ETSU Head Football Coach Paul Hamilton and his staff announced yesterday that 17 players have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Buccaneer football program for the 2001 season.
“I feel we’ve addressed the immediate needs for our football team for next fall,” Hamilton said.
“We have continued to build depth throughout our football program.
“We are extremely pleased with the talented local players that decided to stay home and be part of ETSU football.
“That has been the goal of our staff since we came to ETSU.
“I also feel that the addition of I-A and junior college transfers will give us an opportunity to continue to strengthen our football program over the next several years.”
The 17 player class includes 11 freshmen and six transfers. Among the incoming freshmen are several local prep stars.
Adonis Johnson (of Kingsport’s Dobyns-Bennett High School) earned All-State honors and was the Tennessee Sports Writers Offensive Back of the Year in 2000.
Johnson rushed for 1,808 yards and 31 touchdowns during his senior season.
He led D-B to a 12-2 record and a state semifinal berth in 2000.
Johnson rushed for 3,648 yards on 403 carries in prep career.
His teammate, Gerald Sensabaugh, made 42 catches for 480 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
Sensabaugh was an All-Big East defensive back in 2000.
He was voted team captain by his teammates in last year.
Tight end Adam Morgan (of Bristol’s Tennessee High School) earned All-Northeast Tennessee honors, twice All-Conference honoree, while leading a rushing attack that set a school record for yards.
He caught 10 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns and led his team to second round of state playoffs in 2000.
Wide receiver Marcus Bragg (of Morristown East) compiled over 1,500 receiving yards during his final two seasons.
He made 45 catches for 753 yards during his senior season and scored seven touchdowns.
Bragg can run the 40 in 4.5 seconds.
Johnson City’s Corey Jones (of Science Hill) earned All-Northeast Tennessee honors after making 77 tackles as a linebacker during his senior season.
Jones also recorded two fumble recoveries and served as team captain.
Offensive linemen Nathan Anderson (of Salem High School in Salem, Va.) and Jamie Owenby (Belton-Honea Path High School in Belton, S.C.) both earned All-State honors in 2000.
Anderson served as captain during his senior season where he helped lead the team to three consecutive state championships.
Anderson also ranks second in Virginia in wrestling’s heavyweight division.
Owenby played on the South Carolina Shrine Bowl team, is a four-year letterwinner and a two-time All-Region honoree.
He led his team to 12-1 record and the third round of the AAA playoffs in 2000.
Defensive backs Primus Glover (Effingham County High School in Springfield, Ga.) and Jacobe Jones (Lexington High School in Lexington, S.C.) will also join the quad.
Glover earned All-State honors while Jones was a two-time All-Region selection last season.
Glover, as a sophomore, earned the High School Football Player of the Week honors. His junior and senior seasons saw him as the best defensive back in the county.
Jones earned All-Midland honors in 2000.
As a senior, he led his team in interceptions and led his team in tackles in his final two seasons.
He played in the North/South All-Star game in 2000.
Linebacker Daren Wilson (Georgetown High School in Georgetown, S.C.) made 131 tackles as a senior, including nine tackles for loss and three sacks.
Wilson earned defensive player of the year at Georgetown, is a three-time All-Region honoree and led his team to second round of the state playoffs.
He was ranked second in the state in wrestling and earned Defensive Player of the Year accolades following his sophomore season.
His teammate, wide receiver Brian Matthews, caught 22 passes for 474 yards and eight touchdowns.
Matthews earned All-Region and All-County honors as a senior.
He made 87 tackles and seven interceptions as a free safety and 26 tackles and four interceptions on defense.
Four of the six transfers are already on campus and will participate in spring drills.
Running back Ahmad Ashkar (Leavenworth, Kan.), linebacker Marco Bryant (Morganton, N.C.), defensive lineman Zach Fussell (Cocolova, Tenn.) and quarterback Jatavis Sanders (Stone Mountain, Ga.) are already attending ETSU.
Askar transferred to ETSU last year. He earned All-State honors as a senior, was a two-time All-League honoree and was a Kansas City All-Metro and Kansas Shrine Bowl honoree.
He set school records for touchdowns, total yards and all-purpose yards.
Bryant redshirted his freshman season at North Carolina.
He played defensive back at Morganton High School where he earned All-Conference and All-Region honoree three times.
Bryant made 38 solo tackles and 43 assisted tackles.
In his last two years he made 166 tackles, nine sacks and seven interceptions and led the squad to a 9-4 record and second round of playoffs in 1997.
Fussell transferred from Mississippi.
While in high school, he earned the Tennessee Mr. Football for defensive linemen.
He earned All-State and All-Metro honors.
In 1999, he led his team to the Division II-A State Championship and an undefeated 13-0 record.
Sanders appeared in one game for N.C. State as a wide receiver in 2000.
He played in five games as a freshman in 1999 where he completed 9-of-17 passes for 165 yards and one touchdown.

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