Birmingham, Ala. – The Samford football program signed two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2023 class, Samford coach Chris Hatcher announced Wednesday.
 
The duo, paired with the December signing class, brings this year's group of newcomers to 17. Wednesday's signing group includes CJ Douglas, a safety from Leeds, Ala. and Brendan Jenkins, a wide receiver from Hoschton, Ga.
 
WEDNESDAY'S SIGNEES
 
CJ Douglas (S, Leeds, AL/Leeds HS)
Douglas prepped at Leeds High School in Leeds, Alabama… Helped lead the Green Wave to an 11-1 regular season and region title as a senior in 2022… Was named first team All-tribune by the Trussville Tribune as a senior… Was named Birmingham All-Region honorable mention by AL.com his senior year.
 
Brendan Jenkins (WR, Hoschton, GA/Mill Creek HS)
Jenkins prepped at Mill Creek HS in Georgia… Helped the Hawks to the school's first 7A state championship in 2022… Was named first team All-Region and honorable mention All-Country by the Gwinnett Touchdown Club in 2022… Caught 37 passes for 408 yards and six touchdowns as senior… Named second team All-Region in 2021… Hauled in 31 receptions for 525 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior.
 
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD SIGNEES (DECEMBER)
 
Tyler Douthit (OL, Woodstock, GA/Woodstock HS)
Douthit prepped at Woodstock High school in Georgia… Named first team All-region… Named Woodstock High School's offensive Most Valuable Player.
 
Duncan Johnson (OL, Augusta, GA/Aquinas HS)
Johnson prepped at Aquinas High school in Georgia… Helped the Irish to a 7-4 record in 2022… Named first team All-region.
 
Noah Watts (OL, Alabaster, AL/Thompson HS)
Watts prepped at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama... Helped the Warriors to four-straight 7A state championships… Named second team All-Shelby County.
 
Will Thorley (P, Torquay, Australia/Prokick Australia)
Thorley trained at ProKick Australia… ProKick Australia sends multiple punters to the United States including Houston Texans punter Cameron Johnston (Ohio State), and Ray Guy Award winners Mitch Wishnowsky (Utah) and Michael Dickson (Texas).
 
Jackson Beatty (WR, Mountain Brook, AL/Mountain Brook HS)
Beatty prepped at Mountain Brook High School in Mountain Brook, Alabama… Helped the Spartans to 6A State Championship Game appearance in 2022… Named second team All-State in 2021… Hauled in 769 yards and 12 touchdowns and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns as a junior… Won a state championship on the hardwood in 2021. 
 
Thad Ransier (DE, Meridian, MS/Lamar School)
Ransier prepped at The Lamar School in Mississippi… Named a MAIS All-Star in 2022… Named a team captain in 2022… 
 
Darrian King (OL, Oak Grove, MS/East Mississippi Community College)
King spent the last two seasons at East Mississippi Community College… Helped the Lions to a MACCC championship in 2022… Prepped at Oak Grove High School.
 
E. Jai Mason (WR, Jackson, MS/Northwest Mississippi Community College)
Mason spent the last three seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College… Helped the Rangers to a 10-2 record and an appearance in the MACCC Championship Game… Caught 36 passes for 384 yards and five touchdowns in 2022… Helped NWMCC to a MACCC title in 2021… Hauled in 47 receptions for 591 yards and four touchdowns in 2021… Caught 17 passes for 217 and two scores in 2020… Prepped at Clinton High School.
 
Jaden Mosley (DB, Mobile, AL/Hutchinson Community College)
Mosley spent the last season at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas… Helped the Blue Dragons to a KJCCC Championship and an appearance in the NJCAA National Championship Game… Collected 25 tackles and a pair of interceptions in 2022… Earned KJCCC honorable mentions honors… Ranked a three-star prospect by 247 sports coming out of high school… Prepped at McGill-Tollen HS in Mobile. 
 
RJ Starkey (WR, Atlanta, GA/Penn)
Starkey comes to Samford as a transfer from Penn… Played in 10 games for the Quakers in 2022… Led Penn in receiving with 56 catches for 515 yards and four touchdowns… Named second team All-Ivy… Caught 24 passes for 391 yards and a team-leading three scores in 2021… Became the 22nd player in program history to record 1,000 receiving yards… Totaled 1,549 receiving yards at Penn which ranks eighth-most in program history… Prepped at Hapeville Charter Academy in Atlanta… Helped the Hornets to a state championship in 2017… Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247 coming out of high school.
 
Garrett Morris (LB, Auburn, AL/Penn)
Morris comes to Samford as a transfer from Penn… Played in 10 games for the Quakers in 2022… Led Penn with 71 tackles including 37 solo stops… Tallied 9.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks… Added an interception and a trio of pass breakups… Named first team All-Ivy… Collected 45 tackles in 10 games for the Quakers in 2021… Prepped at Auburn High School… Named second team All-Area in 2017… Named first team All-State in 2016… Ranked as a two-star recruit by 247 coming out of high school.
 
Damonta Witherspoon (RB, East St. Louis, IL/Murray State)
Witherspoon comes to Samford as a transfer from Murray State… Played in nine games for the Racers in 2022… Led Murray State with 146 carries for 580 yards and a touchdown… Totaled 912 rushing yards on 212 carries with eight scores for the Racers in 2021… Was named to the second team All-OVC and OVC All-Newcomer team in 2020 after rushing for 501 yards and five touchdowns… Prepped at East St. Louis HS in Illinois…Racked up 1,742 yards and 35 touchdowns as a senior… Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247 coming out of high school.
 
Marvion Field (DL, Hampton, GA/Elon)
Field comes to Samford as a transfer from Elon… Played in 12 games for the Phoenix in 2022… Collected 14 tackles including nine solo stops and 3.5 for loss… Tallied 10 tackles in 11 games for Elon in 2021… Prepped at Westlake High School… Attended Jireh Prep after graduation.
 
Kamron Smith (DB, Bonaire, GA/Charleston Southern)
Smith comes to Samford as a Transfer from Charleston Southern… Played in 10 games for the Buccaneers in 2022… Tallied 37 tackles including 25 solo stops… Broke up 13 passes and forced one fumble… Caught two passes for 19 yards and a score on the offensive side of the ball… Named first team All-Big South… Collected 22 tackles and two interceptions for the Buccaneers in 2021… Prepped at Veterans High School… Was a two-time All-State Region selection.
 
Tyrese Ross (DB, Jacksonville, FL/South Carolina)
Ross comes to Samford as a transfer from South Carolina… Played in six games for the Gamecocks in 2022… Collected eight tackles on the year… Had one tackle in seven games for South Carolina in 2021… Transferred to South Carolina from Washington State after the 2020 season… Had 35 tackles in 17 games as a Cougar from 2018-20… Prepped at Westlake High School in Atlanta… Ranked as a three-star recruit by 247 coming out of high school… Father, Dominic, played with Samford head coach Chris Hatcher at Valdosta State in the early 1990s and won Super Bowl XXX with the Dallas Cowboys in 1996. 
 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford football, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordFootball (Facebook), @SamfordFootball (Instagram) and @SamfordFootball (Twitter).