Football | 12/20/2023 10:00:00 AM

First-year Utah Tech head football coach Lance Anderson on Wednesday announced his 2024 Early Signing Day class.

The class features nine high school student-athletes, six of which are on offense, including two running backs, two wide receivers and two offensive linemen. The Trailblazers also added three defensive backs to round out the early class.

Four of the nine signees are from the state of Utah, including a pair of St. George area prepsters in safety Josh Sweeten and offensive lineman Jacob Zarate from two-time Utah 4A state champion Crimson Cliffs HS.

Utah Tech also landed offensive lineman Ben Acker-Oatis from Syracuse HS, and running back and return specialist Easton Hicks from Riverton HS.

The Trailblazers also inked four California high school standouts, including defensive backs Kyle Parker (Long Beach/Millikan HS) and Foster Slaughter (Perris/Los Alamitos HS), along with running back Asa Chatman (Lake Elsinore/Murrieta Valley HS), and wide receiver Charles Richard Clinton II (Long Beach/Long Beach Poly HS).
 
In addition, Utah Tech signed wide receiver Demarion Jenkins from Pahokee HS in Belle Grade, Fla. 

" The young men who signed today represent a great start to our 2024 recruiting class," Coach Anderson said. "They will be a great foundation for the football program for years to come at Utah Tech.
 
"This is a resilient group of student-athletes who have already built great relationships with each other and are very excited about the future and direction of the football program at Utah Tech," Anderson added. "We look forward to building and growing this class as we work towards the February signing date."

Below is information on each of the nine December signees. Utah Tech will announce its complete 2024 signing class on Wednesday, February 7. 

 
















Ben Acker-Oatis
Offensive Line / 6-2 / 293  
Salt Lake City, Utah / Syracuse HS
Was an all-area, all-region and all-state selection at offensive line ... also recruited by BYU, Utah, Utah State, Weber State, UNLV, Montana, Montana State and Idaho State.
Why Ben chose Utah Tech: "I chose Utah Tech because of the atmosphere."

















Demarion Jenkins
Wide Receiver / 5-8 / 160  
Belle Grade, Fla. / Pahokee HS
Was listed as a Palm Beach top-20 player ... also recruited by Arizona State, Charlotte, UMass, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Miami (OH), Liberty, Bethune Cookman, Bowling Green, Middle Tennessee and Wofford. 
Why Demarion chose Utah Tech: "I chose Utah Tech because of the environment and the loved they continuously showed me."

















Asa Chatman
Running Back / 5-10 / 185  
Lake Elsinore, Calif. / Murrieta Valley HS
Earned three varsity letters in football ... was a two-time Big West League selection and was named to the 2022 CaliHiSports.com All-State team ... will graduate as the MVHS career rushing touchdown leader ... also recruited by Colorado State, Montana State and Georgetown.
Why Asa chose Utah Tech: "I chose Utah Tech because I believe this is the best place to start my journey to the NFL. The coaches are good people and the all-around environment seems welcoming."

















Charles Richard Clinton II
Wide Receiver / 6-2 / 180  
Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Poly HS
Was a two-time all-conference selection in 2022 and 2023 ... also recruited by Oregon State, Fresno State, UNLV, Weber State and Southern Utah.
Why Charles chose Utah Tech: "I chose Utah Tech because of the love and welcoming I received from Coach [Jamison] Clark, the previous coaching staff, and my new head coach, Coach Anderson."

















Kyle Parker
Defensive Back / 5-10 / 161  
Long Beach, Calif. / LB Millikan HS
Was a three-year varsity letterwinner ... also recruited by Fresno State, UNLV, Air Force, Nevada and Weber State.
Why Kyle chose Utah Tech: "I chose Utah Tech because it provided me with the best opportunity and it's in a great community."


















Jace Sweeten
Safety / 6-3 / 195  
St. George, Utah / Crimson Cliffs HS
Helped lead the Mustangs to back-to-back Utah 4A state titles ... was a two-time first team all-state selection and finished his prep career as the CCHS leader in interceptions ... also recruited by Idaho State.
Why Jace chose Utah Tech: "I chose Utah Tech because I love the coaches and I love the culture they have."

















Easton Hicks
RB/KR / 5-10 / 190  
Riverton, Utah / Riverton HS
Earned ATH second team all-state and Region 3 MVP honors, and was a first team all-region pick ... rushed for more than 1,000 yards during his junior season ... closed his prep career at the all-time RHS kick return leader  ... also recruited by Utah State, Southern Utah, Black Hills State and Puget Sound.
Why Easton chose Utah Tech: "I chose Utah Tech for a variety of reasons. A big part of me choosing Utah Tech was because of the good way I was recruited by Coach [Jamison] Clark. I love the team culture here, and I see the growth that is happening. I believe in the program and that it will be successful. The location also played a part in choosing Utah Tech."

















Foster Slaughter
S / 6-1 / 175  
Perris, Calif. / Los Alamitos HS
Earned three varsity letters in football ... was rated as the top defensive back in the CIF section ... also recruited by San Diego State, San Jose State, Michigan State, Purdue, and Nevada.
Why Foster chose Utah Tech: "I chose Utah Tech because I felt a strong and positive connection with the staff and especially Coach Anderson. His vision is unmatched. When I entered the school I saw myself here."

















Jacob Zarate
Offensive Line / 6-6 / 280  
St. George, Utah / Crimson Cliffs HS
Helped lead the Mustangs to back-to-back Utah 4A state titles ... was a three-time all-region 9 selection ... also recruited by Utah, BYU, Utah State, Southern Utah, Arizona, Hawai'i, Nevada, Montana and Snow College.
Why Jacob chose Utah Tech: "I chose Utah Tech because it was close to home, and I wanted to get on the field fast."