Appalachian State adds Kansas State transfer and group of 2018 commits

Appalachian State has been working hard on the recruiting trail lately, bagging five prospects in the last week and gaining the services of former Kansas State wide receiver Corey Sutton.

Sutton made national headlines in May when he approached Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder with a list of 35 schools Sutton wished to transfer to, none of which were Big 12 schools or opponents on future schedules, only to have Snyder block his transfer request. Sutton was granted his release after Snyder began to fall under heavy criticism.

Sutton appeared in 10 games for the Wildcats as a true freshman in 2016 and caught four passes for 54 yards. Ranked as three star prospect coming out of high school according to 247sports, Sutton was heavily recruited by Appalachian State. Sutton’s hometown is in North Carolina and his father was a teammate of Mountaineer head coach Scott Satterfield in the 90’s. He will sit out the 2017 season and have three years of eligibility remaining.

Appalachian State received a flurry of commitments from five unranked prospects over the last week, including safety Nicario Harper of Atlanta, Georgia. Harper, perhaps the closest of the group to being given two-star status, holds 15 offers so far. Among those offers are Troy, Arkansas State, Southern Miss and Georgia Southern. Harper is a quick, sure-tackling safety in a talent-rich area and could be a sleeper in the Mountaineer’s class.

Dual-threat quarterback Stephon Brown from Kernersville, North Carolina represents the only offensive player in the handful of recent commits and App State’s first quarterback commit. Brown impressed at the Mountaineers’ June 4th camp and became Satterfield’s number one quarterback target for the 2018 class. Brown scored 50 total touchdowns his junior season, 43 through the air, and tossed just 12 interceptions.

Outside linebackers Tyler Bird of Dallas, Georgia and Logan Doublin of Largo, Florida bolster the middle of the defense behind three star linebacker Zarion Hayes’ commitment earlier this month. Bird currently holds 18 offers and chose the Mountaineers over Troy, Georgia State and Colorado State. Bird, also from the Atlanta area, is a talented coverage linebacker who could join Harper as a two star prospect by the end of the 2018 cycle.

Doublin has two other FBS offers from Marshall and Ohio but has received a considerable amount of interest throughout the process. Doublin has good speed and could be utilized as a safety in the Mountaineer defense.

Cornerback Mike Price of Stockbridge, Georgia is App State’s first corner commit of the 2018 class. Price also holds offers from two other FBS schools in Georgia State and Kent State. Price is an athletic defensive back who packs a punch for his 5’11 185 lb frame.

While the additions could give the Mountaineers a boost in the recruiting rankings later in the cycle, App State falls to second in the Sun Belt after a recent surge by Texas State.

Around the Sun Belt

• Texas State soars into first place with a massive day of recruiting. Story: https://www.underdogdynasty.com/texas-state-bobcats/2017/6/24/15869308/texas-state-adds-seven-commitments-to-2018-recruiting-class-tj-graham-brandon-johnson-txst
• Three Jacksonville, Florida teammates announce Sun Belt-heavy top-10’s