Breakdown: 2016 Class
UTSA signed a 17-man signing class Wednesday. The 2016 class included seven mid-year enrollees. Below, every member of the Roadrunner class is broken down.
ATH Eric Banks (East – Memphis, TN) 6’5” 215
As a senior was named a 1st team QB on the 8-4A all-region team. He also spent time at DE and LB as a senior, and UTSA’s Signing Day press release listed him as a DE/LB, though his documented 40-yard dash times (5.0-5.1 range) and average-looking lateral quickness don’t necessarily suggest that he’s an athlete who’ll play faster or quicker with an added 20-30 pounds, though he could make me look bad for saying that in 2-3 years. Don’t be surprised if he’s listed as a QB on the roster at some point. He’s a teammate of fellow 2016 signee Teddrick McGhee.
WR Jesse Ebozue (Bowie – Arlington, TX) 6’2” 195
Named an honorable mention all-district WR for District 4-6A as a senior after catching 17 passes for 146 yards and 3 TDs. An athletic possession receiver who got few targets on a team that attempted less than 200 passes in 2015. Committed to UTSA over offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, and Texas State, among others.
WR Jack Giblin (Port Neches-Groves) – Groves, TX) 6’3” 205
Named a 1st team all-district WR for District 22-5A as a senior after compiling 840 yards and 11 TDs receiving. He had success in high school due to his size and route-running ability but his speed is below average for a D1 receiver and a future move to tight end is a possibility.
WR Marquez McNair (Hinds Community College – Raymond, MS) 6’1” 180
A nephew of the late former NFL quarterback Steve McNair, he was a star QB at Magee High School in Magee, Mississippi, passing for over 9,500 yards and 83 TDs in his prep career. As a senior in 2013 he was named a 2nd team all-state athlete for Class 4A. At Hinds C.C. he moved to receiver and led the team in receptions (30) and yards (433) in 2014, but missed almost all of the 2015 season after suffering a knee injury during a practice. He will likely receive a medical redshirt for 2015 and have 3 years of eligibility after enrolling at UTSA. He lined up in the slot at Hinds and will likely be an inside receiver in San Antonio as well.He committed to Southern Miss nearly a year ago and actually signed with USM in December, but was back on the market after one of his classes at Hinds didn’t transfer to USM. USM head coach Todd Monken leaving in late January for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers probably didn't hurt UTSA's cause, either.
TE Austin Blake-Smith (Ventura College – Ventura, CA) 6'5” 240
A Georgia prep product who gave up a once-promising baseball career due to injury and took up football full-time as a high school senior. After graduating in 2012, he spent time at two junior colleges before making his way out west to Ventura College, a member of the (Juco) Southern California Football Association, where he developed into a First Team All-Northern Conference tight end in 2015. He caught 18 passes for 197 yards and 2 Tds. Profiles as more of a receiving threat than as an imposing in-line blocker, but it remains to be seen how the new staff will seek to use the tight ends on the roster in its 2016 plans.
OL Stefan Beard (Navarro College – Corsicana, TX) 6'4” 315
Originally from Chicago, transferred to Austin's Westlake High for his senior year but was ruled ineligible and never played football for the school. He spent two seasons at Navarro, starting at right guard in 2015. He’ll likely compete with 2 or 3 other players for one of the starting guard spots in 2016.
OL Tanner Myers (Coffeyville Community College – Coffeyville, KS) 6’7” 310
A Kansas native who made honorable mention all-state as a 6’6” 265-pound senior at Gardner-Edgerton High School in 2012. He had stints at two junior colleges before enrolling at Coffeyville in 2015, where he started at right tackle and earning 2nd team All-Jayhawk Conference honors last fall. He may have the best length of any OL in the program’s brief history, and he’s one of the very few true tackles the school has signed. He and senior Cody Cole will likely compete this spring and fall for the right tackle spot vacated by graduating starter Jordan Gray.
OL Josh Oatis (West Harrison – Gulfport, MS) 6’5” 280
A late out-of-state find by new defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who was aware of Oatis due to his time recruiting for Southern Miss. He’s an ideal offensive tackle starter kit: a raw player with a good frame and a mean streak. He needs to get stronger and play with much better leverage, but the staff should be able to redshirt him in 2016 with the return of left tackle starter Reed Darragh and the signing of Tanner Myers, and he could develop into a starter at one of the tackle spots in a few years. West Harrison High opened in 2008, and a local report indicated that Oatis is the school’s first player to sign with a D1 program straight out of high school.
DT Franklin Uesi (Diablo Valley Community College – Pleasant Valley, CA) 6’3” 280
A late-bloomer who played mostly right guard at College Park High in Pleasant Valley, California and was a first-time varsity starter as a 6’3” 245-pound senior in 2012. After signing with Diablo Valley he developed into a 280-pound defensive tackle. In 2015 he was credited with 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery en route to earning All-National Bay 6 Conference honors. The new staff’s preferred defensive alignment is not yet known, but Uesi will add to the existing depth at defensive tackle that includes seniors Jonathan Tuiolosega and Vontrell King-Williams and sophomore Kevin Strong, a trio that played in all 12 games in 2015 and combined to make 14 starts.
DE Jarrod McLin (Carthage, TX) 6’3” 215
One of the top defensive players in east Texas and a former teammate of now-former UTSA QB Blake Bogenschutz, McLin was one of the team’s first commits from the 2016 class. He was named a first team defensive lineman on ETSN.fm’s All-East Texas Super Team following a senior season in which he was credited with 124 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 3 fumble recoveries. Look for him to see the field after at least a redshirt year as either a weak-side DE or pass-rushing OLB, depending on what defensive alignment the team ends up employing. He also had an offer from Louisiana-Lafayette.
DE Solomon Wise (Coppell, TX) 6’4” 220
A late commit to UTSA who had reported offers from Kansas, SMU, and North Texas, among others and was not a known recruiting target of the former staff. He comes from the same Dallas-area high school that produced current FBS defensive linemen Solomon Thomas (Stanford), William Udeh (New Mexico), and Chris Biggurs (SMU). As a senior he was credited with 36 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles while playing end in a 3-4 front, and was named a 2nd team All-District 7-6A defensive end. He has a good frame for a future strong-side DE, played for a high school that has sent several DE’s to the FBS level in the past few years, and he has the experience of playing in one of the state’s toughest districts, but like McLin he’ll need a redshirt year and time to develop before he sees significant snaps for UTSA.
LB Anthony Hickey (Saddleback College – Mission Viejo, CA) 6’1” 235
A California native who graduated high school in 2013 and spent two years at FCS Wagner College before transferring to Juco Saddleback in 2015. Last fall he finished tied for fifth on the team with 57 total tackles and was also credited with 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and an interception. He played inside LB behind a 3-man front in 2015 and seems likely to compete with La’Kell Bass to replace graduated starter Drew Douglas at MLB in 2016.
LB Leslie Maruo (Hutchinson Community College – Hutchinson, KS) 6’1” 235
Signed with Hutchinson after graduating from Goddard High School near Wichita, Kansas in 2014, and he was a teammate of current UTSA LB La’Kell Bass at Hutchinson that year. He was listed at 195 pounds as a HS senior but bulked up to over 230 in two Juco seasons. In 2015 he was second on the team with 85 tackles, and also had 11 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He was signed by the previous staff, who probably recruited him as a future Hawk LB. He has good closing speed and can drop into coverage and make tackles downfield. He’s an outside linebacker in any system, but we don’t yet know if the new staff will most often use 2, 3, or 4 LB’s at a time.
DB Jaquelle Green (D’Iberville – Biloxi, MS) 6’1” 185
A surprise last-minute addition to the 2016 class, Green is a four-star safety recruit and the highest-rated player ever to sign with the Roadrunners. The former Louisville commit played both quarterback and safety for his high school, showing himself to be an athlete with excellent short area quickness and a physical tackler. He appears to have better short speed than long speed, and with his burst, size, and tackling ability he might have been a Dawg safety under the old regime. After some development he could play at well over 200, and if UTSA ever has Green and Andrew Martel manning the safety spots at the same time, there will be no shortage of hard hits being doled out in the secondary.
DB Brenndan Johnson (Naval Academy Prep – Newport, RI) 5’11” 175
A 2015 graduate of Midway High just south of Waco, he committed to Navy as a senior and spent last fall as the Navy’s prep school before deciding to transfer closer to home. He is already on campus and will still have five years to play four. At 5’11” he’s already one of the taller cornerbacks on UTSA’s roster, and as a senior he showed better-than-average sprinter’s speed, running the 200-meter dash in the low 22s multiple times. He lined up mainly an outside linebacker and occasionally at slot cornerback as a senior, earning 2nd team All-District 12-6A honors at LB. His high school film suggests his best fit may be as a slot corner or safety long-term.
DB Carrington Kearney (Hendrickson – Pflugerville, TX) 5’11” 175
A two-year starter at quarterback who will likely move to the secondary in college. He also served as his team’s punter and earned first team All-District 13-6A honors as a senior. He was not a particularly effective passer but rushed for over 800 yards as a junior and for over 500 as a senior. Last spring he ran the 200-meter dash in under 22.4 seconds, and he anchored a 4x200 relay team that ran a top time of 1:26.70 and finished fifth at the 6A Region II meet. At UTSA he’ll provide still more depth to a speedy and developing stable of defensive backs.
DB Teddrick McGhee (East – Memphis, TN) 6’1” 180
He was a play-making WR and CB for his high school team and was recruited as a cornerback by UTSA. He had as long an offer list as any of the 2016 signees not named Jaquelle Green, with Arkansas State, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, Air Force, and Army being among the programs reported to have offered him. If his 6’1” listing is accurate he’s taller than any CB on the roster, so he brings needed height to the position but is probably at least 2 years away from getting significant playing time.