Semoball

Southeast Missouri State football adds 12 players in first early signing period

In this photo taken on Sept. 16, Northern Illinois quarterback Daniel Santacaterina throws during the first half against Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Nati Harnik ~ Associated Press

For the first time, college football recruits have the opportunity to officially sign with schools during an early signing period which kicked off Wednesday and runs through Friday.

Southeast Missouri State took advantage of the window and, on Wednesday, brought in 12 new Redhawks into the program, highlighted by four junior college transfers, a Football Bowl Subdivision transfer and a local product.

Charleston linebacker Jeremy Tucker -- a Semoball Awards Football Defense finalist last year -- signed with Southeast after posting 143 tackles for the Blue Jays this season to claim the Derland Moore Award as the top defensive player in the SEMO Conference. He also had 28 tackles for loss.

Quarterback Daniel Santacaterina joins Southeast from Northern Illinois, bringing with him a notable resume and the ability to fill one of the Redhawks' biggest question marks in 2018 -- who will be the starting quarterback?

Santacaterina started three games for the Huskies as a redshirt sophomore, going 2-1, including a win at Nebraska and a victory over Ohio Valley Conference opponent Eastern Illinois. His lone loss was a 34-28 decision at nationally-ranked San Diego State. On the season, he completed 62 of 97 passes for 712 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions in six games.

Despite throwing for 262 yards and three touchdowns against SDSU, along with three interceptions on 23-of-37 passing, Santacaterina was replaced by redshirt freshman Marcus Childers and later announced his intention to transfer.

Southeast has now become his landing spot.

Santacaterina will be joined by high school quarterback Jacob Buie, who signed Wednesday out of Jackson, Tennessee.

One of the Redhwawks' JUCO signees is wide receiver Jerrick Orr out of Northwest Mississippi Community College. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Orr had 41 catches for 543 yards and seven TDs in 2017 as a sophomore. Orr was a three-star prospect out of the high school ranks and originally committed to Memphis before landing at NWMCC.

Southeast coach Tom Matukewicz also used the JUCO ranks to bolster his team's offensive line and defensive backfield.

In the trenches, Preston Haynes (6-5, 305 pounds) signed from Itawamba Community College and Elijah Swehla (6-3, 300 pounds) joins the program from Iowa Western Community College. A third offensive lineman, Will Christopher (6-5, 290 pounds), heads to Cape Girardeau from North Mac High School in Girard, Illinois. He also had offers from Colgate, EIU, Indiana State and Missouri Western State, according to rivals.com.

A trio of recruits helps Southeast reload in the secondary, with Davion "DJ" Freeman signing out of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he played in all 12 games for the Norseman, picking up 24 tackles and helping the junior college program to a 9-3 record and a berth in the Midwest Bowl Classic.

A pair of high school defensive backs were also early signees, with Missouri product Lawrence Johnson (Riverview Gardens) and Mississippi native Warren Byrd (Rosa Fort) joining the fold.

While Marquis Terry returns to run the football for Southeast, prep recruit Geno Hess will add depth at the running back position. The 5-9, 185-pound Peoria, Illinois, product helped his high school team to a Class 5A Illinois state championship as a junior, when he ran for 2,821 yards and 44 touchdowns. As a senior, he broke a state record with 64 carries in a single game, during which he ran for 574 yards and eight TDs.

Tight end Caleb Strauss rounds out Wednesday's recruiting group, providing a sizable target at 6-8, 230 pounds out of Warrenton, Missouri. He caught 39 passes for 548 yards as a senior at Warrenton.

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