Troy Football Inks Landmark Recruiting Class

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TROY, Alabama – One year after signing arguably the top recruiting classes in school history, Troy head coach Neal Brown and his staff one-upped themselves with the 2017 signing class. Troy signed 16 players on Wednesday in addition to a pair of early signees from December to push its total to 18 student-athletes so far in this class.

Littered with some of the top players in the state and across the Southeast, Troy's signing class features the three-time Alabama 1A Player of the Year, the Alabama 5A Region 7 Player of the Year and numerous all-state selections.

"Today was a huge day as we take the next step in rebuilding this program," Brown said. "I'm proud of our staff – Brian Bennett, our director of player personnel, and Al Pogue, our recruiting coordinator, really led the charge. Our number one focus in this class was adding speed and athleticism at the wide receiver and defensive back positions, and no doubt we did that.

"We're huge on live evaluations and 15 of the 18 guys that we signed in this class we had in camps. When we go about choosing who we are going to recruit and who we are going to focus on, we focus on three things. Athletic ability is definitely the first and then we look at academics. I'm really proud about how this group has done academically – we've got 11 guys that have core GPAs of over 3.0 – and finally they need to be high character guys."

The Trojans signed three-time Alabama 1A Player Year Terence Dunlap from Maplesville (Ala.) High School after he rushed for 2,821 yards his senior season. DK Billingsley from Scottsboro (Ala.) High School was named the AL.com All-Huntsville Region Offensive MVP and the Alabama 5A Region 7 Player of the Year after he set a school record with 2,109 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns on 240 carries his senior year

Additionally, the Trojans signed Rickards (Fla.) High School's Travius Harris, who is rated among the top 101 offensive guards in the country by 247Sports, while Marcus Jones from Enterprise (Ala.) is rated among the top 50 players in the state by ESPN.

Kicker-punter combo Evan Legassey ranks among the top 25 kickers in the country per ESPN, while Travon Mathis is rated as the 65^th best strong side defensive end in the country by 247Sports. Peach County (Ga.) High School linebacker Kevin Nixon ranks among the country's best linebackers and Ramsay (Ala.) High School linebacker Justin Whisenhunt among the top 100 players in the state of Alabama by 247Sports.

Neal Brown Press Conference:

"We took a huge step in continuing to rebuild the wall here. I am proud of our staff, they invested a lot of time and effort. That group was led by Brian Bennett our director of player personnel and Al Pogue our recruiting coordinator. They did a tremendous job. We have a great product to sell, so that part of it is definitely beneficial. We have a good college town here. We have a great university with a proud football tradition and we are set in some prime real estate with a lot of really good football players in our immediate area. This is a two-year process. This isn't just something that started last week. This is the first class that we have signed since I have been the head coach that has gone through the two-year process where I didn't feel like I was catching up and playing from behind. We concentrated on our home areas, and our home state of Alabama and you can see that. This is the third class in a row that has been heavy on Alabama student-athletes. We also went into Georgia and Florida and Mississippi junior colleges. Those are our home areas and we don't get out of our area very often. The things that we were really looking at were first, was the football piece. Can they play, are they talented enough, and are they winners? The second thing is the academic piece and the third of that is character. Not only is this group of guys extremely talented football players, but we also have 11 guys of the signees that are a 3.0 or better in their core courses and they are a really good bunch of guys. We got to know a lot of really good families on the recruiting trail as well, and we are not only excited about welcoming these student-athletes into our football family, but their entire family as well.

"This class the emphasis was on speed. I felt like we had to improve on the perimeter at defensive back and wide receiver, just looking at last year's games and understanding what we had coming back. We had to get faster as a football team. I thought we got exposed at some times last year towards the end of the season at both of those positions and also on special teams. A lot of the times your special teams are made out of defensive backs and wide receivers and you see five defensive backs in this group and four, potentially five, wide receivers in this group. I think it is important to know that we are planning to add to this class. We are waiting on the paperwork on one student-athlete, we fully anticipate adding a quarterback in the near future and we have a couple of local guys that we hope are part of this class down the road."

2017 Troy Football Signing Class

DK Billingsley (5-9, 195, RB, Scottsboro, Ala. / Scottsboro HS)

High School: Helped lead Scottsboro High School to a 12-1 record and a trip to the Alabama 5A quarterfinals his senior season … Three-time selection to the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Team – first team selection as a senior, honorable mention as a junior and second team as a sophomore … Named the AL.com All-Huntsville Region Offensive MVP and the Alabama 5A Region 7 Player of the Year after he set a school record with 2,109 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns on 240 carries his senior year … Also caught 22 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown … Defensively, recorded 110 tackles and broke up six passes from his linebacker position … Named a finalist for the Alabama 5A Back of the Year … Rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries in the quarterfinal game … Set the Scottsboro High School single-game rushing record as a sophomore with 333 yards against North Jackson; he did so on 29 carries (11.5 ypc) and found the end zone five times … Reached the 1,000-yard mark just six games into the season; finished the season with 1,778 yards and eight touchdowns … Rushed for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry his junior season … Rated as one of the top 100 players in the state of Alabama by 247Sports

Personal: Full name is Dekarlos Jermaine Billingsley … Son of Bertha Billingsley … Born Sept. 25, 1997 … Has two brothers, Maji and Trevian

Bret Clark (5-11, 180, WR, New Hope, Ala. / New Hope HS)

High School: Twice named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Second Team; earned the honor following his senior and sophomore seasons at New Hope High School … Caught 34 passes for 536 yards as a senior – rushed for eight touchdowns, caught 12 touchdown passes and totaled over 1,500 all-purpose yards; also intercepted four passes … Holds New Hope's bench press record for a wide receiver at 315 pounds … Three-time all-region selection and earned Huntsville All-City first team honors his senior season … Rated as the 54^th best player in the state of Alabama by ESPN and a three-star recruit … Helped lead New Hope to the Alabama 3A basketball semifinals as a junior; scored 15 points in the semifinal game … Three-time all-area in basketball

Personal: Full name is Bret Matthew Clark … Son of Stacey and Nicholas Martin … Has two sisters, Krimson Clark and Trinity Martin … Born Oct. 29, 1998

Rasool Clemons (6-5, 245, DE, Aiken, S.C. / Aiken HS / East Mississippi CC)

East Mississippi CC: Missed the 2016 season due to injury after he recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and eight tackles in nine games as a freshman ... The Lions held opponents to just 14.8 points and 295.5 yards per game and rolled off an 8-1 record during his freshman campaign ... Rated as the 16th best junior college signee in the country and as a four-star recruit by Rivals ... Rated as the No. 3 junior college weak-side defensive end and as a three-star recruit by 247Sports

High School: Recorded 92 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and four sacks as a senior at Aiken High School ... Rated as the No. 6 recruit in the state of South Carolina by Rivals and was named the MVP of the Border Bowl II, all-star game between South Carolina and Georgia

Terence Dunlap (5-11, 170, ATH, Maplesville, Ala. / Maplesville HS)

High School: Named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State First Team three times as he led Maplesville High School to three straight Alabama 1A State Championships … Three-time Alabama 1A Most Valuable Player … Named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association Super 12 (best 12 players in the state regardless of classification) … Rushed 38 times for 180 yards and three touchdowns in the title game his senior year after rushing for 260 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries to go along with a 35-yard touchdown reception in the title game his junior season – his five touchdowns and 30 points scored were single-game Alabama championship game records … In three state championship games, rushed for 681 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 75 carries … Finished his senior season with 2,821 rushing yards for his second straight season over the 2,000-yard mark … Rated as one of the top 100 running backs in the country and top 65 players in the state of Alabama by 247Sports … The Red Devils posted a 56-3 record over his four seasons … Played running back and cornerback for the Red Devils in addition to returning punts and kicks

Personal: Full name is Terence James Dunlap … Son of Shervon Moore and Terence Dunlap … Has one sister, Shaveon … Born Jan. 13, 1999

Travius Harris (6-1, 315, OL, Tallahassee, Fla. / Rickards HS)

High School: Earned first Florida 5A all-state second team honors following his senior season at Rickards High School … Helped lead the Raiders to a 10-2 record and a berth in the second round of the Florida 5A Playoffs … Three-time all-district selection and was named Rickards Player of the Week on three different occasions … Earned All-Big Bend honors following his senior season … The Raiders averaged 419.4 yards and 36.2 points per game his senior year … As a junior, was as a key part of an offensive line that paved the way for 430 yards of offense and 30 points per game … Also played on the defensive line for the Raiders -- finished his career with 69 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and four sacks … Rickards posted a 25-10 combined records over his three varsity seasons … Ranked among the top 101 offensive guards in the country by 247Sports and 135 offensive guards in the country by ESPN

Personal: Full name is Travius Dewanye Harris … Son of Valencia Harris and Walter Jordan … Has two brothers, Jamal and Gerad, and one sister, Keisha … Born May 13, 1998

Bubba Hudson (6-4, 260, OL, Dawson, Ga. / Terrell County HS)

High School: Earned Georgia Class A all-state honors from RecruitGeorgia.com … Named team captain and first team all-district following his senior year at Terrell High School … Helped lead the Greenwave to a 7-4 record and a berth in the Georgia Class A Playoffs … Key starter on both the offensive and defensive lines … Also played basketball and competed in track & field at Terrell HS

Personal: Full name is Rodriquez Jernard Hudson, Jr. … Son of Debra Marcus-Williams and Rodriquez Bernard Hudson … Has one brother, Jamarkus, and one sister, Barbra … Born March 26, 1998, in Albany, Ga.

Bubba Johnson (6-4, 210, WR, Montgomery, Ala. / Lee-Montgomery HS)

High School: Named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Second Team following his senior year at Lee-Montgomery High School … Caught 48 passes for 853 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead the Generals his senior season en route to earning all-metro honors … Helped lead the Generals to an 8-4 record and a trip to the second round of the Alabama 7A Playoffs his junior season

Personal: Full name is Marquis Deshawn Johnson … Son of Contria Davenport and Jerry Johnson … Has one sister, Jasmine … Born April, 18, 1999, in Montgomery, Ala.

Marcus Jones (5-9, 170, CB, Enterprise, Ala. / Enterprise HS)

High School: Named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association 7A All-State First Team following his senior season at Enterprise High School … Helped lead Enterprise to an 11-2 record and a berth in the second round of the Alabama 7A Playoffs … Named to the AL.com Super All-State Team following his senior season … Recorded 27 tackles and five interceptions … Also returned three punts for a touchdown and one kickoff for a touchdown … Added a receiving touchdown and fumble return for a touchdown … As a junior, recorded 50 tackles, three interceptions, three tackles for loss, a forced fumble and eight pass break ups; returned one interception for a touchdown … Rated as a top 50 player in the state and as a three-star prospect by ESPN … Also played basketball for the Wildcats … Rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals

Personal: Full name is Marcus Elliot Jones … Son of Viola and Marc Jones … Has one brother, Marc Jones, Jr.

Evan Legassey (6-3, 195, K/P, Pensacola, Fla. / Tate HS)

High School: Earned Florida 6A first team all-state honors as a punter following his senior season … Two-time Ray Guy Prokicker.com National Championship winner; also finished first in the 2016 kicker/punter combo competition and the most powerful leg competition … Rated as the 19^th best kicker in the country by 247Sports … Rated as the 21^st best kicker in the country and as a three-star recruit by ESPN … Earned honorable mention status on the FloridaHSFootball.com all-state team his junior season … Helped lead Tate High School to the Florida 6A semifinals for the first time in 10 seasons as a junior; the Aggies finished the season 10-3 … Played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back in addition to his kicking duties … Also played soccer for the Aggies

Personal: Full name is Evan Jon Legassey … Son of Tammi and Davis Legassey … Born May 10, 1999, in Pensacola, Fla. … Has two sisters, Anna and Arden

Travon Mathis (6-2, 275, DL, Lanett, Ala. / Lanett HS)

High School: Two-time Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State First Team selection at Lanett High School … Helped lead the Panthers to an 11-3 record and a trip to the Alabama 2A Semifinals – a six-win improvement from the previous season … Recorded 86 tackles, eight sacks, 14 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries his senior season … Named a finalist for Alabama 2A Lineman of the Year … As a junior, recorded 96 tackles, eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss … Four-time all-area selection … Rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals, Scout and 247Sports … Rated as the fifth best defensive end in the state of Alabama and a top 51 defensive end in the South by Scout … Rated as the 51st best player in the state of Alabama as the 65^th best strong side defensive end in the country by 247Sports … Also played offensive guard and basketball for the Panthers

Personal: Full name is Travon Raekwon Mathis … Son of Shayla Washington and Antonio Mathis … Has two brothers, Zanquandrious and Jalen Washington, and one sister, Laraven Huguley … Born March 30, 1999

Tyler Murray (6-1, 185, DB, Baldwin, Fla. / Baldwin HS)

High School: Earned All-Gateway Conference first team honors following his senior year at Baldwin High School … Recorded 57 tackles, one tackle for loss, nine interceptions, 18 pass break ups and a fumble recovery over his junior and senior seasons … Also caught 28 passes for 486 yards with three touchdowns, while rushing for 175 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries

Personal: Full name is Tyler Rayshaun Murray … Son of Kinarda and Hosea Murray … Has two brothers, Hosea and Brandon, and two sisters, Kenya and Kayla … Born Feb. 15, 1999, in Miami, Fla.

Kevin Nixon (6-1, 210, LB, Fort Valley, Ga. / Peach County HS)

High School: Earned second team all-state honors following his senior season … Recorded 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six sacks, five quarterback hurries and a pair of pass break ups his senior season … Helped lead the Trojans to a 12-2 record and a trip to the Georgia Class AAA Semifinals … The Trojans posted a 40-10 combined record over his four seasons and won a pair of region championships ... Finished his career with 193 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, eight sacks, nine quarterback hurries and a pair of pass break ups … Rated as one of the top 110 outside linebackers in the country and as a three-star recruit by 247Sports … Also competed in track & field for the Trojans and competed in the state meet on three different occasions

Personal: Full name is Kevin Dwayne Nixon … Son of Rashana Nixon and Angelo Allen … Twin brother Kyle also signed with Troy … Oldest of the two brothers … Born Jan. 7, 1999, in Fort Valley, Ga.

Kyle Nixon (6-1, 185, DB, Fort Valley, Ga. / Peach County HS)

High School: Named to the Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAA All-State Second Team following his senior season at Peach County High School … Helped lead the Trojans to a 12-2 record and a trip to the Georgia Class AAA Semifinals … As a senior, recorded 80 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions and six pass break ups … Finished his career with 269 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, one sack, 10 quarterback hurries, two interceptions and nine pass break ups … Also caught 10 career passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns … The Trojans posted a 40-10 combined record over his four seasons and won a pair of region championships … Represented the South in the 2016 Georgia North-South All-Star Game … Rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports … Also ran track for the Trojans and posted a 49.2 in the 400 meter and 3:19 in the 4x100 meter relay

Personal: Full name is Kyle Sherott Nixon … Son of Rashana Nixon and Angelo Allen … Twin brother Kevin also signed with Troy … Youngest of the two brothers … Born Jan. 7, 1999, in Fort Valley, Ga.

Shon Spralling (6-0, 170, CB, Huntsville, Ala. / Mae Jemison HS)

High School: Two-time all-city selection at Mae Jemison High School and J.O. Johnson High School … Played his senior season at Jemison after beginning his high school career at J.O. Johnson … Helped lead the Jaguars to a 6-4 overall record and a 5-2 region mark in the school's first-ever season; Mae Jemison advanced to the Alabama 5A Playoffs … Placed third in the Class 1A-5A 170-pound wrestling division his junior season

Personal: Full name is Shon'Derious Donta Spralling … Son of Lashawanda and Roderick Lavender … Has three brothers, Roderick, Jeremiah and Tykwon, and five sisters, Jacinda, Kyla, Azaria, Rhaja and Aireale … Born Jan. 10, 1999, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Austin Stidham (6-5, 250, OL, Russellville, Ala. / Russellville HS)

High School: Named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association Alabama 5A All-State First Team following his junior and senior seasons at Russellville High School … Helped lead the Golden Tigers to a 9-3 record and a trip to the second round of the Alabama 5A Playoffs as a senior … Started all 12 games at left tackle and was the key blocker for an offense that averaged 32 points per game and had a 1,383-yard rusher … Also earned all-area honors and was named team captain … Three-year starter for the Golden Tigers … Also a four-year starter at center on the basketball team; averaged 10.3 points and 7.6 rebounds as a junior to earn all-region honors … Member of the track & field team

Personal: Son of Tina and Greg Stidham ... Born Jan. 28, 1999, in Florence, Ala.

Justin Whisenhunt (6-1, 200, LB, Birmingham, Ala. / Ramsay HS)

High School: Helped lead Ramsay High School to a 13-2 record and an Alabama 6A State Championship his senior season … Named to the AL.com All-Birmingham Team as an honorable mention selection following his senior season in which he recorded 131 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles and two interceptions … Helped lead the Rams to the playoffs as a junior; Ramsay did not field a football team from 1977-2011 … Rated as one of the top 100 players in the state of Alabama by 247Sports … As a sophomore, recorded 50 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles, two pass break ups and an interception … Ramsay posted a 32-5 record over his final three seasons with three trips to the Alabama 6A Playoffs

Personal: Full name is Justin Delon Whisenhunt … Born Dec. 18, 1998 … Son of Jennefer and Chris Whisenhunt

Luke Whittemore (6-2, 185, WR, Gainesville, Fla. / Buchholz HS)

High School: Earned all-state second team honors following his senior season and third team honors following his junior season at Buchholz High School … Finished his career with 24 total touchdowns … Helped lead the Bobcats to a combined 18-5 record and a pair of playoff berths his junior and senior seasons … Named first team all-area both his junior and senior seasons … Caught 55 passes for 945 yards and seven touchdowns his senior year, including an 86-yard reception … Returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in Buchholz's opening round playoff game against Hagerty his senior season … Caught 74 passes for 883 yards and 11 touchdowns his junior season … As a junior, helped lead the Bobcats to a district title and their first winning season since 2004 … Averaged 14.3 yards per catch during his career … Also played basketball for the Bobcats … Rated as one of the top 160 wide receivers in the country and as a three-star recruit by ESPN

Personal: Full name is Luke Mckee Whittemore … Son of Missy and Mark Whittemore … Mother played volleyball at Florida and is currently a commentator for the SEC Network … Father was his high school football coach and played football at Central Florida … Has three brothers, Trent, Creed and Andrew … Born Jan. 1, 1999, in Gainesville, Fla.

Damion Willis (6-4, 185, WR, Meridian, Miss. / Southeast Lauderdale HS / East Mississippi CC)

East Mississippi CC: Led East Mississippi with 620 receiving yards and an 18.2 yards-per-catch average as a sophomore ... Finished second on the team with six touchdown receptions and third with 34 catches on the year ... Had a pair of 100-yard receiving games as the Lions went 11-1 on the season and finished the year ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA ... Caught four passes for 71 yards his freshman year

High School: Earned MHSAA 3A All-State First Team honors following his senior season at Southeast Lauderdale High School ... Caught 48 passes for 1,154 yards and 17 touchdowns – it was his third straight season with over 1,000 receiving yards for the Tigers

2017 Troy Football Signing Class
DK Billingsley (5-9, 195, RB, Scottsboro, Ala. / Scottsboro HS)
Bret Clark (5-11, 180, WR, New Hope, Ala. / New Hope HS)
* Rasool Clemons (6-5, 245, DE, Aiken, S.C. / Aiken HS / East Mississippi CC)
Terence Dunlap (5-11, 170, ATH, Maplesville, Ala. / Maplesville HS)
Travius Harris (6-1, 315, OL, Tallahassee, Fla. / Rickards HS)
Bubba Hudson (6-4, 260, OL, Dawson, Ga. / Terrell County HS)
Bubba Johnson (6-4, 210, WR, Montgomery, Ala. / Lee-Montgomery HS)
Marcus Jones (5-9, 170, CB, Enterprise, Ala. / Enterprise HS)
Evan Legassey (6-3, 195, K/P, Pensacola, Fla. / Tate HS)
Travon Mathis (6-2, 275, DL, Lanett, Ala. / Lanett HS)
Tyler Murray (6-1, 185, DB, Baldwin, Fla. / Baldwin HS)
Kevin Nixon (6-1, 210, LB, Fort Valley, Ga. / Peach County HS)
Kyle Nixon (6-1, 185, DB, Fort Valley, Ga. / Peach County HS)
Shon Spralling (6-0, 170, CB, Huntsville, Ala. / Mae Jemison HS)
Austin Stidham (6-5, 250, OL, Russellville, Ala. / Russellville HS)
Justin Whisenhunt (6-1, 200, LB, Birmingham, Ala. / Ramsay HS)
Luke Whittemore (6-2, 185, WR, Gainesville, Fla. / Buchholz HS)
* Damion Willis (6-4, 185, WR, Meridian, Miss. / Southeast Lauderdale HS / East Mississippi CC)

* Mid-Year Signees

Troy University Athletics

Troy Football Inks Landmark Recruiting Class

Related News

Players Mentioned

DK Billingsley

Bret Clark

Rasool Clemons

Terence Dunlap

Travius Harris

Bubba Hudson

Bubba Johnson

Marcus Jones

Evan Legassey

Travon Mathis

Tyler Murray

Kevin Nixon

Kyle Nixon

Shon Spralling

Austin Stidham

Justin Whisenhunt

Luke Whittemore

Damion Willis

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