There will be a lot of new faces on the Gardner-Webb football sidelines in 2024. The Runnin’ Bulldogs, winners of two straight conference championships, will have a new head coach and several huddles worth of new players.
Cris Reisert, who takes over the program from Tre Lamb, announced a 46-member signing class on Wednesday evening. The list includes 19 mid-year transfers and 27 high school prospects. There are players from 15 different states and one from Africa. Of the 13 signees from North Carolina, six listed Charlotte as their hometown.
Anthony Enechukwu, a defensive back from Nigeria, will transfer to GWU from Western Michigan. The Bulldogs inked three transfers from Western Michigan and five from Tiffin, where Reisert coached before taking the Gardner-Webb head job.
Here is information on each signee, courtesy Gardner-Webb University sports information:
High School Seniors
Jeremy Gimmel, OL – St. Johns, Fla. (Bartram Trail)
“Jeremy is a violent player with great size and strength to be dominant in the run game,” -Reisert
Noah Cole, LB – Jacksonville, Fla. (Bolles School)
“Noah brings a high level of versatility to our defensive front seven. He can blitz off the edge, but also play in space as a cover linebacker.”
James Oates, LB – Duncan, S.C. (Byrnes HS)
“James is a long playmaker and will be a TFL machine at GWU. He’ll be an instant impact player.”
Ross Coppock, DB – Dayton, Ohio (Centerville HS)
“Ross is a smart, tough, and instinctive safety. He brings instant credibility as a leader and has a unique playmaking ability.”
Christian Vann, RB – Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Christian)
“Christian is a physical playmaker at one of Charlotte’s top football programs. He’ll be a tremendous asset at the running back position, but also can play a multitude of positions on defense.”
Tyler Lobred, K/P – Chesapeake, Va. (Chesapeake HS)
“Tyler brings dual value as a punter and kicker. He’ll bring an edge to our program in a lot of different ways.”
Jordan Caldwell, DE – Clayton, N.C. (Clayton HS)
“Jordan brings athleticism, versatility, and a high ability to rush the passer. He also can play in space and allows us to use him in a variety of ways.”
Jules Huntley, RB – Florence, S.C. (Florence Christian)
“Jules is a super explosive playmaker that brings huge catch and run ability out of the backfield.”
Aaron Duncan, TE – Dumfries, Va. (Freedom HS)
“Aaron is a dynamic two-way player that we believe has high-level potential as a mismatch nightmare at TE. He’ll bring instant playmaking ability to that room.”
Keyon Woods, DB – Loganville, Ga. (Grayson HS)
“Keyon is a long and lanky playmaker in the secondary. He shows a knack for making big plays in the back end and can dominate games.”
Carson Blachford, OL – Chesapeake, Va. (Great Bridge HS)
“Carson is an extremely violent run blocker and he plays with a chip on his shoulder.”
Jacob Dossey, WR – Huntersville, N.C. (Hough HS)
“Jacob can score from anywhere on the field and in many ways. He was a dynamic punt returner & wide receiver at one of the best programs in NC.”
Jaylan Mays, LS – Charlotte, N.C. (Julius Chambers HS)
“Jaylan is an automatic long snapper. You can count on him to be accurate and the ball to get back quickly.”
Braden Mashtare, DB – Landrum, S.C. (Landrum HS)
“Braden is a versatile athlete that is tough, hard-nosed, and will bring an edge to our defense.”
Preston Lilley, OL – Raleigh, N.C. (Leesville Road HS)
“Preston is a long and athletic tackle with a nasty streak and a very high football IQ.”
Jay Jackson, LB – New London, N.C. (North Stanly HS)
“Jay is a runner and hitter who can cover ground and play physical at the point of attack. We can’t wait to employ his skill set in our defense.”
Jonathan Palmer, QB, – College Grove, Tenn. (Page HS)
“Jonathan brings everything to the table that you want in your QB. Smart, tough, competitive, and incredibly accurate. I can’t wait to coach him and see the impact he makes.”
Tytus Bridges, DE – Canton, N.C. (Pisgah HS)
“Tytus is a tremendous run stopper and creates tremendous knock back at the point of attack. He’ll cause havoc.”
Dearieun Hicks, DL – Richmond, Ind. (Richmond HS)
“Dearieun is a weapon on the defensive line. He can be dominant at any of the four spots and plays with a relentless motor. We can’t wait for him to be a ‘Dawg.”
Zy English, DB – Rock Hill, S.C. (Rock Hill HS)
“Zy brings coverage ability and length to our secondary. He brings a wealth of experience at both safety and corner which will allow him to quickly impact GWU.”
Alex Furr, TE – Kannapolis, N.C. (South Rowan HS)
“Alex is an underrated athlete at the tight end position as well as bringing great size to the position. He can be an asset in the run and pass game.”
Wilson Kaehr, K – Tempe, Ariz. (Valley Christian HS)
“Wilson has a strong and accurate leg and we look for him to compete immediately as a kickoff and field goal kicker.”
Julian Carmichael, LB – Charlotte, N.C. (West Charlotte HS)
“Julian is a playmaker that plays at a different speed than the rest of the guys. His versatility will be a huge addition to our defense. Runner and hitter.”
Phinnel Marshall, OL – Charlotte, N.C. (West Charlotte HS)
“One of the first commits of the class. Phinnel has the ability to play all 5 spots with his length and motor.”
Evan Kuehnel, QB – Elon, N.C. (Western Alamance HS)
“Evan is a big, long frame QB with tremendous upside. We are excited about his opportunity to grow and his ability to throw the deep ball.”
Ahmad Carwise, OL – Piedmont, S.C. (Woodmont HS)
“Ahmad is an incredibly athletic player that is still new to the game. In time, he’ll develop into a dominant player.”
Ben Mauney, QB – Shelby, N.C. (Burns HS)
“Ben was a mid-year enrollee from Burns HS right here in Cleveland County. He’s smart, athletic, and can spin it. We are excited about Ben.”
Transfers
Nick Bigelow, P – Bradenton, Fla. (Tennessee Tech)
“Nick is a talented three-year starter as a punter who brings a lethal accuracy to the position.” – Reisert
Jordan Bly, WR – Charlotte, N.C. (Old Dominion)
“Jordan will make an immediate impact as a WR and returner at GWU. He has all the attributes in a dominant football player.”
Jeff Bowens, DB – Detroit, Mich. (Illinois State)
“Jeff brings a wealth of starting experience at the FCS level. He’ll impact us immediately at our corner position.”
Quinton Cannon, LB – Indianapolis (Western Michigan)
“Q has played a ton of football at Western Michigan and will make a huge immediate impact at our inside linebacker position.”
CJ Dawson, OL – Green, Ohio (Tiffin)
“CJ was a dominant offensive lineman for us at Tiffin and he has three years remaining. He’ll solidify one of our tackle positions.”
Anthony Enechukwu, DB – Anambra State, Nigeria (Western Michigan)
“Anthony brings size, speed, and physicality at the safety position. He’ll add instant playmaking to our secondary.”
Carson Gresock, RB – Columbus, Ohio (Tiffin)
“Carson is a physical, dynamic running back and he’ll make a huge impact at GWU. He’ll impact us in a big way in the next three years.”
Ren Hefley, QB – Little Rock, Ark. (Middle Tennessee State)
“Ren brings a wealth of starting QB experience at the collegiate level. A previous JUCO All-American, Ren will solidify our QB position.”
Quasean Holmes, RB – Charlotte, N.C. (St. Francis, PA)
“Qua has been a super productive running back at the FCS level already and will continue that at Gardner-Webb. He can score from anywhere.”
Robert Holtz, DL – Springfield, Ohio (Tiffin)
“Robert was the Defensive Lineman of the Year in the GMAC and one of the top sack getters in Division II football. He’ll bring that edge to GWU.”
Anthony Lowe, WR – Grove City, Ohio (Tiffin)
“Anthony was a Division II All-American and will be an impact player for us at GWU.”
Jackson Marshall, LB – Lexington, Ky. (Marshall)
“Jackson brings length, speed, and toughness to our linebacker position. He projects inside and will compete from Day 1 to be a starter.”
Camden Overton, TE – Atlanta, Ga. (UT Chattanooga)
“Cam brings a ton of collegiate experience at the FCS level and will make a huge impact with his length, size, and playmaking ability.”
Steven Rose, RB – Reading, Penn. (Delaware)
“Steven played a ton of football at Delaware and will compete immediately at one of our safety positions. He brings strength and physicality at the point of attack.”
Edward Saydee, RB – Philadelphia, Penn. (Temple)
“Edward has had a really productive career at Temple University. He’ll be an immediate impact player and has already grown into a leadership role.”
Cole Schneider, TE – Cincinnati, Ohio (Tiffin)
“Cole started every game for us last year at Tiffin and was one of our most productive offensive players. He’ll continue that at GWU.”
Taylor Shields, WR – Brownsville, Tenn. (Murray State)
“Taylor has had a super productive career at the FCS level and we are happy he’ll finish his collegiate career at GWU. An outside wide receiver with length, creativity, and great ball skills.”
Henry Wilson Jr., WR – Chicago, Ill. (Western Michigan)
“Henry is a dynamic football player and can impact the game vertically, but also after the catch. He will produce immediately.”
Jamari Young, LB – Temple Hills, Md. (East Carolina)
“Jamari brings size and speed to our linebacker corps. We can’t wait to plug him in the middle and let him get to work!”
