Morriss Announces 2003 Football Signees
2/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 5, 2003
WACO, Texas - Head football coach Guy Morriss announced his 2003 signing class Wednesday. Below is a list of the players signing National Letters of Intent with Baylor, along with brief bios on each student-athlete.
Press conference comments from Coach Morriss:
"I think that, considering the late start, this will prove to be a strong class. We have some kids who can really run. We helped ourselves in the secondary and offensive line. It's hard to determine how good this class will be until two or three years down the road. We're anxious to get them in here and start working them out. We plan to do a lot of redshirting. I don't believe that it is possible to win this conference with a bunch of inexperienced freshman."
"Timing was the most frustrating aspect, but you have to take the emotion out of recruiting. If you get too emotionally involved with a bunch of 17-year-olds, it takes all the fun out of it."
"Overall, coming into this conference you really must have speed. Either you have it or you are chasing it in this league. You can never have enough of it."
"We aren't that interested in the big names on the lists. We check these guys out and evaluate them for ourselves. We see if he has a good style, athleticism, attitude, and whether he will make a good student. We have to make sure these guys will fit into this program."
"We needed a lot more athleticism in our program. We didn't target guys who can only play one position. If we did that, we would just have a lot of guys playing back-up until their fifth year."
| Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | Hometown (School) |
| Joshua Bell | DB | 6-0 | 173 | Dallas, TX (SKyline) |
| Quincy Cosby | RB | 5-10 | 200 | Mart, TX (Mart) |
| Braelon Davis | DB | 5-11 | 175 | Dallas, TX (Carter) |
| Chris Evans | OL | 6-6 | 340 | Dallas, TX (Skyline) |
| Nick Fellows | DB | 5-10 | 175 | Dallas, TX (Skyline) |
| Marcus Foreman | LB | 6-1 | 210 | Hewitt, TX (Midway) |
| Brandon Garrett | RB | 5-10 | 205 | Hooks, TX (Hooks) |
| Ryan Havens | K | 5-11 | 170 | Odessa, TX (Permian) |
| Derrick Jones | WR | 6-2 | 185 | Wylie, TX (Wylie) |
| Maurice Linquist | DB | 5-11 | 180 | Mesquite, TX (Mesquite) |
| John Mahaffey | OL | 6-5 | 305 | Tyler, TX (Lee) |
| Michael Miller | TE | 6-3 | 231 | Lake Charles, LA (Barbe) |
| Jon-Michael Morgan | LB | 6-2 | 228 | Shreveport, LA (Evangel Christian) |
| Brandon Moton | DB | 6-3 | 180 | Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg) |
| Montez Murphy | DL | 6-5 | 255 | Centreville, IL (Coffeyville [KS] CC/East St. Louis HS) |
| Nick Pace | OL | 6-3 | 270 | Katy, TX (Cinco Ranch) |
| Terrance Parks | QB | 6-4 | 220 | Lufkin, TX (Lufkin) |
| Kyle Seals | DB | 6-0 | 170 | Arlington, TX (Sam Houston) |
| Chad Smith | OL | 6-6 | 290 | Allen, TX (Allen) |
| Kellen Taylor | OL | 6-5 | 310 | Richmond, TX (Foster) |
| Michael Trice | OL | 6-3 | 274 | Stephenville, TX (Stephenville) |
| Brandon Whitaker | RB | 5-10 | 190 | Edmond, OK (Santa Fe) |
| C.J. Wilson | DB | 6-1 | 185 | Terrell, TX (Terrell) |
| Dominique Zeigler | WR | 6-3 | 165 | Killeen, TX (Harker Heights) |
JOSHUA BELL
DB ? 6-0 ? 173 ? Dallas, TX (Skyline)
First-team all-district cornerback finished fourth on the team with 46 tackles in 2002 ... Also credited with eight pass breakups as a senior ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in the Metroplex by the Dallas Morning News (78th) ... Lettered twice in football and track ... Runs the 400 and 800 in track ... Prep teammate of fellow Baylor signee Nick Fellows ... High school teammate of current Baylor player Corey Ford ... Coached by Que Brittain at the district 10-5A school.
QUINCY COSBY
RB ? 5-10 ? 220 ? Mart, TX (Mart)
Dual-position athlete was named first-team Super Centex as a defensive back after intercepting five passes and recording 86 tackles as a senior ... Also rushed for 1,523 yards and 21 touchdowns ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas by the Waco Tribune-Herald ... Earned second-team 2A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association as a senior ... A three-time all-state pick ... Also lettered in basketball, baseball and track ... Cousin of current Baylor linebacker John Garrett ... Brother Quan is a member of the Anaheim Angels organization ... Coached by Tommy Roberson at the district 21-2A school.
BRAELON DAVIS
DB ? 6-1 ? 175 ? Dallas, TX (Carter)
Made 66 tackles and tied for team lead with five interceptions in 2002 ... Senior also had two fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks and two defensive touchdowns ... Awarded third-team 5A all-state honors by the Texas Sportwriters Association ... Named a member of the Texas Top 300 by Texas Football magazine ... A member of Carter's state championship 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams as a junior ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in the Metroplex by the Dallas Morning News (68th) ... Prep teammate of fellow Baylor signee Chris Evans ... Son of former Baylor standout Bruce Davis ... Coached by Allen Wilson at the district 10-5A school.
CHRIS EVANS
OL ? 6-6 ? 340 ? Dallas, TX (Carter)
Two-year starter on the offensive line for a team that went 19-4 during that period ... First-team all-district as a senior ... Named a member of the Texas Top 300 by Texas Football magazine ... Prep teammate of fellow Baylor signees Jack Criss and Braelon Davis ... Coached by Allen Wilson at the district 10-5A school.
NICK FELLOWS
DB ? 5-10 ? 175 ? Dallas, TX (Skyline)
Named first-team all-district free safety as a senior ... Had a pair of interceptions in 2002 ... Also credited with 41 tackles, four pass breakups, a fumble caused and a sack ... Two-year letterman ... Prep teammate of fellow Baylor signee Joshua Bell ... High school teammate of current Baylor player Corey Ford ... Coached by Que Brittain at the district 10-5A school.
MARCUS FOREMAN
LB ? 6-1 ? 210 ? Hewitt, TX (Midway)
Named one of the top 100 prospects in Texas by the Waco Tribune-Herald ... Named a member of the Texas Top 300 by Texas Football magazine ... Ranked 88th on Superprep's Texas 124 ... Senior had 92 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, a blocked punt and an interception that he returned for a touchdown ... District defensive newcomer of the year as a sophomore and first-team all-district pick as a junior ... Recorded 82 tackles and 19 sacks as a junior ... Coached by Kent Bachtel at the district 15-4A school.
BRANDON GARRETT
RB ? 5-10 ? 205 ? Hooks, TX (Hooks)
District 18-2A MVP rushed for 1,353 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior ... A first-team All-Northeast Texas pick by the Texarkana Gazette ... Had a three-game span with 642 yards and nine touchdowns for the Hornets ... Named honorable mention all-state 2A by the Texas Sportswriters Association ... Named all-district 3A as a junior after rushing for 682 yards ... Coached by Steve Wells at the district 18-2A school.
RYAN HAVENS
K ? 5-11 ? 170 ? Odessa, TX (Permian)
Finished career with district career record 20 field goals made (on 29 attempts) ... Went 43-of-47 on PATs and had over 80 percent of his kickoffs go for touchbacks during prep career ... Twice named first-team all-district, first-team All-Permian Basin and honorable mention all-state ... An academic all-state selection ... Connected on 13-of-18 field goals and 18-of-19 PATs as a junior ... First-team all-district and team MVP in soccer ... Coached by T.J. Mills at the district 3-5A school.
DERRICK JONES
WR ? 6-2 ? 185 ? Wylie, TX (Wylie)
Hauled in 85 passes for 957 yards and eight touchdowns to earn all-district honors as a senior ... Helped the Pirates in a playoff run to the 4A Division II state quarterfinals with a 16-yard touchdown pass in a 19-18 region semifinal win over Waco's University High ... Named honorable mention all-state 4A by the Texas Sportswriters Association ... Made 42 catches for 483 yards as a junior ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in the Metroplex by the Dallas Morning News (44th) ... Named a member of the Texas Top 300 by Texas Football magazine ... Coached by Mark Ball at the district 12-4A school.
MAURICE LINQUIST
DB ? 5-11 ? 180 ? Mesquite, TX (Mesquite)
Enrolled at Baylor in January and is participating in spring drills ... Played on Mesquite's Class 5A state championship team in 2001 ... Originally signed with Air Force ... Coached by Steve Halpin at the district 10-5A school.
JOHN MAHAFFEY
OL ? 6-5 ? 305 ? Tyler, TX (Lee)
Named first-team all-state by the Associated Press and second-team all-state by the Texas Sportswriters Association ... First-team all-East Texas ... Ranked 93rd on Superprep's Texas 124 ... Rated among the 20 best offensive linemen in the state by Texas Football magazine and a member of the Texas Top 300 ... Coached by Mike Owens at the district 11-5A school.
MICHAEL MILLER
TE ? 6-3 ? 231 ? Lake Charles, LA (Barbe)
Two-time all-district selection at quarterback ... Completed 79-of-146 passes for 1,403 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior ... Also rushed for 852 yards and 13 TDs on 187 carries in final prep season ... Named the offensive MVP on the All-Southwest Louisiana team by the Lake Charles American Press ... Coached by Jimmy Shaver.
JON-MICHAEL MORGAN
LB ? 6-2 ? 228 ? Shreveport, LA (Evangel Christian)
Played in 14 games for state championship team as a senior ... Collected 59 tackles, including five for loss, and intercepted a pass as a senior ... Enrolled at Baylor in January and is participating in spring drills ... Son of former Baylor receiver Mike Morgan (1969-71) ... Coached by Dennis Dunn.
BRANDON MOTON
DB ? 6-3 ? 180 ? Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg)
Played quarterback as a senior and finished with more than 1,000 yards of total offense ... Was 7-of-10 passing for 56 yards and a touchdown as a junior ... Recorded four interceptions as a junior defensive back ... Earned all-state honors in basketball as a junior ... Coached by Gary Luttrell at the district 11-3A school.
MONTEZ MURPHY
DL ? 6-5 ? 255 ? Centreville, IL (Coffeyville [KS] CC/East St. Louis HS)
Enrolled at Baylor in January and is participating in spring drills ... Has three years of eligibility remaining ... Has impressed Baylor coaches with great quickness and size ... Was a two-way lineman while playing prep ball at East St. Louis High School ... Attended Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College during 2002 season but did not play due to rules limiting the number of out-of-state players on a roster.
NICK PACE
OL ? 6-3 ? 270 ? Katy, TX (Cinco Ranch)
Credited with 66 pancake blocks as a senior ... Also allowed just one sack in 296 pass attempts last season ... Named second-team all-state 5A by the Texas Sportswriters Association ... Named a member of the Texas Top 300 by Texas Football magazine ... Coached by Don Clayton at the district 19-5A school.
TERRANCE PARKS
QB ? 6-4 ? 220 ? Lufkin, TX (Lufkin)
Passed for 2,677 yards and 19 touchdowns on while completing 198-of-366 passes as a senior ... Also rushed for 703 yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 carries ... Named honorable mention all-state 5A by the Texas Sportswriters Association ... One of the top 100 prospects in Texas according to the Dallas Morning News (89th), the Houston Chronicle and the Waco Tribune-Herald ... Named a member of the Texas Top 300 by Texas Football magazine ... Ranked 68th on Superprep's Texas 124 ... Coached by John Outlaw at the district 11-5A school.
KYLE SEALS
DB ? 6-0 ? 170 ? Arlington, TX (Sam Houston)
A three-year starter for the Texans ... Led the Texans with 115 tackles with a junior and with 112 as a sophomore ... Collected 118 as a senior despite missing four of his team's 12 games with a broken wrist ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in the Metroplex by the Dallas Morning News (42nd) ... Also named among the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Area Top 75 recruits ... A member of the 400-meter relay team that won the district title ... Coached by Kenny Perry at the district 6-5A school.
CHAD SMITH
OL ? 6-6 ? 290 ? Allen, TX (Allen)
Two-time all-district selection ... Ranked 121st on Superprep's Texas 124 ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in the Metroplex by the Dallas Morning News (45th) ... Coached by Joe Martin at the district 9-5A school.
KELLEN TAYLOR
OL ? 6-5 ? 310 ? Richmond, TX (Foster)
A two-year varsity starter at FHS ... First-team All-District 18-4A as a senior ... Named first-team all-area and preseason area most valuable lineman by the Herald Coaster ... Averaged three pancake blocks a game as a senior ... Coached by Mark Wiatrek at the district 18-4A school.
MICHAEL TRICE
OL ? 6-3 ? 274 ? Stephenville, TX (Stephenville)
Team captain was first-team All-District 8-4A and first-team All-Big Country as a senior ... Named third-team all-state 4A by the Texas Sportswriters Association ... Named one of the top 100 prospects in the Metroplex by the Dallas Morning News (90th) ... Rated among the 20 best offensive linemen in the state by Texas Football magazine and a member of the Texas Top 300 ... Also named among the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Area Top 75 recruits ... Was a second-team all-district pick as a junior ... Coached by Mike Copeland at the district 8-4A school.
BRANDON WHITAKER
RB ? 5-10 ? 190 ? Edmond, OK (Santa Fe)
Played in the McDonald's Oklahoma All-State game ... Named the city's Offensive Player of the Year ... Also named all-district and all-conference ... Led team to an 8-3 record ... Starting guard in basketball ... Finished sixth in the 300-meter hurdles at state track meet as a junior ... Coached by Dan Cocannouer at the 6A school.
C.J. WILSON
DB ? 6-1 ? 185 ? Terrell, TX (Terrell)
Named defensive player of the year in District 16-4A ... Had 37 tackles, six interceptions and seven pass breakups in 2002 as a first-team all-district selection ... On offense caught nine passes for 102 yards and a touchdown ... Did not play football as a junior ... Concentrated on basketball and track early in prep career ... Was a regional qualifier in the high jump ... Coached by Tom Ed Gooden at the district 16-4A school.
DOMINIQUE ZEIGLER
WR ? 6-3 ? 165 ? Killeen, TX (Harker Heights)
Played quarterback as a senior and was named District 17-4A MVP ... Completed 89-of-166 passes for 1,511 yards and 15 touchdowns and added 414 yards rushing on 70 attempts ... A two-year starter at receiver as a junior and sophomore ... Was leading the Austin area in receptions with 23 catches for 557 yards as a junior when he suffered a torn ACL knee ligament in the sixth week of the season ... Coached by Ross Rogers at the district 17-4A school.
