By Jason Pugh, Northwest State Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations

NATCHITOCHES — The Northwestern State football team announced on Tuesday the addition of three transfers with the Football Bowl Subdivision experience.

Head coach Brad Laird welcomed linebacker Jordan Banks, defensive end Miles Dickens and running back Kolbe Burrell to the fold of the Demons, whose first spring training was moved by the weather from Tuesday to Wednesday after- midday.

“We had the opportunity to add three players with prior college experience, and these players will help us continue to fill the gaps as we prepare for the 2022 season,” said head coach Brad. Laird, whose fifth season at the helm of his alma mater begins Sept. 4 in Montana.

“Jordan Banks comes from an Arizona State program where he got a lot of knowledge from NFL-related personnel, Miles Dickens was part of an emerging program at Georgia State, and Kolbe Burrell was in a similar situation in Buffalo. These three young men will help make us a better team in 2022.”

Banks, a 6-foot-2, 235-pounder, played in seven games over two seasons at Arizona State.

With the Sun Devils, Banks appeared in three games as a true rookie in 2020, recording three tackles and intercepting one pass against Arizona.

A five-star recruit from Narbonne High School in Los Angeles, Banks was the 8th national inside linebacker prospect in his recruiting class and the 17th freshman in California. In his final two seasons at Narbonne, Banks recorded 128 tackles (30 for loss) and 15 sacks in 20 games.

A versatile athlete, Banks also added five pass deflections, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries — including one he returned for a touchdown — in those two seasons.

Dickens comes to Natchitoches after spending two seasons at Georgia State.

A 6-3, 247 pounds, Dickens was a three-sport standout in high school, playing football and basketball and doing track and field at Deerfield Beach High School and Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida.

Dickens was a 247Sports.com three-star composite recruit after helping lead Deerfield Beach to a 13-2 mark as a senior and a Class 8A semi-final berth. As a junior, Dickens produced 15 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback dispatches, nine sacks and two pass deflections. He clocked 22.4 200 meters as a sophomore 230-pound track athlete.

Burrell spent two seasons at Buffalo before coming to NSU.

The 5-foot-9, 200-pound Burrell was a three-time All-Catholic League selection at St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia and received honorable mention All-American honors from USA Today.

Burrell, a four-year-old letterman, rushed for 3,273 yards and 44 touchdowns and was the offensive player of the game in Pennsylvania’s 2019 Class 6A state championship game, rushing for 190 yards in the Hawks victory in the title game.