SPRINGFIELD - Missouri State has announced the receipt of National Letters of Intent from 24 high school and junior college students who have committed to play football at Missouri State this fall.  The class was finalized on Feb. 7 and includes 20 high school seniors and four transfers. 

“With this year’s recruiting class, we have met our immediate needs with two junior college transfers at offnsive line and two at linebacker,” said head coach Terry Allen, who will begin his sixth season with the Bears in 2011. “We are also very excited about the high school players. We did a great job of recruiting locally and did an outstanding job in key areas like Memphis and Arkansas.”

The class includes seven offensive linemen and five defensive linemen. The recruits are from six different states, including eight from Missouri, six from Arkansas and four from Texas.

Missouri State’s high school commitments are:

Charleston Antwine (6-4, 290, Fr., OL, Wake Village, Texas, Texas High)
  Antwine is an prototype offensive lineman with good size who played primary right tackle for the Texas High Tigers and head coach Barry Norton. The all-area and first-team all-district player led the Tigers to a 6-5 record and a Texas state playoff appearance. He led the team in pancakes and graded out 84% for the year. 

Robert Booker (6-2, 290, Fr., OL, Ozark, Mo., Ozark High)
  Booker’s physical, yet athletic style translated to second-team all-Missouri and academic all-state as voted by the coaches. The big lineman with quick feet was a leader for head coach Chris Allison’s Ozark High Tigers, which finished 3-6 overall in 2010. Booker was named to the All-Ozark Conference second team.

Eric Christophel (5-10, 170, Fr., WR, Nixa, Mo., Nixa High)
  His senior year, he had 14 receptions, with 5 going for touchdowns, and 330 yards for the 6-5, playoff bound Eagles and coach Richard Rehagen of nearby Nixa High. As a junior, Christophel had 33 catches for 640 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also notched 700 yards in returns as a kick and punt return specialist. He also recorded three picks in the defensive secondary. Christophel was voted all-district and all-conference as a junior and senior. He also earned all-state distinction as a senior. The quick wide receiver is a natural slot performer and is the son of MSU offensive coordinator Rob Christophel.

Dondelaro Crosby (5-11, 200, Fr., ILB, Leesburg, Fla., Leesburg High)
  Crosby did it all for Leesburg (Fla.) High and head coach Randy Trivers. He recorded 120 tackles, 3 interceptions, 9 sacks and forced 4 fumbles during a 6-4 senior season. He was named the team captain and most valuable player while leading a stingy Yellowjackets defense. The former sprinter will use his speed to cover sideline to sideline from both the inside and outside linebacker spots for the Bears.

Richard Darden (6-4, 220, Fr., TE, Memphis, Tenn., Ridgeway High)
  Darden helped lead Duron Sutton’s Ridgeway Roadrunners to an undefeated, 7-0, league record and 13-1 overall mark that culminated in a Tennessee state semifinal appearance in 2010. With 29 catches, 450 yards and 3 touchdowns, Darden earned a spot in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl All-Star Game. He will use his size to be a reliable red-zone target for the Bears. He also plays for the Roadrunners’ basketball team, currently ranked ninth in Tennessee. He comes from a football tradition, with both his father (Austin Peay) and his grandfather (Tennesse State) earning Division I FCS All-American status.

Emerson DePeel (6-4, 300, Fr., OL, Bentonville, Ark., Bentonville High)
  A standout offensive tackle for the three-time 7A conference champion and two-time 7A state champion Bentonville (Ark.) Tigers, DePeel is a physical force with tremendous potential. Under Coach Barry Lunney Sr., DePeel was a Class 7A all-state performer and a member of the All-Vype Football Team in 2010 and helped Bentonville to a combined 33-3 record in his three years as a starter. He was also a two-time all-state wrestler.

Corey Feagin (6-3, 230, Fr., DE, Cedar Hill, Texas, Cedar Hill High)
  A second-team all-district performer in one of the toughest districts in Texas, Feagin was a starter on the defensive line for an 8-4 Cedar Hill High team coached by Joey McGuire. He helped lead the Longhorns to a state playoff berth in 2010 and is also a standout discus thrower and shot putter.

Robert Fields (6-1, 180, Fr., WR, Memphis, Tenn., Memphis East High)
  Fields was the leading receiver in 2010 for Memphis (Tenn.) East High and Coach Marcus Wimberly. He hauled in 40 passes for 705 yards and 11 touchdowns on his way to earning a spot in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl All-Star and being named first-team all-city. A versatile athlete, Fields also had two touchdowns both passing and rushing, returned punts and kickoffs and punted for the 4-7 Mustangs. He also had four interceptions from the free safety position.

Josh Hampton (6-4, 265, Fr., DE, Benton, Ark., Bryant High)
   A powerful and quick defensive lineman, Hampton led Coach Paul Calley ‘s Hornets to a 9-3 record in 2010. He has 4.7 speed and was a two-time Class 7A all-state selection and three-year starter. He earned all-conference honors twice and tallied 104 tackles, 12 for loss, 5 sacks, 7 pass break-ups and scored 5 touchdowns as a senior. He was named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Super team and was named Vype Defensive Player of the year.

Kierra Harris (5-11, 190, Fr., QB, Texarkana, Ark., Arkansas High)
  A speedy quarterback with 4.5 speed and an accurate arm, the two-time Arkansas Class 6A all-state selection was named Southwest Arkansas Player of the Year. He was a three-year starter for the Razorbacks, earning all-area and all-conference honors in 2009 and 2010. He passed for more than 5,500 career yards and rushed for more than 1,500 yards.  As a senior, he passed for 2,300 yards with 25 touchdowns and rushed for 970 yards with 12 touchdowns for Coach Phillip Miller. He also helped Arkansas High to a 7-7 record in 2010.

Ryan Heaston (5-11, 175, Fr., RB, Cordova, Tenn., Cordova High)
  The Old Spice Red Zone Player of the Year for the state of Tennessee, Heaston is a sensational athlete also earned the city of Memphis’ Bramlett Award by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  He rushed 146 times for 1,278 yards with 15 touchdowns as a senior and had 11 catches for 237 yards and one touchdown. He returned eight kickoffs for 261 yards, and six punts for 215 yards and a touchdown. He was a team captain and a member of the Tennessee East-West All-Star team. Named 3A, District 14 Player of the Year, he is also a two-time state champion in four different track events, including the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes.  He led the Wolves to a 5-5 record in 2010.

Christian Hoffman (6-1, 210, Fr., ILB, Webb City, Mo., Webb City High)
  A solid defensive performer from a winning program, Hoffmann tallied 125 tackles, forced 3 fumbles and recorded two sacks as a senior for Coach John Roderique at Webb City High. He was a consensus all-state pick in 2010, helping the Cardinals to a combined 43-1 record and two state titles his last two seasons.  He was also Central Ozarks Conference Defensive Player of the Year and is the teammate of fellow signee Maddy Johnson.

Maddy Johnson (5-8, 165, Fr., RB, Webb City, Mo., Webb City High)
  Speedy and elusive running back who helped guide Webb City to a 15-0 record and Class 4 title in 2010, Johnson brings a winning tradition to the 2011 class. He carried 165 times for 1,800 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior to earn all-state distinction. He was also named Offensive Player of the Year in Class 4 and the Central Ozarks Conference for 10.9 yards per carry average. He is the teammate of fellow Missouri State signee Christian Hoffman. The tandem was instrumental in leading Coach John Roderique and the Cardinals to a combined 43-1 record the last three seasons with two state titles.

Jake Lasater (6-6, 300, Fr., OL, St. Charles, Mo., Francis Howell High)
 An intelligent and versatile athlete who brings a solid background to Missouri State after serving as one of the top linemen in the St. Louis area in 2010. He helped the Vikings of Coach Bryan Koch to an 11-2 record this fall. He was a two-time All-GAC South pick and two-year starter. Lasater has a reputation as a hard worker and solid practice standout. He has a 3.98 GPA and plans to major in computer science.

James McDonald (6-3, 250, DE, Blue Springs, Mo., Blue Springs South High)
  A physical and hard-nosed defensive lineman, McDonald played a number of positions on Blue Springs South’s offensive and defensive lines.  As a senior, he earned All-Suburban Big 6, Kansas City All-Area Metro and academic all-State laurels. Was part of a 7-4 Jaguars team in 2010 for Coach Greg Oder that advanced to the state Class 6 playoffs.

Patrick Morse (6-4, 275, Fr., OL, Springdale, Ark., Springdale High)
  An iron man performer who played every snap as a two-year starter at Springdale (Ark.) High, he finished the season with an 87-percent grade for the Bulldogs.  He earned Class 7A all-conference honors and was selected to several all-star games. He helped guide Shane Patrick ‘s team to a 6-5 record his senior season.

Rufus Sullivan (6-3, 215, Fr., OLB, Lebanon, Mo., Lebanon High)
  Sullivan is a linebacker/defensive end hybrid with top-flight pass rushing skills. The athletic and instinctive edge rusher had a team-leading 14.5 sacks for the Ozark Conference and district champion Lebanon Yellowjackets coached by  Will Christian. The Yellowjackets were a perfect 10-0 in the regular season before losing in the first round of the playoffs. Sullivan was a first-team all-state, all-district, all-conference and all-Ozark performer, certifying himself as one of the top defensive players in Missouri. He also recorded 91 tackles and an additional 13 tackles for loss in 2010.

Bernard Thomas (5-11, 172, Fr., CB, Blue Springs, Mo., Blue Springs High)
  A versatile athlete with a lot of potential and tremendous speed, Thomas can play corner or safety. He is noted to be explosive in the secondary and earned Suburban Big 6 all-conference honors in 2010 for Coach Kelly Donahoe at Blue Springs High. The Wildcats were 9-3 in 2010 and made the Missouri Class 6 playoffs. He was timed a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash in high school and 4.3 in the shuttle run with a 35-inch vertical leap.

Jordan White (6-6, 280, Fr., DT, Alma, Ark., Alma High)
  A two-year starter for Alma (Ark.) High who earned Class 5A all-state laurels and all-conference distinction as a senior. He has 4.9 speed and is also a two-time all-stater in track, earning all-league honors in track his first three seasons. He guided Coach Todd Dilbeck and the Airedales to a 8-5 overall record in 2010.

Daniel Wood (6-5, 210, Fr., WR, Mena, Ark., Mena High)
   A stellar athlete, Wood tallied 108 tackles, 23 for loss, 6 sacks, 9 pass break-ups on defense and scored 3 touchdowns on 8 pass receptions for 65 yards. He helped Coach Jeff Weaver and the Mean (Ark.) High Bearcats to a 9-4 season while earning Class 4A all-conference honors twice as a three-year starter. He has a 3.95 GPA and was team captain in 2010.


Missouri State’s junior college commitments are:

Nate Davis (6-2, 215, Jr., OLB, Liberal, Kan., Liberal High, Garden City (Kan.) CC)
  Davis was an honorable mention all-conference linebacker as a sophomore at Garden City (Kan.) Community College. The Liberal, Kan., native had 85 tackles for the 3-6 Broncbusters and head coach Lucas Aslin and was second in the conference in tackles for loss in 2010. The speedy linebacker spent his high school career as an all-state running back at Liberal (Kan.) High where he earned Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors for the Redskins of Coach Tom Schroeder.

Earnest Norman (6-0, 215, OLB, Euless Texas, Euless Trinity High, Navarro (Texas) College)
  A member of the of the 2010 NJCAA National Champions from Navarro (Texas) College, Norman is a proven winner at every level. He had 52 tackles and a sack for Coach Nick Bobeck ‘s Bulldogs this season, helping the team to an 11-1 campaign. He attended Euless (Texas) Trinity High and was part of the 2005 and 2007 state championship teams, earning all-conference honors as a junior and senior. He was a district MVP in 2008 with 59 tackles for Coach Steve Lineweaver in a 13-1 season for the Class 5A Trojans. He was also recruited by Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State out of high school

Randy Richards (6-5, 300, Jr., OL, Royal Palm Beach, Fla., Royal Palm Beach High, College of Sequoias)
  A three-sport standout in high school, Richards joins the Bears after a successful juco stint at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif. He was a Florida third-team all-state pick in 2007 for Coach Eric Patterson. Helped the Wildcats to a 6-4 record as an all-county performer who also excelled in wrestling and basketball. He was voted Offensive Lineman of the Year as a sophomore in 2009 at Sequoias. He signed with Florida Atlantic out of high school.

Clay Spruill (6-5, 300, Jr., OL, Mt. Pleasant, Texas, Mt. Pleasant High, Tyler (Texas) JC)
  Already enrolled and attending classes at Missouri State this spring, Spruill earned first-team all-conference honors as a standout performer on the o-line at Tyler (Texas) Junior College. He helped Danny Palmer ‘s Apache to a solid 2010 season. He earned Texas all-district honors in 2006 and 2007 at Mount Pleasant (Texas) High. Coach Jimmy Thompson ‘s Tigers were 6-5 his senior season. He chose Missouri State over South Alabama, Southeast Louisiana, Lamar and Texas-San Antonio.