Marshall Basketball: Late Rally Falls Short as Does Herd

From Marshall University's Sports Information Staff.

NORFOLK, Va. – In its final regular season road game of its 2013-14 campaign, the Marshall men’s basketball team came up short as a result of a lack-luster shooting performance against Conference USA newcomer Old Dominion by a score of 70-63 on Thursday night at Ted Constant Convocation Center.

With the win, the Monarchs now sit at 14-15 overall and 8-6 in league play this season, while the Thundering Herd drops to 9-20 overall and 3-11 versus C-USA foes. The ODU victory breaks a 4-4 tie in the all-time series between the programs prior to tonight’s contest, which served as meeting number nine.

Both sides struggled offensively early on as the opposing defenses kept the clamps tight to limit good shot opportunities and force turnovers. At the eight-minute media timeout with 7:40 until halftime, the Herd and Monarchs were knotted up at 14 points apiece.

Trailing ODU 21-17, Marshall went on a 9-0 run that spanned 2:50, putting the Herd on top, 26-21 with 3:02 remaining until the half.

At the break, the visiting Herd held serve, 27-25, despite having shot 10-of-26 from the field (38.5 percent). Marshall found great success in clogging the passing lanes with high hands on defense, which led to six Monarch turnovers in the first 20 minutes and four steals by the Herd defense.

Out of the 27 first-half points for Marshall, underclassmen Kareem Canty (Harlem, N.Y.) and Chris Thomas (Denver) combined for 21 of those, with Canty having led the way with 13 in his starting role.

The second half opened with the two teams exchanging buckets before the Monarchs went on a 9-1 run after trailing 30-27 to force a timeout from Marshall coach Tom Herrion with 16:21 to play and ODU leading, 36-31.

ODU continued to battle with Marshall as the Monarchs led 46-37 with 11:40 left in the contest, as the Herd looked to make a run as Thomas and a foul-troubled Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis) reentered the game.

A bucket from ODU’s Dimitri Batten pushed the lead to 14 at the 7:07 mark, setting the biggest lead of the night for the Monarchs as the scoreboard read 56-42. The ODU lead remained of the double-figure variety as with 3:45 left, the Herd trailed, 59-49.

In the waning moments, Marshall cut the deficit to five with the score at 64-59 and 34.0 seconds remaining on a triple from Canty, but not enough time remained for the Herd to successfully complete a comeback as the clock ran out and the Monarchs collected a 70-63 victory. With the seven point defeat, Marshall has now lost 15 games this year by 10 or fewer points

On the night, Marshall went 20-for-54 (37 percent) from the field and 6-of-15 (40 percent) from beyond the arc. Canty finished with a game-high 24 points in 39 minutes on the floor, while Thomas added 17 of his own, paired with seven rebounds.

The Herd will return home for a pair of home games to close out the regular season, starting with a Sunday contest with East Carolina at 2 p.m. on Mar. 2.

Marshall Basketball: Herd Falls Victim to Middle Tennessee by Three

From Marshall University's Sports Information Office.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – With hopes of snapping Middle Tennessee’s eight-game win streak, the Marshall men’s basketball team once again fell victim to the three ball as a trey with 19 seconds remaining broke a tie and lifted the Blue Raiders to a 56-53 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Cam Henderson Center.

Conference USA leader Middle Tennessee improves to 21-7 overall and 11-2 in its first season as a C-USA member, while the Thundering Herd now sits at 9-19 on the year and 3-10 in league play. The Blue Raiders now lead the all-time series with the Herd, 5-2.

From the opening tip, both sides remained within striking distance as the lead grew no larger than eight points for the entirety of the 40-minute contest.

A sloppy first half consisted of 21 total turnovers with 11 coming from the Blue Raiders with those mistakes resulting in 12 Marshall points. At the break, Middle Tennessee held serve, 27-25, with freshman forward Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis) having shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the field for eight points in nine first-half minutes.

Down the stretch, the two teams traded buckets until the Herd gained a head of steam as a jumper from freshman guard Kareem Canty (Harlem, N.Y.) helped put his side up by a game-high seven points as the score stood at 47-40 with 7:09 to play.

The lead wouldn’t hold for as long as Marshall coach Tom Herrion would have liked as three-straight triples from Middle Tennessee’s Kerry Hammonds took the Blue Raiders from down 49-42, to up 51-49 with 2:56 remaining in regulation. Canty tied the game at 51 just 65 seconds later, before the visitors retook a two-point lead, 53-51.

Canty would once again deliver a basket to tie it up, this time with 54 seconds left on the game clock.

As the shot clock had mere seconds left, Jawawn Raymond knocked down a tough three with 19 seconds remaining, putting his side up 56-53. After calling a timeout with 13 seconds remaining to draw up a play, the Herd was unsuccessful in running the play, leading to a scramble that resulted in a desperation three-point attempt by Canty with three ticks left that fell short, allowing Middle Tennessee to escape with a 56-53 win.

The Herd will take its final road trip of the regular season when it travels to Norfolk, Va. to take on another C-USA newcomer, Old Dominion, on Thursday (Feb. 27) at 7 p.m.

Marshall Football: Brown Leaving for Wisconsin

According to Huntington Herald Dispatch columnist Chuck Landon, Marshall running backs coach Thomas Brown is leaving for the same position at the University of Wisconsin.

Marshall RB coach Thomas Brown is leaving to accept RB job at Wisconsin, per sources
— Chuck Landon (@Chuckonsports) February 21, 2014

Brown joined the Herds coaching staff last offseason after a one year stint as Chattanooga’s running backs coach. For the 2013 season, Marshall ranked 24^th nationally with 205.93 rushing yards per game. The Herd’s ground attack was lead by Essray Taliaferro who rumbled for 1,140 rushing yards on 221 attempts and ten touchdowns.

In terms of recruiting, Brown covered Atlanta and Georgia’s northern region. He was responsible for securing three commitments in Marshall’s 2014 recruiting class, wide receiver Emanuel Beal, running back Keion Davis, and  defensive back Antavis Rowe. 

Marshall Basketball: Herd Falls to UAB 68-62

Stats

Huntington Herald Dispatch

Blazers ‘pummel’ Herd

Chuck Landon: Herd fell short on many front in this loss

HerdZone

BOGACZYK: UAB’s Glass-Cleaning is Herd’s Undoing

Video: Tom Herrion Postgame

Charleston Gazette

UAB’s board work sinks Herd

Charleston Daily Mail

Marshall Basketball: Herd falls to visiting UAB

Marshall Football: Herd gets Commitment from Miami Central Pair

In the world of college football, recruiting never stops. With signing day barley in the review mirror, Marshall added its first two verbal commitments of 2015.

The Herd tapped a familiar south Florida pipe line for a pair of defenders, Miami Central High School. Three players on Marshall's roster are former Miami Central Rockets, quarterback Rakeem Cato, his favorite receiving target Tommy Shuler, and Virginia Tech transfer Donaldven Manning.

The evenings first commitment came from three star defensive end Fermin Silva. After a junior season in which he made 47 tackles and 15 sacks, Silva was named to the All-Dade Football 6A-8A First Team. The 6-foot-1, 215 pound defender also received scholarship offers from South Florida and Appalachian State. Earlier this month The Miami-Herald named him one of areas top 50 football prospects heading into the summer.

Watch Fermin Silva's highlight video

Just verbally committed to Marshall #Herdnation
— SACKMASTER (@DCsilva14) February 18, 2014

Less than a hour later Marquis Couch made his commitment known via Twitter. An outside linebacker for the Rockets, he recorded 51 tackles and 12 sacks during his junior season. With another year of high school football on the horizon, Couch stands six feet, 210 pounds.

Watch Marquis Couch's highlight video

Proud Herd Commit ‼️‼️💯 #HerdNation @DCsilva14
— Marquis Couch (@mc_4pound) February 19, 2014

Marshall Basketball: Herd Downs Charlotte on the Road

From Marshall University's Sports Information Office.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After falling behind by 11 points early on, the Marshall men’s basketball team kept fighting to battle back and collect a 59-56 victory over Charlotte in Conference USA play on Saturday night at Halton Arena.

With the road victory, the Thundering Herd improves to 9-17 on the year and 3-8 in C-USA play, with the loss dropping the 49ers to 14-10 overall and 5-6 in league play.

As part of league scheduling, Marshall will see Charlotte once again before the regular season concludes, but in Huntington, as the two sides are “rivals” and travel partners, which is accompanied by a home-and-home series.

Coach Tom Herrion went with the starting five of Shawn Smith (Sacramento), Kareem Canty (Harlem, N.Y.), Chris Thomas (Denver), Cheikh Sane (Dakar, Senegal) and Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis) for the third straight game.

At the second media timeout of the game, 10:10 remained until the half and Charlotte led 21-15, while Canty paced the Herd with eight points in just 10 minutes of playing time. The gap widened as the 49ers went up double digits, but 10 straight points from Thomas, including two three-point plays, brought the score to 32-29 with 3:22 left in the half.

With the clock winding down at the end of the first half, Thomas snatched an offensive rebound and banked a layup off the glass to put his side up 36-34 right before the buzzer sounded. The bucket capped a 17-2 run that spanned 7:12 and closed the half for the Herd.

Through the first 20 minutes, 14 points from Thomas and 13 from Canty combined for 27 of Marshall’s 36 first-half points, while Marshall turned eight Charlotte turnovers into 14 points.

The 49ers came out of the locker room re-energized for the second half and jumped back out front, but not for long. Success on the offensive glass allowed the Herd to re-take and extend its lead to a game-high nine points, 50-41, as 12:06 remained.

Charlotte remained cold from the field as the Marshall defense kept its pressure high, allowing the visiting Herd to hold serve, 53-47, with 5:40 to play after a jumper from Canty. Buckets from Canty and Thomas kept a multiple-possession buffer between the two teams as the 49ers looked to trim the margin.

With 1:27 remaining, a dunk from Terrance Williams brought Charlotte within four, but a mid-range jumper from Canty followed, making it 59-53 in favor of the Herd with 53.4 seconds left. Following a Marshall turnover, Shawn Lester knocked down a trey with 19.4 seconds to play, bringing the score to 59-56.

On the ensuing possession, the Herd committed another turnover, this one due to failing to inbound the ball in under five seconds, which gave the ball back to Charlotte with a shot at tying the game. After an initial miss, the 49ers grabbed the rebound to set up another chance at extending the game, but could not connect as the Herd reeled in the miss and ran out the clock to win 59-56.

Marshall finished 40 percent from the field (22-of-55) as Canty finished with a game-high 21 points, followed by 18 from Thomas. Charlotte went 22-for-62 from the field (35.5 percent).

The Herd will return home to the Cam Henderson Center to take on UAB, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.

Marshall Football: W.V. Natives Join Recruiting Class as Preferred Walk-Ons

While West Virginia is not considered a hot bed of football recruiting, the Mountain State has been good to Marshall. In recent years West Virginia natives Aaron Dobson, Clinton Van Horn, Blake Brooks, and Raheem Waiters have made a big impact for the Thundering Herd.

On national signing day a number of local prospects made a commitment to Marshall as preferred walk-ons. Preferred walk-ons are guaranteed a roster spot but are not on scholarship. 

One of those West Virginia natives is already on campus. Although he comes to Marshall from Virginia's Fork Union Military Academy, Matthew Santer played high school football in Parkersburg W.V. Santer enrolled at Fork Union last August hoping to raise his recruiting profile. The prep school semester helped as Santer caught the eye of Marshall's coaches. He will join the Herds safeties when spring practice begins.

Beckley's Woodrow Wilson High School should be familiar to Thundering Herd fans. Doug Legursky and Van Horn are just two of many former Flying Eagles to play collegiality at Marshall. Chase Hancock hopes to continue that legacy after accepting a preferred walk-on spot with the Herd. As a senior Hancock caught 35 passes for 490 yards and five touchdowns. He also recorded 564 rushing yards on 98 carries and eight touchdowns. 

A member of West Virginia's Class AA all first team, defensive lineman Austin Hill will join the Thundering Herd as a preferred walk-on this fall. Hill had a number of scholarship offers from division II schools, but the 6-foot-2, 280 pound lineman always dreamed of playing big time college football.  

Rounding out the list is athlete Isaiah Brown. One of the fastest football players in West Virginia, Brown accumulated 1,287 yards of total offense during his senior year at Summers County High School. He will test his speed against C-USA competition this fall as a preferred walk-on at Marshall.

Marshall Basketball: Again, Herd Burned By Last-Second Three

From Marshall University's Sports Information Office.

NEW ORLEANS, La. – For the second time in three days, a three-point basket with seconds remaining proved fatal for the Marshall men’s basketball team, this time against Tulane, 68-65, on Sunday afternoon at Devlin Fieldhouse.

The Green Wave improves to 13-11 overall and 5-4 in Conference USA play, while the Thundering Herd drops to 8-17 on the year and 2-8 versus league foes. The series between the two sides is now tied at eight wins each after 16 meetings with Tulane having won the last three meetings.

Bucking what had become a trend in the previous seven games, Marshall coach Tom Herrion started the same five in consecutive games for the first time since Jan. 11 and 16. The lineup was the same as Friday against Southern Miss, which included Shawn Smith (Sacramento, Calif.), Kareem Canty (Harlem, N.Y.), Chris Thomas (Denver), Cheikh Sane (Dakar, Senegal) and Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis).

Tulane jumped on the Herd early as four three-point buckets put the Green Wave up 16-6, forcing a timeout from coach Herrion with12:20 remaining in the first half. The hot start would continue as another long-range make put the home team up 19-6, capping off a 14-2 run.

Once having settled into the game, Marshall found an offensive rhythm that shrank the deficit to seven as the scoreboard read 22-15 with 8:47 until the half after a layup from Taylor.

The Herd worked to remain within striking distance and was successful in doing so as a pair of free throws from Sane with 3:45 left in the half brought the score to 29-24. With the ball and the clock winding down at the end of the half, DeVince Boykins (Forest City, N.C.) caught a kick-out pass from Canty and knocked it down to make it 33-29 at the half.

Through the first 20 minutes of play, Marshall had a relatively clean slate, committing just two turnovers to five from Tulane. Both sides were efficient from deep as the Herd was 4-for-7 (57.1 percent) and the Green Wave was 6-for-10 (60 percent).

After the halftime break, both sides opened the second half by exchanging buckets with the Herd continuing its comeback effort. A 14-2 Tulane run took the score from 37-34 to 51-36, keeping Marshall at bay with 12:30 to play.

Nine straight points from Thomas helped the Herd work its way back into the game as the Tulane defense did not have an answer for the sophomore guard’s slashing prowess. His scoring spree brought the score to 58-49 as 7:10 remained in the contest.

More members of the Herd followed suit with Thomas to rally on the road as Canty knocked down a three as 3:50 remained, making it a 59-56 deficit. Not long after, Sane turned a steal into points as Canty finished the play with a fast break layup. At the final media timeout, Marshall trailed by just one point, 61-60.

Getting his own rebound after a missed layup, Sane followed with a make to tie the game at 63 with 1:05 to play. The bucket gave the Marshall big man the first double-figure scoring performance of his career.

Freshman guard Jonathan Stark came up big for the Green Wave in the final minute as he made a driving layup with the shot clock winding down to put his side up 65-63 with 41 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Thomas was fouled and sent to the line, making both to tie the game at 65 with 28 seconds on the game clock.

With the shot clock off and Tulane with possession, 24.5 seconds remained in regulation. Junior guard Jay Hook took and made a long three from the top of the key with 1.4 seconds to play and the Green Wave on top 68-65.

With Boykins inbounding, Smith caught the ball just past midcourt and his shot for the tie was no good, allowing Tulane to hold on for a last-second win.

Thomas finished as the game’s leading scorer with 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. Canty followed with 16 and Sane with 11, setting a career high for the big man. As a team, the Herd shot 44.4 percent from the field (20-of-45) to 45.8 percent (22-of-48) from Tulane.

Marshall will have six days off between contests before taking on C-USA newcomer Charlotte on the road, Saturday (Feb. 15) at 7 p.m.

Marshall Basketball: Herd Unable to Hold on Against Southern Miss

From Marshall University's Sports Information Department.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – As has been the story in many of its losses this season, the Marshall men’s basketball team came up just to Conference USA leader Southern Mississippi, 60-57, on Friday night at Reed Green Coliseum.

The Golden Eagles improved to 20-3 on the year with the win and now sit at 7-1 in C-USA play, while the Thundering Herd fell to 8-16 on the season and 2-7 in league play. Marshall leads the series 9-8 and is now 1-5 all-time against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg.

For the seventh time in as many games, coach Tom Herrion fielded a different starting five. This time the Marshall starters were Shawn Smith (Sacramento, Calif.), Kareem Canty (Harlem, N.Y.), Chris Thomas (Denver), Cheikh Sane (Dakar, Senegal) and Ryan Taylor (Indianapolis).

A dunk from Sane with 14:01 to play in the first half put the Herd on top 13-3 behind an 11-0 run, forcing a Southern Miss timeout from coach Donnie Tyndall. To that point, Thomas was accountable for six Marshall points as the Herd started 5-of-6 from the field. A three from Taylor made it 16-3 with 12:47 remaining in the first half, stretching the run to 14-0.

Despite turnovers caused by Southern Miss defensive pressure, Marshall was able to keep its lead in double figures. As 5:03 was left until the break, the Herd led 30-18 with an even scoring distribution from its starters and role players.

With the clock winding down in the first half, Canty attempted a long-range three and sank it as the buzzer sounded to end the first half. The long-range bucket put the Herd up 35-24 at the break.

The Herd was able to take hold of the first half by outrebounding the Golden Eagles (17-10), as well as hot shooting on 56 percent (14-of-25) from the field and 55 percent (6-of-11) from beyond the arc. Taylor was the game’s leading scorer through the first 20 minutes with nine points, followed by eight from Thomas.

Back out for the second half, Marshall and Southern Miss exchanged baskets in the opening minutes. The Golden Eagles worked to trim its deficit to single digits, but the Herd worked to prevent just that as a pair of free throws from Taylor put the score at 41-30 with 16:04 remaining in the contest.

A second-half surge that was expected from the Golden Eagles came near the 12-minute mark as the Marshall lead was cut to three, 44-41, by the 9-0 Southern Miss run. A three from Canty with 9:47 to play snapped the run and the Herd’s scoring drought.

With 1:02 left, Jerrod Brooks knocked down a three for the Golden Eagles, tying the game at 55. A layup from Smith was how the Herd responded to go up 57-55 and force a Southern Miss timeout with 34.1 seconds remaining.

Out of a timeout with 6.3 seconds remaining, Neil Watson knocked down a three from the top of the key to put his Golden Eagles out front, 58-57, as 2.0 seconds remained.

The Herd had one last chance at the win and an errant pass attempt from Smith to Taylor handed the ball back to the home team. After making a pair of free throws, time ran out and Southern Miss secured a 60-57 victory.

After the 40-minute contest, Marshall finished 44.9 percent (22-of-49) from the field and 42.1 (8-of-19) percent from three, while Southern Miss shot 52.8 percent (19-of-36) on the night and 40 percent (8-of-20) from downtown. Despite outrebounding the Golden Eagles by eight (31-23), the Herd’s 16 turnovers proved costly, leading to 19 Southern Miss points.

The Herd will continue its southern swing in a Sunday matinee at Tulane with tip-off set for 2 p.m.

Marshall Football: King to Transfer, Hoskins Snubbed by NFL Combine

Two notes out of Marshall's football program today. Both involving players who will not be wearing a Thundering Herd uniform in 2014.

Marshall's wide receivers corps lost a member as Jazz King announced via Twitter that he is transferring. King caught five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown during the 2013 season. A rising senior, he will have one year of eligibility remaining at his yet to be determined new school.

#Tbt marshall football...gne miss playing beside some of my teammates but im excited to see wat my… http://t.co/B73OV2NZEg
— JazzKing (@DreamComeTrue24) February 6, 2014

The participant list for this months NFL Combine was released today and the name of Marshall's Gator Hoskins was nowhere to be found. Despite leading his position nationally with 15 touchdown receptions in 2013, Hoskins was not among the 22 tight ends invited to February's scouting combine.

Standing only 6-foot-1, Hoskins is shorter than a prototypical NFL tight end. At last months Senior Bowl, he was used as an H-Back, lining up in the backfield, flanking the offensive line, and split out wide. Typically held in March, Hoskins will have an opportunity to workout in front of NFL scouts at Marshall's pro day.

Marshall Basketball: Article Paints Troubling Picture of Kane's Time with Herd

Luke Winn’s Sports Illustrated profile of DeAndre Kane provides an eye opening window into the Iowa State basketball players time at Marshall.

In the article, Kane’s former teammates point to incidences of verbal and physical altercations involving the ex-Thundering Herd shooting guard. In one such case, three witnesses confirmed to Winn that Kane punched Robert Goff during a closed scrimmage with Miami (OH) before the ‘11-12 season. Things got so out of control that RedHawks head coach Charlie Coles pulled his team from the floor while Marshall’s staff settled down their squad. Kane denies the altercation ever occurred, but Goff acknowledged the punch as fact.

During a closed scrimmage against Miami (Ohio) in the '11-12 preseason Kane -- according to three witnesses -- became so upset with the way teammate Robert Goff was playing that he punched him in the face, causing RedHawks coach Charlie Coles to pull his squad off the floor while the Marshall staff got the Herd under control. Kane denies punching Goff; Goff acknowledges it happened but blames himself, saying, "I wasn't focusing enough on the game."

The same three witness confirmed another report of Kane tossing a Gatorade bottle at a student manager for allegedly messing up his food order.

The same three witnesses also described an incident on the bus after a March '13 game at Houston, when Kane (who also denies this) threw a nearly full bottle of Gatorade at an undergraduate manager for allegedly screwing up his food order.

Further exasperating matters, Kane’s former teammates told Winn that Marshall head coach Tom Herrion did little to reign in his star player, to the point that one assistant coach threatened to quit if Kane remained with the team.

Because Kane was the leading scorer, teammates said he rarely faced punishment from coach Tom Herrion for his transgressions, which included late arrivals, missed buses and verbal altercations. But Kane clashed so much with coaches and teammates during that season that, according to multiple sources, one assistant coach threatened to leave if Kane wasn't dismissed.

Make sure you read the entire article, it’s not only a great look at Kane, but also Marshall’s basketball program under Herrion.

Marshall Football: Herd Ends Signing Day with 28 Commitments

It was a busy Wednesday in the Shewey Athletic Center as national letters of intent piled into Marshall's football offices.

According to 247 Sports, Marshall had the highest ranked recruiting class in Conference USA. The Herd inked 13 three star recruits and the leagues only four star prospect. Among schools outside of the power five conferences, Marshall delivered the third highest ranked recruiting class, only behind South Florida and Central Florida.

The days biggest surprise belonged to Ohio linebacker Kaleb Harris. A three star prospect, he verbally committed to Cincinnati in June only to sign a letter of intent with Marshall today. Another three star Ohio recruit, Nathaniel Devers, also spurned the Bearcats for the Thundering Herd.

A long time Georgia commitment, Kendall Gant sent his letter of intent into Marshall today. C-USA's lone four star recruit, Gant recorded 48 tackles and five interceptions during his senior year at Florida's Lake Gibson High School. Gant will be joined at Marshall by his high school teammate Fredice Binot.

The Herd also missed out on a few targets. Virginia prospect Raymon Minor visited Marshall in mid-January, but the talented four star prospect committed to Virginia Tech. Tampa Bay linebacker Josh Black stayed home at USF instead of honoring his verbal commitment to the Herd. Two of Marshall's other verbal commitments, Stanley Dye and Quincy Perdue, signed with rival C-USA schools. Dye will spend his collegiate career at UTSA and Perdue is headed to UAB.

Of Marshall's 28 commitments, the state of Georgia lead the way with nine signees. Florida was close behind with eight and the Herd also received letters of intent from players in Virginia, New Jersey, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and Ohio.

National Letters of Intent Received
1) Ricardo Williams, DE, University of Miami^
2) Donaldven Manning, DB, Virginia Tech^
3) A.J. Addison, OL, Virginia^
4) Malik Thompson, DL, Florida^
5) Jason Smith, DE, Massachusetts^
6) Cole Garvin, QB, Georgia^
7) Alex Cason, WR, Georgia
8) Keion Davis, WR, Georgia
9) Jordan Dowrey, DT, Virginia
10) Hyleck Foster, WR, South Carolina
11) Frankie Hernandez, LB Florida
12) Tomell One, DE, Florida
13) Reese Wooten, WR, Georgia
14) Ryan Yurachek, TE, South Carolina
15) Antavis Rowe, DB, Georgia
16) Maurice Hall, LB, Florida
17) Quantavious Knight, DB, Georgia*
18) Demetrious Johnson, DB, Maryland
19) Ferdice Binot, OL, Florida
20) Nathaniel Devers, OL, Ohio
21) Kendall Gant, DB, Florida
22) Ryan Bee, DE, Ohio
23) Brandon Mitchell, OL, California*
24) Donquell Green, ATH, Georgia
25) Nyquan Harris, DT, Virginia
26) Kaleb Harris, LB, Ohio
27) LaDerrick Hammond, DB, Georgia
28) Emanuel Beal, WR, Georgia

^Currently enrolled at Marshall
* Junior college commitment

Notes - In a slightly related story, we learned that Marshall kickoff specialist Amoreto Curraj has been placed on scholarship. As a walk-on freshman last year, Curraj recorded 52 touchbacks on 97 attempts.

Marshall Football: Herd Receives Signing Day Surprise in Kaleb Harris

Marshall received a signing day surprise when Cincinnati verbal commitment Kaleb Harris spurned the Bearcats and signed a letter of intent with the Thundering Herd earlier today.

The seeds of Harris’s defection were planted last weekend when he took an official visit to Marshall. After playing wide receiver and defensive back at Ohio’s Norwayne High School, the 6-foot-3, 207 lbs., Harris will transition to outside linebacker in college.

Ranted a three star prospect by Rivals, Harris also received scholarship offers from Western Michigan and a number of other MAC programs.

For more on Marshall’s signing day surprise, click the links below.

1) Rivals profile

2) 247 Sports profile

3) Hudl profile (highlight video) 

Marshall Football: Letters of Intent Received by the Herd *UPDATE 12:48 p.m.*

Here is our running list of National Letters of Intent received by Marshall's football staff. We will update this list periodically throughout the day.

National Letters of Intent Received
1) Ricardo Williams, DE, University of Miami^
2) Donaldven Manning, DB, Virginia Tech^
3) A.J. Addison, OL, Virginia^
4) Malik Thompson, DL, Florida^
5) Jason Smith, DE, Massachusetts^
6) Cole Garvin, QB, Georgia^
7) Alex Cason, WR, Georgia
8) Keion Davis, WR, Georgia
9) Jordan Dowrey, DT, Virginia
10) Hyleck Foster, WR, South Carolina
11) Frankie Hernandez, LB Florida
12) Tomell One, DE, Florida
13) Reese Wooten, WR, Georgia
14) Ryan Yurachek, TE, South Carolina
15) Antavis Rowe, DB, Georgia
16) Maurice Hall, LB, Florida
17) Quantavious Knight, DB, Georgia*
18) Demetrious Johnson, DB, Maryland
19) Ferdice Binot, OL, Florida
20) Nathaniel Devers, OL, Ohio
21) Kendall Gant, DB, Florida
22) Ryan Bee, DE, Ohio
23) Brandon Mitchell, OL, California*
24) Donquell Green, ATH, Georgia
25) Nyquan Harris, DT, Virginia
26) Kaleb Harris, LB, Ohio
27)  LaDerrick Hammond, DB, Georgia
28) Emanuel Beal, WR, Georgia

^Currently enrolled at Marshall
* Junior college commitment

Marshall's has also lost out on a number of recruits they were hoping to sign this morning, they are Stanley Dye, Josh Black,  Quincey Perdue, and Raymon Minor. We will have more on them, and the rest of signing day later.

Marshall Football: National Signing Day is Almost Here

Fax machines are being warmed up across college football as national signing day is set to commence in less than eight hours. In late January we published a signing day primer for the Thundering Herd, but a lot has changed in just a few weeks. Marshall picked up numerous verbal commitments and we have a new list with all the latest updates.

Our list is split into two categories, recruits that have already enrolled at Marshall and those who have just given a verbal commitment. We also have additional information on a few prospects the Herd is still pursuing.

Already Enrolled
1) Ricardo Williams, DE, University of Miami*
2) Donaldven Manning, DB, Virginia Tech*
3) Rodney Allen, WR, Texas+
4) Raheim Huskey, LB, South Carolina+
5) Jalen Stevenson, DE, Florida+
6) Brandon Byrd, ATH, Florida+
7) Tony Pittman, LB, Virginia+
8) D'Andre Wilson, DB, South Carolina+
9) A.J. Addison, OL, Virginia^
10) Malik Thompson, DL, Florida^
11) Jason Smith, DE, Massachusetts^
12) Cole Garvin, QB, Georgia#

* Transfer
+ 2013 Academic non-qualifier
^ Prep School enrollee
# High School early enrollee

Verbal Commitments
1) Emanuel Beal, WR, Georgia
2) Ryan Bee, DE, Ohio
3) Alex Cason, WR, Georgia
4) Keion Davis, WR, Georgia
5) Jordan Dowrey, DT, Virginia
6) Stanley Dye. DB, Florida
7) Hyleck Foster, WR, South Carolina
8) Nyquan Harris, DT, Virginia
9) LaDerrick Hammond, DB, Georgia
10) Frankie Hernandez, LB Florida
11) Tomell One, DE, Florida
12) Rayjon Simes, DE, Georgia
13) Reese Wooten, WR, Georgia
14) Ryan Yurachek, TE, South Carolina
15) Brandon Mitchell, OL, California*
16) Antavis Rowe, DB, Georgia
17) Maurice Hall, LB, Florida
18) Quantavious Knight, DB, Georgia*
19) Quincey Perdue, WR, Georgia
20) Donquell Green, ATH, Georgia
21) Josh Black, LB, Florida
22) Demetrious Johnson, DB, Maryland
23) Ferdice Binot, OL, Florida
24) Nathaniel Devers, OL, Ohio
25) Kendall Gant, DB, Florida

* Junior College prospect

Of the 25 prospects listed, pay special attention to Hyleck Foster tomorrow. East Carolina made a late push for his services and the Pirates hosted him for a official visit January 17th. Also, it does not look like Fork Union Military Academy wide receiver Ryheem Lockley will sign a letter of intent with Marshall. He will likely attend junior college instead.

Marshall is locked in a three way battle for Virginia athlete Raymon Minor. He will make his decision tomorrow at 11 a.m. between Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Thundering Herd.  Like Kendall Grant, grades could be an issue that pushes Minor towards the Herd.

Tomorrow we will have wall-to-wall coverage of national signing day here, and on our Twitter page, @MarshallTBlog. Every letter of intent faxed into Marshall's football staff will be announced via Twitter with a link to the recruits profile. An updated list of official commitments will also be kept on the sites front page.