WISE - - UVA Wise Head Football Coach Dane Damron and his staff inked 16 future Highland Cavaliers on National Signing Day 2020. The group of 16 consists of players from four states, with five of the players coming from the Commonwealth of Virginia. The class is comprised of five defensive backs, three offensive lineman, two linebackers, two defensive lineman, two kickers, a quarterback and a wide receiver.

"I am very excited about the 2020 signing class," Damron remarked on Signing Day. "We knew we were not going to sign a big number in quantity but it would be a huge class in quality."

Kicker was a position of need for the Cavaliers and UVA Wise hopes to have filled that void with a pair of signees. Yousuf Algburi (Albermarle, Va.) and Kellen Dalton (Berryville, Va.) will join the roster this fall.

Algburi was a two-time first-team all-region and all-district performer at Albermale High School while Dalton was a two-sport star at Clarke County High School where he earned all-state accolades on the gridiron as a senior while also playing for his school's soccer program.

UVA Wise was also in search of depth in the defensive secondary along with the offensive line. Damron feels that issue was addressed with the singing of five players to that position group.

"We wanted to upgrade our depth and talent on the offensive line and in the secondary," stated the head coach. "We feel like we did that with the group of young men we signed at those positions."

Armani Hoffman comes to UVA Wise after a stellar career as a safety at Culpepper H.S. An all-state honoree in track, the 6-foot-1, 195 pounder also earned all-region acclaim on the football field as a safety and as a tight end. Joining Hoffman in the defensive secondary will be Lawrenceville, Ga. product Michael King III. King was a four-year letter winner at Collins Hill High School where the 6-foot-1, 165 pounder led his school to a three-win improvement as a senior. Fellow Georgia native Makai McCall will also be in the defensive backfield. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder from Snellville, Ga. provides good size to the secondary and chose UVA Wise over Ball State and Notre Dame College. The other two signees in the defensive backfield are Lincoln, Ala. product Javion Surles and Stafford, Va. native Isaac Thompson. Surles was an all-state basketball player at Lincoln High School while earned all-county acclaim as a football player. Thompson was a two-sport athlete at Brooke Point High School where he ran track and played both wide receiver and defensive back for the school's football program.

Up front, UVA Wise added a trio of offensive lineman including 6-foot-5, 300-pound Blountville, Tenn. product Camden Necessary. Twice named Northeastern Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year, Necessary was a three-time all-state and two-time all-region selection at left tackle for Sullivan South where he served as team captain.

Joining Necessary will be Corey Walker, a 6-foot-4, 275 pounder from Duluth, Ga. and Jae'Darien Warren-Binion. Walker was originally a basketball player who has made a seamless transition to the football field. Warren-Binion is a 6-foot-3, 255-pounder from Middleburg, Va. where he excelled at Brooke Point High School. Warren-Biniion chose UVA Wise over West Virginia State and Virginia Union.

The two linebackers joining the program are local product Mason Polier and Ques Borders.

Polier who also doubles as a fullback is a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder from Big Stone Gap, Va. With the Bears, Polier earned Mountain 7 District Defensive Player of the Year and all-state honors as a linebacker following his final prep season. Also an accomplished wrestler, Polier is a two-time all-state wrestler who claimed the state title as a junior.

Borders is a 6-foot-2, 205 pound native of Rowe, Va. where he was a four-year letter winner at Gainesville High School where he earned the team's linebacker award.

On the defensive line, Gavin Ransaw signed as a defensive tackle. The 6-foot-3, 315 pound Harvest, Ala. product earned second-team all-state honors at 7A Sparkman High School. At defensive end, Ryan Pryles, Jr. comes to UVA Wise after being a letter winner at Indian River High School.

The lone quarterback that signed is Herndon, Va. native Tyler O'Reilly. The 6-foot-3, 197 pound quarterback chose UVA Wise over the University of Richmond, William and Mary and Glenville State after earning all-district acclaim in football and track.

At wide receiver, Tyler Kirkess joins the program after a successful career at Powell High School in Powell, Tenn. Kirkess was a three-sport athlete at Powell where he played basketball, football and ran track. The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder was named skill player of the year as a senior.

"We like the athletic ability of the offensive skill players we signed and we feel we added speed and size to already talented position groups at defensive line and linebacker," Damron mentioned. "We are not done with this class as we will look to add players to what we feel is a quality class."

To keep up-to-date with 2020 signees throughout the spring, please visit Signing Day Central.