The Fort Hays State football team and Head Coach Chris Brown announced the signing of 26 players on Wednesday, National Signing Day.

The class includes 13 Kansas kids, five from Oklahoma, three from Florida, two each from Colorado and Texas and one from Alaska.

Chris Brown press conference

Below is a list of the players who have signed so far…

2017 High School Signees

Jerome Afe, OL, 6-4, 265, Anchorage, Alaska (Bartlett HS)
Notes: Named 2016 Alaska Lineman of the Year…First team All-State on the defensive line…Also earned first team all-conference honors…Four-time letterwinner in football.

Braden Archer, LB, 6-0, 205, Hutchinson, Kan. (Hutchinson HS)
Notes: Kansas Class 6A All-State Honorable Mention pick by the Topeka Capital Journal and Wichita Eagle…All-league first team selection as a junior and senior.

Chawn Bryant, OL, 6-1, 275, Palm Harbor, Fla. (Palm Harbor University HS)
Notes: First team all-district

Hunter Budke, TE, 6-3, 205, Beloit, Kan. (Beloit HS)
Notes: Kansas Class 3A All-State First Team selection at running back by the Kansas Football Coaches Association…All-state honorable mention selection by the Topeka Capital Journal…All-state honorable mention selection as a junior in both football and basketball…All-state selection in basketball as a sophomore…Three-time all-league selection in football and two-time all-league selection in basketball…Finished with 1,283 rushing and 430 receiving yards as a senior…Three-time state placer in the 100-meter hurdles for track and field…Academic honor roll member all four years at Beloit HS.

Jmari Davis, WR, 5-9, 170, Muskogee, Okla. (Muskogee HS)
Notes: All-state honorable mention selection and all-metro selection at wide receiver…Produced 61 catches for 1,267 yards and 14 touchdowns in his prep career.

Hayden Friend, WR, 5-10, 165, Plainville, Kan. (Plainville HS)
Notes: In 2016 as a senior, named K-Preps Class 2-1A Defensive Player of the Year…All-state first team selection as a defensive back by the Kansas Football Coaches Association, Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital Journal…Named the Hays Daily News Super 11 Offensive Player of the Year…As a junior in 2015, earned all-state first team honors as a quarterback from the Topeka Capital Journal and an honorable mention selection from the Wichita Eagle…Four-time all-league selection, including first team honors as a junior and senior…Finished with 7,163 yards of total offense and 83 total touchdowns in his prep career with 3,834 passing and 3,329 rushing yards on offense, while producing 226 tackles and 19 interceptions on defense…Selected as a 2017 Kansas Shrine Bowl participant.

Chance Fuller, QB, 6-2, 180, Arlington, Texas (Lamar HS)
Notes: All-district first team selection as a senior…Academic all-district and all-state selection…Named team’s MVP as a senior…Threw for over 2,000 yards and had 26 total touchdowns in 2016.

Molijah Gilbert, RB, 5-9, 170, Muskogee, Okla. (Muskogee HS)

Caden Gober, OL, 6-3, 245, Grand Prairie, Texas (Lamar HS)
Notes: Two-time all-district selection as a defensive end…Served as a team captain in 2016…Academic all-state honors.

Toby Godwin, OL, 6-4, 265, Broomfield, Colo. (Broomfield HS)
Notes: Two-time all-region honorable mention selection…Two-time all-league performer in football and track and field…Member of regional and state championship wrestling team…Recorded 83 pancake blocks in 2016.

Joshua Griffin, OL, 6-4, 280, Fort Gibson, Okla. (Fort Gibson HS)

Layke Heimerman, LB, 6-1, 200, Halstead, Kan. (Halstead HS)
Notes: Kansas Class 3A All-State First Team selection at linebacker by the Topeka Capital Journal and Kansas Football Coaches Association, and honorable mention selection running back by the Wichita Eagle as a senior in 2016…All-area first team selection by the Hutchinson News…Recorded 146 tackles and 991 rushing yards as a senior…All-state honorable mention selection as a junior at both running back and linebacker…Had 337 tackles and 1,892 rushing yards in his career…Selected as a 2017 Kansas Shrine Bowl participant.

Ezequiel Herrera, LB, 6-0, 200, Garden City, Kan. (Garden City HS)
Notes: 2016 WAC Player of the Year…Named Player of the Year from the Hutchinson News…All-State at linebacker…Second team Kansas All-USA team…Twice earned Golden Helmet Award…106 tackles, three interceptions returned for touchdowns (school record) and six forced fumbles (tied school record) as a senior.

Peyton Hill, TE/HB, 6-1, 225, Garden City, Kan. (Garden City HS)
Notes: Two-time all-state and All-WAC recipient…Played in the Shrine Bowl…Team captain at Garden City…1,100 yards, 13 rushing touchdowns and three passing touchdowns as a senior…Four football letters in high school.

Hen’Zay Johnson, DB, 5-11, 175, Ocala, Fla. (Belleview HS)
Notes: All-district and all-county second team selection as a senior at Belleview HS…Helped team to first playoff appearance in 11 years…Recorded 30 tackles, four interceptions, 15 pass break-ups, three defensive touchdowns, and four fumble recoveries, while averaging 36.7 yards per kick return in 2016…As a junior at Hawthorne HS, earned honorable mention all-state honors for Class 1A and all-county second team honors by recording 63 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.

Jacob Murray, QB, 5-11, 200, Great Bend, Kan. (Great Bend HS)
Notes: Named to the Kansas Football Coaches Association Top 11 as a quarterback…Kansas Class 5A All-State First Team selection by the KFBCA, Topeka Capital Journal, and Wichita Eagle…Threw for 2,281 yards and rushed for 1,317 yards as a senior with a hand in 54 total touchdowns…Produced 82 touchdowns in his prep career…Selected to participate in the 2017 Kansas Shrine Bowl.

Peyton Pendergrass, DB, 6-0, 185, Hutchinson, Kan. (Hutchinson HS)
Notes: Picked up All-State and all-league honors as a senior…Listed on the Top 100 list and Top 11 DB list on Catch It Kansas…Reached the finals in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays at the state championships…Lettered four times in football and three times in track & field at Hutchinson HS.

Jared Ruth, OL, 6-4, 300, McPherson, Kan. (McPherson HS)
Notes: Kansas Class 4A Division I All-State First Team selection on the offensive line…All-league first team selection…Lettered three years at McPherson HS.

Dimitry Prophete, DE, 6-0, 205, Miami, Fla. (Miami Southridge HS)
Notes: State champion as a senior…First team all-Dade…21 sacks and 131 tackles.

Terrell Starks, DL, 6-5, 240, Westminster, Colo. (Standley Lake HS)
Notes: Three-time all-conference selection, including two second team selections.

Jordan Starks, DB, 5-10, 180, Tulsa, Okla. (Union HS)
Notes: State champion as a senior…All-State honorable mention selection…First team all-district honors…Selected to the Oklahoma all-state team…78 tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass break ups as a senior…Lettered three times at Union HS.

CJ Thompson, Jr., DB, 6-2, 180, Broken Arrow, Okla. (Holland Hall HS)
Notes: Multiple all-conference honors…Named to the all-metro team…Team captain two years…Named most improved in the weight room…15 career interceptions…621 yards on 30 catches, including 10 touchdowns…Nine letters across football, basketball, baseball and track & field

Jacob Unruh, DL, 6-2, 250, Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence HS)
Notes: Kansas Class 6A All-State First Team selection (K-Preps)…All-metro Second Team…First Team all-conference…All-area team (Lawrence Journal World)…58 tackles, 11 sacks, nine hurries and nine tackles for loss as a senior…Three-time letter winner at Lawrence HS.

2017 Transfer Signees

Nathan Hale, OL, 6-1, 270, Hutchinson, Kan. (Garden City (Kan.) CC)
Notes: All-KJCCC Honorable Mention selection at center on the offensive line as a sophomore in 2016…Helped Garden City (Kan.) Community College to the NJCAA National Championship in 2016.

Harley Hazlett, WR, 6-4, 200, Abilene, Kan. (Garden City (Kan.) CC)
Notes: Recorded 13 receptions and 253 receiving yards as a freshman in 2016, helping Garden City (Kan.) Community College to the NJCAA National Championship…Caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the national championship game with less than a minute remaining…All-state selection at quarterback in high school.

Geoffrey Lodge, OL, 6-5, 305, Wichita, Kan. (Coffeyville (Kan.) CC)
Notes: Played two seasons at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College on the offensive line.