ARKADELPHIA – The Ouachita Baptist University football team announced the addition of 36 student-athletes on Wednesday as a part of National Signing Day.

This class of 36 players will join the team for the 2023 season, when the Tigers will be seeking the program's 15th consecutive winning campaign. Ouachita finished 2022 at 11-1 overall with an undefeated regular season, the program's sixth GAC championship in the 11-year history of the league, and the program's fifth berth into the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Ouachita lost several key members from this past year's team to graduation, including three All-America selections. According to Tiger head coach Todd Knight, those positions were important when evaluating priorities heading into the recruiting season.

"We were faced with a challenge heading into the offseason knowing the caliber of student-athlete we needed to replace, but our coaching staff did a tremendous job in finding the right pieces that fit out program athletically, academically, personally, and spiritually," said Knight. "All of these young men are standout athletes, but are also great students and have potential to be great leaders."

Knight also acknowledged the role that current and former Ouachita football players have in the recruiting process. "Our guys do a good job of making Ouachita a desirable place to get an education and play football at a high level. They are great recruiters in the way they perform on and off the field. That really takes a lot of pressure off of us as coaches, and allows us to really focus on winning football games."

The 2023 signing class includes 34 from the high school ranks and two transfers from NCAA Division I schools. The Tigers inked 19 from the state of Arkansas, 15 from Texas, one from Tennessee, and one from Missouri. The position breakdown was nearly split down the middle with 18 on offense, 16 on defense, and two on special teams.