Release as of 2:05 p.m. Pacific time on 12/20/2021

Officially Eagles.
 
A total of 10 players will join the Eastern Washington University football program and play for the Eagles next fall, head coach Aaron Best announced on the first week of the early signing period (Dec. 15-20). The list includes eight high school players, all of which inked National Letters of Intent, plus transfers from Nevada and Idaho.
 
Among the signees are four players from Washington, four from California, one from Oregon and one from Colorado. Upon hitting the recruiting trail, Coach Best and his staff honed in on building relationships with an eye for those who are focused on football and their academics.
 
"We're football junkies and academic junkies, that's our main focus. To kind of emphasize what we believe in, your on the field work is usually as consistent or inconsistent as your off the field work, so we look for guys who are studious in the classroom, play multiple sports, are coached by different people and come highly-recommended in a lot of different arenas," said Best. "We want ball junkies who want, and are serious about, playing ball at the highest level possible and not looking at college athletics at a nationally renowned program as a recreational sport. To do that, you have to do a lot of homework, which we have."
 
Among the signees are two wide receivers, three offensive linemen, a corner back, two safeties and two linebackers. The linebacker position was where Best and his staff placed a larger focus on.
 
"We wanted length, we wanted athleticism and we wanted guys with position flexibility. There are arguments for some players on both sides of the ball, which is a good argument to have going into a class that we're going to sign. We knew it wasn't going to be a huge class based on the information we got from our seniors with COVID eligibility left," added Best. "We were meticulous, we were methodical, but we also were also very specific in positions of need. The big need was at linebacker with losing four players in Ty Graham, Jack Sendelbach, Jusstis Warren and Cale Lindsay. We knew we were going to lose a lot of veteran players that have played a lot at that position, with two of them being highly-qualified veteran leaders on this team. That was a high, high, position of need and the one that stuck out position wise. Outside of that, we wanted to plug a few holes that we may have lost due to graduation."
 
The newest Eagle additions include Bryce Brown-Johnson (Altadena, Calif. / Orange Lutheran HS), Seth Carnahan (Sumner, Wash. / Sumner HS '17 / Idaho), Drew Carter (Lake Stevens, Wash. / Lake Stevens HS), Dylan Conner (Orange, Calif. / El Modena HS), Jaelin Green (South Seattle, Wash. / Rainier Beach HS), Justis La'ulu (American Samoa, Vista Ridge HS), Amani Pressley (Sacramento, Calif. / Inderkum HS), Elijah Rodriguez (Richland, Wash. / Richland HS), Lamin Touray (Mission Hills, Calif. / Bishop Alemany '17 / Nevada) and Miles Williams (Happy Valley, Ore. / Clackamas HS).
 
"It won't be a huge class as long as our players feel like they are steadily improving here on the field, off the field, and with the relationships we've built as coaches and players. I don't think for the next four-or-five years we'll be in the mid-twenties as far as signing classes go if we do it right in terms of experience for our student-athletes," concluded Best.
 
A full list of EWU's 2022 early signees and bio information is below.

2022 Eastern Washington Early Signing Class (as of Dec. 20, 2021)
 

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown / Previous School
Bryce Brown-Johnson	S	6-1	170	Altadena, Calif. / Orange Lutheran HS '22
Seth Carnahan	OL	6-6	298	Sumner, Wash. / Sumner HS '17 / Idaho
Drew Carter	S	6-2	185	Lake Stevens, Wash. / Lake Stevens HS '22
Dylan Conner	OL	6-5	270	Orange, Calif. / El Modena HS '22
Jaelin Green	WR	6-5	185	South Seattle, Wash. / Rainier Beach HS '22
Justis La'ulu	OL	6-3	295	American Samoa / Vista Ridge HS '22
Amani Pressley	CB	6-1	175	Sacramento, Calif. / Inderkum HS '22
Elijah Rodriguez	LB	6-1	210	Richland, Wash. / Richland HS '22
Lamin Touray	LB	6-0	235	Mission Hills, Calif. / Bishop Alemany HS '17 / Nevada
Miles Williams	WR	6-0	180	Happy Valley, Ore. / Clackamas HS '22

 
Pronunciations:
Justis La'ulu: Like "Justice" La-Ooh-Loo
Lamin Touray: Law-Men Too-Ray
 
Bryce Brown-Johnson | S | 6-1 | 170 | Altadena, Calif. | Orange Lutheran HS
 
Coach Aaron Best on Brown-Johnson: "Bryce sticks out as a two-way player. He plays on offense, defense and can factor in with the return game if needed. He's moved around between safety and corner and is a multi-dimensional player that can fit into our system in the safety role with coach Zach Bruce. He is a play-maker at the end of the day and has a nose for the football, he's physical when he gets there, and has length on top of all of the non-physical talent he possesses. I'm excited about him, he's an Orange Lutheran kid and we've had success at that school previously. It's a great program that has notoriously won a lot of games, so he's from a program rich with winning tradition and he's going to be prepared for the college game."
 
HS: Listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports… Played both wide receiver and defensive back at Orange Lutheran High School… In just four games during the 2020-21 season, he recorded 27 total tackles, 21 of which were solo, averaging 6.8 tackles per game to go with four quarterback hurries…. In 2021, he had 79 total tackles and two interceptions, helping Orange Lutheran win a Division II CIF Championship… Also competes on the track and field team.
 
Personal: Born on July 23, 2004… Parents are Apryl Brown and Christopher Johnson… Intends on majoring in performing arts with aspirations of becoming a singer and an actor… Nickname is Hollywood or B Nice.

Seth Carnahan | OL | 6-6 | 298 | Sumner, Wash. | Sumner HS '17 | Idaho
 
Prior to Eastern Washington: Did not play football until his junior year of high school… Played predominately at left tackle… Was a starter for two seasons where Sumner went 22-2… Also played basketball and was a member of the Seattle Rotary Style team… Redshirted his first season at Idaho in 2018… Played in 10 games on the offensive line as a redshirt freshman in 2019… In the shortened spring of 2021 season, he appeared in five games… Played in eight games in 2021, including the game at Eastern Washington on Oct. 16… In all, appeared in 23 games in a Vandal uniform. 
 
Personal: Born on May 19, 1999 in Renton, Wash… Parents a D'Arcy and Spencer Carnahan… High school coach at Sumner High School was Keith Ross… Wants to major in communications at Eastern Washington.
 
Drew Carter | S | 6-2 | 185 | Lake Stevens, Wash. | Lake Stevens HS
 
Coach Aaron Best on Carter: "Drew is one of those guys that a few of our coaches were arguing about. He's one of the best football players that we saw on film, period, whether it's someone we were going to bring in or not. He plays on both sides of the ball and is from a winning tradition at Lake Stevens High School and very well coached. He is a high school camp kid that we've been fortunate enough to get an up close and personal look at. Especially from a team camp setting, we've seen him play on both sides of the ball. He's an extraordinary athlete, a great teammate and student, and he has a lot of memories to make in his future in terms of what he can do on and off the field."
 
HS: Was coached by Tom Tri at Lake Stevens High School where he will graduate in 2022… Also ran track and played basketball at Lake Stevens… Spent four years as a starter at safety and the last two at wide receiver… Listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports… Helped the Vikings advance to the 2021 WIAA 4A State Championship where they fell to Graham-Kapowsin after a season that saw them finish 11-1 overall and 4-0 in Wesco play… The Vikings also finished runner-up in 2018… As a junior, he had 32 catches for 657 yards and 11 touchdowns… Named 4A First Team All-Wesco Defense in 2021.
 
Personal: Born on Nov. 14, 2003… Parents are Brianna and Joe Carter… Nickname is DC… Plans on majoring in business at Eastern Washington.
 
Dylan Conner | OL | 6-5 | 270 | Orange, Calif. | El Modena HS
 
Coach Aaron Best on Conner: "In the recruiting process, we are highly-motivated as coaches by student-athletes who want to come to Eastern and aren't just feeling out the recruiting process. We want them to feel a connection to the staff, to the players, to the city, to the school, to the department, and to the team. He was one of those guys. When he came up on an unofficial visit, he certainly perked up after a lot of the conversations he had with people who were here on campus. He saw himself here. We need length and athleticism and that's what stood out on film. We pushed that arena more in recent years, being more athletic upfront on the offensive line world. We have some really good young players, but he has a great career ahead of him. I wouldn't say he is new to the game, but he's new to the position and we can't wait to see his work once he gets coached in the college setting here at Eastern. I emphasize that he wants to be an Eagle, he looks forward to being an Eagle, and we're excited to get him on board."
 
HS: Was coached by Matt Mitchell at El Modena High School in Orange, Calif., where he will graduate in 2022 and also competed on the track and field team… In 2021, he led the Vanguards to the semifinals of the CIF playoffs… Named Second Team All-Crestview League in 2020.
 
Personal: Born on Feb. 4, 2004 in Irvine, Calif… Parents are Christine Awadallah and Robert Conner… Intends on majoring in business at Eastern Washington.  

Jaelin Green | WR | 6-5 | 185 | South Seattle, Wash. | Rainier Beach HS
 
Coach Aaron Best on Green: "We have a great connection with Coach Sampson and company at Rainier Beach High School. He's a long, athletic, big catch radius receiver. He's a little bit like Freddie Roberson. I'm not comparing them, but there are similarities where he has the base level to be a really good football player with a ton of college prep. He's played in one position, and under the tutelage of our coaches here, we think he can be a phenomenal receiver. He's a state of Washington guy and we approach the state of Washington first. We're lucky, he got offered by multiple schools early on but some of that went to the wayside as the recruiting process developed. We stood by Jaelin, and from day one we told him the importance of what he means to us. Not only on the field, but off the field, and he gets to play with some former high school teammates and he's excited about that. He has a huge upside, he's new and raw to the position, but we're all about development. We're not about plug and play, we develop. There's an appreciation for the moment once you get on the field and play a ton of snaps, and I think he's one of those guys that you'll hear from on the field on Saturdays sooner rather than later."
 
HS: Was coached by Corey Sampson at Rainier Beach High School in the 3A Metro League where he will graduate in 2022…. Listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports… Listed as one of the top-25 players from Washington for the class of 2022 by MaxPreps… Guided the Vikings to a 6-4 overall record with a 3-2 mark in Metro League play in 2021 where Rainier Beach advanced to the WIAA State 3A quarterfinals… Earned First Team Offense Metro Mountain All-League team as an outside wide receiver as a senior… Also played basketball at Rainier Beach.
 
Personal: Born on Feb. 17, 2004… Parents are Anetria and Eugene Green.
 
Justis La'ulu | DT | 6-3 | 295 | American Samoa | Vista Ridge HS
 
Coach Aaron Best on La'ulu: "Justis is of those players we were very excited about early and got more excited about as we recruited him. Huge smile, huge presence, and can play on both sides of the ball in terms of offensive line or defensive line. With the minimal numbers, this came down to the last three to four weeks where we had holes that were filled already by players who had said they were going to come here. Justis was one of those players who coaches were arguing about in a good way. When you spend a lot of time on recruits, that usually bodes well for recruits in the long term. He has a great family and is one of those guys that saw himself as an Eagle. When he had the opportunity to become an Eagle, he took advantage of that the moment the opportunity was presented. He'll start out and play offensive line for us and we're excited about that opportunity. Coach Jase Butorac is excited because initially we were thinking defensive line, but we maneuvered back to offensive line. He is one of those players who is going to make the weight room, locker room, practice field, and ultimately the program better. We set our sights on Justis early and he fell in love with us just like we fell in love with him, and we're excited about him bringing more than just the football aspect to the team because he has a presence that is certainly rare to most."
 
HS: Was coached by Mike Vrana at Vista Ridge High School where he'll graduate in 2022… Also competed on the wrestling and the track and field teams… Was named 2021 First Team All-4A Southern Conference… Named Second Team All-State in 2020… Was an academic honor roll student in 2020… Named the 2019 Trench Player of the Year… Helped the Wolves finish 7-4 overall and third in the 4A Southern League with a 3-2 record… Led Vista Ridge to the quarterfinals of the Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) playoffs in 2021… Listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports… His junior season saw him total 19 tackles including a team-high 5.5 for a loss… Recorded 10 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, 59 total tackles, nine tackles for loss and 11 pancake blocks during his time at Vista Ridge.
 
Personal: Born on Oct. 29, 2003 in Colorado… Parents are Laura and Toasefulu Jr. La'ulu… Plans on majoring in sports medicine at Eastern Washington with aspirations of becoming a personal trainer… Nickname is BooBoo.
 
Amani Pressley | CB | 6-1 | 175 | Sacramento, Calif. | Inderkum HS
 
Coach Aaron Best on Pressley: "At the corner position, we knew we were going to go after one, max. And in that one, coach Allen Brown and the defense talked about them having to be special. Amani was recruited by a fair amount of people and he talked to a ton of people, but going back to the relationship piece, the connection between Coach Brown and Amani just won the day. At the end of the day, he did his homework on Eastern, Coach Brown, our program and the relationship they built early on. We were honest up front that we were only going to take one corner, but we weren't going to go after the wrong one, we were going to go after the best one and we found that in Amani. We're excited about him choosing Eastern as his destination after high school."
 
HS: Was coached by Reggie Harris at Inderkum High School in the Capital Valley Conference where he will graduate in 2022… Earned three letters at Inderkum High School… Was listed as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports… Earned a spot on the 2020 Capital Valley All-Conference team… Inderkum finished 5-5 overall and 3-3 in Capital Valley play in 2021… Pressley has also played wide receiver, hauling in 215 yards with four touchdowns in 2021, averaging 17.9 yards per catch.
 
Personal: Born April 26, 2004 in Inland Empire, Calif.… Parents and Erin and Marlin Pressley… Intends on majoring in construction management or business at Eastern Washington… Has aspirations of working in a major management position for a construction company or real estate when he graduates… Nickname is A Prez.
 
Elijah Rodriguez | LB | 6-1 | 210 | Richland, Wash. | Richland HS
 
Coach Aaron Best on Rodriguez: "Elijah is a local kid who comes from a program that has traditionally won. He's been on campus multiple times, and connectivity matters in the recruiting process. The more you reach out to them, the more they reach out to you, and the more they visit, the more interested they are, and Elijah was one of those guys. Elijah's brother is a pretty good hockey player, they travel a ton and sports is in the family in terms of knowing what it takes to commit and sacrifice. Elijah knows a fair amount of players on our team from around the area. He will help us provide depth in the linebacker position, which is something that we coveted from the get go. We've seen Elijah up close and personal and we have developed a deep relationship with him, he felt this was the best spot for him to grow the most after high school."
 
HS: Was coached by Mike Neidhold at Richland High School where he earned three letters in both football and wrestling… Named second team All-Mid-Columbia Conference at defensive back as a sophomore and first team All-MCC on the defensive line and as a running back as a junior and a senior… Placed third at the Mid-Columbia Conference wrestling tournament… Listed as a two-star recruit by 247 sports… Helped the Bombers return to the state playoffs since 2018 when they won the 4A state title.
 
Personal: Born on Oct. 30, 2003… Parents are Liz and Russ Rodriguez… Wants to become a teacher with aspirations of playing sports professionally, teaching and owning a small farm… Nickname is E.

Lamin Touray | LB | 6-0 | 235 | Mission Hills, Calif. | Bishop Alemany HS '17 | Nevada
 
Prior to Eastern Washington: Graduated from Bishop Alemany High School in 2017 where he was a four-year letterwinner in football… Earned first team All-Mission League as a junior after totaling 103 tackles, four interceptions and a pass break up… Was listed as a three-star recruit on 247 sports… Played at Nevada for three seasons after redshiriting his freshman year… Saw minimal time as a redshirt freshman, but played in 12 games with 18 tackles that included six solo as a sophomore… In 2020 as a junior, he played in eight games with 30 tackles, a sack, 3.5 tackles for loss plus an interception… Competed in Nevada's bowl game, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, where he had an interception and returned it for 17 yards… Played in 11 games his senior season, making 23 tackles, 14 of which were solo… Had one tackle for loss, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup… Had a season-high five tackles against Boise State… In 32 total games with the Wolf Pack, he totaled 71 tackles, 37 of which were solo, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery and an interceptions.
 
Personal: Born on Feb. 4, 1999 in Los Angeles, Calif…. Parents are Kira Craig and Lamin Touray… Intends on majoring in sports and recreation administration at EWU with aspirations of working in injury research.
 
Miles Williams | WR | 6-0 | 180 | Happy Valley, Ore. | Clackamas HS
 
Coach Aaron Best on Williams: "Miles is a student of the game and is very serious about his craft. His end all be all is to find the best fit for him, his family and his game and relationships had a lot to do with it. Coach Pat McCann was instrumental in the recruitment of Miles. He is a player who asks a ton of questions, and a ton of specific questions in regards to the program and the position. He comes from a rich-winning tradition at the high school level. He knows how to win which is something that gets overlooked at times, teaching and preparing players to win and how to believe and prepare. He's been there and done that. It was going to be a light class in the receiver group like most positions. We identified him early and his relationship with us won the day. He had multiple opportunities but felt like this was the best place for him. Let's be honest, he loves to throw the ball and we love to throw the ball, so that was a big attraction to him. Knowing that there are going to be a ton of opportunities throughout his career to do what he does best and that's to run pristine routes, to get open in tight spaces, to catch the ball and then get up field after the catch. He's going to be a good one. He's eager to catch the ball, put an Eagle uniform on, and make plays."
 
HS: Was coached by James Holan at Clackamas High School in Clackamas, Ore., where he will graduate in 2022 and currently has a 3.95 GPA… Listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports, ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the state of Oregon in the 2022 class… Competed in the 6A Mt. Hood Conference where he played football all four years and was a three-year varsity starter… Helped the Cavaliers finish the 2021 season 10-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference and advance to the 6A OSAA State Playoffs in 2021 and 2019... As a senior, he hauled in 687 yards on 31 receptions and scored 12 touchdowns… 2021 First Team All-Mt. Hood Conference as a wide receiver and a kick returner… 2021 All-State Honorable Mention as a wide receiver (The Oregonian)… 2019 Honorable Mention All-Mt. Hood Conference as a wide receiver… Received Clackamas High School football awards including 2021 "The Chain" award and Scholar Athlete award, 2019 Rookie of the Year, and 2018 Co-Offensive Freshman Player of the Year… Competed on the track and field team as a freshman and a senior… Is the Clackamas High School freshmen record holder in the 200-meter, 400-meter, and long jump… Placed third in the 200-meter at the 2019 Mt. Hood Conference Track and Field Championships.

Personal: Born on Oct. 8, 2003 in Tualatin, Ore… Parents are Lisa and Michael Williams… Intends on majoring in business at Eastern Washington.