Weber State football signed the bulk of its 2024 high school class Wednesday when the Division I early signing period opened.

Of the nine high school seniors signed, two hail from Utah and one is a local signee: Northridge High linebacker Zach Smith.

On the one-year anniversary of his hire, WSU head coach Mickey Mental described Smith as a late bloomer due to a position change.

Primarily a tight end for his first two seasons at the Layton high school, the 6-foot-2 Smith caught 89 passes for 1,388 yards and 11 touchdowns.

His switch to linebacker was a prolific one: in 10 games, Smith racked up 148 tackles, including 12 for loss and six sacks. His 148 tackles were fifth in the state across all classifications, and each of the players up to tackle champ Dallin Sweat of Manti played 1-2 more games than Smith.

“He jumped off the page,” Mental said. “He was aggressive, can run, violent at the point of contact with the ball carrier. Coach (Andre Dyson) did a great job recruiting him. Special athlete … we expect him to come in and compete. I think a 4.0 student, just everything you want as a linebacker in our system. Really excited about him.”

The other Utahn is Semisi Kinikini, a running back from Herriman. The 5-foot-10 back rushed for 2,159 yards and 20 touchdowns in his high school career, including a junior season of 1,224 yards on 194 carries (6.3 yards per carry, 102 yards per game).

“He had a heck of a career at Mountain Ridge, very prolific in his rushing yardage and touchdowns scored,” Mental said.

The changing landscape with NIL, BYU’s move to the Big 12, the transfer portal and the entry of Utah Tech into the Division I space has made recruiting Utah different than in years past. But, Mental says, it’s always the first priority for his program.

“If they’re at our level and we’re able to get them, we’re going to take them first before anybody out of state,” Mental said. “We picked up two really good ones in-state.”

The other highlight of WSU’s class is a trio of teammates from well-known St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California: cornerback Frankie Edwards III, safety Tamal Johnson and running back Chauncey Sylvester Jr.

“They’re from a fantastic program and fantastic families, first of all,” Mental said. “They play at a really high level so you know what you’re getting with them and their technique in their position, that was the first thing that really jumped off the page, just how they approach the game … excited to see what they can do at Weber.”

Sylvester split carries with four-star UCLA signee Cameron Jones. He rushed for 1,098 yards and 14 touchdowns in the last two seasons, adding 122 receiving yards with two more touchdowns as a senior.

Johnson totaled 48 tackles and two interceptions as a senior, while Edwards had 33 tackles and one interception.

The full list of players WSU signed Wednesday appears at the bottom of this story.

RECRUITING PHILOSOPHIES

WSU has typically signed perhaps two or three players in the early period, so nine Wednesday was noticeably more.

Mental said that wasn’t a result of a changed philosophy, but a faster timeline due to the changes transfer-portal movement has brought to the sport.

“Just being a little bit more aggressive and getting out there and evaluating guys,” Mental said. “Especially with the portal, guys in high school want to secure their spot. Our coaches did a fantastic job.”

Next up for the coaching staff is hosting potential incoming transfers before the midyear transfer period closes in mid-January. Mental said high school players will be the foundation but, if Division-I transfers meet certain criteria, they’ll have a few in the mix each offseason.

“We don’t want to stunt the development of a young player … and do we have a prior relationship through recruiting with a transfer? Those are the things we’re looking at,” Mental said.

It’s become commonplace for Weber State to lose a handful of starters as outgoing transfers each winter. All of them in the last two seasons have transferred to FBS and even power-conference programs, with linebacker Jack Kelly (BYU), cornerback Marque Collins (BYU) and punter Jack Burgess (Texas Tech) the latest from this offseason to do so.

“It’s a good thing because we have really good players here. It’s just about having a plan in place as you do roster management from year to year,” Mental said. “It’s about the kids, still, for me and my staff. If they have the chance to impact their life a little bit better, we support it and are mindful of the kid, and not be selfish (as coaches).

“We try to educate our guys as much as possible on when and if they should leave, what the benefits are if they stay, if the risk outweighs the reward, the pros and cons of it,” Mental continued. “So we try to educate but ultimately, it’s their decision. As long as they go about it the right way, I have no issues.”

SIGNED PLAYERS

Zavien Abercrombie: A 5-foot-10 cornerback from Martin High School in Arlington, Texas, Abercrombie chose WSU over offers from Nevada, Louisiana Tech and Kansas State.

Ryan Bingham: A 6-foot-3 defensive end from Sugar-Salem High School in Sugar City, Idaho, Bingham was named a 3A Idaho All-State player on both sides of the football.

Frankie Edwards III: A 5-foot-11 cornerback, Edwards is a 247 three-star recruit who was once committed to Idaho.

Davion Godley: A 5-foot-9 running back, Godley put up ungodly numbers for Fulshear High School in Richmond, Texas. In 31 games over three seasons, Godley rushed for 4,554 yards and 43 touchdowns on 9.3 yards per carry and 146.9 yards per game.

Semisi Kiniki: A three-star-rated running back (read above).

Tamal Johnson: Johnson is a 6-foot safety rated three stars by 247, who had offers from Washington State, Idaho and Northern Arizona, and visited Utah State.

Zach Smith: Smith racked up tackles in one season as a linebacker at Northridge High School (read above).

Chauncey Sylvester Jr.: The 5-foot-10 running back was a three-star recruit who had offers from Arizona, UNLV, San Jose State and Bowling Green.

Mason York: A 6-foot-3 receiver from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California, York is a three-star player who had offers from Washington State, Colorado State, UNLV and UAB. In his final two high school seasons, York hauled in 1,534 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns on 18 yards per reception.

OTHERS COMMITTED

Aside from the nine players signed, four others have publicly announced commitments to Weber State.

Tyler Chen: A Utah Tech offensive lineman transfer with four seasons left to play.

Jonathon Class: A defensive end from San Marcos, California, who had 43 tackles for loss and 24 sacks in 12 games as a senior.

Oscar Doyle: The next Weber State punter from the ProKick Australia program.

Job Kralik: A former three-star receiver from the state of Washington, Kralik is a 5-foot-11, walk-on transfer after one season at East Tennessee State who will join the program in January.

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