National Signing Day was Tuesday, which means a brand-new class of Racer football players are headed to Murray State in the fall to begin their collegiate careers. In a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Head Coach Chris Hatcher was pleased to announce the signing of 19 high school and junior college athletes. Paired with five players who signed toward the end of last year, the incoming football class features a total of 24 athletes.
Hatcher and his coaching staff worked hard this year to ensure much of the local and regional talent stayed close to home.
Several of the new signees call western Kentucky or Tennessee home. The Racers also swept the local talent pool, snagging five of the top players from the Mayfield and Murray areas.
Jonathan Jackson, a 5-foot-11-inch linebacker from Mayfield High School, headlines the Racers’ local findings. Jackson was ranked No. 121 on scout.com’s top 300 list and received interest from numerous schools including Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, the University of Louisville, Louisiana State (LSU) and the University of Kentucky.
The Racers also signed Murray High standout LaBront Scott. The 6-foot-2-inch defensive end logged 45 tackles in just four games for the Tigers during his senior season. Playing at Mayfield High School his junior year, Scott amassed 99 tackles, 16 sacks, one interception and three blocked punts. Scott was ranked No. 156 by scouts.com and given a three star rating by ESPN.
Hatcher and his staff face a tall task in improving a defense which ranked last in nearly every statistical category last season. While the offense led the conference, putting up 39.2 points per game, the defense allowed 41.4 points. Highly rated incoming players like Jackson and Scott will challenge returning players for starting positions in the fall on a defense which needs improving.
Other highlights of the Racers’ recruiting class include: Jedidiah Vivio (nicknamed ‘Jedi’ by Hatcher), a 6-foot-5-inch, 270-pound offensive lineman from Goodpasture Christian School in Springfield, Tenn.; Koty Hix, another offensive lineman from Fort Campbell, Ky.; Demetric Johnson, a running back from South Pittsburgh, Tenn.; and Warwick Marsh, a 305-pound defensive lineman from Clarksville, Tenn.
In his fourth season at the helm of the Racers, Hatcher will look to capture a conference championship, which has eluded Murray State since sharing the title with Eastern Illinois in 2002.