Bryant Football welcomes 28 during signing periods
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant football head coach Chris Merritt is excited to announce the signing of 28 student-athletes during the two signing periods. The group includes 17 that will make up Class of 2028 and will join the Black and Gold in the fall, while 11 come to Smithfield as mid-year transfers.
High School Signees
Sterling Anderson - Heritage High School (Va.) - Wide Receiver
Azarel Juste - St. Anne Pacelli HS (Ga.) - Strong Safety
Maximus Nosler - Westfield High School (Ind.) - Tight End
Zyheem Collick - Snow Hill High School (Md.) - Wide Receiver
Anthony Schettino - Nassau CC (N.Y.) - Defensive End
Aden Smith - Winter Park High School (Fla.) - Offensive Line
Brennan Myer - Wakeland High School (Texas) - Quarterback
Ezra Carter - Loyola Blakefield (Md.) - Defensive Back
Shae Terry - Riverdale Baptist School (Md.) - Defensive Back
Elijah Brown - Varina High School (Va.) - Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
Drake Lusk - St. Augustine High School (Fla.) - Linebacker
David Postell - East Paulding High School (Ga.) - Offensive Line
Joshua Smith - Lakeland High School (Fla.) - Linebacker
Jayden Hazelwood - Evansville North High School (Ind.) - Defensive Line
John Lee Honorat - Golden Gate High School (Fla.) - Wide Receiver
Michael Nwaogwugwu - Gaithersburg High School (Md.) - Defensive Back
Markiel Cockrell - Northumberland High School (Va.) - Running Back
Mid Year Transfers
Xavier Belton - Monroe CC (N.Y.) - Defensive Tackle
Calil Doby - Cisco College (Texas) - Linebacker
Brayden Staggs - Northwestern State - Offensive Line
Dorian Helm - UMass - Strong Safety
Jon Fagley - Temple University - Offensive Line
Jarrett Guest - Coastal Carolina - Quarterback
Andrew Montez - Western Colorado- Wide Receiver
Jude Umunakwe - Monmouth University - Cornerback
Kaedric Cobbs - UTSA - Running Back
Cole Nilles - Air Force Prep - Linebacker
Kale Hauserman - Butler CC (Kan.) - Offensive Line
Incoming Freshmen
Sterling Anderson | WR | 6-1 | 195 | Newport News, Va./Heritage High School (Va.)
Will graduate from Heritage High School ... Named First Team All-Penisula District as a senior ... First Team All-State ... Second Team All-Region as a punt returner ... Posted a game with 235 receiving yards and two scores.
Azarel Juste | SS | 6-0 | 150 | Columbus, Ga./St. Anne Pacelli
Won state titles in football and basketball as a senior ... Named the GIAA Defensive Player of the Year as a senior ... Collected 33 tackles and had three interceptions.
Maximus Nosler | TE | 6-3 | 220 | Westfield, Ind./Westfield
Finished with 1,209 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns in final two seasons ... Named to the Senior 6A All-State team.
Zyheem Collick | WR | 6-0 | 170 | Snow Hill, Md./Snow Hill
Earned All-State honors as a senior ... Posted 27 catches for 782 yards and nine touchdowns ... Rushed for 451 yards and four scores ... Finished with 1,375 all-purpose yards.
Anthony Schettino | DE | 6-3 | 235 | Garden City, N.Y./Nassau Community College
Named a Second Team All-American at Nassau ... Posted 33.0 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 9.5 TFLs ... Graduated from Glen Cove High School.
Aden Smith | OL | 6-4 | 310 | Winter Park, Fla. / Winter Park
Named First Team All-Metro as a senior in 2023.
Brennan Myer | QB | 6-2 | 195 | Frisco, Texas / Wakeland
Named the 2021 5-5A DI Offensive Newcomer of the Year ... 2022 First Team All-District ... Named to the 2023 Texas Football 5A Super Elite Team ... Padilla Poll Coaches 5A Division I All-State ... Threw for 3,632 yards and 40 TDs as a senior ... Threw for 9,086 yards and 99 TDs in his career.
Ezra Carter | DB | 6-2 | 175 | Towson, Md. / Loyola Blakefield
Caught 51 passes for 585 yards and five touchdowns in his career ... Posted 16 catches for 231 yards and three scores in 2022 ... Posted three INTs, 1 FF and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Shae Terry | DB | 5-11 | 175 | Upper Marlboro, Md. / Riverdale Baptist School
Enjoyed a standout career at Riverdale Baptist School.
Elijah Brown | WR/DB | 6-2 | 175 | Richmond, Va. / Varina
Posted 52.0 tackles, 7.0 TFLs, 13 PBUs, 2 INTs, 1 FF and 1 FR as a senior in 2023.
Drake Lusk | LB | 6-1 | 191 | St. Augustine, Fla. / St. Augustine
Finished his career with 281.0 tackles and 52.0 TFLs ... Posted 85.0 tackles and 8.0 TFLs as a senior ... Also collected 3.0 sacks and four interceptions ... First Team All-News4Jax ... First Team All-County.
David Postell | OL | 6-5 | 275 | Dallas, Ga. / East Paulding
First Team All-Region selection as a senior.
Joshua Smith | LB | 6-2 | 220 | Lakeland, Fla. / Lakeland
Posted 113.0 tackles as a sophomore and a junior ... Collected 68.0 tackles in 2022.
Jayden Hazelwood | DL | 6-4 | 310 | Evansville, Ind. / Evansville North
Finished his career with 124.0 tackles ... Posted 50.0 tackles and 19.0 TFLs as a senior ... Also collected 12.0 career sacks.
John Lee Honorat | WR | 5-11 | 165 | Naples, Fla. / Golden Gate
Rushed for 1,293 yards over the last three seasons ... Also 64 catches for 952 yards in his career ... Posted 21 receptions for 372 yards and three TDs as a senior ... Rushed for 773 yards on 98 carries as a senior.
Michael Nwaogwugwu | DB | 6-0 | 160 | Gaithersburg, Md. / Gaithersburg
Posted 34.0 tackles in 2022 ... Also caught 17 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns in 2022 ... First Team All-State in 2023 ... Intercepted 6 passes and returned 3 for touchdowns ... 9 PBUs as well.
Markiel Cockrell | RB | 6-0 | 186 | Heathsville, Va. / Northumberland
Rushed for 1,435 yards and 26 TDs in 2023 ... Also caught 17 passes for 310 yards and four TDs ... Finished with 1,900 all-purpose yards and 32 total touchdowns ... Named to the Class 1 All-State Team ... Also earned All-Region honors as a running back and punt returner ... Also a two-time Track and Field State Champion.
Mid-Year Transfers
Xavier Belton | DL | 6-1 | 230 | Patterson, N.J./ Monroe CC
Appeared in 17 games over two seasons at Monroe CC ... Posted 63.0 career tackles ... Picked up 50.0 tackles, 11.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks in 2023.
Calil Doby | LB | 6-0 | 205 | Memphis, Tenn. / Cisco College
Comes to Smithfield after spending a season at Cisco College in Texas.
Brayden Staggs | OL | 6-4 | 300 | Cypress, Texas / Northwestern State
Appeared in 19 games over four seasons at Northwestern State ... Was NSU's top-graded offensive lineman in each of the teams first five games in 2023.
Dorian Helm | DB | 5-11 | 190 | Stone Mountain, Ga. / UMass
Appeared in 24 games in three seasons at UMass ... Collected 8.0 tackles and 1 fumble recovery.
Jon Fagley | OL | 6-3 | 290 | Philadelphia, Pa. / Temple
Played three seasons at Temple ... Made his collegiate debut against Navy ... Made his first-career start in 2023 at left guard against Tulsa.
Jarrett Guest | QB | 6-3 | 200 | Marietta, Ga. / Coastal Carolina
Appeared in 21 games during his career at Coastal Carolina ... Finished 80-of-127 for 1,243 yards, 10 TDs and 6 INTs ... Also rushed for 159 yards and two TDs ... Threw for 696 yards and seven TDs in 2023.
Andrew Montez | WR | 6-2 | 195 | North Las Vegas, Nev. / Western Colorado
Appeared in 25 games in three seasons at Western Colorado ... 47 catches for 584 yards and six TDs in 2023 ... Caught 24 passes for 365 yards and four TDs in 2022 ... Also posted a 60-yard rushing touchdown.
Jude Umunakwe | DB | 6-1 | 195 | Bronx, N.Y. / Monmouth
Appeared in 17 games during his career at Monmouth ... Posted 10.0 tackles and two pass breakups ... Played in 10 games in 2023, collecting 7.0 tackles.
Kaedric Cobbs | RB | 5-10 | 205 | Denton, Texas / UTSA
Appeared in 28 games during his career at UTSA ... Rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries ... Rushed for 34 yards on eight carries vs South Florida in 2023.
Cole Nilles | LB | 6-3 | 225 | Philadelphia, Pa. / Air Force Prep
Comes to Smithfield from Air Force Prep ... Enjoyed standout career at St. Joseph's Prep.
Kale Hauserman | OL | 6-4 | 295 | Clay Center, Kan. / Clay Center (Butler CC)
Appeared in two games at Butler CC.