HAMMOND - Southeastern Louisiana University head football coach Mike Lucas announced Wednesday the signing of 31 athletes to a National Letter of Intent for the 2007 season.

The class, which included three players who signed with Southeastern out of junior college in December and one Division I transfer, included 24 players from the state of Louisiana. Eighteen players were signed on defense, including eight defensive linemen, seven defensive backs and three linebackers. The Lions also inked one of the top-rated quarterbacks in Louisiana, one of the top kickers in the nation and four receivers, including a pair of prototypical tight ends.

"We are extremely excited with the newest members of our football program," Lucas said at a midday press conference. "As coaches, we always feel that we have an excellent recruiting class. This is my 19th season recruiting in the Southland Conference and this as good of a group as I've seen. We feel the young men we've brought in share in our vision of where we want to take the Southeastern Louisiana program. We have a family atmosphere on this campus and these players see that and want to be a part of it."

Committing itself to recruiting in its own back yard, Southeastern inked 24 players from the state of Louisiana with 22 coming from high school programs, eight from junior college and one Division I-A transfer. While working exclusively in the Hammond and Northshore area, Lucas and his staff also signed players from the River Parishes as well as North and Southwest Louisiana.

"The talent level in this state and in this area is extremely high," Lucas said. "We knew that we needed to focus on the state of Louisiana and we wanted to dominate this immediate area. The Northshore has an abundance of excellent football players and we were fortunate that many of those young men wanted to stay close home to be Lions."

After losing eight starters on defense from last year's team that faced major opponents New Mexico State, Southern Miss and Texas Tech, Lucas and his coaching staff worked on filling those spots, which included the loss of the entire defensive line, along with three starters in the secondary.

"We feel like we've made strides in several different areas," Lucas said. "Defensive line is probably the strength of the class. The four defensive tackles and four defensive ends that we’ve signed can all come in and play for us right away.

"Our coaches, led by recruiting coordinator Matt Webb, deserve a lot of credit for the work they've done with this class. Our players also played a big part in making our recruits feel comfortable on their official visits. (Southeastern President) Dr. (Randy) Moffett, along with our faculty and staff, also played a very instrumental part in our recruiting process. Everyone associated with our program helping us convey that Hammond is a great city and Southeastern Louisiana is a special place to be. These players know that Southeastern is a place they can exceed both athletically and academically."

2007 SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA FOOTBALL SIGNINGS
Breakdown - 31 players (24 are from Louisiana), 22 High school athletes, 8 Junior College athletes, 1 D-I transfer

By Position - Offensive Line (4), Tight End (2), Quarterback (1), Running Back (1), Wide Receiver (2), Defensive Line (8), Linebackers (3), Defensive Backs (7), Kickers (2), Athlete (1)

2007 SIGNEE CAPSULES
Miles Abrams, OL, 6-3, 265, Shreveport, La. (Captain Shreve HS)
A standout offensive lineman for Class 4A Captain Shreve ... a two-time first-team All-District selection as a junior and senior ... named first-team All-City and first-team All-District as a junior ... also participated in basketball and track.

Ryan Anderson, DE, 6-2, 255, Independence, La. (Independence HS)
A First-Team Class 3A All-State selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and Louisiana Football Coaches Association ... helped Indy to a 14-1 record as a senior and a runner-up finish in the Class 3A state playoffs

Jordan August, DT, 6-4, 290, Edgard, La. (West St. John HS)
A two-time All-District 9-1A selection at West St. John High School ... named to the All-River Parish and All-Metro teams as a senior and was selected as honorable mention All-State by the Louisiana Football Coaches Association ... played in the River Parish/Bayou Parish All-Star Game ... earned All-District honors in track ... chose Southeastern over McNeese State, Southern Illinois, Nicholls State, Southern and Grambling.

Devin Boutwell, DT, 6-3, 285, Buras, La. (South Plaquemines HS)
Named to the LHSAA Class 2A Academic All-State team ... a Preseason All-Metro New Orleans selection ... attended Buras High School before the school was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 ... attended South Plaquemines, a consolidated school that included students from Buras and rivals Port Sulphur and Boothville-Venice ... also recruited by Vanderbilt, Southern Miss, Tulane and Kansas State.

Josh Bridges, DT, 6-2, 275, Springfield, La. (Springfield HS)
A First-Team All-State and All-District 9-2A selection at Springfield High School ... helped the Bulldogs to their first-ever district championship in 2006 and berth in the second round of the state playoffs ... named First-Team All-Metro ... an honorable mention selection at offensive and defensive tackle as a junior despite missing all but two district games due to injury ... picked Southeastern over Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, Northwestern State and Grambling.

Lavar Brown, Ath., 6-3, 210, Kentwood, La. (Kentwood HS)
A first-team Class 1A All-State selection at Kentwood High School ... totaled 85 tackles with six sacks ... scored six touchdowns … recorded 95 tackles with 11 sacks as a junior ... honorable mention All-State selection as a junior ... helped lead 'Roos to four state playoff appearances, advancing to state championship game as a freshman ... selected Southeastern over McNeese State, Grambling and Arkansas State.

Jared Byers, DB, 6-0, 175, Vacherie, La. (St. James HS)
Two-time All-District selection at St. James High School ... as a senior participated in the Bayou/River All-Star game ... also earned all-region accolades ... chose Southeastern over Nicholls State, McNeese State and Tulane.

Nathan Clophus, DE, 6-3, 240, Sulphur, La. (Sulphur HS)
A Class 2-5A All-District and All-State selection at Sulphur High School ... helped the Tors to 2-5A district title and the Class 5A state runner-up finish in 2006 ... named All-Southwest Louisiana and was the recipient of the Rodney Bell Leadership Award ... selected Southeastern over Northwestern State, Louisiana-Lafayette and McNeese State.

Andre Cryer, WR, 5-8, 165, Kentwood, La. (Kentwood HS)
A two-time honorable mention Class 1A All-State selection at Kentwood High School, helping the 'Roos to four Class 1A state playoff appearances ... helped Roos post 11-2 record and a berth in the state semifinals as a senior ... scored 16 touchdowns as a senior ... caught 18 passes for 494 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior ... honorable mention All-State in track where he excelled in the 100-meters, the 4x100- and 4x200-meter relay teams.

Julian Dewberry, TE, 6-2, 245, South Pasadena, Calif. (Glendale College/South Pasadena HS)
A two-time All-California Conference selection at Glendale College ... caught 11 passes for 144 yards as a sophomore and helped the Vaqueros to an 8-2 record and No. 9 ranking in the Southern California Community College poll ... named to the All-Rio Hondo League team at South Pasadena High School ... played in the Hall of Fame All-Star Game.

Trey Douglas, DB, 6-1, 190, Hammond, La. (Southwest Mississippi CC/Hammond HS)
A Second-Team JUCO All-American at Southwest Mississippi Community College ... earned Preseason All-America honors in 2006 and honorable mention All-State honors as a freshman ... played for Carmon Moore at Hammond High School where he was a First-Team All-District selection as a senior ... named honorable mention All-District as a junior ... chose Southeastern over Jackson State, Alcorn State and Delta State.

Craig Duronslet, DB, 5-11, 175, Vacherie, La. (St. James HS)
Earned all-District and all-State honors as a senior at St. James High School ... was an honorable mention all-District selection as a junior ... chose the Lions over Nicholls State and Henderson State.

Eugene Engram, OL, 6-5, 330, Los Angeles, Calif. (Glendale College/Belmont HS)
A two-time First-Team All-Conference and All-City selection at Glendale College ... named the GC Lineman of the Year ... helped GC to an 8-2 record and No. 9 ranking in the Southern California Community College poll.

Ryan Godare, LB, 6-0, 205, Sulphur, La. (Sulphur HS)
Recorded 155 tackles with 27 stops for loss, three sacks, two interceptions and five forced fumbles ... named First-Team All-State in Class 5A ... named to the Academic All-State team ... selected First-team All-District in 2-5A and helped SHS to the 2006 State Championship runner-up where he was named the game's MVP ... also recruited by McNeese State, Northwestern State, Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana College.

Steven Honore, LB, 6-2, 240, New Roads, La. (Vermilion CC/Pointe Coupee Central HS)
Anchored one of the top defenses in junior college at Vermilion (Minn.) Community College totaling 120 tackles, including 18 stops for loss with seven sacks and six forced fumbles ... a First-Team All-Region 13 member ... led the Ironmen to an 11-2 record, a berth in the Dalton Defenders Bowl and a No. 11 ranking in the final national JUCO polls ... led VCC to a pair of Northern Division championships and the 2006 MCCC state championship ... prepped at Pointe Coupee Central High School.

Danny Hrapmann, K, 5-10, 170, New Orleans, La. (Holy Cross HS)
A two-star rating by Scout.com and ranked No. 22 among kickers nationally ... a two-time All-District 8-5A selection at New Orleans' Holy Cross High School ... named to the New Orleans All-Metro and Class 5A All-State teams ... helped Tigers to 7-5 record and berth in regional round of Class 5A state playoffs ... named to the 2006 Class 5A Academic All-State team ... chose Southeastern over Louisiana-Monroe.

Cory Neville, DE, 6-4, 260, Eunice, La. (Eunice HS)
Tallied 75 tackles and five sacks as a senior at Eunice High School ... named to the District 4-4A team and was an honorable mention selection on the 2006 Class 4A Academic All-State squad ... helped the Bobcats to an 8-5 record and the 4-4A championship ... team reached quarterfinals of 2006 state playoffs.

Mark Newbill, LB, 5-11, 210, Monroe, La. (Neville HS)
Two-time first-team All-State selection at Neville HS ... also earned multiple all-district and all-Northwest selections ... was district Most Valuable Player as both a junior and senior ... as a senior earned Toby Caston Award for top defensive player by the Monroe News Star along with KNOC and Northeast Louisiana Defensive Player of the Year honors ... two-star Rivals.con ranking and ranked 42nd on PelicanPreps.com pre spring top 50 list for state prospects ... carries 3.5 grade point average ... concluded his senior year with 109 stops, two interceptions and five sacks and also pitched in as a short-yardage runner on offense ... also recruited by Louisiana-Monroe, Tulane, Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, Ole Miss and Auburn.

Johnny Owen, RB, 5-9, 190, Reserve, La. (East St. John HS)
Named Co-Offensive Most Valuable Player in District 5-5A at East St. John High School ... rushed for 1,877 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior averaging 8.9 yards per carry ... named the New Orleans Metro Offensive MVP for Large Schools and was named to the Class 5A All-State and All-River Parishes teams ... ran for 826 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior averaging 10 yards per carry.

Marquis Powell, DB, 5-9, 207, Madison, Fla. (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC/Madison County HS)
A first-team NJCAA All-American defensive back in 2006 to go along with first-team All-State and All-Region accolades at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC ... played for former Southeastern letterwinner Steve Campbell ... was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the Southeast Region ... in high school was first-team All-State and first-team All-Area selection ... also participated in track and weightlifting ... also recruited by Southern Miss, Oklahoma State and Marshall ... currently enrolled at Southeastern.

Cody Samples, P, 5-9, 190, Ripley, Miss. (Gulf Coast CC/Ripley HS)
Two-time second-team All-State selection at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College under head coach and former Southeastern letterwinner Steve Campbell ... averaged 41.5 yards on 57 punts over two-year career with long of 57 ... placed 26 of 57 punts inside the 20 ... preseason NJCAA All-American in 2006.

Eric St. Amand, QB, 6-2, 210, New Orleans, La. (McDonogh 35 HS)
Top-rated quarterback in Louisiana by PelicanPreps.com ... led McDonogh to an 8-4 record and the District 9-4A championship ... named All-District and selected to the Maroon Honor Roll ... a two-star recruit by Rivals.com ... also recruited by Texas Tech, Southern Miss, Louisiana-Monroe, Ole Miss, Southern and Grambling.

Kory Theodore, WR, 6-1, 175, New Orleans, La. (West Jefferson HS)
Two-year letterwinner for Hank Tierney at West Jefferson High School ... lettered in track where he excelled in the 4x200- and 4x400-meter relay teams ... selected Southeastern over Nicholls State.

Kyle Tutor, OL, 6-2, 290, McCall Creek, Miss. (Copiah-Lincoln CC/Franklin County HS)
Transfer from Copiah-Lincoln Community College ... currently enrolled at Southeastern ... A first-team All-State, All-District and All-Area selection at Franklin County High School ... a First-Team member of the Southwest Mississippi Dream Team ... named Mississippi Association of Coaches First Team All-State and FCHS Best Offensive Lineman ... earned second-team All-District and All-Area honors as a junior ... chose Southeastern over Louisiana Tech, Chattanooga, Delta State and Tennessee-Martin.

Tyler Unsworth, OL, 6-8, 292, Slidell, La. (Southern Miss/Northshore HS)
Transfer from Southern Miss and currently enrolled at Southeastern ... played for Frank Jabbia at Northshore High School ... as a senior, graded 91 percent for the season with 30 pancake blocks, and helped pave the way for an offense that gained 200 yards rushing per game ... team finished 1-5 on the year, playing a shortened season because of Hurricane Katrina ... named to the Times Picayune "Best of the Rest" ... an all-district selection ... also lettered in track and basketball ... a three-star rating by Rivals.com ... All-Southeast Region by PrepStar ... in addition to Southern Miss was recruited by Louisiana-Lafayette, LSU, Memphis, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

Cole Wardell, TE, 6-4, 237, Rockwall, Texas (Rockwall HS)
Named First-Team All-District in 10-5A at Rockwall High School ... served as team captain and was a second-team Academic All-Texas selection ... named honorable mention All-District as a junior ... recruited by Rice, Army, Navy, SMU and North Texas.

Jeremiah Williams, DB, 6-1, 200, Baton Rouge, La. (Capitol Academy)
Rated No. 45 on Max Emfinger's Louisiana Super Sixth Playmakers List ... earned a three-star rating by PelicanPreps.com ... recorded 75 tackles and returned two fumbles for touchdowns as a senior ... team captain as a junior ... also lettered in basketball and track ... recruited by Arkansas State, Memphis, Louisiana-Monroe and Southern.

John Williams, DT, 6-2, 290, Independence, La. (Independence HS)
Named the District 9-3A Defensive MVP as a senior at Independence High School ... named to the All-Region and All-State teams ... two-star rating by Rivals.com ... named All-Louisiana by Louisiana Sports Magazine ... totaled 90 tackles and nine sacks as a senior with 70 stops and five sacks in 2005 ... helped Indy to the 2006 Class 3A state championship game ... named First-Team All 9-3A, All-Region and All-State as a junior ... chose Southeastern over Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State and Northwestern State.

Travis Williams, DB, 5-11, 196, Ocean Springs, Miss. (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC/Ocean Springs HS)
A two-time JUCO All-American at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College ... currently enrolled at Southeastern ... named twice to the All-State and All-Region teams ... helped MGCC to a second-place finish in Mississippi ... also recruited by Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Southern Miss and Tennessee-Martin.

Re'Keem Wilson, DB, 6-0, 175, Franklinton, La. (Franklinton HS)
Three-time first-team All-District 9-3A selection for Franklinton High School leading his team in tackles for two of three years ... recorded 15 total interceptions during his career ... attended the U.S. Army All-American combine ... also recruited by Southern Miss, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette and Grambling.

Adam Zeringue, DE, 6-2, 263, St. Francisville, La. (West Feliciana HS)
As a senior earned All-District 8-3A honors at defensive end ... earned the same award as a junior playing offensive tackle ... was an All-State Honorable Mention selection as a senior at defensive end ... participated in the Baton Rouge U.S. Army Red Stick Bowl ... played all four defensive line positions.