February 6, 2026

Tennessee Tech Football Inks Highly Rated 2026 Recruiting Class

Tennessee Tech football has unveiled its 2026 signing class, which includes the No. 1-ranked transfer portal class by 247Sports, as announced today by the program.

By Jeff Bowe, TTU Athletics Media Relations

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech football has unveiled its 2026 signing class, which includes the No. 1-ranked transfer portal class by 247Sports, as announced today by the program.

The future is bright for the defending conference champions, and the Top-15 ranked Golden Eagles football program under the leadership of Head Coach Bobby Wilder. Tech pulled in the top-ranked transfer class in FCS per 247Sports.

Headlining these signees are Jax Leatherwood and Zolten Osborne, two of the top quarterbacks in the OVC-Big South Association in 2025. Leatherwood threw for 1,969 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just two interceptions with SEMO last season. Osborne transferred in from Charleston Southern, another former conference opponent. He earned All-OVC-Big South Honorable Mention after throwing for a career high 2,216 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025.

The Golden Eagles added more players with FCS and FBS experience on offense, with the addition of tailback MJ Flowers out of UConn and Eastern Illinois. Flowers has rushed 420 times for 1,910 yards and 16 touchdowns over four years (2022-25). He appeared in just three games for UConn last season, rushing nine times for 47 yards and one touchdown. Another talented addition in the backfield includes Alabama State RB Marcus Harris II, who rushed for 15 touchdowns last season.

Tech has added talent to the offensive line through the high school ranks, adding Jackson Hughes, Keronn Lacey, and Malachi Richardson during the early signing period.

Hughes was named 2025 First-Team All-Conference. He also won the 7A State Championship twice during his time at Shelby County HS.

Lacey earned the 2025 First-Team Offense All-Metro in the GSV and played tackle as well as defensive end at Alton High School prior to finishing his prep career at Cardinal Ritter College Prep in St. Louis.

Richardson earned 2025 First-Team All-Conference at Guilford High School, appearing at offensive tackle and defensive tackle. A two-sport athlete who played football and basketball. He possesses an 84-inch wingspan (7 feet).

Players with FBS experience joins the Golden Eagles including transfers from Kansas State (Joe Hall III, Ralph Ortiz), Arizona State (Carter Brown), UConn (MJ Flowers), Nebraska (Dae'vonn Hall), Virginia Tech (Will Johnson), Nevada (Jax Leatherwood), Arkansas (Chris Rhodes), NIU (Hyatt Timosciek), Ball State (Eric Weatherly), and Temple (Tyrese Whitaker).

The signing class includes 46 total players, and here is the positional breakdown: DB (4), DL (8), LB (3), Safety (4), OL (12), QB (2), RB (2), WR (6), TE (3), K (1), P/K (1).

A full list of roster additions is below.

High School Signees
First Name	Last Name	Pos.	HT	WT	Hometown	High School
Jackson	Hughes	OL	6-5	290	Columbiana, Ala.	Shelby County HS
Keronn	Lacy	OL	6-7	310	St. Louis, Mo.	Cardinal Ritter College Prep
Malachi	Richardson	OL	6-7	357	Rockford, Ill.	Guilford HS
Jackson	Peeples	TE	6-4	225	Lakeland, Fla.	Lakeland Christian School

Transfers

First Name	Last Name	Pos.	HT	WT	Hometown	Previous School
Joshua	Brooks	OL	6-3	300	Loganville, GA	Robert Morris
Carter	Brown	K	6-0	197	Pearland, TX	Arizona State /Cincinnati/Utah State
Anthony	Busa	S	6-3	200	Newton, MA	Stonehill College
Emmerson	Cortez-Menjivar	WR	6-1	192	Salinas, CA	University Of Idaho
Koronnis	Davis	DB	6-2	179	Jackson, MI	Adrian College
Alex	Dawkins	S	6-1	180	Columbus, MS	Itawamba CC / Lindenwood
Abdiylaye "Junior"	Diallo	OL	6-6	310	Sandy Springs, GA	Kent State / Emory & Henry
Robert	Dickerson	DB	6-0	196	Pittsburgh, PA	Robert Morris
MJ	Flowers	RB	6-1	220	Cincinnati, OH	Eastern Illinois / Uconn
Gerard	Grewe	TE	6-4	225	St. Louis, MO	Truman State Univ.
Dae'vonn	Hall	WR	6-2	175	Plattsmouth, NE	Nebraska / Nebraska - Kearney
Joe	Hall III	S	6-0	208	Manhattan, KS	Kansas State / Northern Iowa
Marcus	Harris	RB	5-9	239	Jackson, MS	Alabama State University
McKenzie	Hazzard	DL	6-3	285	Baltimore, MD	Bloomsburg University
Ivan	Hoyt	WR	6-1	201	Boerne, TX	Dartmouth University / Davidson
Jesse	Igwe	OL	6-2	320	Greer, SC	Tennessee State / Gardner-Webb / Charleston (WV)
Ameer	Johnson	DL	6-2	249	Tyler, TX	Oklahoma Baptist / Robert Morris
Will	Johnson	LB	6-1	225	Leonardtown, MO.	Virginia Tech
Joshua	Jones	DL	6-0	284	Hamilton, GA	Albany State
Jamarr	Jones	DL	6-0	241	Hendersonville, TN	Chattanooga
Mich'le	Joseph	OL	6-3	311	Galveston, TX	Sam Houston State / Coffeyville CC
Chase	Lanham	P/K	6-0	185	Frisco, TX	Southwestern Univ.
Caysen	Lanza	TE	6-5	235	Charles Town, WV	Shepherd Univ.
Jax	Leatherwood	QB	6-8	253	San Diego, CA	Nevada / SD Mesa / SEMO
Garrett	Masterson	OL	6-6	316	Metamora, MI	Kent State
Eric	Nunez	OL	6-7	336	Wappingers Falls, NY	Central Connecticut State
Gabe	Nunez	WR	6-0	198	Beaumont, CA	Southern Utah
Ralph	Ortiz	LB	6-1	230	Jacksonville, FL	Kansas State / West Florida
Zolten	Osborne	QB	6-1	206	North Charleston, SC	Charleston Southern
Trey	Patrick	DB	6-1	180	Lees Summit, MO	Central Missouri
Malaki	Pegues	DL	6-4	226	Oxford, MS	Troy / University of Arkansas at Monticello
Dylan	Pullen	DL	6-2	275	Henderson, NV	Mt. SAC / Texas Southern
Chris "Cee"	Rhodes	DB	6-0	178	Kansas City, MO	South Dakota State / Arkansas
Josh	Robinson	OL	6-8	293	St. Louis, MO	Lindenwood / Austin Peay / Hutchinson CC/ Butler CC
Drew	Scott	LB	6-3	233	Memphis, TN	Missouri Western
Leonard	Sherrod	S	6-3	201	Pittsburgh, PA	Wheeling University
Grant	Thompson	DL	6-3	240	Akron, OH	West Liberty
Hyatt	Timosciek	TE	6-6	246	Lockport, Ill.	NIU / UT Martin
Eric	Weatherly	WR	5-8	173	Jacksonville, FL	Ball State / Bucknell / Duke
Tyrese	Whitaker	DL	6-2	230	Philadelphia, PA	Temple
Alex	Willis	OL	6-6	350	Elliot City, MD	Milford Prep / Glenville State College

FOLLOW TECH FOOTBALL
Follow @TNTechFootball (X.com), @tntech_football (Instagram), and Tennessee Tech Football (Facebook) for all Golden Eagles Football information, as well as check for updates on TTUSports.com.