TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Dec.18) – Coach Earl Holmes and staff today announced early period signing of some junior college, transfer and prep school athletes for the 2014 football season.
The following recruits represent the early signing class of 2014:
Patrick Dalton (6'6”, 340 lbs.) Fayetteville, Ga. – OL, Jireh Preparatory School. Dalton is an impressive addition to the Rattler offensive line. He was recruited by Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Clemson and Tennessee. He is considered a behemoth lineman, who could develop into a prototype of a guard. For his size, he is reported to have quick feet and extremely strong hands. He has athletic legs and a massive upper body. His lengthy wingspan is important because when he latches on to a defender, he can render them useless.
Keir Abrams (5'11, 240 lbs.) Berkeley, California – FB, Berkeley High School. Abrams is a solid lead blocker and capable of getting tough yards. He also has soft hands and is able to make receptions out of the backfield. He went to Costa Contra College in San Pablo, California.
Shazzon Mumphrey (6'4”, 230 lbs.), Louisville, Kentucky – QB, Dakota College at Bottineau. Mumphrey is an athletic quarterback, who excels in a pro-style athlete who threw for over 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. He runs a 4.5, 40-yard dash. He is a solid athlete benching 335 lbs., and squatting 475 lbs.
Brian Blackburn (6'6”, 225 lbs.), Detroit, Michigan – QB, He was ranked the No.25 ranked player in the state of Michigan and was ranked three star by 247.com and Scout.com. Out of high school, he went 134-for-219 for 61-percent with 2,234 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Mateo Kambui (6'3”, 288 lbs.) Wichita, Kansas – OC, Heights High School. Helped Butler Community College to a 9-2 record last season. He made first team All-KJCCC this past season at center.
Kendall Bruton (5'11, 185 lbs.) Long Island, New York - DB, Nassau Community College. Bruton is a solid run-stopper as well as pass defender. He had 20 tackles, 11 pass break-ups and two interceptions, both returned for touchdowns last season.
Samir Burns (6'2”, 295 lbs.) Linden, NJ – NG/DT, Monroe College. Burns earned Player of the Week Oct. 8, for his defensive performance. He had 60 tackles on the season, with 31 solos and 29 assists. He had three sacks and finished fourth in the conference in tackles.
Antoine Pickett (6'0”, 190 lbs.) Concord, California – RB/LB/DB, Contra Costa College. Pickett was ranked the No.2 defensive back in California by MaxPreps. He runs a 4.5 - 40 yard dash and has a 25” vertical leap.
A.J. Lidell (6'3”, 200 lbs.) Atlanta, Georgia – WR, Atlanta Prep. ESPN rated Lidell as the No.49 player in the state. He was also three-star ranked by ESPN. Originally out of West Lake HS, he had several offers out of high school. While he plays wide receiver, he is also solide as a punt and kick returner.
Matt Tiedermann (6'1”, 310 lbs.) Ephraim, Utah – OL, Snow College. Tiedermann is an agile offensive lineman who could bolster the interior offensive line. With quick feet and great arm strength, Tiedermann was a teammate of Rattler receiver
Casey Glines.
Ron Harris (6'3”, 220 lbs.) Raleigh, NC – LB, Jireh Prep. All-Conference in high school at Leesville Road High School. Harris is known as a solid tackler, while having good coverage skills when he drops back. He has excellent lateral movement inside a solid frame.
James Sample (6'2", 205 lbs.) Sacramento, California – SAFETY/DB. Originally signed with the University of Washington and played one season before transferring to junior college. Sample plays downhill and hits like a linebacker. His ability to play in run support will keep backs off balance. His skill translates to a coverage team warrior because he has the speed and size to really light up kick returners. First-team All-CIF San Joaquin Section as a senior ... also named first-team All-Metro (Sacramento Bee), first-team All-Delta Valley Conference, and first-team All-NorCal by NorCalPreps.com ... also first-team all-state by rivals.com (SectionSports.com) and All-Northern California first-team by GoldenStatePreps.com ... third-team all-state by ESPN.com ... recorded 109 tackles as a senior at Grant ... played in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl ... led the Pacers to a 13-1 overall record ... team advanced to the championship game of the CIF San Joaquin Section Division II playoffs his senior year ... helped lead team to a 12-1 record as a junior, when he recorded 111 tackles for the season ... also named first-team All-Metro as a junior ... a PrepStar All-American ... named to the Tacoma News-Tribune's "Western 100" list of top recruits in the West ... rated the No. 135 overall recruit (all positions) and No. 9 safety in the country by rivals.com, which also named him the No. 15 prospect in California ... listed as the No. 22 safety in the nation by scout.com.
