By ISAAC BOURNE | The Arkadelphian

Wednesday, a total of 68 players committed to an Arkadelphia-based University on a football scholarship, as Henderson State brings in 32 new players, while Ouachita Baptist inked 36 new players for next season.

On the Henderson side, the team signed seven players from the state of Arkansas but also brought in 20 of its recruits from Texas. The class consists of 15 offensive players, 13 defensive players, and two that will primarily play on special teams.

“We’re excited about this 2023 class of Reddie Football,” head coach Scott Maxfield said. “Our staff did a tremendous job in putting together a group of young men who love the game and fit the winning culture we have built in this program. We challenge our players to get better each and every day, but in order to do that, you have to be willing to work hard and sacrifice. I believe we have found the next group of players ready to accept that responsibility. We can’t wait to get these 32 signees on campus and get them involved in the program.”

Included on the Reddies roster is Max Wilson, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound defensive end/tight end from the Arkadelphia High School Badgers.

As for Ouachita, their class consisted of 19 from Arkansas and 15 from the Lone Star state, with 18 being offensive, 16 on defense and two on special teams.

“We feel good knowing that we addressed a bunch of needs that we have since we have a really solid group of seniors to replace,” head coach Todd Kight said about his new class. “We feel like we’ve done a good job filling holes and adding to the depth of our football team, and when you look at it from that standpoint, we feel good about what we were able to accomplish.”

Included on the Tigers roster is Nigel Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound offensive lineman from the AHS Badgers.

Henderson comes off a year where they again found themselves fighting for a playoff spot among the giants of the GAC, but fell short with an overtime loss in the Battle of the Ravine. With 32 new players ready to pick up where the seniors from last year left off, the Reddies hope to continue their pursuit of the top spot in the GAC.

Ouachita finished their season in the division II playoffs after going undefeated in the regular season where perennial giant, Northwestern Missouri State, knocked the Tigers out in the first round of the playoffs. With much of its talent from last season still intact, Ouachita hopes that this recruiting class can fill the gaps left by the seniors, and help the team back to another playoff berth.