Recruitment season has certainly ramped up for the Marshall football team with four new commitments for the Class of 2026 being announced in the last three days.
Jaycee Houston II, Drew Williams, Mason Ramsey and Andre Parker each announced their commitments to Marshall on social media.
Houston is a defensive back from Withrow University High School in Cincinnati. He is a member of the class of 2026 and measures at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds. He had 10 Division I offers as one of the stateòòò½ÊÓƵ™s top defensive backs. Houston made his official visit to Marshallòòò½ÊÓƵ™s campus on June 13 and committed just two days later.
Houstonòòò½ÊÓƵ™s prep team is strong òòò½ÊÓƵ” they are running for a fourth-straight league title in the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference. Interestingly, his teammate Justyn Lyles, an offensive tackle, committed to West Virginia University on the same date.
Williams lists himself as an athlete prospect and is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound phenom from Washington D.C. In his tape, Williams does everything from coming off reverses to running routes at any spot. He also has tape taking handoffs in the backfield or running wildcat formations. Heòòò½ÊÓƵ™s played quarterback, receiver and running back for his high school team. Athlete seems fitting for Williams as heòòò½ÊÓƵ™s literally lined up just about everywhere on the offensive side of the ball.
Williams is from St. Johnòòò½ÊÓƵ™s College High in D.C. He had a double-digit list of offers. In a recent interview, Williams says he models his game after Randy Moss. Williams similarly took his visit on June 13 and committed two days later.
Huntington product Mason Ramsey joins the long list of in-state players to recently join Marshallòòò½ÊÓƵ™s ranks and an even longer list of offensive linemen to come from the Highlandersòòò½ÊÓƵ™ program. Ramsey is 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds and is widely considered the best lineman prospect in West Virginia. Ramsey committed to Marshall on Monday, taking visits to schools including Army West Point.
Ramsey recently posted himself with a 405-pound bench max and a 550-pound squat. Ramsey was re-offered by Marshallòòò½ÊÓƵ™s new staff in late March.
Parker is a three-star linebacker from Princeton High School in Cincinnati. He reportedly had nearly 20 Division I offers and chose Marshall over Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, Liberty, Kentucky, Michigan State and Pittsburgh. Parker holds a 3.5 GPA and is listed at 6 feet and 205 pounds.
Parker had 107 tackles in nine games in his junior season with seven sacks, 19 TFLs and two interceptions.
Among notable offers that have not announced their commitment is Adam Kirtley.
Kirtley is also a three-star athlete. He plays linebacker but lists himself as a two-sport athlete in both wrestling and football. With a 3.1 GPA, Kirtley had 155 tackles, 82 solo tackles, 24 TFLs, five sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups, eight QB hurries and two fumble recoveries as a junior. He was an all-state honorable mention in Ohio. He currently has 20 Division I offers. Kirtley has taken his official visit.
TRACK ADDS ONE: Trashaun Smith has officially signed with Marshall Track & Field, the team announced on Monday.
Smith is a native of Madisonville, Kentucky and attended Madisonville-North Hopkins. Smith was an all-state selection by the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches òòò½ÊÓƵsociation in both the high jump and triple jump.
Smith placed second at the Class 3A state meet and won three first-place medals at his regional meet. He broke a 39-year old triple jump record and has the top four triple jumps and top three high jumps in his schoolòòò½ÊÓƵ™s history. He also nearly set the high jump record, missing by two inches.
In 2024, Smith won titles in the triple jump and high jump. In 2025, his triple jump at the state meet clocked at 46-7.5 while his high jump was at 6-4. He also participated in the state long jump event at 19-1.25.
SOFTBALL ADDS ONE: Evelyn Henson announced on her social media that she will be playing softball at Marshall.
Henson is a member of the 2025 class from Edgewood High School in Trenton, Ohio that initially committed to Perdue Fort Wayne before its program was terminated.
In her recruitment profile, Henson lists herself as a shortstop, catcher and utility player capable of playing any position. She spent time with Edgewood and the Miami Valley Xpress 118
Henson had 59 stolen bases in her career with a .460 batting average. She had 46 RBIs in the 2024 season and has been named both a Defensive Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year in her career. She was also a first-team all-conference selection in each of her four seasons with MVP honors for her team in three consecutive seasons.
