LORMAN — After signing 26 signees Wednesday, Alcorn State football coach Jay Hopson said he was pleased with his first signing class in Lorman.

“We pretty much got everyone we went after, save for a couple that went elsewhere,” Hopson said. “I thought athletically that it was a great class. It’s good to have that first recruiting class. It’s all about recruiting and building the program the right way.”

Sixteen of those 26 signees were from Mississippi, and three — offensive linemen Ronald Perry and Jeremy Toines and linebacker Corey Williams — were from the junior college ranks.

“We’re a Mississippi school, and we’ve had so many great Mississippi players over the years, so we’re trying to build a program with a lot of kids from Mississippi,” Hopson said.

Locally, Jefferson County High School defensive back Nicklas Brown inked with the Braves Wednesday, and Hopson said Brown was a good all-around athlete.

“I watched him play basketball, and he’s that kid that’s 5-foot-11, 6 feet that’s really fast and quick,” Hopson said. “He’s an all-around great athlete.”

It also helps that Brown is more than just a single-sport athlete.

“Anytime you can get kids that play a lot of different sports, there’s something to those guys,” Hopson said.

The biggest needs to be met were offensive linemen and tall receivers, which Hopson said this recruiting class helped meet.

“All three of our freshmen that we signed bench over 400 pounds, so we brought in a lot of athleticism,” he said. “We got some tall receivers, 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 guys, so that’s a big plus.”

With signing day over, Hopson said his attention will turn to next year’s signing class. He also said he’s ready for spring training, which begins March 19 and leads up to Alcorn’s spring game April 20.