Moorhead and his staff have hit the ground running since their arrival on campus to assemble a decorated and talented 2022 signing class. The 24-member group is one comprised of a mix of veteran players who have achieved success at Power Five programs, as well a group of newcomers who will help lay the foundation for future success on and off the field for the Zips.
SCHOLARSHIP TRANSFERS
Alex Adams (Osyka, Miss. | South Pike, Miss. | LSU),
Max Banes (Houston, Texas |St. Thomas | Houston)
TJ Banks (North Versailles, Pa. | East Allegheny | West Virginia)
Curtis Harper (McKeesport, Pa. | McKeesport | Syracuse)
Shocky Jacques-Louis (Fort Myers, Fla. | Dunbar | Pittsburgh)
Victor Jones (Sacramento, Calif. | Inderkum | Wyoming)
KJ Martin (Charleston, W.Va. | Capital | West Virginia)
Devon Robinson (Memphis, Tenn. | Whitehaven | Memphis)
Tim Terry (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Central Catholic | Buffalo)
Cam Threatt (Olive Branch, Miss. | Lewisburg | Mississippi State)
Cam Wiley (Las Vegas, Nev. | Desert Pines | Minnesota)
HIGH SCHOOL SIGNEES
Tyhler Williams (Alpharetta, Ga. | Milton) Marquell Darnell (Erie, Pa. | Central)
Keylen Davis (Indianapolis, Ind. | Ben Davis)
Bobby Golden (Miami, Fla. | Miami Palmetto)
Jourden Hale-Frater (Cincinnati, Ohio | Sycamore)
Dijon Jennings (Reynoldsburg, Ohio | Reynoldsburg)
Charles Kellom (Cincinnati, Ohio | St. Xavier)
Kamarii Landers (Detroit, Mich. | Fordson)
Bryan McCoy (Chicago, Ill. | Joliet West)
Kiawan Murphy (East Hartford, Conn. | East Hartford)
PWO SIGNEES
Clayton Bone (Rochester Hills, Mich. | Avon Old Farms School (Conn.))
Emmett Hanna (Cleveland, Ohio | St. Ignatius | Boston College)
Brian Kilbane (Cleveland, Ohio | St. Edward | Bowling Green)
SCHOLARSHIP TRANSFERS
ALEX ADAMS (6-1 | Wide Receiver | Osyka, Miss. | South Pike HS | LSU)
• Appeared in 10 games with Louisiana State in two years en route to catching two passes for 11 yards
• Appeared in seven games for the Tigers in 2021, playing mainly on special teams
• Played in three games, catching one pass for six yards
• Committed to LSU over offers from Auburn, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida State and Mississippi State out of high school
• Ranked by 247Sports as a four-star prospect and Top-10 recruit in the state of Mississippi
• Helped lead South Pike to a 13-1 record in 2019 and a spot in the Class 4A South State semifinals
• Finished senior season with 34 catches for 859 yards and 10 touchdowns, while adding 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns
• As a junior, caught 28 passes for 691 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also rushing 17 times for 153 yards and two touchdowns
• Named to the Clarion Ledger's annual Dandy Dozen team and competed in the 2019 Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game
MAX BANES (6-5 | Offensive Lineman | Houston, Texas. | St. Thomas HS | Houston)
• Appeared in 23 games in his first three seasons as an offensive lineman at Houston
• Was a part of an offensive line that helped Houston rank 23rd in the NCAA in 2021 in passing offense (271.6)
• PFFs Preseason Second-Team All-Conference selection in 2021
• Helped spark an offensive line that rated 34th in the NCAA in passing offense (265.8) in 2021 and fourth in the American in passing offense and sixth in total offense (408.9) in 2020
• Three-star recruit by ESPN and No. 79 OT in the nation by ESPN coming out of St. Thomas High School
• Earned Second-Team All-State honors and First-Team All-District honors as a senior
• The son of Houston letterman (1986-89) and 1990 Houston Oilers NFL Draft pick Joey Banes
TJ BANKS (6-5 | Tight End | North Versailles, Pa. | East Allegheny | West Virginia)
• A versatile tight end that will be dependable in both the run and pass game
• Appeared in 26 games for West Virginia as tight end making 10 catches for 92 yards, including one touchdown
• Played in 12 games for the Mountaineers in 2021, including five starts en route to pulling in six catches for 51 yards
• Chose West Virginia over offers from Illinois, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Maryland
• A four-star recruit by Rivals.Com at East Allegheny High School, including rated as the No. 34 tight end in the 2018 class by 247Sports
• 2017 Pennsylvania Football Writers 2A First-Team All-State (TE)
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab 22 and Pittsburgh Tribune Review 2017 Tribune 25 All-Star team
CURTIS HARPER (6-2 | Defensive Lineman | McKeesport, Pa. | McKeesport | Syracuse)
• Played in 33 games over the last three seasons at Syracuse en route to recording 43 tackles (26 solo), 6.0 tackles for loss and three sacks
• Two-time ACC Honor Roll selection and four-time member of the Syracuse Athletic Director's Honor Roll
• Transferred after the 2021 campaign as a two-time graduate of Syracuse
• Appeared in 10 games in 2021 as a defensive lineman, making 14 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack and forcing a fumble on the season
• Saw action in all 11 games in 2020 along the defensive line rotation making 14 tackles and had 1.5 tackles for loss on the season
• Played in 11 games as a reserve in 2019 tallying 13 tackles (six solo) and two sacks
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports at McKeesport High School
• Four-year starter at McKeesport High School at guard and defensive tackle
• Rated as the No. 3 defensive tackle in Pennsylvania and ranked 89th nationally at the position by Scout.Com
• Earned All-WPIAL Class 5A Big East honors on defense and participated in the 2017 Big 33 Football Classic
• Had 36 tackles, including nine for a loss, and two sacks to lead the Tigers to a 9-3 record and an appearance in the WPIAL 5A state championship game
SHOCKY JACQUES-LOUIS (6-0 | Wide Receiver | Fort Myers, Fla. | Dunbar | Pittsburgh)
• Appeared in 45 games for Pitt, including 27 starts, en route to pulling in 82 career receptions for 1,005 yards as part of 1,257 total all-purpose yards and three touchdowns as a Panther
• Played in all 14 games for Pitt in 2021, including eight starts, registering 25 catches for 259 yards, with one touchdown
• Pitt was the 2021 ACC Champions and twice captured the ACC Coastal Divisional title
• Committed to Pitt over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon
• Rated the nation's No. 26 "athlete" by Rivals out of Dunbar High School earning status as one of Southwest Florida's top prospects, ranking No. 6 in The News-Press/Naples Daily News "Big 15"
• Compiled 65 receptions for 966 yards (14.9 avg.) and scored 13 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Dunbar, including 45 catches for 652 yards (14.5) and six touchdowns as a senior
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports at Dunbar High School
VICTOR JONES (6-4 | Defensive Lineman | Sacramento, Calif. | Inderkum | Wyoming)
• Appeared in 37 games for Wyoming, including playing in all 13 games for the Cowboys in 2021
• Recorded 72 tackles and 10.5 tackles for a loss over three seasons at Wyoming
• Posted 24 tackles, including 16 solos stops for Wyoming in 2021, while collecting team-high marks in sacks (3.5), interceptions (1) and forced fumbles (1) and recorded 4.5 tackles for a loss for a team-high 46 yards
• No. 22 All Time Commit for Wyoming
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and Scout.Com at Inderkum High School
• 247Sports ranked Jones as the 108th overall recruit in the entire state of California
• Selected to the Sacramento Bee First-Team All-Metro team as a defensive lineman his senior season
• Helped his squad to a pair of sectional championship games en route to earning All-Conference and All-City accolades
KJ MARTIN (6-2 | Safety | Charleston, W.Va. | Capital | West Virginia)
• Appeared in 15 games for West Virginia, including a trio of starts
• Played in three games for the Mountaineers in 2021, making a pair of solo tackles and one tackle for a loss.
• Tabbed by Pro Football Focus All-Freshman Team (Third Team) after playing in 12 games at free safety and started four as a freshman in 2019 and finished campaign as sixth-leading tackler for West Virginia with 50 tackles, including 35 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups
• Set career highs in tackles (9) and assists (4) against Oklahoma State
• Made his first career start at Oklahoma, matching his career high with five tackles
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports at Capital High School, including being ranked among the top-five recruits in West Virginia
• Two-time Class AAA All-State First-Team selection and two-time All-USA Today West Virginia First-Team Defense
• Three-time All-Mountain State Athletic Conference First Team Offense (2017-18)
• Passed for 2,164 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior at Capital, while also rushing for 800 yards and 12 scores
• As a quarterback, he guided Capital to WVSSAC Class AAA semifinals for three consecutive seasons (2016-18)
• For his career, Martin passed for 6,845 yards and 85 touchdowns and rushed for 2,383 yards and 37 scores
DEVON ROBINSON (6-6 | Defensive Lineman | Memphis, Tenn. | Whitehaven | Memphis)
• Versatile player that will play across the defensive line for the Zips
• Appeared in one game a freshman at Mississippi State in 2018 before redshirting the campaign
• Member of Memphis squad in 2021
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals at Whitehaven High School
• Ranked the No. 33 prospect in Tennessee per Rivals
• Helped Whitehaven to 26 wins over his final two prep seasons, including guiding his squad to a perfect 15-0 record and the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Division I Class 6A state title as a junior
• As a senior, grabbed 72 tackles with 21.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks, while as a junior, made 28 stops with 4.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack
• Won the AutoZone Liberty Bowl TD Club of Memphis Defensive Player of the Year award out of Whitehaven High School
• Played for Coach Moorhead at Mississippi State
TIM TERRY (6-2 | Linebacker | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Central Catholic | Buffalo)
• Three-year starter at Buffalo playin in 45 games at Buffalo
• Appeared in 11 games and made two starts in 2021 turning in 23 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery on the season
• Played in seven games and made one starts in 2020 and posted 21 tackles and a fumble recovery on the season
• Saw action in 13 games and started nine at outside linebacker in 2019 en route to recording 43 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack
• Played 14 games as a redshirt freshman at Buffalo
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports at Central Catholic High School
• Ranked second on the team as a senior in tackles with 83 and had three interceptions for touchdowns
• Named Second-Team All-State. Named First-Team All-6A Section 1
• Helped lead Central Catholic to a state title and a pair of conference championships
• Tabbed WPIAL Class 6A All-Conference and was a Mr. Pennsylvania Football nominee
CAM THREATT (6-2 | Cornerback | Olive Branch, Miss. | Lewisburg | Mississippi State)
• Two-year member of Mississippi State program
• Three-star recruit per ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports and was ranked as the 45th cornerback in the country coming out of high school
• Played in the Alabama-Mississippi All Star Game coming out of high school
• Top-20 recruit in Mississippi according to Rivals (No. 23) and 247Sports (No. 19)
• Ranked No. 11 on the Commercial Appeal's inaugural 2019 Dandy Dozen, a collection of the top 12 college football prospects from the Mid-South
• In his career, racked up 263 tackles and eight interceptions and added 304 yards rushing and three touchdowns
• As a senior, made 109 tackles (72 solos) with four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and six pass breakups and returned 11 kickoffs for 198 yards and eight punts for 236 yards
CAM WILEY (6-2 | Running Back | Las Vegas, Nev. | Desert Pines | Minnesota)
• Versatile athlete as a rusher, receiver and returner at Minnesota
• Played in 13 games for Minnesota, including in three contests for the Golden Gophers in 2021
• Was the second-leading rusher for Minnesota in 2020 playing in seven games en route to totaling 381 all-purpose yards (179 rushing, 26 receiving, 176 kick return) and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) in 2020
• Appeared in three games and rushed 11 times for 32 yards and returned four kicks for 76 yards in 2019 before redshirting campaign
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports at Desert Pines High School and ranked No. 6 recruit in Nevada and No. 80 ranked athlete in the country by ESPN
• Helped Desert Pines High School to a pair of state titles and rushed for 1,500 career yards during his prep career
• As a senior, rushed 89 times for 550 yards and seven touchdowns and made three catches for 19 yards, while on defense, recorded 14 tackles and seven sacks en route to earning All-State accolades
HIGH SCHOOL SIGNEES
MARQUELL DARNELL (6-7 | Tight End | Erie, Pa. | Central)
• Chose Akron over offers from Iowa State, Virginia Tech, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Kent State and Toledo
• A four-year letterwinner at Central High School
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports at Central High School
• Ranked as a Top-30 player in Pennsylvania this recruiting cycle
• Very gifted basketball player as well as football player
KEYLEN DAVIS (6-3 | Offensive Line | Indianapolis, Ind. | Ben Davis)
• Chose Akron over offers from Boston College, Indiana, Kentucky, Purdue, West Virginia, and Cincinnati
• A four-year letterwinner at Ben Davis High School, where he made 35 starts to help his squad to four straight playoff appearances
• Rivals tabbed him as the No. 35 offensive guard in the country
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports at Ben Davis High School
• A three-year starter at Ben Davis where he was a named a 2021 Max Preps All-State selection
• An All-MIC Academic All-State honoree, 2021 IFCA Top 50 Indy Preseason Super Team, All-Marion County, All-USA Central Indiana Super Team
• 2021 Indiana Football Digest Primetime 25 Honoree
BOBBY GOLDEN (5-9 | Wide Receiver | Miami, Fla. | Miami Palmetto)
• Chose Akron over offers from Coastal Carolina, FIU and Florida Atlantic
• A four-year letter-winner at Miami Palmetto High School, where his squad made four playoff appearances and posted a trio of 10-win campaigns
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports and across recruiting platforms at Miami Palmetto High School
• A two-time All-Regional honoree
JOURDEN HALE-FRATER (6-5 | Offensive Lineman | Cincinnati, Ohio | Sycamore)
• A four-year letter winner at Sycamore High School, where he helped his squad to a pair of playoff appearances
• Earned First-Team All-Conference honors as a senior
DIJON JENNINGS (5-11 | Quarterback | Reynoldsburg, Ohio | Reynoldsburg)
• Chose Akron over offers from Kentucky, Buffalo, Miami (Ohio), Ball State and Eastern Michigan
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports at Reynoldsburg High School
• Ranked as a Top-85 player in Ohio this recruiting cycle
• Helped direct Reynoldsburg High School to a trio of state playoff appearances during his prep career
• Played in 33 games at Reynoldsburg throwing for nearly 4,000 yards (3,990) as quarterback en route to connecting on 293 of career 456 attempts resulting in 45 touchdowns through the air
• A dual-threat option on the ground rushing for nearly 1,000 yards (962) with eight touchdowns on the ground
CHARLES KELLOM (5-11 | Running Back | Cincinnati, Ohio | St. Xavier)
• A four-year letterwinner at St. Xavier High School, where he helped his squad to four playoff appearances
• Registered over 1,850 yards of total offense as a senior en route to scoring 29 touchdowns
KAMARII LANDERS (6-5 | Offensive Lineman | Detroit, Mich. | Fordson)
• Chose Akron over offers from Michigan State, Kentucky, Michigan, Oregon, Nebraska, West Virginia and Indiana
• A four-year letterwinner at Fordson High School, where his squad make four straight playoff appearances
• A two-time All-Conference selection
• Three-star recruit across recruiting services at Fordson High School
• Ranked as a Top-60 offensive tackle in the country and ranked as a Top-30 player in Michigan this recruiting cycle
BRYAN MCCOY (6-0 | Linebacker | Chicago, Ill. | Joliet West)
• A four-year letterwinner at Joliet West High School
• Ranked as a Top-50 player in Illinois this recruiting cycle
• Two-star recruit by 247Sports at Joliet West High School
• Earned All-Conference accolades as a senior
• A three-time state finalist as one of the top high school wrestlers in the country
KIAWAN MURPHY (6-3 | Defensive Lineman | East Hartford, Conn. | East Hartford)
• A four-year letterwinner at East Hartford High School
TYHLER WILLIAMS (6-4 | Offensive Lineman | Alpharetta, Ga. | Milton)
• Chose Akron over offers from Miami, Arizona State, Tulane and Temple
• A four-year letterwinner at Milton High School, where he helped direct his squad to four playoff appearances, including a state final berth
• Garnered All-Regional accolades as a senior
• Named Georgia 7A Region 5 All-Region First-Team offensive lineman this past season
PWO SIGNEES
CLAYTON BONE (6-0 | Wide Receiver | Rochester Hills, Mich. | Avon Old Farms School (Conn.))
• A three-year letterwinner at wide receiver and cornerback at Notre Dame Prep, where he helped his squad to a 17-4 mark over his final two campaigns
• Spent this past season playing for Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Conn.
• Garnered First-Team All-State accolades as a senior after earning honorable mention All-State honors as a junior where his team won a district title
• Registered 96 career catches for 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns, while posting 43 catches for 500 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior
• Two-star recruit by 247Sports at Notre Dame Prep High School
EMMETT HANNA (6-2 | Linebacker | Cleveland, Ohio | St. Ignatius | Boston College)
• Member of Boston College team as a freshman in 2021
• Three-year letter winner at St. Ignatius High School as a defensive back
• Two-star recruit by 247Sports at St. Ignatius High School
BRIAN KILBANE (6-4 | Offensive Lineman | Cleveland, Ohio | St. Edward | Bowling Green)
• Played in three games as a freshman in 2020 at Bowling Green
• A three-year letterwinner at St Edward High School, where he helped to a 34-6 mark over his final three years, including capturing the 2018 Division I state title
• Honored a First-Team All-State and All-District selection as a senior in 2019, while garnering honorable mention All-State and Second-Team All-District accolades as a junior in 2018
• Blocked for a trio of 1,000-yard rushers, including a pair in 2018
• Three-star recruit by 247Sports at St. Edward High School