Camels announce football signees

by | Feb 8, 2019 | Campbell, News & Features

BUIES CREEK — Campbell finalized its 2019 recruiting class with 10 additions, announced Wednesday by coach Mike Minter.

Signing with the Camels on Wednesday were defensive back Jeremiah Brown (Tampa, Fla. / Tampa Bay Tech HS), offensive lineman Ian Hover (Atlanta, Ga. / Westlake HS), defensive back Jonathan Jones (Jacksonville, Fla. / Bishop Kenny HS), wide receiver Jalen Kelsey (Gainesville, Fla. / Gainesville HS), linebacker Ethan Quarshie (Snellville, Ga. / Brookwood HS), wide receiver Dervon Pesnell (Moncks Corner, S.C. / Berkeley HS), offensive lineman Saul Storey (Saint Johns, Fla. / Creekside HS) and linebacker Jack Wilkes (Charlotte, N.C. / Providence HS).

Also announced were tight end Kenny Ames (Clermont, Fla. / Foundation Academy) and Georgia Southern transfer wide receiver Davarius Bargnare (Orlando, Fla. / Dr. Phillips HS), who enrolled at Campbell in January 2019. Campbell’s 12-man signing class began with the duo of running back Cameron Davis and quarterback Brock Domann, who joined the Camels during the early signing period in December.

Kenny Ames | TE | 6-4 | 225 | Clermont, Fla. / Foundation Academy
Ames comes to Campbell from Foundation Academy, where the tight end snagged 30 catches for 500 yards and three touchdowns, as well as 12 pancakes as a senior for head coach Brad Lord. The Clermont, Fla. native was named second team all-state and first team all-region as a senior, also earning the team’s most outstanding offensive player award. The Gold Honor Roll student was also a participant in a pair of all-star games, the Bahia Shrine Game and the Cure Bowl in 2017. He also lettered in basketball. Ames was a high school teammate of Camels Lester and Lance Axson.

Davarius Bargnare | WR | 5-11 | 165 | Orlando, Fla. / Dr. Phillips HS / Georgia Southern
Bargnare comes to Campbell after one season at Georgia Southern, where he caught eight passes for 77 yards, playing in 10 games for the Eagles. The Orlando, Fla. native collected 48 catches for 698 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior, helping Dr. Phillips High to a state championship. Playing for Rodney Wells at Dr. Phillips. Bargnare was a high school teammate of current Campbell running back DJ Charles.

Jeremiah Brown | DB | 6-0 | 170 | Tampa, Fla. / Tampa Bay Tech HS
Brown finished his senior season with 41 tackles, 14 break-ups, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and one kickoff return for a touchdown for Tampa Bay Tech. The Tampa, Fla. native was named honorable mention All-Hillsborough County as a senior and was coached by Jayson Roberts. The speedy cornerback also ran track, posting a 10.7 100 meter dash at the 2018 regionals.

Ian Hover | OL | 6-3 | 295 | Atlanta, Ga. / Westlake HS
Hover is an Atlanta, Ga. native, lettering at Westlake High School. The offensive lineman was named to the All-Metro Atlanta/South Fulton team as a senior in 2018, helping the Lions to a 9-3 record. Prior to the 2018 season, Hover took part in the Rising Seniors Foundation Georgia Junior Bowl. He was coached by Kareem Reid at Westlake High.

Jonathan Jones | DB | 6-1 | 180 | Jacksonville, Fla. / Bishop Kenny HS
A defensive back from Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Fla., Jones led the city of Jacksonville with 54 receptions for 786 yards and seven touchdowns as a wide receiver in 2018, and added 34 tackles with four interceptions and 11 pass break-ups as a defensive back. Jones was coached by Bobby Raulerson.

Jalen Kelsey | WR | 6-2 | 190 | Gainesville, Fla. / Gainesville HS
Kelsey posted 1,124 receiving yards with nine touchdowns, plus two rushing scores, as a senior at Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Fla., earning a spot on the Gainesville Sun’s Super 11 team. He earned first team all-area and second team all-state accolades as a junior, catching 49 passes for 949 yards with nine touchdowns and a long catch of 73 yards. Kelsey served as a team captain for the Hurricanes, also lettering in weightlifting and basketball. His father, Keith Kelsey, Sr. starred at the University of Florida as a linebacker for the Gators’ 1996 National Championship team and spent time on multiple NFL training camp rosters, while his older brother, Keith Kelsey, Jr., also a linebacker, is a current member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing collegiately at Louisville. Kelsey was coached by Patrick Miller
.
Ethan Quarshie | LB | 6-1 | 200 | Snellville, Ga. / Brookwood HS
Quarshie comes to Campbell from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Ga. The linebacker produced 81 tackles, along with 24 stops for loss with four sacks, 16 QB pressures and an interception as a senior in 2018. Coached by Philip Jones, Quarshie served as a team captain. An honors student and National Honors Society member, Quarshie also lettered in wrestling.

Dervon Pesnell | WR | 6-4 | 180 | Moncks Corner, S.C. / Berkeley HS
Pesnell is a Moncks Corner, S.C. native, starring at Berkeley High School. Pesnell led Berkeley to three-straight region championships, collecting 42 catches for 629 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2018. The two-time all-region performer was coached by Randy Robinson. Pesnell, a three-sport athlete, also lettered in basketball and track & field for the Stags.

Saul Storey | OL | 6-5 | 290 | Saint Johns, Fla. / Creekside HS
Storey is also a Sunshine State product, coming to Buies Creek from Saint Johns, Fla. and Creekside High School. Storey was a two-year letterwinner on the football field, coached by Sean McIntyre, and earned the team’s attitude award in 2018. The offensive tackle was also a wrestling state qualifier, receiving the coach’s award in 2018.

Jack Wilkes | LB | 6-1 | 210 | Charlotte, N.C. / Providence HS
A Providence High School product and Charlotte native, Wilkes is a two-time all-conference linebacker, posting 125 tackles with 24 stops for loss and six sacks as a senior in 2018. Wilkes, also a team captain, was named the Panthers’ defensive player of the year in his final season for head coach Brad Bowles. Wilkes added 129 tackles with three sack and an interception as a junior, and played lacrosse as a freshman.

Early signees
Cameron Davis | RB | 5-6 | 180 | New London, N.C. / North Stanly HS
Davis, a New London, N.C. native, produced more than 6,770 yards in his career for the Comets, including a career-best 2,570 as a junior in 2017, setting school single season and game records for yards. The North Stanly High standout added school records for touchdowns, as well as longest touchdown as a senior, collecting 1,300 yards. Coached by Scott Crisco, Davis was named all-conference in 2016 while totaling 1,700 yards. Davis, who also lettered in basketball and track, plans to graduate in December and enroll at Campbell in January.

Brock Domann | QB | 6-1 | 210 | Colorado Springs, Colo. / Pine Creek HS / Ventura College
Domann helped pace Ventura College to a Southern California Football Association championship, an 11-2 record and a CCCAA state championship game appearance in 2018, throwing for 1,568 yards and 14 touchdowns with 580 rushing yards and seven more scores on the ground. Prior to Ventura, Domann led Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. to three state championships, earning all-state honors. Domann also played in the Marcus Dixon All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C. to close his high school career. Coached by Todd Miller, he also lettered in basketball during his prep career. Domann’s brother, Jojo, is a defensive back at Nebraska.

Campbell in 2018
Campbell finished 2018 at 6-5 overall and 1-4 in its inaugural Big South season. With six wins, the Camels secured back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in the program’s modern era (since 2008), and tied an overall program record for victories.

In addition, seven Camels were named to All-Big South teams, with freshman wide receiver Caleb Snead and redshirt junior punter Brad Dennis headlining the league’s first team. Snead was also named First Team Freshman All-America.
The Camels led the FCS in fewest passing yards allowed per game (122.5), while ranking 25th in total defense (335.4 yards per game). CU also ranked in the FCS’ top-10 in fewest sacks allowed (0.82 per game), finishing the year sixth.

Campbell football signing class
Kenny Ames | TE | 6-4 | 225 | Clermont, Fla. / Foundation Academy #
Davarius Bargnare | WR | 5-11 | 165 | Orlando, Fla. / Dr. Phillips HS / Georgia Southern #
Jeremiah Brown | DB | 6-0 | 170 | Tampa, Fla. / Tampa Bay Tech HS
Cameron Davis | RB | 5-6 | 180 | New London, N.C. / North Stanly HS #^
Brock Domann | QB | 6-1 | 210 | Colorado Springs, Colo. / Pine Creek HS / Ventura College #^
Ian Hover | OL | 6-3 | 295 | Atlanta, Ga. / Westlake HS
Jonathan Jones | DB | 6-1 | 180 | Jacksonville, Fla. / Bishop Kenny HS
Jalen Kelsey | WR | 6-2 | 190 | Gainesville, Fla. / Gainesville HS
Ethan Quarshie | LB | 6-1 | 200 | Snellville, Ga. / Brookwood HS
Dervon Pesnell | WR | 6-4 | 180 | Moncks Corner, S.C. / Berkeley HS
Saul Storey | OL | 6-5 | 290 | Saint Johns, Fla. / Creekside HS
Jack Wilkes | LB | 6-1 | 210 | Charlotte, N.C. / Providence HS
# Enrolled at Campbell Spring 2019
^ Previously announced in early signing period

(Campbell media services provided this report)

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