Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina football and head coach Mark Speir announced the addition of nine student-athletes to the Catamounts' football roster in the 2021 Early National Signing Day period which ran Wednesday, Dec. 16 through Friday, Dec. 18.
 
Seven of the nine newcomers inked in the early period are on the football's defensive side, including four defensive backs and three linemen with a pair of additions on offense in the early period. Among those nine, seven are high school seniors with two – defensive lineman Timothy Jamison (6-4, 260 lbs.) from Hutchinson CC and defensive back Rod Gattison (5-11, 180 lbs.) from Georgia Military College – transferring to WCU.
 
WCU signed four student-athletes who completed their high school football careers in Georgia, three from South Carolina, with one apiece from Florida and Virginia Wednesday.
   
"We feel like we've started an excellent incoming class during this early period," said Speir on Wednesday evening. "We've obviously addressed a lot of needs on the defensive side of the football along the line and in our secondary, but we also feel really good about the two offensive players signed today."
 
Speir added that he and his staff are looking at the traditional February signing period to the offensive side of the football.
 
"I'm proud of our coaches and staff and how they've handled the whole recruiting process during the pandemic, finding new ways of doing it without being able to get out on the road like normal. It's been a very challenging and unique situation, but I am impressed with how they developed relationships over countless numbers of Zoom calls. I believe they did an outstanding job amidst all the restrictions and adversity."
 
In addition to Jamison, WCU added high school senior defensive end Caleb Fisher (6-3, 230 lbs.) out of Decatur, Ga., versatile end James Wood (6-2, 235 lbs.) along the defensive front. Gattison is joined in the secondary by three-star recruit Dramarian McNulty (6-0, 180 lbs.) out of Niceville, Fla., Willie Rice (6-0, 185 lbs.) who is originally from St. Louis, Mo., but attended East Coweta High in Sharpsburg, Ga., and Wednesday's late signee Andreas Keaton (6-1, 190 lbs.) from Powder Springs, Ga.
 
Productive prep wide receiver Solomon Butler (6-0, 195 lbs.) from Berkeley High in Moncks Corner, S.C., and Petersburg (Va.) High's all-time leading passer in quarterback Meziah Scott (6-0, 200 lbs.) highlight the two high school signees on offense.
 
Speir and the Catamounts look to fill-out the 2021 incoming class on the traditional National Signing Day date of Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Western Carolina then opens Southern Conference play in its spring 2021 season on Saturday, Feb. 20, as it visits chromatic rival Furman at Paladin Stadium in Greenville, S.C.
 
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