Coach Glenn Caruso and the St. Thomas football team held their first Division I National Signing Day Wednesday. The team will embark on its first season in Division I competition in the fall of 2021, becoming the first school in the modern era of the NCAA to make the move directly from Division III.

The Tommies welcomed 26 players from eight states who will be ready to suit up for the 2021 season, with a majority coming from the Midwest.

“Our coaching staff has done an amazing job scouring the country for the right type of student, athlete and person,” Caruso said. “What’s going to define this class as the first Division I class in the history of the University of St. Thomas, is how well that they’re able to carry us into an uncharted era.”

St. Thomas could still have more signees, as a second signing period opens in early February 2021.

Caruso said he is excited to move up to Division I and to continue getting stronger as a team.

“We have an opportunity to make a jump that no one’s ever made in the history of college football,” Caruso said. “That in it of itself is not only historic, but pretty fun.”

Today’s commits will receive merit-based aid, similar to Ivy League programs.

Caruso said despite the change in size, speed and talent that comes with the transition to Division I, he is still focused on maintaining the team’s culture. This is a success he has seen from other schools when making transitions between divisions.

“The ones that seem to (transition) the best are the ones that don’t change who they are,” Caruso said. “We wanted to make sure that regardless of what league, or what level or where we play, we’re St. Thomas, first and foremost, and that’s not going to change.”

Caruso said a large portion of recruiting for him and his staff is not only finding the best player, but the one that fits the St. Thomas culture.

“The same ideals; selflessness, thoughtfulness, culture, those are all those are all things that we all hold in very high regard,” Caruso said.

Caruso said he and his staff watched 627 players this recruiting season and estimates that they’ve spent over 5,000 hours watching film, talking to players and, before COVID-19, doing visits.

“In the absence of a season, we were able to employ, just like everyone else in the country, more man hours per week and in the season to recruiting,” Caruso said. “(The) process that we’ve chosen is one that we feel very strongly about and if we are going to make an error, it’s not going to be for lack of effort or information.”

Caruso said the impact of the team’s current players has been huge, and he is confident they will be able to motivate today’s commits.

“The leadership of our current team is what’s going to set the trajectory and the path for our future team,” Caruso said. “That’s why we feel so strongly that we’re in a really good position to make a move like this, because of people and the attitudes that we have on the team.”

Caruso said he sees many similarities between St. Thomas’s transition to Division I and when he first started coaching 13 years ago.

“We knew the school had greatness in it, we knew it was going to take a lot of work. But we believed that we were surrounded with the right people, the right administration, the right university,” Caruso said. “I think this transition to Division I mirrors the transition that we had to make when we got here, and that in and of itself is a blessing.”

Although the Tommies are venturing into the unknown, Caruso said he is still confident in their ability to succeed.

“If you’re at sea, and you don’t have a navigational tool, you make sure your ship is as good as it can be. And that’s what we’re doing, is making sure that we’re the best (football team) that we can be going into this,” Caruso said.

List of St. Thomas football signees

• Bryce Boyd, WR, 6-5, 185, Shakopee, Minn./Academy of Holy Angels
• Isaiah Bragg, WR-DB, 5-10, 170, Chicago, Ill./St. Rita
• Aiden Carlson, TE, 6-4, 235, Fargo, N.D./North
• Braeden Edwards, OL, 6-6, 275, West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley
• Ian Erickson, OL, 6-6, 285, St. Charles, Ill./North
• Noah Friedt, DL-LB, 6-3, 220, Lakeville, Minn./Apple Valley
• Grant Gerber, DL-LB, 6-3, 230, Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial
• Nick Hand, DB, 6-3, 185, Rogers, Minn./Totino-Grace
• Owen Johnson, DB, 5-11, 195, Mankato, Minn./West
• Kristoff Kowalkowski, QB, 6-2, 210, St. Cloud, Minn./Totino-Grace
• Tyler LaHam, DL, 6-4, 245, Verona, Wis./Verona
• Jason Laliberte, OL, 6-7, 282, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove
• Yusef Leak, DB, 6-1, 172, Orlando, Fla./The Masters Academy
• John McBride, TE, 6-6, 245, White Bear Lake, Minn./White Bear Lake
• Jalen Moore, RB, 5-10, 200, Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard West
• Alec Rasmussen, OL, 6-6, 275, Wayzata, Minn./Wayzata
• Landon Reed, RB, 6-1, 225, Naples, Fla./Community
• Langston Robinson, OL, 6-3, 303, Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette
• Savion Robinson, DB, 6-0, 170, Minneapolis, Minn./Minnehaha Academy-SMB
• Shawn Shipman, RB, 5-11, 200, Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park
• Branden Smith, QB, 6-3, 175, Las Vegas, Nev./Cimarron-Memorial
• Nic Snuggerud, WR, 5-10, 175, Victoria, Minn./Chaska
• Brock Stanek, OL, 6-6, 250, Callender, Iowa/Fort Dodge St. Edmund
• Alex Sweetland, RB-WR, 5-9, 180, Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart Griffin
• Drake Tabor, K, 6-0, 170, Birmingham, Ala./Spain Park
• Jordan Titus, DL, 6-1, 280, Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson

Scout Mason can be reached at maso7275@stthomas.edu.