Quarles Announces December Signing Class

Friday, December 23, 2022

Bucs land nine in December signing period

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Dec. 23, 2022) – East Tennessee State University football head coach George Quarles and his staff announced on Friday the signing of nine Buccaneers during the December signing period.

The class features six defensive players and three offensive players. Of the six on the defensive side, two are defensive linemen, two linebackers and two defensive backs, while on offense, the Bucs are bringing in a running back, offensive lineman and wide receiver. Three players are FBS transfers and six are high school signees.

“We are very excited to add some new members to the Buc family,” said Quarles. “We were able to add some speed and playmaking ability on the perimeter, and some size and strength to the interior. Most importantly, we added some good young men to our program who also happen to be good players. We were able to address some needs as we continue to build towards the ‘23 season.”

Below are bios of the players ETSU signed on Friday.

Ray Coney – 6’3” – 220 – Linebacker – Fairfield, Ohio (Fairfield HS)

Multi-sport athlete at Fairfield High School
Lettered in football and basketball
Named team Defensive Player of the Year
Earned second team south Ohio district honors
First team Greater Miami Conference selection and second team all-city
Recorded 52 tackles in his junior season
Had offers from Army, Navy, Air Force and Bowling Green

Brenden LeBlanc – 6’0” – 245 – Defensive Line – Marrero, La. (Brother Martin HS)

Four-year letterwinner at Brother Martin High School
Two-time all-district selection
Posted 90 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks
Recorded 33 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery his junior year
Led the Crusaders to the state championship game – the first time in 33 years the program made an appearance in the title game
Broke the football team’s bench press program record
Dad (Michael) played football at Nicholls State … Dad is also an assistant coach at Brother Martin

Christian Mathis – 5’9” – 170 – Wide Receiver – Marietta, Ga. (Marietta HS)

Two-sport athlete at Marietta High School
Lettered in football and baseball
Finished his career with 125 receptions, 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns
First team all-state selection
Father (Mark) played football at Liberty and professionally with the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Edmonton Eskimos … His brother (Jordan) played at Western Carolina

Robert McNeal – 5’11” – 170 – Defensive Back – Bowdon, Ga. (Bowdon HS)

Played at Bowdon High School
Led the Red Devils to a Georgia 1A Division I state championship – program’s first state championship since 1992
Won three straight region titles
Dual-threat quarterback and defensive back at Bowdon
Rushed and threw for two touchdowns in the title game as Bowdon finished with a 14-1 record
Had 86 rushing yards and was 4-of-6 for 79 yards passing, while recording three solo tackles and a pass break up in the state championship game
Finished the season with 1,263 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, while he threw for 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns
Named Region 7-A Offensive Player of the Year
Had offers from UMass and Navy

Elijah Taylor – 6’2” – 215 – Linebacker – Gadsden, Ala. (Gadsden City HS)

Three-sport athlete at Gadsden City High School
Lettered in football, basketball and baseball
Helped lead Gadsden City to an undefeated season in region play
Brother Isaiah played at Alabama

Braxton Wilson – 6’1” – 290 – Defensive Line – Fayetteville, Tenn. (Fayetteville HS)

Two-sport athlete at Fayetteville High School
Lettered in football and baseball
Helped guide the Tigers to the 2020 state championship
Totaled 65 tackles, 10 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles his senior season
Played on four region champion teams at Fayetteville
The Tigers went 10-0 in the 2022 regular season to capture the Region 5-1A title
Earned all-state and all-region honors
Played in the 2022 Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association East-West All-Star Classic

TRANSFERS

Zach Borisch – 6’0” – 200 – Running Back – Kennewick, Wash. (University of Idaho)

Transfer from University of Idaho
Played in 19 career games for the Vandals, totaling 792 rushing yards on 168 carries and seven touchdowns … Saw time at quarterback where he was 25-for-48 for for 446 yards and three touchdowns
Played in 11 games in 2021 where he rushed for 502 yards and five touchdowns
Rushed for a season-high 119 yards against Eastern Washington on Oct. 16, 2021
Had two rushing touchdowns at UC Davis on Oct. 2, 2021
Made his first collegiate start at quarterback against Eastern Washington on April 10, 2021 … Rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns against the No. 9 Eagles, marking the second-most rushing yards by a quarterback in school history
Led the Vandals during the spring season with 283 yards on the ground, averaging 141.5 yards per game
Played at Kamiakin High School where he was named Washington 3A Player of the Year
Led Kamiakin to the program’s first state title in his senior season, scoring the game-winning touchdown in the championship game
Finished runner-up for state Player of the Year across all divisions
State qualifier in wrestling and track
Decorated judoka, earning bronze medals while representing Team USA at the 2016 Junior Pan-American Games and 2017 Flanders Cup

Jamison Collier – 6’2” – 200 – Safety – Snellville, Ga. (Ohio University)

Transfer from Ohio University
Has one year of eligibility remaining
Played in 22 career games for the Bobcats
Registered 40 career tackles at Ohio
Led the team with 19 tackles (15 solo, four assisted) in 2020 (three games played)
Finished with 19 tackles (14 solo) in 2021
Set career highs with eight tackles (seven solo) against Central Michigan on Nov. 4, 2020
Played at Brookwood High School where he totaled 96 tackles, five pass deflections and three interceptions his senior year
Finished his high school career with 267 tackles, 18 pass deflections, four sacks, four interceptions, while also adding 30 receptions and six touchdowns

Luke Slusher – 6’4” – 285 – Offensive Line – Edgewood, Ky. (Western Kentucky University)

Transfer from Western Kentucky University
Will have all four years of eligibility with ETSU
Played at Beechwood High School in Edgewood, Ky.
Three-star recruit by 247 Sports
Had offers from Air Force, Eastern Michigan, Eastern Kentucky and Furman coming out of high school

For more information on Buccaneer football, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football page.