Dec. 17, 2008
Coach Woodard on the initial group of five signees
Lamar head coach Ray Woodard has announced the signing of five junior college student-athletes on Wednesday, which marks the first day a four-year university can sign mid-year JUCO players.
The timeframe for Mid-Year JC Transfers to sign a National Letter of Intent with a university runs from Dec. 17, 2008 to Jan. 15, 2009. The Regular Period, which also includes prospective high school athletes runs from Feb. 4 to April 1, 2009.
These five are the first group of signees since Feb. of 1989. All five students are scheduled to enroll in classes at Lamar in January.
Andre Bevil
QB
6-2, 185
Orange, Texas
West Orange-Stark HS/Navarro College
Eligibility: 3 years to play 2; can play for Lamar in 2010 & 2011
Junior College:
Led Navarro to a 10-1 record in 2008 as he passed for 1,062 yards and eight touchdowns, while completing 65 pct of his passes ... Also rushed for 100 yards and three TDs ... Passing efficiency rating of 117.1 was fourth in the conference ... Averaged 116.1 yards of total offense per game ... Passed for a season-high 265 yards and three TDs against Trinity Valley in the SWJCFC semifinals - leading two five-play scoring drives in the final 7:00 for a 31-20 win ... Followed that with a 220-yard game against Blinn in the SWJCFC title game ... Threw for 181 against Kilgore (Sept. 20) ... The Bulldogs spent seven weeks atop the NJCAA/JCFootball.com Top-25 in 2008 before ending the season ranked No. 5 ... Had a 66-yard TD run in the regular-season against TVCC (Oct. 4) ... As a freshman in 2007, threw for 344 yards and six TDs while appearing in six games ... Was 29-of-45 for a .644 completion pct. ... Carried the ball 34 times for 159 yards and four TDs ... Sixth on the team in scoring with 24 points ... Made his first career start at TVCC on Sept. 29, which came a week after the third-string QB came off the bench against Tyler JC to account for 128 yards passing on 7-of-9 with four TDs, and rush 10 times for 81 yards and two TDs ... Played for current Lamar coach Ray Woodard as a freshman and Nick Bobeck as a sophomore - Bobeck was the offensive coordinator in 2007.
High School:
Played for coach Dan Hooks (former Lamar FB asst. coach from 1973-76) at West Orange-Stark HS ... Completed 125-of-195 passes for 2,069 yards and 25 TDs as a senior in 2006 ... First Team All-District 21-3A and Second Team All-Southeast Texas at QB in 2006 ... All-District selection at rover during his junior year as WOS advanced to the 3A Division I state semifinals ... Led the Mustangs to district titles in 2005-06 ... Starting forward for the Mustangs' basketball team who helped the team to the Class 3A State Tournament.
Chase Ford
TE
6-6, 240
Corrigan, Texas
Corrigan-Camden HS/Kilgore College
Eligibility: 4 years to play 3; can play for Lamar in 2010, 2011 & 2012
Junior College:
Played his freshman season for coach J.J. Eckert at Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas ... Helped the Rangers to a 6-4 mark and a berth in the Aztec Bowl ... Had four receptions for 71 yards (17.8 avg.) as a freshman in 2008 ... Hauled in a season-best 24-yard reception against Navarro ... Also had catches of 18 yards at Tyler JC (Oct. 11), 15 yards against Tyler JC (Sept. 6) and 14 yards against Navarro (Oct. 4) ... Finished the Navarro contest with two receptions for 38 yards.
High School:
Two-year varsity letterwinner for coach Seven Armstrong in 2005-06 ... Played tight end and punter ... CCHS went 22-5 during his two seasons ... First Team All-District 23-2A and honorable mention all-state ... 35 career receptions (18 as a junior and 17 as a senior) ... CCHS reached the 2A Division II state quarterfinals in 2006 and the area round in 2005 ... Also played basketball and ran track ... First Team all-state in basketball and was a member of the 2A state champion mile relay quartet ... Graduated in the Top Ten of his class.
Alex Goff
OL
6-3, 320
Ocean Springs, Miss.
Vancleave HS/Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
Eligibility: 3 years to play 2; can play for Lamar in 2010 & 2011
Junior College:
Two-year letterwinner for coach Steve Campbell at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC in Perkinston, Miss. ... 2007 NJCAA Co-National Champions and No. 4 final ranking in 2008 after defeating Georgia Military College in the inaugural Mississippi Bowl ... MJCCC went 22-2 from 2007-08 captured the MACJC state title both seasons ... Academic All-America selection and was a Phi Theta Kappa.
High School:
First Team all-conference, all-district and all-region for coach Jim Bloomfield at Vancleave HS ... Graduated with honors, earned an Advanced Diploma and was named a member of the Mississippi Scholars.
Rashad Williams
LB
6-1, 220
San Antonio, Texas
Roosevelt HS/Kilgore College
Eligibility: 3 years to play 2; can play for Lamar in 2010 & 2011
Junior College:
Played for coach J.J. Eckert at Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas ... Led the Rangers to a 6-4 record and an invitation to the Aztec Bowl ... Honorable Mention All-SWJCFC ... Ranked third on the team in total tackles with 51 and fifth in sacks with two ... KC's defense yielded 294.9 ypg of total offense, 139.8 rushing ypg, along with 20.0 ppg overall and 15.4 ppg in seven SWJCFC games.
High School:
Played for coach Neal LaHue at Roosevelt HS ... First Team All-District 26-5A and Second Team All-Region selection as a senior in 2006... Ranked as the 19th best recruit in San Antonio by the San Antonio Express-News ... Signed with Texas A&M-Kingsville out of high school.
John Woods
OL
6-6, 310
Rockport, Texas
Rockport Fulton HS/Kilgore College
Eligibility: 3 years to play 2; can play for Lamar in 2010 & 2011
Junior College:
Kilgore averaged 332.7 ypg of total offense in 2008, with 139.1 ypg on the ground and 193.6 ypg through the air ... KC also averaged 27.4 ppg ... Kilgore went 9-3 in 2007 and participated in the Heart of Texas Bowl, falling to Miss. Gulf Coast CC and fellow Lamar signee Alex Goff ... Named to the Dean's List in the Fall of 2007.
High School:
Played for coach Stuart Burleson at Rockport-Fulton HS ... Listed as a player to watch in District 31-4A prior to the 2005 season ... Also threw the discus and was named to the All-South Texas Track & Field team.
