Defiance College football announces 2025 signing class
DEFIANCE, Ohio -- The Defiance College football team announced the signing of 49 student-athletes as part of National Signing Day on Wednesday.
Head Coach Bill Nickell and his staff recruited all over the country and were able to keep high-end talent in Ohio as well. This year's signing class includes 36 in-state prospects, three from Georgia and Michigan plus six more out of Indiana.
Defiance was successful in keeping several local high school standouts in the 419 area code who were part of winning programs. Trent Barrazza from Columbus Grove is coming off back-to-back trips to the State Final 4 in Ohio and ran for 6,360 yards in his career (25th-most in state history and program record). Barazza also ran for 2,644 yards as a senior. Barazza is joined by high school teammate Kylan Mayes on the defensive line. DC snagged a pair of former Celina Bulldogs, who reached the state semifinals following a WBL title in 2023, with quarterback Bobby Morris and defensive lineman Kameron Elson. Fellow Western Buckeye League all-conference performer and state champion Damon McCracken also comes on board at linebacker out of Van Wert. Napoleon kicker Carson Marroquin stays close to home as well after logging the most PATs in Wildcats history and was NLL Special Team Player of the Year.
The Yellow Jackets are entering their second year at the NAIA level and 111th overall. DC starts the 2025 season on Aug. 30 at Rio Grande.
List of 2025 Defiance College Football signings:
| Name | Ht. | Wt. | Pos. | Hometown | High School | Prev. College |
| Trent Barazza | 6'1 | 190 | RB | Columbus Grove, Ohio | Columbus Grove | |
| Riley Bolton | 5'11 | 230 | DE | Rockford, Ohio | Parkway | |
| Kobe Boone | 6'3 | 225 | DL | Mansfield, Ohio | Ontario HS | Hocking College |
| Marsean Bowles | 5'9 | 155 | DB | Columbus, Ohio | East HS | |
| Ky'Shan Bratten | 5'10 | 210 | LB | Dallas, Ga. | Paulding County | |
| Aaron Britford | 5'10 | 170 | ATH | Columbus, Ohio | East | |
| Jesse Brown | 6'2 | 180 | DB | Cincinnati, Ohio | Purcell Marian | |
| John Bryant | 6'3 | 235 | DE | Huber Heights, Ohio | Wayne | |
| Day'Veon Campbell | 6'0 | 265 | OL | Cleveland, Ohio | John Marshall HS | |
| Kamari Clopton | 6'0 | 175 | WR | New Haven, Ind. | New Haven HS | Marian |
| Logan Cloyd | 6'3 | 220 | QB | West Carrollton, Ohio | West Carrollton HS | Hocking College |
| Tyler Cook | 6'4 | 205 | DE | Lawrenceburg, Ind. | East Central | |
| Daeshawn Curtis | 6'0 | 240 | OL | Detroit, Mich. | River Rouge | |
| Kameron Elson | 6'3 | 240 | DL | Celina, Ohio | Celina HS | |
| Christopher Evans | 6'2 | 180 | DB | Dayton, Ohio | Northridge | |
| Jaelen Griffin | 5'11 | 170 | WR | Cincinnati, Ohio | Cincinnati College Prep Academy | |
| Tronice Hammond | 6'4 | 240 | RB | Dearborn Heights, Mich. | Crestwood HS | Olivet/Grand Valley |
| Esquire Heard | 6'0 | 200 | LB | Cincinnati, Ohio | Purcell Marian | |
| Teon Hill | 5'8 | 175 | ATH | Dayton, Ohio | Northridge | |
| Tyrin Jackson | 5'11 | 200 | LB | Cincinnati, Ohio | Purcell Marian | |
| Kamari Juarez | 5'10 | 170 | WR | Fort Wayne, Ind. | Snider HS | Marian |
| Jumel Lewis | 6'0 | 180 | DB | Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland Heights | Grand Valley |
| Allen Mabson II | 6'1 | 185 | DB | Vandalia, Ohio | Butler | |
| Carson Marroquin | 6'1 | 150 | K/P | Defiance, Ohio | Napoleon HS | |
| Kylan Mayes | 6'0 | 270 | DL | Columbus Grove, Ohio | Columbus Grove | |
| Damon McCracken | 5'11 | 215 | LB | Van Wert, Ohio | Van Wert HS | Walsh |
| Bobby Morris | 5'11 | 175 | QB | Celina, Ohio | Celina | |
| Hasiem Mosby | 5'10 | 180 | DB | Cincinatti, Ohio | Withrow HS | Oakland City University |
| Robert Oldham | 5'11 | 175 | WR | Indianapolis, Ind. | Lawrence North HS | |
| Desmond Owens | 6'2 | 188 | DB | Dayton, Ohio | Miamisburg | Dayton |
| Avry Parks | 6'4 | 305 | OL | Cleveland, Ohio | Lutheran East | |
| Jaylen Pearson | 6'5 | 330 | OL | Cleveland, Ohio | Shaw HS | |
| Samuelle Plummer | 6'8 | 370 | OL | Euclid, Ohio | Euclid HS | |
| Anton Prlic | 6'5 | 245 | OL | Saint John, Ind. | Andrean | |
| Kevin Sewell | 6'1 | 175 | DB | Miamisburg, Ohio | Miamisburg | |
| Evan Smigelski | 6'3 | 290 | OL | Swanton, Ohio | Swanton | |
| Cameron Smith | 6'3 | 175 | DB | Toledo, Ohio | Bowsher HS | |
| Jordan Southall | 6'3 | 200 | QB | Cleveland, Ohio | Lutheran East HS | |
| Myles Tackett | 6'3 | 190 | QB/ATH | Monroe, Mich. | Jefferson HS | Olivet |
| Marshawn Taylor | 5'7 | 165 | WR | Cleveland, Ohio | Brush HS | |
| Jeremy Victor | 6'3 | 235 | QB | Marietta, Ga. | McNair HS | |
| Christian Wagers | 6'1 | 215 | LB | New Castle, Ind. | New Castle HS | |
| Stacey Walker | 6'4 | 240 | TE/WR | Woodstock, Ga. | The King's Academy | Kentucky Christian |
| Ryan Woosley | 5'8 | 170 | RB/LB | Columbus, Ohio | Linden McKinley | |
| Dalen Selmon | 5'9 | 175 | WR | Sylvania, Ohio | Southview | |
| Jamari Manson | 6'0 | 190 | LB | Columbus, Ohio | East | |
| Jaylin Arrington | 6'2 | 280 | DL | Charlotte, N.C. | West Charlotte | |
| Jacob Jenkins | 6'2 | 285 | DL | Ironton, Ohio | Ironton | |
| Jahmere Johnson | 5'10 | 170 | DB | Columbus, Ohio | West | |