Four-start prospect by Rivals … A talented receiver and defensive back at Aliquippa for head coach Mike Warfield … Also returned kicks … Helped the Quips win the 2018 WPIAL Championship and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 3A Championship title … Offensively, totaled 327 rushing yards and scored 24 touchdowns four different ways … The average length of those scores was 42.2 yards … Had nine scoring plays of 50 yards or more … Averaged 21.1 receiving yards on 27 catches … On defense, totaled eight interceptions, including three in the PIAA championship game … Was a huge threat on special teams as he posted eight punt returns for touchdowns, one short of the national record … Had five returns for touchdowns called back because of penalties … Named the 2018 WPIAL co-Player of the Year by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette … Chose Kentucky over Pittsburgh, Penn State and Ohio State.
List of the 21 early signees from December (bios are attached):
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl.-Exp. Hometown (Previous College/High School)
Marquez Bembry OLB 6-3 240 Jr-JC Stone Mountain, Ga. (Mount Vernon Presbyterian/Jones County JC)
Cavon Butler DL 6-3 300 Fr-HS Toledo, Ohio (Whitmer)
Jared Casey OLB 6-3 230 Fr-HS Louisville, Ky. (Ballard)
Eli Cox OL 6-4 300 Fr-HS Nicholasville, Ky. (West Jessamine)
Tae Tae Crumes WR 6-2 180 Fr-HS Louisville, Ky. (Butler)
Taj Dodson DB 6-2 190 Fr-HS Union Grove, Ga. (Creekside)
Moses Douglass DB 6-2 200 Fr-HS Springfield, Ohio (Springfield)
Brandin Echols DB 6-0 180 Jr-JC Southaven, Miss.(Southaven/Northwest Mississippi CC)
Jalen Geiger DB 6-1 190 Fr-HS Columbia, S.C. (Spring Valley)
Isaiah Gibson DL 6-4 300 Fr-HS Springfield, Ohio (Springfield)
Amani Gilmore QB 6-2 200 Fr-HS Amite, La. (Amite)
DeMarcus Harris WR 6-1 180 Fr-HS Vero Beach, Fla. (Vero Beach)
Shawn’Kel Knight-Goff LB 6-2 220 Fr-HS Louisville, Ky. (Doss Magnet Career Academy)
K.D. McDaniel OLB 6-2 240 Fr-HS Tifton, Ga. (Tift County)
Quandre Mosely DB 6-2 180 Jr-JC Brunswick, Ga. (Glynn Academy/Eastern Arizona CC)
Nik Ognenovic TE 6-5 250 Fr-HS Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Cardinal Gibbons)
Jake Pope OL 6-7 290 Fr-HS Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Nik Scalzo QB 6-0 175 Fr-HS Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Cardinal Gibbons)
Travis Tisdale RB 5-9 175 Fr-HS Valdosta, Ga. (Lowndes)
J.J. Weaver OLB 6-5 240 Fr-HS Louisville, Ky. (Moore Traditional)
Tra Wilkins LB 6-0 215 Fr-HS Stone Mountain, Ga. (Stephenson)
Pronunciation Guide
Taj Dodson – same as “Taj Mahal” Nik Ognenovic – “Oh-GIN-oh-vick”
Cavon Butler – “CAY-von” Tra Wilkins – “trey”
Jalen Geiger – “GI-ger”
Quandre Mosely – “QUAN-dray”
| Susan Lax / Associate Director of Media Relations/Football |
