UTPB head football coach Justin Carrigan knew his team needed some impact players to provide an extra push and healthy competition.
He believes he got some as part of his 2022 recruiting class, expecting to end National Signing Day with 39 new additions.
Carrigan held a press conference Wednesday to discuss his team’s newest signees and how they fit into the system.
He was looking to land transfer quarterbacks and offensive linemen to ensure those positions had quality depth.
“We brought a total of four quarterbacks, we signed three and we also signed three offensive linemen,” Carrigan said.
Qua Gray of Lubbock stands out as one of the Falcons’ newest additions at the quarterback position, bringing in a wealth of experience from the junior college level.
Gray will join UTPB after spending time at Eastern Illinois and Navarro College.
The signal caller led the NJCAA with 320.4 passing yards per game last season, throwing for 3,204 yards through the campaign.
Carrigan said Gray will step into a competition with Suddin Sapien and other newcomers in Jordan Barton and Dylan Graham to see where each quarterback’s playing level is currently.
The head coach also signed Juwan Callines and Malik Davis, along with six other offensive linemen to help solidify the protection up front.
“It was a good signing day, especially the midterm guys and being able to fill some immediate voids,” Carrigan said.
While he was looking to bring in new players, Carrigan made it a point of emphasis to put a hard focus on the state of Texas.
He believes the state has a lot to offer in terms of talent, which can be seen by recruiting trends at the Division I level.
Carrigan also chose to go local with one of his recruits, signing Permian outside linebacker Cayden Charnik.
The way Charnik has grown as a player over his high school career impressed Carrigan and that convinced him to take a chance on the Panthers standout.
He expects the incoming freshman to take the field on special teams early on as he gets a grasp on the new defense.
Carrigan also said Charnik will play in a hybrid role that includes playing as an outside linebacker and safety in UTPB’s defensive system.
“He’s going to end up in that same area on the field,” Carrigan said. “Whether he ends being a safety or an outside linebacker, one’s going to be less deep coverage.
“The responsibilities are similar, there’s a good chance he ends up growing into an outside linebacker for us.”
Over the past two seasons, the Falcons have gotten solid production from their receiving corps as the players on the roster have used their speed and size to their advantage.
Carrigan is also planning on shaking things up for that unit, as seven new pass catchers will join the squad.
He believes Ben Patterson from Georgia Knights Prep Academy will be a big competitor in the receiving room because of his size and work ethic.
The 6-foot-5 receiver weighs close to 220 pounds and has already shown positive signs in a few weeks of working with the coaching staff, according to Carrigan.
“He’s going to be competing to get a lot of playing time and I think shake up that room a little bit,” Carrigan said. “Having a chance to watch him work in the offseason right now, he’s been here for three weeks, he’s impressive for how young he is.”
Carrigan knows that every young receiver has a different learning style and will pick up techniques from the college game at their own pace.
The head coach is ready to see the competition that will arise with new energy in the building.
“We’ll see, but they’re going to come in here and challenge that room and we’ll be excited about it,” Carrigan said.
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