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Dec. 4 marks College Football’s early signing period for National Signing Day and The Messenger will have live updates throughout the day as Troy University’s signings are announced.

 

QB Jack James – Paducah Tilghman High School (Paducah, Ky.) – 6’0”, 215 lbs.

James is three-star rated quarterback from Paducah, Ky., who plays for legendary Troy quarterback Corey Robinson at Paducah Tilghman. As a junior, James earned Kentucky Prep Gridiron Big School Offensive Player of the Year throwing for 4,019 yards and 56 touchdowns with just six interceptions.

As a senior, James threw for 3,253 yards and 47 touchdowns with seven interceptions heading into the playoffs. In the 4A State Semifinals, James threw five touchdown passes to lead his school to the State Championship, to be played later this week.

James enters the state championship with 13,642 career passing yards and 180 career passing touchdowns. He needs just one passing yard and five completions to break the state record in both stats.

James was also a star wrestler in high school, winning a state championship in the 215-pound division.

 

LB Donnie Smith – East Central Community College (Greenville, Miss.) – 6’4”, 225 lbs.

Smith played for Greenville St. Joseph in Mississippi and started his college career at East Central Community College. As a freshman, he earned 25 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, four sacks and two forced fumbles. As a sophomore this season, he’s tallied 95 tackles, 21 tackles-for-loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Smith earned All-MACCC honors this season.

Smith is rated as the No. 1 junior college (JUCO) linebacker in this signing class and the No. 17 rated overall JUCO player.

OL Paul Bowling – McEachern High School (Marietta, Ga.) – 6’4”, 300 lbs.

Bowling is a three-star rated offensive lineman from Marietta, Ga. He signed with Troy over offers from numerous other schools like Liberty, Toledo, Miami (Ohio), Central Michigan, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Marshall, Temple and others.

He started at offensive tackle, offensive guard and center during his senior year at McEarchern High School.

 

WR Dariyonne Bryant – Highland Community College (Portsmouth, Ohio) – 6’2”, 175 lbs.

Bryant is a 6-foot-2-inch, receiver from Ohio that earned 43 catches for 871 yards and six touchdowns at Highland Community College in Kansas as a sophomore this past season. In two seasons at Highland, he’s tallied 62 catches for 1,155 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bryant earned First-Team All-KJCCC honors at Highland this past season.

Bryant held offers from other schools like Toledo, Coastal Carolina, Temple, North Texas, Utah State, UTSA and Massachusetts.

 

 

S JT Alvis – Helena High School (Helena, Ala.) – 6’1”, 200 lbs.

Alvis is a three-star rated cornerback from Helena that held a number of Power 4 offers, choosing Troy over other schools like Arkansas, Duke, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Missouri, Penn State, Texas A&M, West Virginia and numerous others.

Alvis played both corner and safety at Helena.

RB Dakarai Shanks – Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.) – 5’10”, 205 lbs.

Shanks is a three-star running back that signed with Troy over offers from other schools like Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Southeaster Missouri State and UAB.

As a senior, Shanks ran for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns on 203 carries for Spain Park. He also caught seven passes for 133 yards and two scores.

DT Reggis “RJ” Shamberger – Excel High School (Monroeville, Ala.) – 6’4”, 290 lbs.

Shamberger is a 3-star rated defensive tackle from Excel High School. He held other offers from schools like Jackson State, Jacksonville State, Alabama State and Tuskegee.

The 6-foot-5-inch defensive tackle, also played fullback in high school. He recorded 50 tackles, 21 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks as a senior.

DE LaDarius James – Huntsville High School (Huntsville, Ala.) – 6’4”, 225 lbs.

James is a three-star rated edge by 247Sports that signed with Troy over offers from schools like Memphis, Alabama State, UAB, North Alabama, Murray State, Alabama A&M and others.

As a junior, James tallied 66 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, three sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, three fumble recoveries and four pass breakups in 10 games.

As a senior, he recorded 40 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss and five sacks. He also plays basketball at Huntsville.

OL Jatorian Blackmon – Troup County High School (LaGrange, Ga.) – 6’5”, 330 lbs.

Blackmon is a 6-foot-5-inch, 330-pound three-star rated prospect out of Georgia that played both offensive and defensive line in high school. He is projected as an interior offensive lineman in college.

He signed with Troy over offers from other schools like Georgia State, Cincinnati, Alabama Sate, Appalachian Sate, Georgia Southern, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Western Kentucky.

S Antonious Steele – Bibb County High School (Centreville, Ala.) – 6’1”, 190 lbs.

Steele is a three-star rated safety from Bibb County that signed with Troy over offers from schools like Tulane, Coastal Carolina and UAB.

He is an AHSAA North-South All-Star that caught 32 passes for 666 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense along with tallying 110 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, five interceptions and three forced fumbles on defense. He earned both All-Region and All-Area honors. Also played basketball for Bibb County.

WR Jah’Marren Jackson – McKenzie High School (McKenzie, Ala.) – 6’5”, 195 lbs.

Jackson is a three-star rated receiver from McKenzie that signed with Troy over offers from other schools like Southern Miss and UAB.

Jackson plays both safety and receiver at McKenzie and the 6-foot-5-inch athlete will play receiver at Troy. As a senior, Jackson tallied 41 catches for 789 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also recorded 24 tackles and an interception on defense. As a junior he caught 50 passes for 782 yards and eight touchdowns along with 161 yards and two touchdowns rushing.

Jackson is a three-sport athlete at McKenzie, averaging 15 points and 14 rebounds in basketball and qualifying for the state track meet in the long jump.

 

LB Makel Green – Central-Phenix City High School (Phenix City, Ala.) – 6’2”, 255 lbs.

Green is a three-star rated edge rusher from Phenix City that chose to sign with Troy over offers from schools like Bethune-Cookman, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, ULM, South Alabama, Texas, Tulane, UAB and Western Kentucky.

While Green missed most of his senior season due to an injury, he will return for Central’s Class 7A State Championship Game this week in Birmingham. As a junior, he recorded 24 tackles, three tackles-for-loss and a sack.

OL Gavin Bowlin – Leeds High School (Leeds, Ala.) – 6’6”, 315 lbs.

Bowlin helped lead Leeds to an 11-3 record as a senior, leading the way for a rushing offense that averaged 268.5 yards per game and scoring 56 touchdowns. He’s rated as a three-star offensive lineman that signed with Troy over numerous other offers, including from Power 4 programs. He also held offers from Colorado State, Arkansas State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Liberty, ULM, Louisville, Marshall, Wes Virginia, Pittsburgh and more.

He’s rated as a Top 100 tackle in the country and earned Offensive Line MVP honors at the You Are Athlete Birmingham Football Camp this past summer.

S Jon Bocchino – Niceville High School (Niceville, Fla.) – 6’0”, 190 lbs.

Bocchino is a three-star rated defensive back from Florida that chose to sign with Troy over offers from Air Force, Army, Buffalo, Cornell, Dartmouth, Fordham, Lehigh, Navy, Massachusetts and others.

He and his Niceville teammates will play in the 5A State Semifinals this week. So far this season, he’s tallied 68 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss and an interception on defense along with 207 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense. As a junior, he recorded 69 tackles, 21 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and six pass breakups. He’s also a track star at Niceville.

RB AC Walters – Alabama Christian Academy (Montgomery, Ala.) – 5’10”, 200 lbs.

Walters is a three-star rated running back from Montgomery that signed with Troy over offers from schools Kentucky, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Maryland and Appalachian State.

As a senior, Walters rushed for 601 yard and eight touchdowns, while also throwing for 209 yards and three scores and tallying 1,023 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air. He also had 333 kickoff return yards.

Walters is rated as the No. 43 prospect in Alabama and No. 90 rated running back in the country.