University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Ink 16 During Early Signing Period
12/20/2022 3:42:00 PM | Football
Houston welcomes newest class ahead of inaugural Big 12 Conference season
The group is comprised of three wide receivers, two safeties, two linebackers, two quarterbacks, two running backs, two defensive backs one defensive lineman, one offensive lineman and one tight end. The state of Texas is represented by 10 signees.
The early signing period runs through the end of the day Friday with National Signing Day scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.
MEET THE SIGNEES
| Name |
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Last School | Hometown |
| Ja'koby Banks |
WR
|
5-9
|
175
|
Fort Bend Marshall HS | Missouri City, Texas |
| Jalyn Stanford | SAF | 5-11 | 185 | Jenks HS | Jenks, Okla. |
| Ja'Ryan Wallace | WR | 6-5 | 190 | Braswell HS | Aubrey, Texas |
| Johnsley Barbas | SAF | 5-11 | 175 | Centennial HS | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Chris Pearson | LB | 6-1 | 190 | Orange Beach HS | Orange Beach, Ala. |
| Re'Shaun Sanford | RB | 5-7 | 165 | Harker Heights HS | Harker Heights, Texas |
| Justin Benton | DL | 6-1 | 280 | Newton HS | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Latreveon McCutchin | LB | 6-2 | 205 | LBJ HS | Austin, Texas |
| Jamaal Shaw | DB | 6-1 | 180 | Orange Stark HS | Orange, Texas |
| Michael Patterson | DB | 5-11 | 170 | Fort Bend Marshall HS | Missouri City, Texas |
| Jonah Wilson | WR | 6-2 | 195 | Dekaney HS | Houston, Texas |
| Cayden Bowie | OL | 6-3 | 290 | Port Arthur Memorial HS | Port Arthur, Texas |
| Jett Runion | TE | 6-5 | 230 | Aubrey HS | Aubrey, Texas |
| Parker Jenkins | RB | 5-11 | 190 | Klein Forest HS | Houston, Texas |
| Caleb McMickle | QB | 6-1 | 190 | Fellowship Christian School | Roswell, Ga. |
| Donovan Smith | QB | 6-5 | 230 | Texas Tech | Las Vegas, Nev. |
Ja'koby Banks – WR
Fort Bend Marshall High School (Missouri City, Texas)
5-9 / 175
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 117-ranked wide receiver and No. 132 overall player in state of Texas … 2022 Houston Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Year Finalist … named 2021 Texas District 11-5A D-II Overall MVP as a junior … as a senior, hauled in 63 receptions for 1,120 yards alongside nine touchdowns across 13 games … averaged 17.8 yards per catch and 86.2 yards per game in 2022 … registered eight receiving scores over his final seven games … added season-high 156 receiving yards on eight receptions on Sept. 30 against Santa Fe … totaled 145 receiving yards and a touchdown alongside a season-high 12 receptions in Region III-5A Division II semifinal on Nov. 25 against Lake Creek … spent time as quarterback during sophomore (2020) and junior (2021) seasons … passed for combined 1,540 yards on 70 of 120 passing … posted 20-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio during 2021 … during 2021 season, rushed for 1,093 yards on 66 carries, averaging 99.4 yards per game and 16.6 yards per carry … rushed for 100+ yards five times and added 19 touchdowns as a junior … in three years on varsity, totaled 4,245 yards highlighted by 1,500+ rushing yards, 1,500+ passing yards and 1,000+ receiving yards … has totaled 34 touchdowns in 36 games across three seasons … chose Houston over Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Mississippi State, Pitt, Memphis and North Texas, among others … plans to enroll at Houston in January as a mid-year enrollee.
Jalyn Stanford - SAF
Jenks High School (Jenks, Oklahoma)
5-11 / 185
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 88-ranked safety and No. 11 overall player in the state of Oklahoma … registered 111 tackles and three interceptions on defense in 2022 … on offense, rushed for 1,105 yards and 12 touchdowns … against Moore on Oct. 14 led the team with 15 carries for 221 yards and four touchdowns including three in the first half while also nabbing an interception … chose Houston over Missouri, Kansas, Iowa State, Washington State and Army among others … plans to enroll at Houston in January as a mid-year enrollee.
Ja'Ryan Wallace – WR
Braswell High School (Aubrey, Texas)
6-5 / 190
High School: Three-star prospect by rivals … nation's No. 72-ranked wide receiver and No. 99 overall player in the state of Texas … 2021 Texas District 5-6A first-team selection … as a senior, tallied 1,091 yards on 50 receptions to go with eight touchdowns … had five games with 100+ receiving yards in 2022 … in two years against McKinney racked up 200+ yards going for 243 yards in 2022 and 233 in 2021 … contributed two touchdowns in three games as a senior … as a junior in 2021 recorded 870 yards on 56 catches with 10 touchdowns … in three years on varsity posted 2,072 receiving yards with 18 touchdowns … also competed in basketball and track and field… chose Houston over Kansas State, Purdue, UCF, West Virginia, Florida State, Colorado and Nebraska among others.
Johnsley Barbas – SAF
Centennial High School (Atlanta, Georgia)
5-11 / 175
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 71-ranked safety and No. 63 overall player in the state of Georgia … named to 247Sports Freaks List for the class of 2023… as a senior, posted 34 total tackles and two punt returns for 72 yards including a punt return touchdown in a 41-21 win against Chattahoochee … posted a career-high 12 tackles against Etowah on Sept. 9 … tallied two games with 100+ rushing yards including three games with a rushing touchdown… against North Springs on Nov. 21 racked up 115 rushing yards with three rushing touchdowns … in addition to a 60-yard punt return touchdown against Chattahoochee on Sept. 29 notched three rushing touchdowns … during junior campaign tabbed 84 tackles while doubling as the team's punter eclipsing 1,181 yards on 31 punts … chose Houston over Louisville, Memphis, East Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest among others … plans to enroll at Houston in January as a mid-year enrollee.
Chris Pearson - LB
Orange Beach High School (Orange Beach, Alabama)
6-1 / 190
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 125-ranked wide receiver and No. 54 overall player in state of Alabama … as a senior, recorded 72 tackles and nine sacks … on special teams as a senior, logged 1,100 return yards … totaled 21 touchdowns and eclipsed 2,000 all-purpose yards … returned a punt 93-yards for a touchdown against Bayside Academy while tallying a sack and seven rushes for 69 yards and one touchdown … blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt against St. Michael as well as recording two sacks and a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown in the game … scored three touchdowns against St. Luke's on Oct. 22 including a 75-yard punt return touchdown while rushing for 115 yards on 14 carries … as a junior helped Orange Beach High school to the 2A playoffs in just their second varsity season … tabbed 65 tackles in 2021, forced three fumbles as well as intercepting four passes and scoring three defensive touchdowns … added 1,095 rushing yards on 120 carries and 21 total touchdowns as a junior … chose Houston over Minnesota, UCF, Memphis, Liberty, Coastal Carolina and UAB among others … plans to enroll at Houston in January as a mid-year enrollee.
Re'Shaun Sanford II – RB
Harker Heights High School (Harker Heights, Texas)
5-7 / 165
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 122-ranked running back and No. 267 overall player in state of Texas … 2022 Mr. Texas Football semifinalist … named 2022 and 2021 Texas District 12-6A D-II unanimous most valuable player … 2020 Texas District 12-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore … as a senior, rushed for 2,666 yards on 332 attempts with 25 rushing touchdowns … added 302 receiving yards on 18 receptions contributing three receiving touchdowns … contributed to his all-purpose yards returning four kickoffs for 78 yards as well as one punt return … registered 100+ yards in every game during his senior year including five of 200+ yards … posted a season-high 272 yards against Hutto on Oct. 7 … scored six rushing touchdowns in a monumental 55-0 win against Copperas Cove on Oct. 28 … in the regional semifinals of the playoffs took the ball on the opening play of the game and ran it 75 yards for a touchdown nearly untouched finishing the night with 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns .. holds every record at Harker Height High School for running backs… tallied 2,330 rushing yards as a junior in 2021 with 27 touchdowns and contributed 17 receptions for 268 yards and four touchdowns as well as 107 kickoff return yards … in three years on varsity, totaled 6,440 rushing yards on 766 carries with 59 touchdowns adding 55 receptions for 771 yards and eight touchdowns while also contributing on special teams returning 14 kickoffs for 308 yards … has totaled 59 touchdowns in 36 games played across three years … chose Houston over Utah, SMU, Tulsa, Texas State, Rice, Navy and North Texas among others.
Justin Benton – DL
Newton High School (Atlanta, Ga.)
6-1 / 280
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 61 overall rated defensive lineman and No. 49 overall player in state of Georgia … 2022 Region Co-Defensive player of the Year for Newton program that reached Georgia 7A Playoffs … spent 2021 junior season at IMG Academy … 2019 Rockdale Newton Citizen Freshman of Year … father Phillip Benton, played linebacker at Georgia from 1992-95 … chose Houston over Arkansas, Texas, West Virginia, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, UCF, USC and Virginia Tech, among others.
Latreveon McCutchin – LB
LBJ High School (Austin, Texas)
6-2 / 205
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 69-ranked linebacker and No. 130 overall player in the state of Texas … 2021 Texas District 13-4A D-I unanimous first-team selection … as a senior, totaled 18 tackles with 14 solo stops and eight tackles for loss … on offense caught eight passes in six games for 144 yards and three touchdowns … in a dominate 96-0 win against Eastside Early College returned both a fumble and an interception for touchdowns … tallied 71 tackles as a junior including 40 solo stops and 11 tackles for loss and four sacks … returned a fumble 98-yards in 2021 … grabbed an interception and returned it five yards against Cornerstone Christian … on Sept. 3 against Parish Episcopal in 2021, returned a fumble 98-yard for a touchdown … brother Latrell is a USC defensive back … recorded three games with 10+ tackles … chose Houston over Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa and Rice among others.
Jamaal Shaw - CB
Orange Stark High School (Orange, Texas)
6-1 / 180
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 110-ranked safety and No. 216 overall player in the state of Texas … 2021 Texas 11-4A D-II first-team selection at cornerback and second team at running back as a junior … chose Houston over Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Oregon, Missouri, Baylor and San Diego State among others … plans to enroll at Houston in January as a mid-year enrollee.
Michael Patterson – CB
Fort Bend Marshall High School (Missouri City, Texas)
5-11 / 170
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's 87 overall cornerback and No. 128 overall player in state of Texas … accumulated 35 tackles in 14 career games played … registered two interceptions and three passes defended as a junior … ran a 10.91 in the 100-meter dash and a 21.80 in the 200 meters as a junior in spring 2022 … posted multiple sub-11.0 100-meter marks as a sophomore including a 10.78 … Texas 5A regional qualifier in the 100 meters and 300-meter hurdles including running a 38.80 at district … chose Houston over Air Force, Arizona State, Boston College, Texas State, Tulane and Washington, among others
Jonah Wilson – WR
Dekaney High School (Houston, Texas)
6-2 / 195
High School: Four-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 37-ranked wide receiver and No. 51 overall player in state of Texas … as a senior, brought in 77 receptions for 1,341 yards and 13 touchdowns … recorded four games with multiple touchdown receptions as well as seven games with 100+ receiving yards … against Humble on Sept. 9 tabbed his first 200+ receiving yard game with 232 yards on 14 catches … had three games with 10+ receptions as a senior … in his first three games racked up 28 catches for 518 including five touchdown catches and was on pace to average 170 receiving yards per game … in a state playoff game against Harker Heights brought in a 55-yard touchdown pass … tallied 469 receiving yards as a junior in 2021 with eight touchdowns and contributed 59 rushing yards for 59 yards … quarterback turned wide receiver in three years on varsity totaled 2,232 receiving yard averaging 17.3 yards per catch and contributed 28 receiving touchdowns … returned six kickoffs for 194 yards including a 98-yard touchdown kickoff return during the 2022 season against Westfield … has totaled 28 touchdowns in 28 games played across three years … chose Houston over Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Missouri, LSU, Kansas, Colorado, Arkansas and Baylor among others.
Cayden Bowie – OL
Port Arthur Memorial High School (Port Arthur, Texas)
6-3 / 290
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … rated as No. 107 interior lineman nationally and No. 247 overall player in state of Texas … unanimous 2022 First-Team All-District 8-5A Division 1 selection … helped Memorial to 11-2 record and district title behind 7-1 mark … squad advanced to Region II Semifinals in Class 5A Division I playoffs … four-year starter for Port Arthur Memorial … moved to left tackle during 2021 season … named to 2021 Texas All-State team by SBLive … 2020 First-Team All-District selection at offensive tackle as a sophomore … chose Houston over TCU, UCF, Purdue, SMU, Nevada and North Texas, among others.
Jett Runion – TE
Aubrey High School (Aubrey, Texas)
6-5 / 230
High School: Three-star prospect as defensive lineman …. nation's No. 149 ranked defensive lineman and No. 232 overall player in Texas … played defensive end and tight end at Aubrey … extensive snaps on both sides of the ball in 2021 … recorded 17 receptions for 350 yards and five touchdowns in 2021, helping Aubrey to its deepest playoff run in program history, reaching the regional final round … led team in all major receiving categories in 2021 … 2021 First Team All-District 4-4A Division II honors and 2021 Texas Sports Writers Association Honorable Mention All-State … also competed in track and field … Texas 4A Regional qualifier in discus as a junior … recorded throws of 150 feet, 5 inches and 148 feet, 6 inches as well as several 50-plus feet shot put throws including personal best of 53 feet, 11 ½ inches … chose Houston over Texas Tech, Tulane, SMU, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana and North Texas, among others.
Parker Jenkins – RB
Klein Forest High School / Houston
5-11 / 190
High School: Four-star prospect by 247Sports Composite and Rivals … No. 35 overall running back nationally and No. 84 overall player in Texas … in 19 career games, rushed for 820 yards including a pair of 100-plus yard performances … totaled over 700 yards (427 rushing, 282 receiving) alongside five rushing touchdowns in 2021 … also ran track in high school, posting a 10.80 in the 100-meter dash as a junior and a 21.86 in the 200 meters as a sophomore … finalist for the Touchdown Club of Houston's Offensive Player of the Year … chose Houston over Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon Penn State, Tennessee and Texas Tech among others.
Caleb McMickle – QB
Fellowship Christian School (Roswell, Ga.)
6-1 / 190
High School: Three-star prospect by 247Sports … nation's No. 59 overall quarterback and No. 117 overall player in Georgia … played in 37 career games, completing 227 of 382 passes for 3,576 yards and 35 touchdowns … in 10 games as a senior in 2022, completed 97 passes for 1,511 yards and 12 scores … threw for more than 2,000 yards, 22 touchdowns, and seven INTs as a junior, completing 62.1 percent of his throws in 2021 while leading Fellowship Christian to a 12-2 record and the Georgia A Private state semifinals … 2021 First-Team Offense 6-A Private as voted on by league's coaches … chose Houston over Tulane, Samford, Mercer and Arkansas State among others.
Donovan Smith – QB
Frenship High School (Texas) (Las Vegas, Nev.)
6-5 / 230
Prior to Houston: Spent three seasons (2020-22) at Texas Tech … played in 21 games, posting a 64.2 completion percentage, going 231 for 360 with 2,686 passing yards and 19 touchdowns … added 132 rushes for 261 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground … threw for 1,505 yards, completing 146 of 221 passes (66.1 completion percentage) and 12 passing touchdowns while playing in 12 games for the Red Raiders in 2022 … led Red Raiders with 1,621 yards of total offense in 2022 … led Texas Tech to notable victories against Houston (350 passing yards, 2 touchdowns) and Texas (331 passing yards, 2 touchdowns) while passing for 359 yards and a pair of scores against eventual Big 12 Conference champion Kansas State … in 2021, led Red Raiders to a 2-2 record as a starter, which included a memorable performance as Most Valuable Player in AutoZone Liberty Bowl … appeared in 11 games overall, the most by any Red Raider quarterback … completed 85-of-138 passes for 1,182 yards and seven touchdowns with only two interceptions, while also rushing 57 times for 154 yards and three scores … averaged 107.4 passing yards per game, a clip that rises to 229.8 in games he started … utilized primarily in short-yardage situations as a dual-threat option up until being named the starter late in the year … began seeing more playing time towards the start of conference play after the injury to Tyler Shough … saw a limited number of snaps until playing the entire second half against Oklahoma … graded out at 75.9 according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked sixth overall on the offense … suffered a preseason injury that kept him off the field for duration of 2020 true freshman season.
High School: Attended Frenship High School … played senior season for the Tigers after transferring from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada … impressive in his one season at Frenship, throwing for 3,123 yards and 25 touchdowns while also rushing for 489 yards and 13 touchdowns … threw only eight interceptions on the year despite 328 pass attempts … completed 64.9 percent of his passes en route to earning District 2-6A Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors … was also a first team All-District recipient at quarterback after leading Frenship to its first winning season since 2015 … his prowess leading the offense helped push the Tigers to their first playoff appearance since 2016 … previously was a wide receiver at Bishop Gorman, totaling 806 yards and eight touchdowns through the air on 49 catches as a junior in 2018 … part of a Bishop Gorman program that won its 10th-consecutive state title in 2018 … named to the USA Today All-USA Nevada All-State Team for his efforts as a wide receiver … was also the backup quarterback for Bishop Gorman, one of the top high school programs in the country … also competed on the basketball team and track and field program at Bishop Gorman and at Frenship … three-star prospect according to Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports … third member of the Smith family to play football collegiately as his older brother, Ryan, was a wide receiver at Duke (2013-16) and father, DeAndre, was a four-year letterwinner at quarterback for Southwest Missouri State.
UP NEXT
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