The beginning of every year for high school football players and college football coaches, is highlighted by National Signing Day. Over the years Eastside had had many kids sign and go to college to play football on an athletic scholarship. Current Eagle head coach Troy Hoff compiled a list of some of Eastside’s current college football players.

Sheldon Rankins - DE Louisville
Not surprised that he’s one of the top defensive lineman in the country and has many NFL teams very interested. He has a rare combination of speed, strength, and quickness for a player his size. This was evident early on in his high school career. Sheldon is a young man with great character, has a strong work ethic, and also excels in the classroom.

Shaquille Huff - DT Middle TN State
Shaquille was a dominant interior defensive lineman over his career, and has continued to be a very productive player in college. He was nearly impossible to block one-on-one and consistently drew double teams from the opposition. He was also a pass rushing threat from his interior position. Shaquille also has great character and has excelled in the classroom.

Antonius Sims - DT Appalachian State
T is one of the strongest and most explosive players we’ve ever had at EHS. He was a defensive end that teams always had to account for both in the run and pass games. He was playing well in the defensive line rotation at Appalachian State, but suffered a season ending Achilles injury. He will redshirt this year and have 2 more years of eligibility.

Dante Blackmon - CB Kennesaw State
Dante was a multi-talented player that was a standout on both sides of the ball. He has great character and a strong work ethic - has always trained and put in the work to be a great player. He is back to full strength this year after an ACL reconstruction and making the most of his opportunities as a starting corner for the Owls.

Paul Hadaway - DE Birmingham Southern
Paul moved across the line of scrimmage this fall from offensive line to defensive end. He is a tremendous student-athlete who is very intelligent and understands the game. Paul was a very consistent offensive lineman while healthy at EHS. He had a strong work ethic and also overcame a serious hip injury that limited his playing time.

Cody Kostley - OL Birmingham Southern
Cody worked as hard as anyone we have had to develop into a college football player. He is a tremendous student-athlete with a great understanding of offensive line play. We knew when he left EHS that he had great potential and would continue to develop as a college offensive lineman.

Zach Valentine - WR Berry College
Zach is an intelligent player with a high football IQ that always displayed a deeper understanding of the entire scheme. He has great character with a tremendous work-ethic both on the field and in the classroom.

Carlos Huggins - RB Methodist University
Carlos had a tremendous senior season at running back in 2014 – ran for over 1000 yards and was a difference-maker on the field. He is also an excellent receiver out of the backfield and has the athletic skills to be a very productive player at the collegiate level.

Quintrell Mathis - WR Brevard College
Quin was a versatile athlete that played a number of different positions on both sides of the ball throughout his high school career. I believe he definitely has his best football in front of him as he continues to mature and develop as a collegiate wide receiver.