Football Bears Add Four in February Signing Period

SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State head football coach Bobby Petrino announced Wednesday (Feb. 3) the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent on the first day of the regular signing period for the fall 2021 season.

All four commits are high school seniors and represent four different states.

Committing to the Bears on Wednesday were:

• Gary Clinton, TE, 6-4, 240, Fr. Webb City, Mo. (Webb City High)
• Hess Horne, QB, 6-2, 180, Fr., Clayton, Ala. (Eufaula High)
• Lemondre Joe, DB, 6-0, 170, Fr., Deltona, Fla. (Mainland High)
• Sterling Smithson, DT, 6-3, 305, Fr., Stillwell, Kan. (Blue Valley High)

The quartet of football standouts joins 18 players who committed during the early signing period in December.

Capsules of the new additions are below:

Gary Clinton, TE, 6-4, 240, Fr. Webb City, Mo. (Webb City High)

Clinton averaged 18.7 yards per reception as a senior at Webb City (Mo.) High for a 12-2 team under coach John Roderique in 2020. He was named a first-team all-state player by the Missouri Football Coaches Association and was listed as a three-star prospect by ESPN and rated as a two-star standout by 247sports.com and Rivals. Clinton is a multi-sport athlete who was a three-year starter for the Cardinals and tallied 25 receptions for 448 yards and three touchdowns in his career. He was also a three-time academic all-state performer who was all-conference three years and all-district twice, while playing for two state championship teams. He held offers from Arkansas State, Army, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Western Illinois, SEMO and Eastern Illinois.

Hess Horne, QB, 6-2, 180, Fr., Clayton, Ala. (Eufaula High)

Horne is a consensus three-star quarterback who passed for a league-high 3,040 yards as a senior at Eufaula High in Alabama with 35 touchdown passes, a .629 completion percentage and just six interceptions. He helped coach Ed Rigby’s Tigers to a 9-3 season in 2020 and earned 6A all-state second team distinction.  As a junior, he was honorable mention all-state and was honored on the Dothan Eagle Super 12 list. For his career, he racked up 7,325 passing yards (215.4 per game) with 79 touchdowns over 34 games. He held an offer from South Alabama with interest from Auburn, Florida Atlantic and Mississippi State.

Lemondre Joe, DB, 6-0, 170, Fr., Deltona, Fla. (Mainland High)

A speedy defensive back, Joe earned all-area laurels as a senior for coach Brooke Wilson at Mainland High in Florida. He helped the Buccaneers to an 8-2 ledger in 2020 after breaking up 10 passes and snagging four interceptions. He had a 70-yard pick six in the Bucs season opener to lead his team to victory. He also participated in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 4×100-meter relay, 4×200-meter relay, and 4×400-meter relay in 2020 on the high school track circuit. He also held an offer from UT Martin.

Sterling Smithson, DT, 6-3, 305, Fr., Stillwell, Kan. (Blue Valley High)

Smithson is widely regarded as one of the top defensive linemen in the Kansas City metro area and helped Blue Valley (Kan.) and coach Allen Terrell’s Tigers to a regional championship run his senior season. He registered 45 total tackles in a shortened senior campaign with 37 solo stops and four sacks while earning all-state and All-EKL laurels. As a junior, he tallied 70 total stops with 45 solos for a sectional championship squad. He is listed as a two-star recruit from 247sports.com and four-star (out of six) by Six-Star Football. Smithson held offers from Illinois State and Akron.

#BearsUnite

Missouri State’s complete list of 2021 commitments:

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