Fresh off of signing a contract extension to remain at Weber State University for years to come, Coach Jay Hill introduced his newest recruiting class to the Wildcat faithful in attendance.

When the calendar turned to Feb. 2, National Signing Day officially began. As the first day high school football players can officially sign to join their universities, National Signing Day has become more of a marquee affair.

From this recruiting class, 26 players committed to become a part of the Weber State University football program. In addition to the new members, six players are joining the team after committing in previous years.

One area where the Wildcats came out on top was recruiting within the state of Utah. They were able to pick up big-name recruits, most notably the trio of Josh Davis, Haze Hadley and Spencer Curtis.

Davis is a local coming off a season wherein he led the state in all-purpose yards and was named Utah 4A MVP.

“[We’re] super excited to get him, Coach Hill said. “He’s a dynamic player with the football.”

One knock against Davis is that he is considered undersized, the same issue that follows Hadley. He made a name for himself in the football world for his play as a consistent receiver and a dominant kick returner.

“What I love about Haze Hadley is he is a baller,” Coach Hill said. “He will compete, and he will claw, and he will fight, and he will dig.”

Also joining the team is wide receiver Isiah Jackson. Jackson is the son of former Weber State basketball player Noel Jackson.

Another legacy joining the Wildcats is linebacker Kade Pupunu. His father was a tight end at Weber State and played over a decade in the National Football League.

One player highlighted by the coaching staff was defensive end George Tarlas. Called the “Greek Freak” by the coaching staff. Tarlas is originally from Greece and has only played two years of American football.

He committed to Weber State by sending the coaches a picture of his newest tattoo: a Wildcat on his upper arm.

While these players amount to some of the biggest names walking on campus in the coming years, they are not the only ones. They do represent the focus of the coaching staff.

“The focus was really wide receiver and d-line,” Coach Hill said. “I think we took huge strides forward in improving these areas.”

Towards the end of the player introductions, Coach Hill looked out at a crowd of donors and Weber State diehards and let them know that he will take over the reins as the defensive play caller, as he had in years past.

The announcement of their new players comes shortly after the 2017–2018 schedule was released. The first home game for the team will be on Sep. 2 against Montana Western University.

No matter the fanfare any of these players received in high school or in anticipation of the season, they all have to prove their value to the Wildcats on the field.