Michael Zabkowski
Staff Writer
National Signing Day was on February 3, 2021, and serves as the first day that High School football players can commit to the College of their choice. Although it is first day that individual players can sign, it is often the day that most, if not all, of the incoming class signs.
Head coach J.C. Morgan is very excited about the new group of players signed on February 3. In regards to the 2021 recruiting class he said, “We are very pleased with our recruiting class… They’re not only going to be a great fit on the field, but they are also going to be a great fit in the locker room and a great fit on campus.”
In the wild time that is the COVID-19 era, one might wonder how any coaching staff could feel so good about a new group of athletes given the various restrictions due to the pandemic. However, Morgan gave credit to the University, saying that Millersville did an amazing job at allowing himself and his staff to meet the players that they were recruiting in a safe manner.
Although Morgan and his staff were able to meet some players in person, he did add that the process this year did have some differences. Some players did not have the chance to have an overnight visit, let alone an official visit.
“In the past, they were able to go to (Universities) and get the red carpet rolled out for them, and that wasn’t the case with this group,” Morgan said.
When asked if there were any players in particular that Morgan was excited to see out on the football field, he had some good things to say about the offensive linemen, “We are very thrilled specifically with the offensive line… With how the board shook up (for us).”
He went on to add similar thoughts about the wide receivers and interior defensive linemen as well, and he claimed that those three positions were priorities they wanted to address.
In the highlight reels of these players, there were a few wide receivers that specifically stood out. Jalen Carter was one notable mention. Carter’s ability to come up with the ball even through tough coverage, and then turn on the after burners ensuing the catch is reminiscent of Tyreek Hill. Another prominent aspect of Carter’s game is that he puts the effort in to fight for extra yardage.
Additionally, Corey Handy is someone else that stood out on film. Handy is a dependable down field target, and just like Carter he has the ability to turn on the jets after the catch, and fight for those extra yards. However, the one aspect that really set him apart was that Handy plays with this fiery attitude and swagger that displays his desire to want it more than everybody else on the field.
Coincidentally Handy is a great last name for a wide receiver to have, considering your main job is to catch the ball. And with a sturdy frame, Handy can hold on to the ball through big hits.
Moving on, the Marauders did add a quarterback. Cole Klayman is a redshirt junior who transferred from Abilene Christian. Coach Morgan had this to say regarding Klayman, “Cole is someone that (we) are familiar with. We recruited him to Shippensburg five years ago. We know his skill-set very well and he is very familiar with our offense.”
Morgan also spoke about never burning a bridge with anyone, whether it pertains to sports or in life generally. He said that you never know when something can help you down the road, and stated how in this particular instance he was happy with the way things came full circle between himself and Klayman.
On the other side of the ball, Morgan and his staff are excited about the new group of interior defensive linemen. He mentioned that his team had a good amount of third and fourth year players at the top of the depth chart, so his staff was able to focus more so on the future with the young players.
Joe Harris, Cross Douglas, and Quadir Jacobs were three defensive linemen that Morgan spoke in detail about, “Those were three guys that we had on the top of our board since day one.” Morgan added that he could not have been more pleased with the fact that all three of them chose Millersville.
A couple of other signees that Morgan spoke about were linebacker Mitchell Curran and defensive back D’Andre Blue-Eli.
It seems as though Curran was a bonus for Millersville’s latest class of signees, as they were happy to add such a strong and agile player to the program. Furthermore, Morgan mentioned that his staff did not want to pass up on a player of his caliber.
Regarding Blue-Eli, a transfer from Delaware State, Morgan seemed excited about what he can potentially bring to the Marauders defense stating, “D’Andre Blue-Eli is a guy that fits our system, and his length and skill-set is going to be good for us.”
With all the talent that was added on National Signing Day combined with the talented pieces already present in the program, it is only a matter of time until Millersville football is back on the map. Not to worry Marauders, Coach Morgan is building a good program, just you wait.
