SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – University of the Incarnate Word head football coach Larry Kennan talked extensively about where the Cardinals have come from and where they are headed in his Wednesday afternoon press conference to introduce the 18 new members of the program.

Click here to watch the press conference

Kennan made a point to emphasize the obstacles and opportunities facing a program that has only fielded a team for seven years.  He was effusive in praising his coaching staff and current players on an exceptional 2015 season that saw the team finish fourth in the always tough Southland Conference.  He highlighted a defense that finished first among Texas Division I programs in fewest yards allowed per game last year.

Kennan was happy to introduce a 2016 class that features six offensive linemen, four wide receivers and six defensive players.  The class includes three San Antonio area products in offensive linemen Terence Hickman (Converse/Judson HS), Brandon Floores (La Vernia/La Vernia HS) and Mark Palacios (Helotes/O'Connor HS).  They also signed a wide receiver out of Los Angeles' Crenshaw High School in former UCLA commit Marquis Lawson.

The Cardinals will play their annual Spring Game on April 9 at 6 p.m.
 
Ryan Carlson, OL, 6-7, 260, Valley Mills, TX (China Spring HS)
High School:  Carlson was on the football and basketball teams at China Spring High School.  He was a first team all-district and honorable mention Super Centex offensive lineman as a senior.  He had 11 pancake blocks in one game.  He holds the school basketball record with 37 rebounds in a game.
Personal:  Carlson is the son of Zion and Ashli Carlson and plans to study criminal justice with a minor in sports medicine.  He has two siblings, Clayton and Kaitlyn.  He was born on September 3, 1997.
Coach Kennan's Take: Ryan is going to take some time to develop, as are all these guys, but he'll need to add some weight and strength ultimately, but we're really excited about him.  He's also a basketball player. He's another one that came to our camp this summer and immediately we could see how athletic he is. He's got the prototypical height you want for a tackle and a frame to gain the size and strength he'll need. He runs extremely well for an OL. With his frame, long arms and athletic ability we think he can develop into something special.
 
Mar'kel Cooks, LB, 6-0, 215, Irving, TX (Irving HS)
High School:  Cooks was on the football and basketball teams at Irving High School.  He was a first team all-district player in both sports.  He was the Irving High School defensive player of the year as a senior.  He was also a first team academic all-district pick. 
Personal:  Cooks is the son of Portia Williams and is undecided on his field of study.  He has one sibling, Kameion.  He was born on October 27, 1997.  He is related to Kerry Cooks who played at the University of Iowa and for the Green Bay Packers.  He volunteers with the Salvation Army.
Coach Kennan's Take:  He's a very instinctive football player and seems to really diagnose and react quickly.  He was very productive his senior season, tallying over 140 tackles. He also really knows how to rush the passer.  He's one of those guys you always see moving lateral and forward, when he makes tackles, the ball-carrier seems to always go backwards. He's another really good athlete that actually played a little TE for his HS.  He's a pretty good basketball player too.  We think Mar'kel can come in and compete right away.
 
Kyle Covington, CB, 6-2, 180, The Colony, TX (The Colony HS)
High School:  Covington was on the football, basketball and track teams at The Colony High School.  He earned all-district and academic all-district honors in football.  He earned second team All-District 9-5A honors as a junior. 
Personal:  Covington is the son of Ricky and Bernadette Covington and is undecided on his field of study.  He has two sisters, Kayla and Kylie.  He was born on September 30, 1997.  His cousin, Blair Burns, played football at Wyoming.  He volunteers as a basketball coach for youth recreational leagues.
Coach Kennan's Take:  Another long, rangy CB that we're excited about. One of our focuses was to gain some length in the secondary, but they also have to have the attributes to play the position. Kyle was really fun to watch on film.  You watch him make a lot of plays that are away from him, which is evidence of great effort and competitiveness.  He bats down a lot of balls too because his reach is so long. Also, it's no secret that we love track guys and he was a regional qualifier in the 110 hurdles last year, just barely missed out on state.
 
Oscar Draguicevich, P, 5-9, 165, Hutto, TX (Hutto HS)
High School:  Draguicevich was on the football team at Hutto High School.  As a place kicker he had a long of 48 yards and earned special teams player of the week honors.  He averaged 42 yards per punt and was the team's special teams most valuable player and two-time special teams player of the week.
Coach Kennan's Take:  We put a really big emphasis on special teams here, field position is one of those hidden stats that can change a game.  Oscar can really help us from that standpoint.  He's got a big leg that's only going to get stronger and he's performed extremely well at some national camps lately. What he also does really well is he can directional kick and pin the opponent where we want them. He will also help in the kicking game, in particular as a kickoff specialist.
 
Brandon Floores, OL, 6-4, 280, La Vernia, TX (La Vernia HS)
High School:  Floores was on the football team at La Vernia High School.  He was an all-district center as a junior.  He was the district's most valuable offensive lineman as a senior and was on the all-Area team.
Personal:  Floores is the son of Richard and Rosemary Floores and plans to study nursing.  He has a sister, Lauren.  He was born on July 22, 1998.
Coach Kennan's Take:  Was a three-year starter at La Vernia has started as a C and OT.  Was named 1^st Team all-area as a senior. He's very versatile, and athletic.  There was a coaching change prior to his senior year and he adjusted well to a new system. We really got to see a lot of him as he came to our camp two years in a row. So we've seen him progress. He has a large frame so he certainly has room to grow, but he's plenty big right. The great thing about Brandon is that he allows for a lot of versatility, due to his size and athleticism he can probably play anywhere on the OL.
 
Aaron Freeman, WR, 5-11, 170, Temple, TX (Temple HS)
High School:  Freeman was on the football, basketball and track teams at Temple High School.  He earned first team all-District 17-5A honors as a senior.  He set the school record with a 98-yard touchdown reception.  He helped lead the team to the State finals.  He snagged 40 catches for 876 yards and six touchdowns in 2015 after accumulating over 500 yards as a junior.
Personal:  Freeman is the son of Beatrice Freeman and plans to study business administration with a minor in finance.  He has one sibling, A.J.  He was born on June 25, 1998.
Coach Kennan's Take:  Aaron is a very explosive, big-play WR that comes from a great program here in Texas.  He averaged over 20 yards per reception this year. We first evaluated him as a junior during the spring and were able to see him at one of our camps and he was very impressive. He runs really good routes and can stretch the field; he's got naturally soft hands.  He's a guy you want to get the ball to in a variety of ways because of his athleticism. He's got a lot of personality and a big smile also, he will fit in well here at UIW.
 
Robert Hayes, DB, 6-2, 185, Slidell, LA (Salmen HS)
High School:  Hayes was on the track, basketball and football teams at Salmen High School. 
Personal:  Hayes is the son of Robert and Stephanie Hayes and plans to study computer graphics.  He was born on August 20, 1997. 
Coach Kennan's Take:  This guy excites the heck out of me.  He's long and rangy and can really run.  He's got very good feet and hips to be a CB, and can accelerate extremely quickly for a taller guy. He played WR primarily as a junior so he's got very good ball skills. He has also played some QB for them. He's not afraid of stepping up and making tackles either.  He's kind of the prototype for the CB position these days. We think we got a good one in him.
 
Terence Hickman, OL, 6-3, 260, Converse, TX (Judson HS)
High School:  Hickman was on the football team at Converse Judson High School.  He was an all-district selection as a junior as a senior.  During his senior season, he was a first team all-city and all-Area player.  He helped lead Judson to the State semifinals in his final two seasons.  He is a member of the National Honor Society.
Personal:  Hickman is the son of Terence and Kaycee Hickman and is undecided on his field of study.  He was born on September 1, 1998.
Coach Kennan's Take:  Terence is a very, very athletic young man.  He has started 30 games over the past two years at Judson.  He's been a big part of a lot of games at a great local program.  Terence is young for his grade and is a little underdeveloped in his upper body but can add a lot of weight. He has great range in pass protection and can really bend his knees and runs well. So we see him as developing into a great OT for us.  He really knows how to use leverage and is athletic enough to recover when needed.
 
Desmond Hite, RB, 5-9, 178, Cypress, TX (Cypress Falls HS)
High School:  Hite was on the football and track teams at Cypress Falls High School.  He earned first team all-district honors as a senior when he gained 2,803 all-purpose yards and scored 29 touchdowns.  He led the team to the third round of the playoffs by rushing for 1,360 yards and 18 touchdowns.  He was clocked in 4.43 for the 40-yard dash.  He is a member of Young Life.
Personal:  Hite is the son of Raymond and Jennifer Hite and plans to study international business with a minor in business administration.  He has four siblings; Markale, Khalil, Kamiron and Tiara.  He was born on August 4, 1998.
Coach Kennan's Take:  There's that old saying "speed kills" well Desmond has great speed. He's a dynamic runner that can go the distance from anywhere on the field. But, he's not just a speed guy, he runs extremely hard and knows when to put his foot in the ground and be a north-south runner. He runs very hard and runs behind his pads and fights for extra yardage. We rarely saw him run out of bounds. The other thing about him was that he seemed to get better as the season wore on and really played his best in big games.
 
Cam Johnson, WR, 6-0, 178, North Richland Hills, TX (Keller HS)
High School:  Johnson was on the football team at Keller High School.  He was the District 4-5A Newcomer of the Year in 2014 and was a first team All-District 5-6A wide receiver in 2015.  He had nearly 2,200 career receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in three seasons.  He had 50 catches for 820 as a junior and 44 catches for 750 yards as a sophomore.  He added 35 grabs for 543 yards in his senior season.
Personal:  Johnson is the son of Chris and Kyra Johnson and plans to studying business administration.  He has two siblings, Cade and Chloe.  He was born on October 6, 1997.  His great grandfather Tiny Johnson played for the New York Giants.
Coach Kennan's Take:  Cam is another really impressive WR we think can be a big-time player for us. He can kind of do it all, has good size and speed and catches everything that's thrown near him. His senior year wasn't as productive as I'm sure he would've liked due to an injury he sustained as well as injuries at key spots on his team, but over the course of his career he was highly productive and we anticipate he will be here too. Cam is another quiet guy off the field, but don't let that fool you, he may have been the most competitive guy we saw at our summer camps.
 
David Johnson, QB, 6-1, 172, Dallas, TX (South Oak Cliff HS)
High School:  Johnson was on the football team at South Oak Cliff High School.  He earned first team all-district, first team all-Area and honorable mention All-State honors as a senior.  He tossed a Cotton Bowl record five touchdown passes in one quarter.  He passed for over 3,000 yards and 44 touchdowns in 2015.  In his two years as a starter, he completed 62 percent of his passes for 5,248 yard, 67 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.  He was the top 5A passer in the Metroplex as a senior.  He was on the Mayor's Star Council and Student Council.
Personal:  Johnson is the son of Maxie Johnson and Ebony Whitfield and plans to study communication arts.  He has two siblings, Teilor and Christopher.  He was born on August 28, 1998.  He is also a member of the South Oak Cliff choir and band.
Coach Kennan's Take:  The first thing we noticed about DJ is that he has special natural leadership skills. He's one of those young men that when he walks into a room, you notice him. He has a great presence about him. He's been a force at South Oak Cliff as a two-year starter and really put up some impressive numbers. He's a natural passer and a very good athlete. But more than that, he's been a social force enacting change at his high school as part of the City of Dallas Youth Commission.
 
Marquis Lawson, WR, 5-9, 165, Los Angeles, CA (Crenshaw HS)
High School:  Lawson was on the football team at Crenshaw High School.  He was a three-star recruit as a two-way player at wide receiver and defensive back.  He also returned kicks and punts.  He originally committed to UCLA at the beginning of his senior year.
Personal:  Lawson plans to study business administration.  He was born on February 24, 1998.
Coach Kennan's Take:  One more we're just really excited about.  Marquis was originally committed to a Pac-12 school and that didn't work out, through some connections we found out and jumped on it. We think he is a difference maker at any level and he'll come in and make an impact for us. He played WR, CB and returned punts for Crenshaw HS. He's an electric player and plays with real passion. He has big time speed and catches the ball really naturally. He's got elusiveness and great acceleration.  As much as he plays with great passion and energy he's just a truly humble young man.
 
Uzoma Okere, OL, 6-2, 260, Grand Prairie, TX (Mansfield Timberview HS)
High School:  Okere was on the football team at Mansfield Timberview High School.  He earned second team all-district honors in 2015.
Personal:  Okere is the son of Jane Okere and plans to study pharmacy.  He has three siblings; Keke, Chichi and Akudo.  He was born on October 28, 1997.
Coach Kennan's Take:  The first thing you notice about Uzoma on film is that he's extremely active and athletic. He's another young man that runs well. He was a multi-year starter for Timberview.  Uzoma played tackle primarily in HS but we think he's another one that's athletic enough where we can be versatile with where we play him. He's also extremely intelligent.  He'll need to get stronger and gain some weight like most freshmen, but we really think his upside is tremendous.
 
Mark Palacios, OL, 6-2, 290, Helotes, TX (O'Connor HS)
High School:  Palacios was on the football team at O'Connor High School.  He earned All-District 26-6A honors in 2015.  He was a four-year starter and a two-time Eastbay Youth All-American.  As a defensive tackle, he had 24 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in just eight games as a senior.  He was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Personal:  Palacios is the son of Clara Diaz and plans to study kinesiology with a minor in business administration.  He has three siblings; Joe, Billy and Destiny.  He was born on January 24, 1997.
Coach Kennan's Take:  Mark is a local guy that really impressed us as we got to know him. He's a fun guy to be around and very mature.  He's had to endure some tough things over the course of the past year, but has remained unbelievably positive.  As a football player, we think he projects as a guard, but has played tackle in HS. He's got long arms and good feet, and bends his knees pretty well. When he locks onto a defender, he can really finish.  He'll bring a great attitude to our OL group.
 
Levi Swang, OL, 6-5, 280, Tomball, TX (Tomball Memorial HS)
High School:  Swang was a three-time letterman in football at Tomball Memorial High School.  He was a second team all-district offensive lineman and an honorable mention all-district defensive lineman.  He was a member of Future Farmers of America.
Personal:  Swang is the son of Eugene and Joanie Swang and plans to study marketing with a minor in psychology.  He was born on January 20, 1998.
Coach Kennan's Take:  Obviously we felt the OL was a unit that we felt needed some young depth for the future.  Levi is a huge part of that effort. Levi was a tackle for Memorial and is athletic and long enough to be one in college. They actually used him a lot as a puller too so we can see him playing guard for us here too.  For a taller guy, he can really get low and does a good job of keeping his feet moving when he engages. He's pretty well-developed today, but we think with some added strength he has a chance to be a good one pretty quickly.
 
Chris Thomas, S, 6-2, 185, Houston, TX (Fort Bend Bush HS)
High School:  Thomas was on the football team at Fort Bend Bush High School.  He earned second team all-district honors as a senior.  He set a school record with three fumble recoveries in a single game.
Personal:  Thomas is the son of Chris and Keisha Thomas and plans to study business administration.  He has a sister, Destiny.  He was born on March 8, 1998.
Coach Kennan's Take:  We wanted to sign a safety in this class that could run and tackle. Chris definitely fits that profile. He's another one who played WR through his junior season and made the move to defense this season. He's also a long armed rangy guy with a great frame. He made a ton of plays for them this season and is pretty fun to watch with the ball in his hand.  He can play the middle of the field and really cover a lot of ground, but also has no problem stepping up and being a force in the run game.
 
Isaiah Townes, WR, 6-0, 180, Pflugerville, TX (Hendrickson HS)
High School:  Townes was on the football and track teams at Hendrickson High School.  He earned second team all-district and honorable mention academic All-State honors as a senior.  He was a member of PALS.
Personal:  Townes is the son of Percy and Marcia Townes and is undecided on his field of study.  He has a brother, Jordan and a sister, Mia.  He was born on December 31, 1997.
Coach Kennan's Take:  We've been looking to add some size to our WR group and Isaiah definitely fits that mold. He's a big strong physical player. As we really evaluated his film we saw exceptional hands and body control. He can run all the routes, has really good feet and can locate and track a football as well as anyone we've watched in a long time.  He's got an exceptional work-ethic and competitive drive. He's kind of laid back off the field, but once he steps onto the field, he's quite the opposite. We think we got a good one with him.
 
Matthew Yarbrough, DT, 6-0, 279, Rowlett, TX (Sachse HS)
High School:  Yarbrough was on the football and track teams at Sachse High School.  He was an all-district defensive lineman as a junior and senior.  He was the team's defensive lineman of the year in 2014 and a team captain in 2015.  He was a U.S. National Team member.  He had 45 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss and six sacks as a junior.
Personal:  Yarbrough is the son of Clark and Mattie Yarbrough and is undecided on his field of study.  He has two siblings, Allen and Clark.  He was born on May 21, 1998.  He volunteers every Christmas with Operation Care for the Homeless in Dallas.
Coach Kennan's Take:  This is a cool young man right here. We nicknamed him the "mayor" on his visit here. He knew who all the other recruits were and hung out at the front desk meeting them all.  On the field we're very excited about him. He's really quick and explosive, he reminds us a little bit of Corey Lee who's been a great one for us.  He's slippery and has a quick burst.  He actually played some inside-linebacker for Team USA this past year, which demonstrates his ability to move in space for a guy his size.  He has a chance because of his size and strength to push to play early for us.
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