Story and photo by Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

College of the Canyons team captain and all-conference offensive lineman Azad Markosian has signed with Austin Peay State University, as the class of signees from the Cougars’ 2019 football program continues to grow.

Austin Peay State University is an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program located in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Governors compete in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Markosian, who transferred to COC for his sophomore year, earned the distinction of serving as one of the Cougars’ four team captains in what was another conference championship year for Canyons. He is the first transfer player in the program’s history to serve as a captain.

Primarily starting at right guard, Markosian’s play earned 2019 Southern California Football Association (SCFA) National Division, Northern League First-Team honors.

The offensive stalwart out of Hoover High School helped Canyons average 458 yards of total offense and 38 points per game. Included in those numbers were 26 rushing touchdowns with another 32 coming through the air. Additionally, COC quarterback Armani Edden took home conference Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Canyons (9-3, 4-1) ended its 2019 season in the SCFA Southern California Championship Game with a loss to eventual state champion Riverside City College.

Markosian is the latest in a growing list of players from the 2019 Cougars football team that have committed to four-year programs this spring. COC defensive lineman Aurion Peoples (Arkansas State University), outside linebacker Khalib Johns (Kent State University) and defensive end Benjamin Seymour (Montana State University) have each signed in recent weeks.

Also included in this year’s list of signees are running back Cayden Dunn (Northwestern State University), defensive back Jauqine Vukobradovich (North Carolina Central University), quarterback Armani Edden (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa), wide receiver Alonzell Henderson (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa), offensive tackle Kilian Zierer (University of Auburn), center Jordan Palmer (Middle Tennessee State University), kicker Tanner Brown (University of Nevada Las Vegas), defensive tackle Jack Schultz (Abilene Christian University), linebacker Tyler Richardson (Wagner College), safety Tre Vallar (Wagner College) and offensive tackle Kideam Diouf (Arkansas State University).

In all, more than 25 players have received and/or accepted offers from NCAA Division I programs, with that number continuing to grow.