At a press conference on Wednesday, Head Coach Daryl Daye announced the signing of 25 players to add to the Lions’ roster. The new recruits include 12 high school student-athletes and 13 junior college transfers.

“There were some O-line concerns that we addressed,” Daye said, “We were able to get them meatier guys and  I think there are four or five O-linemen in there that are [immediate] help, kids that are junior college guys that are ready to go. We’re still going to take maybe one or two more high school O-lineman that we’re looking at.”

Eleven of the junior college transfers already attend Southern and will be on hand for the spring ball season.  

“We’re glad to have them; they’ll be here this spring. You’ll all get to see them and see what they are,” Daye said “Every one of them are guys that can walk in right now and immediately start, so it should be very very competitive this spring.”  

The signing class is made up of players from 11 different states including Missouri, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Tennessee and California.

“I made a joke last year, we’ll take them if they come from the moon, as long as they play football and that’s the truth, I mean we will,” Daye said. “Of course we want to start from our home base and work out. At the end of the day we want to take the best football players that can give Missouri Southern the best chance to win.”

Daye anticipates that at least five or six more players will join the Lions’ roster by the fall season.