The Wildcats signed nine receivers on Wednesday
DAYTONA BEACH — Going into National Signing Day, Bethune-Cookman head football coach Terry Sims said he wanted to revamp the offensive side of the ball, especially after losing star receivers Frank Brown and Jawill Davis, and tight end Ja'Quan Lumas.
By the end of the day Wednesday, the fourth-year coach was confident he'd done just that.
"It's been great," Sims said. "I think we have a lot of guys who are going to come in and add immediate depth, and a lot of guys who are going to come in and compete for some starting jobs."
The Wildcats signed 25 players during Wednesday's signing period, including 16 on the offensive side, and a total of 13 receivers, running backs and tight ends. Last year, the trio of Brown, Davis and Lumas combined for 89 receptions, 1,090 yards and nine touchdowns, while the team also graduated running backs Michael Jones, Cameron Rigby and Jamaruz Thompkins.
"We knew we had to replace a good amount of production," Sims admitted.
The Wildcats signed nine receivers on Wednesday, including Butte College transfer Alvin Harper Jr. — the son of former Dallas Cowboys first-round pick, and two-time Super Bowl champion, Alvin Harper.
B-CU also signed former 3-star receiver Bryan Jefferson, who was at Boise State last season, tight end Nico Lima, who played at San Jose State in 2016 before transferring to Moorpark College, and a pair of running backs, including Jones High School senior Aaron Thompson, who rushed for eight touchdowns in five games last season.
At quarterback, B-CU also signed Armwood signal-caller Devin Black — a 3-star prospect who 247Sports.com ranked the 54th dual-threat QB in the country.
The other big need for the Wildcats was in the defensive secondary, where star safety Diquan Richardson, and cornerbacks Arthur Williams and Jaamal Burgess all graduated. Richardson led the team with 84 tackles and five interceptions last season, while Williams added a pick and Burgess had five pass breakups.
To help replace that trio, B-CU signed safety Tydarius Peters — a Mississippi Gulf Coast transfer who recorded 45 tackles in nine games last season — along with four defensive backs, including 6-foot-3, 205-pound Henry Miller, who played at Pittsburgh last season.
Miller was Sims' first signing of the day at 7:46 a.m.
"He's a guy that's going to come in and compete for a job right away," Sims said.
The Wildcats also fortified their defensive line on Wednesday, signing three defensive tackles and 6-foot-4 edge rusher Anthony Bingham, who totaled 110 tackles and 13½ sacks last season at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg.
"I'm excited to add all these new guys to this program," Sims added. "I think we got a lot of questions answered and a lot of needs addressed."
Stetson
Unlike Bethune-Cookman, Stetson did not formally announce its signings on Wednesday. Since it is a non-scholarship football program, names are not released by Stetson until recruits pay their deposit to attend school. The deadline is in mid-May. According to reports, Stetson signed running backs Jareem Westcott and Sean Ryker, defensive end Hayden Smith, offensive linemen Terrian Rainey, Billy Corte and Chris Hand, cornerback Dwight Lawrence, receiver Cameron Brown, and kicker Colin Ibison (Mainland).