Tigers welcome 20 student-athletes on National Signing Day

HOUSTON – The Texas Southern University football team welcomed five players who signed letters of intent Wednesday, which was college football’s National Signing Day.
 
The five signees were added to the 15 players who were added during the early signing period. The group of 20 includes five Division I FBS transfers, five junior college transfers, and 10 high school players signing letters of intent.
 
Texas Southern head coach Clarence McKinney announced the signings at a press conference Wednesday.
 
“These kids are coming in here and buying into the program,” McKinney said of his first recruiting class at TSU. “I think the players we signed – in the early signing period as well as this signing period – I think those guys are going to help us reach the goals that we’ve set.”
 
Four of the players who are transferring to TSU spent time with a Power 5 conference program. Wide receiver Montel Parker and defensive lineman Michael Johnson transferred from Texas A&M and Baylor, respectively.
 
Donnie Corley, a wide receiver who transferred from Coahoma Community College in Mississippi, spent time at Michigan State before heading south. Quarterback DeAndre Johnson suited up for Florida State before transferring to East Mississippi Community College, where he was featured on the Netflix original series “Last Chance U.” Johnson comes to Texas Southern after a season at Florida Atlantic.
 
Two other players also join the Tigers from Division I programs: Wide receiver Thurman Morbley is a transfer from Texas State, while defensive lineman Michael Badejo transferred from SMU.
 
East Mississippi Community College also provided TSU with a pair of defensive backs – twins Jacob and Joseph Anderson. TSU’s other junior college transfers are linebacker Sherry Durand IV, a Houston native who played at Tyler Junior College, and Nathaniel Hines, from San Diego, Calif.; Hines started his collegiate career at Mesa Community College in Arizona.
 
The Tigers also welcome 10 incoming freshmen to the team. Six of them will be competing for time on the offense: Quarterback Brysen McKinney (Arlington, Texas/Mansfield Summit), running backs Jacorey Howard (Houston, Texas/Aldine) and LaDarius Owens (Manvel, Texas/Manvel), and offensive linemen Marque Johnson (Missouri City, Texas/Hightower), Jack Nance (Houston, Texas/Clear Lake), and Trevyon Robinson (Missouri City, Texas/Hightower).
 
The defense welcomes four freshmen: Cornerback Ja’Corey Benjamin (Houston, Texas/Alief Hastings), defensive lineman Tyler Martinez (Humble, Texas/Humble), linebacker Jadrian McGraw (Newton, Texas/Newton) and defensive lineman Viramontes Pippens (DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto