Ohio announced three more additions to its roster during Wednesday's National Signing Day. Coach Tim Albin said in a statement that Mekah Ryder and Jarian Shelby have both signed their National Letters of Intent and that Rice transfer August Pitre III has committed to Ohio.
"I'm really excited to announce the addition of these collegiate-athletes to our Bobcat program,“ Albin said in a statement released by the athletic department. "Our coaching staff worked tirelessly over the last year to discover, evaluate and recruit players who fit our team and university culture as well as our roster needs."
Here are the three signees Ohio announced Wednesday:
Name: August Pitre III
Position: WR
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 181 pounds
Hometown: Opelousas, Louisiana
Previous School: Rice
Pitre III played in eight games for the Owls last season and started six times. The redshirt sophomore averaged 15.9 yards per catch and 61.8 yards per game last season, and he was second on the team for receiving yards per game. In Rice's loss to Western Kentucky, Pitre III made a season-high nine receptions for 133 yards.
Name: Mekah Ryder
Position: CB
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 165 pounds
Hometown: McKinney, Texas
High School: McKinney High School
At 6-foot-1, Ryder will be among the tallest in the cornerbacks unit when he arrives in Athens. Cornerbacks coach De'Angelo Smith believes Ryder will adapt to Ohio's system well.
Ohio was the only Football Bowl Subdivision program to extend an offer to Ryder. His other offer came from Texas Wesleyan University, which plays in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Name: Jarian Shelby
Position: OL
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 295 pounds
Hometown: Luling, Louisiana
High School: Hahnville High School
Shelby is the biggest of the two offensive linemen in Ohio's 2022 signing class, and the early anticipation from offensive line coach Allen Rudolph is that Shelby will fill in as a tackle. The three-star offensive lineman was a three-year starter for Hahnville High School and had received offers from Tulane and Louisiana before committing to Ohio.
