App State football adds 4 new commitments, loses prized QB prospect to Maryland

Appalachian State football has picked up four new 2026 commitments over the past few weeks, including two from Newberry High in South Carolina – but lost arguably the biggest name from its upcoming high school class.

Quarterback Nathan Bernhard from Ashland High in Ohio announced Monday that he was flipping his verbal commitment from the Mountaineers to Maryland. App State and new coach Dowell Loggains had turned heads this past spring when Bernhard chose ASU over offers from Power 4 schools like Michigan, Indiana and Penn State.

“Maryland had been in contact with me since last January,” Bernhard told the Mansfield News Journal this week. “They came and watched me play and kept close … I was pretty reluctant at first, I felt pretty good about what I had going on at App State and it would take a lot of things to change that to really know it was a better opportunity. But by the time I was ready to make the decision, I was very convinced in it and happy with my decision.”

Initially, Bernhard said he picked Appalachian State because of the game-day atmosphere in Boone, the program’s long-standing tradition and culture, and the chance to earn playing time right away.

“They made it clear that I was their No. 1 guy and I was the guy they wanted,” Bernhard told the Ashland Source in April. “Ultimately, you’ve got to go where you’re most wanted because that’s gonna maximize your chances of actually playing.”

The decommitment leaves App State currently without a 2026 quarterback. The early signing period for high school senior prospects is Dec. 3-5. 

The Mountaineers do have 24 total players verbally committed to the ‘26 class, including the four newest additions: 

• Wide receiver Sebastian “Cash” Brown from Newberry, SC (Newberry HS)
• Tight end Jamel Howse from Newberry, SC (Newberry HS)
• Cornerback Syncere Berry from Atlanta (Westlake HS)
• Wide receiver Nate Branch from Fulton, MS (Itawamba CC)

Brown announced his commitment to the Mountaineers on Nov. 24. Berry and Howse pledged to App State on Nov. 23, while Branch joined the fold on Nov. 11. 

Howse is considered a four-star tight end per 247Sports Composite Rankings. He had been committed to South Carolina since taking a visit this past summer but decommitted from the Gamecocks in mid-October. He also held offers from schools like UCF, Liberty and Coastal Carolina. Newberry is coming off a 12-1 season.

Berry finished his senior campaign at Westlake High with 40 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, two interceptions and a pair of blocked field goals – earning second-team all-region. 

Branch has taken a winding path to the App State commitment list. He initially committed to Coastal Carolina in the spring of 2022 while a junior in high school. He eventually changed his mind and signed with East Carolina in December 2022. He enrolled at Charleston Southern in January 2024 and spent the 2025 football season at Itawamba Community College in Mississippi, where he caught 40 passes for 482 yards and nine touchdowns.

Branch has been offered by several FBS schools this fall, including Charlotte and multiple Sun Belt rivals like Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, South Alabama and Arkansas State. 

Appalachian State’s 2026 class is currently ranked 62nd in FBS football by 247Sports. The Mountaineers have the top class in the Sun Belt Conference and the fourth-best class among Group of Five schools behind only Boise State (54th), South Florida (58th) and UNLV (60th). Duke’s class is currently 61st. ECU is 77th and Charlotte’s is 101st.

Appalachian State Football 2026 High School Commitment List