Louisiana Tech Football Announces 2017 Signing Class

RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech head football coach Skip Holtz officially announced the signing of 13 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, making it a total of 20 new Bulldogs that joined the family on National Signing Day.

In all, the 2017 signing class is balanced as Holtz and his staff brought in nine players on the offensive side of the ball and nine on defense. Additionally, the Bulldogs inked two players on special teams. LA Tech added 13 players out of high school with six from the junior college ranks.

“Today is an exciting day and this is my favorite time of year,” Holtz said. “There is a lot of excitement right now with the 2017 season because of the class we just signed. Having the opportunity to put this class together really excites me. There is a great mix of players in this group that will have the opportunity to come in and compete as freshmen and make a major contribution on this team. When you go out recruiting, you have to make sure to answer all your needs for 2017, but also your needs for 2018, ’19, ’20 and ’21. This class has a chance to make an impact on the field in 2017, but there is also a chance to have some impact players long into the future.”

Both the defensive secondary and offensive lines received the biggest bolsters Wednesday morning with several playmakers signing on with the Bulldogs. Seven of LA Tech’s signees will be featured in the secondary with one of the biggest gets of the day coming at 7:45 a.m. when defensive back Amik Robertson out of Thibodaux High School signing on to be a Bulldog in 2017. LA Tech also received a pair of local products when Neville’s Jaiden Cole and Jacorion Andrews officially became Bulldogs. Jordan Baldwin (Iowa Central CC/Tickfaw, La.), Randy Hogan (Pearl River CC/Pascagoula, Miss.), Kollin Hurt (Gilmer HS/Gilmer, Texas) and Michael Sam (Trinity Valley CC/Lafayette, La.) also add depth in the secondary for the Bulldogs.

On the offensive line, Robert McFarland added five players to his position group, including a junior college duo of Drew Kirkpatrick and Hanner Shipley out of Blinn College. Conner Estes (East Central HS/Moss Point, Miss.), Kennedy Madison (Ouachita HS/Monroe, La.) and Joshua Mote (Oak Grove HS/Oak Grove, La.) make up the additional three offensive linemen that joined the LA Tech family today.

The day began with the Bulldogs receiving a National Letter of Intent from quarterback and Amite High School product Elijah Walker at 7:30 a.m., while LA Tech also received more boosts on the offensive side of the ball as the morning continued with three prep wide receivers signing on the dotted line on Wednesday in Griffin Hebert (St. Thomas More HS/Lafayette, La.), George Scott III (Adams County Christian HS/Natchez, Miss.) and Cualan Williams (Lafayette County HS/Stamps, Ark.).

The 2017 class includes players from all across the south with nine players from Louisiana, five from Texas, four from Mississippi, one from Arkansas with the final student-athlete set to join the Bulldogs being punter Davan Dyer (Griffith University), who hails from Gilston, Australia. The Bulldogs also added a kicker in the signing class with Brady Farlow set to join the LA Tech family from Jones County Junior College.

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