NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Merrimack College football head coach,
Dan Curran, announced a 20 newcomers for his class of 2023 on Friday. The class features four transfers and 16 high school seniors. Curran, who has been a staple on the DMV recruiting scene for a number of years grabbed seven players from the area. Merrimack will also be bringing in three recruits from its home state of Massachusetts.
The Warriors finished last season with an 8-3 record, which tied the program record for wins. Merrimack reached the Northeast Conference championship game against Saint Francis (PA). Curran and his squad received votes multiple times in the FCS Football Coaches Poll. The Warriors will return 18 out of their 22 starters next season.
Brendon Wyatt - 5'11 – 195 – RB - DeMatha Catholic
1st Team All WCAC junior and senior year. Held 16 Division I offers including FBS Schools Maryland, Temple, Charlotte, Umass as well as FCS schools Holy Cross, UNH, Monmouth, and Fordham.
Coach Curran Quote: "Brendon is an explosive back who was super productive the last two years in one of the best high school football conferences (WCAC) in the country. Brendon's vision and ability to make defenders miss will give him a chance to develop into an elite back at the next level"
Bryce Warrick - 6'0 – 295 – DL - Springfield Central
1st Team All State performer for Massachusetts state power Springfield Central. Held offers from Sacred Heart and Stonehill.
Coach Curran Quote: "I believe Bryce is hands down the best defensive lineman in the state. He was an absolute force up front for Coach Watson's squad the past two years and he always seemed to play his best in the biggest games. Bryce has an unbelievable get off for an interior defensive lineman and plays the game the way it was meant to be played. Kid is a perfect fit for our culture."
Brandon Smith - 6'2 - 305 – OL - DeMatha Catholic
1st Team All WCAC junior and senior year. Held offers from Duquesne, Elon, Delaware State, Stonehill, LIU, Saint Francis.
Coach Curran Quote: "Brandon was a dominant offensive lineman at DeMatha Catholic the past two seasons playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. Has great athleticism as an interior offensive line and excels at getting movement at the point of attack in the run game. True student of the game who is probably one of the more technical offensive linemen we have seen on film in quite some time. Will have an opportunity to make an impact early because of his physical development and ability to play all three interior spots on the offensive line.
Markeith Hogan - 6'0 – 210 – LB - Gonzaga College Prep
Team Captain who was a 1st Team All WCAC performer junior and senior year. Recruited by UPenn, Columbia.
Coach Curran Quote: " Markeith is a natural leader and a tremendous student athlete who will be a great fit in our defensive scheme. Has excellent instincts and was an accomplished high school track athlete that has elite speed and range for the linebacker position. Has all the tools to be a three down linebacker at the college level.
Matthias Latham - 5'10 – 190 - RB/S - Central Catholic
Team Captain and 3x All Conference Performer, 2x All Scholastic for one of the top programs in the state of Massachusetts. Held an offer from Stonehill and New Haven.
Coach Curran Quote: "Matthias has been one of the best two way players in the state for the past two years. All purpose back that will be able to excel at the college level because of his ability to run, catch, and block out of the backfield. Matthias is just a flat out football player that can impact a game in so many different ways.
Deandre "Juice" Ricks - 5'11 – 180 – DB - DeMatha Catholic
All Conference Performer for WCAC power DeMatha Catholic. One of the top sprinters in the state of Maryland in both the 100 meters and 200 meters. Held offers from Coastal Carolina and Morgan State.
Coach Curran Quote: "Deandre was a prospect we identified early in the process that we were excited about because of his ability to excel playing man to man which is perfect fit for our defensive scheme. He has all the tools to be an elite corner at the next level with his length, speed, and competitive toughness. As good of a high school career as Deandre has had our staff believes his best football is still ahead of him and we are excited to have the opportunity to coach him the next four years."
Cidney Johnson - 6'4 – 230 – DL - St Paul (MD)
All Conference, All Region performer who lead his conference in sacks. Held offers from NC Central and Delaware State.
Coach Curran Quote: "Cidney is a big, long, athletic edge defender who has a chance to develop into an elite pass rusher at the college level. He is a heavy handed kid who plays with a great motor and always seems to find the football. Our staff is excited about Cidney's ceiling and we feel he has the chance to be a special player at the next level.
Austin Palmer - 6'2 – 205 – WR - Bishop McNamara
Leading receiver and 1st Team All WCAC performer junior and senior seasons. Held offers from Saint Francis, Uconn, Delaware St, and Towson.
Coach Curran Quote: "Austin was another player we identified early in the process that we were excited about. He is a big strong kid with tremendous ball skills and we believe he is going to develop into a nightmare matchup on the perimeter for opposing teams defensive backs."
Paris Lenon - 6'2 – 190 - Hybrid S/LB - Williston Northampton
All Conference performer for Coach Beaton at Williston. Originally from AZ. Paris is a first cousin of junior defensive end Nick Lenon. Held offers from Stonehill and Marist.
Coach Curran Quote: "Paris is a long, rangy defender that has tremendous upside. He is an intelligent kid who has the athleticism to run with Tight Ends and Slot Receivers but also length and physicality to set the edge in the run game. Paris will be a great fit in our defensive scheme and Coach Gennetti will do a good job of utilizing all the different skill sets that he brings to the table."
Sean Mercuri - 5'11 – 215 – LB - Central Catholic
Team Captain, 2x All Conference performer and 2x All Scholastic performer for powerhouse Central Catholic. Older brother Michael was a Team Captain and All New England performer for Merrimack football in 2019. Held offers from New Haven and Assumption
Coach Curran Quote: "Sean is a physical, downhill defender who displays great short area explosiveness and a nose for the football. He was a super productive two way player for Coach Adamopoulos excelling as both an inside linebacker and running back. But what stands out the most when watching Sean on film is the toughness that he competes with which makes him a perfect fit for our program's culture."
Jalen McDonald - 5'11 – 180 – WR - Gonzaga College Prep
Team Captain and 2x 1st Team All WCAC. In addition to being the Gonzaga's top receiver Jalen also excelled in the return game as both a punt return and kick return. Jalen's Uncle Julius Jones (Seahawks/Cowboys) was a teammate of Coach Curran in Seattle. Held offers from Toledo, Lehigh, Georgetown
Coach Curran Quote: "Jalen is the definition of an all-purpose receiver making an impact as both a receiver, returner, and in the run game off Gonzaga's jet package. Jalen has some suddenness to his game and does a great job creating separation from the defender at the top of the route. He also excels with the ball in his hands breaking tackles and making defenders miss after the catch. I think Jalen's versatility and his ability in the return game will give him an opportunity to make an early impact."
Tavon McGee - 6'1 – 210 – RB - Baltimore Poly Tech
2x All Conference and All Region performer. Held offers from Morgan State, Fairmont State, Frostburg State.
Coach Curran Quote: "Tavon is what our staff likes to call a tone setter... He is a big, violent, downhill RB that fits our offensive scheme very well. It's rare to see a running back with is size have the top end speed and lateral movement that he possess...Tavon has all the tools to be a big time running back at the next level."
Amir Johnson - 6'3 – 305 – OL - East Coast Prep
This Burlington, New Jersey native was East Coast Prep's top offensive lineman in his Post Grad year. Held offers from Central Connecticut State., Shippensburg, and Edinboro.
Coach Curran Quote: "The first thing that stands out on film when watching Amir is his athleticism. He has tremendous feet and good lateral movement for his size. He also does a great job in the run game at getting movement at the point of attack. Amir has an unbelievable amount of potential and our coaching staff believes the sky is the limit for him as he continues to develop."
Anthony Aviles - 6'3 – 290 – OL - Depaul Catholic
Two year starter and 1st Team All-Conference Performer for State Championship team. Held offers from Marist, LIU, and Shippensburg
Coach Curran Quote: "Anthony is a big, athletic offensive lineman coming out of one of the top programs in NJ. He is an ultra-physical kid who plays with a mean streak. Anthony has the frame and the necessary skill sets to develop into a combo guy where he could make an impact at both Tackle and Guard. Kid loves the game and you can see it when watching him on film...his competitiveness and toughness will make him a great fit in our program."
Seth Sweitzer - 5'10 – 185 – WR - Choate School
All-Conference performer for Coach Spinnato in his post graduate year at the Choate School. Was a two sport standout (football and lacrosse) during high school career Daniel Hand High School (CT). Held offers from Central Connecticut State and Columbia
Coach Curran Quote: "Seth was one of our first offers in this recruiting class. We liked his film out of high school and had the opportunity to have him on campus for a prospect day before his Post Grad year at Choate and he blew the staff away. He had everything you look for in a wideout; polished route runner, good ball skills, and he is a great competitor. Seth's versatility and toughness will no doubt make him an impact player at the next level."
Transfers
John Griffth - 6'1 - 205 - QB - Maryland
Originally from national power St Frances Academy (MD) where he was a three-year starter for #2 team in the country. Has four years of eligibility left after redshirting last year at Maryland.
Coach Curran Quote: "John was a prospect our staff was familiar with when coming out of high school because of our relationship with Coach Messay and the St Frances Academy program which is one of the best in the country. He is a true duel threat with the ability to beat with his arm and his legs. More importantly he is a big time competitor who is a flat out winner and will be a great addition to Coach Rosenbaum's QB room.
Beau Lanzidelle - 6'5 – 305 – OL - Rutgers
Originally from the Hun School in NJ where he was an All-Conference performer.
OL Coach at Rutgers (Augie Hoffman) was a teammate of Coach Curran in New Orleans. Has three years of eligibility left.
Coach Curran Quote: "Beau is big strong offensive lineman who has the ability to play both Tackle and Guard. His college positional coach was a former teammate of mine and he raved about Beau's football IQ and toughness and thought he would be a great fit for our program and our culture. I believe Beau will have the opportunity to compete for playing time next fall."
Collin Heard - 5'9 – 180 – Nickel - Colgate
2x Team Captain and All Conference Performer in the Patriot League. Originally from Michigan. Has one year of eligibility left.
Coach Curran Quote: "The staff was looking for a veteran defensive back who could potentially play multiple roles in our defense and make an impact on special teams and Collin was the prospect we felt was the best fit both from a skill set standpoint and from a culture standpoint. He is a twitchy defender who we believe can play corner and our nickel position covering opposing team's slots. He is also a high character kid who will bring some experience to that room and hopefully provide some leadership as well."
Jabari Echols - 6'0 – 185 – DB - Maine
Former Mount St Joseph (MD) standout started four games for the Black Bears. Was a high school teammate of junior defensive lineman
Tyler Leavy. Has three years of eligibility left.
Coach Curran Quote: "Jabari was a player we recruited out of high school before he committed to Maine. He is a long, athletic corner who excels in man to man and will be a great fit for our defensive scheme. We think Jabari has a chance to develop into a very good cover corner."
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