Photo by Russell Marwitz/True To The Cru/russellmarwitz.com
With much anticipation, the 2024 UMHB Football roster has been released, providing for a chance to evaluate The Cru’s incoming transfers entering this season. It is a larger group of transfers than usual, with 35 newcomers coming to Belton after a previous collegiate stop, several of whom had significant success at their previous institution.
Included within that group are six players who were three-star (or above) recruits by 247Sports coming out of high school, five who had at least one stint at an SEC/Big 12 program, a receiver who was ranked in the Top 10 in multiple stat categories within a high-level Division III conference last season, and five former defensive standouts at a fellow ASC program.
So we took a look at each of the transfers listed on UMHB’s roster, providing quick summaries on some of the new faces set to represent the Purple and Gold this fall. It is a stellar group of newcomers, and a testament to the UMHB coaching staff’s recruiting prowess. All pieces of information relating to a student-athlete’s class year, height, and weight come directly from the UMHB roster. The information included in the write-ups for each transfer were obtained through research conducted by True To The Cru, in addition to cross-referencing the UMHB roster to ensure all facts about a player’s previous school, high school accolades, etc. are correct. The transfer list is grouped by position to make it easier to navigate. It is also important to note that just because a player is included on the complete roster does not mean that player is automatically on the varsity roster, so not all of the players included within this breakdown will necessarily be on UMHB’s varsity squad to begin the season.
Our coverage of UMHB Football will continue leading into the Sept. 7 season opener at Bethel (TN), with plenty of content set to be published in the next 10 days.
Quarterbacks
Kade Renfro | Graduate Student | 6-4, 220 lbs | Ole Miss (D1) and Arkansas (D1): A three-star recruit by 247Sports coming out of Stephenville HS in 2020, Renfro tossed 17 touchdowns along 2,372 yards as a high school senior. Ranked as the 27th best pro-style QB in the Class of 2020 by 247Sports, Renfro opened his career at Division I Ole Miss and spent the 2020 season there before transferring to Arkansas in 2021.
Jake Wright | Sophom*ore | 6-6, 195 lbs | Pittsburg State (D2): A talented signal caller from Houston, Wright spent two seasons at Pitt State. Coming out of high school, he was a TAPPS D1 All-State selection for St. Thomas Catholic and threw for 3,750 yards as a senior. By the end of his senior season in 2021, Wright led all current Texas HS QBs in passing yardage.
Oscar Gordon | Junior | 6-2, 190 lbs | Texas Southern (D1): As a high school quarterback, he led the LBJ Jaguars to an appearance in the UIL 4A D1 state title game, making LBJ the first Austin ISD school to play for a football state championship since 1973. A left-handed QB, Gordon has a strong arm as well as excellent agility, which he displayed throughout his stellar prep career.
Tyler Durst | Freshman | 6-2, 190 lbs | Southwestern Oklahoma State (D2): Durst spent two seasons on the roster at SWOSU, though he did not see game action. A pro style quarterback who starred at Clear Lake HS in the Houston area, Durst threw for 800 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games as a senior, while also rushing for 901 yards with four games of 100+ rushing yards.
Jacob Landry | Junior | 5-11, 195 lbs | Texas Southern (D1): A standout quarterback from Baytown, Texas, Landry spent both the 2020-21 and 2022 seasons at Texas Southern. At Sterling HS, he set program records for single-game passing (403 yards) and single-season touchdown passes (24).
Running Backs
Kamerin Ferguson | Freshman | 6-1, 210 lbs | Southwest Baptist (D2): A fleet-footed running back who made several solid rushing gains for The Cru in Saturday’s scrimmage against UANL, Ferguson rushed for 140 yards in 14 games during his two years at SBU. That includes a 69-yard performance in a conference duel against Upper Iowa last season. While at Decatur HS, Ferguson also excelled on the track, reaching a 100-meter PR of 11.04 seconds and ran the third leg on Decatur’s state-title winning 4×200-meter relay at the 2022 UIL State Championships.
Asa Osbourn | Junior | 5-11, 210 lbs | Oklahoma State (D1) and Navarro College (JUCO): A native of Denison, Texas, Osbourn spent the 2021 season on OSU’s roster before transfering to Navarro, where rushed for 223 yards on 40 carries during his sophom*ore year in 2023. Osbourn helped lead Navarro’s offense throughout last season, as the program made an appearance in the SWJFC title game.
Wide Receivers
Myller Royals | Graduate Student | 6-5, 185 lbs | Texas Tech (D1) and Snow College (JUCO): One of the most accomplished players to come out of Abilene Cooper HS, Royals broke both the program’s single-season and career receiving yardage records as a senior in 2017, graduating with 177 catches for 2,980 yards in his prep career. A three-star recruit according to ESPN, Royals was ranked as the nation’s No. 92 wide receiver in the Class of 2017. He was at Texas Tech for two seasons from 2018-2019, redshirting in his first year in Lubbock and playing in 11 games in his second. Primarily a special teamer for the Red Raiders, Royals ranked third on the team in special teams tackles in 2019, with three. He also saw action in five games for Snow College in 2020, recording nine receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Nathan Stafford | Junior | 5-7, 155 lbs | Ouachita Baptist (D2): A native of Allen, Texas, Stafford saw action in eight games for the Tigers over the previous two seasons. He tallied seven receptions for 52 yards during his time at OBU, with the majority of that production coming in a solid performance against Arkansas Tech in 2022 in which he had four catches for 48 yards. Out of high school, Stafford was a First Team All-State selection for Prestonwood Christian.
Ranius Daramola | Senior | 6-0, 190 lbs | Hobart (D3): A high-level Division III transfer, Daramola excelled within Hobart’s offense for the last two seasons. The Bowie, Maryland native led Hobart in receptions in each of the last two years, with 25 catches for 405 yards and four touchdowns in 2023. An all-conference honoree in 2022, Daramola departed Hobart with 47 career receptions for 872 yards in 31 games. The Statesmen won at least seven games in all three of his seasons in the program, and appeared in a bowl game each year.
Quinci Jones | Junior | 6-0, 190 lbs | Midwestern State (D2): In two seasons at MSU, Jones saw action in 11 games, including eight last fall. A Houston native, Jones had 14 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown over his two years in Wichita Falls. An explosive receiver, Jones caught 48 passes for 774 yards as a high school senior in 2021, ranking in the Top 85 in 6A football in receiving yardage that season.
Branson Boxell | Sophom*ore | 6-2, 180 lbs | Howard Payne (D3): Boxell spent the 2023 season on the roster at HPU. An agile receiver who also played safety at Refugio HS, Boxell was a freshman on the 15-0 Refugio team that won the 2019 UIL 2A D1 state title. Then in 2022, as a senior, he tallied 2.5 tackles in another state title game appearance for Refugio, this time against Hawley.
Braydon Jones | Graduate Student | 6-3, 201 lbs | Southwestern Oklahoma State (D2): The Katy native did not see action in his lone season at SWOSU last year, but is exceptionally fast, especially in the open field. An All-District selection coming out of Katy HS, Jones’ speed was displayed by his 200m time of 23.27 on the track in 2019, a mark that would’ve placed him in the men’s 200-meter final of this past spring’s ASC Track & Field Championships.
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Tight Ends
Tre Brackeen | Sophom*ore | 6-3, 245 lbs | Southern Nazarene (D2): Brackeen spent last season at SNU, but did not see game action. Coming out of Cisco HS, he was a two-way star. As a senior in 2022, Brackeen rushed for 161 yards, caught 10 passes for 105 yards, and tallied three interceptions and two fumble recoveries as a safety/linebacker. He earned All-State honors in addition to District co-MVP.
Defensive Linemen
Ronald Tatum | Junior | 6-5, 265 lbs | Oklahoma (D1) and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (JUCO): The No. 6 defensive end in the country coming out of high school, Tatum was the top-ranked player in Oklahoma by 247Sports when he committed to the Sooners after a stellar prep career, with 174 tackles over his junior and senior years at Putnam City. Tatum was also a US Army All-American coming out of high school, and held offers from Notre Dame, Alabama, and other Power 5 programs before opting for the Sooners. He also spent the 2021 season at Northeast Oklahoma A&M.
Ty Williams | Sophom*ore | 6-2, 240 lbs | Southern Nazarene (D2): Williams entered the transfer portal on Sept. 23, 2023, and committed to UMHB less than a month later on Oct. 18. He is a key addition to the defensive line, especially considering some of the losses at that position from last year to this year. Williams played a critical role in helping Dallas Christian HS secure the 2021 TAPPS D-III state title. In fact, Dallas Christian went 22-2 over his final two years there, reaching the state final in both seasons. Check out our “Catching up with the Commits” conversation with Williams here.
BJ Ferrell | Junior | 6-3, 285 lbs | Arkansas (D1) and Northeast Oklahoma A&M (JUCO): A three-star recruit in ESPN’s recruiting rankings in the Class of 2018, he began his career at Arkansas before spending the 2021 season on the roster at Northeast Oklahoma A&M. Coming out of high school, he was ranked at the No. 53 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals, and tallied 63 tackles and four forced fumbles during his senior year.
Angelo Jewell | Junior | 6-3, 237 lbs | Ventura College (JUCO): Jewell, who played at the same California junior college as UMHB’s 2021 all-region wide receiver Brandon Jordan, recorded 48.0 tackles in 11 games in 2022. That included a team-high 9.0 sacks and three forced fumbles as the Woodbridge, Virginia product was one of three Ventura defensive players to earn First Team All-SCFA honors following the 2022 campaign.
Wil Minor | Freshman | 6-3, 270 lbs | UTPB (D2): Minor played at UTPB for three years, but only saw action in the 2021 season, appearing in four games, with 2.0 tackles for loss and four total tackles. The former Manor HS standout was a First Team all-district defensive tackle as a high school senior.
James Wright | Graduate Student | 6-2, 260 lbs | ETBU (D3): A two-time All-ASC selection while at ETBU, the Fayetteville, North Carolina native spent four seasons on the Tigers’ roster. In 2020-21, he posted 38 total tackles, a mark that ranked No. 12 in the league, and in 2021, tallied 13 solo tackles and 2.0 sacks.
D.J. Stuckey | Senior | 6-1, 250 lbs | Stephen F. Austin (D1): Stuckey will make his third Division III stop at UMHB, having opened his career at Lakeland University and Millikin University prior to his transfer to SFA. According to MaxPreps, Stuckey tallied 25 total tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss as a senior at Houston’s Langham Creek HS in 2019.
Linebackers
Kybrien Jamerson | Junior | 6-3, 205 lbs | UAB (D1) and Lamar (D1): A First-Team All-State honoree coming out of Longview HS, Jamerson saw action in two games over the course of two seasons at UAB, before transferring to Lamar. He entered the transfer portal on April 29, 2024, and committed to The Cru on July 25. Jamerson was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2021 according to 247Sports and was also part of Longview’s 2018 state championship team.
Joey Verret | Senior | 6-1, 195 lbs | ETBU (D3): A standout at linebacker for ETBU last season, Verrett enters 2024 looking to continue his momentum from last fall. In 10 games for ETBU in 2023, the Houston native tallied a team-high 72 tackles along with 7.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and an interception, en route to First Team All-ASC honors. A two-time all-conference honoree, Verret was fifth in the ASC in total tackles last season.
Layden Roque | Freshman | 5-11, 205 lbs | Texas State (D1): A two-sport standout at Dickinson HS, Roque committed to play baseball at Texas State out of high school. On the gridiron, he was a First Team District 24-6A honoree as a senior in 2022 for a Dickinson team that went 8-4 overall and 4-2 in district play.
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Cornerbacks
Samuel Steffe | Junior | 5-11, 195 lbs | Southwest Baptist (D2): The Aledo, Texas product is in position to add strength to the UMHB secondary this fall after two seasons at SBU. Steffe comes to UMHB following a 2023 campaign that saw him tally 13 solo tackles and an interception in 11 games.
Marcus Taylor II | Sophom*ore | 6-0, 195 lbs | Widener (D3): Taylor took last year off from football while staying committed to UMHB. As a freshman at Widener in 2022, the Buda, Texas native saw action in 10 games for the Pride, registering 21 solo tackles, 25 total tackles, and two interceptions. He was the only player on Widener’s roster in 2022 with multiple interceptions and his four pass breakups were also a team-high. We talked with Taylor in a “Catching up with the Commits” interview last year.
Jabari James | Junior | 6-1, 185 lbs | Tulsa (D1), Kilgore JC (JUCO), Texas A&M Kingsville (D2): UMHB will be James’ fourth collegiate stop, as he opened his career at the FBS level with Tulsa in 2018 following a stellar HS career at Fort Bend Marshall in Missouri City, Texas. Though he was a quarterback in HS who threw for 2,211 yards as a senior, James switched to defense upon arrival in Tulsa, and played in three games for the Golden Hurricane in 2018. In 2020, he took the field for Kilgore, registering 8.0 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup in eight contests.
Christoper Roberts Jr. | Junior | 5-10, 165 lbs | Texas A&M-Commerce (D1): The Beaumont, Texas native spent two seasons at A&M-Commerce, though he did not see game action. A sought-after defensive back coming out of Kelly Catholic HS in the Class of 2022, Roberts held interest from several D1 programs, including Arizona and Washington State. As a high school senior in 2021, he made 57 solo tackles, broke up seven passes, and added two interceptions.
Daevien Willis | Senior | 5-10, 190 lbs | UW-Oshkosh (D3) and ETBU (D3): Willis opened his collegiate career in the Midwest, seeing his first true game action at Oshkosh as a sophom*ore in 2022. In 10 games that season, he had 13 solo tackles and 23 total tackles. He continued that success with ETBU last season, as the native of St. Martinville, Louisiana tallied 18 solo tackles, 34 total tackles, and a fumble recovery. That included a five-tackle performance against his former team in Week 3, and another five-tackle game against Hardin-Simmons in the season finale.
Robert Williams | Graduate Student | 5-11, 165 lbs | ETBU (D3): A two-time All-ASC honoree while at ETBU, Williams played in 29 games from 2020-2023, recording 91 total tackles. He had two interceptions in each of his last three years in Marshall, and led the ASC in passes defended as a senior in 2022, with 10. With the addition of Williams, UMHB’s secondary gains a mature player who can not only lead, but also knows the ASC’s opposing offenses extremely well.
Jason Kerl Jr | Senior | 6-0, 185 lbs | Santa Ana College (JUCO): Kerl was a three-star recruit coming out of Fort Worth’s Nolan Catholic High School and began his career at Blinn College and Saddleback College before moving on to Santa Ana College in California for the 2023 season. He tallied 14 tackles in six games last fall, along with four pass breakups and an interception.
T.D. Allgood | Junior | 6-0, 170 lbs | Trinity Valley CC (JUCO): A Houston native, Allgood played at Trinity Valley for two seasons after finding success at North Forest HS. An All-District honoree at wide receiver as a senior in 2021, he helped North Forest to a perfect 7-0 district record that same year.
Safeties
Mason Jenkins | Junior | 5-9, 180 lbs | North American University (NAIA): Jenkins is a huge addition to the UMHB secondary, as he was NAU’s leading tackler in 2023. In just eight games, Jenkins tallied 48 total tackles, 30 of which were solo tackles, along with a team-high eight pass breakups and three forced fumbles. A true playmaker, Jenkins played at Houston’s Hastings HS, where holds program records in both single-season punt blocks and career punt blocks.
Joey Johnson | Senior | 6-3, 205 lbs | ETBU (D3) and Lamar (D1): This marks Johnson’s second stint at the Division III level, and while he was at ETBU from 2021-2022, Johnson made an impact for the Tigers. He tallied 68 solo tackles in 18 career games in Marshall along with five forced fumbles. At Lamar last fall, the Dallas native, who played at Cedar Hill HS, saw action in four games. However, he didn’t see the field as part of the defense. Rather, he played receiver and was part of the special teams unit, recording four special teams tackles, including three against Lincoln University (CA).
Long Snappers
Colten Menges | Senior | 6-5, 245 lbs | Blinn JC (JUCO) and Alcorn State (D1): The Temple native is returning to Central Texas as he continues his collegiate career. He most recently played during the 2019 season after transferring to Alcorn State from Blinn, and was a preseason First Team All-American in 2020. However, the 2020 season never happened due to the Covid pandemic. He also participated in the 2021 HBCU Combine. Interestingly, Menges was a standout wrestler throughout his prep years and was a European Wrestling Champion while attending England’s Lakenheath American High School in England, where he also excelled in football.
