By TAYLOR DENMAN

The Natchez Democrat

lorman — It’s been a busy week for Alcorn State head football coach Fred McNair.

McNair was promoted from interim head coach to the program’s head man on Tuesday, and his first full day as the head coach was on National Signing Day.

“Overall this whole weekend was kind of fun to me,” McNair said. “It was a challenge for me to make sure that the recruits that we’d gotten stayed committed.”

McNair said the turnover of Alcorn’s coaching staff did not affect the decisions of any prospects the Braves were signing.

“In the offseason I think we got what we needed, so I’d say this is going to be a good recruiting class for us,” McNair said.

Alcorn State’s recruiting class under its first-year head coach was a haul of 18 players. Five of Alcorn’s recruits are from Mississippi high schools, and the Braves’ staff also signed four players from both Texas and Florida.

McNair said the primary focus of this season’s class was focused on replenishing the offensive and defensive line.

Alcorn State’s 2016 class includes four offensive linemen and four defensive linemen.

“We needed some interior guys on defense and we needed interior guys of offense to replace they guys we lost there,” McNair said. “Over all I’d say we have a good class.”

The class features two quarterbacks, both from Georgia. Thaddeus Webb from Lakeview Academy is a big-bodied player at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Felix Harper, from Creekside High School is a 3-star recruit, according to 247 Sports composite rating, and threw for over 3,500 yards in his senior season is responsible for 50 touchdowns, leading Creekside to an 8-3 season. McNair said the pair of quarterbacks are a good foundation to build up future squads.

“It’s always good to have a nucleus so you bring in a quarterback or two to kind of gel and get used to the system that we’re running,” McNair said. “[We’re] just filling holes with recruiting, that’s the biggest thing.”