National Letter of Intent day is a chance for high school students to continue their dreams unhindered.
The Dixie State University football team has had a rough go the past few years as it has a record of 10-33 since 2010. Seven of the 10 wins have come in the past two years, and it seems the bleeding has slowed to a steady flow rather than gushing profusely.
For 21 future Dixie State students, the dream of playing football in college continues.
Arguably, the top recruit in this class is quarterback Tyler Newman from Henderson, Nev. Newman was named the Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year. In his awesome senior season, Newman threw for 3,979 yards and 42 touchdowns with nine rushing touchdowns. He broke a Nevada state record with nine passing touchdowns in a single game Oct. 11.
According to rivals.com, Newman was looked at by Princeton, Cornell and Harvard. The fact he was recruited by these Ivy League schools shows he either values being close to home or he values football and is planning on using Dixie as a stepping stone to a bigger program or the National Football League.
Newman has a chance to make a difference at Dixie State as long as he starts, which looks good as Griff Robles ended his four years of eligibility. If Newman gets playing time, he should be the next All-American for DSU football.
Newman has a great arm and is mobile enough to get out of the pocket and make a play. In his highlight video on hudl.com, it shows Newman throwing the deep ball, dodging an onslaught of rushers and speeding past cornerbacks and linebackers.
But a team can’t have a great quarterback without a good receiver, so head coach Scott Brumfield also signed wide receiver D’Vonte McKneely from Corona, Calif. McKneely averaged more than 14 yards per reception over his career.
According to rivals.com, McKneely was also looked at by University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Southern California and University of California at Los Angeles. But McKneely suffered an injury that kept him on the sideline most of his senior year. This may have led to him signing with DSU.
If McKneely can stay healthy, he could be a huge asset to the team. He has great speed with a 40 yard-dash time of 4.6 seconds. He is a big receiver and has the ability to get open and make a play in the air. DSU will be young next year if Brumfield starts these players, but there is great potential to become one of the top Division II teams in the nation.
Brumfield also knows DSU can’t win without a good backfield, so he signed a big running back.
Also coming to Dixie State is running back Devin Bisby from Portland, Texas. He rushed for 5,833 and 70 touchdowns in his high school career. He also averaged 7.5 yards per carry.
In his highlights on hudl.com, Bisby has the speed to outrun anyone chasing him, but he is big enough to put a linebacker on his back if he needs to.
If Brumfield chooses to play these three upcoming freshman with a few other signees, Dixie State could be on its way up and become one of the premier teams in the nation.
For more information on all the recruits from National Letter of Intent day, visit dixieathletics.com.
