RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University head football coach Dean Hood announced today that 17 student-athletes will join the Colonel program beginning this spring and next fall. The focus of the 2013 class was on defense as 10 of the 17 signees are expected to play on that side of the ball.

The class includes six defensive linemen, two linebackers, two defensive backs, two offensive linemen, two tight ends, one wide receiver, one running back and one quarterback. The 2013 signing class comes from five states featuring nine players from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

* Midyear transfer

1. Fork Union Military Acad.

Domonick Brown
LB, 6-2, 235
Elizabethtown, Ky., John Hardin High School
–First team all-state
–Lexington Herald-Leader Class of the Commonwealth
–Two-time first team all-district
–Two-time first team all-area
–Two-time District Player of the Year

Jeffrey Canady
LB, 6-1, 220
Barbourville, Ky., Knox Central High School
–First team all-state
–Tri-County Player of the Year
–Class 4A Mountain Player of the Year
–Lexington Herald-Leader Class of the Commonwealth
–2,707 all-purpose yards with 31 touchdowns as a senior
–7,447 career all-purpose yards with 83 scores
–276 career tackles
–16 career interceptions
–Played in the Kentucky vs. Tennessee Border Bowl

Tranard Chester
WR, 6-4, 180
Lexington, Ky. Lafayette High School
–32 catches for 615 yards and eight touchdowns
–Averaged 19.2 yards per catch
–Played in the Kentucky vs. Tennessee Border Bowl
–Posted one catch, 90 yards, one score in the Border Bowl

Chance Edwards
OL, 6-5, 320
Sumterville, Fla., South Sumter High School
–4A first team all-state selection

Sheldon Fleming
DL, 6-3, 240
Lehigh Acres, Fla., East Lee High School
–First team all-district pick
–First team All-Lee County
–Selected to the North-South all-star game
–Finished third in the discus the last two years

Vincent Green
DB, 5-10, 174
Cape Coral, Fla., Island Coast High School
–First team All-Lee County selection
–Played in the Lee County All-Star game

Kentayvus Hopkins
RB, 5-11, 185
Paris, Ky., Bourbon County High School
–Class 3A Player of the Year
–District Player of the Year
–Lexington Herald-Leader Class of the Commonwealth
–Selected to the Best of Bluegrass all-star game
–Played in the Kentucky vs. Tennessee Border Bowl

Armond Jones
DL, 6-3, 255
Indianapolis, Ind., Cardinal Ritter High School
–Class 2A coaches all-state team pick
–All-conference
–Set school record with 16 sacks as a senior
–All-City of Indianapolis
–2012 AP honorable mention all-state

Elijah Jones
DL, 6-4, 280
Versailles, Ky. Woodford County High School
–All-district selection
–Third team all-state
–Played in the Best of the Bluegrass all-star game
–Played in the Kentucky vs. Tennessee Border Bowl

Tyler Malone
TE, 6-5, 240
Indianapolis, Ind. Franklin Central High School
–Team MVP
–All-conference defensive end as a senior
–All-conference offensive tackle as a junior
–All-county honorable mention as a junior

Barton Mann
QB, 6-4, 200
Russell Springs, Ky., Russell County High School
–20-3 record as a starting quarterback
–80-of-139 for 1,436 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior
–258 yards rushing with 10 scores

Lorenzo McWilliams
DE, 6-3, 225
Roswell, Ga., Centennial High School
–First team all-region
–First team all-area by the Roswell Neighborhood Newspaper
–Team defensive MVP
–Team captain
–Led team in sacks (11) and tackle for loss (15)
–Second on the team with 62 tackles

Tony Messer
TE, 6-5, 235
Belfry, Ky., Belfry High School
–First team all-state
–Captain of the Kentucky team in the Kentucky vs. Tennessee Border Bowl
–Team was state finalist three years in a row
–Lexington Herald-Leader Class of the Commonwealth
–Posted 13 catches for 209 yards and three touchdowns
–Finished with 82 total tackles
–Team was district and regional champs the last three years

Brandon Parks
DL, 6-4, 250
Richmond, Ky., Madison Central High School
–Two-time first team all-district
–Played in the Best of Bluegrass all-star game
–Played in the Kentucky vs. Tennessee Border Bowl

Shawn Reynolds
DB, 6-2, 180
Buford, Ga., Buford High School
–Three-time state champion in football
–Gwinnett County honorable mention
–Three-year letter winner in football and baseball

Jason Smith
OL, 6-5, 275
Paducah, Ky., Lone Oak High School
–Two-time all-area by the Paducah Sun
–Two-time All-Western Kentucky
–Honorable mention all-state by the Louisville Courier-Journal as a senior

Daryl Taylor
DL, 6-4, 236
Greenville, N.C., South Central High School
–Transfer from Fork Union Military Academy (Va.)
–Two-time all-conference
–All-county