SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The Notre Dame College football program continues to bring in extremely talented student-athletes. Head coach Mickey Mental is proud to announce 41 players who put pen to paper on National Signing Day.

"My coaching staff, our players, administration, I can't thank them enough," Mental said. "Beth Ford, Alison McBrady, Brandy Viol in admissions and Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Swain and Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Connor Stease have done a fantastic job in assisting the process of this 2022 class. I want to thank our coaches for all their hard work and their families. This has been one of the most challenging recruiting classes, coming off of spring season and jumping right into it. I thought we responded with a really healthy class today and I think the future is bright for Notre Dame College football."

Notre Dame is coming off of a record-breaking calendar year. Between the shortened 2021 spring season and the fall season, the Falcons had a record of 16-2 and posted 13 Mountain East Conference victories. NDC won two conference championships and qualified for the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the third consecutive season. They were ranked as high as No. 6 in the national poll and finished the season in the top 10 for the third consecutive year.

The Falcons finished the fall season at the top of Division II in takeaways (36) and interceptions (21). They were also ranked in the top 10 in the nation with six defensive touchdowns (2nd), five blocked punts (2nd), a plus-1.54 turnover margin per game (3rd), eight sacks allowed (4th), 15 fumbles recovered (5th), 40.6 points per game (6th) and a 91.2-percent success rate in the red zone (7th).

Although the team will have some holes to fill with several faces of the program graduating, Mental feels the incoming class is full of players who will help keep NDC in National Championship contention.

"When you look at it, up front, offensive line jumps out to me right away," Mental said. "Having the ability to bring in a lot of size but, more importantly, having the ability to move is critical. At wide receiver, we brought some guys in who can run and make plays. Defensively, it's a deep class of guys who run around and make explosive plays in the pass game, or the run game, and they show up big time on film."

Class of 2022

Luke Abernathy | Linebacker | Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio | Stow Munroe Falls High School
On the football field, Abernathy was named All-Suburban Conference. Because of his work in the classroom, he took All-Academic Suburban Conference.

AJ Ajaga | Defensive End | Grayslake, Ill. | Carmel Catholic High School
Ajaga played football and basketball at Carmel Catholic High School. He excelled in the classroom and was a member of the honor roll.

Trey Bell-Dufran | Offensive Line | Cincinnati, Ohio | Sycamore High School
Bell-Dufran was named First Team Greater Miami Conference and All-Southwest Ohio Honorable Mention.

Blake Bennett | Linebacker | Columbus, Ohio | Pickerington High School North/Centennial High School
A four-sport athlete in high school, Bennett earned All-City, All-Ohio Capital Conference, All-District and Rookie of the Year. He was also a team captain and won the Leadership Edge Award. Off the field, Bennett took home the MLK Honor the Dream Award, All-OCC Academic Honors and was a member of the honor roll.

Logan Bernesser | Offensive Line | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Shaler Area High School
Bernesser was a three-year letterman in football and basketball. He was named Second Team All-Section for his performance on the football field.

Brett Birch | Wide Receiver | Jeannette, Pa. | Gateway High School
On the football field, Birch was recognized as All-State, a three-time All-Conference member and helped his team become a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Champion. He maintained a 4.2 GPA throughout high school.

Isaiah Black | Defensive End | Mayfield Heights, Ohio | Mayfield High School
Black played defensive end at Mayfield High School.

Terrell Booth | Wide Receiver | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Serra Catholic High School
Booth took home All-State honors as a wide receiver/defensive back. Because of his work in the classroom, he was named to the Ruby honor roll.

Jayvon Campbell-Holt | Safety | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Serra Catholic High School
Campbell-Holt was named First Team All-Conference as a defensive back/wide receiver. In 2021, he became a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League champion.

Rahzik Crutcher | Offensive Tackle | Findlay, Ohio | Findlay High School
Crutcher played four sports at Findlay High School. In football, he was named Three Rivers Athletic Conference Honorable Mention as an offensive lineman.

Braden Flint | Defensive End | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Montour High School
As a junior, Flint was named Second Team All-Conference as a defensive end. In his senior season, he earned First Team All-Conference as a defensive end/left tackle and was a Bill Fralic Award nominee. In the classroom, he earned high honor roll status and became a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.

Brae Friesner | Running Back | Lancaster, Ohio | Berne Union High School
Friesner earned First Team All-Conference, twice, First Team All-Area, First Team All-District and First Team All-State. He also took home District Offensive Player of the Year and Running Back of the Year,

Ethan Fritz | Quarterback | Brunswick, Ohio | Brunswick High School
On the field, Fritz was First Team Greater Cleveland Conference, First Team All-District and Third Team All-Ohio. Off the field, he became a Consecutive Presidential and Magna Cum Laude Award winner.

Terrell Grier | Cornerback | Cleveland, Ohio | Benedictine High School
Grier played football and participated in track at Benedictine High School.

Blake Guffey | Wide Receiver | Glouster, Ohio | Trimble High School
A four-sport athlete at Trimble High School, Guffey was a two-time All-State award winner, two-time Southeast Ohio Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Tri-Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Honorable Mention on the football field. He helped his team become a state runner-up as a freshman. In the classroom, Guffey has spent two years as a National Honors Society member, two years as a Regional Scholar, while also being named to the AB honor roll, the All A honor roll and dean's list.

Parker Henry | Kicker | Wilmington, Ohio | Wilmington High School
Henry is a two-sport athlete at Wilmington High School, playing football and participating on the swim team.

Taemar Hull | Safety | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Sto-Rox High School
On the football field, Hull was named First Team All-Conference linebacker.

Sir'Sean Ingram | Defensive End | Garfield Heights, Ohio | Glenville High School
Ingram is a two-sport athlete at Glenville High School, on the football and baseball field.

Austin Jones | Quarterback | Coraopolis, Pa. | Sto-Rox High School
Jones participates in four sports at Sto-Rox High School, playing football, baseball, basketball and track. In the classroom, he was named to the honor roll.

Cameron Jones | Wide Receiver | Marysville, Ohio | Marysville High School
Jones was named All-League-Defense in 2020 and 2021 on the football field.

Mack Kistler | Tight End | Canal Fulton, Ohio | Massillon Jackson High School
Kistler earned Second Team All-Federal League and Honorable Mention All-District Team on the gridiron. He played basketball throughout high school and decided to play football as a senior.

AJ Lingenhoel | Tight End | Louisville, Ohio | Louisville High School
Lingenhoel was a captain and a three-year letter winner. Off the field, he was a three-year scholar-athlete, spent four years on the honor roll and earned Academic Letter all four years.

Kyle Mattern | Punter | Carmel, Ind. | Lawrence Central High School
Mattern was named All-Conference Punter and Lawrence Central Special Teams Player of the Year. He was selected to the Hawaii Tiki Bowl All-Star Game and earned an invite to the Kicking World National Showcase. In the classroom, Mattern has been a two-time distinguished honor roll recipient, two-time Bear of the Month and History student of the semester.

James McCulloch | Offensive Line | Andover, Ohio | Pymatuning Valley High School
On the football field, McCulloch earned All-County First Team Offense, Pymatuning Valley Most Valuable Offensive Lineman and Ashtabula County Lineman of the Year.

Seth Myers | Wide Receiver | Lebanon, Ohio | Lebanon High School
Myers played wide receiver at Lebanon High School.

Christian Ochei | Wide Receiver | Macedonia, Ohio | Walsh Jesuit High School
Ochei participated in football, basketball and track at Walsh Jesuit High School. Earned All-State honors.

Colton Peoples | Long Snapper | Alexandria, Ky. | Campbell County High School
Peoples was a three-year varsity starter and earned a spot on the NKY 6A All-Star Team. Off the field, he was named to the Academic All-State Team.

Nathan Rosario-Santos | Linebacker | Fairfield, Ohio | Lakota East High School
Rosario-Santos earned All-Conference and All-City. In the classroom, he was named to the honor roll.

Brandon Ross | Wide Receiver | McKeesport, Pa. | Seneca Valley High School
Ross was an All-Conference wide receiver, CTA Terrific 23 and a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League 6A Player of the Year Honorable Mention.

Ira Sampson | Linebacker | Willoughby, Ohio | Willoughby South High School
As a two-sport athlete at Willoughby South High School, Sampson took home All-Ohio, All-District and All-County honors.

Maurice Smalls | Defensive End | Waldorf, Md. | Westlake High School
Smalls was a three-sport athlete at Westlake High School. He has excelled off the field and was invited to the National High Honors Society.

Andrew Stewart | Offensive Line | Wilmington, Ohio | Wilmington High School
Stewart participated in football, basketball and track at Wilmington High School.

Joe Stokes | Wide Receiver | Bedford, Ohio | Bedford High School
A three-sport athlete at Bedford High School, Stokes played football, basketball and ran track. Off the field, court and track he earned a spot on the merit roll and honor roll. He earned a Men's Mentorship Program award.

Elijah Swallow | Linebacker | Kettering, Ohio | Kettering Fairmont High School
Swallow was named team captain, All-Greater Western Ohio Conference Honorable Mention and became a Blue/Grey All-American. Off the field, he was named Most Improved Student-Athlete.

Christian Takatch | Defensive End | Sunbury, Ohio | Big Walnut High School
At Big Walnut High School, Takatch took a spot in the North-South All-Ohio game. He was named All-Central District, Ohio Capital Conference honors. He helped his team go 10-0 in the regular season and clinch a playoff spot.

Dwayne Taylor | Tight End | Cranberry Township, Pa. | North Allegheny High School
Taylor participated in football and track at North Allegheny High School. He was named First Team All-Conference and became a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League champion.

Ayden Teeter | Offensive Line | Brownsville, Pa. | Brownsville Area High School
Teeter participated in basketball, football, track and baseball at Brownsville Area High School. He took home All-County and All-Section two years in a row.

Torre Weatherspoon | Wide Receiver | Amherst, Ohio | Amherst Steele High School
On the football field, Weatherspoon earned First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Conference. He became a two-time First Team All-County member, grabbed Second Team Districts and Honorable Mention All-Ohio. In the classroom, he took a spot on the honor roll.

Delaney Wilburn | Safety | Columbus, Ohio | Groveport Madison High School
Wilburn was named First Team All-State, First Team Ohio Capital Conference and First Team All-Metro.

Brandon Wilson | Offensive Line | Cleveland, Ohio | Padua High School
On the field, Wilson took home First Team All-Conference, First Team All-District and First Team All-Ohio. He earned a spot on the honor roll for his work in the classroom.

Jacob Young | Offensive Line | Irwin, Pa. | Norwin High School
Young was a team captain at Norwin High School. He also earned Second Team All-Conference and was a Bill Fralic Award nominee.