Football | 2/6/2019 7:00:00 AM

February 6, 2019-As of 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, football coach Garin Higgins has announced the addition of 25 high school players and five transfers to attend Emporia State and play football for the Hornets.

The list includes 14 Kansas natives, 12 from Oklahoma, three from Texas, and one from Florida. The Hornets picked up five receivers, two defensive linemen, two defensive ends, five offensive linemen, five linebackers, three safeties, two corner backs, one S-back, one quarterback, one running back, one punter and two classified as athlete.  Four of the signees have been selected to play in the 2019 Kansas Shrine Bowl.

The Hornets were 8-4 on the season and won the Corsicana Bowl in their fifth trip to the postseason in the last seven years.  Emporia State is set to return 39 letter winners including 13 starters, ten on defense and three on offense.

The Hornets will be hosting a Signing Party on Thursday, Feb. 7 at Coaches Bar & Grill.  The evening will start with a social at 6:00 and the formal program will begin at 7:30 p.m.

High School National Letter of Intent Signees
Arich Ansley    6' 2"    200    S
Putnam City HS • Oklahoma City, Okla.
Honorable Mention OCA All-State...Honorable Mention All-City.
Higgins: Arich is a long rangy athlete that is another guy that can play multiple positions in our defense. He comes from a good bloodline as his dad played linebacker at Oklahoma State.

Daniel Becker    6' 3"    250    DL
Conway Springs HS • Conway Springs, Kan.
KFBCA 1st Team All-State...Topeka Capital Journal Top 33 player...Central Plains Defensive Player of the Year...unanimous First-Team All-Conference...2018 Kansas Defensive Player of The Year finalist...Kansas Sports Top 100 Seniors...2019 Shrine Bowl selection.
Higgins: A physically imposing kid that plays the game the right way.  Daniel will be a versatile d-lineman that can play on the edge and inside.  He's someone who will bring toughness and grit to the field, and brings a 29 ACT to the classroom.

Landon Bolf    6' 2"    216    DE
Mustang HS • Mustang, Okla.
Big City Honorable Mention...Dennis Byrd Award winner...77 tackles and eight sacks.
Higgins: Landon is a tough minded football player that will bring great energy to the defensive line. He will play defensive end with the ability to create havoc with his athletic ability.

Deontei Braggs    6' 1"    190    ATH    
Spiro HS • Spiro, Okla.
Oklahoma District 2A-5 Offensive/Defensive MVP and Player of the year...first-team OCA All-State...1,469 passing yards with 15 touchdowns, 751 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns...32 total tackles with four interceptions.
Higgins: Deontei is one of the smartest kids we have signed after achieving a 32 ACT score. He was also selected as an All-State player in Oklahoma and has been a four sport athlete at Spiro High School. He has tremendous athleticism and will be a great addition to this football program.

Ross Brungardt    6' 6"    210    P
Lawrence HS • Lawrence, Kan.
Had 43 punts for a 39.2 average...placed seven inside the 20 yard line...six 50+ yarders...also played goalkeeper in soccer with 92 saves in 10 matches last year.
Higgins: Ross has tremendous potential as a kicker in our football program, his length really allows for the ball to jump off of his foot. On top of that, he has a lot of athleticism to add a lot of value to the position.

Ian Carpenter    6' 3"    310    OL
Andover Central HS • Andover, Kan.
First team All-League...First team Topeka Capital Journal All-State selection...KFBCA All-State...2019 Shrine Bowl Selection.
Higgins: Ian is a great kid and someone we had been recruiting since the summer time. Coming from Andover, he was another lineman we had at our summer camp and really liked what he could do. He was coached well in high school and has a great work ethic.

Colton Dodd    6'2"    285    OL
Enid HS • Enid, Okla.
All-Conference...All-District...All-VYPE team.
Higgins: Colton was at our lineman camp this past summer and won the offensive line MVP of the camp. He is a very hard worker and comes from Enid High School in Oklahoma where we have got some great players from in the past. Colton is our type of guy and we are excited for him to be a Hornet.

Eric Galbreath    6' 6"    215    DL
Lawrence HS • Lawrence, Kan.
Lawrence Journal World All-Area Honorable Mention.
Higgins: Eric is a long athlete who will bring explosiveness to the D-Line. At 6'6" he has the length to create havoc up front.  He will bring a great presence in the pass game that will allow us to put pressure on the quarterback. Has a great pedigree as his father played at KU.

Declan Haub    6' 1"    205    OLB    
Kingfisher HS • Kingfisher, Okla.
First-team All-State...first-team All-Northwest Oklahoma...1st Team All-District...All-Vype Team...2018 Kingfisher High School Valedictorian...Oklahoma & National Honor Society member... 98 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, five sacks & two forced fumbles...2017 class 4A State Basketball Champion.
Higgins: Declan was one of the first outside linebackers we targeted in this class and has the potential to be a very good football player for our program. He shows the ability to come off the edge in pass rush and play inside the box, both at a high level.

Blaine Hinrichs    6' 2"    210    LB
Olpe HS • Olpe, Kan.
Emporia Gazette All-Area linebacker...All-State...Grasslands All-Star...2019 Shrine Bowl selection.
Higgins: Blaine is a  great athlete with a lot of length and a ton of potential.  What he did during his time in Olpe was impressive and we are excited to have him as a part of our football program.

Tyler Kahmann    6' 3"    200    WR
Campus HS • Wichita, Kan.
Kansas All-Metro Selection, Topeka Capital Journal All-State in football...35 receptions for 694 yards and 14 touchdowns...All-State selection in basketball...1st team All-AVCTL and All-State in baseball.
Higgins: Tyler is a great athlete that has a ton of potential. He catches the ball naturally and has great size. Having earned all-state in three different sports, we believe that Tyler's best football is ahead of him.

Jaden McDaniel    6' 2" 200    S
Heritage Hall HS • Oklahoma City, Okla.
OCA All-Star Team Member...First-Team All-Little City... three-time state champion.
Higgins: Jaden is a guy that we have recruited since day one of the process. He has won multiple state championships coming from Heritage Hall. Jaden's dad played football at Oklahoma and his mom played volleyball. He is another guy that can play multiple positions in our defense to allow us to be more diverse. Jaden also plays basketball and runs track.

Chase Merkey    6' 5"    285    OL  
Geary HS • Geary, Okla.
Four-time All-District Defensive Linemen...VYPE Top 100 in both 2017 and 2018... 105 tackles, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss...2018 State Wrestling Qualifier.
Higgins: Chase comes to us from an 8-man football school in Oklahoma where he played about every position. What he lacks in experience on the offensive line, he makes up for with his size and athleticism. He is a big athlete and very tough kid. He has also been a great wrestler at Geary High School. His best football is ahead of him.

Caleb Mondi    6' 1"    210    LB
Lawrence HS • Lawrence, Kan.
Lawrence Journal World First-Team All-Area...Second-Team All-Sunflower League...Honorable Mention All - State.
Higgins: Caleb is someone we have been recruiting since the beginning of May. He is a leader, team captain and respected by almost everyone we spoke to at Lawrence High. He is a smart, fast and physical linebacker who plays with incredible effort.

Rasheed Noel    6' 2"    195    WR    
Coppell HS • Coppell, Texas
Texas All-District 6-6A...387 all purpose yards with nine touchdowns...defensively he had 21 total tackles with a sack.
Higgins: Rasheed comes from a great program down in Texas and a lot was asked of him throughout his playing career. Rasheed played quarterback, wide receiver and on defense which says a lot about him being a great teammate. He's a great athlete and has the potential to be a great wide receiver at Emporia State.

Khalil Rasheed    6' 1"    190    S
Coppell HS • Coppell, Texas
Texas High School Football honorable mention team...70 tackles, two sacks, six tackles for loss,  two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown.
Higgins: Khalil is a downhill safety that could translate to a nickel in our defense moving forward. He is a physical player that is not afraid of contact. Khalil played at Texas high school power Coppell against some high caliber talent.

Billy Ross Jr.    5' 9"    180    ATH    
Heritage Hall HS • Oklahoma City, Okla.
Oklahoma All-State...back to back All-VYPE and All-District...860 receiving yards, 660 rushing yards, 1,800 all purpose yards, 22 total touchdowns ...five-time State Champion in track in the 100m, 200m, and 4x200m.
Higgins: Billy is a kid that is extremely versatile & brings a lot to the table from an athleticism standpoint. He is the type of player that as a coach, you just figure out ways to get him the football.

Dante Smith-Posey    6' 3"    305    OL    
Shawnee Mission West HS • Lenexa, Kan.
Two-time All-Sunflower League pick...Wichita Eagle & Topeka Capital Journal All-State selection...2019 Shrine Bowl Selection.
Higgins: Dante was a two-way player at Shawnee Mission West playing on both the offensive and defensive line. He has great size and will develop into a great player for us. Dante did a great job at our summer camp and we really wanted him to be a Hornet. He will be a great fit in our football program.

Charlie Suenram    6' 2"    290    DL    
Memorial HS • Edmond, Okla.
Second-Team All-District...Second-Team COAC All-Confrence selection...Honorable Mention OCA All-State...All-Vype team selection...2018 Adams Award winner...80 tackles, seven sacks and seven tackles for loss.
Higgins: Charlie has been around ESU Football since the summer before his junior season. He's a kid that was a start to finish guy that will bring versatility and strength to the DL room. He will play the nose position with ability to play an end in big personnel situations.

Gunnar Thompson    6' 4"    220    SB    
Poteau HS • Poteau, Okla.
1st team Oklahoma Southwest Conference...two time Defensive Player of the Year...1st team OCA All-State...433 receiving yards and three touchdowns...109 tackles and 12 sacks.
Higgins: Gunnar is a versatile athlete with great size. He was a team captain and led his team deep in the playoffs his senior season. He has a skill set that can be utilized in our offense and is a very smart kid. It was not a surprise to us that he was selected as an All-State player this year in Oklahoma.

Dom Venegas    6' 1"    180    DB    
Mustang HS • Mustang, Okla.
Oklahoma Super 30 Senior...2018 OCA All Star Team Member...First-Team All-Big City...Honorable Mention All-State.
Higgins: Dom is a guy that can make an immediate impact for our program and held a Memphis and Ohio offer over the summer. He is a guy that can eliminate one side of the field. Dom will also help in the return game and runs track.


Transfers
Jordan Birch    6'2"    210    RB    
Illinois St. • Andover Central HS • Andover, Kan.
Played in six games last fall for Illinois State with 86 yards on 14 carries...saw action in 10 games and finished the season with 77 yards and a touchdown in 2017...was a First-Team All-State running back for Andover Central HS...two-time 110m hurdles State Champion.
Higgins: Jordan has done a great job since arriving in January. He brings something a little different to our running back room with his size. We are very excited to watch Jordan grow in our offense.

Juwan Johnson    5'11"    195    WR    
NEO A&M • Memorial HS •Tulsa, Okla.
SWJCFC Honorable Mention All-Conference...had 24 catches for 382 yard and three touchdowns for the Norse including a 98 yard reception...graduated from Memorial High School in Tulsa, Okla.
Higgins: Juwan has the opportunity to be a great player here. He's got great speed and hands. He's another guy that has opened eyes here for his work ethic and attitude. We will look for some big things coming from him this fall.

JT Mackey    6'2"    200    WR    
Kilgore CC • Ennis HS • Ennis, Texas
SWJCFC Conference Champion...First-Team All-District receiver for Ennis HS.
Higgins: JT, like all of our transfers we signed at midyear, has done an unbelievable job adjusting to the way we do things here. He's made an impact in the weight room and wide receiver room in a short amount of time and we will look for him to continually add more and more as he becomes comfortable in our offense.

Gee Stanley    6'2"    200    LB    
Coffeyville CC • Robert Morris • Coral Gables HS • Miami, Fla.
Recorded 47 tackles and 9.5 TFL's at Coffeyville CC last season...had 47 tackles and three sacks for the Ravens...Northeast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year as a freshman at Robert Morris...HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-American...had 59 tackles with 12.5 tackles for loss...graduated from Coral Grables HS in Miami, Fla....was a three-star prospect by 247sports.com and a two-star prospect by Rivals...Top 100 outside linebacker recruit in the 2016 class according to 247sports...Florida Class 8A all-state third team...104 tackles, 56 solo, in his senior season.
Higgins: Gee is a very versatile outside linebacker that really fits what we needed to add to our defense. He can rush the passer, fit the run and drop in coverage. He's had proven success playing College Football.

Will Valentas    6'2"    305    OL    
Butler CC • Andover HS • Andover, Kan.
Honorable mention All-Jayhawk selection.
Higgins: Will comes to us from Butler Community College and has 3 years left to play at Emporia State. Originally being from Andover, it adds another in-state Hornet to provide depth to our offensive line. He is our type of guy and will fit in great with the program.

High School Institutional Letters
Kyle Alcanter    6'0    175    DB    
Basehor-Linwood HS • Basehor, Kan.

Evan Kruse    6'3"    190    QB    
Campus HS • Wichita, Kan.

Sage Sieperda    6'0    215    LB    
Mill Valley HS • Shawnee, Kan.

Devin Stoker    5'10" 165  WR    
Olathe North HS • Olathe, Kan.