Reddies Sign 38 on National Signing Day

The Reddies reeled in a plethora of homegrown talent this recruiting cycle, with 19 signees — exactly half of the class — hailing from the state of Arkansas. Every classification of high school football in Arkansas is represented in the signing class, which also features 11 players from Texas, four from Louisiana, two from Tennessee, and one from both Mississippi and Alabama.

Defense was a clear point of emphasis for Henderson and 22 of the signees in the class play on that side of the ball. The defensive line and secondary had the most players by position group with eight apiece. HSU also added six linebackers, five receivers, four offensive linemen, four running backs, two quarterbacks and a nickelback.

"We are incredibly excited about the group of young men we have added to our program today," head coach Scott Maxfield said. "This class is very talented, but is also full of players who bring strong character and work ethic to the field every day. Our main focus each year is to find players who fit the culture here, love football, and are not afraid of the work it takes to be great. I believe we have accomplished that once again this cycle. Our coaching staff deserves special thanks for their relentless efforts on the recruiting trail to put this group together."

2021 Henderson State Signing Class

Zach Baker | QB | 6-1 | 180 lbs. | Arlington HS | Arlington, Tennessee | Highlights

Strong drop-back QB with good feet to move in and around the pocket …Threw for 1,591 yards, 14 touchdowns and 8 interceptions for a QB rating of 92.7 as a senior … Had five multiple touchdown passing games, including a four-touchdown performance against Lewisburg.

Jaden Bates | DB | 6-0 | 170 lbs. | Camden-Fairview HS | Camden, Arkansas | Highlights

Ball-savvy athlete who played cornerback and wide receiver in high school … Good with the ball in his hands with the ability to make people miss … Had 26 catches for 435 yards and three receiving touchdowns as a senior … 885 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns for his career … Held a 3.5 GPA.

Cooper Beck | DL | 6-3 | 285 lbs. | Carroll Academy HS | Carrollton, Miss. | Highlights

Good nose for the football and good tackler when he reaches the ball carrier … Dual-sport athlete in high school … Helped his team to an 11-1 record his senior year playing on the offensive and defensive line.

Chase Berg | DL | 6-5 | 235 lbs. | Forney HS | Forney, Texas | Highlights

Powerful edge-rusher who has a good pursuit of the ball … As a junior, registered nine tackles as well as 44 receiving yards in five games played … Received offers from Culver-Stockton University and the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Va'Sean Bishop | LB | 6-0 | 195 lbs. | Northside HS | Fort Smith, Ark. | Highlights

Quick off the snap in blitz packages and great agility to get off blocks … Versatile defender having played linebacker and strong safety in high school … Has a max squat of 405 lbs.

Elijah Bradley | DB | 6-2 | 165 lbs. | Pottsville HS | Pottsville, Ark. | Highlights

Featured in Whole Hog Sports' Under The Radar segment in September … Played basketball and football for Pottsville High School … In just his sophomore and junior year, accounted for 713 rushing yards on 123 carries for eight touchdowns and 867 receiving yards on 41 receptions for 10 touchdowns … Registered 354 all-purpose yards and 7 total touchdowns against Waldron this season … All-Conference WR in high school … Received offers from Ouachita Baptist and Arkansas Tech, along with Northeastern State and Tennessee-Martin.

Payton Byrd | DB | 6-2 | 190 lbs. | Warren HS | Warren, Ark. | Highlights

Strong, physical two-way player with sure hands … Played baseball and football in high school … As a junior, had three interceptions for 99 return yards and one blocked punt, along with 54 tackles … Was named the State Farm Lumberjack of the Week back in October after recording 103 all-purpose yards, two total touchdowns, 11 tackles on defense and one forced fumble … Received offers from Arkansas-Monticello and Northeastern State … Also received an offer to play baseball at Crowder Junior College.

Fred Carthon | DL | 6-2 | 280 lbs. | Barton HS | Lexa, Ark. | Highlights

Strong hands that are unforgiving when in contact with the ball carrier … Squats 430 lbs. while dead-lifting 515 and benching 300 … As a sophomore he registered 35 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks, along with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery … Was chosen as the Lexa State Farm Lineman of the Week back in September … Received an offer from Northeastern State.

Cole Cocroft | DL | 6-1 | 255 lbs. | Germantown HS | Germantown, Tennessee | Highlights

Good speed for a lineman with a 4.69 40 yard-dash … Gets great push on the interior of the defensive line … Invited to play in the 2021 Hawaii Tiki Bowl, one of the nation's top Senior All-Star games … Selected to the 2021 Offense-Defense All-American Texas Bowl.

Adrian Conway | OLB | 6-3 | 205 lbs. | Hot Springs HS | Hot Springs, Ark. | Highlights

Dual-athlete in high school … Sideline-to-sideline speed and great use of hands to get off blocks … Had 64 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and one touchdown his senior year … 51 tackles and seven sacks along with three forced fumbles as a junior.

Kolbi Crawford | DB | 6-1 | 170 lbs. | Bentonville HS | Bentonville, Ark. | Highlights

Ball-hawk in the secondary … All-Conference as a junior and a Gatorade Player of the Week recipient … Made All-State in 7A for Bentonville High School as a senior … 58 tackles, 10 pass break-ups and one interception his senior season … Bentonville ranked fifth in Arkansas during his senior year.

Jalen Davis | WR | 6-0 | 185 lbs. | Lakeview Centennial HS | Garland, Texas | Highlights

Thick build with great run-after-the-catch ability … Named to the 2020 Lakeview Centennial Football All-Time Roster by MaxPreps … All-District WR at Lakeview Centennial … Received an offer from East Central.

Cayden Davis | WR | 6-4 | 200 lbs. | Caddo Mills HS | Caddo Mills, Texas | Highlights

Terrific catch radius, pinpoints the ball well … Tallied 1046 yards on 43 receptions and nine touchdowns as a senior … Won the 2020 District 6 – 4A Division II Championship his final year at Caddo Mills High School … Received an offer from Hendrix College, among others.

Trenton Defatta | DL | 6-3 | 250 lbs. | Parkway HS | Bossier City, Louisiana | Highlights

First-Team All-District defensive lineman … Two-time All-District selection … Registered 19 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles his senior season … Was named Bossier City's Marketplace Chevy's Player of the Week in November after a five tackles for loss, one sack and two forced fumbles performance against Natchitoches Central … Perfect 4.0 student while at Parkway High School … Received offers from Ouachita Baptist and Lamar.

Andrew Edwards | QB | 6-3 | 200 lbs. | Bentonville HS | Bentonville, Ark. | Highlights

All-Conference quarterback with tremendous accuracy … Threw for 2,238 yards with a 70% completion percentage (135-192) while racking up 28 touchdowns and two interceptions for a quarterback rating of 144.49 as a senior … Accounted for five touchdowns in Bentonville's conference championship victory … Held a 3.9 GPA his senior year while at Bentonville High School … Received offers from Southern Arkansas and Arkansas Baptist, among others.

Will Ferrell | DB | 5-11 | 185 lbs. | Bessemer Academy | Pelham, Ala. | Highlights

Two-way player, filling the role of shifty slot receiver on offense and safety on the defensive side of the ball in high school … Accumulated 647 yards and nine touchdowns on 29 catches his final year … In the secondary, came up with 26 total tackles, one interception, four pass deflections, one fumble forced and recovered during his senior season … Won the Region 2 Championship in 2020 … Selected to the 2020 Gatlinburg All-American Bowl.

Kaimani Gray | WR | 6-2 | 205 lbs. | Hot Springs HS | Hot Springs, Ark. | Highlights

A 2020 5A All-State selection as a senior at Hot Springs High School … Made 48 receptions for 860 yards and 11 touchdowns his senior season … Has a max bench of 300 lbs. and max squat of 500 as a receiver … One of the fastest players in Henderson's 2021 recruiting class with a 40-yard dash time of 4.5.

Cameron Hilliard | DB | 6-1 | 180 lbs. | Conroe HS | Conroe, Texas | Highlights

First-Team All-District in District 13-6A … Responsible for 50 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass break-ups, and one fumble recovery in his senior season … Comes in running a 4.47 40-yard dash, making him among the fastest recruits for HSU this season … Also received an offer from Southern Arkansas.

Kadrien Johnson | RB | 5-8 | 170 lbs. | Paul Pewitt HS | Omaha, Texas | Highlights

Rushed for 1892 yards and scored 32 total touchdowns, including 25 on the ground, in his career for Paul Pewitt High School … Ran for 811 yards and eight scores as a senior … Averaged just under eight yards per carry for his career … Also stood out on defense, where he made 156 tackles and seven interceptions in three seasons … Led Paul Pewitt to an 8-4 record in 2020 and a 3A/D2 state title game appearance in 2019.

Kaleb Kegley | OL | 6-3 | 285 lbs. | Foreman HS | Foreman, Ark. | Highlights

A two-way starter on the lines of scrimmage for Foreman High School … Helped lead Foreman to the school's first two 2A state titles in 2017 and 2019 … Was a 2A-7 All-State and All-Conference selection as a senior in 2020 … Excels at pulling and kicking out on defensive linemen … Also received interest from GAC rivals Arkansas Tech and Ouachita Baptist.

Rhys Kelley | OL | 6-3 | 265 lbs. | Paul Pewitt HS | Omaha, Texas | Highlights

A stand-out on the offensive line for Paul Pewitt High School … Offensive Line District MVP … Incredibly athletic for his size … Started on both sides of the line and at punter … Helped lead the Brahmas to an 8-4 record in 2020 and a 5-1 mark in district play … Played in the 3A/D2 state championship game as a junior … Blocked for a high school offense that led the nation in rushing yards in 2019.

Jeff Krop II | WR | 6-4 | 200 lbs. | Magnolia West HS | Magnolia, Texas | Highlights

A 2020 First Team All-District selection and All-Montgomery County honoree for Magnolia West High School … Caught 22 passes for 764 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior … Averaged 34.7 yards per catch … Also featured on special teams as the punter for Magnolia West and averaged 41.3 yards per punt with a long of 68 yards … Held offers from Angelo State and Texas A&M-Commerce.

Gary Lewis | OLB | 6-2 | 215 lbs. | Fordyce HS | Fordyce Ark. | Highlights

A 2A-8 All-State honoree for two-time state champion Fordyce High School … Served as the B-Back in the Red Bugs' triple option offense and helped lead Fordyce to back-to-back 2A state titles in 2019 and 2020 … Ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the 2020 state title game against Des Arc … Ran for 862 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior … Played both ways and had 64 tackles and 22 tackles for loss in 14 games … Also received offers from Southern Arkansas, Arkansas Tech, Ouachita Baptist, Arkansas-Monticello and Northeastern State.

Dramer Lilly | OL | 6-3 | 292 lbs. | Sylvan Hills HS | Sherwood, Ark. | Highlights

A 6A All-Conference First Team selection on the line for Sylvan Hills High School … Led the Bears to a 9-4 record in 2020 and a 6-1 record in the 6A East … A tough, physical road grader who helped spearhead a dominant line of scrimmage in a run-first offense.

Hunter Lowery | DL | 6-2 | 255 lbs. | Mills University Studies HS | Little Rock, Ark | Highlights

A two-way warrior for Mills High School in Little Rock … Finished his senior season with 35 tackles, six sacks, four pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, one defensive touchdown and an interception.

Alston Moore | RB | 5-10 | 190 lbs. | Ben's Ford Christian HS | Bogalusa, La. | Highlights

Versatile playmaker who played running back, receiver, kick and punt return, and defensive back for Ben's Ford Christian … Finished his senior season with 2881 all-purpose yards and 44 total touchdowns … Rushed for 1739 yards and 24 scores and also made 24 receptions for 911 yards and 14 more touchdowns … Had a pick-six, punt return, and kickoff return score … Named an MAIS All-Star … Led Ben's Ford to the 2020 district title.

Marcus Morelan | DL | 6-3 | 245 lbs. | Early HS | Early, Texas | Highlights

A two-way starter for Early High School … Registered 47 tackles and 10 tackles for loss as a junior in 2019 after moving to defensive tackle for the first time in his career … Earned 3-3A All-District First Team honors in 2019.

A 2020 First Team All-Shreveport selection and 1-2A District Offensive Most Valuable Player … Led North Caddo to the 1-2A District title … Ran for 1840 yards and 19 touchdowns in his final two high school seasons … Played multiple positions for North Caddo, including quarterback, running back and outside linebacker.

Josh Murray | DB | 6-2 | 185 lbs. | Grace Community HS | Tyler, Texas | Highlights

A versatile athlete for Grace Community High School … Earned First Team All-District honors as an athlete, Second Team All-District recognition as a defensive back, and Honorable Mention All-State selection as an athlete … Had 27 receptions for 402 yards and two scores as a senior … Also added 29 tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions on defense.

Fredrick O'Donald | RB | 6-2 | 200 lbs. | North Little Rock HS | North Little Rock, Ark. | Highlights

A 2020 Landers Award finalist … Helped lead North Little Rock to the 2020 7A state title game … Scored two touchdowns in the title game against Bryant … Played in the state championship game in every season of his high school career … Won THV11 "Sweetest Play of the Week" for run against Fayetteville … Rushed for 333 yards and four scores in the first two games of the year against Har-Ber and Fayetteville … Chose Henderson State over an offer from UAPB.

Jordan Owens | LB | 6-1 | 215 lbs. | North Little Rock HS | North Little Rock, Ark. | Highlights

The Pulaski County Farm Bureau Defensive Player of the Year … A 2020 Second Team All-Arkansas Preps selection by the Democrat-Gazette … Earned 7A All-State honors as a senior … Ended his senior season with 115 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and a pass break-up … Helped lead North Little Rock to its fifth-straight 7A state championship game … Played in the state title game in every season of his high school career … Also received interest from Central Arkansas, Lamar, Ouachita Baptist, Arkansas Tech and UAPB.

Keyshawn Stewart | RB | 5-11 | 195 lbs. | Nashville HS | Nashville, Ark. | Highlights

Electric playmaker out of Nashville High School … Led Nashville to the 2020 7-4A district title and a 9-4 record … Ran for 3142 yards and 47 touchdowns in his high school career for the Scrappers … Rushed for 890 yards and 14 scores as a senior in 2020 … Named the Farm Bureau Insurance Player of the Week in win over Bauxite after rushing for 188 yards and four touchdowns … Also received interest from Missouri Western and East Central.

Keegan Stinespring | LB | 5-11 | 202 lbs. | Bentonville HS | Bentonville, Ark. | Highlights

A 2020 7A All-State selection for Bentonville High School … Selected to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-NWA Division I team as a senior … Finished the 2020 season with 81 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks and two blocked punts … Was a three-year starter for the Tigers who earned 2019 All-Conference recognition and 2018 Newcomer of the Year accolades … Led Bentonville to an undefeated regular season this year.

Eric Thibodeaux | LB | 6-0 | 215 lbs. | St. Michael HS | Baton Rouge, La. | Highlights

A 2020 First Team All-District selection for St. Michael's High School … Stat-stuffing linebacker that racked up 110 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions during his high school career.

Andrew Weatherford | OL | 6-2 | 290 lbs. | Glen Rose HS | Glen Rose, Ark. | Highlights

The lone 2020 3A All-State selection for Glen Rose High School … A bruiser up front who helped lead the Beavers to an 11-3 record and an appearance in the 3A semifinals … Also earned All-State honors as a junior in 2019 … Started three years of his high school career on both sides of the line for Glen Rose … A physically dominating presence at the high school level who plays with great effort and technique.

Kameron Wheeler | DL | 6-2 | 255 lbs. | North Garland HS | Garland, Texas | Highlights

A two-way talent on the defensive line and at tight end for North Garland HS … Earned 2020 9-6A First Team All-District honors at end.

Antonio Wiley Jr. | DB | 6-0 | 185 lbs. | Hirschi HS | Wichita Falls, Texas | Highlights

A two-way star at safety and receiver for Hirschi High School … Earned 4-4A All-District recognition three times in 2018, 2019 and 2020 … Led Hirschi in interceptions, pass breakups, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns as a senior … Also received offers from West Texas A&M, Coffeyville Community College, Midwestern State, Tyler Junior College and Eastern New Mexico … Drew interest from Texas Tech and Kansas.

Jeffery Williams | WR | 6-1 | 172 lbs. | Prescott HS | Prescott, Ark. | Highlights

A 2020 3A All-State selection for Prescott High School … Helped lead Prescott to a 10-1 record and an unbeaten regular season … Caught 28 passes for 853 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior … Averaged 33.2 yards per reception … Went over 100 yards receiving in four games for the Curley Wolves … Racked up 182 yards on six catches against Jessieville … Chose Henderson State over offers from Ouachita Baptist and Arkansas Baptist.

------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are not an ArkansasVarsity.com subscriber, you can become one by CLICKING HERE. It costs less than a cup of coffee per day to get access to the most in prep sports and recruiting information anywhere in the state.

Want to become a partner with ArkansasVarsity.com? Email Luke Matheson at Luke@ArkansasVarsity.com

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @LUKEMATHESON - @ARKANSASVARSITY