When Mark Hall took over the UNC Pembroke football program before the 2023 season, he opted to use the Deion Sanders model to build his first roster – go heavy on the transfer portal.
Hall signed nearly 40 transfers and brought in 60 total newcomers, many from the Chowan squad he had just led to the CIAA championship game the year before. The move proved a success, with UNCP forging a 7-3 record, 6-3 against conference foes.
UNC Pembroke released the details on its latest recruiting class last week, and Hall and company have taken a somewhat different tact.
“We spent a lot of time on the high school kids this year,” the coach said during a National Signing Day press conference. “We were about three-to-one high school to transfers.”
It was an impressive haul, in terms of quantity and quality. The final tally: 33 high school prospects and 12 transfers.
Three players hail from UNCP’s backyard: linebacker Charles Wilkes and tight end Bryland Chavis from Purnell Swett High, and defensive lineman Zion Morrison from nearby Scotland High in Laurinburg. Wilkes tallied close to 300 tackles and made all-conference teams three times.
UNC Pembroke went heavy on linemen, inking eight total on the offensive side and eight on defense.
Offensive lineman Jake Buerk (6-3, 305) comes to UNCP via Coastal Carolina. Defensive lineman Kenneth Odugba (6-0, 260) joins the Braves from FCS Presbyterian. Dylan Pruitt (6-3, 290) crosses the country from California after playing at San Jose City College.
“We really wanted to make an emphasis on getting bigger at certain positions and I think we did that,” Hall said.
UNC Pembroke (6-5, 6-3 Mountain East in 2024) had one of the most explosive offenses in Division II football a year ago. The Braves averaged 42.8 points per game, including a 79-point outburst against West Virginia Wesleyan and 60+ in three other contests.
Six wide receivers and five running backs arrive to restock the offensive arsenal. One receiver, Jordaan Bailey, played for Hall at Chowan in 2022, earning all-rookie honors in the CIAA. Wideout Javon Barber caught 14 TD passes for 2023 state champion Weddington High in Matthews. Running back Jermaine White from Ocala, Fla. finished with more than 6,000 rushing yards in his prep career, with 31 TDs.
UNC Pembroke signed one quarterback, Tyler Walker from Panther Creek High in Cary. He was described as a “difference making signal caller” by Panther Creek staff. He threw for 1,360 yards and 12 touchdowns over eight games this past season. He also rushed for three scores.
The rest of the position group breakdown includes nine defensive backs, six linebackers and two tight ends. Defenders Kaleb Staton from Rocky Mount (Northern Nash) and Jyron Tosi from Charlotte (Palisades HS) both put up big tackling numbers while in high school.
“We worked hard on this class,” Hall said. “We worked on it for the better part of a year, starting last year with our spring recruiting – a lot of talent, a lot of depth. I think we improved our size a lot in certain positions, which I am very excited about. This is going to be one of our better classes so far here at UNC Pembroke.”
New faces, new conference
UNC Pembroke football will shift out of the Mountain East Conference this fall and into Conference Carolinas. That will mean an alignment with the Braves’ other sports teams, which re-joined the league in 2021. The MEC is focused primarily in West Virginia.
The Braves now will have two in-state conference rivals on the gridiron: Barton and Hall’s former team, Chowan. Conference Carolinas football also will include North Greenville and Erskine from South Carolina, Ferrum from Virginia and Shorter University from Georgia.
If recent trends continue, expect UNCP to contend for titles right away. Under Hall, the Braves have been a force in October and November games, going 4-1 in 2023 and 6-1 a year ago.
The Braves dug themselves a hole this past season, though, losing the first four games. Two of those came to conference foes, including a 14-0 humbling at Glenville State that ultimately served as the turning point for the team. Aside from a 37-28 loss at Fairmont State, UNC Pembroke torched its opponents down the stretch.
“Finishing strong was great last year but it doesn’t help us win games (this) year,” Hall said. “Every year is a new team, a new energy. We are just trying to have a great off-season so we can have a good start to the season. That has been our challenge, getting off to a good start. I think we’ve figured out October and November but we’re just trying to win today.”
UNC Pembroke has set its spring game, tentatively for Friday, April 4. The Braves’ 2025 schedule has not yet been announced.
“Our kids thus far, a month in, have had a great off-season so far,” Hall said. “I love the energy and our workouts in the weight room and on the field.”
—> READ MORE: The Robesonian’s Chris Stiles breaks down UNC Pembroke’s 2025 football recruiting class.
—> READ MORE: UNC Pembroke’s official release announcing its 2025 football signees
UNC Pembroke 2025 Signing Day Class
(information courtesy UNCP athletics)
NAME POSITION HEIGHT WEIGHT HIGH SCHOOL / PREVIOUS SCHOOL Walki Ambrise WR 6-2 170 Jones (Fla.) Jordann Bailey WR 5-11 185 Chowan Javon Barber WR 5-8 165 Weddington Jonathan Barnett WR 6-1 185 St. Micheals (Va.) Malik Berry OL 6-3 265 Garner JQ Brown RB 5-11 205 Concord Jake Buerk OL 6-3 305 Coastal Carolina Bryland Chavis TE 6-1 220 Purnell Swett Antoine Doyle LB 6-2 195 Vance County Joel Felder RB 5-11 185 West Virginia State Jayden Granger OL 6-6 285 South Florence Devyn Grant RB 5-8 195 Garner Nick Griffith DL 6-2 205 Mallard Creek Jeremiah Hill DL 6-4 220 Bradford (Fla.) Brandon Howard LB 5-11 205 Charleston Southern Myles Hudson LB 6-0 205 Robinson Demhir Jackson RB 5-10 200 Fleming Island (Fla.) Joshua Kelly DL 6-3 265 Clayton Edwin La Crosse TE 6-3 235 New Mexico State Demauris Lewis DL 6-3 260 Bradford (Fla.) Marc-Sanchtz Lordeus LB 6-1 216 West Boca (Fla.) Jordan Marcucci WR 5-11 185 Frostburg State Kendall Maxwell DB 6-1 180 Providence Nessiah McArthur DB 6-0 190 Millbrook Charles McCray DB 6-0 175 Carolina Forest Demarius McKoy WR 5-10 170 Clayton Asa Midgette OL 6-4 305 Rolesville Kayon Mitchell OL 6-5 280 Rocky River Zion Morrison DL 6-4 235 Scotland Tyquawn Murphy DB 6-0 190 Lugoff Elgin (S.C.) Kenneth Odugba DL 6-0 260 Presbyterian Dylan Pruitt OL 6-3 290 San Jose City College Darrell Scott DB 5-10 170 Frostburg State Brian Simon DL 6-3 265 Palm Beach Central (Fla.) Tate Simpson DL 6-2 290 Richmond County Kaleb Staton DB 5-11 175 Northern Nash Brian Thompson DB 6-2 175 West Mecklenburg Jyron Tosi LB 6-2 215 Palisades HS Jaylen Vereen DB 6-2 185 Greer (S.C.) Tyler Walker QB 6-2 190 Panther Creek Brock Weston OL 6-0 225 Grimsley Kentrelle White OL 6-3 280 Lee Co. Jermaine White RB 5-10 190 Vanguard (Fla.) Charles Wilkes LB 6-1 190 Purnell Swett Donovan Woods DB 5-11 180 Fayetteville State
