Central State football announces five new signees for fall of 2015

Wilberforce, OH - In his first full offseason of recrutiing as head coach of the Central State football team, Cedric Pearl has tapped into the the local and national talent pool to help fill the shoes of nine departing seniors.

Pearl, who was hired to lead Central State last April, was unable to recruit heading into last season. Despite the lack of time given to bring in players, Pearl coached the Marauders to a 4-6 record, the program's best mark since joining the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. CSU ended the season on a high note by winning 3 of its last 4 games and finished with a 4-1 home record.

Entering his second season with the Marauders, Pearl hit the ground running with nine premiere signings and expects more players to join in the upcoming weeks.

"We acquired a great group of young men who have a chance to make an impact on this team from the start," Pearl says. " With the combination of incoming players and the strong nucleus of returners, our staff is excited about the possibilities for this upcoming year."

Lawrence Daily was the first to join the Marauders. The standout from Eastmoor Academy in Columbus, OH helped lead his team to a 8-2 overall record last fall. The senior played defensive end and offensive line. On defense, Daily finished with 43 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 5 pass deflections. Daily earned 1st Team All-City honors and was selected to the All-District 2nd Team. Playing on the offensive line, he recorded 26 pancakes and was the Outstanding Lineman of the Year Runner-Up. With a 6'5, 270 pound frame, Daily has a chance to play on both sides of the ball for the Marauders this fall.

Pearl also reached out to players in the Motor City and came back with another athletic player to sure up the offensive line in Martin Luther King guard Eric Martin. Martin, who transitioned from basketball to football, helped MLK to a 5-0 record in conference play and a 8-2 record overall. At the conclusion of the season, the Detroit Free Press named Martin as an All-City Honorable Mention. Martin and Jochannon Mitchell, a 330 pound transfer from Paine College, will help fill a hole left by departing senior linemen Jordan Brown and Cameron Bradley, who were part of a unit that gave up the fewest sacks in the SIAC last season.

"In just one year of playing organized football, Eric showed a tremendous upside. We think he can reach his full potential with us over the next four years at CSU," Pearl said. "Jochannon transfers in with valuable experience playing against teams in the SIAC and has a great chance to earn significant playing time next season."

Conard Johnson will transfer to CSU next season after spending one year playing at Alabama A&M. The 6'0, 230 pound linebacker played in 7 games last season totalling 45 tackles. Originally from Blanche Ely High School in Pampano Beach, FL, Johnson finished his senior season with 100 tackles, 10 sacks, 8 forced fumbles and one interception return for a touchdown.

La'Jai Williamssolidified himself as one of the premier athletes in Cincinnati throughout his high school career. Williams was a 2-time Cincinnati Metro League selection while playing for Woodward High School. At 6'4, Williams played linebacker, wide receiver and returned kicks last season. He totalled 49 tackles. 1 sack and 1 interception on the defensive side of the ball. On offense, Williams had a team leading 17 receptions for 224 yards with 6 rushes for 60 yards. CSU believes Williams will help the return game that ranked last in the SIAC with a 11.6 yards per return. Williams's average was 26.8 yards per return last season.

Cassius Williams, a defensive tackle from Texas, also joins the Marauders. Cassius follows in the footsteps of his father Erik "Big E" Williams, who was part of CSU's 1990 NAIA national title team and helped the Dallas Cowboys to the 1995 Super Bowl title.

Coach Pearl also brings in talent from the JuCo ranks with the addition of West Hills Coalinga College teammates Marquis Wells,Lindley Reid and Arizona Ala. The trio helped West Hills to the No. 1 ranking in the California Community College Athletic Association with a 10-1 overall record.

Prior to attending West Hills, Wells was a standout QB at West Side High School in Gary, IN. During his senior year, Wells threw for 2,624 yards and 30 touchdowns while leading his team to the Class 4A Sectional championship game. Wells also played basketball and baseball. Wells spent time playing quarterback, wide receiver and running back at West Hills last season. He appeared as the signal caller in 12 games, completing 18 of 33 passes for 208 yards. He rushed for 262 yards and 3 touchdowns. As a receiver, he caught 30 passes for 542 yards.

Reid, kown as a versatile athlete, attended Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, FL before playing at West Hills. The 6'0, 180 pound Reid was a team captain and selected to the Broward County All-Star team following his senior season. At West Hills, Reid played in 12 games on the defensive side of the ball. He recorded 30 tackles, 2 pass break ups and 1 interception. He also caught 21 passes for 217 yards.

Ala, a 280 pound defensive lineman, was part of a West Hills pass rushing unit that led the California Community College Athletic Association in total sacks with 57 last season.

The incoming players will join a Marauder squad that was ranked the No. 1 pass rushing team in the SIAC and was among the conference leaders in rushing. Starters Artrell McMillan, a SIAC 1st-Team selection, along with Tayvin Ziegler, Justin Woods-West and Kevin Carter all return next season to continue the CSU dominance on the defensive side of the ball. Tight end Zach Thomas, a SIAC 2nd-Team selection, leads a host of returners on offense. After posting the best field goal percentage in the conference last year, John Adams also returns to anchor down the CSU kicking game.


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