The Northwestern State 2025 football signing class is complete.
Second-year head coach Blaine McCorkle announced the addition of six signees Wednesday, bringing the total number of newcomers to the Demon program to 20. That total includes December prep signees, mid-year transfer entrees and the newest faces who joined the fold Wednesday morning.
Additional transfer portal arrivals are likely to arrive after colleges wrap up spring practice during a final open portal period in May. But Wednesday’s signings are the official conclusion of the Class of 2025 recruiting cycle.
Eleven of the 20 signees – including all six Wednesday – come from the prep football realm, nine of which played at Louisiana schools. Four of the six student-athletes who signed Wednesday played in the Pelican State.
More new Demons who actually signed on December’s Early Signing Day went through the ceremonial formality of Wednesday’s activities at their high schools, notably prolific Airline High School quarterback Ben Taylor.
“Today was a good day,” McCorkle said. “We brought in six high school players to give us 11 high school players overall in the signing class. Kudos to our staff. Carson Stewart, our recruiting coordinator, really headed up a yearlong process to put this together. I’m really proud of the job he and the staff did to bring this group in.”
The six new faces who completed the signing class feature five offensive players and one defensive player.
Offensively Wednesday, Northwestern added a pair of wide receivers – Gilmer (Texas) High School’s Brendan Webb and Dutchtown High’s Andrew Fields – Spring Hill (Texas) running back Trevor Allen Jr. and two linemen from south Louisiana – Christian Menard of Cecilia and Rory Lambert of Catholic High-Pointe Coupee.
The lone defensive signee Wednesday came from the Shreveport-Bossier City metro area as cornerback Tyler Welch from Huntington High School became the second Raider and third District 1-5A product to sign with the Demons in this cycle.
“Two years in a row we’ve been really, really heavy in state,” McCorkle said. “That’s what we said we were going to do when we got here, and we’re sticking to our guns. That’s how we believe we can build this program – with guys who believe being at Northwestern means something to them. They’re going to stay and it means something.”
Fields, a 6-foot, 180-pound receiver, was a two-way all-district player as a junior for Dutchtown before a summer injury cost him the early part of his senior season. Fields recovered to post an all-district senior season at receiver for the Griffins and to follow his father, Joseph, in the family tradition of playing for the Demons.
“He’s a kid we offered in the spring, and he gets injured in a summer camp,” McCorkle said. “Those things happen. We stuck with him and believed in him. He proved himself capable of recovering and put together a solid back half of his senior season. That tells you he can overcome adversity and has some toughness. He’s healthy and good to go. His dad played here, so that was important for him and his family. That’s pretty cool when you can carry on those traditions.”
Turning west down Interstate 10 from Dutchtown, Northwestern found a pair of offensive linemen with long-term potential in Lambert and Menard.
Lambert is a three-sport standout who lettered four seasons in both football and basketball and added a pair of district shot put titles in the track and field arena. He has been an all-state selection on both the offensive and defensive lines.
“Rory is a guy I’ve known for a long time,” McCorkle said. “He’s a big, tough, physical football player – a classic road grader. (Offensive line coach) Cade Camp and I went and watched him play basketball the other night, and he never came out of the game. He ran up and down the floor. His brother was a good player at another school in our league. Everything about Northwestern was a perfect fit for Rory and what he was looking for.”
Menard gives the Demon signing class another dash of south Louisiana flavor on the offensive line. As part of a state championship team for Cecilia, Menard earned all-state, All-Acadiana and all-district honors.
Like Lambert, he is a multi-sport athlete whose athleticism appealed to the Northwestern staff.
“Christian went through a long recruiting process with us all the way back to the spring and summer,” McCorkle said. “He came to our camps and our junior day. He’s been on campus several times. He was recruited heavily in the state as a really athletic offensive lineman who plays basketball and can really move. He has room to put on some weight. There is a lot of upside there long term.”
A three-time all-city and all-district selection, Welch joined teammate Nehemiah Barrett, a December signee, in the Northwestern class. Welch, a 6-1, 188-pound corner, was the only defensive signee the Demons added Wednesday. A two-way player at Huntington, who also lettered on the Raiders basketball team, Welch’s future at Northwestern is in the defensive backfield.
“Tyler is a long-bodied defensive back, which is what you want,” McCorkle said. “It’s hard to find a guy with length who can play corner, too. He’s been a great receiver for (Huntington) and a great basketball player – just an all-around athlete. We really liked him and offered him early. When he came on his visit, I really liked the way he carried himself and how he interacted with his family. We’re really excited about Tyler.”
Allen Jr. played his high school football in Texas but is a Shreveport native, giving the Demon signing class yet another Louisiana tie.
At Spring Hill High School, Allen topped the 1,400-yard rushing mark in each of the past two seasons and ran for 37 touchdowns in that time, earning all-state honors along the way.
While Webb and Menard both hail from state championship-winning programs, all six signees helped the Demons’ signing class extend what has become the standard for McCorkle’s recruiting efforts.
“Last year’s freshman class we bragged on them academically, and they averaged a 3.3 GPA,” McCorkle said. “This year’s class topped it with a 3.4. Every part of our program, we’re constantly wanting to raise the standards. That’s one thing we talked about to our kids who are here working out in the offseason. Things aren’t going to get any easier around here. The standard’s always going to rise. Academics is a big piece of that. I’m excited about the type of people we’re bringing in off the field as well as on.”