Team News - 2024 Roster Changes

With camp opening soon, it's worth taking a look at the latest changes to the roster.

Additions:

The only member of the 2024 unofficial recruiting class not to appear is Lackawanna transfer Roman Brown. Besides the recruiting class, other newcomers that appear on the roster are A.J. Sanders, Tristan Thomas, Collin Skeen and Troy Corson.

Sanders is a 6'2, 250lb defensive lineman who graduated from Cedar Cliff in 2022 and spent some time at Sussex Community College. Thomas may be familiar to Golden Ram basketball fans as the 6'9, 250lb forward from IMG Academy who played for Coach Damien Blair in the 2022-2023 season, although he was not listed on last year's roster. He is listed as a tight end for the football team.

Neither Corson, a 5'9, 175lb wide receiever from Wilson, nor Skeen, a 6'0, 195lb wide receiver who spent 2022 at Seton Hill, currently have a uniform number assigned. After his senior season in 2022, Corson was named the Defensive Back of the Year in Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 and was selected to the Pennsylvania Football Writers All-State Class 6A team on defense, and to the Class 6A PFN Coaches Select All-State Team as a receiver. Skeen was selected to the 2021 Class 4A PFN Coaches Select All-State Team as an offensive athlete.

Not currently appearing on the roster but having issued a commitment is Zaire McLaurin. In high school, the 6'1, 209lb safty was first team All-Catholic and third team All-City as a sophomore at LaSalle, then All-Public as a junior at Northeast. After his senior season in the spring of 2021, he was named Philadelphia Public League Player of the Year and committed to Central Michigan although he never signed with the Chippewas. McLaurin spent the 2021 season with Fort Scott Community College in Kansas and then appeared in ten games for the nearby Eastern University Eagles in 2023.

Departures:

The most notable departures from the roster are offensive tackle Quinton Derr and running back Trey Blair. Derr appeared in every game at WCU in 2019, 2021 and 2022 (2020 was cancelled due to COIVD) and started in 25 of those 34 games at offensive tackle. The team captain missed last season due to an injury. His #75 on the roster remains available. Although Blair spent three seasons at Temple before transferring to West Chester, 2021 was shown to be a redhsirt season with the Owls. Last year for the Purple and Gold, Blair played in just three games and had 18 carries for 158 yards and three touchdowns.

Other departures that appear to have playing eligibility left include offensive lineman Luke Stengel (31 games, two-year starter), defensive lineman Tom Burns (7 games, 11 tackles), defensive back Ben Marsico (2 games, 2 tackles), defensive back Alex Sciarrino (6 games, 1 tackle), freshman running back Grant Hoover, freshman offensive lineman Dylan Croner, freshman offensive lineman Chris Treshock, and freshman linebacker Kyle Schuman.