John Grass Announces 13 Signees for His First Samford Signing Class

Samford’s new coach John Grass opened his tenure by announcing 13 signees in his first signing class, a group that mixes high-character in-state talent with regional pickups designed to fit his immediate recruiting footprint. The official Feb. 4 release lists seven offensive players and six defensive players, though two names from the full class were not present in the excerpts available to this report.

The class includes several players with concrete production and measurable upside. Daniel Burns, from Benjamin Russell High School, was named second team All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association and helped his squad to a 12-2 record and a 6-0 showing in region play. Safety Owen Hope of Plainview High compiled eye-popping playoff rushing totals despite being listed at 6-3, 180; Hope rushed for 232 yards and four touchdowns in a playoff win over Alexandria and added 110 yards and two touchdowns in another playoff victory over Good Hope en route to a state semifinal appearance. Defensive tackle Brock Hupp, a 6-5, 270 prospect from Venice Senior High in Florida, totaled 91 tackles and seven sacks as a senior in 2025, earned All-Area honors, captained his team and helped lead back-to-back 7A state championships. Receiver Kevonte Corbin (5-10, 160) and offensive lineman Shawn Kennedy (6-3, 315) are also listed among the signees with size and background noted in the release.

Earlier in the day that Grass was formally introduced, Samford’s early signing activity included six high school prospects: wide receiver Cayden Aukerman of Page High (Franklin, Tenn.), offensive lineman Beau Ball of Carrollton High (Carrollton, Ga.), defensive backs Corrion Tyson of Minor High and Lawson Estes of Milton High (Ga.), linebacker Walker Turner of Enterprise High, and tight end Maddox Waller of Sequoyah High (Canton, Ga.). Those names appear to be part of the 13 announced, but the supplied excerpts leave two signee slots unnamed.

Grass frames this class as the opening act of a cultural reset rooted in alignment with Samford’s stated values and regional recruiting. He said the move was driven by university alignment and its Christian mission: “I think it's one of the few Christian universities across the country that still has Jesus at the front door. That means something to me.” Grass called his Clemson experience formative, praising Dabo Swinney as “the best in the business,” and described Samford as a homecoming: “It's good to be home. I'm deep-rooted in the state and beyond. Excited to be back.” He set a clear bar for incoming players: “Don't come here if you don't want to go to school... and don't come here if you don't love football and you don't want to work.”

Grass inherits a program that went 1-11 last season after a coaching change late in the year. He has deep ties to the region - 22 years in high school coaching - and plans to focus recruiting inside a three- to five-hour radius around Birmingham. For Samford fans, the immediate takeaway is tangible: a signing class anchored by playmakers such as Hope and Hupp gives Grass roster pieces with proven production, while his stated cultural priorities and regional approach signal a rebuild aimed at both competitiveness and institutional fit. Next up will be integrating these newcomers into spring activities and completing confirmation of the two unsigned names and the full geographic breakdown of the class.