TYLER, Texas — For the fourth straight year, East Texas high school and junior college student-athletes are getting the chance to take advantage of Early National Signing Day.
This is the early period where student-athletes will sign their National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play collegiate athletics.
The NCAA manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) provides governance oversight of the program. The program, which started in 1964 with seven conferences and eight independent institutions, now includes 657 Division I and Division II participating institutions.
The NLI is a voluntary program with regard to both institutions and student-athletes. No prospective student-athlete or parent is required to sign the NLI and no institution is required to join the program.
The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an NLI member institution:
- A prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the institution full-time for one academic year (two semesters or three quarters).
- The institution agrees to provide athletics financial aid for one academic year (two semesters or three quarters).
If a student-athlete does not fulfill his or her NLI agreement, he or she has to serve one year in residence (full-time, two semesters or three quarters) at the next NLI member institution and lose one season of competition in all sports.
An important provision of the NLI program is a recruiting prohibition applied after a prospective student-athlete signs the NLI. This prohibition requires member institutions to cease recruitment of a prospective student-athlete once an NLI is signed with another institution.
CBS19 is all over the Piney Woods today capturing the moments which will kick off some of the best years of these students' lives.
BISHOP T.K. GORMAN HIGH SCHOOL
- Dozie Ifeadi (Football) - Lamar University
GILMER HIGH SCHOOL
- Luke Watson (Football) - SFA
LINDALE HIGH SCHOOL
- Jordan Jenkins (Football) - Baylor
LONGVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
- Kybrien Jackson-Jamerson (Football) - UAB
- Trent Bush (Baseball) - Dallas Baptist University
- Tatum Fenton (Soccer) - LeTourneau University
- Isabel Breaux (Cross Country) - Ouachita Baptist
- Camryn Jacobs (Soccer) - Arkansas-Little Rock
LUFKIN HIGH SCHOOL
- Wilburn Smallwood (Football) - SFA
- Caleb Berry (Football) - Washington
- Spencer Alexander (Baseball) - Rich Mountain
- Kaden Maxie (Football) - Hardin-Simmons
- Reid Hensley (Baseball) - UIW
- Jordan Moore (Football) - Prairie View A&M
- Kelton Wright (Football) - Texas Southern
- Skyla Valdez (Soccer) - Louisiana College
MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL
- Lyrik Rawls (Football) - Oklahoma State
MALAKOFF HIGH SCHOOL
- Darion Peace (Football) - Lamar University
MINEOLA HIGH SCHOOL
- Trevion Sneed (Football) - SMU
- Jackson Anderson (Football) - Colorado
PLEASANT GROVE HIGH SCHOOL
- Nickolas Martin (Football) - Oklahoma State
- Landon Jackson (Football) - LSU
- Marcus Burris (Football) - Texas A&M
SAN AUGUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL
- Kevorian Barnes (Football) - UTSA
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
- Wilburn Smallwood (Football) - Lufkin High School
- Donnie Moody (Football) - Judson High School
- Dave Babalola (Football) - George Ranch
Luke Watson (Football) - Gilmer High School
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO - Head Coach Jeff Traylor
- Caden Holt (Football) - New Braunfels Canyon High School
- Clifford Chattman (Football) - New Orleans/Texas A&M
- Kevorian Barnes (Football) - San Augustine High School
- River Gordon (Football) - Mansfield High School
- Ronnie Garza (Football) - Edinburg Vela HS
- Luke Lapeze (Football) - Summer Creek High School
- Jalen Rainey (Football) - Brandeis High School
- Malik Jones (Football) - Gulf Coast CC
- Ronald Triplette (Football) - Houston/Kansas State
- Ron Tatum III (Football) - Oklahoma City/NEO A&M
- JaCorey Hyder (Football) - Woodville High School
VAN HIGH SCHOOL
CBS19 will update this article throughout the day with information on East Texas signees.
