It was a proud day across the Coastal Empire (Southeast Georgia) as local high school seniors made their college dreams official on National Signing Day.
Inside gyms and media centers, players sat beside their families and coaches, signed their paperwork, and locked in the next step of their academic and college athletic careers. Years of hard work led to this moment.
What They Are Signing Now
There is one big change families need to understand.
Starting with the 2024–25 school year, NCAA Division I no longer uses the old National Letter of Intent (NLI). That document is gone.
Now, Division I athletes sign an Athletic Grant-in-Aid or Financial Aid Agreement directly with the college.
In simple terms, here is what that means:
It is a one-year scholarship agreement between the athlete and the school.
It secures the athlete’s financial aid, just like the old NLI did.
Once it is signed, other schools are no longer allowed to recruit that athlete.
National Signing Day still exists, but the form is different.
This change makes the agreement more direct. It is now between the college and the student-athlete, and it is legally binding for one academic year.
Division II schools still use the traditional National Letter of Intent as of late 2024.
So the celebration still looks the same hats on the table, family behind them, cameras flashing but the paperwork has changed.
Below is a list of Coastal Empire athletes who signed, organized by school in alphabetical order, with their college and sport.
Benedictine Military School
Joshua Washington — University of New Hampshire — Football
JoJo Sutton — Johnson C. Smith University — Football
Photo courtesy Amy Zimmerman WJCL Sports Director— (l-r) Joshua Washington and JoJo Sutton.
Effingham County High School
Daimir Hicks — University of Alabama at Birmingham — Football
Photo courtesy News Reporter Frank Sulkowski, WJCL — Left to right: Effingham County Head Coach John Ford and Daimir Hicks.
Jenkins High School
Ahmontae Crawford — Dodge City Community College — Football
Ja’saiyah Boatright — Dodge City Community College — Football
Dominique “Domo” Johnson — South Carolina State University — Football
Aujshawn Izzard — Johnson C. Smith University — Football
Joshua Woodley — Savannah State University — Football
Calvin Wallace — Wingate University — Football
Photo courtesy Dennis Knight, Savannah Morning News — Top row, left to right: Ahmontae Crawford, Ja’saiyah Boatright, Dominique “Domo” Johnson. Bottom row, left to right: Aujshawn Izzard, Joshua Woodley, Calvin Wallace.
New Hampstead High School
Cory Smith — Savannah State University — Football
Jaden Caldwell — Hutchinson Community College — Football
Rylee Kelley — Ohio Dominican University — Football
JaMauri Williams — Carson-Newman University — Football
Photo courtesy News Reporter Dave Williams, WJCL — Left to right: Rylee Kelley, Cory Smith, JaMauri Williams and Jaden Caldwell.
Savannah Christian Preparatory School
Jurrell “JT” Howell Jr. — Jacksonville State University — Football
Cardin Patrick — Voorhees University — Baseball
Chase Boyer — South Georgia State College — Baseball
Britton Yount — Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute — Baseball
Photo courtesy SCPS Athletic Department — Left to right: JT Howell , Cardin Patrick, Chase Boyer, Britton Yount.
Savannah Country Day School
Hayes Beaver — Brown University — Football
Photo courtesy Savannah Country Day athletics — Hayes Beaver
Windsor Forest High School
Jayden Thomas — South Carolina State University — Football
Photo courtesy Windsor Forest High School football — Jayden Thomas center signing.
National Signing Day is still about opportunity. It is still about preparation meeting the right moment. The paper may look different, but the goal is the same — earn a scholarship, get a degree, and compete at the next level.
Note: Information on athletes signing per schools and players social media posts. As regarding NCAA Division I signing changes were sourced from NCSA College Recruiting.
Photos courtesy SCPS Athletic Department, Windsor Forest High School football, Dennis Knight (Savannah Morning News), and WJCL Sports Director Amy Zimmer and reporters Dave Williams and Frank Sulkowski.
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