Herd lands 15 recruits on national signing day

Fax machines inside the athletic department were working overtime Wednesday as Letters of Intent came flooding in from all over the country for Doc Holliday's third recruiting class as head coach of the Thundering Herd.

National Signing Day brought 15 new student-athletes into Herd Nation, and with 15 more already enrolled, Holliday's 2012 class stands at 30 strong.

"This is another outstanding recruiting class,"  Holliday said. "I look forward to welcoming these young men into the Marshall Football program."

The biggest star of the recruiting class is four-star cornerback A.J. Legget. The 6'0" Miami native was a steal for the Herd, as Leggett is ninth ranked corner in the country and had been recruited by schools all over, including Alabama and LSU.

When asked about Legget, Holliday said he could be an instant playmaker, but there was more to him than skill alone.

"He just loves to play the game," said Holliday.

Marshall looked to be bolstering an already strong defensive unit with this 2012 class, especially at the line backer position with five signees at the position.

A.J. Leggett was not the only signee to be sought after by big time programs. In fact, nearly every member of this class had been looked at by BCS schools, but Holliday said the big name schools don't intimidate the Herd in recruiting.

"The guys we've got out there recruiting these kids do such a great job they can't say no," said Holliday.

Holliday also said when it comes to recruiting in SEC country it takes more than material things to pull recruits in.

"It's not all about brick and mortar," Holliday said. "It's about coaches and about relationships, and our coaches do a tremendous job."

The 2011 campaign saw a heated battle at quarterback all season long, but despite already having three skilled quarterbacks, Doc Holliday went after another.

The newest quarterback who will don the green and white will be Gunner Holcombe, a 6'2" Fort Lauderdale native. Holcombe also received offers from South Florida, Indiana, Western Michigan and Buffalo.

"I don't think there's ever a year you don't look for a quarterback," Holliday said. "Without a good quarterback you stand no chance."

For the third consecutive year, Doc Holliday has invaded the south and put together a recruiting class that can compete with any in the nation. The next step for the Herd will be putting it together on the field.

Jarrod Clay can be contacted at clay105@marshall.edu.