Over 40 football additions will join the Southeastern football ranks this fall as part of the Savage Storm’s 2024 recruiting class, including a handful of local products.
In total, Coach Bo Atterberry’s latest class will once again be heavy on the front line where 10 offensive linemen and eight defensive linemen head the class of newcomers.
Athletic dual-threat quarterbacks LeVay Duncan Jr. and Damarion McPherson come from big-school Texas programs in Baytown Lee and Frisco Memorial.
Duncan was completing over 70 percent of his passes with 532 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions before being injured in his third game of his senior season. That included six touchdown tosses in one contest, adding nearly six yards per rush.
McPherson accounted for more than 1,200 total yards and 10 touchdowns during his final high school campaign.
Malachi Nicholson, a 5-11, 210-pound running back from El Reno is the Savage Storm’s most high-profile skill position recruit coming off a dynamic senior season. In one game alone against Noble, he carried 37 times for 521 yards and eight touchdowns, which was the second highest single game rushing total in Oklahoma high school history.
As a senior he tallied 2,887 yards on the ground and 28 touchdowns, averaging 9.8 yards per carry. A whopping 307 yards of that came against Class 5A state champ Carl Albert.
Khalin Williams from Lucas Lovejoy in Texas along with Honey Grove’s Deon Morris are a pair of speedsters that should add to the backfield arsenal as well. Morris tallied over 1,000 total yards and 12 touchdowns for a state playoff qualifying team at Honey Grove.
Five wide receivers are in the 2024 class, including second generation Southeastern player Trevin Hohenberger, whose father Steven was a defensive standout for the Savage Storm and is currently head football coach at Paris, Texas.
Sean Steens was a 1,000-yard All District receiver at state champion Anna, which is home to four total Southeastern signees this year.
The offensive line group includes a pair of Durant Lions in All District honorees Carson Allivand and Tucker Dry. Sherman offensive lineman Darrian Minor is also included in that line group.
Atoka’s Michael Shields is one of three linebackers in the class and Caddo’s Coltin Speers will be a versatile athlete that can play multiple positions.
The Savage Storm will also add seven new defensive backs in what is expected to be a very talented incoming class.
“Everything starts up front and the lines were an area we were focused on addressing and creating competition,” head coach Bo Atterberry commented. “We are pleased with what we were able to accomplish. I feel like we got a strong class that will represent us well. We signed a couple of Durant kids and always like to try to get local young men if they have the interest. It’s usually a fairly easy transition for them being familiar with the surroundings.
“We were very excited about the running back from El Reno we signed. He’s an impressive back. He had big numbers, has good size and is elusive. We’ll see if he can transition that to the college level but we love his potential along with a couple of the other backs we signed to go with what we have coming back. We feel like we’ll be much better in that area.”