Coach Glenn Caruso added 28 student-athletes to the St. Thomas football roster Wednesday on the team’s second Division I National Signing Day.
The Tommies expanded their search for the 2022 class, signing players from 11 states such as New Jersey, California, Texas, Tennessee and Utah.
“We’re still very much a school whose recruiting base is Minnesota and the upper Midwest,” Caruso said. “But as the university grows, as our footprint and our reach continues to expand, so does our recruiting reach and I think that this class is reflected in a bit more comprehensive border to border, coast to coast, much like our own conference.”
Size mattered this recruiting year with 13 players measuring 6-foot-4 or taller and eight weighing more than 240 pounds. The class holds an even mixture of offense and defense.
Caruso added to the Tommies PFL leading total defense, snagging the No. 1 and 2 leading tacklers in Minnesota this season in Ryan Sever and Charlie Boucher.
“I’m happy that we got Charlie (Boucher), but I’m also happy that we got the No. 1 leading tackler in the state of Minnesota in Ryan (Sever), too,” Caruso said. “To be able to get the state’s local talent who knows how to play football, that’s the lifeblood of our program.”
Caruso said the program doesn’t just recruit for talent but for the overall person, as he accumulated a group with a combined grade-point average of 3.78. The group will boast business, computer science, finance, entrepreneurship, engineering, exercise science and real estate majors.
Caruso’s signees hail from near and far, with one signee, Travis Plugge, coming from 1870 miles away in Bakersfield, California and another, James Morrison, hailing from just 2.2 miles down the road.
“They have pledged to uphold the ideals and core principles of our program’s passionate culture, while proudly waving the flag for the University of St. Thomas,” Caruso said. “I’m eternally grateful for their commitment and spirit.”
Football signees include:
Offense
Quarterback (1): Travis Plugge (6-4, 210); California
Running back (2):
Peter Pezzullo (5-7, 171); New Jersey
Preston Taylor (5-10, 162); Ohio
Wide receiver (2):
Julian Alfaro Diedrich (5-10, 175); Minnesota
Colin Dussault (6-4, 195); Minnesota
Tight end (2):
Will Chlebecek (6-3, 215); Minnesota
Jack Kinsey (6-6, 230) Minnesota
Offensive line (6):
Lucas Cannon (6-4, 246); Wisconsin
Grahm Dixon (6-4, 272); Ohio
Gavin Falk (6-5, 286); Minnesota
Avery Goodrich (6-5, 257); Iowa
Ethan Goodrich (6-5, 258); Iowa
James Morrison (6-6, 315); Minnesota
Defense
Defensive line (3):
Luis Miranda (6-4, 240); Texas
Matthew Rink (6-5, 240); Nebraska
Evan Tyler (6-4, 220); Wisconsin
Linebacker (3):
Grant Achterkirch (6-2, 200); Minnesota
Charlie Boucher (6-2, 226); Minnesota
Ryan Sever (6-1, 205); Minnesota
Defensive back (7):
Ryan Calcagno (6-3, 185); Illinois
Lucas Cassady (6-1, 180); Iowa
Rod Finley (5-11, 190); Minnesota
Tyree Gardner (6-1, 185) Iowa
Jordan Pendleton (6-3, 190); Tennessee
Sanjay Redd (5-8, 153); Minnesota
Mitchell Schares (6-3, 185); Iowa
Special teams/other:
Kicker (1): Stephen Shagen (6-0, 170); Utah
Athlete (1): Darson Jeanty (6-4, 195); New Jersey
Cam Kauffman can be reached at kauf8536@stthomas.edu.
Olivia Paradise can be reached at olivia.paradise@stthomas.edu.