CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – After signing 18 student-athletes during December's early signing period, Austin Peay State University head football coach Jeff Faris and the Governors' coaching staff added 11 early-enrollee transfers with eight Division I, two Division II, and one junior college transfer joining the Govs.

Austin Peay's offense added another veteran at quarterback in Austin Smith, who made 16 starts in 22 games during his three seasons at Eastern Michigan. Smith threw for 2,565 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 389 yards and four touchdown on the ground during his time in Ypsilanti.

The Governors also added a pair of veteran tight ends in Alec Pell and Marcus Phillips Jr., who transferred from Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona, respectively. Pell, who began his career at Colorado, has 37 catches for 331 yards and two touchdowns in 31 career games while Phillips Jr., who also played at UNLV and Southern Utah, has 40 receptions for 400 yards and six touchdowns in 35 games.

Veteran wide receiver Chris Scott Jr. also joins the Governors after spending four seasons at North Carolina State, where he also played defensive back. Rounding out the Govs' offensive additions are offensive linemen Chinazo Obobi from Marshall and Joshua Robinson from Hutchinson Community College.

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Bo Spearman comes to Clarksville after appearing in 21 games over three seasons at Chattanooga. The Govs also added a pair of experienced defensive backs in Cinque Williams and Jesse Johnson III. Williams began his career at North Texas, where he played in five games, before transferring to UTSA, where he played in 12 games over the last two seasons.

Johnson, who began his career at Eastern Illinois, spent the past four seasons at Division II Tiffin, where he recorded 54 tackles, two interceptions, and 11 passes defended.

Defensive lineman Kinstin Reaves, who also began his career at EIU before transferring to Division II UNC Pembroke, joins the Governors after totaling 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble in 17 games for the Braves.

Finally, the Governors rounded out their additions with kicker Carson Smith, who spent the past three seasons at East Carolina.

The 11 early-enrollee transfers, in addition to the seven early enrollees that Faris signed in December, will join the Governors for the spring semester and be eligible to participate in spring practice as early enrollees. Faris and the Austin Peay coaching staff then turn their attention toward the February signing period, which opens Feb. 7.

For more offseason news and updates on Austin Peay football, follow along on X and Instagram or be sure to check back at LetsGoPeay.com.

Austin Peay Football 2024 Signing Class

Athlete	Ht.	Wt.	Pos.	Hometown	High School	Previous Schools
Grace'son Beach	6-1	215	LB	Clarksville, Tenn.	Pearl-Cohn HS
BJ Blake	5-9	180	RB	Memphis, Tenn.	Germantown HS
Gabe Bobbitt ‡	6-4	235	TE	Villa Rica, Ga.	South Paulding HS
Malik Bowen-Sims ‡	6-2	198	WR	Mt. Juliet, Tenn.	Mt. Juliet HS	Duke
Leon Brigham III	6-0	303	OL	DeSoto, Texas	DeSoto HS
Dorian Davis ‡	6-0	194	DB	Shelby, N.C.	Shelby HS	Towson / Southern Illinois / Western Carolina
Stephen Ellison II	5-11	190	DB	Murfreesboro, Tenn.	Oakland HS
Mason Garcia ‡	6-5	242	QB	Myrtle Beach, S.C.	Carolina Forest HS	East Carolina
Ethan Goodin	6-5	265	OL	Evansville, Ind.	Mater Dei HS
Malachi Harris ‡	6-4	320	OL	Huntsville, Ala.	Mae Jemison HS
Tyler Hicks	6-1	197	LB	Alabaster, Ala.	Thompson HS
Jesse Johnson III ‡	6-1	175	DB	Brookville, Ohio	Marion-Franklin HS	Tiffin / Eastern Illinois
CJ Jordan	5-10	160	ATH	Memphis, Tenn.	Lausanne Collegiate School
Jade Kneeland	6-2	190	WR	Bartlett, Tenn.	Bartlett HS
Jeffson Locke	6-3	235	ATH	Dalton, Ga.	Dalton HS
Jay Morrow	6-2	260	DL	Memphis, Tenn.	Lausanne Collegiate School
Chinazo Obobi ‡	6-5	300	OL	London, England	Lea Valley Academy	Marshall / Laney College (Calif.)
Alec Pell ‡	6-4	235	TE	Englewood, Colo.	Cherry Creek HS	Northern Colorado / Colorado
Marcus Phillips Jr. ‡	6-2	235	TE	Las Vegas, Nev.	Cimarron-Memorial HS	Northern Arizona / Southern Utah / UNLV
Kinstin Reaves ‡	6-0	285	DL	Statesville, N.C.	Statesville HS	UNC Pembroke / Eastern Illinois
Corey Richardson	5-9	170	ATH	Fayetteville, Ga.	Whitewater HS
Joshua Robinson ‡	6-6	285	OL	St. Louis, Mo.	Cardinal Ritter College Prep HS	Hutchinson CC (Kan.) / Butler CC (Kan.)
Christopher Scott Jr. ‡	6-0	161	WR	Atlanta, Ga.	Dacula HS	North Carolina State
Jase Skoglund ‡	6-5	240	TE	Austin, Texas	Vandegrift HS
Austin Smith ‡	6-2	218	QB	Jonesboro, Ga.	Cedar Grove HS	Eastern Michigan
Carson Smith ‡	5-11	170	K	Belmont, N.C.	South Point HS	East Carolina
Bo Spearman ‡	6-1	226	LB	Irondale, Ala.	Shades Valley HS	Chattanooga
Spence Tankersley ‡	6-5	320	OL/DL	Lewisburg, Tenn.	Forrest HS
Cinque Williams ‡	5-9	180	DB	Southlake, Texas	Southlake Carroll HS	UTSA / North Texas

† - signed during December early signing period (18),  ‡ - mid-year enrollee (18)