranked player overall in the state according to 247Sports.com...BROWN HIGHLIGHTS
Third OL's the charm!
Blazers, welcome @__kelton to the 🐲 fam! #theReturn pic.twitter.com/E1QTWw7WE1-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
RISHARD COOK | HATTIESBURG, MISS. | MISSISSIPPI CULF COAST CC | OL | 6-3 | 365
One of the top offensive lineman in the state of Mississippi coming out of high school...Participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game as a senior after tallying 54 knockdown blocks...All-State selection...2014 First Team MHSAA Class 6A...COOK HIGHLIGHTS
Now we're cookin'
👀⬇️ @3hunna_RC75 #theReturn pic.twitter.com/7Rv92DcmRD-- UAB Football (@UAB_FB) December 14, 2016
