SEMO FB continues to 'build through the draft' in recruiting

This is the second in a series of stories on the Southeast Missouri State football recruiting class of 2024.

The world of collegiate athletics is a new one in terms of leading a program and building a roster.

Student-athletes in 2023 have exercised new freedoms in terms of where they play each season, and thus, every off-season for the Southeast Missouri State football coaching staff is a fluid one in terms of personnel.

The Redhawks recently added 20 new signees on National Signing Day, who will join the 2024 roster, and despite the flood of transferring in college athletics, 11th-year SEMO coach Tom Matukewicz said he has followed the same “philosophy” over the past few years as he has.

“When you look at this class,” Matukewicz said, “it is still that philosophy that you have seen in years past. We are trying to build through the high school ranks.”

Matukewicz likened his philosophy to “building through the draft,” but “getting into the free agent market,” as he referred to transfers.

Of the 20 new signees, 14 of the new Redhawks came from high schools, including Jackson High School offensive lineman Zane Coon.

“We’re excited about Zane,” Matukewicz said. “He really wanted to be a Redhawk because he knows our culture and our team better than anybody through his dad.”

Zane’s father, Ricky Coon, is the SEMO defensive coordinator.

“Zane buys in,” Matukewicz said. “He was a cornerstone in the (Jackson) program, and they had an amazing run this year.”

Zane will be one of four high school signees (10 total players) who will enroll in January and be eligible to compete in spring drills.

Zane will join fellow high school recruits Trey Lisle (linebacker, Fayetteville High School in Arkansas), Jayden Davis (linebacker, Thompson High School in Alabaster, Ala.), and Peyton Brown (running back, Hillsboro High School).

Those four will join Adrian Patterson (defensive back, Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College), Trel Riley (defensive back, Trinity Valley (Texas) Community College), McCoy Casey (linebacker, Trinity Valley), Jared Pedraza (linebacker, Northwestern State), Tyler McMillan (offensive line, Northwestern State), and Jalen Nettles (offensive line, UAB), as early enrollees.

“It’s a new world,” Matukewicz said of young players enrolling in college in the middle of their senior year of high school. “A lot of kids are taking online classes. They are just so advanced, and they want to be done in December and go start their career in January.”

SEMO also added high school players in Landon Sylvie (defensive back, Calvary Baptist in Shreveport), Ashton Jones (defensive line, St. Xavier High School in Louisville), Timothy Maxson (defensive line, De La Salle High School in New Orleans), Robert Dover (linebacker, Mountain Home (Ark.) High School), Carter Guillaume (offensive line, St. Xavier), Yusef Sanogo-Kendrick (offensive line, Henderson County (Kentucky) High School), Johnny Weber (quarterback, Carmel Catholic High School, Kenosha, Wisconsin), Jacorey Love (running back, Liberty North High School), Wesley Dabbs (tight end, Briarcrest (Tenn.) High School), Brennan Remy (wide receiver, Lakota West (Ohio) High School).

“The way that I look at this,” Matukewicz said, “is that we are still going to build this team through the draft (with high school signees), but you have to get into the free agent market nowadays.”