BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford football program has signed five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for the 2024 class, Samford coach Chris Hatcher announced Wednesday.
 
The five, together with the December signing group, brings this year's signing class to 18 members.  
 
Below is a short bio on each signee.
 
WEDNESDAY'S SIGNEES
 
Carson Sloan (LB, Blackshear, GA/Pierce County HS)
Prepped at Pierce County High School in Blackshear, GA… Helped the Bears to a 14-1 and a 2A state championship in 2023… Named Region Player of The Year and All-State… Named Most Valuable Player by 912 Sports in 2023.
 
Michael Snow (OL, Pell City, AL/Pell City HS)
Prepped at Pell City High School in Pell City, AL… Also played basketball for the Panthers during his prep career.
 
Jadon Loving (WR, Trussville, AL/Hewitt-Trussville HS)
Prepped at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville, AL… Helped the Huskies to the 7A State semifinals as a senior… Caught 68 passes for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns his senior year… Totaled 613 yards and five touchdowns on 54 receptions… Named All-State and All-Region in 2023… Received All-Region honors as a junior in 2022.
 
Kamren Reese (DE, Stockbridge, GA/Stockbridge HS)
Prepped at Stockbridge HS in Stockbridge, GA… Helped the Tigers to the 4A State semifinals as a senior… Tallied 96 total tackles and 45 for loss during his senior season… Collected 20 sacks in 2023… Racked up 70 total tackles, 19 for loss and 15 sacks as a junior in 2022.
 
Ethan Fisher (PK, Tallahassee, FL/North Florida Christian HS)
Prepped at North Florida Christian High School in Tallahassee, FL… Helped the Eagles to the regional final in 2023 and 2022… Connected on 10 of 15 field goals during his prep career and converted 81 of 84 extra-point attempts… Was awarded the Dale Doss Courage Award by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club in December 2023… Son of Samford University alumnus Jimbo Fisher.
 
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD SIGNEES (DECEMBER)
 
Preston Bird (WR, Bonaire, GA/Veterans HS)
 Bird prepped at Veterans High School in Kathleen, Georgia… Played both sides of the ball for the Warhawks… Named first-team Region 1 6A by Georgia High School Football Daily during his junior and senior years.
  
 Ken Cherry (RB, Huntsville, AL/Madison Academy)
 Cherry prepped at Madison Academy in Madison, Alabama… Led the Mustangs to a 14-1 record and an appearance in the Alabama 3A state title game… Named team MVP as a senior… Played in the Alabama North-South All-Star game… Amassed 3,381 all-purpose yards and 50 total touchdowns as a senior.
  
 Nick Crayton (WR, Decatur, AL/Austin HS)
 Crayton prepped at Austin High School in Decatur, Alabama… Helped the Black Bears to an 8-3 record as a senior… Caught 26 passes for 528 yards and six touchdowns as a senior… Named 7A Region 4 first team as a senior.
  
 Tyler Durant (DL, Daphne, AL/Daphne HS)
 Prepped at Daphne High School in Daphne, Alabama… Tallied 51 tackles and seven for loss as a senior… Racked up 73 total tackles and 10 for loss with five sacks as a junior… Named second team 7A All-State as a junior.
  
 Mack Howard (QB, Columbus, MS/Utah)
 Howard comes to Samford as a Transfer from Utah… Did not see any action for the Utes in 2023… Prepped at Oxford High School in Oxford, Mississippi as a senior… Passed for 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior… Transferred to Oxford High School after helping Heritage Academy to two MAIS 5A state titles… Threw for 3,475 yards and 47 touchdowns as a junior at Heritage… Named the MAIS 5A Player of the Year in 2021… Ranked No. 9 in the Clarion Ledger's 2022 Dany Dozen… Selected for the 2022 Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game… Ranked as a three-star prospect by 247 coming out of high school… Ranked the 48th quarterback in the country and the 20th best player in the state of Mississippi coming out of high school.
  
 Andrew Johnson (DB, Olive Branch, MS/Copiah-Lincoln Community College)
 Johnson spent the last three seasons at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Mississippi… Helped the Wolves to a 10-2 record and a win in the 2023 Heart of Texas Bowl… Tallied 38 tackles and a pair of pass breakups as a sophomore… Collected 28 tackles and forced a fumble as a freshman… Prepped at Olive Branch HS In Olive Branch, Miss.
  
 Micah Kelly (RB, Gautier, MS/Toledo)
 Kelly comes to Samford as a transfer from Toledo… Helped the Rockets to a 10-2 record and a Mid-American Conference Championship Game appearance… Appeared in four games for Toledo in 2023… Gained six yards on five carries in 2023… Saw action 13 games with five starts in 2022… Ranked fourth on the team with 398 rushing yards on 120 attempts with one touchdown… Tallied 314 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2021… Finished the 2020 season ranked second on the Rockets with 208 yards… Rushed for 70 yards in 2019… Prepped at Ocean Springs High School in Ocean Springs, Mississippi… Rushed for 1,560 yards and 16 touchdowns in high school… Named first-team All-State and All-Region… Ranked a three-star prospect by 247 coming out of high school.
  
 Haden Klees (QB, Crawfordville, FL/Wakulla HS)
 Prepped at Wakulla High School in Crawfordville, Florida… Led the War Eagles to an 11-1 record as a senior… Threw for 3,575 yards and 50 touchdowns in 2023... Tossed 20 touchdowns and 1,948 yards in eight games as a senior.
  
 Nazir Sy (DL, Peachtree Corners, GA/Northwestern State)
 Sy comes to Samford as a transfer from Northwestern State in Louisiana… In his lone season for the Demons, Sy tallied 12 tackles… Prior to NSU, Sy spent three seasons at Akron… Appeared in 18 games for the Zips, including all 12 in 2021… Recorded 24 tackles while with Akron… Spent one season at Butler Community College, helping the Grizzles to a 10-3 record… Was an All-Conference selection with 42 tackles and 4.5 for BCC… Prepped at Norcross High School in Norcross, Georgia… Ranked a two-star prospect by 247 coming out of high school.
  
 Rayf Vinson (WR, Madison, MS/Ole Miss)
 Vinson comes to Samford as a transfer from Ole Miss… Appeared in 11 games for the Rebels in 2023, but did not record any stats… Did not appear in any games during the 2022 and 2021 seasons... Named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2021… Prepped at Madison-Ridgeland Academy in Madison, Mississippi… Led the Patriots to a pair of state titles including a 13-0 record as a senior… Tallied 1,200 yards of total offense and 21 touchdowns in his senior season… Named all-conference three times… Ranked a two-star prospect by 247 coming out of high school.
  
 Luke Wattenbarger (SAF, Bakersfield, CA/Bakersfield College)
 Wattenbarger spent the last two seasons at Bakersfield College in California… Had 16 tackles in five games as a sophomore in 2023… Appeared in nine games for the Renegades during the 2022 season… Recorded 42 tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception as a freshman… Prepped at Liberty High School in Bakersfield, California.
  
 Maxton Woodward (DL, Philadelphia, MS/Holmes Community College)
 Woodward spent the last two seasons at Holmes Community College in Goodman, Miss… Had 41 tackles and 2.5 sacks for the Dogs in 2023… Collected 31 tackles and a sack for Holmes in 2022… Prepped at Neshoba Central High School in Philadelphia, Mississippi… Ranked a three-star prospect by 247 and the 43rd-best player in the state of Mississippi coming out of high school.
  
 Jalik Yancy (DB, Atlanta, GA/Northeast Mississippi Community College)
 Yancy spent last season at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, Mississippi… Tallied 55 tackles and an interception for the Tigers in 2021… Prior to NEMCC, played a year at Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kansas… Collected five tackles for the Conquistadors in 2022… Spent 2021 at Eastern Michigan but did not see any game action… Prepped at Campbell High School in Atlanta, Georgia… Recorded 25 solo tackles, 13 pass breakups, four tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, an interception and a blocked field as a senior… Appeared in the Hawai'i Bowl and the Georgia vs. Florida Classic.
  
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