SEMO football — National Signing Day 2018

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz talks to his players during a practice during the 2017 season. On Wednesday, the Redhawks announced a 2018 signing class of 22 new players.

Southeast Missouri State football National Signing Day press conference - coach Tom Matukewicz https://t.co/aNSogxxBMl

— semoball.com (@semoball) February 7, 2018

Read capsules on all 22 of SEMO's 2018 recruiting class HERE.

What are the key talking points for the incoming group? Here are some things to know: Santa is coming, early signing effect and local Redhawks

Once again it's the first Wednesday in February, which means it's National Signing Day.

This year is a little different from the past, in that an early signing window in late December gave college recruits an opportunity to sign before today, thinning out the action a bit on what has become a sort of national holiday for diehard college sports fans.

Southeast Missouri State football announced Wednesday a signing class of 22 total players, 13 of which were inked back in December during the early window. That left nine to join the fold today.

Look for more on the signing class later.

The positional breakdown is as follows:

QB: 3
RB: 3
WR: 2
TE: 1
OL: 4
DL: 2
LB: 2
DB: 5

The geographic breakdown is as follows:

Mississippi: 5
Illinois: 4
Missouri: 3
Tennessee: 3
Georgia: 3
Iowa: 1
Texas: 1
Oklahoma: 1
Nevada: 1

Today's group includes:

Cameron John (Brighton, Tenn.) — OLB, 6-4, 215 pounds

Zion Custis (Lovejoy, Ga.) — RB, 5-8, 180 pounds

Aaron Alston (Brighton, Tenn.) — WR, 6-4, 185 pounds

Nate Korte (Morris, Ill.) — OL, 6-6, 295 pounds

Trai Hodges (Rome, Ga.) — DB, 6-0, 175 pounds

Josh Price (Vicksburg, Miss./Hinds CC) — DL, 6-2, 295 pounds

Cameron Meeks (Austin, Texas/Butler CC) — DL, 6-2, 295 pounds

Mark Robinson (Leesburg, Ga./Presbyterian College) — RB, 6-0, 215 pounds

Keshon Heard (Hamilton, Miss./Itawamba CC) — DB, 5-11, 175 pounds

The early signing group includes:

Warren Byrd (Tunica, Miss.) — DB, 6-1, 190 pounds

Caleb Strauss (Warrenton, Mo.) — TE, 6-8, 230 pounds

Will Christopher (Girard, Ill.) — OL, 6-5, 290 pounds

Lawrence Johnson (St. Louis, Mo.) — DB, 6-1, 170 pounds

Daniel Santacaterina (Geneva, Ill/Northern Illinois) — QB, 6-2, 205

Jeremy Tucker (Charleston, Mo.) — LB, 6-2, 220 pounds

Geno Hess (Peoria, Ill.) — RB, 5-9, 185 pounds

Preston Haynes (Olive Branch, Miss./Itawamba CC) — OL, 6-5, 305 pounds

Eli Swehla (Des Moines, Iowa/Iowa Western CC) — OL, 6-3, 300 pounds

Jacob Buie (Memphis, Tenn.) — QB, 6-5, 200 pounds

DJ Freeman (Del City, Okla./Northeastern Oklahoma A&M) — DB, 6-2, 210 pounds

Jerrick Orr (Aberdeen, Miss./Northwest Mississippi CC) — WR, 6-0, 195 pounds

Joe Pyle (Fallon, Nev./Golden West College) — QB, 6-2, 225 pounds