News | Football announces five additions to spring signing class, including two Big Ten transfers
01/22/2024 | 4:27:00 | Football
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois football coach Nick Hill announced the addition of five transfer players to this year's incoming signing class, including two Big Ten transfers — Ohio State running back Willtrell Hartson and Wisconsin wide receiver Keontez Lewis.
Hartson was a three-star prospect out of Massillon, Ohio with multiple Division I offers, who enrolled at Ohio State as a preferred walk-on. Although he did not play for the Buckeyes in 2023, Hartson earned the distinction of a "scarlet stripe" on his helmet on November 1. He will be a redshirt freshman for the Salukis in 2024.
Lewis was Wisconsin's third-leading receiver in 2022 with 20 catches for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Another three-star high school recruit, he began his career at UCLA, where he played in 11 games in 2021. Lewis will be a junior at SIU in the fall.
All five players are currently enrolled at SIU and will play in the spring ball season that begins in March.
CB Jeremiah Baxter
6-2, 190, Senior
Silver Spring, Md. | Frostburg State
Transferred from Division II Frostburg State where he played in 27 games from 2020-23 ... Career totals of 50 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, 11 passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two blocked kicks ... Helped lead his team to a 28-8 record during his career.
RB Willtrell Hartson
5-9, 205, Redshirt Freshman
Massillon, Ohio | Ohio State
Transferred from Ohio State after the 2023 season ... A three-star prospect who had numerous Division I scholarship offers but chose to attend and play for Ohio State as a preferred walk-on ... Was an all-state performer for Massillon Washington and led team to the state semifinals and a 12-2 record in 2022 ... Rushed for a school-record 2,073 yards as a senior and scored 34 total touchdowns ... Set the Washington single game record of 324 rushing yards in a 2020 state playoff game vs. Westerville South.
WR Nah'shawn Hezekiah
6-2, 210, Senior
Orangeburg, S.C. | Howard
Transferred from Howard, where he played in 28 career games from 2021-23 ... Career totals of 46 catches for 552 yards and four touchdowns ... Had a career-high seven catches for 67 yards at Norfolk State in 2022 ... Had at least one catch in all but two games in 2022 and 2023 ... Helped Howard earn a share of the MEAC regular season championship in 2022.
WR Keontez Lewis
6-2, 190, Junior
East St. Louis, Ill. | Wisconsin
Transferred from Wisconsin following the 2023 season ... Played in all 13 games for the Badgers in 2022 and ranked third on the team with 20 catches, 313 receiving yards and three touchdown catches … made his first career catch vs. Washington State (9/10), a 40-yard reception in the first half … caught his first career touchdown vs. New Mexico State (9/17) … assembled the best game of his career at Iowa (11/12), catching three passes for 71 yards and a score … matched a career-high with three catches at Nebraska (11/19) and in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (12/27) ... Played one season at UCLA in 2021, where he saw action in all 11 games on special teams.
CB Andrew Volmar
6-1, 166, Senior
Miami, Fla. | UL Monroe
Played in all 12 games at UL Monroe in 2023 and recorded nine tackles ... Spent two seasons (2021-22) at Florida International, where he played in 20 games and made 13 starts ... In 2022, recorded a career-best 31 tackles (21 solos, 10 assists), one interception and a team-leading six pass break-ups ... Three-year varsity player and two-year starter for Coach Patrick Surtain at American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida ... Helped the Patriots to a combined record of 20-4 (.833) over his last two seasons (2018-19) ... tallied 23 tackles (7 solos, 16 assists) and three interceptions (18 yards) as a senior in 2019.
Hartson was a three-star prospect out of Massillon, Ohio with multiple Division I offers, who enrolled at Ohio State as a preferred walk-on. Although he did not play for the Buckeyes in 2023, Hartson earned the distinction of a "scarlet stripe" on his helmet on November 1. He will be a redshirt freshman for the Salukis in 2024.
Lewis was Wisconsin's third-leading receiver in 2022 with 20 catches for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Another three-star high school recruit, he began his career at UCLA, where he played in 11 games in 2021. Lewis will be a junior at SIU in the fall.
All five players are currently enrolled at SIU and will play in the spring ball season that begins in March.
CB Jeremiah Baxter
6-2, 190, Senior
Silver Spring, Md. | Frostburg State
Transferred from Division II Frostburg State where he played in 27 games from 2020-23 ... Career totals of 50 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, 11 passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two blocked kicks ... Helped lead his team to a 28-8 record during his career.
RB Willtrell Hartson
5-9, 205, Redshirt Freshman
Massillon, Ohio | Ohio State
Transferred from Ohio State after the 2023 season ... A three-star prospect who had numerous Division I scholarship offers but chose to attend and play for Ohio State as a preferred walk-on ... Was an all-state performer for Massillon Washington and led team to the state semifinals and a 12-2 record in 2022 ... Rushed for a school-record 2,073 yards as a senior and scored 34 total touchdowns ... Set the Washington single game record of 324 rushing yards in a 2020 state playoff game vs. Westerville South.
WR Nah'shawn Hezekiah
6-2, 210, Senior
Orangeburg, S.C. | Howard
Transferred from Howard, where he played in 28 career games from 2021-23 ... Career totals of 46 catches for 552 yards and four touchdowns ... Had a career-high seven catches for 67 yards at Norfolk State in 2022 ... Had at least one catch in all but two games in 2022 and 2023 ... Helped Howard earn a share of the MEAC regular season championship in 2022.
WR Keontez Lewis
6-2, 190, Junior
East St. Louis, Ill. | Wisconsin
Transferred from Wisconsin following the 2023 season ... Played in all 13 games for the Badgers in 2022 and ranked third on the team with 20 catches, 313 receiving yards and three touchdown catches … made his first career catch vs. Washington State (9/10), a 40-yard reception in the first half … caught his first career touchdown vs. New Mexico State (9/17) … assembled the best game of his career at Iowa (11/12), catching three passes for 71 yards and a score … matched a career-high with three catches at Nebraska (11/19) and in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (12/27) ... Played one season at UCLA in 2021, where he saw action in all 11 games on special teams.
CB Andrew Volmar
6-1, 166, Senior
Miami, Fla. | UL Monroe
Played in all 12 games at UL Monroe in 2023 and recorded nine tackles ... Spent two seasons (2021-22) at Florida International, where he played in 20 games and made 13 starts ... In 2022, recorded a career-best 31 tackles (21 solos, 10 assists), one interception and a team-leading six pass break-ups ... Three-year varsity player and two-year starter for Coach Patrick Surtain at American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida ... Helped the Patriots to a combined record of 20-4 (.833) over his last two seasons (2018-19) ... tallied 23 tackles (7 solos, 16 assists) and three interceptions (18 yards) as a senior in 2019.
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