National Signing Day is a day in which high school seniors from across the country decide a big step in their futures. For athletic programs, it’s a day where they start to build their depth charts.
The PSAC West is no different as teams added the first pieces to their 2014 seasons.
IUP added 21 members to its class on Wednesday. The group included six lineman, two running backs, two wide receivers and a tight end on the offensive side. Across the line of scrimmage the Crimson Hawks added three linemen, two linebackers and three defensive backs. The team also added two athletes that could play either side of the ball and impact the return game.
Head coach Curt Cignetti called the class, “the strongest recruiting class in three years” and told the team’s official website that he is “excited about these young men and their potential impact on campus and on the football field.”
California University (PA) added seven recruits, headlined by defensive players.
Headlining the class, coach Mike Kellar said, is Brendan Blair, a 6-foot-1 athlete who could also play running back and fill in as a returner. Kellar plans to use Blair at safety, though.
Kellar also used a pipeline coming from defensive coach Mike Lopez to grab linebacker Luke Hrapchak, from Fairmont, WV.
Slippery Rock added 15 players to its team which made a playoff run last season.
Fourteen of the recruits came from high school while one came from Junior College. The JUCO transfer is Marcus Carter from Erie Community College. As a WR, Carter caught 25 catches for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns last year.
The Rock also added four players who were part of state championship teams, seven players who made it to either a district championship or state championship and players from the state’s top programs.
Mercyhurst added 15 players to their team, as well.
The Lakers class came from two states, with eight coming from Ohio and seven from PA.
Eight of the signings were on the offensive side with two quarterbacks and three offensive linemen. Defensively, the Rock added mostly defensive backfield help. With the loss of transfer Rafiyq Cromwell in the off-season, the Lakers have added two defensive backs and three athletes who could see time there.
Gannon added 11 recruits to their team, including three of the top talents from neighboring West Virginia.
Geremy Paige, a linebacker from Wheeling, WV, was regarded as one of the top players in the state of West Virginia and was the best defensive player in the state. He had visited schools as big as TCU but decided to follow his two teammates to Gannon after committing and then de-committing from Cal (Pa). Paige is one of only three defensive players who signed Wednesday for the Golden Knights as they added three offensive linemen, a quarterback, running back, wide receiver and kicker on offense.
Edinboro, Clarion and Seton Hill have not yet announced their classes via their official website.
The regular signing period runs until April 1, giving players and teams plenty of time to still make decisions. Once a player signs their National Letter of Intent, they’re legally bound to that school for one academic year unless they’re unable to enroll in the program.
Photo Credit: WBCI.com
