be both a coverage man as well as someone capable of making bonejarring tackles. This rare combination has caused him to be noticed

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1 February 6, 2019, the college football national signing day and the McEachern football family stands proud as it officially begins to say goodbye to some of it s graduating senior football players from the class of Valerian Agbaw Jr. will be the first Indian of the year to make a Division I commitment. Known as a blazing speedster, this former wide receiver with 4.3 speed has made a two year impact in the defensive secondary. In 2018, he accounted for 29 stops with 23 solos. Additionally his talents showed up as a return specialist. He found paydirt 4 different times in 2018, on kickoff returns, interception returns and once recovered a blocked field goal attempt and returned that for a touchdown. At 5-11, 170 pounds he will easily fill out as he adapts to college football. In 2017 as a back-up receiver, he had 6 receptions for 140 yards for a 23 yard per catch average. In 2018 he was Defensive Player of the Week against South Cobb and Specialist of the Week against state champion, Cedar Grove. Valerian carries an overall A average in the classroom and will be the very first McEachern Indian to take his talents to the University of Kansas since he has officially signed in December. Jeffrey Clark would prove to be an impact player for the Indians in a two year run as a starting defensive tackle. In 2018, he would amass an amazing 65 tackles with 46 solos in his path of destruction. Jeff would end the season as the sack leader, with 6.5 on the season. He is a solid 6-1, 275 pounds which should translate into a very feisty package at the next level. He was an All Cobb County selection in 2018 and was Defensive Player of the Week three times, against Cedar Grove, Marietta and North Cobb. Jeff is known as being a speed and power player who is really able to accelerate and close on the football. In 2017, his numbers were very consistent and he was able to make 59 tackles which included 38 solos. He was on fire in 2017 with a team high of 11 sacks making him the team leader two years running. Jeffrey was awarded the Lineman of the Year Award at his senior banquet and played in the Rising Senior dot Com All Star Game in Jeffery was recruited by a host of colleges and has chosen to stay in the Atlanta area and has accepted a scholarship to Georgia State. He made his choice official on early signing day in December.

2 For the past two seasons, Nyles Moore has been a bedrock on the Indian s offensive line. A graduate of the J.V. squad as a sophomore, he made a conversion to offensive line and has become a tremendous power blocker. His dedication in the weight room has become evident with some very impressive numbers as he has pushed his body. Nyles leg strength is downright amazing as he boasts a squat of 555 pounds. His bench press is at 275 pounds and his power cleans are currently at 255. Imagine where he is going to be after a season or two in a college strength program. Nyles has played in every game for the last two seasons. In 2018 he was offensive player of the week versus North Cobb. In 2017 he was honored to play in the Elite Junior Classic All Star game. His powerful drive block helped him to have additional roles as a lead blocker in the goalline Jumbo package, and he also served as a key punt protector on special teams. At 6-1, 295 pounds, he will be a strong pick-up and his 40 time of 5.2 will allow him to be immediately competitive. After considering several college options, Nyles has decided to accept a scholarship to Morehouse University in Atlanta. At 6-4 and 294 pounds Edward Hernandez is an imposing figure on the offensive line. Showing unselfishness and dedication to his team, Ed was approached by his coaches about switching from defensive line to offense, a move that he easily took in stride. As a part-time defensive player in 2017, he was able to amass a total of 26 tackles with 14 solos. He made a quick conversion during spring drills and was able to show constant improvement through his senior season. Ed was one of the first of this year s senior class to be admitted to the D.I.A. group. In his first season as an offensive lineman, he was able to receive recognition as an All Cobb County player. Ed was also able to make his impact as a lead blocker on McEachern s special Jumbo Goalline package and was one of the trio of protectors on the punt team. Known for his power, he was behind several crushing blocks paving a way for the Indian s strong rushing attack in His grade point average of 3.75 is a strong statement about his ability to handle responsibility and transition to the next level. Ed Hernandez will be attending Stetson University in Deland, Florida where he will be joining other McEachern Indians, Nathaniel Dent and Justin Roberson. Nathaniel Dent missed a good portion of the 2018 season with a knee injury, but when he returned to the gridiron, he was definitely ready for action. In his shortened season, this heavy hitter was able to make an impact with 29 total tackles with 23 solos. He also added an interception. In 2017, when he had the opportunity to play for the entire season, he was able to create 51 stops with 38 solos. As a two year starter he was able to become a leader for his teammates. At his senior banquet, Nathaniel was awarded the Purple Heart Award. He is 5-11, 170 pounds and is versatile enough to work as both a safety and a corner. As a sophomore, he quickly earned his way off of the J.V. team and was able to start to find himself making moderate impact on special teams. He has received some recruiting attention from Kennesaw State and Mercer prior to making a decision. Nathaniel was a member of this year s D.I.A. in spite of having a shortened season. He has recently committed to accept a football scholarship to Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. He will be joining another former Indian, Justin Roberson who is now entering his second season at Stetson.

3 Erwin Byrd has made an impact on the Indians as a two year starter in the defensive backfield. After converting to the defensive backfield from wide receiver, midway through his junior season, this fleet-footed athlete started getting a great deal of notice. In his inaugural season in the secondary in 2017, Byrd made 15 tackles with 12 solos. He also had 2 interceptions as he was getting up to speed. In his senior year, he would rack up 33 tackles with 27 solos. At 5-10, 170, he is the right size to translate to the next level. In 2018 he would receive honors as Defensive Player of the Week versus Colquitt County. Erwin is a multi-talented cornerback who have proven himself to be both a coverage man as well as someone capable of making bonejarring tackles. This rare combination has caused him to be noticed by several division I colleges. A late commit, he has held out until a recent official visit to the University of Maryland, where he will be accepting a scholarship. Erwin will now follow in the footsteps of other Indian stars, JaJuan Delaney and Amba Etta-Tawo who have also played at Maryland. The beginning of the 2018 football season would find David Britten at a real crossroads. After 2 seasons as a j.v. football player, not in a starting role, both he and the coaching staff were beginning to have questions about his future playing time. After rededicating his intentions with Coach Hockman, David responded by having a senior season that would be marked with some memorable moments. He was able to make impact on both the special as well as a part time starter in the defensive secondary. David has many of the physical attributes that should predict success. He is 5-11, 170 pounds and has good footspeed with a 4.46 in the 40 yard dash. He is likewise explosive, with a 32 in vertical jump. His time in the weightroom has paid off as well with him squatting 440 and throwing up 270 pounds in the bench press. David earned honors as special teams Player of the Week vs. East Coweta. David also played in the Elite Senior Classic in December. While seeing limited action, David helped his team by adding 15 tackles with 12 solos. After receiving some success this season he s decided that he d like to continue his playing career and will be pursuing junior college football at Dodge City Community College, located in Dodge City, Kansas. Arinze Okwu would find himself filling a big role on the 2018 Indians defense. As a role player in 2017, he would take over as a senior with the expectations of a full-time starter. Arinze would make an appearance in the 2017 Junior Elite Classic as well as be elevated for his citizenship to the Indian s D.I.A. award. In 2017, he was able to learn as a back-up to Dante Fleming and saw considerable playing time. He made a total of 46 tackles with 31 solos. In 2018, he was able to step up his numbers considerably and ended his senior season as the team s 3rd leading tackler with a total of 78 stops and 54 solos. He was also accountable for 2 sacks as a blitzing linebacker. Arinze is currently 5-11 and a solid 214 pounds. His time in the weight room has definitely paid dividends. His squat max of 530 with a bench press total of 315 makes him hard for opponents to move. With a yard dash time, he should continue to be a wrecking crew at the next level. Arinze has made his decision to accept a scholarship to Albany State in Albany, Georgia where he will be joining Kameron Dahunsi who is currently a member of the Rams football team.

4 Mark Bennett, as a junior was able to earn a starting position as a feisty center who really understood how to move his feet. Unfortunately in the very final quarter of his final playoff game, he sustained a debilitating knee injury that was going to cut deeply into his senior year of football. In spite of that situation, Mark was still able to salvage a good portion of his season, but it was difficult to bring some of the same sparks that he had during his junior season. Mark is 6-0 and 275 pounds. He is capable of being either a center or guard but was known for his precision snaps. He ended up sharing the snapping job during the 2nd half of the season in Mark s leg strength is tremendous with a squat max of 530 pounds and a dead lift of 415. At his senior banquet, Mark s efforts would be honored with the Purple Heart Award. He has decided to commit to Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia. He will have the opportunity to reunite with another former Indian Jeremiah Fulks who is currently a part of the program at FVSU. Dantez Simpson took the long way but never ever gave up in his quest to earn his way. As a two year J.V. player and only occasional varsity player as a junior, Dantez just kept trying until he was able to earn a starting position at the conclusion of spring football. His efforts led him to having a memorable senior season which concluded with him receiving some strong recognition. He appeared in the newly dubbed Elite Classic Brain Bowl in December and was also the recipient of the Jimmy Dorsey Coach s Award at his senior banquet. Dantez earned Defensive Player of the Week honors in 2018 for his performance against Kennesaw Mountain. He would end 2018 as the team s 2nd leading tackler with a total of 89 stops including 52 solos. He would also add 5 sacks from various blitzing locations. As a junior seeing limited action he would add an additional 3 stops with 2 solos. A part of Dantez game is using his superior academic ability as an advantage and his college search has included some top schools including some Ivies. Dantez has finally arrived at his college choice which will combine football and schooling and he will be attending Morehouse University along with Niles Moore. While national signing day is the culmination of the work in the glamorous world of Division 1A colleges, there are many Division II, III, N.A.I.A. colleges and junior colleges who s work is only beginning. McEachern has many other young men who will be making announcements in the very near future as they close deals with various schools. This list includes Paris Brown, Brandon Christy, Jalek Perry, Ty Gunn, Lawrence Shadd, E.J. Glover, Nicoy Morris, Tre Vonte Burrell-Jones, David Martin, Jaylen Lavette, Joshua Jones, Xavier Harvey, Roben Rodriguez, De Aundrey Davis, Myles Henderson, KeShawn McGhee, Nick Charleston, Elijah Grant, Stephen Benn and Colton Sherburne. Last season due largely due to the efforts of Coach Kyle Hockman, Video Coordinator Bryan Jacobson, and a host of other coaches, McEachern had 64 players on college rosters around the country. This number has made McEachern football the number 2 program in the state of Georgia for producing college football players. Regardless of the level of play, the McEachern family is terrifically proud of and salutes it s alumni who dot the landscape of college football around the entire U.S.A.

5 On January 11, 2017, Todd Holcomb of the Atlanta Journal Constitution released an article about high school football recruiting. In that article, he declared McEachern Football to be #1 in the state of Georgia for producing college football players with 54 currently dotting the landscape of teams nationwide. Our unofficial count had 62 players. Although it is difficult to verify, McEachern may be leading the entire United States of America as a producer of college football players at all levels. The senior class of 2018 is a uniquely talented crop of terrific recruits. We are proud to introduce this fine group of 15 athletes who will be taking their talents to colleges and universities around the country. This group and the entire class of 2018 had the distinction of defeating the #1 team in the state during the 2nd round of the playoffs. They are in an elite club at McEachern of teams that have advanced to the state final four. Let s make this a long goodbye, as this outstanding class prepares to depart the reservation and wish them the best of luck as they pursue their dreams on gridirons all across the fruited plains.