CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – As spring practice begins for the Austin Peay State University football team, their 2025 recruiting class is ranked one of the best in the FCS.

Second year head coach Jeff Faris told Clarksville Now that during this year’s recruiting cycle, APSU had more than 25 student-athletes sign with the team out of high school or junior college. Meanwhile, 21 transfers also committed to play for the Govs.

According to Sports Illustrated, 247Sports has Austin Peay’s recruiting class ranked as the 5th best in the FCS, with the 9th best high school recruiting class.

“We had a top 5 recruiting class based off transfers and high school signees,” Faris said. “We’ve worked around the clock, every day since the season had ended. I’m really proud of the way our staff has grinded to bring these guys here. There’s a lot of new faces, but we’re all one family. One family, one mission.”

‘They have to have character’

Faris said culture has played a key role in his recruiting philosophy after his first season with Austin Peay. When asked what intangibles recruits should have to be able to play for Clarksville’s hometown team, Faris said they have to have character, love football and be willing to put in the work.

“That’s what we tell every kid on their official visit,” Faris said. “Before they even get here, we do a bunch of character checks with their high school coaches, previous institutions, all of those things. We really recruit geographically, and where we should know people in those communities. When they get here, we tell them if you do not love football, do not come here because we’re going to work harder than we ever have, and you’re going to invest more to this program than you thought possible. By the end of it, we’re going to build something, champions on and off the field.”

As for the recruiting class for the 2025 season, Faris said he likes the group they’ve brought in and felt like they addressed some areas of need on the roster, including in the trenches. When asked if their success in this year’s recruiting cycle changes his outlook for the class of 2026, Faris said it does, and they’ll have 15 spring practices to evaluate where the team’s at.

“We have a spring game on April 5. We’ll have a little bit of room to address any major needs we have, but I think we are in a good place,” Faris told Clarksville Now. “As you compare now to last year, it was an empty locker room, and we were just trying to find a way to field a team. We’ve retained the nucleus of last year’s team, who were three plays away from winning the league, and we added some key pieces. I’m excited about this group and the culture that we are building.”

‘You can’t tell who’s new and who’s been here’

Faris said it has been a seamless transition for the 21 transfers and 10 mid-year signees who are already on campus.

“I’m really proud of the guys that were on last year’s team, the leaders, for helping indoctrinate the new guys to where you can’t tell who’s new and who’s been here,” Faris said. “I think we’ve created a lot of competition through both the high school ranks and the portal. Last year, we didn’t have much competition just because we had to fill up a team and a lot of those players had graduated or left.”

Faris said he’s excited to have competition at every position group, which is a pillar of their program. He said players will need to bring their best.

“It’s no different when football’s over for these guys, and they’re working with Clarksville Now or 5 Star Media. You have to bring your best every single day and elevate people around you. We’re seeing that in our off-season workouts,” Faris said.

Additions to coaching staff

Faris’ coaching staff has new additions, including defensive coordinator Greg Jones, who joins the Govs after serving on Tennessee Tech’s staff.

“He was at Wake Forest when I was at Duke; I’ve known him for a long time,” Faris said. “He’s a brilliant defensive mind, and he’s an even better person. I’m excited to see what he’s doing with our defense, and the guys are fired up. They really enjoy spending time with him, and we can’t wait for spring ball.”

Faris said the team also added coaches Jireh Wilson and Rodney Saulsberry Jr. to their staff. Wilson will serve as the secondary coach, and Faris said he brings tons of energy, played college ball at Wofford and has coordinator experience.

As for Saulsberry Jr., it’s a full circle moment for him after playing defensive back for the Governors from 2016-19. He will be coaching the cornerbacks during the 2025-26 season, and Faris has already credited Saulsberry Jr. on his ability to teach.

“I think we’ve gotten better this off-season from a recruiting standpoint and a staff standpoint,” Faris said.

Message to future recruits and Clarksville

Faris said his team’s expectations for 2025 starts with getting better in every phase, every day.

“I think you saw that in 2024, we were a different football team at the end of the season than we were at the start,” Faris said. “Every day we talk about finishing games, and our staff has done a great job helping teach that. That’ll be a focus for us. We’ve done a great job in recruiting and developing those guys. We want to choose growth over comfort and help prepare these guys for life after football.”

He has a message to future recruits, including those in the class of 2026. He said come join the best culture in college football in a town that rallies behind Clarksville’s hometown team. “No student-athletes have a better experience than they do at Austin Peay. We’re total believers in the ‘Total Gov Concept’ and developing guys on and off the field. Come compete for championships,” Faris said.

Faris said he loves the community support, and they need more of it. “We’re excited this off-season to get out in the community even more so, meet the people we haven’t met already and continue to build relationships with the people that support us and give us such a great student-athlete experience,” Faris said.

Austin Peay football – recruiting class of 2025

Here is a list of student-athletes who committed to play for Austin Peay football as high school signees or college transfers for the 2025 season, as well as their position, according to APSU Athletics.

  • Quarterback: Chris Parson, Mississippi St.
  • Quarterback: Trey Blakeney, Hough High School (NC)
  • Running back: Isaiah Groves, East Robertson High School (TN)
  • Wide receiver: Isaiah Cobbs, Washington St.
  • Wide receiver: Ethan Crite, Middle Tennessee
  • Wide receiver: Nate Garnett, Morehead St.
  • Wide receiver: Denver Harper, Russell County High School (AL)
  • Wide receiver: Kamari Maxwell, New Hampstead High School (GA)
  • Wide receiver: Clay Merrill, Brentwood High School (TN)
  • Wide receiver: Walker Merrill, Tennessee/Wake Forest
  • Wide receiver: Syir Sutton, Hough High School (NC)
  • Tight end: Evan Gober, Brookwood High School (GA)
  • Offensive lineman: Zak Bowden, Troy
  • Offensive lineman: Eli Edwards, Mercer
  • Offensive lineman: Nick Hilliard, Princeton
  • Offensive lineman: Miada Jones, ETSU
  • Offensive lineman: Sam Roston, Brentwood High School (TN)
  • Offensive lineman: Kenneth Smith, Cisco College / Stephen. F Austin
  • Offensive lineman: Stratton Smith, Northwest Mississippi CC
  • Offensive lineman: Ben Stotts, Christian Academy of Louisville (KY)
  • Offensive lineman: Eli Sutton, North Carolina
  • Offensive lineman: AJ Williams, Thompson High School (AL)
  • Offensive lineman: Aaron Young, Bob Jones High School (AL)

APSU football defensive recruiting class

  • Defensive lineman: Niko Barnes, East Central CC
  • Defensive lineman: Elijah Daniels, Buchholz HS (FL)
  • Defensive lineman: Sammy Green, Myrtle Beach Collegiate Post Grad Academy
  • Defensive lineman: Marcus Howard, Northern Colorado
  • Defensive lineman: Demoris Jenkins, East Carolina
  • Defensive lineman: Xavier Lewis, Rolesville High School (NC)
  • Defensive lineman: Anthwone Montgomery II, Vero Beach High School (FL)
  • Defensive lineman: Shawn Phillps, St. Francis
  • Defensive lineman: Adrian Scott, Corvian Community High School (NC)
  • Defensive lineman: Chandler Vaughn, Bob Jones High School (AL)
  • Linebacker: Andrew Chamblee, University of Charleston
  • Linebacker: Jason Grier Jr., North Cobb High School (GA)
  • Linebacker: Khmari Johnson, Coffeyville CC (Kan.)
  • Linebacker: Jeremy Naborne, Fullerton College
  • Defensive back: Javious Bond, East Carolina
  • Defensive back: Isaac Bonds, Centennial High School (TN)
  • Defensive back: Jevean Brown, Central Missouri
  • Defensive back: Kendrick Clark, North Greenville
  • Defensive back: Saalim Davis, Gainesville High School (FL)
  • Defensive back: Gavin Edwards, North Greenville
  • Defensive back: Ladeadrick James, Houston High School (TN)
  • Defensive back: Morgan Linton, Hough High School (NC)
  • Defensive back: AJ Morton, East Nashville Magnet HS (TN)
  • Defensive back: Mykel Randall, Northeast Mississippi CC
  • Defensive back: Breylon Wyatt, Saddleback College

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