“It’s a new day, the rebirth of Bears pride,” said Morgan State Bears interim football head coach Ernest T. Jones. These were the words of Jones after the Morgan State football team unveiled their 2018 recruiting class.
After a 1-10 season and the firing of Fred Farrier, Morgan State looked to once again refresh their football program. Their 2018 signing class surely adds some positivity around the program. The Bears added players from seven different states. Even better for Bears, they added Maryland recruits which are an important aspect of winning for many MD programs.
Overall Morgan State added four wide receivers, four defensive backs, three defensive linemen, two quarterbacks, two running backs, two offensive linemen, and one linebacker, one long snapper and one kicker.
“We’re going to put a team out there that will give us an opportunity to win in the fourth quarter,” Jones said.
This quote stands true. Morgan State’s 2nd Half play within their 2017 schedule was rather unpleasant and hurt the Bears down the stretch during many games. At least six games during their past season were truly determined by the occurrences within the 2nd Half. Moving forward, Morgan State looks to have consistent play during all minutes of the game this season; with the help of their veterans and 2018 class.
In terms of players to watch out for, Morgan State has a few from this class. Baltimore standout, Jared Lewis is apart of this very “explosive class”. Lewis took Dunbar HS to the MD 1A State Championship this past season. Three years as a starter, Lewis threw for 7,649 passing yards with 66 TDs. He also added 1,130 rushing yards with 9 rushing TDs. The Bears also added Tyler Holley, another standout QB from the Baltimore area as well. He’s such a standout, he holds ALL of the passing records for Perry Hall HS. These two dual-threat QB’s makes the Morgan State QB picture looks loaded for years to come.
Defensively, the Bears are looking to continue their dominance. From DeMatha Catholic HS, Morgan State added linebacker Detrick Washington. Morgan State recruiting powerhouse programs within the DMV is a good sign it will help create a pipeline that local teams like Penn State and Bowie State are currently benefiting from. The Bears also added defensive tackle Marvin Francois from Miami, Florida as well.
Overall, the Bears’ recruiting class adds depth and some clarity at some positions moving forward.
Morgan State Full Signing Class
| NAME | POS | HOMETOWN | HIGH SCHOOL |
| Marcus Parker Jr. | DB | Wilson, N.C. | Beddingfield HS |
| Bryan Giron | DT | Annandale, Va. | Falls Church HS |
| Detrick Washington | LB | Largo, Md. | DeMatha Catholic HS |
| Tyler Holley | QB | Nottingham, Md. | Perry Hall HS |
| Jordan Presley | DB | St. Petersburg, Fla. | Clearwater Central Catholic |
| Zachary Castano | LS | Miami, Fla. | Christopher Columbus HS |
| Nicholas O’Shea | K/P | Detroit, Mich. | West Bloomfield HS |
| Jalen Jackson | RB | Detroit, Mich. | Detroit MLK HS |
| Jordan Riggins | RB | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | Cardinal Gibbons HS |
| Saleem Lockett | DL | Chester, Pa. | The Hill School/Imhotep Charter |
| Marvin Francois | DT | North Miami, Fla. | North Miami Beach Sr. |
| Jordan Cofield | RS/WR | Owings Mill, Md. | New Town HS |
| Eric Roy | DB | Woodbridge, Va. | C.D. Hylton HS |
| Tariq Irving | DB | New Carrollton, Md. | West Hill College Coalinga |
| Jared Lewis | QB | Baltimore, Md. | Dunbar HS |
| Cory Holmes | WR | Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | University of Notre Dame |
| Brendan Easley | WR | Orlando, Fla. | East River HS |
| Xavier Gravette | WR | Nottingham, Md. | Calvert Hall HS |
| Tarik Johnson | OL | Liberty, N.Y. | Liberty HS |
| Dallas Caporaletti | OL | Catlett, Va. | C.D. Hylton HS |
All stats are from the Morgan State Athletic Department
