Mercer continues to build with another strong class

Bobby Lamb’s Mercer program is coming off its best Southern Conference season with a 4-4 record in its third season in the conference.

If 247Sports.com’s ranking of Mercer’s 2017 National Signing Day class as the best in the Southern Conference is on the mark, the Bears could be headed for even bigger things in the years to come. Mercer signed 19 players Wednesday, including six offensive linemen, four defensive backs and three running backs — the three areas of need Lamb’s staff most targeted.

“It started with running backs. Lost so many running backs, some of them to injury, some of them to graduation,” said Lamb, whose class was ranked fifth nationally in FCS by 247Sports.com. “Offensive line, certainly had to get some depth there, and the other would be in the secondary with the safeties. I think our coaches have done a great job of identifying our needs, identifying the type of players that we need in our system on both sides of the ball, and therefore we’ve come up with a really solid class.”

Mercer’s offensive line got some immediate help with the addition of Terence Brigham, a transfer from Trinity Valley Community College, and David May, a graduate transfer from Valdosta State who started two years for the Blazers. The offensive line haul also includes FPD product Thomas McBride.

“Six offensive linemen in one year, that’s hard to do,” Lamb said. “The offensive line position is a position where we certainly identified some guys. We wanted to get some immediate help in here, and of course, we added our high school kids, as well.”

The Bears’ three new running backs are CJ Leggett, a transfer from Georgia Tech, Tyray Devezin from Woodstock and Rashad Haynes, a speedster from Memphis, Tennessee.

The three new safeties, where Mercer lost two starters, are Danijah Gammage from Brunswick, Jamar Hall from Dacula and Luke Ward from Bratt, Florida.

“We got some size, they’re all about 6-2,” Lamb said of the safeties. “We got some range, so we’re excited to see what they can do.”

Mercer’s signing class

Eric Allen, Powder Springs, OL

BJ Bohler, Ocoee, Florida (Ocoee), DB

Terence Brigham, Trinity Valley CC, OL

Tyray Devezin, Woodstock (Harrison), RB

David Durden, Midville (ECI), WR

Michael Freeman, Hogansville (Callaway), LB

Danijah Gammage, Brunswick, DB

Grant Goupil, Lake Mary, Florida (Lake Mary), P/PK

Edmond Graham, Buford (Mill Creek), WR

Jamar Hall, Dacula (Mill Creek), DB

Rashad Haynes, Memphis, Tennessee (Memphis Central), RB

Trey Iorillo, Kennesaw (Harrison), OL

Rob Lake, Ocala, Florida (Vanguard), WR

CJ Leggett, Georgia Tech, RB

David May, Valdosta State, OL

Thomas McBride, Forsyth (FPD), OL

Robert Riddle, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee (The McCallie School), QB

Andrew Robinson, Birmingham, Alabama (Ramsay), OL

Luke Ward, Atmore, Alabama (Northwest, Florida) DB

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 2:03 PM with the headline "Mercer continues to build with another strong class."