John Tyler’s Rodney Bendy + Nick Cain Offered by ULM

What once was a 2015 John Tyler recruiting class void of offers is now beginning to pick up steam. The trend continued Wednesday when ULM offered both Rodney Bendy and Nick Cain, John Tyler coach Ricklan Holmes announced via Twitter.

Cain joins Bendy, who has committed to North Texas, as the only Lions in the 2015 class with at least on Division I FBS offer. In all, 25 East Texas prospects currently hold FBS offers.

Four other incoming seniors for JT hold FCS or Division II offers -- cornerback and Sam Houston State pledge Isaac Warren, quarterback and Central Arkansas commit Geovari McCollister, linebacker Jaylon Reese and athlete Jeremy Wilson.

Cain (5-10, 165), who starts at receiver and plays some quarterback on offense, is classified as an athlete who could potentially fill a variety of roles at the next level. Bendy (6-4, 180) is a tall and rangy receiver capable of breaking press coverage and becoming a large target in the red zone for quarterbacks.

Bendy and Cain are the third and fourth East Texans in the 2015 class to receive an offer from ULM, joining Canton quarterback Chandler Eiland and Canton defensive end Samuel Miller.

ULM had a successful relationship with the 2014 class from the area, signing four East Texas players in February -- Palestine running back Ben Luckett, Palestine offensive lineman Brian Thlang, Chapel Hill athlete Wesley Thompson and Chapel Hill defensive lineman Shaquille Warren.

The Warhawks compete in the Sun Belt Conference and went 6-6 overall and 4-3 in league play last season. ULM has non-conference games against Wake Forest, LSU, Kentucky and Texas A&M in 2014.

Bendy caught 28 passes for 361 yards and four touchdowns last season for John Tyler, while Cain led the team with 53 receptions for 884 yards and seven TDs as a junior. Cain also averaged 9.5 yards on 19 rushing attempts with three scores a season ago.

Both Bendy and Cain will be key members on the gridiron this fall for JT, which returns a bevy of playmakers from last season's District 16-4A runner-up and bi-district finalist.

The Lions, who will face Plano, Longview and Tyler Lee in non-district, will compete in the new 16-5A this season along with Corsicana, Ennis, Jacksonville, Lindale, Lufkin, Nacogdoches and Whitehouse.

2015 John Tyler Football Players With Offers

• Rodney Bendy, WR, 6-4, 180 -- committed to North Texas (FBS; additional offer from ULM (FBS)
• Nick Cain, ATH, 5-10, 165 -- ULM (FBS)
• Geovari McCollister, QB, 6-3, 200 -- committed to Central Arkansas (FCS)
• Jaylon Reese, LB, 6-0, 215 -- Tennessee State (FCS)
• Isaac Warren, CB, 6-1, 187 -- committed to Sam Houston State (FCS); additional offers from Grambling State (FCS), Northwestern State (FCS), Tennessee State (FCS)
• Jeremy Wilson, ATH, 5-7, 160 -- Southern Arkansas (D-II)

2015 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Jarion Anderson, WR, Texas High, 5-9, 167 – offer from Tulsa (1)
• Rodney Bendy, WR, John Tyler, 6-4, 180 – committed to North Texas; additional offer from ULM (2)
• Kris Boyd, ATH, Gilmer, 6-0, 180 — offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Cal, Florida State, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (13)
• Nate Brooks, DB, Whitehouse, 6-0, 150 — offers from Louisiana Tech, North Texas (2)
• Nick Cain, ATH, John Tyler, 5-10, 165 -- offer from ULM (1)
• Key’Vantanie “KeKe” Coutee, ATH, Lufkin, 5-10, 160 — offers from Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Tulsa (4)
• 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, 210 – committed to Louisiana Tech (1)
• Chandler Eiland, QB, Canton, 6-1, 186 – Offer from ULM (1)
• Roney Elam, CB/S, Newton, 6-2, 175 — offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (10)
• Jeff Gladney, ATH, New Boston, 6-0, 174 – offer from North Texas, Northern Illinois, Rice, Texas State, Tulsa, UTSA (6)
• JaMycal Hasty, RB, Longview, 5-9, 181 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Houston, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (8)
• Kevrin Justice, RB, Kilgore, 5-11, 180 — committed to Houston (1)
• Jaylon Lane, CB, Nacogdoches, 6-2, 185 — committed to Oklahoma State; additional offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Boise State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia State, Houston, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, 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 (37)
• Blake Lynch, QB/ATH, Troup, 6-3, 193 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Clemson, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, TCU (6)
• Daylon Mack, DT, Gladewater, 6-1, 311 – committed to Texas A&M; additional 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 Tech, USC (21)
• Terry Mark, WR, Lufkin, 6-1, 180 — committed to Houston (1)
• Erik McCoy, OL, Lufkin, 6-4, 297 — offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Kansas, North Texas, Oklahoma State, ULL (6)
• Samuel Miller, DE, Canton, 6-3, 220 – offers from Houston, Memphis, Nevada, North Texas, Oregon State, Texas State, ULM, UTSA (8)
• 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)
• Kyshaun Smith, S/LB, Tatum, 6-1, 185 — offers from Houston, Memphis, Texas State (3)
• Javon Thomas, RB, Texas High, 6-2, 195 – offer from Navy, Rice, Toledo, Tulsa (4)
• Jackson Tyner, QB, Edgewood, 6-5, 220 – committed to Rice (1)
• Broderick Washington, OL, Longview, 6-3, 285 — offer from Arkansas State, Houston, New Mexico, North Texas, ULL, UTSA (6)
• Matthew Weeks, OT, Tyler Lee, 6-5, 260 — offer from SMU (1)