Football inks 20 on National Signing Day

ST. PAUL, MINN. – Wednesday was a big day for the University of St. Thomas football program. At the conclusion of their third NCAA Division I season, the Tommies announced their 2024 signing class Wednesday afternoon. The class includes 20 football players from seven states, head coach Glenn Caruso announced Wednesday.

"St. Thomas football is proud and excited to see our next generation of Tommies join our family, "said Caruso. "Our coaching staff did an amazing job scouring the region to find the right type of student-athlete as we continue to move our program forward."

The 2024 St. Thomas football recruit class includes nine defensive and 10 offensive players and one special teams kicker/punter, making it one of the most complete classes in the Division I era. It additionally showcases some of the top talent from the Midwest region, including, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, along with players from Kansas, Arizona and Nebraska.

"Even though we know the strength of a class will always come into focus years down the road, it always starts the same way: with great people who are serious about pursuing excellence in both their education and football career and passionate about how they can achieve and balance both of those here at St. Thomas," commented Caruso. "Although today is just the beginning of the early signing period, these 20 players provide the University with a great foundation as we continue to recruit and form the class of 2024."

St. Thomas put the FCS and Pioneer Football League (PFL) on notice when it made the jump to Division I in 2021. In three seasons, the Tommies have compiled an overall record of 25-7 with a 21-3 mark in PFL play. The team's 21 conference wins are the most in the PFL in that three year span, and St. Thomas owns a .875 win percentage against conference opponents. In addition to their play on the field, the Tommies have racked up multiple awards for their performance in the classroom, boasting nine Academic All-Conference and Academic All-District award winners the past two seasons. Additionally, St. Thomas saw 19 student-athletes named to the Hampshire Academic list following the 2022 season.

The 2024 Tommie Football Signing class (organized alphabetically):
Charles Bern (Linebacker; Woodbury, Minn. / East Ridge)
Taran Blasy (Linebacker; Cottage Grove, Minn. / Park)
Hudson Cleary (Offensive Line; Middleton, Wis. / Middleton)
Quentin Cobb-Butler (All Purpose; Woodbury, Minn. / Woodbury)
Marc Coy (Running Back; Markham, Ill. / Marist)
Rocco Dileonardi (Defensive Line; Geneva, Ill. / Geneva Community)
Kyle Felt (Offensive Line; Baraboo, Wis. / Baraboo)
Ben Hoiland (Punter/Kicker; North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View)
Aiden Horel (Offensive Line; Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake)
Ryan Jackson (Quarterback; Lagrange Park, Ill. / Lyons Township)
Roman Johnson (Linebacker; Minnetonka, Minn. / Minnetonka)
Philip Jones (Quarterback; Chandler, Ariz. / Mesquite)
Teddy Knapp (Defensive Line; St. Paul, Minn. / St. Thomas Academy)
Joseph Koch (Running Back; Menomonee Falls, Wis. / Menomonee Falls)
Will Leifker (Tight End; Grimes, Iowa / Dowling Catholic)
Anthony Lonergan (Defensive Back; Leawood, Kansas / Blue Valley)
Ty Nielsen (Defensive Back; Elkhorn, Neb. / South)
Walker Owens (Linebacker; Wheaton, Ill. / North)
Ethan Sims (Offensive Line; Eden Prairie, Minn. / Eden Prairie)
Aiden Tepper-Engh (Defensive Line; Hudson, Wis. / Hudson)

Meet the 2024 St. Thomas Football Signing Class:
Charles Bern (Linebacker; Woodbury, Minn. / East Ridge)
A 6'4 linebacker from Woodbury, Minnesota, Bern joins the Tommies in 2024 after a storied high school football career at East Ridge. As a senior in 2023, Bern received All-Conference honors for his defensive play and wracked up 23 touchdowns at multiple positions. In his senior season, Bern played tight end, running back, fullback, defensive end and linebacker and tallied four touchdowns in an upset with over Anoka in late October. He additionally received multiple academic letters during his prep career with East Ridge as both a member of the football and boys' basketball teams.

Taran Blasy (Linebacker; Cottage Grove, Minn. / Park)
Blasy travels to St. Paul from Cottage Grove, Minnesota after an impressive career at Park High School. A 6'1 linebacker, Blasy was a three year starter at Park and earned All-District, All-Conference and MVP honors during his prep career. He was a 6A Preseason Player of the Year nominee and voted team captain of both the football and track and field team. During his senior season, Blasy recorded 73 tackles, four forced fumbles, four fumble returns, 141 all-purpose yards and one touchdown. Off the field, he was an MSHSL EXCEL Award winner, Academic All-Section honoree and a member of multiple clubs.

Hudson Cleary (Offensive Line; Middleton, Wis. / Middleton)
A multi-sport athlete, Cleary brings a strong resume to St. Thomas from Middleton, Wisconsin. A 6'6 offensive lineman, Clearly earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2023 after being named Second Team All-Conference in 2022. He additionally was voted team captain prior to the 2023 football season and is a member of the Middleton track and field team. Off the field, Cleary was a high Academic Roll student and earned academic high honors.

Quentin Cobb-Butler (All Purpose; Woodbury, Minn. / Woodbury)
Cobb-Butler will add depth to the Tommies special teams unit after a strong career with Woodbury High School. A 5'9 specialist, Cobb-Butler was named the Suburban East Special Teams Player of the Year and earned All-District honors three times during his career. He was voted team captain of both the Woodbury football and basketball teams and was a sprint specialist for the Woodbury track and field team.

Marc Coy (Running Back; Markham, Ill. / Marist)
Coy travels from Illinois to Minnesota to join the St. Thomas football roster in 2024. The son of two track and field All-Americans, Coy brings size, speed and depth to the Tommies at running back. As a senior, Coy tallied 840 yards on 140 carries and scored 14 touchdowns and was additionally voted captain of the Marist football team. Off the field, he is a five-time honor roll student and made the Dean's List in his high school career.

Rocco DiLeonardi (Defensive Line; Geneva, Ill. / Geneva Community)
A 6'2 defensive lineman from Geneva, Illinios, DiLeonardi put together an impressive resume at Geneva Community. An All-Conference selection and team captain, DiLeonardi excelled in three different sports, as he played football, basketball and volleyball during his high school career. He was a three-time Academic All-Conference honoree in football, and off the field, was a member of National Honors Society, National Social Studies Honors Society and the National German Honors Society.

Kyle Felt (Offensive Line; Baraboo, Wis. / Baraboo)
Felt will join the Tommies roster in 2024 as an offensive lineman after earning multiple awards at the position while at Baraboo High School. At 6'4, Felt earned both All-Conference and All-Region honors during his prep career and helped the Thunderbirds finish in the top half of the Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) standings. Off the field, Felt earned academic honors.

Ben Hoiland (Punter/Kicker; North Oaks, Minn. / Mounds View)
A punter/kicker from North Oaks, Minnesota, Hoiland will make the short trek from Mounds View to St. Thomas in 2024 after an outstanding prep career. On the football field, Hoiland was a two-time special teams MVP for Mounds View and put up impressive stats his senior season. He converted 28 extra points on 28 chances and was 8-11 on field goal attempts. Off the field, Hoiland was a member of the "A" Honor Roll and earned academic honors every year of high school. He additionally was a special needs para and a member of National Honors Society.

Aiden Horel (Offensive Line; Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake)
A top offensive line recruit from Prior Lake, Minnesota, Horel earned a slew of awards for his play at Prior Lake High School. As a senior in 2023, Horel was named Second Team All-State and was named to both the KARE11 and Star Tribune All-Metro teams. He additionally earned First Team All-Conference and First Team All-District honors for his play on Prior Lake's offensive line.

Ryan Jackson (Quarterback; Lagrange Park, Ill. / Lyons Township)
A 5'10 quarterback from Lagrange Park, Illinois, Jackson put together an impressive resume with Lyons Township. Jackson earned multiple honors for his play senior season and was named First Team All-State and the West Suburban Silver Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He additionally is the program record holder for career touchdown passes and earned Academic All-State honors for his performance on and off the field of play.

Roman Johnson (Linebacker; Minnetonka, Minn. / Minnetonka)
Johnson will join St. Thomas' linebacker crew in 2024 after a strong prep career at Minnetonka. A 6'0 two-way player, Johnson earned First Team All-District honors as a running back in 2022 and was voted team captain prior to the 2023 season. He additionally was voted Team MVP and earned Academic honors off the field.

Phillip Jones (Quarterback; Chandler, Ariz. / Mesquite)
A 5'11 quarterback from Chandler, Arizona, Jones will add depth to the Tommies at the position after a strong high school career with Mesquite. A Second Team All-Conference selection, Jones was also a member of the golden scholars program and comes from a long lineage of college athletes. His grandmother, Fran Harris, played college basketball for Texas and put together an impressive professional career with the Houston Comets and Utah Stars. His grandfather, Alonzo Harris, also put together an impressive basketball career at TCU.

Teddy Knapp (Defensive Line; St. Paul, Minn. / St. Thomas Academy)
Knapp brings championship level experience to St. Thomas, having led STA to the MSHSL State Championship game in 2023. A 6'4 defensive lineman, Knapp was a two-time All-District Selection and was selected for the Minnesota Vikings All-Star Game after leading 5A and 6A with 13 sacks. He closed his senior season with 54 total tackles and earned St. Thomas Academy's Torch Award for his performances on and off the field of play.

Joseph Koch (Running Back; Menomonee Falls, Wis. / Menomonee Falls)
Koch verbally committed to the Tommies in November after a strong prep career with Menomonee Falls. A running back, Koch earned All-Region honors from the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) his senior year and was named First Team All-Conference following his junior season in 2022. Koch was also a member of the Menominee Falls track and field team.

Will Leifker (Tight End; Grimes, Iowa / Dowling Catholic)
A 6'3 tight end from Grimes, Iowa, Leifker earned several accolades during his prep career with Dowling Catholic. A three-time varsity letter winner, Leifker earned Second Team All-District honors for his play at the position. Off the field, Leifker is an Academic All-State honoree and was a member of the honor roll.

Anthony Lonergan (Defensive Back; Leawood, Kansas / Blue Valley)
A 6'1 defensive back from Leawood, Kansas, Lonergan joins the Tommies after an outstanding prep career at Blue Valley. Lonergan earned multiple honors for his play on the football field, as he was named All-State Honorable Mention and earned All-Conference Honorable Mention honors during his career. Academically, he was an honor roll student at Blue Valley, and his sister, Emily Kate Lonergan, currently plays beach volleyball at Eastern Kentucky University.

Ty Nielsen (Defensive Back; Elkhorn, Neb. / South)
Nielsen joins St. Thomas after earning multiple accolades at Elkhorn South High School. A 2023 team captain, Nielsen was voted Defensive MVP and was a member of the All-Metro Conference Team for his play as a defensive back. He led the team in tackles his senior season and was a NSAA Academic All-State honoree.

Walker Owens (Linebacker; Wheaton, Ill. / North)
Owens looks to bolster the Tommies linebacker crew when he joins the team in 2024. A two-time All-Conference honoree, Owens lead Wheaton North in tackles in 2023 and led the team in both sacks and tackles for loss at the conclusion of the season. His academic achievements were also impressive, as he was a three-time Academic All-Conference honoree and earned Academic All-State honors during his career.

Ethan Sims (Offensive Line; Eden Prairie, Minn. / Eden Prairie)
A 6'7 offensive tackle from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Sims joins St. Thomas after leading the Eagles to new heights in 2023. A MSHSL State Semifinalist, Sims helped Eden Prairie earn the No. 1 overall seed in the state tournament thanks to his efforts on the offensive line. He was a Second Team All-State selection and earned All-District honors during his career with the Eagles. Off the field, Sims was an A honor roll student.

Aiden Tepper-Engh (Defensive Line; Hudson, Wis. / Hudson)
A 6'3 defensive lineman from Hudson, Wisconsin, Tepper-Engh will travel across the border to join the Tommies in 2024. A dual sport athlete, Tepper-Engh earned plenty of honors for his play with the Hudson football and hockey teams, garnering All-State honors in both sports. Off the field, Tepper-Engh earned Academic All-State honors and was a member of the National Honors Society.

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