John Tyler’s Jassavia Reese Commits To New Mexico State

One John Tyler Lions football player made his college choice Saturday, as senior defensive end Jassavia Reese committed to New Mexico State, he announced Sunday afternoon via his Twitter account.

The Aggies picked up one of the region’s most physically imposing defensive ends. Reese (6-4, 227) finished his senior season with more than 50 tackles. He also recorded four tackles for loss as well as six sacks.

Prior to the season, Reese ranked No. 1 among defensive linemen in composite testing at the ETSN.fm Football Recruiting Combine at the APEC training facility in Tyler.

The end is very quick and agile for his position. He ran a laser-timed, 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds and beat the next closest defensive lineman by about a full second in the ladder drill with a 13.09 time.

Strength wise, Reese dominated the Keiser squat with a combine-best 3,596 wattage output. The next closest defensive lineman, Longview’s Stacy Polk, hit 2,996 watts. He also recorded eight reps of 225 pounds on the bench press for a three-way tie for ninth place among all 114 players invited to the combine.

Reese is the third 2015 John Tyler recruit to commit to an FBS school, joining receivers Rodney Bendy (North Texas) and Nick Cain (ULM). Defensive back Isaac Warren is uncommitted, but holds offers from four programs -- Arizona State, SMU, Purdue and UTEP.

New Mexico State, located in Las Cruces, N.M., is a 780-mile drive due west of Tyler on Interstate 20 and subsequently Interstate 10 after the two highways merge near Kent, Texas.

The Aggies wrapped up the 2014 season with a 2-10 record, but they were competitive in most of their Sun Belt Conference games and narrowly fell to chief rival New Mexico 38-35.

If Reese signs with New Mexico State, he could travel to Gainesville, Fla., with the team for a game against Florida in the 2015 season-opener. The squad also has non-conference games with Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., Boston College in Boston, New Mexico and UTEP in the next calendar year.

Reese is the 23rd East Texas recruit in the 2015 class to commit to an FBS program. There are 10 other area players with at least one FBS offer.

The first day recruits can officially sign with their respective programs is Feb. 4.

2015 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Jarion Anderson, WR, Texas High, 5-11, 165 – committed to Tulsa (1)
• Rodney Bendy, WR, John Tyler, 6-4, 180 – committed to North Texas; additional offer from ULM (2)
• William Brown, DL, Texas High, 6-3, 259 – offers from Arkansas State, Texas State (2)
• Kris Boyd, ATH, Gilmer, 6-0, 180 — offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Cal, Florida State, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (14)
• Chaston Brooks, ATH, Tatum, 6-0, 183 – offer from New Mexico State (1)
• Nate Brooks, DB, Whitehouse, 6-0, 150 — committed to North Texas; additional offer from Louisiana Tech (2)
• Nick Cain, ATH, John Tyler, 5-10, 165 — committed to ULM (1)
• Key’Vantanie “KeKe” Coutee, ATH, Lufkin, 5-10, 160 — committed to Texas Tech; additional offers from Louisville, Oklahoma, Texas, Tulsa (5)
• Justin Dunning, S, Whitehouse, 6-4, 200 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt (11)
• Brandon Durman, LB, Tyler Lee, 6-2, 230 – committed to Louisiana Tech (1)
• Chandler Eiland, QB, Canton, 6-0, 178 – committed to ULM (1)
• Roney Elam, CB/S, Newton, 6-3, 175 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech (10)
• Jeff Gladney, ATH, New Boston, 6-0, 174 – committed to TCU; additional offers from North Texas, Northern Illinois, Rice, Texas State, Tulsa, UTSA (7)
• JaMycal Hasty, RB, Longview, 5-9, 181 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Houston, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (9)
• Tyrone Hunt, DE, Arp, 6-4, 230 – committed to UTSA (1)
• Marcalas Johnson, Arp, 5-10, 181 – offer from Colorado State (1)
• Kevrin Justice, RB, Kilgore, 6-0, 177 — committed to Houston (1)
• Jaylon Lane, CB, Nacogdoches, 6-2, 185 — offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Boise State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Houston, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Purdue, South Alabama, Syracuse, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, UCLA, ULL, Utah State, Wake Forest, Washington State (38)
• Blake Lynch, ATH, Gilmer, 6-3, 193 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Clemson, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, TCU (6)
• Daylon Mack, DT, Gladewater, 6-1, 330 -- offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC (21)
• Terry Mark, WR, Lufkin, 6-1, 180 — committed to Houston (1)
• Erik McCoy, OL, Lufkin, 6-4, 297 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Kansas, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oklahoma State, ULL (8)
• Samuel Miller, DE, Canton, 6-3, 220 – committed to ULM; additional offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Kansas State, Memphis, Nevada, North Texas, Oregon State, Texas State, UTEP, UTSA (11)
• Chett Munden, OL, Marshall, 6-6, 303 — committed to North Texas; additional offer from ULM (2)
• Larry Pryor, S, Sulphur Springs, 6-1, 185 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech (10)
• Jassavia Reese, DE, John Tyler, 6-4, 227 -- committed to New Mexico State (1)
• Kyshaun Smith, S/LB, Tatum, 6-2, 178 — offers from Houston, Memphis, North Texas, Texas State (4)
• Chris Spikes, WR, Jasper, 6-3, 175 — offer from Houston (1)
• Javon Thomas, RB, Texas High, 6-3, 211 – committed to Tulsa; additional offers from Navy, New Mexico, Rice, Toledo, ULM (6)
• Jackson Tyner, QB, Edgewood, 6-5, 220 – committed to Rice (1)
• Isaac Warren, CB/S, John Tyler, 6-1, 189 — offers from Arizona State, Purdue, SMU, UTEP (4)
• Broderick Washington, OL/DL, Longview, 6-3, 285 — committed to Texas Tech; additional offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico, North Texas, ULL, UTSA (8)
• Matthew Weeks, OT, Tyler Lee, 6-6, 274 — offer from SMU (1)