Football 2/1/2023 1:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO Football Announces National Signing Day Class of 2023

Adam Dorrel Adds More Than 40 Newcomers For Next Season

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma head football coach Adam Dorrel announced his 2023 signing class Wednesday, with 44 additions to the Broncho program.

A good portion of that number signed national letters of intent in the December signing period and several of those arrived on campus in January. The remainder signed the dotted line Wednesday on National Signing Day and will report to Edmond in August.

"As we conclude our 2023 recruiting class here with National Signing Day, I must say that I am very excited to welcome the 44 new Bronchos to the University of Central Oklahoma," Dorrel said. "Our 2023 recruiting class got off to a hot start during the early signing period as we were able to ink 14 transfers and two high school standouts to our program for the Spring semester."

UCO added transfers from the Division I and Division II ranks, as well as junior college transfers. The Bronchos added 33 high school football players to the class, including two that enrolled in January.

"I want to give a huge thanks to our recruiting coordinator, Dimitri Donald, for organizing our recruiting efforts," Dorrel added. "Our coaching staff has done a great job of finding high character young men who embody our core values of being selfless, tough, and disciplined. Our 2023 high school class is composed of majority home grown Oklahoma talent."

Central Oklahoma signed 25 from the state of Oklahoma.

"This class is complete with speed and athleticism that will help our program take the next step in the MIAA," Dorrel said. "We are excited to get these guys to Edmond this summer and hit the ground running as we prepare for our second year here at UCO."

Dorrel was hired on Dec. 8, 2021 and announced his first signing class only eight weeks into the job. The 2023 class is the first class he and his staff had the opportunity to recruit from start to finish.

Dorrel wished to give special thanks to the following staff members:
Stan Wagnon, Athletic Director; Jeremy Rogers, Senior Associate Athletic Director; Sydni Nelums, Director of Compliance; Samm Chavez, Assistant Athletic Director for Academics and Student Support; Laura Donner, Assistant Registrar; Chris Brannick, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations.

Central Oklahoma's defensive and offensive coordinator's also issued statements on the 2023 class regarding their respective sides of the ball. Both joined Dorrel in December 2021 at UCO and both were pleased with their first full class.

Defensive Coordinator Brandon Lechtenberg:

We signed three transfers at mid-year who were all elite players at the Junior College level. They will provide immediate competition and depth both on the Defensive Line and in the Defensive backfield. Since enrolling in January, they are all three living up to the hype and I am excited to see what they can do during spring practice in a couple months.

The linebacker position highlighted the high school call as five all-state caliber athletes were signed from the state of Oklahoma. They will not only bring athleticism to our unit, they will also continue to build upon the leadership coming out of our linebacker room.

At defensive back we locked down four safeties and three corners including two kids out of Texas. I am excited about these kids because they have the proven ability to run, and they will add length and size to our defensive backfield. I am excited to see which of these kids emerge to be immediate impact players.

We signed three defensive lineman who all can compete on day one to get on the field. I am very excited about the quality of players that have signed on our defensive line. These three athletes have the versatility to play multiple positions on our defensive front.

Offensive Coordinator James Curlee

Offensively, we have a large and dynamic class that we are bringing in. Our staff has done a good job of bringing in great high school and transfer talent to help us take the next step offensively. On the offensive side of the ball we signed 11 mid-year transfers that will be working and competing with our team this spring. We are excited about what this mid-year group will bring and the level of talent we are adding to each position in our offense. With this mid-year class there is no question that offensively we have gotten bigger, faster, and stronger and are excited about the product we will be able to display.

The mid-year class will also be backed with a large high school class with many of these athletes being from the state of Oklahoma to help us continue building the foundation of our program.

In the Highschool class at quarterback, we signed three players who all have winning backgrounds and are some of the best athletes in the state of Oklahoma. Two of the three were already on campus this spring because with early graduation. They not only bring great talent but also great leadership to our offense.

At running back, we signed three high school players who each have the speed to pull away from defenders and the ability to get north and south between the tackles. We are excited about what this group brings to the table.

At wide receiver we signed four high school players who all have had very successful careers and are great multi-sport athletes. Each one of these kids has the frame and the want-to to be big and great. This group is filled with talent and speed.

At tight end, we signed two kids who can make immediate impacts offensively with what we do. They are both extremely physical in the run game and dynamic in the pass game. We are excited about what they bring to our football team.

Lastly, at offensive line, we signed three high school kids who are big and physical. They each are multi-sport athletes and know what it means to work. These guys will make us better up front and can push and compete on day 1 for us offensively.

Central Oklahoma will report to Fall Camp in early August with the 2023 season kicking off later that month.

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