On national signing day the Georgia State Panthers signed 27 players: 12 on the offensive side of the ball, 14 on the defensive side of the ball, and one athlete. Below we have listed each player with their bio, made available by GSU Athletics, and provided several quotes from head coach Trent Miles during his national signing day press conference on Feb. 6.
2013 Georgia State signees
*Listed in alphabetical order
LB- Tarris Batiste
6-2, 210
Cartersville, Ga. (Cass HS/Indiana State)
Batiste is a transfer from Indiana State and is currently enrolled at Georgia State. Per NCAA transfer rules he will sit out the 2013 football season and have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2014.
QB- Clay Chastain
6-4, 220
Powder Springs, Ga. (Harrison HS/Georgia Military)
Chastain is a transfer from Georgia Military College and is currently enrolled at Georgia State. He will be able to participate in spring workouts and will be eligible to play immediately.
DE/OLB- Mackendy Cheridor
6-5, 230
Decatur, Ga. (Columbia HS)
Cheridor was a member of the All-DeKalb County team last season and has the ability to play defensive end or outside linebacker.
WR/DB- Tyshaun Clemmons
6-1, 205
Calhoun, Ga. (Gordon Central HS)
Clemmons was a standout on both sides of the ball during high school, playing both wide receiver and defensive back, and was also a top performer on the track. He was named to the honorable mention all-state squad two times while at Gordon Central High School.
“I know Tyshaun Clemmons can really run.” -Miles
DL- Will Cunningham
6-2, 270
Cape Coral, Fla. (Ida Baker HS)
Cunningham was named to the first-team all-district and recorded 50 tackles as a senior.
LB- Kight Dallas
6-2, 230
Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson HS)
Dallas was once a commitment to South Carolina and, according to Miles, received a letter of intent from Arkansas on the morning of national signing day. He was nationally rated by several recruiting services including ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports.
WR- Robert Davis
6-3, 190
Warner Robins, Ga. (Northside HS)
Davis has good size and leaping ability. He is also an accomplished basketball player at Northside HS.
“We only took one receiver, who to me is a steal. Robert Davis . . . 40 inch vertical, he’s 17-years-old until April, he’s got a wingspan like you wouldn’t believe, size 14 shoe. He happened to play in an offense that runs the ball all the time. He catches the ball well with his hands. Can separate and he’s extremely fast. There’s only one of them [receiver] and I’ll take credit for that one.” -Miles
DB- Robert Dowling
5-10, 175
Marietta, Ga. (Lassiter HS)
Dowling helped Lassiter claim the region title and was named first-team all-region in 5-AAAAAA. He was also an effective punt returner in high school.
DB- Bruce Dukes
5-10, 187
Tyrone, Ga. (Sandy Creek HS/UCF)
Dukes played the last two seasons at the University of Central Florida. He was rated by several recruiting services coming out of Sandy Creek HS where he was a part of back-to-back state title teams. Dukes will sit out the 2013 season per NCAA transfer rules and have two years of eligibility beginning in 2014.
“He will play corner for us. He’s a young man that we feel can lock you down as a cover guy. He’s aggressive, he can run. He can also be a returner. He’s physical and he has the ability to move his feet and open his hips and run.” -Miles
DB- Trent Hill
5-10, 175
Atlanta, Ga. (M.L. King HS)
Hill was an All-DeKalb County selection and team captain last season. He was rated one of the top 225 prospects in the state of Georgia by 247Sports.
DL- Carnell Hopson
6-2, 255
Dallas, Ga. (South Paulding HS)
Hopson was chosen for the GACA North-South All-Star Game and was a member of the first-team all-region squad for region 5-AAAAA in 2012.
RB- Gerald Howse
6-2, 220
Murfreesboro, Tenn. (Siegel HS/NE Oklahoma A&M)
Howse transferred from NE Oklahoma AM and enrolled at Georgia State this spring. He rushed for over 600 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2012 and was a first-team all-conference selection in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference.
RB- Jonathan Jean-Bart
5-11, 201
McDonough, Ga. (Henry County HS)
Jean-Bart suffered a season-ending knee injury in his senior year at Henry County HS. Through five games he had rushed for over 500 yards. He is already enrolled at Georgia State and is currently rehabbing his knee.
“He’s a strong young man, a good young man.” -Miles
DL- Tevin Jones
6-4, 260
Locust Grove, Ga. (Luella HS)
Jones has the size and ability to play right away. In 2012 he recorded 72 tackles and six sacks in route to being named a first-team all-region selection in region 2-AAAAAA.
DL-Jalen Lawrence
6-1, 275
Macon, Ga. (Westside HS)
Lawrence showed in high school that he can be a force on the defensive line, racking up 10 sacks and 85 tackles his senior season. He was named first-team all-state in Class AAAA by the AP and was a three star prospect according to ESPN.com.
DL- Shawayne Lawrence
6-4, 250
McDonough, Ga. (Eagle’s Landing HS)
Lawrence was the Class AAA state runner-up in the shot put in 2012.
“He just turned 17 in November. He’s going to be a huge young man, so he can play a number of positions. Heavy weight wrestler, I think that’s undefeated. He’s a young man with a lot of talent and a lot of upside.” –Miles.
OL- Davis Moore
6-5, 290
Loganville, Ga. (Loganville HS)
Moore was a first-team all-region selection in region 8-AAAAA as a senior after being named to the second-team as a junior.
“Either a tackle or a guard. I think he was over looked in the recruiting process.” -Miles
RB- Kyler Neal
5-11, 205
Dallas, Ga. (East Paulding HS)
Neal was named the region 5-AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year and was a member of the AJC’s honorable mention all-state team.
LB- Trey Payne
6-0, 235
Warner Robins, Ga. (Northside HS)
Payne was a playmaker in his senior season as he recorded 85 tackles, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He was named first-team all-region his junior and senior seasons and first-team all-state in Class AAAA his junior campaign.
OL- Brandon Pertile
6-4, 295
Clearwater, Fla. (Countryside HS)
Pertile was rated by several recruiting services, including Rivals, and was named to the All-District 14 team his senior season.
DL- George Rogers
6-3, 310
Stillwater, Okla. (Stillwater HS/ NE Oklahoma A&M)
Rogers was a college teammate of Gerald Howse at NE Oklahoma A&M and is already enrolled at Georgia State. He recorded 43 tackles in nine games in 2012.
TE- Keith Rucker
6-3, 225
Cincinnati, Ohio (Moeller HS)
Rucker was a member of the 2012 Ohio Division I state champion Moeller HS. His father, Keith Rucker, played in the NFL for six seasons with five different teams.
“He’s the only kid that we were recruiting at Indiana State that we brought in. We felt he was a Division I player that was getting over looked. He’s that type of guy, an H-back, a fullback.” -Miles
LB- Jameel Spencer
6-2, 210
Atlanta, Ga. (Woodward Academy)
Spencer was a team captain his senior season and earned a first-team all-region selection in region 6-AAA.
OL-Alex Stoehr
6-2, 275
Suwanee, Ga. (North Gwinnett HS)
Stoehr was named first-team all-state in Class AAAAAA his senior by the AJC after being named second-team in 2011. He was a three-year starter at North Gwinnett HS and was rated among the top 200 Georgia prospects by 247Sports.
“He’s either going to be a center or a guard. He’s a very physical, tough guy. Plays with great pad level and leverage. He’s an undefeated wrestler, great student. He’s the kid that if he’s got two to three more inches on him he’s playing at Georgia or Alabama or somewhere in the SEC.” -Miles
TE- Bill Teknipp
6-5, 225
McDonough, Ga. (Eagle’s Landing HS)
Teknipp is a big tight end and showed play-making ability throughout high school career.
“He has football genes. He’s long and rangy and can block and catch.”- Miles.
TE- Sebastian Willer
6-5, 255
Calhoun, Ga. (Calhoun HS)
Willer is a native of German and moved to the U.S. before his junior year of high school. He was a member of the 2011 Class AA state title winning Calhoun High School.
“He’s a long, tall, wide body that can move and run and plays physical, that has the potential to be easily a 295-pound guy. He’s tough and his best football is ahead of him. We’ll start it off at tight end and we’ll see. Maybe he grows and eats his way into a tackle.” –Miles
OL- Daniel Zeigler
6-5, 260
Snellville, Ga. (South Gwinnett HS)
Zeigler is a long armed offensive linemen with a tackle body. He was named to the honorable mention all-county team by the Touchdown Club of Gwinnett his senior season.
“Young, long arm, long leg, good feet, can change direction and strike. He’ll be a tackle body.” -Miles
On behalf of the 32,000+ students, WELCOME! We look forward to a great year! GO PANTHERS!.
Christian Hill
VP of Student Services
Student Government Association