HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Wide receiver Caleb Coombs signed his National Letter of Intent at 12:58 p.m. Wednesday afternoon to finish off the 2021 recruiting class for Marshall’s football program.
The Thundering Herd announced nine early signees in December.
“It’s about the ones we sign and that we sign the right ones,” said Marshall head coach Charles Huff. “I think Caleb is a great example of that. He is a young man that fits a need we have and that’s speed … speed at the wide receiver position, the returner position, the kick coverage game. Speed kills, we all know that. Having him fall in love with this place, this staff, is huge because it shows our expectation for the level of player we’re recruiting.”
“Hopefully some of the kids in the Class of 2022, 2023 and on down the line will see that Marshall has a product that is tops in the country.”
A four-star designation was given to Coombs by Rivals.com. Marshall also has seven of its newcomers ranked as three-star prospects and two more as two-stars by Rivals, ESPN or 247Sports.com - or some combination of the three.
Caleb Coombs
Position, Height, Weight: WR, 6-0, 190
School: St. John’s College High School
Hometown: Leesburg, Va.
Rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com … Received offers from Alabama, Boston College, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, LSU, Maryland, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Buffalo, UMass and Southern Miss … Rated as the 48th-best receiver in the 2021 class by Rivals.com … Named a candidate for Sports Illustrated All-American.
Below are biographical capsules on each Marshall newcomer that was announced in December:
Tyriek Bell
Position, Height, Weight: LB, 6-3, 220
School: Saddleback College
Hometown: Blythewood, S.C.
Rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Kansas State, Arizona, Liberty, Hawaii and Northern Colorado … Team’s Leading tackler at Saddleback with 79 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery … Named the conference’s National Division Co-Defensive Player of the Year … Lettered in football and track and field at Westwood High School in Blythewood, S.C. before graduating in 2014 … Enlisted in marine corps upon graduation and served in three different infantry battalions over the next four years, in addition to a deployment in China and Korea.
Will Bonkavich
Position, Height, Weight: OL, 6-4, 295
School: Ventura College
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nv.
Will be a mid-year enrollee for the Thundering Herd … Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com … Received offers from UTEP, Hawaii, Missouri State and Western Illinois … Earned first-team all-conference and all-region honors …. Attended Green Valley High School.
Darion Dearinger
Position, Height, Weight: DT, 6-3, 270
School: Anderson County
Hometown: Lawrenceburg, Ky.
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from WKU, Air Force, Army, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Navy, Western Michigan and Eastern Kentucky … Played defensive end and tight end at Anderson County … Boasts a 40-yard dash of 4.71 seconds, shuttle of 4.5 with a vertical leap of 36.1 inches … Bench presses 365 pounds … Two-time first-team all-state honoree … At Anderson, recorded 60 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in 2019.
Cam Fancher
Position, Height, Weight: QB, 6-2, 180
School: Wayne
Hometown: Huber Heights, Ohio
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Georgia State, Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Fordham, Georgetown and Murray State … Also played wide receiver at Wayne … Passed for 1,944 yards and seven touchdowns with 602 rushing yards and seven more scores on the ground during his junior season … Won the state championship in the triple jump and played basketball at Wayne.
Isaiah Finnie
Position, Height, Weight: LB, 6-1, 205
School: McArthur
Hometown: Hollywood, Fla.
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Maryland, Miami, NC State, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, FIU, UAB, Utah State, South Dakota and Tennessee State … Played outside linebacker and defensive end at McArthur.
Tyshawn Hurst
Position, Height, Weight: OL, 6-4, 285
School: Snow College
Hometown: Compton, Ca.
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Liberty, Colorado State, Nevada, Southern Miss, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Morgan State … Attended Lynwood High School in Lynwood, California where he also played basketball.
John McConnell
Position, Height, Weight: P, 6-4, 190
School: Morgantown
Hometown: Morgantown, W.Va.
Will be a mid-year enrollee for the Thundering Herd … Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com … Ranked fifth nationally as a punter by Chris Sailer Kicking … Averages more than 43 yards per kick with a hang time in excess of 4.5 seconds … Also has experience as a placekicker and kickoff specialist.
Eric Meeks
Position, Height, Weight: OL, 6-3, 315
School: Penn
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Army, Central Michigan, Austin Peay and Southern Illinois … Played center, guard, defensive tackle and long snapper in high school … First-team all-conference and second-team all-district honoree … Also competed in track and field.
Ethan Payne
Position, Height, Weight: RB, 6-1, 210
School: Poca
Hometown: Poca, W.Va.
Rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … Winner of the Kennedy (state’s top high school player) and Warner (state’s top running back) Awards … Rushed for 2,845 yards and scored 52 total touchdowns (49 rushing, two receiving and one kick return) during junior campaign … 276 points broke the former state record held by Curt Warner (263, 1978) … Also played cornerback and basketball at Poca … Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds, with a bench press of 225 pounds and a squat of 415.
Signee List
Tyriek Bell, LB, 6-3, 220
Will Bonkavich, OL, 6-4, 295
Caleb Coombs, WR, 6-0, 190
Darion Dearinger, DT, 6-3, 270
Cam Fancher, QB, 6-2, 180
Isaiah Finnie, LB, 6-1, 205
Tyshawn Hurst, OL, 6-4, 285
John McConnell, P 6-4, 190
Eric Meeks, OL, 6-3, 315
Ethan Payne, RB, 6-1, 210
The Thundering Herd announced nine early signees in December.
“It’s about the ones we sign and that we sign the right ones,” said Marshall head coach Charles Huff. “I think Caleb is a great example of that. He is a young man that fits a need we have and that’s speed … speed at the wide receiver position, the returner position, the kick coverage game. Speed kills, we all know that. Having him fall in love with this place, this staff, is huge because it shows our expectation for the level of player we’re recruiting.”
“Hopefully some of the kids in the Class of 2022, 2023 and on down the line will see that Marshall has a product that is tops in the country.”
A four-star designation was given to Coombs by Rivals.com. Marshall also has seven of its newcomers ranked as three-star prospects and two more as two-stars by Rivals, ESPN or 247Sports.com - or some combination of the three.
Caleb Coombs
Position, Height, Weight: WR, 6-0, 190
School: St. John’s College High School
Hometown: Leesburg, Va.
Rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com … Received offers from Alabama, Boston College, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, LSU, Maryland, Nebraska, Tennessee, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Buffalo, UMass and Southern Miss … Rated as the 48th-best receiver in the 2021 class by Rivals.com … Named a candidate for Sports Illustrated All-American.
Below are biographical capsules on each Marshall newcomer that was announced in December:
Tyriek Bell
Position, Height, Weight: LB, 6-3, 220
School: Saddleback College
Hometown: Blythewood, S.C.
Rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Kansas State, Arizona, Liberty, Hawaii and Northern Colorado … Team’s Leading tackler at Saddleback with 79 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery … Named the conference’s National Division Co-Defensive Player of the Year … Lettered in football and track and field at Westwood High School in Blythewood, S.C. before graduating in 2014 … Enlisted in marine corps upon graduation and served in three different infantry battalions over the next four years, in addition to a deployment in China and Korea.
Will Bonkavich
Position, Height, Weight: OL, 6-4, 295
School: Ventura College
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nv.
Will be a mid-year enrollee for the Thundering Herd … Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com … Received offers from UTEP, Hawaii, Missouri State and Western Illinois … Earned first-team all-conference and all-region honors …. Attended Green Valley High School.
Darion Dearinger
Position, Height, Weight: DT, 6-3, 270
School: Anderson County
Hometown: Lawrenceburg, Ky.
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from WKU, Air Force, Army, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Navy, Western Michigan and Eastern Kentucky … Played defensive end and tight end at Anderson County … Boasts a 40-yard dash of 4.71 seconds, shuttle of 4.5 with a vertical leap of 36.1 inches … Bench presses 365 pounds … Two-time first-team all-state honoree … At Anderson, recorded 60 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in 2019.
Cam Fancher
Position, Height, Weight: QB, 6-2, 180
School: Wayne
Hometown: Huber Heights, Ohio
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Georgia State, Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Fordham, Georgetown and Murray State … Also played wide receiver at Wayne … Passed for 1,944 yards and seven touchdowns with 602 rushing yards and seven more scores on the ground during his junior season … Won the state championship in the triple jump and played basketball at Wayne.
Isaiah Finnie
Position, Height, Weight: LB, 6-1, 205
School: McArthur
Hometown: Hollywood, Fla.
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Maryland, Miami, NC State, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, FIU, UAB, Utah State, South Dakota and Tennessee State … Played outside linebacker and defensive end at McArthur.
Tyshawn Hurst
Position, Height, Weight: OL, 6-4, 285
School: Snow College
Hometown: Compton, Ca.
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Liberty, Colorado State, Nevada, Southern Miss, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Morgan State … Attended Lynwood High School in Lynwood, California where he also played basketball.
John McConnell
Position, Height, Weight: P, 6-4, 190
School: Morgantown
Hometown: Morgantown, W.Va.
Will be a mid-year enrollee for the Thundering Herd … Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com … Ranked fifth nationally as a punter by Chris Sailer Kicking … Averages more than 43 yards per kick with a hang time in excess of 4.5 seconds … Also has experience as a placekicker and kickoff specialist.
Eric Meeks
Position, Height, Weight: OL, 6-3, 315
School: Penn
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com … Received offers from Army, Central Michigan, Austin Peay and Southern Illinois … Played center, guard, defensive tackle and long snapper in high school … First-team all-conference and second-team all-district honoree … Also competed in track and field.
Ethan Payne
Position, Height, Weight: RB, 6-1, 210
School: Poca
Hometown: Poca, W.Va.
Rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com … Winner of the Kennedy (state’s top high school player) and Warner (state’s top running back) Awards … Rushed for 2,845 yards and scored 52 total touchdowns (49 rushing, two receiving and one kick return) during junior campaign … 276 points broke the former state record held by Curt Warner (263, 1978) … Also played cornerback and basketball at Poca … Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds, with a bench press of 225 pounds and a squat of 415.
Signee List
Tyriek Bell, LB, 6-3, 220
Will Bonkavich, OL, 6-4, 295
Caleb Coombs, WR, 6-0, 190
Darion Dearinger, DT, 6-3, 270
Cam Fancher, QB, 6-2, 180
Isaiah Finnie, LB, 6-1, 205
Tyshawn Hurst, OL, 6-4, 285
John McConnell, P 6-4, 190
Eric Meeks, OL, 6-3, 315
Ethan Payne, RB, 6-1, 210
