CARBONDALE (WSIL) � There are 18 new Salukis headed to the Carbondale campus.
Head coach Nick Hill announced a Signing Day class of 18 players Wednesday. The group features 15 freshmen and three transfers.
Hill says these are the most players SIU has signed in the early signing period.
“Everybody has had a great vision on what this class needed to be and we feel like we have put together a special class. We joke around that you won’t really know what this class will be until a couple years down the road. We play in a game where some guys will be able to come here and contribute right away. We play in a game where people will have to develop and you have to project a little bit with some of these guys. They will come in here, you got to develop them, redshirt them and they will get better. If your roster is where you want it, the redshirt freshmen will start to play a little bit and your older guys on the roster who have been in the program and know what’s expected can be the ones who the younger guys learn from. They can learn the winning traditions and what the culture is all about. You’ll be hearing some of these names right away. You’ll be hearing some of these names a few years down the road. I think that’s a good thing. So, we’re excited. Eighteen guys is a lot guys to sign in the early signing period. It’s the most we’ve ever signed in the third year for it. I’m excited to talk about these guys publicly, since you can’t up until today.� � Nick Hill, SIU Head Coach
Signing with the Salukis are:
Gianini Belizaire
Defensive Tackle
6-1, 293, Freshman
Gonaives, Haiti | Snider HS (IN)
Named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association Top 50 All-State teamOne of five players on the Class 6A All-State teamAll-Northeast area selection as a senior, and first-team All-Conference in 2018 and 2019Recorded 32 tackles for loss and 13 sacks during his junior and senior seasonsRacked up 16 tackles for loss with five sacks as a senior and 15 tackles for loss with eight sacks and 61 total tacklesAlso wrestles and has a 27-4 career record and leads the team in pinsA three-year track lettermanMoved from Haiti to U.S. in 2012.D’Ante� Cox
Wide Receiver
5-11, 180, Junior
Rochester, Ill. | Rochester HS | Missouri Baptist
Twin brother of Salukis WRÂ Avante Cox As a freshman at Division II Missouri Baptist in 2017, recorded 37 catches for 738 yards and 6 TDsAlso rushed four times for 12 yards and 2 TDsTransferred to Illinois in 2018 as a walk-on but did not playAt Rochester High School from 2014-16, teamed with his brother to help the Rockets to a 35-5 overall record and two Class 4A state championships (2014 and 2016)During those three seasons, caught 110 passes for 2,100 yards (19.1 yards per reception) and 20 touchdownsMissed five game his senior year with a broken arm.Jaylen DeVries
Quarterback
6-2, 200, Freshman
Clear Lake, Iowa | Clear Lake HS
School record holder in passing yards and passing TDs As a senior in 2019, passed for 2,358 yards, 29 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 58.2 completion percentage, plus 519 rushing yards and eight TDs Named Class 2A First-Team All-State by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association, All-District 3 and All-AreaTeam finished 10-1 in 2019 and advanced to the state quarterfinalsAll-State selection as a junior, in which he threw 22 TD passes and no interceptionsA starter at quarterback since the second-to-last game of his freshman yearCoached by his father, Jared DeVries, who was an all-American at Iowa, and played 12 years in the NFL for the Detroit Lions as a defensive lineman Also plays basketball.
Zach Gibson
Tight End
6-5, 205, Freshman
Romeoville, Ill. | Romeoville HSÂ
Has played only two seasons of organized football
At Romeoville, played quarterback for his dad, Oliver Gibson, who enjoyed a long NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals after starring at Notre DameAlso played basketball for Mike Mullins� Illinois Wolves AAU team and plans to walk-on for the Saluki basketball team.
Derek Harden Jr.
Guard
6-2, 315, Freshman
Lawrenceville, Ga. | Archer HSÂ
Three-year starter on the offensive line
Helped Archer to a 9-4 record and trip to the state quarterfinals as a seniorTeam reached the state semifinals as a juniorRecipient of the Kevin Maloof AwardAlso wrestled.
Izaiah Hartrup
Wide Receiver
5-10, 165, Freshman
O’Fallon, Mo. | Fort Zumwalt North HS
First-team All-State receiver and second-team All-State kick returner
Totaled 1,915 all-purpose yards, 1,230 yards of offense and 28 touchdowns during his careerAlso recorded four interceptions, including three pick-sixesFirst-team All-Conference and All-DistrictAlso runs track.Adam Hundemer
Defensive Line
6-2, 255, Freshman
Liberty Township, Ohio | Lakota East HS
First-team All-District, All-Conference and All-City honors as a senior Special mention All-State in 2019Recorded 46 tackles and 4.0 sacks as a seniorTotaled 148 career tackles, including 38.0 tackles for loss Helped Lakota East to a 8-4 record and playoff win as a junior.Jathen Jones
Wide Receiver
6-4, 190, Freshman
St. Louis, Mo. | Carnahan HS
Two-time Public High League All-Conference selection As a junior, caught 34 passes for 855 yards and 10 TDsCaught three TDs in a game against Sumner HS and had 210 receiving yards vs. Duchesne HSA 2019 St. Louis All-Star game participantAlso plays basketball.Chris Koerwitz
Offensive Line
6-4, 295, Freshman
Rochester, Ill. | Rochester HS
Helped lead Rochester to Class 4A titles in 2016 and 2017 and Class 5A title in 2019 A four-time Academic All-Conference selectionWrestled for three years, and also played basketball and track & fieldHis father, Chris, was a center at the University of Illinois from 1992-96.Sean Larkin
Wide Receiver
6-0, 185, Freshman
Naperville, Ill. | Neuqua Valley HS
DuPage Valley All-Conference and All-Area selection in 2019 Helped Neuqua Valley to a 9-2 record and IHSA playoff win as a seniorPiled up 46 catches for 481 yards and six TDs as a seniorAdded two interceptions on defenseHad 32 receptions for 329 yards as a juniorAlso competed in rugby and wrestling.Aaron Maddox
Safety
6-1, 190, Junior
North Augusta, S.C. | North Augusta HS | University of Colorado
Started the first three games at Colorado in 2019 and had nine tackles, one TFL and one forced fumble Played in all 12 games for the Buffaloes in 2018 and had 15 tacklesA second-team All-American at Pima CC in 2017, where he played one season and posted 58 tackles with one interception and three pass breakupsA first-team All-Region, All-Area and All-Central Savannah River Area selection as a senior in high schoolAlso played basketball and averaged 10 points and nine rebounds per gameIn track & field he competed in the 100-meter dash and the long jump.Dre Newman
Cornerback
5-11, 170, Freshman
Abbeville, Ala. | Headland HSÂ
Dothan Eagle Super 12, All-Conference, Team Playmaker award and MVP As a junior, recorded 56 tackles, 4.0 TFLs and four interceptions, while rushing for 980 yards and nine TDsAlso plays basketball.Jacob Poetzl
Defensive End
6-4, 250, Sophomore
Porterfield, Wisc. | Marinette HS | Ellsworth CC
NJCAA honorable mention All-American and first-team All-Conference at Ellsworth CC as a freshman in 2019 Led the team with 9.5 sacks and 11.5 tacklesTotaled 3.5 sacks in a 15-8 win over Dodge City CCHad 2.0 sacks against Iowa Central CC and College of DuPageFirst-team All-State honoree as a senior at Marinette HS and first-team All-Conference as a junior and seniorFour-time All-Conference basketball player and the all-time leading scorer in school history with 1,613 points.Peyton Reeves
Defensive Tackle
6-1, 280, Freshman
Basehor, Kan. | St. Thomas Aquinas HS
Helped St. Thomas Aquinas to a 12-0 record and state title in 2018 Compiled 35 tackles and a team-best 5.5 sacks as a juniorSecond-team All-State and second-team All-Conference as a juniorHelped team to a state runner-up finish in 2017 and state semifinals appearance in 2019Also wrestled.John Volmert
Tight End
6-4, 230, Freshman
Washington, Mo. | St. John Vianney HS
A Missouri Football Coaches Association Class 5A second-team All-State selection in 2018 Helped team win Class 5A state championship in 2018 and 2019All-Conference his sophomore through senior years and All-District as a junior and seniorAcademic All-State as a junior.
Jay Welch
Cornerback
5-9, 170, Freshman
Chicago, Ill. | Nazareth Academy
Helped Nazareth Academy to a Class 7A IHSA state championship as a junior in 2018 and runner-up finish in 2019
Team was 26-2 combined during his junior and senior yearsOn a team with nearly a dozen college-bound players, he was the fasted, clocking a 4.3 in 40Also competed in track and placed fifth in the 100-meter dash at the Class 2A IHSA state meet.
Jeffrey Wells
Safety
5-10, 190, Freshman
Indianapolis, Ind. | Decatur MacArthur HS (IL)
Two-time first-team All-State selection and All-Conference his sophomore through senior season
Helped Decatur MacArthur to three-consecutive IHSA playoff appearancesCompiled 179 solo tackles, 70 assisted tackles, six interceptions in his careerHeld offers from FBS Central Michigan and Kent State Also ran trackState qualifier in the 4×200 and 4×400 relays.
Colin Williams
Cornerback
5-11, 175, Freshman
Hoschton, Ga. | Mill Creek HS
2019 GACA All-Star
Helped Mill Creek to a 10-3 record and a trip to the state quarterfinals as a seniorTotaled 83 tackles, 15 pass deflections and one interception as a seniorHeld offers North Dakota State and FBS Kent StateAlso ran track.
