Redhawks pick up commitments from two more players

Southeast Missouri State's football recruiting class picked up two more committed players recently, with an offensive lineman from Florida and a running back from Columbia Rock Bridge announcing their intentions to sign with the Redhawks on Feb. 7.

Josh Guthrie of South Lake in Florida made his commitment to Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Rock Bridge running back Andrew Adams' decision was reported Sunday in the Columbia Tribune.

Guthrie is a 6-foot-5. 335-pounder coming out of a program that has produced two University of Florida linemen in recent seasons. Matt Boyack, a tight end who recently completed his career at Southeast, also come from South Lake, where he now works as a student-teacher, according to the Sentinel.

Guthrie was being considered by Division I-A programs Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky.

"The whole thing was I wanted to make my visits first and they wanted me to commit," Guthrie told the Sentinel. "I wasn't going to commit to someplace when I had not been there before."

An assistant coach at Western Kentucky contacted Southeast Missouri assistant Chris Norris, according to the Sentinel, and Norris visited Guthrie in Florida before the senior came to Cape Girardeau last weekend.

"I met the coach and the players and I liked them," Guthrie said. "SEMO just seemed right to me."

South Lake coach Charles Weems said Guthrie got caught in the Division I-A numbers game.

"There were some big school recruiting him heavily and then they backed off," Weems told the Sentinel. "It's all becoming a numbers game. If a school is signing four offensive linemen, they may offer 12 players and when they commit, then they pull the offers [from the other eight]. He just ran into a numbers situation because he wasn't ready to commit.

"We are happy for him. SEMO really seems like a good place for Josh."

Adams, a 6-foot, 237-pounder who also competes in track, rushed for 231 yards and four touchdowns in 27 carries as a backup this past fall. He played behind Scott Concannon, who is headed to Northwestern, according to the Tribune.

Adams also has been a starting linebacker at Rock Bridge for three years.

Rock Bridge lineman Jason Reddy also is considering Southeast, the Tribune reported, although he made a recent visit to Missouri Southern. Another Rock Bridge player, cornerback Mukai Matsiga, also reportedly is considering Southeast. He made a recent visit to Western Illinois.

Southeast earlier received commitments from northern Californians Laron Johnson, a quarterback, and Shominic Zaid, a receiver/defensive back.