CONWAY, S.C. –Coastal Carolina football head coach Jamey Chadwell and his staff are excited to announce the addition of 19 future Chanticleers who have signed National Letters of Intent to continue both their academic and athletic careers at Coastal Carolina University.

The December signing class includes guys from eight states spanning over the east and southeast in Florida (6), South Carolina (3), Georgia (3), Virginia (2), North Carolina (1), Tennessee (1), Alabama (1) and Mississippi (1), as well as a junior college transfer originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada (1).

Four of the 19 signees will come to Coastal from junior college, while a total of 10 of the early signees will enroll at Coastal for the spring semester in January 2020.

A total of 14 of the 19 signees were multi-sport athletes over their high school careers, while all 19 come from winning programs, as five of the newest Chants won state championships at their respective high schools and the majority of the others, including the junior college transfers, led their teams to either a bowl game or the playoffs this past season.
 
2020 Early Signing Class

CJ Beasley (5-10 * 175 * RB * Norfolk, Va./Maury HS)

Braydon Bennett (6-2 * 180 * RB * Greenville, S.C./Southside HS)

Shon Brown (6-2 * 220 * OLB * Clover, S.C./Clover HS)

Shane Bruce (6-0 * 210 * LB * Carrollton, Ga./Central HS)

Aaron Diggs (5-11 * 200 * OLB * Auburn, Ala./Auburn HS)

Wilt Gabe II (6-3 * 250 * DE * Montreal, Quebec/Independence C.C./Montmorency College)

Fred Jackson (5-10 * 185 * WR * Lake Minneola, Fla./New Mexico Military Institute/Lake Minneola HS)

James Johnson (6-2 * 245 * DE * Port St. Lucie, Fla./Vero Beach HS)

Rayquan Jones (6-1 * 285 * NG * Rome, Ga./Rome HS)

Shermari Jones (6-1 * 215 * RB * Cantonment, Fla./Independence C.C./Tate HS)

Willie Lampkin (6-1 * 295 * OL * Lakeland, Fla./Lakeland HS)

Logan Mauldin (6-3 * 220 * TE * Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park HS)

Tyson Mobley (6-0 * 170 * WR * Longwood, Fla./Master’s Academy)

Braylon Ryan (6-2 * 240 * DE * Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood HS)

Mason Shelton (6-2 * 215 * LB * Maryville, Tenn./Maryville HS)

Isaiah Stephens (6-3 * 185 * OLB * Daleville, Va./Lord Botetourt HS)

Manny Stokes Jr. (5-10 * 165 * CB * Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona HS)

D’Jordan Strong (5-11 * 175 * CB * Batesville, Miss./Northeast Mississippi C.C./South Panola HS)

Tyler Wagner (6-5 * 285 * OL * Lilburn, Ga./Parkview HS)

Signees Information

CJ Beasley (5-10 * 175 * RB * Norfolk, Va./Maury HS)

A three-star recruit at running back by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports … Ranked as high as the 73rd-best running back in the nation for the class of 2020 by ESPN … Rated the 23rd-best prospect in the state of Virginia by ESPN, 27th by 247Sports and 30th-best by Rivals … Feature running back for the Maury High School Commodores and head coach Dyrri McCain … Named to the Class 5 All-Region A team at running back his senior year … Led his team to a perfect 15-0 record and a 2019 Virginia High School League Class 5 state championship game title with a 28-21 win over Stone Bridge in the championship game  … School’s first state title since 1939 … Rushed 216 times for 1,808 yards and 24 touchdowns his senior season … Also caught 13 passes for 176 yards and three scores … Returned one kick for an 80-yard touchdown … Totaled 2,064 all-purpose yards and 28 touchdowns his senior year … Helped lead the Commodores to the 5A region championship and the state semifinals in 2018 with a 12-2 record as a junior … Finished his junior season in 2018 with 2,409 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns … Totaled 1,778 rushing yards and 424 receiving yards to earn 2018 All-Tidewater honors … Also earned 2018 first-team All-Eastern District honors and first-team All-Class 5 Region accolades his junior year when he averaged 13.3 yards per touch … Lettered in track & field where he was a regional champion in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles … Will enroll at Coastal in January 2020.

Braydon Bennett (6-2 * 180 * RB * Greenville, S.C./Southside HS)

Graded a three-star recruit at running back by 247Sports … Rated as the 40th-best prospect for the class of 2020 in the state of South Carolina by 247Sports … A two-star recruit as an athlete by Rivals … Played running back, wide receiver, and safety at Southside High School for head coach Jeremy West … Had 137 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only three carries in the season opener before suffering a season-ending injury in his senior year in 2019 … Tabbed first-team 2018 All-Upstate at running back his junior year … Also named to the 2018 Region II AAA All-Region team … Seven-time MaxPreps Player of the Game in 2018 as a junior … A two-time Greenville News Player of the Week, Fox Carolina Player of the Week, and WSPA 7 Player of the Week in 2018 … Led all of Class AAA in South Carolina in rushing in 2018 with 2,048 yards and 29 touchdowns on just 214 carries his junior season … Averaged 9.6 yards per carry and 157.5 yards per game on the ground as a junior … Also caught 14 passes for 217 yards and two scores in 2018 … Added 26 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown on defense as a safety … Totaled 11 100-yard rushing games over the final 14 games of his high school career … Plans to run track at Coastal Carolina as well … Also lettered in track & field in high school …  A two-time state champion in the 110-meter hurdles (2018 and 2019) … Also won the 2A state title in the 4×100 relay and 400-meter hurdles … Also a two-time AAU Club Nationals Champion in the 110-meter hurdles and a national champion in the 4×100 meter relay … Named to The Greenville News 2018-19 All-Upstate Boys track & field team … Father, Brandon Bennett, played college football at the University of South Carolina and in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers.

Shon Brown (6-2 * 220 * OLB * Clover, S.C./Clover HS)

A three-star recruit at linebacker by both ESPN and 247Sports … Also rated a two-star at outside linebacker by Rivals … Was rated as high as the 23rd-best prospect in South Carolina in the class of 2020 … Played linebacker and defensive end at Clover High School for head coach Brian Lane … Named to the 24th annual SCVarsity All-State Football third team and the All-Upstate first team in 2019 … Invited to play in the 2020 High School Blitz East vs. West All-Star Game … Led his team as a captain to a 12-1 overall record in 2019 with the lone loss coming to Dorman in the Upper State semifinals of the SCHSL Football State Championships … Guided his team to the first regional championship since 2006 and recorded the first unbeaten regular season in school history his senior year … Finished his senior season with 72 total tackles, 24.0 tackles-for-loss, 7.0 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery … Will enroll at Coastal in January 2020.

Shane Bruce (6-0 * 210 * LB * Carrollton, Ga./Central HS)

A three-star prospect at outside linebacker by 247Sports and ESPN … Also rated a two-star recruit by Rivals … Played both outside linebacker and running back at Central High School for head coach Darius Smiley  … Tabbed the Georgia 5-AAAA All-Region 2019 Co-Defensive Player of the Year … Earned second-team all-region honors in 2018 as a junior … A nine-time MaxPreps Player of the Game selection … Finished his senior season with 86 total tackles, including 62 solo stops, and an average of 9.6 tackles per game … Also had 5.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack his senior season … Recorded two interceptions his senior year … Tallied 144 tackles over his final two seasons in high school … Totaled 39 carries for 240 yards and six rushing scores while at running back … Caught 10 passes for 231 yards and two scores out of the backfield … Also lettered in wrestling and track & field … Named the 2018-19 Times-Georgia All-Area Newcomer of the Year in wrestling … Finished third at the Class AAAA Traditional Wrestling State Championships as a junior.

Aaron Diggs (5-11 * 200 * OLB * Auburn, Ala./Auburn HS)

Rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN … Also ranked as a two-star recruit by 247Sports … Played safety, linebacker, and running back at Auburn High School for head coach Adam Winegarden … Named to the Opelika-Auburn News All-Area first team in 2018 … Led Auburn to a 9-4 overall record and past the second round of the state playoffs for the first time since 2013 with a semifinals appearance in 2019 … Switched from defense to offense full time early in the season for Auburn … In just three games on the defensive side of the ball, he had 23 tackles, 5.0 tackles-for-loss, two pass breakups, and one forced fumble in 2019 … After moving over to the offense, he rushed 268 times for 1,605 yards and 19 touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 485 yards and seven touchdowns his senior season … Had 42 carries for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the win over McGill-Toolen to advance to the state semifinals … Totaled 44 solo tackles, 4.0 sacks, forced three fumbles and recovered five fumbles on defense in 2018 as a junior … Also carried the ball 28 times for 155 yards and one touchdown as a junior in 2018 … Also lettered in track & field … Born in Heidelberg, Germany and has also lived in Fort Worth, Texas, McDonough, Ga., and Honolulu, Hawaii.

Wilt Gabe II (6-3 * 250 * DE * Montreal, Quebec/Independence C.C./Montmorency College)

Plans to enroll at Coastal in January 2020 … Will have three seasons of eligibility.

Independence Community College: Played on the defensive line at Independence Community College (Kansas) for head coach Kiyoshi Harris in 2019 … A part of the defensive unit that helped lead his team to an 8-2 overall record and the outright Kansas Jayhawk Conference championship in 2019 … Team finished No. 9 in the NJCAA national poll … Recorded 3.0 tackles, including 1.0 tackle-for-loss in five games for the Pirates.

High School: Attended and played for Montmorency College in Laval, Quebec … Was invited to the 2017 Elite Combine Series Quebec Invite List his senior year of high school.

Fred Jackson (5-10 * 185 * WR * Lake Minneola, Fla./New Mexico Military Institute/Lake Minneola HS)

A 2019 NJCAA All-American honorable mention as a return specialist … Named as one of 20+ RB’s to watch at the NJCAA level by 247Sports prior to the 2019 season … Will line up at wide receiver for the Chanticleers … Will enroll at Coastal in January 2020.

New Mexico Military Institute: Played in 19 games in two seasons at the New Mexico Military Institute for head coach Joe Forchtner … A 2019 NJCAA All-American honorable mention as a return specialist … Named to the 2019 SWJCFC All-Conference first team his sophomore season … Led his team to the 2019 SWJCFC Championship game … Totaled 2,579 all-purpose yards in his NMMI career with 1,024 rushing yards, 480 receiving yards, and 1,075 kick return yards … Finished his sophomore season in 2019 with 668 rushing yards and eight touchdowns … Also caught 24 passes for 216 yards and a score … Accounted for 1,219 yards – 356 yards rushing, 264 yards receiving, and 599 yards on kick returns as a freshman in 2018 … Ran for 356 yards and two touchdowns on 63 carries his first year … Also hauled in 17 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield … Former teammate of current Chant Enock Makonzo.

High School: Played at Lake Minneola High School … Led his high school team with 2,206 yards and 28 touchdowns his senior season in 2017 … Ran for 452 yards in a 55-47 win over Leesburg in his final high school game … Also lettered in basketball.

Also offered by New Mexico.

James Johnson (6-2 * 245 * DE * Port St. Lucie, Fla./Vero Beach HS)

A three-star recruit by 247Sports Composite … Ranked as high as the 97th-best defensive end nationally for the class of 2020 by 247Sports Composite … Played defensive end and tight end for the Vero Beach High School Indians and head coach Lenny Jankowski … Totaled 66 tackles, 13.0 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks, and 13 quarterback hurries over his final two years at Vero Beach … Helped his team to an 11-1 overall record his senior season with the lone loss coming in the Region 3-8A championship game versus Deerfield Beach … Finished his senior season with 39 total tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, and 2.0 sacks … Also lettered in track & field, throwing the shot put, discus, and competing in the high jump.

Rayquan Jones (6-1 * 285 * NG * Rome, Ga./Rome HS)

A three-star recruit as a defensive tackle by both ESPN and 247Sports … Graded a two-star recruit by Rivals … Lined up at nose guard, defensive tackle, and defensive end for Rome High School and head coach John Reid … Named to the 2018 GACA-North Class AAAAA All-State team as a junior … Led Rome to a 9-3 overall record and 7-1 region record his senior season … Team advanced to the second round of the 2019 Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA state playoffs … Totaled 37 tackles, including 21 solo stops, 8.0 sacks, and 12.0 tackles-for-loss over his last two seasons for the Wolves … Part of Rome’s state championship teams in 2016 and 2017 as a sophomore and freshman.

Shermari Jones (6-1 * 215 * RB * Cantonment, Fla./Independence C.C./Tate HS)

Independence C.C.: Played two seasons at Independence Community College (Kansas) for head coach Kiyoshi Harris and Jason Brown … A part of the offensive unit that helped lead his team to an 8-2 overall record and the outright Kansas Jayhawk Conference championship in 2019 … Team finished No. 9 in the NJCAA poll … Played in 16 games and was part of a stable of running backs for the Pirates in his two years … Rushed for 873 yards and nine touchdowns … Also caught six passes for 18 yards out of the backfield … Totaled 521 yards and five touchdowns on the ground in 2019 … Plans to enroll at Coastal in January 2020 … Made an appearance on the Netflix original series Last Chance U Season 4.

High School: Played at Tate High School for head coach Jay Lindsey … Named to the 2017 Pensacola News Journal All-Area second team his senior season … Was a six-time MaxPreps Player of the Game his senior season in 2017 … Selected to play for the West team in the 2017 Pensacola Sports Association Subway High School All-Star Series … Rushed for 1,076 yards and 15 touchdowns and caught nine passes for 145 yards and a score his senior year for Tate … Recorded eight 100-yard rushing games over his final two high school seasons.

Willie Lampkin (6-1 * 295 * OL * Lakeland, Fla./Lakeland HS)

Rated a three-star recruit by ESPN … Also a three-star recruit for the class of 2020 by 247Sports Composite … A two-star recruit at offensive line by Rivals … Played on the offensive and defensive lines at Lakeland High School for head coach Bill Castle … Played his first two years in high school at Mulberry … Was a key part in the Dreadnaughts going 12-1 overall and finishing as state runner-up in the 2019 FHSAA Class 7A Football state championship playoffs … Helped lead Lakeland to the 2018 FHSAA Class 7A state championship title as a junior … Blocked for running back Demarkcus Bowman, a Clemson commit and the second-best running back in the 2020 recruiting class by 247Sports and Rivals …  Also lettered in wrestling where he was the 2019 FHSAA Class 3A state runner-up at 285 pounds and posted a 46-4 overall record on the mat as a junior … Won his weight class with a perfect 9-0 record at the 2019 Disney Duals in June 2019 … Ranked as the No. 1 wrestler in Class 2A his senior year.

Logan Mauldin (6-3 * 220 * TE * Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park HS)

A three-star recruit by 247Sports Composite … Lined up at tight end and wide receiver for Myers Park and head coach Scott Chadwick, father of former CCU great Tyler Chadwick … Invited to play in the first-ever Queen City Senior Bowl … Helped lead Myers Park to a 12-1 overall and 7-0 conference record his senior season with the lone loss coming in the third round of the 2019 North Carolina 4AA State Playoffs versus Richmond … Team finished the regular season a perfect 11-0 for the first time in school history and undefeated for only the third time … Caught 17 passes for 294 yards and five touchdowns his senior season … Averaged 17.3 yards per catch in his final two seasons at Myers Park … Ranked as the 43rd-best player in the region by The Charlotte Weekly prior to the 2019 season … Plans to enroll at Coastal in January 2020.

Tyson Mobley (6-0 * 170 * WR * Longwood, Fla./Master’s Academy)

A two-star recruit at wide receiver by Rivals … Ranked as high as No. 29 in the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida Super60 class of 2020 rankings … Played wide receiver and cornerback at Master’s Academy (Oviedo, Fla.) under head coach Jermel Jones … Named to the All-SSAC first team in 2019 … Invited to play in the Florida vs. Georgia High School Showcase game … Also selected to play in the Central Florida All-Star Game … Led his team to the 2019 SSAC Class 2A state championship title and a 9-2 overall record his senior season … Hauled in 40 passes for 857 yards and 12 touchdowns his senior season … Averaged 21.4 yards per catch … Totaled 1,126 all-purpose yards his senior year, an average of 102.4 per contest … Returned three interceptions for touchdowns and one fumble recovery for a score … Father, John Mobley, played eight seasons in the NFL for the Denver Broncos, was an All-Pro in 1997 and is a two-time Super Bowl Champion (XXXII, XXXIII).

Braylon Ryan (6-2 * 240 * DE * Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood HS)

Rated as a three-star recruit at defensive end by both ESPN and 247Sports … Ranked as high as the 68th-the best prospect in the state of South Carolina by 247sports … A two-star recruit by Rivals … Lined up at defensive end and tight end for Greenwood High School and head coach Dan Pippin … Was named to the 2019 South Carolina Football Coaches Association (SCFCA) Class 5A All-State team as a tight end and was an honorable mention at defensive end … Named to the 2019 High School Blitz West All-Star team … Named the Greenwood Touchdown Club Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 29, 2019, as he recorded 10 tackles and 3.0 sacks in the win over Wade Hampton … Finished his senior season with 80 total tackles, 15.0 tackles-for-loss, and 14.0 sacks … Led the Eagles with 59 total tackles and 10 quarterback hurries in 2018 as a junior … Also had 7.0 tackles-for-loss in 2018 … Plans to enroll at Coastal in January 2020.

Mason Shelton (6-2 * 215 * LB * Maryville, Tenn./Maryville HS)

Rated as a three-star recruit at linebacker by ESPN, 247Sports, and Rivals … Ranked as high as the 37th-best overall prospect in the state of Tennessee in the class of 2020 by Rivals … Played linebacker for Maryville High School and head coach Derek Hunt … Led his Rebels’ team to a perfect 15-0 record and a 2019 TSSAA Division I Class 6A state championship title … Also a member of the 2017 state championship team … Recorded eight total tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in the state championship game win … Finished his senior season with 129 total tackles, 62 solo and 67 assist, 17.0 tackles-for-loss, 6.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Isaiah Stephens (6-3 * 185 * OLB * Daleville, Va./Lord Botetourt HS)

A two-star recruit at linebacker by both ESPN and 247Sports … Lined up a linebacker, wide receiver and returned kicks … Played his senior year for Lord Botetourt and head coach Jamie Harless in 2019 … Transferred to Lord Botetourt from Northside High School for his senior season … Named the 2019 Virginia Region D Player of the Year and the 2019 Blue Ridge District Player of the Year … Led his team to a 14-1 record and the 2019 Virginia High School League Class 3 state championship game … 14 wins was a school record … Blocked a punt in the semifinals win over Heritage to advance to the championship game … Team won the Blue Ridge District title with the first 10-0 regular season since 1961 … Recorded 138 total tackles, 46.0 tackles-for-loss, and 28.5 sacks his senior season …  A member of the Northside team in 2018 that went 11-2 overall in lost in the Region 3D finals … Also lettered in track & field at Northside … Will enroll at Coastal in January 2020.

Manny Stokes Jr. (5-10 * 165 * CB * Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona HS)

Rated as a three-star recruit at cornerback by ESPN and 247Sports … Ranked as high as No. 30 in the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida Super60 class of 2020 rankings … Played both cornerback and wide receiver at Lake Nona High School for head coach Anthony Paradiso … Named to the 2019 Team All-Metro East Team as both a wide receiver (first team) and defensive back (second team) … Was named the MaxPreps Player of the Game seven times his senior season … Named the DB MVP at the Nike Opening Camp in Orlando Florida in the spring of 2019 … Invited to play in the Florida vs. Georgia High School Showcase game … Also selected to play in the Central Florida All-Star Game … Totaled 28 tackles and 1.0 sack from his defensive back position his senior year … Also registered four interceptions, five pass breakups, and forced two fumbles on defense in 2019 … Caught 60 passes for 946 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed 26 times for 154 yards and a score his senior season … Totaled 1,533 all-purpose yards, an average of 139.5 yards per game, his senior year … Also had three returns for touchdowns, including a punt return and kickoff return in the same game … Totaled 51 tackles as a junior in 2018 … Will enroll at Coastal in January 2020.

Was also recruited by South Dakota, Tennessee State, Georgia Southern, and UT Martin.

D’Jordan Strong (5-11 * 175 * CB * Batesville, Miss./Northeast Mississippi C.C./South Panola HS)

A two-star recruit at cornerback by 247Sports … Rated the 25th-best cornerback among the junior college (JUCO) class of 2020 by 247Sports … Will enroll at Coastal in January 2020.

Northeast Mississippi C.C.: Played two seasons at Northeast Mississippi Community College for head coach Greg Davis … Part of a defensive unit in 2019 that led the NJCAA in passing defense with a nation low 126.6 pass yards allowed per game … Totaled 46 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, one interception, and 12 pass breakups for the Tigers … Returned three kicks for 127 yards, an average of 42.3 yards per return his freshman year.

High School: Rated a three-star recruit at cornerback in the class of 2018 by Rivals … Ranked as high as the 32nd-best prospect in the state of Mississippi for the class of 2018 by Rivals … Recorded 45 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, four interceptions, and 23 pass breakups over his final two years of high school … Also played wide receiver, recording 60 catches for 897 yards and seven touchdowns combined over his junior and senior years for the Tigers and head coach Ricky Woods … Was part of the 2016 and 2015 teams coached by Lance Pouge.

Tyler Wagner (6-5 * 285 * OL * Lilburn, Ga./Parkview HS)

A three-star recruit by ESPN … Rated as a three-star offensive lineman recruit by 247Sports Composite … Lined up on the offensive line for the Parkview High School Panthers and head coach Eric Godfree … Named to the 7-AAAAAAA All-Region first team his senior season … Also earned Touchdown Club of Gwinnett All-County first team accolades in 2019 … Led the Panthers to a 12-2 overall record and a final four appearance in the 2019 GSHA 7-AAAAAAA State Championship Playoffs before falling to Marietta in the semifinals … It was the first semifinals appearance for the Panthers since 2004 … Blocked for 7-AAAAAAA Region Player of the Year and Touchdown Club of Gwinnett All-County Running Back of the Year Cody Brown who rushed for over 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2019 … Also lettered in basketball for Parkview.

Courtesy – Coastal Carolina Athletics