Defending SLC football champion Nicholls brings in 15 new Colonels on signing day

National Signing Day in college football in February may not have all the pomp and circumstances as it once did now with the early signing day in December, but it didn’t damper feelings at Nicholls for the defending Southland Conference champions on Wednesday afternoon.

“A well-rounded class,” Nicholls coach Tim Rebowe said of the 15 newest Colonels. “We’re committed to recruiting high school class, which we did. We’re committed to recruiting Louisiana first, which we did. Then you go out and you get the best football players.”

If nothing else, the early signees mean college coaches don’t have to sweat things out as much in February. The Colonels already had nine players signed from December, with six other signees added Wednesday.

The February signing day, Rebowe said, still has relevance.

“You just gotta keep recruiting. You gotta keep doing it. You can’t ever give up,” the Nicholls coach said. “You gotta change maybe a little bit about what you do before Christmas if you have some more official visits before Christmas to get these guys in so they can sign, but you still gotta keep working. Also, I think though the Christmas early signing, the fanfare, you’re out of school, there’s not a lot, you still look forward to this national signing day.”

Among the six who were added Wednesday is 6-foot-6, 220-pound Noah Onyia. Onyia, a receiver in high school who the Colonels plan to use at tight end, played prep football in Florida, but has family ties in New Orleans

“He’s gonna be a good football player,” Rebowe said of Onyia. “The thing we like about him, potentially, is his upside. He understands he’s still growing. He’s big. He has great parents, great family, super excited to have him this past weekend and he committed right on the spot.”

Another of the new signees is kicker Gabe Showalter from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The Colonels are in search of a replacement for Gavin Lasseigne, the school’s all-time leading scorer.

“He’s a guy that came in who’s kicked for two years at that level. He’s made a bunch of big kicks under pressure. He’s got a really strong leg. We’re super excited to have him,” said Rebowe.

The remainder of the six new additions include cornerback Laurence Sullivan, a transfer from Coastal Carolina (5-10, 185), wide receiver Camare Hamption of Oxford, Ala. (6-2, 180), running back Miequle Brock of Pensacola, Fla. (5-9, 185), and offensive lineman Enzo Marino of the Willow School in New Orleans (6-6, 305).

Of the early commitments, the Colonels again came away with their share of local products.

Nicholls signed one player from its own back door in receiver Paxton Lafont of E.D. White in Thibodaux (6-4, 200). Another Bayou area player who signed with Nicholls was Terrebonne defensive lineman Talan Bingham (6-3, 3-15).

The River Parish region provided more Colonels in the form of Destrehan running back Shane Lee (5-10, 200) and offensive lineman Kelvin Gray of East Ascension (6-3, 330).

Other signees from the high school ranks were offensive lineman Jacob Carpenter of Evangel Christian in Shreveport (6-2, 265), quarterback Preston Welch of Teurlings Catholic in Lafayette (6-2, 210), and defensive back Anthony Rogers of Laurel, Miss. (5-11, 170).

Another signee, offensive lineman Joseph Bradford from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community (6-1, 290) played with current Nicholls quarterback Pat McQuaide.

“Again, a guy who has experience,” Rebowe said of Bradford. “He’s played in college football games before. He’s going to add some depth to our offensive line. We got some guys that’s banged up right now, some guys that can’t go through spring that had some offseason surgeries, they’ll be ready for next season, but it’s good to have him here early so he can go through practice.”

Bradford was one of three offensive linemen signed by the Colonels.

“Anytime you find offensive linemen, we’re gonna keep looking for them and keep signing them because I don’t think you can ever have too much of those,” said Rebowe. “I think when you go back and look last year, we did sign some and continue to do it.

“Defensive lineman always will be a priority, also.”