Class of 2027 - Part VI

We're into the weekend (hope you're enjoying yours) with the next slate of future Hobart College Football Statesmen. It's usually at this point where I am learning about these new recruits the same time you are.

Malakai Lee LB Berkshire School (MA)

Berkshire has been a solid student athlete feeder school to HWS for decades. The latest being LB/FB Malakai Lee. He has great closing speed as a tackler and looks like a tough runner between the tackles also. You'll see what I mean when you check out his highlight reel. 

Evan Gallagher LB Cicero North Syracuse HS (NY)

Another new name from just down the NYS Thruway is Cicero North's Evan Gallagher. He looks like a potential "Mike" ILB but lists himself as an OLB on his Hudl profile. As you'll see in his senior year highlights, he scrapes and tackles well. 

Brian Sappington DB Kent School (CT)

Brian is coming to Hobart via another "feeder" prep school in Kent (where my cousin and her husband work so I'm always a fan of these kids). Brian looks like a strong cover corner with good field vision and a knack for picking off opposing QBs. 

Adekunle Fakorede DL The Pingry School (NJ)

A traditional NG, Adekunle Fakorede should get some opportunities early on in his collegiate career given Hobart's rotational system. Based on his highlight reel Adekunle is a run stopper and big man in the middle of the DL.

Nick Gaffney RB Ward Melville HS (NY)

Another intriguing recruit out of "Strong Island" Nick Gaffney has deceptive speed and plays much bigger than 190 lbs. He helped Ward Melville to the State Finals while racking up a lot of rushing yards along the way. You can check out his highlights here.

That's now 30 new Statesmen in the Class of 2027. With May 1st being the traditional deadline for college acceptance decisions coming in, we may need to wait a few more days to see who else signs up to become a Statesmen. 

More to come.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Class of 2027 - Part V

It's been a busy week with all of these recruiting updates, but we're trucking right along with the next batch of five future Statesmen football players.

Luke Monteyne PK DePaul Catholic HS (NJ)

The second specialist of the Class of 2027 will be Luke Monteyne who we first met back in the beginning of March.  I've seen a number of videos of his kicking prowess on Twitter, so I'm looking forward to seeing how Luke does in what should be a solid competition for kicking duties this fall.

Nathaniel Teska-Prince DL Syracuse ITC (NY)

Nathaniel (who also goes by Nat) was the very first commitment of the Class of 2027 that I was able to find. He's a big and physical DL that could compete for time in the rotation early in his college career. 

Juan Setalsingh DB Kipp Academy Lynn Collegiate (MA)

Here's a new recruit and school that I'm not familiar with, but whose highlights  have me excited. Juan appears to be a ball hawk (10 INTs his SR season) and hard-hitting safety who simply makes plays. He has good size (5' 10" and 185 lbs.) and could be in the mix for playing time early in his career.

Callum Letters QB McMahon HS (CT)

You know you're getting old when your home state has high schools playing football you've never heard of. Callum was the QB for McMahon HS which is in the southwestern part of the state in Norwalk. Based on his highlight reel, Callum passed for nearly 1400 yards and 12 TDs his senior year. With good size (6' 4" 190 lbs.), Letters will be another solid add to the QB competition this fall.

Caleb Nicholas RB Amherst HS (NY)

A third new recruit will wrap up this group as nearby Amherst HS RB Caleb Nicholas looks like a great addition to the Class of 2027. He set a school record with 1,697 rushing yards and scored 21 TDs his senior season! You can see his highlights here. 

25 down but it looks like we'll have more updates over this weekend so stay tuned.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Class of 2027 - Part IV

Rolling right along, here are the next fab five newly minted Hobart College Football Statesmen joining the Class of 2027.

David "Duke" Charles LB St. Paul's School (NH)

The second future Statesmen out of the state of NH may have the best nickname for a Hobart player in some time. I had some fun with that back when I posted about him in March. "Duke" looks like yet another fantastic LB which has become a staple of the Hobart defense. 

Ethan Haust OL Baldwinsville HS (NY)*

I posted about Ethan previously also and it's interesting he's listed via his HS, because I was pretty certain he was a transfer* from Merrimack College (NH) based on his social media profile. Nonetheless, Haust looks like a great addition in what's shaping up to be an excellent OL group in this year's FY class.

Grant Murphy DE/OLB North Quincy HS (MA)

We met Grant just a few weeks ago and while he's a bit undersized to play DL in college, I could see him be an impact OLB/SS type of player in Hobart's defensive scheme. He gets to the QB quickly and is a solid tackler. I'm curious to see how he is utilized in the Statesmen system. 

Jack Ligarzewski LB Kellenberg Memorial HS (NY)

Jack was the last incoming recruit I had found and posted about prior to the schedule release and these announcements coming out. Like Murphy, I could see Ligarzewski being utilized as an OLB in Hobart's defensive backfield. 

E.J. Taylor RB Solon HS (OH)

The Statesmen haven't traditionally enrolled many players out of OH, but I can see why they went after E.J. He is an explosive runner with excellent field vision who could be an impact player down the road for Hobart. 

20 down and probably a dozen or more to go in the Class of 2027. I'll have another update tomorrow.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Class of 2027 - Part III

We're back with another group of 5 future Statesmen football commits! HC Kevin DeWall '00 continues to introduce us to what's shaping up to be a very strong Class of 2027. 

Without further ado, here's the next crop of Hobart College Football student athletes headed to Geneva this fall:

Hunter Vos DL North Hunterdon HS (NJ) 

The second commit out of NJ looks like a strong pass rusher and run stopper in North Hunterdon HS DL Hunter Vos. I did not have him on my radar, but the highlight clip that accompanied this tweet from today was pretty impressive. DL is a need for Hobart so no surprise that the coaching staff is bringing in a player like Vos. 

Mark Bentley QB Tilton School (NH)

The second QB prospect is the first student athlete out of NH, as Tilton HS QB Mark Bentley will look to compete in Hobart's young but talented QB roster. We originally met Mark back in mid-March and as we reported then, it looks like he was a sought-after prospect. I'm looking forward to seeing how he progresses in the Hobart system. 

Zachary Spataro OL Governor's Academy (MA)

I think I see a trend developing with OL recruits out of the NEPSAC. Never hurts to have big and smart guys blocking up front. Zach is another student athlete I did not have on my radar, but he looks like a strong road grader that should fit in well with Hobart's running game plans. 

Tanner Jaquay TE/DE Litte Falls, NY

We met Tanner back at the end of March and he's an intriguing addition as a TE or DE. He brings a lot of leadership skills and appears to be an outstanding (4.0 GPA) student. I definitely am curious to see how his career develops at Hobart.

Zeshaun Dixon WR/DB Hamilton West HS (NJ)

The third recruit from the "Garden State", is Zeshan Dixon, who we met back in March also. He's a lanky and versatile player who can contribute on both sides of the ball. With good depth in the DB and WR corps, Dixon will have to work hard to stand out, but certainly has the skills and potential to make a name for himself at Hobart. 

Thanks again for reading. Will have the 4th round of new Statesmen posted tomorrow!

Go 'Bart!

Class of 2027 - Part II

We continue with Day 2 of HC Kevin DeWall's tweets announcing the incoming class of new Hobart College Football recruits. 

Starting us off is a familiar face in:

Tru Styles QB St. Mark's School (MA)

We met Tru on the last day of February, and he's as promising a QB prospect that will look to compete in a young and talent corps this fall preseason. With a strong endorsement of Statesmen great Devin Worthington '14, Styles is definitely a Statesmen to keep an eye on.

Luke Stephens WR Bronxville HS (NY)

A future target for Styles, and the first Statesmen recruit I wasn't able to identify on my own (there will be a lot more of those to come), Bronxville's Luke Stephens looks like a big and tall (6' 4") "possession" receiver who can separate and make plays. Here's a nice little overview of him by "Frank's Film Room", a HS recruiting YouTube channel. 

Ruston Bennett OL Taft School (CT)

A second big and strong OL out of the NEPSAC will be heading to Hobart in Taft's Ruston Bennett. We met Ruston back in February also. He looks like a solid prospect who will look to add depth to an OL unit that needs to elevate 3 new starters this fall. 

Nick Benasutti WR / RB Red Hook HS (NY)

Another potential offensive (but I'm thinking maybe defensive) back prospect, Nick Benasutti is coming to Hobart from Red Hook HS. Based on stats I found, he rushed for 778 yards and 3 TDs his SR season at RHHS. He also caught 9 passes for 164 yards, so he's certainly a versatile athlete who can contribute in multiple ways. 

Donjuan McGee DL Westside HS (GA)

Back in March we found out that Hobart got a rare commit from the state of GA. While it's been a challenge for HWS to hang onto players from the Southeast over the years, we have seen guys like Kieran Hamilton '23 and others stay the course. McGee looks like a strong DL/DE prospect, who has quick feet and is an able pass rusher. 

That's it for today's group. We're 10 recruits into the Class of 2027, roughly a third of the way. I am looking forward to meeting some more new faces tomorrow. 

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Class of 2027 - Part I

 I hope everyone had a great weekend. I was really happy for Statesmen Football alumni Tyre Coleman '15, Ali Marpet '15 and Shawn Mizro '07 on being inducted into the Hobart Hall of Fame on Saturday night. 

A group of several great Statesmen were also honored in their respective sports, including Harold Draffen '75 (lacrosse), Keith Longo '09 (hockey), Kevin Martin '81 (lacrosse), Scott Petosa '80 (lacrosse), Rob Pisanelli '00 (basketball), Head Hockey Coach Mark Taylor, and Jeffrey Thon '77 (football/baseball). 

This was a great celebration of the past, but today we will be looking to the future, as it's that time of year when HC Kevin DeWall '00 formally begins introducing the next class of Hobart Football student athletes. Coach took to twitter this morning and will throughout this week (and carrying over into the weekend depending on how large this Class of 2027 ends up being) announce the newest class of Hobart commitments. 

Without further ado, let's meet the newest Statesmen:

Tyrese Taylor OL Canterbury School (CT)

We first met Tyrese back in February. He seems like a big addition to the OL and with three starters having graduated, this position group will have one of the more intriguing preseason camp competitions for the 2023 season. 

Desmond Imafidon WR/RB Susan Wagner HS (NY)

We few days before I posted about Tyrese, we met Desmond. He was a triple option QB in HS but will likely convert to either an RB/WR or DB in college. What he may lack in size he makes up for with speed. I'll be curious to see how he develops in Coach DeWall's system.

Aidan Punch PK Briarwood Christian HS (AL) 

One of this class's most interesting finds is Aiden from all the way down in AL. He also committed back in February and will look to compete for playing time with only two other PKs on the current roster. 

Dean Aquilina TE/DE Chaminade HS (NY)

Back to the big men, and Dean Aquilina fits multiple needs as a strong TE/DE prospect out of one of Hobart's best recruiting grounds, "Strong" Island, NY. I noted his versatility and ability in a prior post and will be interested to see how he develops (my guess is competing in the DL group). 

Tim McKeever TE/DE Summit HS (NJ)

McKeever was one of the first commits to this class as we noted in early February and like Aquilina checks several boxes of need of for the Statesmen. Big and athletic, McKeever will be a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses if he plays on the offensive side of the ball. He can also rush the passer, but I like him to play TE. Guess we'll see soon enough.

All five of these student athletes look like great additions to the Hobart program. I'm excited and curious to see who's next tomorrow and the rest of the week. 

More to come! Go 'Bart!

Kellenberg's Ligarzewski Commits to Hobart

Like I said yesterday, with May 1st rapidly approaching, we should be seeing more commits into the Hobart College Football Class of 2027. The latest is yet another LB out of "strong island", one of the Statesmen's most reliable sources of football talent.

Kellenberg Memorial HS (Uniondale, NY) SR LB Jack Ligarzewski took to twitter last night to announce that he's "110% COMMITTED to Hobart College! Thank you to everyone who has helped me along this process especially my family, friends and coaches. Onto the next chapter. #GoStatesmen".

A rangy, but tough 6' 185 lbs. player, I could see Jack fitting in well at the OLB role at Hobart. You can see from his highlights that he has a nose for the football, great closing speed and is a sound tackler.

Please join me in welcoming Jack and the extended Ligarzewski family to the Hobart College Football one!

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

North Quincy's Murphy Commits to Hobart

It's been quiet on the recruiting news front lately, but with May 1st rapidly approaching, we should be getting a better look at who will be part of the Hobart College Football Class of 2027.

The latest addition looks like it's North Quincy (MA) HS SR DE/TE Grant Murphy (see below, on the left). Grant took to twitter to announce that he's "Thrilled to be 100% committed to @HobartFootball -want to thank HC @Coach_DeWall and DC @CoachGreenBart for their faith in me. I am truly blessed to have this opportunity. BIG thanks to @coachcraignq @NQFootball and all my coaches and NQ family for their support. Can’t Wait!!"

Murphy is 6' 3" and 190 lbs. and will likely need to bulk up to adjust to the college level. That said he does have quick feet and a knack for getting to the QB based on his highlight reel. Given his academic stats listed on his twitter handle, he'll be a great fit at HWS in the classroom. 

Please join me in welcoming Grant and the extended Murphy family to the Hobart College Football one!

Thanks as always for reading the blog and go 'Bart!

2023 Schedule Released!

Hobart College Football HC Kevin DeWall '00 tweeted out the below graphic, announcing the Statesmen's 2023 regular season schedule, earlier this morning:

Not much has changed from prior years, with the Alfred University Saxons remaining as the Week 1 OOC season opener. The Week 2 and home opener will be against the Morrisville Mustangs in a bit of a revenge game for Hobart after what happened in 2022.

The bye week comes earlier this year with no Week 3 game. Week 4 Keystone returns to Geneva, probably as the Homecoming / Family Weekend opponent (actually looks like that will be in Week 9, a much later weekend than usual).

Week 5 sees the Statesmen travel to Ithaca then coming home for a Week 6 matchup against Buffalo State. Week 7 continues the home stand against upstart Hilbert College, who's in their second year as a varsity program (in 2022 they played 7 games in their inaugural D3FB season).

Week 8 features the always heavily anticipated game between Hobart and Union, Week 9 and 10 the Statesmen will host SLU and RPI (which will serve as Senior Day and one of the latest seasonal matchups RPI and Hobart have had in quite some time).

Week 11 will be on the road at Rochester for the annual Centennial Cup game. 

Overall while this could be considered a "weaker" schedule than Hobart has had in recent years, the conference realignments and matchups left the Liberty League out on an island. Credit Keystone and Hilbert for keeping and throwing their collective hats in the ring. Regardless, the LL schedule will be a daunting one as Ithaca and RPI are expected to return a lot of players from last year, once again. 

Hopefully I'll be able to make one of these games this fall. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!