When Cade Patton contacted Army coaches with his commitment earlier this week, their reaction to the news solidified his decision.
Camaraderie is what drew Patton, a senior cornerback from Allen, Texas, to Army in the first place.
“The connection is amazing,” Patton said. “I felt the brotherhood through communication with the coaches. It was awesome when I committed to see how pumped those guys were. It just shows how much they care about their players.”
Patton was first contacted by recruiting coach Cody Worley in early January. Air Force had previously offered Patton in the new year.
“(Army) started showing me a lot of interest in the past month,” Patton said. “I’ve always had interest in Army. Great school, great football program. It was definitely the brotherhood that drew me in. I learned about what it was all about and how everyone’s got each other’s back. That’s what separates football programs from being good to being great and I wanted to be apart of that.”
Patton should fit right in the program. He listed three character traits as strengths.
“I think my technique, toughness, and confidence will translate well when I enroll at Army,” Patton said.
As February signing day grows closer on Wednesday, here’s an updated list of Army’s 2021 recruiting class:
2021 commits (85)
OL Omarrian Aigbedion, 6-3, 280, Katy (Texas) HS: Other offers – New Mexico State
RB Noah Alexander, 5-10, 188, Eufaula (Okla.) HS: Other offers – Navy. Rushed for 1,448 yards and 16 touchdowns as junior.
TE Cade Anders, 6-4, 242, Tift County HS, Tifton, Ga.: Other offers – Georgia Southern, Georgia State, South Alabama, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina
LB Josiah Banks, 6-1, 190, Mount Tabor HS, Winston-Salem, N.C.: Other offers – Air Force
S Xzavier Barnes, 6-foot, 190, Life Christian Academy, South Chesterfield, Va.
OL Braden Bartosh, 6-3, 260, Park Hill South HS, Kansas City, Mo.: Other offers – Navy
DB Marcus Bass, 5-10, 171, Lincoln College Prep, St. Louis, Mo.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force
DL Matai Bell, 6-3 315, Campolindo HS, Moraga, Calif.: Other offers – Wyoming
OL Tanner Bivins, 6-2, 300, Wesleyan School, Norcross, Ga.: Other offers – Navy, Eastern Michigan. First-team all-state lineman, state wrestling finalist as junior.
TE Kenyatta Brannon, 6-4, 240, Chanhassan (Minn.) HS: First offer – Air Force. Second offer – Army.
#DL Roderick Brown, 6-1, 265, North Forney HS, Forney, Texas: Former Air Force commit. Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Houston, Buffalo, Arkansas State.
LB Steven Carter, 6-1, 220, Newnan (Ga.) HS: Other offers – Eastern Michigan, Coastal Carolina. Made 77 tackles as junior.
LB Brandon Castro, 6-foot, 190, Buford (Ga.) HS: Other offers – Syracuse, Louisville, Maryland, South Alabama
S Michael Cerniauskas, 5-11, 192, Catholic HS, Baton Rogue, La.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Ohio, Louisiana-Monroe. Father Chris is 1993 West Point graduate. Attended 2019 Army prospect camp.
LB Blane Cleaver, 6-3, 212, Berwick (Pa.) HS: Other offers – Air Force, Central Michigan, Louisiana-Monroe
RB Greg Daniel, 5-11, 188, Calvary Day HS, Savannah, Ga.: Other offers – Air Force
DE Zac Daher, 6-4, 245, Northwest HS, Wichita, Kansas: Other offers – Air Force, Akron, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, New Mexico
LB Tyler DeLeon, 6-3, 210, Los Alamitos (Calif.) HS: First offer – Army. Member of U.S. National football team
DE Marcus Dickey, 6-3, 230, Biloxi (Miss.) HS: Other offers – Akron, New Mexico, South Alabama
QB Simeon Evans, 5–11, 175, Bishop Dunne HS, Dallas, Texas: Other offers – Air Force, Liberty, Louisiana-Monroe, Coastal Carolina
LB Eric Ford, 6-3, 205, Landon HS, Bethesda, Md.: Other offers – Navy, Syracuse, Virginia, West Virginia, Buffalo, East Carolina, Liberty, UMass
LB Kalib Fortner, 6-1, 205, Knoxville (Tenn.) Central HS
WR Liam Fortner, 6-1, 185, Knoxville (Tenn.) Central HS
S Jofranstar Graham, 6-foot, 190, Evans (Ga.) HS: First offer – Army
WR Deshontez Gray, 6-4, 220, Pelion (S.C.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, UConn, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, Charlotte
K Trey Gronotte, 6-foot, 160, Covington Catholic HS, Park Hills, Ky.: Other offers – Air Force, Miami (Ohio). Made 9-of-12 field goals, 68 of 71 extra points and booted 43 touchbacks as a junior.
LB Walt Hawthrone, 5-8, 187, Central HS, Macon, Ga.
OL Turner Hillburn, 6-3, 270, Royse City (Texas) HS: Other offers – Navy, Wyoming, New Mexico, Louisiana-Monroe
DB Terrell Jackson, 6-1, 182, Trinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville, Fla.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force. Recorded 42 tackles and three interceptions as junior.
WR Zion Jackson, 6-1, 180 Archer HS, Lawrenceville, Ga.
CB John Javis, 5-10, 170, Spring Valley HS, Columbia, S.C.
DL Will Jeffcoat, 6-2, 265, Pelion (S.C.) HS: First offer – Air Force. Second offer – Army. 2020 South Carolina state wrestling champion
RB Jayden Jenkins, 5-8, 160, Archbishop Stepinac HS, White Plains, N.Y.: First offer – Army. Other offers – Navy
LB Gregory Johnson, 5-11, 205, Northwestern HS, Rock Hill, S.C.: Johnson is the senior class president and maintains 4.3 grade-point average.
RB Phillip Johnson, 6-2, 214, Temple (Ga.) HS: Other offers – Navy
TE Danny Joiner, 6-3, 240, North Kansas City (Mo.) HS: Other offers – Bowling Green, Toledo
C Bill Katsigiannis, 6-1, 260, Katy (Texas) HS
CB Chance Keith, 6-foot, 180, Biloxi (Miss.) HS
DB Casey Larkin, 6-foot, 180, Wall (N.J.) Township HS: Other offers – Navy
OL Gavyn Lewis, 6-5, 275, Morgan County HS, Madison, Ga.: Other offers – Air Force
RB Daxon Lindholm, Centennial HS, Peoria, Ariz.: First offer – Army
RB Clev Lubin, 6-3, 212, Suffern (N.Y.) HS: First offer – Army. Other offers – Buffalo, Kent State, UMass
WR-CB Walker Lyles, 6-2. 188, Pelham (Ala.) HS: First offer – Army
K-P Jake Marion, 5-11, 180, North Davidson HS, Lexington, N.C.: Had 52 touchbacks and long field goal of 49 yards as a junior.
DE Bailey Meek, 6-5, 255, Ridgefield (Wash.) HS: Other offers – Air Force, UNLV
OL Nathan Mejia, 6-3, 275, Cathedral HS, Los Angeles, Calif.: Other offers – San Jose State, Nevada
LS Jaxon Miller, 6-2, 240, Triton Central HS, Fairland, Ind.: Other offers – Air Force
OL Collin Morrison, 6-7, 240, Bishop Kelly HS, Tulsa, Okla. Other offers – Navy, Texas State, Arkansas State
QB Zach Mundell, 5-10, 170, Martin HS, Arlington, Texas: Other offers – Navy, Air Force
RB Emmanuel Nda, 5-9, 172, Pittsfield (Mass.) HS
LB-S Branson Owens, 6-foot, 200, Wilcox County HS, Rochelle, Ga.
FB Lincoln Parker, 5-11, 220, Marist School, Atlanta, Ga.
CB Cade Patton, 5-11, 165, Allen (Texas) HS: Other offers – Air Force
RB Dylan Peterson, 6-1, 210, Pelham (Ala.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force
QB Gary Phillips, 6-1, 187, Van Buren (Ark.) HS: First offer – Navy. Second offer – Army
WR-CB Donavon Platt, 6-foot, 190, Ragsdale HS, Jamestown, N.C.: First offer – Navy
LB Tyler Rafferty, 6-3, 205, Newburgh (N.Y.) Free Academy HS: First offer – Army
TE Mitch Raifsnider, 6-8, 245, Margaretta HS, Castalia, Ohio: Other offers – Akron, Eastern Michigan, Liberty
LB LucRichard Rameau, 6-2, 230, Episcopal HS, Alexandria, Va.: First offer – Army
FB Hayden Reed, 6-2, 210, Plant HS, Tampa, Fla.: Other offers – Illinois, Colorado State
WR Casey Reynolds, 6-3, 200, Deerfield (Mass.) Academy: First offer – Army
P Matthew Rhodes, 6-5, 195, Auburn (Ala.) HS: First offer – Navy. Second offer – Army
RB Hunter Rice, 6-foot, 220, Lord Botetourt HS, Daleville, Va.: Other offers – Navy, Liberty, Coastal Carolina
OL Matthew Robbins, 6-5, 230, Oklahoma Christian School, Edmond, Okla.: Other offers – Air Force. Father, Trey, is 1996 West Point graduate
LB Demarcious Robinson, Warner Robins (Ga.) HS
DL Charlie Rolenc, 6-1, 263, Bishop Moore HS, Orlando, Fla.: Other offers – Navy
LB Ahmad Ross, 6-2, 223, St. Joseph’s Academy, Hammonton, N.J.: First offer – Navy. Second offer – Army.
QB Robbie Sanders, 5-10, 180, Lake Minneola HS, Clermont, Fla.
QB Nick Sawyer, Sparkman HS, Harvest, Ala.: First offer – Army. Accounted for 21 touchdowns (14 passing, 7 rushing) in 2019
DE Josh Schell, 6-4, 225, Mount Pleasant (Mich.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Akron, Buffalo, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Toledo
RB Zaire Scotland, 5-11, 215, Walhalla (S.C.) HS
RB Lucas Scott, 6-4, 240, Chenango Forks HS, Binghamton, N.Y.: 2019 New York state Class B player of year, 2020 state 285-pound champion. Other offers – Air Force, UMass
S Noah Short, 6-foot, 170, The King’s Academy HS, Sunnyvale, Calif.: Other offers – Air Force
RB Casey Shorter, 5–11, 215, Taylor HS, Katy, Texas
OL Jacob Smith, 6-3, 300, Buford (Ga.) HS: Other offers – Maryland, Akron, East Carolina, South Alabama, Charlotte
QB Quindarius Sterling, 5-11, 170, Douglass HS, Atlanta, Ga.
TE Gabriel Thompson, 6-4, 240, Wiregrass Ranch HS, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
S Tim Thurman, 6-foot, 187, Linden (Ala.) HS: Other offers – Navy.
LB Emaud Triplett, 5-11, 205, Owasso (Okla.) HS: Other offers – North Texas, Eastern Michigan. Made 105 tackles in 11 games as a senior
DL Jacob Tuioti, 6-2, 250, Long Beach (Calif) Poly HS: Other offers – Colorado State, Nevada, UNLV. Recorded 61 tackles, 22 for a loss and 10 sacks as junior.
CB Da’Veon Turner, 5-9, 170, Harper Woods (Mich.) HS: Other offers – Akron, Bowling Green
DB Leroy Watson, 5-10, 160, Central Catholic HS, Toledo, Ohio: Other offers – Arkansas State, Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan
CB Justin Weaver, 5-10, 170, Decatur (Ga.) HS: Other offers – Navy
DB Jabril Williams, 5-11, 175, Joliet (Ill.) Catholic Academy: Former Indiana State commit
QB Darius Wilson, 6-2, 162, Saint Laurence HS, Burbank, Ill.: Runs triple option. Threw for 1,144 yards and 12 TD and rushed for 923 yards and 10 TD as junior.
Commitments by state: Georgia (16), Texas (9), AlabamaFlorida (6), California (5), Florida (5), New York (5), South Carolina (5), Oklahoma (4), Missouri (3), North Carolina (3), Virginia (3), Illinois (2), Michigan (2), Mississippi (2), New Jersey (2), Ohio (2), Tennessee (2), Arizona (1), Arkansas (1), Indiana (1), Kansas (1), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (1), Maryland (1), Massachusetts (1), Minnesota (1), Pennsylvania (1), Washington (1)
