Tuesday Recruiting Roundup: Marshall’s Mitchell Leonard, Jauque Kuykendall Commit + More

Unsurprisingly, a flurry of recruiting activity happened Monday as National Signing Day approaches Wednesday.

Two Marshall seniors -- receiver Mitchell Leonard and athlete Jauque Kuykendall -- informed ETSN.fm of their commitments. Leonard has pledged to Tarleton State, while Kuykendall is headed to Texas A&M-Commerce.

Leonard led Marshall in all three major receiving categories with 33 catches for 640 yards and five touchdowns. Kuykendall notched a 1,000-yard season on the ground with 1,010 yards and nine touchdowns on 137 carries. He also caught 12 passes for 97 yards and one score and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. The duo played a big role for first-year head coach and Marshall native Clint Harper, who led the Mavs to their first playoff berth since 2010.

Liberty-Eylau quarterback Rashaan Donelson is another Division II-bound East Texan after Network Athletics alerted ETSN.fm on Monday to Donelson's commitment to Tarleton State. The 6-foot, 187-pounder completed 66 of 137 passes for 1,114 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 2013 before suffereing a season-ending leg injury in early October. He also rushed for 216 yards and one touchdown on 49 carries.

Donelson also holds offers from Navy (D-I FBS), Alabama A&M (D-I FCS), Arkansas Tech (D-II), Henderson State (D-II), Northeast Mississippi Community College (D-I JUCO), Highland Community College (D-I JUCO), and Wayland Baptist (NAIA).

Carthage running back Tevin Pipkin, who recently committed to Kilgore College, told ETSN.fm that he has switched to Tyler Junior College, which may give him the opportunity to continue playing running back rather than moving to the secondary at cornerback.

Pipkin is the career rushing leader at Carthage with 5,465 yards. He ran for 2,113 yards -- the sixth 2,000-yard season in Carthage history -- in 2013, when the Bulldogs went 15-1 and won the Class 3A Division I state championship, their fourth crown in six seasons.

One of the nation's top Division III programs got two commitments from East Texas players.

Carthage center Cade Clinton, who was recently offered by JUCO D-I program Navarro College, visited UMHB and committed to the Crusaders, who went 13-1 this past fall and lost 16-15 in the national semifinals to eventual D-III champion Wisconsin-Whitewater. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Clinton was recently named to the first team of the ETSN.fm 2013 East Texas Super Team after helping Carthage to the 3A D-I state title and a school single-season record 721 points.

Clinton will join Big Sandy quarterback/athlete Travis Willoughby, who also committed to UMHB. The 6-foot, 185-pound Willoughby could potentially play quarterback or receiver for the Crusaders, who have gone 50-4 in the last four seasons.

White Oak running back/linebacker Riley Lakin will sign Wednesday with North Texas for track and field. Lakin led the Roughnecks in rushing with 1,807 yards and 25 touchdowns on 300 carries. He also caught three touchdown passes for White Oak, which finished 13-2 and reached the state semifinals for the first time since 1970.