Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney football program announced today the names of 45 newcomers (19 mid-year players and 26 high school seniors) who'll suit up for the Lopers this fall.

Additional newcomers will come aboard over the spring and summer months, but 108 players will be taking part in spring ball when that begins in late March. Head coach Ryan Held and his staff will discuss the "Class of 2025" next Tuesday (Feb. 11) at Cunningham's on the Lake. The event, sponsored by the Loper Gridiron Club, runs from 6-8 p.m. and features complimentary appetizers and a cash bar.

This new group features 17 Nebraskans, seven hailing from Kansas with 11 other states represented. By position, UNK is adding 26 offensive players, 18 on defense and one kicker. Defensive backs (10) and offensive linemen/wide receivers (eight each) are the top positions with seven defensive linemen/ends coming aboard as well. Next, the Lopers added four hometown products and two each from Wood River, Boys Town and Lawrence (Kan.) Free State High Schools. Finally, the mid-year transfer class provides experience from the FBS, FCS, Division II and junior college ranks.

“I think this is a good class and I commend our coaching staff and administration for working hard in year three. We put together a class with length and athleticism, winners, guys that can help us now and guys that will develop in our program, said Held. “Having been in the league two years, I think we’ve identified the kind of player that we need in order to win games.”

At quarterback, redshirt junior Daron Bryden (pronounced DAR-in BRY-din) played two seasons at FCS-Stony Brook (NY) after a record-setting prep career in Connecticut. He joins a room that includes redshirt junior Brendan Bush (Bay Point, Calif.), redshirt sophomore Abram Scholting (Pierce) and redshirt freshman Kenneth Smith (Roswell, Ga.). In the fall, dual threat Connor Bohon joins the Lopers after starring for Mill Valley High School in suburban Kansas City. Last season, graduate transfer Reagan Jones (Wichita/Missouri Western) served as the starting QB with Scholting the backup and Smith and Bush taking redshirt seasons.

These QB’s will have new threats to throw to in former ‘Huskers Ryker Evans (Hi-Line) and Dae’vonn Hall (Bellevue West) and tight ends Carsten Bluhm (Lincoln Southeast & Northern Iowa) and Braden Barscewski (Coffeyville C.C.). Also having D1 experience are receivers Jaden Jude (Tennessee-Chattanooga) and Dwayne Moorhead (Ball State & Hutchinson C.C.) with Landon Leipold (Lawrence, Kan.) one of four incoming freshmen on the perimeter. Finally on offense, lineman John Murphy transfers in from Sierra (Calif.) College; his brother, James, is a senior defensive lineman for the Lopers.

“We fortunate to get Ryker and Dae’vonn from Nebraska; they are good players. I think the 105 (D1 roster limit) will definitely help us now and moving forward,” said Held. “We had a need at cornerback and receiver where we graduated some guys. We added players there that can help us immediately.”

The other side of the ball includes 2023 All-MIAA corner Ife Current (Missouri Southern) and safeties Jude Joseph (Idaho State & Louisiana-Lafayette) and Kolten Tilford (South Dakota State). The defensive ends include Dominic Grein(Oklahoma State), Reese Bertrand (Kearney H.S.) and LaDainian Blackwell (Boys Town H.S.) with safety Kyle Lauridsen(Bennington H.S.) honorary captain of Omaha World-Herald’s 2024 Class B all-state first-team defense. Finally, the lone special teamer is kicker Solomon Wiens (Kearney Catholic H.S.). For the Stars last fall, he made 12 field goals and 42 PAT’s.

“We always want to start in-state; that’s very important to us. We were able to acquire some guys from Kearney and we’re excited about them,” said Held. “We’ve worked very hard in Omaha to get players, in Lincoln and really the whole state. While you can’t get them all, we don’t want to miss anybody that we feel can help. We’ve signed 60 Nebraska high school kids (last three years) and a lot of them are still here, growing and getting better.”

UNK is going through winter workouts with spring ball set to begin on Wednesday, March 26. The spring game will be held on Saturday, April 26 (1 p.m.) with more details to come on that and other events.
 
Nebraska Mid-Year Additions (4)

Carsten Bluhm

TE

6-6

240

R-Fr.

Lincoln, Neb./U. of Northern Iowa/Lincoln Southeast

Ryker Evans

WR

6-0

180

R-Fr.

Elwood, Neb./U. of Nebraska-Lincoln/Hi-Line

Dae'vonn Hall

WR

6-1

190

R-Fr.

Plattsmouth, Neb./U. of Nebraska-Lincoln/Bellevue West

Kolten Tilford

S

5-9

185

R-So.

North Platte, Neb./South Dakota St. U./North Platte


Out of State Mid-Year Additions (15)

Braden Barscewski

TE

6-3

225

R-So.

Andover, Kan./Coffeyville (KS) C.C./Andover Central

Daron Bryden

QB

6-2

205

R-Jr.

Enfield, Conn./Stony Brook U. (NY)/Bloomfield

Tyshawn Campbell

CB

6-2

190

Sr.

Winter Haven, Fla./West Liberty U. (W.V.)/Winter Haven

Ife Current

CB

6-2

190

Jr.

Kennedale, Texas/U. of Texas-Permian Basin/Kennedale

Ja'Mareion Gipson

CB

5-10

180

Jr.

Houston, Texas/Trinity Valley C.C. (TX)/Langham Creek

Dominic Grein

DE

6-5

230

R-Fr.

Tonkawa, Okla./Oklahoma State U./Tonkawa

Jude Joseph

S

5-11

190

R-Jr.

Lafayette, La./Idaho State U./St. Thomas More Catholic

Jaden Jude

WR

6-3

190

R-Jr.

Athens, Ala./U. Tennessee-Chattanooga/Athens

Qualyn McQueen

CB

5-10

175

Jr.

Miami, Fla./Independence C.C. (KS)/Miami Central

Dwayne Moorhead

WR

6-3

200

R-So.

Chicago, Ill/Hutchinson C.C. (KS)/Brother Rice

John Murphy

OL

6-5

340

Jr.

El Dorado Hills, Calif./Sierra College (CA)/Union Mine

Alijah Smith

DL

6-1

350

Jr.

Placerville, Calif./Sierra College (CA)/Union Mine

Caleb Smith

DE

6-2

250

So.

Chandler, Ariz./Fullerton College (CA)/Hamilton

Xavier Wells

CB

6-4

175

Fr.

Temple, Texas/Lake Belton

Stone Wilson

RB

6-0

205

R-Jr.

Dodge City, Kan./Dodge City C.C./Dodge City


Nebraska H.S Seniors (15)

Owen Axmann

WR

6-2

175

Fr.

Kearney, Neb./Kearney Catholic

Reese Bertrand

DE

6-3

215

Fr.

Kearney, Neb./Kearney

LaDainian Blackwell

DE

6-4

240

Fr.

Baltimore, Md./Boys Town (Neb.)

 

Marqas Gray

TE

6-7

215

Fr.

Baltimore, Md./Boys Town (Neb.)

 

Jackson Jones

OL

6-5

300

Fr.

Fremont, Neb./Fremont

 

Jaxon Knisley

RB

5-11

195

Fr.

North Platte, Neb./St. Patrick's

Kyle Lauridsen

S

5-11

180

Fr.

Bennington, Neb/Bennington

 

Ben Meerian

OL

6-4

290

Fr.

Gretna, Neb./Gretna

 

Ryan Meier

LB

6-2

225

Fr.

Kearney, Neb./Kearney

Noah Packer

OL

6-2

275

Fr.

Wood River, Neb./Wood River

Beau Rohrich

RB

6-0

205

Fr.

Wood River, Neb./Wood River

TJ Whaley

TE

6-3

210

Fr.

Bellevue, Neb./Bellevue West

Aiden Whitted

OL

6-3

295

Fr.

Papillion, Neb./Papillion-La Vista South

 

Solomon Wiens

K

5-11

175

 Fr.

Kearney, Neb./Kearney Catholic

 

Aiden Zajicek

TE

6-6

220

 Fr.

Wilber, Neb./Wilber Clatonia


Out of State H.S Seniors (11)

Connor Bohon

QB

6-4

200

Fr.

Shawnee, Kan./Mill Valley

 

Xavion Edwards

OL

6-5

315

Fr.

Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge

Brock Harmon

DE

6-2

240

Fr.

Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill South

 

Caden Huffman

WR

6-0

185

Fr.

Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Southwest

 

Phil Jones Jr.

OL

6-3

295

Fr.

Overland Park, Kan./Bishop Miege

Landon Leipold

WR

6-2

185

Fr.

Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence Free State

 

Jeremiah Parks

CB

6-3

180

Fr.

Palm Beach, Fla./Palm Beach Christian

Eddie Paul

OL

6-7

280

Fr.

St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North

Noah Rupp

S

6-1

170

Fr.

Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence Free State

Juju Smith

WR

5-10

170

Fr.

Choctaw, Okla./Choctaw

Kenny Urbina Jr.

DL

6-3

295

Fr.

Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley