CCU

Football Announces Its 2007 Signing Class

       

Football Announces Its 2007 Signing Class



CONWAY, SC – Coastal Carolina University has signed 21 to National Letters of Intent to play football for the Chanticleers next fall, head coach David Bennett announced today. This is the sixth recruiting class for Bennett and the Chants, who are three-time defending Big South Conference champions and made their first ever appearance in the Division I Football Championships last year. Coastal is 34-11 in its four years of play in Division I-AA, including an 12-4 mark in league play.

Of the signees, Coastal remained in the southeast, signing 10 from South Carolina, eight from Georgia and three from North Carolina. Among the class, two (Bellamy and Childers) are currently enrolled at CCU and will be going through spring practices with the Chanticleers.

Coastal Carolina's 2007 Football Signing Class

Name Pos Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School (Previous)
Jeff Antolik OL 6-3 285 Columbia, S.C./Richland Northeast
Brooks Barbaree DL 6-2 285 Douglas, Ga./Coffee
Antonio Bellamy* DB 5-10 160 Conway, S.C./Carolina Forest (Georgia Military)
Bryan Brooks OL 6-6 300 Goose Creek, S.C./Stratford
Jamie Childers* QB 6-5 225 Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando (Hargrave Military Acad.)
Ben Collins TE 6-3 222 Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County
Keon Cunningham S 6-0 181 Edgefield, S.C./Strom Thurmond
Ben Erdman P/K 6-2 170 Cleveland, N.C./West Rowan
Andre Ford OL 6-4 293 Waycross, Ga./Ware County
Tim Franklin OL 6-5 320 Prosperity, S.C./Gilbert
Derrick Frasier LB 5-11 215 Orangeburg, S.C./Orangeburg-Wilkinson
Corey Hawkins LB 6-2 210 Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood
Dexter Holman DE 6-3 210 Kathleen, Ga./Houston County
B.J. Jenkins DE 6-2 212 Darien, Ga./McIntosh
Travaughn (Tre) Long WR 6-2 190 Clemmons, N.C./West Forsyth
Eric O'Neal RB 5-9 180 Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County
Myron Rogers TE 6-3 205 Columbia, S.C./Irmo
Joe Rogers TE 6-3 236 Valdosta, Ga./Lowndes
Brian Sanders S 5-11 175 High Point, N.C./TW Andrews
Desmond Steward LB 6-0 230 Douglasville, Ga./Douglas County
Chris Walls LB 6-1 200 Conway, S.C./Conway
* Enrolled in spring 2006 at Coastal and will participate in spring drills

Signees by State:
South Carolina (10): Antolik, Bellamy, Brooks, Childers, Cunningham, Franklin, Frasier, Hawkins, M. Rogers, Walls
Georgia (8): Barbaree, Collins, Ford, Holman, Jenkins, O'Neal, Rogers, Steward
North Carolina (3): Erdman, Long, Sanders

Jeff Antolik OL 6-3 285 Columbia, S.C./Richland Northeast
Earned Class 4A All-State honors from the High School Sports Report after helping Richland Northeast to a berth in the playoffs... Also earned Honorable Mention All-State honors on the defensive line from The State his final season as well as on the offensive line as a junior after helping the Cavaliers to the 2005 Class 4A Lower State Championship...

Brooks Barbaree DL 6-2 285 Douglas, Ga./Coffee
Earned First Team Class AAAAA All-State accolades from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Associated Press his senior season, as well as being honored on the First Team All-Region squad and MVP of the defense at Coffee... Was named Second Team All-Region his junior season and honorable mention as a sophomore... Selected as a Pre-season All-Academic team member (honors not handed out until end of school year)... Chose Coastal over Ball State, Charleston Southern and Georgia Southern...

Antonio Bellamy* DB 5-10 160 Conway, S.C./Carolina Forest (Georgia Military)
Enrolled at Coastal for the spring semester and will be participating in spring drills... Played his first two years at Georgia Military College, including one with current CCU player Kerebi Gause... Helped GMC to an 8-2 mark his sophomore season with 13 tackles, including four for loss... Also was a part of their 2005 NJCAA National Runner Up squad... Two-year starter at Carolina Forest, playing both defensive back and wide receiver... Named 2003 WPDE All-Zoner and Shrine Bowl selection for South Carolina his senior year... Recorded 189 tackles, nine interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in his high school career... Also had 35 career receptions for 524 yards and five touchdowns... Selected as Sun News "Toast of the Coast" Honorable Mention selection after posting 87 tackles and five interceptions his junior year... Chose CCU over Division I schools Maryland, Memphis and Oklahoma State.

Bryan Brooks OL 6-6 300 Summerville, S.C./Stratford
Played on the offensive line at Stratford, helping the Knights to the Region 7-AAAA football championship, the Division I-AAAA semifinals and a 12-2 overall mark... Has only been playing football since his junior year... Chose Coastal over Charleston Southern, Newberry and Western Carolina...

Jamie Childers* QB 6-5 225 Mt. Pleasant, S.C./Wando (Hargrave Military)
Enrolled at Coastal for the spring semester and will be participating in spring drills... Played last season at Hargrave Military Academy... Was 119-of-191 for 1,716 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air his senior season at Wando in the school's run-first system, earning High School Sports Report SCISA All-State honors, Honorable Mention All-State accolades from The State and a spot in the 2005 SCADA North-South All-Star Game... Also played baseball at Wando...

Ben Collins TE 6-3 222 Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County
Earned Class AAAAA All-State First Team selection from the Associated Press, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Sportswriters Association... Picked for the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) North-South All-Star Game, while also being honored on the All-Middle Georgia and All-Region squads... Had 17 catches for 329 yards and three touchdowns while grading out at 87 percent blocking his senior season... Posted 40 career receptions for 529 yards and five touchdowns... Also played baseball for the Bears... Selected Coastal over Connecticut, Ball State, Army, Gardner-Webb and Western Carolina...

Keon Cunningham S 6-0 181 Edgefield, S.C./Strom Thurmond
Named Class 3A All-State by High School Sports Report and ranked in The State's Top 50, while being rated 32nd in the state among seniors on the High School Sports Report's top 100... Was a SCADA North-South All-Star game selection his final season Named to The Augusta Chronicle's South Carolina All-Area South team the past three years... As a junior had 58 tackles and three interceptions, earning First Team All-Area honors and helping the Rebels to the Class 3A State title (with current CCU Co-Offensive Coordinator Gary Smallen on the coaching staff)... Recorded five picks as a sophomore...

Ben Erdman P/K 6-2 170 Cleveland, N.C./West Rowan
Earned NCPreps.com Class 3A All-State accolades as a kicker, as well as All-Piedmont honors from the Charlotte Observer his senior year... In 2006 led the state of North Carolina in punting with 40.6 yards per punt and ranked eighth in scoring among kickers with 75 points (51 extra points, eight field goals)...

Andre Ford OL 6-4 293 Waycross, Ga./Ware County
A three-year starter on the offensive line at Ware County, earning All-Area First Team selection each of his three seasons... Named to the Region 3-AAAA All-Region squad his senior season... Nominated and a finalist for the Army Bowl... Helped the Gators to a playoff berth his junior season following being a starter on the offensive line for the 2004 Region 1-AAAA champs and a berth in the state semifinals his sophomore season... Selected Coastal over Eastern Kentucky...

Tim Franklin OL 6-5 320 Prosperity, S.C./Gilbert
Selected to play for South Carolina in the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, as well as Class 2A All-State by High School Sports Report...

Derrick Frasier LB 5-11 215 Orangeburg, S.C./Orangeburg-Wilkinson
Shrine Bowl selection for the state of South Carolina... Named Associated Press South Carolina All-Stat and Second Team All-State by The State, as well as All-Region by The Times and Democrat and Charleston Post and Courier... Recorded 174 tackles, six sacks and two fumble recoveries his senior season, leading Orangeburg-Wilkinson to the Class 4A Playoffs...

Corey Hawkins LB 6-2 210 Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood
Named Class 3A All-Stater by High School Sports Report and SCVarsity.com after leading Blythewood, in just its first season of play, to the Class 3A State title... Recorded 158 tackles (93 solo) 16 tackles for loss, a sack. five pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and blocked a kick to also earn All-Area honors from The State as well as All-Region honors... Played his first three years at Ridge View High School before the school split...

Dexter Holman DE 6-3 210 Kathleen, Ga./Houston County
Was a three-year letterwinner for the Bears... As a senior, earned Second Team All-Region 1-5A and First Team All-Houston County and All-Middle Georgia after recording 79 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, four sacks, three pass breakups, one fumble recovery, two forced fumbles... Had 55 tackles his junior season... Lettered as an offensive guard his sophomore year... Also ran track, qualifying for the state semifinals in the 110 hurdles his junior year, and plays basketball.

B.J. Jenkins DE 6-2 212 Darien, Ga./McIntosh Academy
First Team All-Region his junior and senior seasons, posting 71 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, seven sacks and nine hurries as a senior... Also named First Team All-Academic squad the last two years... Played football and basketball for McIntosh... Chose CCU over Appalachian State, Furman, Wofford and Georgia Southern...

Travaughn (Trae) Long WR 6-2 190 Clemmons, N.C./West Forsyth
As a senior led West Forsyth to the second round of the North Carolina Class 4-AA state playoffs for the first time since 2003... Had 10 catches for 179 yards and all three touchdowns in the second round game against Independence... For the season had 49 receptions for 996 yards and 10 touchdowns, finishing 20th in the state in receiving yardage... Also plays basketball for West Forsyth...

Eric O'Neal RB 5-9 180 Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County
Earned Offensive Player of the Year and First Team Class 5A All-State honors from the Associated Press and Georgia Sportswriters Association... Also named Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Associated Press First Team All-State selection his senior year after leading Region I-AAAAA in rushing with 1,609 yards and 26 touchdowns along with 24 receptions for 279 yards... Also earned All-Region honors and was named the region's Offensive Player of the Year, as well as All-Middle Georgia... Selected to play in the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) North-South All-Star Game... Rushed for rushed for 161 yards and five touchdowns in the first round of the Georgia State playoffs...Posted 528 career rushing attempts for 3,006 yards and 39 touchdowns in 25 career games... Averaged more than 100 yards a game in his nine games played his junior year... As a junior helped the Bears' basketball squad qualify for the postseason...

Myron Rogers TE 6-4 205 Columbia, S.C./Irmo
Named as one of the top 100 seniors by High School Sports Report...Led the Yellow Jackets to a Region 5-4A title and into the Class 4A playoffs his senior season, including a berth in the quarterfinals... Snagged 20 receptions for almost 400 yards his junior season... Also is a starter for the Yellow Jackets' basketball squad.

Joe Rogers TE 6-3 236 Valdosta, Ga./Lowndes
As a senior was named Second Team 1-AAAAA All-Region... Was part of back-to-back State Championships his junior and sophomore seasons, playing both tight end and defensive end... Also competed in track and field for the Vikings... Brother played professional basketball in Europe... Related to NFL players Marcus Stroud (Jacksonville) and Randall Godfrey (San Diego)...

Brian Sanders S 5-11 175 High Point, N.C./TW Andrews
Two-time all-conference performer that posted 80 tackles, two interceptions and 15 pass-breakups... Also had four interceptions along with rushing for 503 yards and posting 430 receiving yards his junior season... Runs a 4.5 40-yard dash... Also wrestled for TW Andrews...

Desmond Steward LB 6-0 230 Douglasville, Ga./Douglas County
Selected to play in the GACA North-South All-Star Game... A three-year starter for Douglas County, recording more than 300 tackles in his career... Two-time Douglas County Defensive Player of the Year... Had 151 tackles his senior year after recording 140 as a junior...

Chris Walls LB 6-1 200 Conway, S.C./Conway
Led Conway to the Division II Class 4A state title game... Named The Sun News "Toast of the Coast" Defensive Player of the year after posting 132 tackles, including 20 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, six pass breakups, one fumble recovered and one blocked kick his senior year... Also was honored on the Class 4A All-State squad by High School Sports Report and to the All-Zone squad by WPDE-TV... As a junior was also on the "Toast of the Coast" defensive squad after recording 10.5 sacks and 67 tackles as a rush end/outside linebacker for the Tigers...