UAB FOOTBALL RECRUITING UPDATE
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - December 19, 2024
It’s been a busy December for UAB football coach Trent Dilfer and his staff as they try to put together a roster in the current transfer portal world of college athletics.
The Blazers lost the core of players eligible to return for another season. Several of those departing players, including quarterback Jacob Zeno (Texas A&M), running back Lee Beebe Jr. (Indiana), All-American punt returner and slot receiver Kam Shanks (Arkansas), wide receiver Amare Thomas (Houston) and cornerback Kelvin Hill Jr., have already landed at Power 4 programs.
Dilfer and his coaches are working the transfer portal to find replacements. Recent transfer portal additions include wide receiver Evan McCray (Wingate University) and Kaleb Brown (Iowa/Ohio State) and tight end Var’keyes Gumm (Arkansas).
The UAB coaching staff is also being restructured by Dilfer after winning seven games in two seasons. Steve Russ will be the program’s defensive coordinator with an official announcement perhaps coming later this week. Kevin Garver, who spent this past season as a senior offensive analyst at UAB, will move into the wide receiver coach role. Dilfer announced that he was replacing four coaches earlier this month and it appears two others are headed over a new job. Football Scoop reported on Tuesday that UAB quarterback coach Nick Coleman is in line to become the offensive coordinator at FIU under incoming coach Willie Simmons and UAB cornerbacks coach Kenneth Gilstrap will become the Panthers secondary and special team coach.
Here is a recruiting breakdown as it looks right now:
DECEMBER HIGH SCHOOL SIGNEES
WR Jaylen Elder, 5-11, 170, Morgan County HS, Madison, Ga.
WR Tristan Anderson, 6-3, 180, Rockmont (Ga.) HS
TE Gabriel Cline, 6-3, 215, Monsignor Pace HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
CB Ja’Lyen Judson, 6-0, 165, Oxford (Miss.) HS
DE Zach Johnson, 6-4, 235, Carrollwood Day School, Tampa, Fla.
PUBLIC COMMITMENTS
WR Evan McCray, 6-1, 190, Wingate (N.C.) University, Raleigh, N.C.
ATH Luke Gilbert, 6-3, 210, Pisgah (Al.) HS
WR Kaleb Brown, 5-10, 197, Iowa/Ohio State, Chicago, Illinois
TE Var’keyes Gumm, 6-3, 242, Arkansas/North Texas, Houston, Texas
REPORTED TRANSFER PORTAL OFFERS
CB Sammy Anderson, 6-0, 191, Austin Peay/Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio
WR Ibrahim Barry, 6-5, 205, James Madison, Baltimore, Maryland
S Kendall Bournes, 6-0, 195, Concord University, Union, N.J.
OL Jordan Brown, 6-5, 315, Georgia Tech/Charlotte, Long Beach, California
WR Bryson Canty, 6-2, 205, Columbia, Pfafftown, N.C.
LB Ray Coney, 6-3, 220, East Tennessee State, Fairfield, Ohio
LB Ryan Crandall, 6-2, 220, Western Illinois, Ankeny, Iowa
DT Shymell Davis, 6-2, 295, Maine, Woolwich, N.J.
EDGE Boubacar Diakite, 6-4, 239, Vanderbilt, Pinson, Alabama
CB Jalen Emery, 5-9, 175, Houston, Pearland, Texas
TE Antonio Ferguson, 6-3, 225, FIU, Apopka, Florida
TE Connor Finer, 6-2, 215, Kennesaw State, New Port Richey, Florida
EDGE Michael Garner, 6-5, 230, Grambling, Chicago Heights, Illinois
DL Jayden Gray, 6-2, 271, Louisiana Tech/Iowa State, Fort Worth, Texas
OL Sean Hill, 6-3, 314, North Carolina State, Snellville, Georgia
WR Brendan Jenkins, 6-1, 200, Samford, Hoschton, Georgia
TE Reed Jesiolowski, 6-3, 220, Southern Miss, Flowood, Mississippi
CB Lemondre Joe, 6-0, 175, Missouri State, Deltona, Florida
TE Carson Kent, 6-4, 225, Kennesaw State, Milton, Georgia
DE Langden Kitchen, 6-7, 270, Northwest Missouri State, Huntsville, Missouri
LB Cole Kozlowski, 6-2, 230, Colgate, Spring Lake, N.J.
EDGE Dewan Martin, 6-4, 250, Youngstown State,
OL Parker Mitchell, 6-4, 280, Richmond, Alabaster, Alabama
DE Braden Mullen, 6-4, 240, Dartmouth, Glenview, Illinois
DE Amorie Morrison, 6-4, 260, Old Dominion, Virginia Beach, Virginia
DE Jamari Payne, 6-2, 272, Purdue, Loachapoka, Alabama
WR Sam Phillips, 5-9, 185, Chattanooga, Cartersville, Georgia
OL Tyriq Poindexter, 6-5, 315, VMI, Roanoke, Virginia
WR Jaylan Sanchez, 6-0, 200, Villanova, North Bergen, N.J.
CB Gavin Shipman, 5-11, 170, Harvard, Alabaster, Alabama
DE Blaine Spires, 6-3, 230, Utah State/Bowling Green, Youngstown, Ohio
DL Chris Thomas Jr., 6-6, 327, Marshall/Florida, Tallahassee, Florida
S Jordan Walker, 6-0, 188, Chattanooga, Lafayette, Alabama
TE Tre Williams, 6-3, 220, Limestone University, Calhoun, Georgia
OL Simon Wilson, 6-1, 317, Middle Tennessee/Iowa Central CC, East Moline, Illinois
CB Trenton Yowe, 6-2, 190, Appalachian State/Coahoma (Miss.) CC, Calera, Alabama
TRANSFER PORTAL LOSSES
QB Jacob Zeno – Signed with Texas A&M
QB Landry Lyddy
RB Lee Beebe Jr. – Signed with Indiana
WR Amare Thomas – Committed to Houston. Reported offers from Oklahoma State, Louisville, Kansas, Utah.
WR Kam Shanks – Signed with Arkansas.
WR Yusuf Terry
WR Brandon Hawkins Jr. – Reported offers from Southern Illinois, Lamar.
WR Brandon Buckhaulter – Reported offer from UT Martin.
WR Dylan Wroblewski
WR Ryan Peppins
TE Jack Nickel
TE Dallas Payne – Reported offer from FAU.
OL Brady Wilson – Reported offers from Houston, Virginia, Tulane, Mississippi State.
OL Trey Bedosky – Committed to Liberty. Reported offers from Coastal Carolina, Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, Akron, Western Michigan, Chattanooga, Troy.
OL Tennyson Hadfield
OL Delano Townsend – Reported offers from Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss.
OL Antavious Woody
DL Demarcus Smith
DL Derrick Shepard Jr. – Committed to Tulane.
LB Everett Roussaw Jr. – Reported offers from Florida A&M, South Alabama, Memphis, Louisiana, Georgia State, Kansas, UConn.
CB Kelvin Hill Jr. – Committed to Georgia Tech.
CB Ricky Lee III – Reported offer from Texas State
S AJ Brown – Reported interest from West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Rice, ULM, Troy.
S Sirad Bryant
S Chris Bracy – Reported offer from North Texas.
S Adrian Maddox – Reported interest from Arkansas, Nebraska.
S Kyle McKinney
S Daniel Harris