NORFOLK — It started Wednesday before 8 a.m. and continued late into the afternoon.
If announcing new signees seemed like a full-time job for Old Dominion, that’s because it was for a day.
The Monarchs, who finished the regular season 9-3 and await their bowl destination, signed 30 players on national signing day, unveiling them one at a time on social media.
The haul, certainly aided by the program’s most successful season in nine years, includes five players from Virginia, six from Mississippi, a quarterback, nine offensive linemen and five wide receivers.
“We are excited to add 30 players to our team,” sixth-year coach Ricky Rahne said in a statement. “It is a great mix of 19 high schoolers and 11 transfers. This class helps us at every position and allows us to continue to build a championship program.”
The large haul on the offensive line addresses a point of imminent need. ODU was one of a handful of teams nationwide to start the same five offensive linemen all season. All but one are seniors.
Locally, the Monarchs signed running back CJ Jackson III, a three-star recruit out of Virginia Beach’s Green Run High. They also added offensive lineman Dory Lewis-Wilson from Oscar Smith High in Chesapeake.
Quarterback Brooklyn Nace, who passed for 5,127 yards and 65 touchdowns in his all-state career at Central York High in Pennsylvania, also joined the program.
Colton Joseph, ODU’s dual-threat sophomore quarterback, is rumored to be considering the transfer portal. Joseph, who has two years of eligibility remaining, has passed for 2,624 yards and rushed for another 1,007 this season,
Neither Joseph nor the school has confirmed his possible pending departure.
Wide receiver Zion Agnew joins the Monarchs from East Carolina after transferring from Lenoir-Rhyne. Also at the position is JJ Harrell, a former consensus four-star recruit out of Mississippi State.
David Hall, david.hall@pilotonline.com
ODU signees
WR Zion Agnew, 5-9, 160, Columbia, S.C./Ridge View/Lenoir-Rhyne/East Carolina
LB Talan Babin, 6-1, 215, Ponte Vedra, Fla./Ponte Vedra
WR BJ Bedgood, 6-0, 175, Alexander City, Ala./Benjamin Russell
OL Omarion Bender, 6-3, 334, Soso, Miss./West Jones/Mississippi Gulf Coast
WR Zialis Blackmon, 6-3, 181, Biggersville, Miss./Biggersville
OL Demorrison Brown, 6-3, 308, Canton, Miss./Canton/Mississippi Gulf Coast
OL Martez Curry, 6-3, 307, Memphis, Tenn./Freedom Prep/Lincoln
LB Jeremiah Deese, 6-2, 196, LB – Greensboro, N.C./Northeast Guilford
OL Khi’Len Gates, 6-1, 294, Jonesboro, Ark./Nettleton/Lincoln
CB Kingston Gregory, 6-1, 160, Oxford, Miss./Oxford
CB Eddie Guerra, 5-11, 170, Tallahassee, Fla./Thomas County Central (Ga.)
OL Kendrick Hall, 6-5, 299, West Memphis, Ark./West Memphis/Butler CC
WR JJ Harrell, 6-0, 195, Sardis, Miss./North Panola/Holmes CC/Mississippi State
DL Chris Hilliard, 6-2, 283, Huntersville, N.C./William Amos
RB CJ Jackson III, 5-9, 168, Virginia Beach/Green Run
S Asher Horn, 6-0, 201, Evansville, Ind./Evansville Harrison/Garden City/St. Francis (Ind.)
CB Greg Johnson, 5-10, 185, Ovilla, Texas/Midlothian Heritage/Navy/Garden City
CB Shaq Leaks, 5-11, 166, Baytown, Texas/Baytown Sterling
OL Dory Lewis-Wilson, 6-1, 293, Chesapeake/Oscar Smith
LB De’Veion McLilley-Bulo, 5-10, 191, Ypsilanti, Mich./Ann Arbor Huron
QB Brooklyn Nace, 6-2, 194, York, Pa./Central York
S Daniel Pickens, 6-1, 176, Gautier, Miss./Resurrection Catholic/Pearl River
DL Malachi Harris, 6-2, 247, Roxboro, N.C./Rolesville
OL Jason Hoskins, 6-2, 363, Wilmington, Del./Dover/Lackawanna
TE TaySean Jones, 6-3, 211, Stafford/Colonial Forge
LB Landon Kehoe, 6-0, 215, Danville, Pa./Danville Area
OL Wesley Lattus, 6-5, 278, Herndon, Va./Oakton
WR Brayden Myovela, 6-2, 197, Wichita, Kan./Maize
OL Keegan Parker, 6-7, 250, Fredericksburg/Courtland
S Will Phillips, 6-2, 181, Trussville, Ala./Hewitt-Trussville
