CHARLOTTE, NC – The Panthers agreed to terms with 17 undrafted free agents on Monday afternoon, rounding out the 2020 Draft Class.
Three free agents, LB Jordan Mack, TE Cam Sutton, and TE Colin Thompson officially signed on Monday afternoon.
Read more about Carolina’s new players:
Myles Adams, DE, Rice
Adams played four seasons at Rice where he compiled 94 total tackles and 4.5 sacks with 10.5 tackles for loss. In 2019, he earned Conference USA honorable mention accolades and was named a third team interior lineman selection by PFF. He posted a career-best 42 tackles which ranked second among Owls’ interior linemen. He was also named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation’s Campbell Trophy that honors college football’s top scholar-athletes.
Omar Bayless, WR, Arkansas State
In four years at Arkansas State, Bayless played in 43 games with 2,764 career receiving yards and 26 receiving touchdowns, ranking sixth and second in Sun Belt history, respectively. He was a third team AP All-American in 2019 and Sun Belt Player of the Year after ranking second in all of college football with 1,653 receiving yards and third with 17 receiving touchdowns.
Brandon Bowen, T, Ohio State
Bowen rebounded from an injury that caused him to miss some of the 2017 and all of 2018 seasons as he started in 13 games at right tackle in 2019, earning second team All-Big Ten honors. He helped Ohio State rank fourth in FBS with 530.4 yards per game and sixth in FBS with 5.7 rushing yards per game.
Jason Ferris, LB, Montana Western
A standout from NAIA school Montana Western, Ferris led the Frontier Conference with 119 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2019. A two-time AP All-American, he ranked third in all of NAIA in tackles in both 2019 and 2018.
Sam Franklin, LB, Temple
Franklin totaled 194 tackles over four seasons and 53 games at Temple, including 24.0 tackles for loss. He also tallied 8.0 career sacks and had two interceptions with 10 pass deflections and three fumble recoveries.
Myles Hartsfield, DB, Mississippi
Hartsfield played in 48 games over his four-year career at Ole Miss, recording 167 total tackles. He was consistent throughout his four-year career with 43, 42, 41 and 41 tackles each season. He earned All-SEC freshman honors after ranking fourth among SEC freshmen in tackles.
TreVontae Hights, WR, TCU
Hights played at wide receiver and special teams where he tallied 327 career receiving yards and three touchdowns, to go with 18 total tackles.
Mike Horton, G, Auburn
Horton posted 32 career starts at Auburn, seeing time at both left and right guard. He earned SEC Offensive Linemen of the Week honors in 2019 and helped Auburn rank in the top 25 in rushing touchdowns.
Jordan Mack, LB, Virginia
Mack was a four-year starter at Virginia, where he was a third-team All-ACC honoree in 2019. He tallied a career high with 114 tackles as a sophomore, but battled through injuries in his last two college seasons — including an ankle injury that he had surgery on following his senior season that sidelined him for the pre-draft process. Mack recorded 14.5 sacks, 25.5 tackles for loss, and six forced fumbles in 47 collegiate games.
Frederick Mauigoa, C, Washington State
Mauigoa started 39 consecutive games at center for Washington State, helping anchor the offensive unit. He earned All-Pac 12 honorable mention status as a junior in 2018. Mauigoa also received a pair of “Bone Awards” — given to the Washington State offensive lineman of the game — for performances against Eastern Washington in 2018 and Stanford in 2019.
Chris Orr, LB, Wisconsin
Orr was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree for his 2019 redshirt senior season, after recording 11.5 sacks, 14.0 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and five passes defensed. Orr’s 11.5 sacks set a new program record for sacks by an inside linebacker. Orr tore his ACL in 2016 on the first play of the season, but came back to play 39 contests from 2017-2019. Overall, Orr played in 50 games, starting 30, with 20.0 tackles for loss and 14.0 sacks.
David Reese, LB, Florida
Reese received AP second-team All-SEC honors after recording 94 total tackles 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and a fumble recovery during his senior season of 2019. He fought through injuries a few times in his collegiate career — including to his ankle and wrist — but still played 46 games with 38 starts. He made at least four starts in each of his four years at Florida.
Giovanni Ricci, TE, Western Michigan
Ricci caught 51 passes for 642 yards with eight touchdowns as a senior at Western Michigan, after converting from a wide receiver prior to his junior year in 2018. He received first-team All-MAC honors for his performance in 2019. Overall, the 6-foot-3, 241-pound Ricci caught 98 passes for 1,114 yards with 11 touchdowns.
Austrian Robinson, DT, Mississippi
Robinson is the second Ole Miss player to join the Panthers as an undrafted free agent. He appeared in 38 games, making 81 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, an interception, and a pair of passes defensed. Robinson’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, bringing more size and depth at defensive line.
Rodney Smith, RB, Minnesota
Smith tallied 5,441 career all-purpose yards over his career at Minnesota, most in Gophers history. He rushed for 4,122 career yards, second in school history, while he finished his career with 29 rushing touchdowns, sixth-most in Minnesota history.
In 2019, Smith earned All-Big Ten second team honors as he rushed for 1,163 yard and eight touchdowns, posting five 100-yard rushing games.
Cam Sutton, TE, Fresno State
Sutton transferred to Fresno State after a season at Riverside City College in 2017. A converted wide receiver, Sutton played in three games in 2018 and seven in 2019, totaling nine receptions for 154 yards. He’s listed at 6-foot-6 and 226 pounds, giving him some room to fill out as he attempts to make the Panthers’ active roster.
Sam Tecklenburg, OL, Baylor
Tecklenburg played under Panthers head coach Matt Rhule from 2017-2019 at Baylor, making him familiar to Carolina’s coaching staff. A converted tight end, Tecklenburg initially was going to retire from football after college, until Rhule and the Panthers offered him a chance to compete for a spot on an NFL roster. Tecklenberg was a three-year starter at Baylor and was a second-team All-Big 12 honoree in 2019. He started games at guard and center last year.
