Here are the players Missouri State football signed during 2024 National Signing Day

Missouri State football added six players to its 2024 signing class on Wednesday during the traditional February National Signing Day date. Most of the players the Bears added to the 2024 roster were signed in December with a few more to be sprinkled out throughout the spring.

Highlights of the National Signing Day class include a backup quarterback candidate, another FBS transfer at wide receiver and a few high school freshmen.

Ryan Beard, heading into his second year as head coach, will likely need to add a few defensive linemen before the season starts. The current staff has been known to add through the transfer portal over the summer.

More: Here are the players Missouri State football added during 2023 early signing day

Thomas Anderson, DB, UNLV

Anderson is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound corner with two years of eligibility. He received offers from several Group of 5 programs, including Jacksonville State, James Madison, Buffalo, Western Michigan and others, when he hit the transfer portal after the season. He recorded 16 solo tackles and an interception last season as a junior.

Brock Bagozzi, QB, Marist

Bagozzi will join Missouri State as its presumed backup quarterback behind Jacob Clark. He's a 6-foot-2, 216-pounder who was named a 2022 All-Pioneer Football League Honorable Mention performer. He threw for 3,981 yards, 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in 25 appearances. He will step in for former backup quarterback Jordan Pachot who transferred following the season to Southern Utah. Pachot started eight games last season for the Bears after Clark went down with a season-ending shoulder injury.

Rakwan Reed, DB, Westbury (Houston)

Reed was one of the Bears' surprise signees on National Signing Day. He's a 6-footer who adds speed to MSU's secondary. The Bears didn't offer until late January when Reed was mainly receiving offers from Division II programs.

Da'Veon Ross, LB, Chapel Hill (Texas)

Ross is a linebacker who committed to the Bears in late January. Before picking MSU, he held offers from Arkansas State, Sam Houston, UNLV, Colorado State, several FCS programs, and a handful of Division II teams. Ross sprints for his high school track team and is listed at 6-foot, 205 pounds.

Devin Rutherford, DB, Bartlett (Nashville)

Rutherford is a three-star defensive back and return specialist out of the Nashville area. The three-time all-state performer held several Group of 5 offers, HBCUs and a handful of FCS programs out of high school. He's listed as a 5-foot-10 defensive back who was a sure tackler in the open field and one who could go up and come down with the football.

Jaquez Smith, WR, Indiana

Smith is the latest FBS wide receiver transfer to join the Bears, joining ones from Louisiana Monroe and NC State from the early signing period in December. Smith didn't see any game action when he was with the Hoosiers during his three seasons with the program, which included a 2022 season he sat out injured. ESPN and 247Sports ranked him as a four-star prospect out of high school with ESPN having him as the No. 26 receiver in his class.

December signees

• Jeron Askren, ATH, Maize South (Kansas)

• Ezra Ballinger, OL, (Northeastern Oklahoma Association of Homeschools)

• Jashawn Cooper, RB/LB, Loomis Chaffee (Connecticut)

• Rylan Henry, P, Warrensburg

• Elijah Leonard, QB, Lee's Summit North

• Alred Luke, WR, Louisiana Monroe

• Stewart McDonald, K, Logan-Rogersville

• Ryan Mitchell, OL, Marquette

• Chris Scott Jr., WR, NC State

• Logan Scrivner, OL, Francis Howell

• Hunter Talley, TE, Arkansas

• Elijawah Tolbert, LB, Eastern Illinois

• Eunique Valentine, LB, Butler Community College

• Camron Williams, WR, Gosnell (Arkansas)

• Iverson Young, RB, Montana

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State football National Signing Day 2024 players