UWA Football Signed 28 Student-Athletes

LIVINGSTON, Ala. - West Alabama's head football coach Brett Gilliland announced the addition of 28 student-athletes to the 2023 signing class. UWA signed 13 on Feb. 1 National Signing Day, while the other 15 signed during the early signing period.

Feb. 1 National Signing Day
On National Signing Day, Feb. 1, UWA inked 13 of the 28 student-athletes. 13 signees are from Alabama, while one is from Florida. Listed by position, UWA added three defensive backs, three defensive linemen, three offensive linemen, two running backs, a tight end, and a kicker to its roster.

J'dyn Arrington | Defensive Back | 5'10 | 175 | Gardendale High School | Gardendale, Alabama
Arrington will graduate from Gardendale High School in May 2023. During his senior season, Arrington made 51 tackles, 41 solo and 10 assisted, over 10 games. He recorded five tackles for loss, four sacks, and recovered a fumble.

During the 2022 season, Arrington helped lead the Rockets to a 9-4 overall record and a 6A Region 5 Championship under head coach Chad Eads.

Jeremiah Beverly | Offensive Lineman | 6'3 | 240 | Mary G. Montgomery High School | Mobile, Alabama
Jeremiah Beverly will graduate from Mary G. Montgomery in May 2023. Beverly and the Vikings finished the 2022 season with a 6-5 overall record under head coach Zach Golson. Beverley was named to the 2022 AL.com Second Team Coastal Alabama All-Region Football Team and was named ASWA Honorable Mention All-State.

Gavin Brown | Running Back | 5'11 | 195 | Corner High School | Warrior, Alabama
Brown will graduate from Corner High School in 2023. During his senior season, Brown played in 10 games and had 1,750 yards on 231 carries, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. He had 30 touchdowns. Brown also had 10 receptions for 124 yards.

Brown and the Yellow Jackets finished the 2022 season with an 8-3 overall record and finished fourth in 4A Region 5 with a 5-2 record under head coach Jon Cooper.

Zachariah Carpenter | Offensive Lineman | 6'0 | 286 | B.B. Comer High School | Sylacauga, Alabama
Carpenter will graduate from B.B. Comer High School in May 2023. Carpenter was named All-County, All-Region, and ASWA 2A Second Team All-State. The Tigers were 2A State Runner-Ups. He helped lead the Tigers to a 12-3 overall record and a 2A Region 4 Championship under the 2022 ASWA Coach of the Year, Adam Fossett.

Elijah Dunn | Defensive Lineman | 5'11 | 266 | Gadsden City High School | Gadsden, Alabama
Dunn will graduate from Gadsden City High School in May 2023. During Dunn's senior season, he played in 12 games and made 51 tackles, 21 solo-stops. He recorded 15 tackles for loss, seven sacks, 20 QB hurries, four pass breakups, forced three fumbles, recovered two fumbles, had one interception, and a touchdown return.

During the 2022 season, he helped lead his team to a 7-6 overall record and a 6A Region 8 Championship under head coach Ali Smith.

Ayden Gibson | Defensive Lineman | 6'2 | 290 | Aliceville High School | Carrollton, Alabama
Gibson will graduate from Aliceville High School in 2023. During his senior season, Gibson played in 11 games. He made 27 tackles, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Gibson helped lead the Yellow Jackets to an 11-2 overall record and a 2A Region 5 Championship under head coach Grady Griffin.

Carlos Herring | Defensive Back | 5'9 | 171 | Pell City High School | Pell City, Alabama
Herring will graduate from Pell City High School in May 2023. Herring played in 11 games, making 76 tackles. He also had seven tackles for loss, seven fumbles recovered, five forced fumbles, five interceptions, and five pass deflections. He was named Alabama6AFootball.com Player of the Week three times.

Brayden Jenkins | Running Back | 5'11 | 180 | Theodore High School | Theodore, Alabama
Jenkins will graduate from Theodore High School in May 2023. During his senior season, he played in 13 games and had 2,043 yards on 296 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per carry with 26 touchdowns. He ranks sixth in the state of Alabama for rushing yards. Jenkins also recorded six receptions for 73 yards and had one touchdown.

Jenkins led the Bobcats to a 13-1 overall record and a 7A Region 1 Championship. Jenkins was named 2022 ASWA 6A First Team All-State, 2022 AL.com First Team Coastal Alabama All-Region Football Team, Alabama6AFootball.com Player of the Week twice, and MaxPreps Offensive Player of the Game three times. He also played in the 2022 AHSAA North-South All-Star Football Game. Jenkins is a member of the National Honor Society.

Seth Lawson | Offensive Lineman | 6'4 | 280 | Huntsville High School | Huntsville, Alabama
Lawson will graduate from Huntsville High School in May 2023. Lawson played in 31 games and had 110 pancake blocks over his three seasons on varsity. He had 62 pancake blocks his senior year.

The Panthers finished the 2022 season with a 6-5 overall record under head coach Mark Fleetwood. Lawson was Second Team All-Region three times (2020, 2021, 2022), Second Team All-Area (2021), and Second Team All-City (2020, 2021, 2022).

Briace McBeth | Tight End | 6'2 | 248 | Sparkman High School | Huntsville, Alabama
McBeth will graduate from Sparkman High School in May 2023. During his senior season, he had nine receptions for 95 yards, averaging 10.6 yards per catch, and scored three touchdowns. The Senators finished the 2022 season with a 5-5 overall record under head coach Laron White.

Jason Slicker | Kicker | 5'11 | 206 | Lemon Bay High School | Englewood, Florida
Slicker will graduate from Lemon Bay High School in May 2023. He was the Ray Guy Top Prospect on Prokicker.com. He was named 2022 FAB 50 Top Punters, ranking No. 12.

DJ Tolliver | Defensive Back | 6'0 | 172 | Pike Road High School | Montgomery, Alabama
DJ Tolliver will graduate from Pike Road High School in May 2023. During his senior season, he made 38 tackles, 23 solo and 15 assisted over 12 games. The Patriots finished the 2022 season with a 7-5 overall record and went 4-2 in 6A Region 2 under head coach Ed Rigby.

James David Williams II | Defensive Lineman | 6'3 | 240 | Davidson High School | Mobile, Alabama
Williams II will graduate from Davidson in May 2023. During his senior season, he played in nine games under head coach Rick Cauley. He had 72 tackles, 37 solo-stops and 35 assisted. He recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

UWA Mid-Year Football Signees
Among the 28 student-athletes, UWA signed 15 of them during the early signing period. The signees joined UWA's campus on Jan. 9 when school started back in session.

The 15 signees came from five different states: Alabama (2), Florida (1), Georgia (1), Mississippi (10), and Texas (1). Listed by position, the Tigers added three defensive linemen, three offensive linemen, three wide receivers, a running back, kicker, tight end, linebacker, safety, and a defensive back to its roster.

Drew Allbrooks | Defensive Lineman | 6'1 | 299 | Mississippi Delta Community College | Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Allbrooks played in seven games at Mississippi Delta Community College under head coach Tavares Johnson during the 2022 season. He recorded 13 tackles, eight solo and five assisted.

Allbrooks graduated from Central High School in 2020. Over three years on varsity, he played in 13 games and made 52 tackles.

Kendall Coleman | Wide Receiver | 5'9 | 170 | Jones College | Ackerman, Mississippi
Coleman transferred from Jones College and played in 24 games over three seasons under head coach Steve Buckley. He recorded 70 receptions for 745 yards.

During the 2022 season, he played in 10 games. He recorded 34 receptions for 354 yards and had three touchdowns.

Coleman graduated from Choctaw County in 2020. During his senior year, he helped the Chargers to an 11-4 record and a 3A state semifinal appearance. He rushed for 531 yards and had three touchdowns. He also had 27 receptions for 288 yards and four touchdowns.

Andrew Daragjati | Kicker | 5'11 | 165 | Bryant University | Jacksonville, Florida
Daragjati transferred from Bryant University. He graduated from Creekside High School in 2021. He finished 10-for-10 on field goals with a long of 44 as a senior and 26-of-27 on PATs. He was named First Team All-County and First Team All-State. He graduated Cum Laude.

Rico Dorsey | Wide Receiver | 5'10 | 175 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Dorsey transferred from Mississippi Gulf Coast CC and played in 16 games over two seasons under head coach Jack Wright. He recorded 49 receptions for 595 yards and nine touchdowns.

During the 2022 season, he played in eight games and recorded 20 receptions for 268 yards with two touchdowns.

Dorsey graduated from Presbyterian Christian in 2020. He had 1,697 yards on 118 carries, recorded 44 receptions for 709 yards, and scored 25 touchdowns. He was named MAIS Player of the Year and MAIS All-Star Game Offensive MVP.

Khiry Gee | Defensive Back | 5'10 | 167 | Hinds Community College | Starkville, Mississippi
Gee played in eight games at Hinds Community College under head coach Larry Williams. Gee graduated from Starkville High School in 2020. During his senior season, he played in 14 games and made 36 tackles and three tackles for loss. Gee helped the Yellow Jackets to a 12-3 overall record and a 6A Region 2 Championship.

Bryce Harley | Offensive Lineman | 6'5 | 290 | Northeast Mississippi Community College | Horn lake, Mississippi
Harley played in 12 games over two seasons at Northeast Mississippi Community College under head coach Greg Davis. He had 19 pancake blocks and only gave up two sacks during his time as a Tiger. Harley graduated from Horn Lake High School in 2021.

Travorus Hatcher | Defensive Lineman | 5'10 | 300 | Copiah-Lincoln Community College | Macon, Mississippi
Hatcher played in 17 games over two seasons at Copiah-Lincoln Community College under head coach Glenn Davis. During the 2022 season, he played in nine games, made 31 tackles, 13 solo and 18 assisted. He had six sacks for 31 yards.

Hatcher graduated from Noxubee County High School 2021. During his senior year, he played in 10 games under head coach Joe Bradshaw. He made 63 tackles, 35-solo stops and 28 assisted. He recorded 20 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.

Da'Vonta Jackson | Defensive Lineman | 6'4 | 255 | Hinds Community College | Greensboro, Alabama
Jackson played in 19 games over two seasons at Hinds Community College under head coach Larry Williams. During the 2022 season, he played in nine games and led the team with 42 tackles, 27 solo and 15 assisted. He had 82 tackles for loss and 21 sacks. Jackson had two fumble recoveries, ranking him 14th in the nation, and three pass deflections. Jackson graduated from Greensboro High School.

Michael McGowan | Running Back | 5'11 | 200 | East Mississippi Community College | Petal, Mississippi
McGowan played in 11 games at East Mississippi Community College during the 2022 season under head coach Buddy Stephens. He had a team-leading 548 yards on 98 carries and two touchdowns. McGown helped lead the Lions to their eighth conference championship win and was named to the Second Team All-MACCC Football Team.

Prior to EMCC, McGowan went to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He played in 15 games and had 612 yards on 144 carries with seven touchdowns over two seasons, one being a shortened season due to COVID-19.

McGowan graduated from Petal High School in 2020. During his senior year, he rushed for 1,819 yards on 292 carries and had 22 touchdowns over 14 games. He was named Mississippi Association of Coaches Class 6A First Team All-State and Clarion-Ledger Second Team All-State. McGowan was also selected to play in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Game.

Cole McDowell | Tight End | 6'3 | 225 | Murray State | Lubbock, Texas
McDowell transferred from Murray State and played in 12 games over two seasons under head coach Dean Hood. He recorded eight receptions for 83 yards. During the 2022 season, McDowell played in seven games. He had two receptions for 33 yards.

McDowell graduated from Lipscomb Academy in 2020 . During his senior season, he played in seven games, recorded four receptions for 35 yards, and had a touchdown.

Ishmael Naylor | Linebacker | 5'10 | 220 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | De Kalb, Mississippi
Naylor played in 17 games over two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College under head coach Jack Wright. During the 2022 season, he had 66 tackles, 30 solo and 36 assisted.

Naylor graduated from Kemper County High School. During his senior season, he had 11 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. He was named to the Mississippi Association of Coaches Class 3A All-State Second Team.

Collen Penton | Safety | 6'1 | 228 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | Picayune, Mississippi
Penton transferred from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and played in 19 games over two seasons under head coach Jack Wright. Penton graduated from Picayune Memorial High School in 2021.

Logan Sampson | Offensive Lineman | 6'4 | 323 | Southwest Mississippi Community College | Brandon, Mississippi
Sampson transferred from Southwest Mississippi Community College. During the 2022 season, he played in six games. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa. Sampson graduated from Brandon High School in 2021 and maintained a 4.0 GPA.

Tyler Walker | Wide Receiver | 6'0 | 190 | UT-Chattanooga | Moultrie, Georgia
Walker transferred from Chattanooga and played in 13 games over three seasons under head coach Rusty Wright. He had eight receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown. He was named to the Dean's List in 2021 and 2020 and was named to the 2020 A.D. Honor Roll.

Walker graduated from Colquitt County High School in 2020. He played in 12 games during his senior season under head coach Justin Rogers and had 45 receptions for 598 yards with four touchdowns. He was named All-Region.

Raidon Williams | Offensive Lineman | 6'4 | 300 | Mississippi College | Moss Point, Mississippi
Williams transferred from Mississippi College. The Choctaws led the Gulf South Conference in rushing yards with 3,576. Prior to MC, Williams played at East Central Community College for one season under head coach Jonathan Webster and had 10 pancake blocks. He played in seven games. Williams graduated from East Central High School in 2021.

To stay connected with the UWA football team, follow @UWA_football on Instagram and Twitter. General athletic news, along with game recaps and box scores, can be found at uwaathletics.com. Additional updates and information are available @UWAAthletics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#99 Drew Allbrooks: DL; 6' 1"; Junior

#4 Kendall Coleman Jr.: WR; 5' 9"; Junior

#43 Andrew Daragjati: K; 5' 11"; Junior

#3 Khiry Gee: DB; 5' 10"; Junior

#98 Travorus Hatcher: DL; 5' 10"; Junior

#85 Cole McDowell: TE; 6' 3"; Junior

#12 Ishmael Naylor: LB; 5' 10"; Junior

#74 Raidon Williams: OL; 6' 4"; Junior

#70 Logan Sampson: OL; 6' 4"; Junior

#7 Tyler Walker: WR; 6' 0"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#99 Drew Allbrooks
: 6' 1"; Junior
: DL

#4 Kendall Coleman Jr.
: 5' 9"; Junior
: WR

#43 Andrew Daragjati
: 5' 11"; Junior
: K

#3 Khiry Gee
: 5' 10"; Junior
: DB

#98 Travorus Hatcher
: 5' 10"; Junior
: DL

#85 Cole McDowell
: 6' 3"; Junior
: TE

#12 Ishmael Naylor
: 5' 10"; Junior
: LB

#74 Raidon Williams
: 6' 4"; Junior
: OL

#70 Logan Sampson
: 6' 4"; Junior
: OL

#7 Tyler Walker
: 6' 0"; Junior
: WR