CHARLESTON, S.C. – Seven players, nearly half of which are offensive lineman, comprise the early signing period recruiting class for Charleston Southern football, as announced Wednesday by head coach Autry Denson. The Buccaneers welcome in four high school prospects, a transfer and a pair of walk-ons to the 2022 roster.

"We are beyond excited about this group of young men that God has brought us to mentor as now official members of our ROAD2CHARLES2ON early signing class," head coach Autry Denson said. "For all the changes that the game has undergone with the evolution of spread offenses, football will always be a game of winning the war in the trenches, which begins up front.

"Today, we got bigger and better up front by signing four offensive linemen – Shane Strand, Ryan Wright and Garrett Gordon – big guys that specialize in moving people from point A to point B against their wills.

"We have been blessed since I got here to have a long snapper that has been all-conference, two-time team captain in Ethan Ray, and now, by signing Noah Summers, we are handing that torch to a young man that is more than capable of continuing to build on the legacy of excellence that Ethan and our football ministry will continue to be proud of.

"To transition to literally our last line of defense – the defensive backfield – we are blessed to sign Davion Williams, a defensive back from Frostproof, Florida, who plays with the competitive mindset of locking down wide receivers in the pass game, while punishing ball carriers in the run game.

"As a result, from front to back, we got better as a football ministry. Go Bucs!"

EARLY SIGNING PERIOD RECRUITING CLASS
Garrett Gordon | Offensive Line | 6-3 | 280 | Carroll, Ga. | Mt. Zion HS
Jaden Scott | Wide Receiver | 6-1 | 180 | Columbia, S.C. | Palmetto Prep Academy
Shane Strand | Offensive Line | 6-5 | 285 | Fredericksburg, Va. | Colonial Forge HS | VMI
Noah Summers | Long Snapper | 6-0 | 195 | Rock Hill, S.C. | Rock Hill HS
RJ Wells | Wide Receiver | 5-11 | 170 | Bradenton, Fla. | IMG Academy
Davion Williams | Defensive Back | 6-1 | 180 | Frostproof, Fla. | Frostproof HS
Ryan Wright | Offensive Line | 6-4 | 295 | Sevierville, Tenn. | Northview Academy

HIGH SCHOOL
Garrett Gordon | Offensive Line | 6-3 | 280 | Carroll, Ga. | Mt. Zion HS
-- Also played on the defensive line as a two-way standout
-- Member of the all-region first team
-- Slotted at No. 12 on the Top 100 Players to Watch list in Northwest Georgia
-- Named 2020 Honorable Mention Preseason Class A Public All-State
-- Invited to the 2020 World Bowl National Combine at the Pro Bowl
-- Played in the 2019 GACA North-South All-Star Classic

Noah Summers | Long Snapper | 6-0 | 195 | Rock Hill, S.C. | Rock Hill HS
-- South Carolina Academic All-American
-- Invited to the 2022 National Combine at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio
-- Selected as the Heisman High School Scholarship School Winner
-- Snapped at a 100 percent rate versus Northwestern HS in October 2021
-- Invited to the 2021 Podyum Preps All-American Bowl in Miami
-- Tabbed to play in the 2022 Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Jacksonville

Davion Williams | Defensive Back | 6-1 | 180 | Frostproof, Fla. | Frostproof HS
-- Also played wide receiver as a two-way standout
-- Selected to play in the 2022 Blue-Grey All-American Bowl in Tampa

Ryan Wright | Offensive Line | 6-4 | 295 | Sevierville, Tenn. | Northview Academy
-- Named as an All-Sevier County First Team choice by The Mountain Press in each of his four HS seasons
-- Voted to the All-Region 2-3A Team from his sophomore through senior campaigns
-- Selected to play in the inaugural Commercial Bank Rivalry Showcase All-Star Game in December 2021
-- Member of the 2021 Tennessee Offensive Line Hidden Gems list

TRANSFER
Shane Strand | Offensive Line | 6-5 | 285 | Fredericksburg, Va. | Colonial Forge HS | VMI
-- Grad transfer into the program after playing four seasons (2018-21) at VMI
-- Originally signed with Keydets prior to the 2017 campaign and redshirted
-- Played in 38 career games with 28 starts during his VMI career
-- Made collegiate debut at Toledo Sept. 1, 2018
-- Played all 12 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2019
-- Garnered first career start against Mars Hill Sept. 7, 2019
-- Put together a stretch of seven-straight starts during the year
-- Started all eight games of the spring 2021 campaign
-- Credited with a tackle at Samford March 20, 2021
-- Was a member of the starting lineup for all 11 games of the 2021 season
-- Added another tackle in season finale against Western Carolina Nov. 20, 2021
-- Named first team all-region and all-conference as a senior in high school
-- Majored in civil engineering

WALK-ONS
Jaden Scott | Wide Receiver | 6-1 | 180 | Columbia, S.C. | Palmetto Prep Academy
-- Saw action at Palmetto Prep for his final season
-- Originally played for James Island Charter HS
-- Named to the 2020 4A all-region first team
-- Grabbed 47 catches for 560 yards and two touchdowns as a senior at JICHS
-- Added 116 yards on 15 attempts and five touchdowns rushing during the 2020 campaign

RJ Wells | Wide Receiver | 5-11 | 170 | Bradenton, Fla. | IMG Academy
-- Transferred from Calvary Christian Academy prior to senior season
-- Guided team to a No. 2 national ranking and 9-1 record this fall