The 2024 Ohio Wesleyan football team and head coach Tom Watts look to return to championship contention in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
"We're excited about the experience we have returning and the addition of an excellent recruiting class," Watts said. "Our expectations are to be in the running for the conference championship. We feel we have the talent, but we understand that we have to build team chemistry, and we will be tested by some tough games early in the season."
Returning all-conference players anchor each level of the Bishop defense.
Senior end Tyler Yanka (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) was a third-team All-NCAC selection in 2023 after tying for seventh in the league in sacks.
Senior tackle Terrell Burton II (Reynoldsburg) and sophomore nose guard Ya'Va Harris (Cincinnati/Purcell Marian) are returning starters, and sophomores Jack Novak (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) and Carson Rust (Enon/Greenon) will vie for the other starting end spot.
Inside, junior tackle Kevin King (Akron/Cuyahoga Falls Woodridge) is back, along with senior nose guard Maximus Swartz (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill) and junior tackle Cam Murphy (Urbana), with freshman tackle Cleveland Woodson (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and freshman Michael Hubbell (Nashville, Tenn./Lipscomb Academy) looking to contribute. At the end spots, senior Nick Missler (Bellevue) returns after missing the 2023 season, and junior Jacob Lowry (Litchfield/Buckeye) and sophomore Connor Asbury (Worthington/Kilbourne) also return.
At linebacker, senior Seth Anderson (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) was a second-team All-NCAC pick last season after ranking second on the team and tying for third in the conference in tackles.
Senior Bryar Ramey (Polk/Mapleton) ranked third on the team and tied for ninth in the league in tackles last year.
Sophomore Grant Johnson (Dalton) looks to take over the other starting spot. Senior Charlie Hornacek (Barberton), senior Drew Grup (Temperance, Mich./Bedford), and sophomore Vince Eadicicco (Reading) are back as well. Newcomers who look to make their mark include sophomore Lane Howard (Springboro), a transfer from Heidelberg; freshman Khalil Buck-Barber (Newport, Ky.); freshman Logan Frye (Delaware/Hayes), a third-team all-state choice in high school; and freshman Jacob Slyh (Grove City), a 2-time all-conference selection in high school.
Senior strong safety Sammy Stoner (Dublin/Jerome) won second-team all-conference recognition after leading the NCAC in interception return yards and tying for second in the league in interceptions.
Junior Abram Beer (Wesley Chapel, Fla./Wiregrass Ranch) looks to take over at free safety, with senior Moses Romero (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) and sophomore Chris Burns (Grove City) also slated to see action. Senior Anthony Tressler-Hughes (Delaware/Buckeye Valley) and senior Gavin Wilson (Centerburg) also are returning lettermen.
Junior Dom Costa (Granville) and junior Jake Smothers (Radnor/Buckeye Valley) return at the cornerback spots, with junior A.J. Hanslik (Willoughby/South) and freshman Collin Wehner (Bellbrook/Kettering Alter) ready as well, and junior Austin Jackson (Johnstown/Johnstown-Monroe) and sophomore Landon Key (Urbana) also vying for playing time.
Junior Josh Hurst (Port Clinton), who won second-team All-NCAC honors after leading the league in receptions in 2023, leads a deep group of receivers.
Senior Cooper Haley (Orrville), junior J.T. James (Hurricane, W.Va.) and junior Jason Harris (Delaware/Olentangy Berlin) return. Junior Bryan Hines Jr. (Lima/Senior), a transfer from Wittenberg, and sophomore C.T. Taylor (Canal Winchester/Pickerington Central), a transfer from Marietta, should contribute immediately, and sophomore Braden Fitchko (Avon) is back after missing the 2023 season. Freshman Austin Koslow (Delaware/Hayes), a 2-time all-state pick in high school; freshman Jay Rockwood (Baltimore/Bloom-Carroll), an all-district choice in high school; and freshman Quin Schroeder (Leipsic), a 2-time honorable mention All-Ohio honoree in high school; also will look to make their mark.
The depth and talent in the receiver room carries over to the quarterback room, where fifth-year Kaden Buza (Winchester, Va./Millbrook) returns as the starter. Buza ranked among the league leaders in touchdown passes, passing yards, and total offense yards in 2023.
At running back, junior Devon Haley (Granville) led the Bishops in rushing last season. Freshman Nathan Severs (Galena/Big Walnut), a first-team all-state choice in high school, will make an impact as well. Sophomore Tim Davis (Brookville) is back, junior Ja'mykle Benison (Cleveland/Garfield Heights) is a transfer from Oberlin who led the Yeomen in rushing last season, and freshman Mysaun Sanders (Cincinnati/West Clermont) is in the mix.
Junior tackle Blake Dichler (Creston/Norwayne), a third-team all-conference pick last year, anchors the Bishop line. Sophomore guard Daymeon Pennington (Hamilton/New Miami), sophomore center Brayden Kidd (Fredericksburg/Apple Creek Waynedale), and junior tackle Ian Staten (Sugar Grove/Berne Union) are veterans who look to move into the starting lineup.
Sophomore tackle Hayden Bricker (Bellevue) also has starting experience, and junior tackle Eric Schneiter (New London) and sophomore tackle Braden Saeler (St. Marys/Memorial) also return. Newcomers in the line include junior guard Seth Rogers (Whitehouse/Anthony Wayne), a transfer from Mount Union; freshman guard Dirk Konrad (Cincinnati/Reading) and freshman center Jake Noga (Springboro/Kettering Alter), both first-team all-state selections in high school; and freshman guard Earl Gaiter Jr. (Cleveland/Ginn Academy).
Sophomore Carter Campbell (Portsmouth/Notre Dame) and sophomore Mac Bauer (Bellevue) return at the tight end spot.
On special teams, sophomore Ethan Shipps (Dublin/Scioto) should take over as the placekicker and punter, with Wehner also a possibility. Davis, Koslow, Jason Harris, and Smothers will handle the returns.
Ohio Wesleyan opens its season on Sept. 7 against nearby rival Otterbein and opens the NCAC schedule the following week at Wabash. The NCAC schedule also includes contests against defending champion DePauw on Oct. 5 and co-2023 runners-up Wittenberg on Oct. 12 and Denison on Nov. 16.
