Wayne State College football coach Logan Masters announced the addition of 37 student-athletes Wednesday who are continuing their academic and football careers for the 2023-24 school year as part of National Signing Day.
The 2023 signing class consists of 33 high school student-athletes and four transfers who have already enrolled at Wayne State for the 2023 spring semester.
“It’s an exciting day for Wildcat football,” Masters said. “We are proud to announce the signing of this group of outstanding young men. Our staff did a fantastic job of going out and identifying young men that fit Wayne State and that are excited about “Playing for the Paw.” I want to thank President Rames, Mike Powicki and all of our athletic administration for giving us the resources to attract and sign some of the best student-athletes in the region. It takes a whole campus and community to bring in a recruiting class and the Wayne State community is second to none.”
A total of 26 of the 37 additions hail from Nebraska, followed by four each from Iowa and South Dakota, two from Florida and one in Maryland. Nineteen players were signed on defense bringing in eight defensive ends/lineman, seven linebackers and four defensive backs/safeties. Offensively, seven of the 18 recruits are seven wide receivers, four offensive linemen, two quarterbacks, two tight ends, two running backs and one kicker.
Wayne State finished the 2022 season with a record of 9-3 and earned a share of the Northern Sun Conference regular season title. The Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Div. II playoffs for just the second time in school history before falling to No. 19 Minnesota State 26-9 in the opening round. The nine-win season marked just the fourth time in school history that Wayne State football recorded nine wins.
Among the list of recruits are two Wayne High standouts, both wide receivers in Sedjro Agoumba and Alex Phelps.
Agoumba, who played only his senior year for the Blue Devils, is a multi-sport standout for Blue Devils in football, basketball and track and field. Last season, he earned All-District honors with 15 catches for 194 yards and one TD while recording 39 tackles (32 solo) with two interceptions on defense.
He also excels in basketball, helping Wayne reach the Class C-1 state tournament the last two seasons while leading team in steals and blocked shots. He was also a state qualifier last year in track and field, placing 10th in Class B in the 400-meter dash at 51.70 seconds. was Class B state qualifier as a junior in 400-meter dash placing 10th in 51.70 seconds. He has been selected to play in Northeast Nebraska All-Star Football Game in June.
Phelps has starred in football, basketball and track and field during his four years at Wayne High. This season, he had 40 receptioins for 671 yards and eight touchdowns, earning all-district and honorable mention all-state honors. He also had 54 tackles and returned 19 kicks for 399 yards and a touchdown. He was selected to play in the 2022 River Battle Bowl and will also be in the Northeast Nebraska All-Star game this summer.
In basketball, Phelps has been a key contributor to the Blue Devils’ last three trips to state, and he was also a state qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles as a junior in 2022.
Other student athletes signing letters of intent include:
Nebraska
Jackson Bos – Defensive End 6-2, 220 Norfolk / Norfolk HS
Tre’Vionne Brown – Wide Receiver 5-9, 160 Omaha / Omaha North HS
Ahmar Brown – Linebacker 6-0, 195 Omaha / Creighton Prep HS
J’Dyn Bullion – Linebacker 6-0, 255 Bellevue / Bellevue West HS
Eli Hintz – Defensive End 6-5, 230 Battle Creek / Battle Creek HS
Tanner Houck – Tight End 6-4, 215 Elkhorn / Elkhorn HS
Ty Keifer – Safety 6-1, 180 Omaha / Westside HS
Luke Lambert – Defensive Line 6-3, 275 Greenwood / Ashland-Greenwood HS
Barrett Luce – Offensive Line 6-4, 280 Omaha / Millard South HS
Blayke Moore – Linebacker 6-2, 200 Gretna / Gretna HS
Brayden Moore – Linebacker 6-3, 195 Gretna / Gretna HS
Elliott Nottlemann – Wide Receiver 6-2, 160 Bancroft / Bancroft-Rosalie HS
Titus Richardson – Defensive Line 6-1, 280 Fremont / Fremont HS
Nathan Schauer – Defensive End 6-3, 205 Lincoln / Lincoln Pius X HS
Iowa
Keaton Bonderson – Wide Receiver 6-0, 170 LeMars / Gehlen Catholic HS
Boston Hensley – Kicker 5-10, 165 Council Bluffs, Iowa / Lewis Central HS
Jes Krcil – Linebacker 6-1, 210 Carlisle, Iowa / Carlisle HS
South Dakota
August Anderson – Offensive Line 6-6, 285 Mitchell, South Dakota / Mitchell HS
Bennett Dannenbring – Quarterback 6-1, 205 Sioux Falls, South Dakota / O’Gorman HS
Austin McNulty – Defensive End 6-4, 215 Sioux Falls, South Dakota / Tri-Valley HS
Florida
Jarique Cooper – Defensive Back 5-11, 170 Port Orange, Florida / Spruce Creek HS
Jason Jones – Running Back 6-2, 200 Crestview, Florida / Crestview HS
Institutional Letters of Intent
Trevor Crisman – Defensive Back 6-2, 170 North Platte, Neb. / North Platte HS
Curt Cubrich – Running Back 5-11, 190 Omaha, Neb. / Westside HS
Hudson Cunnings – Linebacker 6-0, 200 Fremont, Neb. / Fremont HS
Mason Dixon – Offensive Line 6-1, 255 Norfolk, Neb. / Norfolk HS
Seth Gaswick – Wide Receiver 6-2, 185 Whtiney, Neb. / Chadron HS
Micah Hackbart – Wide Receiver 5-10, 170 Seward, Neb. / Seward HS
Dane Larsen – Running Back 5-9, 190 Blair, Neb. / Blair HS
Jacob Ottis – Defensive Line 6-1, 255 Battle Creek, Neb. / Battle Creek HS
Kaden Ternus – Quarterback 6-0, 165 Norfolk, Neb. / Norfolk HS
Transfers
Cory Hollinger – Tight End 6-5, 225 Osceola, Neb. / Cross County HS (Univ. of South Dakota)
Jacob Mpungi – Defensive Back 6-0, 180 Silver Spring, Md. / Pine View HS (Northern Arizona)
Cody Smidt – Defensive Line 6-1, 280 Buffalo Center, Iowa / North Iowa Community HS (Iowa Central CC)
Will Washenberger – Offensive Line 6-4, 290 Sioux Falls, S.D. / O’Gorman HS (Univ. of Sioux Falls)
