Gulfport’s Derick Hall and TQ Newsome sign division I

Back in September, Auburn and Southern Miss went head-to-head on the gridiron with the Tigers prevailing 24-13. Somewhere, two Gulfport standouts were watching with separate vested interest as future division I signees of their respective programs.

This morning, Derick Hall and TQ Newsome made it official on the first day of the early signing period.

Nineteen division I offers later, it’s War Eagle for Derick Hall who battled with his decision right up until the moment he signed his national letter of intent with the Tigers. “It became Auburn really late, probably about what, two days ago? That’s when my family sat down and I was with Auburn, thinking about committing once before. But I just waited it out, and then God just led me to the right place.”

That place leaves his other finalists, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Florida and Florida State, all on the outside looking in. And with so many options on the table, Wednesday’s ceremony could have gone a lot differently, but the four-star linebacker knew he could only please just one. “It was a lot running through my mind. It was, it’s finally over. I think I made the right decision. Did I make the right decision? But I know you always go with your heart and I just prayed about it and God led me to Auburn. I mean I didn’t see really a point in getting all those hats and putting them on the table and all that. I just grabbed one hat, what I was going with and just rolled with it.”

TQ Newsome’s decision was a lot easier. The three-star running back gave his verbal pledge to Southern Miss back in June and that commitment was always black and white or rather black and gold. “Well, from day one they always made me feel like I was a part of a family. They made it feel like it was official so it’s really just confirming all of the technicalities out of the way, so I’ve been feeling like I was part of the family. I’ve been losing this school, the school has been showing me love. So it’s just a blessing for it to come out true, so now I’m officially a Golden Eagle. (Southern Miss.) To The Top!”

The last time Gulfport produced two division I football signees in the same class was 2015 where Jonathan Nance originally went to Southern Miss and Richaud Floyd went to Missouri.

Rounding out Gulfport’s class of 2019 is wide receiver Keeilan Thomas who signed with Pearl River Community College. Even though Zae Crain didn’t end up signing today, he’ll be doing so with East Mississippi a couple weeks down the road.