Indians add 29 on #NSD18

FULTON, Miss. – Itawamba Community College head football coach Sean Cannon announced Wednesday the addition of 28 student-athletes to the Indians 2018 signing class, in addition to one early enrollee.

QB Clark Mills (North Pontotoc) completed 192 of 328 passes for 3,597 yards and 35 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions while rushing for 783 yards and 17 touchdowns on 172 carries to earn Class 3A second-team MAC All-State, Division 1-3A MVP honors and Daily Journal's Offensive Player of the Year. [Read more on Mills from SES University's John Macon Gillespie]

WR Damien Ealy (Nettleton) was named first-team MAC All-State in Class 3A and was named All-Division in Division 4-3A after making 59 catches for 1,128 yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior season at Nettleton High School. Jalen Alexander (Southwind, Tenn.), Jaylon Gale (Olive Branch) and Roderick McCloud (Clay-Chalkville, Ala.) to round out the wide receivers inking with the Indians on national signing day.  

Mills and Ealy were also selected to the Daily Journal's Small School All-Area Team.

RB Hiram Wadlington (Oxford) amassed 4,186 all-purpose yards during his high school career to set a record at Oxford, despite sidelined with an injury midway through his senior season. The Indians also added All-Division 4-4A selection Tyran Reed (New Hope) to its list of running back signees on Wednesday. [Read more on Wadlington from SES University's Jared Redding]

QB LaDerrick Bell (Saks, Ala.) was named the Anniston Star Class 4A-6A Calhoun County Player of the Year after rushing for 1,154 yards and passing for 1,314 yards in his second season as the starting QB at Saks High School in Alabama.

The Indians added six offensive linemen to their singing class, which includes: DJ Rudd (Tupelo), Division 4-4A first-team selection Jeremiah Hodges (New Hope), Jakob Cunningham (Louisville), Tripp Brown (Louisville), Dequavion Prince (Noxubee County) and a signing day flip in Drex Gladney (Philadelphia), who was named to the Meridian Star's 2017 Premier Preps Football Team.

Rudd played a pivotal role in helping anchor the Golden Wave's offensive line. He and his fellow linemen helped Tupelo gain a total of 540 yards (416 rushing, 124 passing) in a win at Brandon High School last September. Tupelo put up more points per game on offense (35.33) than any other 6A team in 2017. Rudd played in the North/South All-Star game and was also selected first-team All-Division in Division 1-6A first team.

LB Jamal Shumpert (Itawamba AHS) was named Region 2-4A Defensive MVP and earned a spot on the Daily Journal's Large School All-Area team after recording 156 tackles with 2 sacks and 1 interception. The Fulton native also rushed for 347 yards and 8 touchdowns on 57 carries. He enrolled at ICC in December.

LB Keshun Parker (Calhoun City) earned Class 2A first-team MAC All-State and Division 2-2A Player of the Year honors after rushing for 1,534 yards and 26 touchdowns on 209 carries while recording 83 tackles, forcing 3 fumbles, and recovering 3 fumbles for the Wildcats. LeKendrick Jones (Independence) and Nick Smith (Cleveland Central) rounds out the linebackers signing with the Indians on Wednesday.

DE Kenneth McKenzie (Tupelo) concluded his final season the #ThemBlankets with 2.5 tackles per game and 5 sacks. He helped the Golden Wave finish with the second best defense in Class 6A with 11.58 points allowed per game. The Indians also added Kahare Haynes (Kosciusko), Jia Langford (Park Crossing, Ala.), Kejuan Lankin (Cleveland Central), Marvin Willis (Cleveland Central) and Jason Womack (Ruleville Central).

The Indians rounded out national signing day with the addition of four defensive backs, which includes: Augusta Cox (Shannon), Kenneth Martin (Columbus), Slyvonta Oliver (North Panola), and Jaquan Williams (Kosciusko).

For more information on ICC football, follow the Indians on Twitter (@LetsGoICC).

* early enrollee 

Four Indians signed to continue their careers as student-athletes on national signing day.

OL Dallas Danner (Tunica)and WR Malik Honeycutt (Tallahassee, Fla.) will be taking their talents to Murray State. Danner helped anchor the Indians' offensive line that compiled 4,355 yards (3,257 passing and 1,098 rushing) of total offense. Honeycutt caught 35 passes for 608 yards and 6 touchdowns in his only season with the Indians.

DB Keshon Heard (Hamilton) inked with Southeast Missouri State. The Hamilton native had 27 tackles on the season with 2 fumble recoveries, including a 92-yard return for a touchdown against in the Indians' 61-16 Homecoming win over Holmes, and 1 forced fumble to go along with 4 pass break-ups. 

RB Tyquan Watson (Tallahassee, Fla.) signed with North Carolina Central despite never suiting up for the Indians. He was ruled ineligible by the MACJC after a late transfer from Eastern Arizona College before the start of the 2017 season. 

^ midyear signees


Tupelo High School Sports Information Director Braden Bishop contributed to this article.