The 2012 Signing Class for the Georgia Southern University football team was all about building depth.

“The class is a large class, we are losing 22 seniors off the team and some key players — guys we are really going to miss,” head coach Jeff Monken said.

“With those positions that are being vacated, we tried to make an effort to fill those spots with young guys, as well as go heavy in some areas where we didn’t have as many as we like,” Monken said.

Coming off two back-to-back semi-final playoff appearances, GSU’s recruiting outreach has broadened, bringing in four players from South Carolina, seven from Florida and thirteen from Georgia.

“Last year’s recruiting class only had two guys, I think, from out of Georgia,” Monken said. “Now, we have more from South Carolina and Florida and it just so happened that, as we evaluated, they happened to be the guys ranked at the top of those positions.”

The Eagles signed a total of 24 players, adding depth and strength to every position, except special teams, which were left void by the record-setting placekicker Adrian Mora and punter Charlie Edwards.

However, most special team players, such as kickers, usually make the team as walk-ons and earn their scholarship over time.

“I feel like we got the right ones here for us at Georgia Southern,” Monken said. “We are anxious to get them here and develop those kids, and then get them ready to contribute to our success here.”

The team filled needs in the defensive secondary position with four defensive back recruits that now have the challenge of filling mighty big shoes left by graduating senior Laron Scott, among others.

Quarterback Jaybo Shaw’s graduation leaves an opening at quarterback, allowing players like Jerick McKinnon, Ezayi Youyoute and Prince McJunkins fighting for the new starting role. The current players didn’t deter Monken from signing three quarterback recruits — Matt Dobson from North Florida Christian High School/Monticello, Fla., Kevin Ellison from Habersham Central High School/Cornelia, Ga. and Vegas Harley from Mount Dora High School/Mount Dora, Fla.

“Hopefully the guys we signed at that position (quarterback) will be good enough athletes that if they aren’t the quarterback, they can line up somewhere else and contribute,” Monken said.

“Kevin Ellison ran our offense in high school from under center and will be very familiar with the mechanics, footwork and the reads,” Monken said.

“Matt Dobson is just a tremendous athlete, and was a high school state champion,” Monken said. “And, he led that football team. A good runner and a good thrower — we are really excited to get him in our program.”

“We battled even this morning on Vegas Harley,” Monken said. “Vegas was going back and forth between us and another school, and we are very fortunate he chose Georgia Southern. He played in a Border War all-star game in Valdosta (between Georgia and Florida high school athletes) and was the offensive player of the game for Florida.”

It’s hard to tell before spring and summer practice which arriving players will have the most impact in the fall 2012 season and beyond.

“We have guys on our team that played as true freshman each of the last two years, and some of those guys may not have been some of the guys I would have picked off the list,” Monken said. “We will find out when they get here what kind of condition they are in and what they can handle mentally.”

“There is a lot that goes in to that, none of them may make it onto the field as freshman,” Monken said. “Then again, we may see all of them.”