Lee County signs 10 players on National Signing Day

LEESBURG — At a long table covered in red fabric in the middle of the Lee County High School gymnasium, each Trojan senior took their turn signing with the school where they will continue their football careers.

A total of 10 kids signed with various colleges and universities across the nation at a ceremony Wednesday morning on National Signing Day.

Some stayed local while others chose to continue their football career as far away as Los Angeles and Minnesota.

Offensive linemen Chris Barnes and Jacob Baker stayed close to home picking Georgia and Valdosta State, respectively.

Barnes, who committed to Georgia in April of 2015, never considered signing at other schools despite the Bulldogs going through a coaching change. He said new coach Kirby Smart, who visited Barnes in January, has been very supportive of him.

“He’s been very motivating,” Barnes said. “He has been telling me to ‘Stay with the ‘dogs’. We are going to have a really good year this year and we are going to win some games.”

Lee County’s star quarterback Garet Morrell wore a kelly green shirt that only reaffirmed his commitment to play for the Marshall Thundering Herd.

Morrell, who committed over the summer, received a visit from members of the Marshall coaching staff including head coach Doc Holiday just last week.

“The coaching staff has been very energetic,” Morrell said. “They want to get in touch with me every day it seems. It’s something new every day. I get to talk to other players, try and persuade them to go to Marshall as well.”

The gunslinger’s favorite target, wide receiver Tray Eafford, signed his letter of intent to attend Troy University. Eafford finished the 2015 season with 13 touchdowns.

Three other Lee County wide receivers signed. Landon Brown signed with Reinhardt University, an NAIA school in Waleska, Ga. Brown finished with 212 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Devonte Seay signed with Independence Community College in Kansas, while Anthony Tupper will play at West Los Angeles College in Culver City, California.

Collins Tensley, a three-year starter for the Trojans, signed his letter of intent to play at NCAA Division II Benedict College.

The only drama with the Trojans recruiting class came in January when defensive back William Bryant announced he was decommitting from Arkansas State and re-opening his recruitment.

“My decision was based on me not wanting to go so far from home,” Bryant said. “I really wanted my family to get a chance to watch me play. I also had to factor in the academic standpoint of it. What is the best opportunity for me after college, academically.”

On Sunday, Bryant took to Twitter to announce his decision to enroll at Samford University.

Linebacker Ronald Wilson, Jr. will head north to continue his football career at Rochester Community College which is located in Minnesota.

“It is always great when you have kids getting the opportunity to continue playing at the next level,” Lee County coach Dean Fabrizio said. “This has been a great group. These seniors are the winningest class in school history. We are really proud of them.”