www.ncataggies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=24500&ATCLID=211789575A&T Announce 21 Signees on Signing Day
NCATAGGIES.COM WED, FEB 6
EAST GREENSBORO (February 6, 2019) – North Carolina A&T announced 21 new additions to the football program on National Signing Day, Wednesday. The Aggies have had two NFL draft picks and numerous NFL free agent signings come from their previous five National Signing Days.
Previous Signing Days have included three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) offensive player of the Year and Chicago Bear Tarik Cohen. It has also included three-time MEAC offensive lineman of the Year and Oakland Raider Brandon Parker.
Record-breaking quarterback Lamar Raynard, the 2017 MEAC offensive player of the year, was signed in 2014. Current Cincinnati Bengal, defensive back Tony McRae, was signed in 2012. Darryl Johnson, Jr., the 2018 MEAC defensive player of the year, came to N.C. A&T in 2015.
The 2019 class includes five defensive linemen, three wide receivers, three offensive linemen, three linebackers, two athletes, two running backs, two defensive backs and a quarterback.
“I am pleased with the class itself,” said N.C. A&T coach Sam Washington. “I thought we did meet our needs which were linemen (offense and defense) and defensive backs. I thought we filled those voids well.”
The one quarterback the Aggies signed was Kingsley Ifedi, a Division I transfer out of East Carolina.
“I’m happy to have Ifedi. He has some experience playing at the college level. He gives us a great group of quarterbacks when you consider the guys who are already here for him to compete against. I’m looking forward to seeing how that works out,” Washington said.
Washington was also pleased with the linebackers who signed.
“We knew we were losing two (weak side) linebackers (Deion Jones and Julius Reynolds) with some experience,” Washington said. “We got two high school kids who are going to be very special players one day and we were able to get a linebacker with experience in Alex Fumbah.”
The Aggies also graduated two-time All-MEAC running back Marquell Cartwright, who ranks fourth on the Aggies all-time rushing list.
“I thought we landed a big fish in Cameron Hutchinson at running back,” said Washington. “I’m looking forward to him having a sensational career. Shemar Thompson, he is a really good football player too. The two of them are going to compete for carries the next four or five years easily.”
WR JaMichael Baldwin 5-foot-9, 165,
Conyers, Ga.,
Rockdale County High School
Savannah State University
Played two seasons at Savannah State … Ranked second in the conference in kickoff return average (22.1) as a freshman in 2017 … Returned one kickoff for a touchdown that same season… Earned third-team All-MEAC honors as a return specialist in 2017 … Averaged 12.7 yards per punt return as a sophomore.
WR Korey Banks5-11, 190, Tyrone, Ga.
Sandy Creek HS
University of South Carolina
Banks is already enrolled at N.C. A&T … Played wide receiver for the Gamecocks in 2016 before switching to cornerback in 2017 … Rivals ranked him as the 65thbest player in Georgia during his prep career … 247 ranked him as the 59th-best player in Georgia and the 112th-best player in the country … The three-star athlete earned All-State honors as a wide receiver after catching 61 passes for 813 yards and six touchdowns his senior season at Sandy Creek High School.
OL Trawn Barrington6-5, 305, Ontario, Canada
Silverado HS
Canada Prep Academy
Victor Valley College
Barrington signed with the Aggies in December … Will help the Aggies replace some key linemen they lost after the 2018 season … He played right tackle at Victory Valley College and will bring experience to a youthful offensive line … He maxed out at 415 pounds on the bench … The VVC offense averaged 131.9 rushing yards per game … They also scored 27.1 points per game.
DB Herbert Booker5-10, 185, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Oak Ridge HS
Booker fills a pressing need the Aggies have in the defensive backfield … Comes to Aggieland after being a Division I Class 5-A finalist for Mr. Football in Tennessee … Recorded nine interceptions and returned four for touchdowns as a senior … Booker also entertained offers from Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, Georgia State, East Tennessee State and Samford.
DB Anthony “AJ” Dupree5-11, 190, Snow Hill, N.C.
Greene Central HS
Dupree is another excellent defensive back the Aggies were able to sign to replace the like of a Timadre Abram or Jamaal Darden … Earned All-Area running back honors from The Free Press newspaper in Kinston, N.C. … As a senior running back, he carried the ball 156 times for 1,415 yards and 24 touchdowns … On the defensive side of the ball, he made 35 tackles and picked off three passes … During his junior season, The Free Press named him All-Area as a defensive back after he made 66 tackles and intercepted seven passes.
WR Mykul “Prestige” Edwards6-5, 183, Charlotte, N.C.
East Mecklenburg
Edwards comes in as another big-body receiver similar to other great N.C. A&T wideouts such as Denzel Keyes and Elijah Bell … Will bring speed on the outside for the Aggies … May have been overlooked because of his high school team’s record but he posted excellent numbers … Scout.com ranked him as the 91st best player in the state and a three-star athlete … Averaged 21.9 yards per reception his senior season.
LB Alex Fumbah6-1, 225, Snellville, Ga.,
Shiloh HS
Fort Scott Community College
He will fill a major void at linebacker while bringing experience to the position … Excellent signee for the Aggies who is already enrolled in school … Earned all-conference honors while playing at Fort Scott Community College … Posted 104 tackles, 4 ½ sacks and returned two recovered fumbles for touchdowns … He was an all-region player at Shiloh.
ATH Aaron Harris5-9, 180, Elizabeth City, N.C.
Northeastern HS
Was a dual-threat quarterback at Northeastern High School … As a senior, he led the Eagles in rushing with 1,790 yards and 17 touchdowns … From the air, he was 86 of 133 for 1,496 yards, 16 touchdowns and three interceptions … It has not been decided what position the versatile athlete will play in college … Led the Eagles to the Class 2-A state championship game where they were defeated by Reidsville.
RB Cameron Hutchinson5-11, 210, Havelock, N.C.
Havelock HS
Should bring excitement and touchdowns to Aggieland … Aggies were able to land a three-star back according to 247 Sports … Rushed for 1,218 yards and 22 touchdowns on 107 carries … Averaged an incredible 11.4 yards per carry as a senior … Named first-team All-Area by the Sun Journal… As a junior, he was named ESPN 252 Player of the Year after rushing for 1,033 yards and 19 touchdowns … Also had 800 receiving and 10 TD receptions.
QB Kingsley Ifedi6-3, 215, Charlotte, N.C.
Vance HS
East Carolina University
Played last season at East Carolina … Played in the Aggies win over the Pirates last season where he attempted five passes … Attempted nine passes in his career at ECU … As a high school standout at Vance, he amassed 5,144 total yards and 64 touchdowns as a senior … It ranked as the fourth-highest single-season yardage total in North Carolina prep history … Led the Cougars to a 13-2 record and the Class 4AA West Regional Championship game where they were defeated by Page … As a senior, he became only the 14thplayer in NCHSAA history to rush for 1,000-plus yards and pass for 4,000-plus yards … He threw for 47 and rushed for 17 touchdowns on his way to earning Charlotte Observer player of the year…Played his first prep season at Berry Academy before transferring to Vance for the final three years of his high school career.
OL Jason Ivey6-4, 297, Charlotte, N.C.
South Mecklenburg
Brings to N.C. A&T speed and size … Has the type of frame that can add muscle in time to make him another in a long line of all-conference linemen at N.C. A&T … Also considered Charlotte, N.C. Central, West Virginia and Hampton before signing with the Aggies.
DL Tyquan Johnson6-3, 289, Cordova, S.C.
Edisto
Will be expected to come in and keep the Aggies long tradition of stopping the run going … Has the size, speed and agility the Aggies look for in their defensive linemen … Maxed out at 365 pounds on the bench and 480 pounds on the squat during his high school career … Also earned interest from Eastern Michigan, Middle Tennessee State, Troy, UAB and Wake Forest … Earned All-Area and All-Region honors a senior … Listed as a two-star athlete by Rivals.
OL Cesar Minarro 6-3, 283, Charlotte, N.C.
Sun Valley HS
Comes from a high school program that had a high-powered offense … Minarro was the leader on an offensive line that helped the Sun Valley offense average 40 points per game … The offense threw for more than 4,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,800 yards while compiling 38 touchdowns through the air and 25 on the ground.
LB Jacob Roberts6-0, 218, Charlotte, NC
Mallard Creek
Comes from a perennial powerhouse program at Mallard Creek … Mallard Creek is usually ranked as one of the top-3 teams in the state and they are usually in the mix for a state title … An intense player who should make a lot of plays for the Aggies … Comes to Aggieland as a two-star athlete but has the talent to be a standout defensively.
DE Janorris Robertson6-2, 240, Jacksonville, Fla.
Raines HS
Led his team to consecutive 4-A state titles in 2017 and ‘18 … Led Raines to a 13-1 mark in 2018 … Named the Times Union first-team All-First Coast … Made 79 tackles, 13 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, recovered two fumbles, caused a fumble and intercepted a pass … One of his fumble recoveries went for a touchdown … Chose the Aggies over Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman, Northern Iowa and Alcorn State.
DE Kyle Stanback6-6, 260, Newbury Park, Calif.
Newbury Park HS
N.C. A&T gets a tenacious pass rusher out of the state of California … Stanback can really get after quarterbacks registering more than 30 quarterback hurries in his career … As a senior, he made 48 tackles, 4 ½ sacks and caused two fumbles.
ATH Janaz Sumpter 5-11, 180, Hemingway, S.C.
Carver’s Bay HS
N.C. A&T lands another superb athlete … Sumpter played in the North/South All-Star Game as well as being named second-team All-State by USA Today… As a defensive back, he made 65 tackles and eight interceptions with four of those INTs going for touchdowns … As an offensive threat, he rushed for 1,072 yards and threw for 1,135 yards and 16 touchdowns … Also returned three punts for touchdowns.
RB Shemar Thompson6-0, 190, Burlington, N.C.
Walter Williams HS
Thompson adds to an impressive Signing Day class of running backs in 2019 … 247 Sports gave him a three-star rating … As a senior, he rushed for 832 yards and 12 touchdowns on 101 carries … The previous year he ran for 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns on 190 carries … Thompson also considered East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb and James Madison.
DL Melik Ward5-11, 265, Tarboro, N.C.
Tarboro HS
N.C. A&T racked up in the defensive line department with the signing of Ward … Has speed and agility and should help plug the running lanes of opponents … Aggies have a long tradition of stopping the run and Ward fits the criteria to keep the tradition going … As senior, he made 75 tackles, 5 ½ sacks and caused two fumbles.
DT Thomas Washington6-2, 280, Fayetteville, N.C.
Seventy-First HS
Led his team to an 11-4 mark … Has a reputation of being a very disruptive interior defensive lineman … Was a Fayetteville ObserverBest of 910 Preps All-Area first-team defensive player … Finished the 2018 season with 62 tackles, six sacks and he recovered four fumbles … Had 12 tackles in a game against Scotland County.
OLB Chase Williamson6-0, 200, Gastonia, N.C.
Hunter Huss HS
Excellent addition to a team who lost two outside linebackers in 2018 … Williamson earned second-team All-Big South 3AA as a senior … As a senior, he made 119 tackles (87 unassisted), 9 ½ sacks, two interceptions, two touchdowns, caused three fumbles and recovered one.