Bulls-eye: Tech football coaching staff hits target with 2010 signees
Tennessee Tech football coach Watson Brown and his staff had a small target to aim toward this winter and the veteran coach feels like they’ve hit the bulls-eye with the 2010 class of recruits.
Watson Brown's comments on 2010
signing
Watson Brown press conference - Part 1
Watson Brown press conference - Part 2
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Bulls-eye. Tennessee Tech football coach
Watson Brown and his staff had a small target to aim toward this
winter and the veteran coach feels like they’ve hit the
bulls-eye.
“We feel like we have signed an outstanding group, one that
really fills our needs,” Brown said. “This is a quality
class.”
With a small senior graduating class and 60 signees in the past
two years, Brown had only a handful of spots available when
searching for the 2010 Golden Eagle recruits, and he is pleased
about the 14 young men who submitted their paperwork Wednesday, the
first day of the NCAA’s national signing period
“We’ve improved the quality every year and we’ve
met our needs,” Brown said. “We needed offensive
linemen and defensive linemen because we were down in numbers, and
we got them. We needed some in the defensive secondary, and we
wanted to add a quarterback.
“We did all of those things, and we got some other things,
as well,” he said.
Of the 14 players sending in their signed paperwork Wednesday
morning, nine are listed as either offensive linemen or defensive
linemen as the Golden Eagles worked to secure the trenches. The
group also includes two runningbacks, two defensive backs and one
quarterback.
In addition to the 14 high school freshmen who will enroll at Tech
in the fall, Brown also announced the addition of one transfer who
is already enrolled at TTU. Runningback Jocques Crawford from
Memphis is a transfer from Kansas who will become eligible this
fall.
The quality of the signing class is evident in their long list of
honors. Of the 15 additions to the roster, 11 were named high
school All-State players.
The following are brief capsules of Tech’s 2010 signees:
DaJuan Brown – DL, 6-4, 255,
Smyrna, Tenn./Blackman HS
DaJuan Brown earned three letters while playing on both sides of
scrimmage for coach Phillip Shadowens at Blackman High School, in
addition to a couple of letters on the basketball court. A
three-year starter in the defensive line as well as tight end,
Brown was named all-region and all-county, and was voted the
team’s Most Valuable Lineman. As a senior, he finished the
year with 58 total tackles including six quarterback sacks and five
tackles-for-loss as the Blaze posted a 9-1 regular season record
and captured the District 7AAA championship. Blackman finished the
year with a 10-2 mark, reaching the second round of the TSSAA
playoffs, and were ranked No. 3 in the state.
Nathan Bush – OL/DL, 6-5, 270, Morristown,
Tenn./Hamblen-West HS
A strong two-way player for Hamblen-West High School and coaches
Don Woods and Lamar Brown, Nathan anchored both the offensive and
defensive lines for the Trojans. A four-year letterwinner, he also
earned letters in basketball and swimming. He piled up 62 tackles,
12 tackles-for-loss and four sacks as a senior and was named to the
Toyota East-West Tennessee All-Star game and the Kentucky-Tennessee
National Guard Border Bowl. Twice a first-team all-conference pick,
he was a second-team All-State selection as a junior. For his
career, Bush had 151 total tackles, 12 quarterback sacks and 30
tackles-for-loss.
Christian Cantrell – DB, 5-11, 175, Piedmont, Ala./Piedmont
HS
A two-sport, seven-time letterwinner at Piedmont (Ala.) High
School, Christian Cantrell was a standout in both football and
basketball for the Bulldogs. A highly effective cornerback, few
opponents dared throw the ball in Cantrell’s direction. He
was also a dangerous offensive weapon, scoring four touchdowns in
Piedmont’s 35-28 Class 3A state championship game overtime
win, the school’s first state title. Cantrell was named
All-State, all-region and all-county, and earned his team’s
MVP award while helping claim the region and state championships,
rushing for 2,100 yards and 24 touchdowns. He earned three letters
while playing cornerback and runningback under coach Steve Smith,
in addition to four letters on the hardwood.
Aaron Cary – OL, 6-4, 265, Troy, Tenn./Obion County
HS
An offensive lineman who was a key four-year letterwinner for
coach Shawn Jackson’s Obion County High School Rebels. Cary
was named first-team Class 4A All-District 13 and second-team
All-West Tennessee, helping the team reach the first round of the
TSSAA state playoffs. The winner of the Obion County Iron Man
Award, he was also named to the Jackson Sun Dream Team after
grading out above 90 percent for the season with 53 pancake blocks.
He also played in the defensive line and made 31 tackles, 11
tackles-for-loss and four quarterback sacks. He will major in
education.
*Jocques Crawford – RB, 6-1, 238, Memphis,
Tenn./Cordova HS/University of Kansas
Originally recruited out of Cordova High School in Memphis by
Texas Tech, Jocques Crawford wound up playing two seasons at Cisco
(Texas) Junior College where he was named the National Junior
College Player of the Year under coach John Parchman. A strong and
explosive runningback, he then played one season at the University
of Kansas in 2008 before transferring to Tech and sitting out the
2009 season. Crawford, who helped coach Leonard Crutchfield’s
Cordova team to three consecutive TSSAA playoffs, will have one
season of eligibility remaining for the Golden Eagles. As a high
school junior, he rushed for 1,400 yards and 19 touchdowns and was
named All-State. He was ranked as the 13th best runningback in the
nation as a prep senior. At Cisco, Crawford was the top Juco rusher
in the nation with 1,935 yards and 19 touchdowns, the most yards by
a JC runningback in seven years. He had 1,069 yards and eight TDs
as a freshman. At Kansas, he played in 13 games for the Jayhawks,
rushing for 232 yards and four touchdowns. He also had 46 receiving
yards and 126 on kick returns for coach Mark Mangino’s squad.
He is enrolled in speech communications.
Cody Forbes – RB/DB, 5-11, 195, Elizabethton,
Tenn./Elizabethton HS
Named TSWA all-state as a kick returner and conference Offensive
Player of the Year as a senior, Cody Forbes is a four-year
letterwinner under coach Shawn Witten at Elizabethton (Tenn.) High
School. He helped his team win the conference title and reach the
TSAA state semi-finals in 2009, finishing with an 11-3 mark. A
versatile player, Forbes played runningback and receiver, returned
kicks and punts, and also played safety and outside linebacker. He
was chosen captain of the Tennessee-Kentucky All-Star game. During
his career, he averaged nearly six yards per carry on the way to
1,585 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. He also piled up 674 punt
and kick return yards and four touchdowns, and finished with 29
career TDs. As a senior, he had 859 rushing yards and 11
touchdowns, 208 receiving yards and three scores. A real speedster,
Forbes was also the TSSAA state champion in the triple jump. He
will major in business.
Jordan Johnson – DL, 5-11, 270, Miami, Fla./Carol
City HS
A second-team Florida All-State selection and a two-sport standout
at Carol City High School, Jordan Johnson was an effective
defensive lineman for the Chiefs and coach Harold Barnwell. He
posted 56 total tackles as a senior, including 16 tackles-for-loss
and eight quarterback sacks, on his way to earning selections to
two all-star games, including The USA vs. The World All-Star game
in Ft. Lauderdale, where he helped claim a 17-0 victory and
registered 1.5 tackles-for-loss. Named the Defensive Lineman of the
Year for his team, he was a four-year letterwinner in both football
and track & field. He plans to study criminal justice.
Midoho Okpokowuruk – DL, 6-2, 230, Charlotte,
N.C./The McCallie School
A four-year letterwinner as a defensive end under coach Rick Whitt
at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Midoho Okpokowuruk was the
league leader in tackles-for-loss and ranked second in the
conference in quarterback sacks. A versatile athlete, he also
lettered four years in track & field, combining his speed with
his strength while competing in the sprints, shot put and discus.
He was also a three-year letterman on the basketball squad for the
Blue Tornado. He plans to major in engineering.
James Normand – OL, 6-2, 285, Oak Ridge, Tenn./Oak
Ridge HS
Named All-State as a lineman, James Normand also earned a spot on
the National Guard Academic All-State team during his outstanding
four-year career at Oak Ridge (Tenn.) High School. The first
lineman to letter all four years at his high school, Normand was an
effective offensive lineman, not allowing a single quarterback sack
his final two seasons while splitting his playing time between
center and tackle. He was the District 3A Lineman of the Year and
was picked for both the Tennessee-Kentucky Border Bowl and the
Tennessee East-West All-Star Game. Twice picked as team captain, he
also played two seasons of basketball and three on the baseball
team, setting the school’s home run record as a senior. He
will major in accounting.
Doug Page – RB/TE, 6-2, 225, Franklin,
Tenn./Franklin Road Academy
A versatile athlete out of Franklin Road Academy, Doug Page will
join the Golden Eagle roster as a runningback/tight end after
piling up more than 4,500 yards of offense and 41 touchdowns as a
ball carrier, passer and receiver. He played his sophomore season
at St. Thomas High School in Houston, Texas, before finishing up
his final two years at FRA. He helped Franklin Road to the second
round of the TSSAA playoffs as a senior, the first appearance for
the school in the state tournament in 14 years. As a senior, Page
rushed for 1,508 yards and 16 touchdowns and passed for 447 yards
and four TDs. His junior season netted 667 rushing, 755 passing and
151 receiving yards. At St. Thomas, he had over 1,000 yards and 10
touchdowns in just five games. He was a first-team All-State pick
and the Region Player of the Year on his way to playing in the
Toyota East-West Tennessee All-Star Game. He plans to major in
engineering.
Randall Reeves – OL, 6-2, 290, McAdory, Ala./McAdory
HS
A two-time Birmingham All-Metro selection and an honorable mention
Alabama All-State player, Randall Reeves was a three-year starter
at center for coach David Powell’s McAdory High School squad.
Voted permanent team captain, Reeves graded out at 90 percent of
better in every game and had 62 pancake blocks as a senior. He also
earned three letters on the McAdory baseball team. An outstanding
student, he was Birmingham News Scholar-Athlete of the Week and a
member of the Math Honor Society.
Wesley Sherrill – OL, 6-4, 290, Antioch,
Tenn./Brentwood Academy
A four-year letterwinner and a three-year starter in both sides of
the line of scrimmage for coach Ralph Potter at Brentwood Academy,
Wesley Sherrill comes to the Golden Eagles to play on the offensive
line. Starting more than 30 career games for the Eagles, he helped
post an 8-4 record in his senior season on his way to earning
first-team all-Mid State honors from The Tennessean and All-State
selection from TSWA. With Sherrill anchoring the lines, Brentwood
Academy was the state Division II runnerup in both his sophomore
and junior seasons and reached the semi-finals as a senior. He
graded out at 90 percent for the season and had 36 pancake blocks.
He plans to major in civil engineering.
Matthew Smith – DL, 6-4, 285, Jonesboro, Ga./North Clayton
HS
A four-year letterwinner on the football field at North Clayton
(Ga.) High School for coach Rodney Hackney, Matthew Smith is a
defensive lineman who was putting up big numbers for the Eagles
through the first five games of his senior season before a knee
injury cut his prep career short. He helped the team go 4-1 through
the early part of the schedule before finishing 10-3 and going
three rounds into the state 4-AAAA playoffs. Smith accounted for 46
total tackles and five tackles for loss in his five contests. He
plans to major in mechanical engineering.
Darian Stone – QB, 6-0, 185, Clinton, Tenn./Cinton
HS
A game-breaking quarterback and a two-time All-State selection
under coach Andy Shattuck at Clinton (Tenn.) High School, Darian
Stone amassed more than 7,500 yards of total offense in his three
seasons at the controls of the Dragons. He took Clinton to a 10-0
regular season record as a senior, passing for 2,093 yards and 23
touchdowns with only two interceptions. He also rushed for 725
yards and 10 scores on his way to first-team All-State laurels. A
Mr. Football finalist, he finished his career with 5,734 yards and
59 touchdowns passing, along with 1,864 yards and 22 touchdowns on
the ground. He plans to major in criminal justice.
Jermaine Williams – DB, 6-4, 186, Chattanoog, Tenn./Brainerd
HS
A two-sport standout at Chattanooga’s Brainerd High School,
Jermaine played wide receiver on offense and strong safety on
defense under coach Marvin Jones. In his final two seasons, he had
more than 2,000 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. On the
basketball court, he helped the team post a 30-4 record and win
district and regional crowns before falling in the state finals. He
was named 6-AA second-team all-conference on both offense and
defense. He will study business.
Tennessee Tech's 2010 Football Signees
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/High School |
| DaJuan Brown | DL | 6-4 | 255 | Smyrna, Tenn./Blackman HS |
| Nathan Bush | OL/DL | 6-5 | 270 | Morristown, Tenn./Hamblen-West HS |
| Christsian Cantrell | DB | 5-11 | 175 | Piedmont, Ala./Piedmont HS |
| Aaron Cary | OL | 6-4 | 265 | Troy, Tenn./Obion County HS |
| *Jocques Crawford | RB | 6-1 | 238 | Memphis, Tenn./Cordova HS/Kansas |
| Cody Forbes | RB/DB | 5-11 | 195 | Elizabethton, Tenn./Elizabethton HS |
| Jordan Johnson | DL | 5-11 | 270 | Miami, Fla./Carol City HS |
| Midoho Okpokowuruk | DL | 6-2 | 230 | Charlotte, N.C./The McCallie School |
| James Normand | OL | 6-2 | 285 | Oak Ridge, Tenn./Oak Ridge HS |
| Doug Page | RB/TE | 6-2 | 225 | Franklin, Tenn./Franklin Road Academy |
| Randall Reeves | OL | 6-2 | 290 | McAdory, Ala./McAdory HS |
| Wesley Sherrill | OL | 6-4 | 290 | Antioch, Tenn./Brentwood Academy |
| Matthew Smith | DL | 6-4 | 285 | Jonesboro, Ga./North Clayton HS |
| Darian Stone | QB | 6-0 | 185 | Clinton, Tenn./Clinton HS |
| Jermaine Williams | DB | 6-4 | 186 | Chattanooga, Tenn./Brainerd HS |
* indicates transfer from Kansas and already enrolled at Tech in 2009-2010
