BEARS SPOTLIGHT #93 REICE GRIFFITH
POSITION: Kicker
HOMETOWN: Pace, Fla.
TWITTER/INSTAGRAM: @ReiceKicks / @reicegriffith
MAJOR: Communication Studies (Anticipated Graduation: 2027)
CAREER NOTES:
• Preseason All-American (Phil Steele), Preseason All-Southern Conference
• Matched school record in 2024 with 102 points scored
• Career stats: 199 points (2nd all-time), PAT: 103-for-103, FG: 32-for-42
• Matched school record with 51-yard field goal against Wofford
WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT AS A MERCER BEAR?
“I want fans to remember me as not only a good kicker, but as someone who is caring, inclusive, and the one who makes everybody feel like a somebody. I also want to be remembered as a teammate that can be counted on in high pressure situations.”
WHAT IS THE MOST USELESS TALENT THAT YOU POSSESS?
“During almost any conversation, I can find and appropriately insert quotes from movie scenes, literally, word for word.”
WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS DID YOU GET FROM YOUR PARENTS?
“The personality traits that I get from my mom are my humor and compassion. I get my sarcasm and athleticism from my dad.”
IF YOU COULD LEARN TO DO ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
“I would love to be a Blue Angel pilot because I’ve grown up in Pensacola watching the air shows my whole life.”
WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT DRIVE YOU CRAZY?
“One of the things that drives me crazy is someone touching my hair. I also cannot stand when someone is smacking food.”
TODAY’S PROBABLE LINEUPS
WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL
MERCER OFFENSE
Pos. No.
X 18
Name
Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown
Adjatay Dabbs 6-0, 170, R-So., Greeneville, Tenn.
2 Adonis McDaniel 5-10, 170, Jr., Columbia, S.C.
LT 74 Amarii Atchison 6-8, 300, R-So., Douglasville, Ga.
50 Darrian King 6-3, 295, R-Sr., Oak Grove, Miss.
LG 63 Jamari Freeman 6-4, 300, R-Jr., Fairburn, Ga.
75 Kelan Washington 6-3, 290, Fr., DeFuniak Springs, Fla.
C 60 Gavin Marks 6-3, 305, Fr., Wendell, N.C.
69 Blake Martin 6-4, 300, R-Sr., Sawmills, N.C.
RG 57 Tyler Murray 6-2, 285, So., Altavista, Va.
67 Pierson Sears 6-1, 255, R-Fr., Canton, Ga.
RT 70 Xavier Jennings 6-2, 305, Gr., Shelby, N.C.
77 Luke Schultz 6-7, 295, R-Fr., Birmingham, Ala.
TE 86 Samuel Albee 6-5, 235, Jr., Dunwoody, Ga.
14 Malik Simmons 6-4, 230, R-Sr., Bedford Heights, Ohio
Z 7 Kendall Harris 6-1, 200, R-So., Concord, N.C.
23 Travion Solomon 6-1, 190, R-Jr., Macon, Ga.
SLOT 9 Brayden Smith 5-10, 185, Jr., Macon, Ga.
5 Javarius George 5-10, 170, R-Fr., Dallas, Ga.
QB 11 Braden Atkinson 6-1, 215, Fr., Rolesville, N.C.
19 JP Pickles 6-1, 215, R-Fr., Tallahassee, Fla.
RB 22 CJ Miller 5-11, 230, R-Jr., Gadsden, Ala.
27 Micah Bell 5-10, 205, R-Jr., McDonough, Ga.
SAMFORD DEFENSE
Pos. No. Name Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown
DE 44 Corey Warren 6-0, 257, Jr., Hoover, Ala.
94 Joseph Shannon 6-2, 226, Jr., Kankakee, Ill.
NG 60 Hank Weber 6-3, 263, So., Franklin, Tenn.
95 Maxton Woodward 6-2, 336, Sr., Philadelphia, Miss.
DE 90 Conroy Cunningham II 6-3, 260., Gr., Melbourne, Fla.
97 Jackson Bussey 6-3, 240, Fr., Norcross, Ga.
DOG 88 Donovan Grayson 6-3, 240, So., Stafford, Va.
46 Andrew Jordan 6-3, 235, Jr., Concord, N.C.
WILL 30 Carson Sloan 6-2, 220, Fr., Blackshear, Ga.
48 Jacob Johnson 6-2, 230, So., Covington, La. MIKE 5 Jaden Mosley 6-2, 230, Sr., Mobile, Ala.
34 Malik Gaither 6-2, 230, Gr., Stockbridge, Ga. STAR 27 Gumbo Gaskins 6-1, 190, Jr., Jonesboro, Ga.
14 KeShawn Washington 6-2, 200, Gr., Homestead, Fla.
CB 2 Jalik Yancey 5-11, 180, Sr., Marietta, Ga.
21 Malik Thornton 6-0, 165, Sr., Eatonton, Ga.
SS 17 Amari Wansley 6-0, 183, Sr., Buford, Ga.
9 LaShon Young 5-11, 175, So., Sweet Water, Ala.
FS 6 Jalen Nelson 6-1, 185, Jr., Flowood, Miss.
19 Trey Lenhardt 6-1, 195, Fr., Bogart, Ga.
CB 3 Nahil Perkins 6-0, 178, Gr., Douglasville, Ga.
1 Dee Newsom 6-3, 170, So., Tuscumbia, Ala.
MERCER SPECIALISTS
Pos. No. Name Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown
PK 93 Reice Griffith 5-11, 170, Jr., Pace, Fla.
36 Bryce Addison 5-9, 175, R-Jr., Saint Augustine, Fla.
HOL 19 John McConnell 6-3, 190, R-Sr., Morgantown, W.Va.
19 JP Pickles 6-1, 215, R-Fr., Tallahassee, Fla.
KR 9 Brayden Smith 5-10, 185, Jr., Macon, Ga.
2 Adonis McDaniel 5-10, 170, Jr., Columbia, S.C.
P 19 John McConnell 6-3, 190, R-Sr., Morgantown, W.Va.
89 Ian Garcia 6-0, 210, R-Jr., Windermere, Fla.
LS 56 Jaiden Hamilton 6-2, 215, Jr., Carrollton, Ga.
49 Max Allen 6-4, 205, Fr., Holly Springs, N.C.
PR 9 Brayden Smith 5-10, 185, Jr., Macon, Ga.
2 Adonis McDaniel 5-10, 170, Jr., Columbia, S.C.
WHEN THE BULLDOGS HAVE THE BALL SAMFORD OFFENSE
Pos. No. Name Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown
X 7 Jaden Gibson 6-0, 179, So., Rabun County, Ga.
84 Sam Pickett III 6-0, 180, Fr., Jasper, Tenn.
LT 78
65
Duncan Johnson 6-5, 275, So., Augusta, Ga.
Kaleb May 6-4, 270, So., McCalla, Ala.
LG 74 Tyler Douthit 6-4, 280, So., Woodstock, Ga.
52 Wesley Graham 6-3, 300, Fr., Smiths Station, Ala.
C 64 Noah Watts 6-1, 295, Jr., Alabaster, Ala.
58 Wil Turner IV 6-3, 295, Fr., Gainesville, Ga.
RG 77 Kaleb Pearley 6-5, 304, So., New Orleans, La.
70 Crosby Mullins 6-4, 305, Jr., Mendenhall, Miss.
RT 57 Web Davidson 6-6, 310, Fr., Macon, Ga.
76 Michael Snow 6-5, 295, Fr., Pell City, Ala.
TE 49 Vance Nicklaus 6-5, 240, Sr., Duluth, Ga. 45 Cannon Pigg 6-4, 235, Fr., Florence, Ala.
Z 13
Calvin Jones 5-10, 185, Sr., Forest City, N.C. 18
Torrey Ward 6-3, 190, Fr., Helena, Ala.
H 86 Nick Crayton 6-3, 215, Fr., Decatur, Ala. 33
Teddy Davenport 5-10, 175, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga.
QB 2 Quincy Crittendon 5-11, 200, Sr., Decatur, Ala. 15 Brady Stober 6-0, 185, Fr., Hickory, N.C.
RB 0 CJ Evans 5-8, 180, Gr., Mobile, Ala.
29 Cam Bland 5-11, 178, Fr., Suwanee, Ga.
MERCER DEFENSE
Pos. No. Name Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown
DE 0 Andrew Zock 6-2, 250, So., Citra, Fla. 15 Kobe McInnis 6-2, 245, Fr., Marietta, Ga.
NT 91 Jordan Swain 6-3, 290, R-Sr., Brunswick, Ga.
55 Ean Johnson-Kelley 6-1, 270, Fr., Bradenton, Fla.
DT 53 Justin Gilbert 6-3, 245, R-Sr., Dallas, Ga. 96 Myles Dixon 6-2, 285, Fr., Holly Hill, S.C.
DE 30 Brayden Dudley 6-2, 255, R-Sr., Buford, Ga.
1 Dan Hicks 6-5, 265, R-Sr., Lansdale, Pa.
LB 10 Julian Fox 6-1, 220, R-So., Cordele, Ga.
46 Isaac Prince 6-0, 215, R-Jr., Snellville, Ga.
LB 51 Drew Clare 6-2, 225, R-Jr., Alpharetta, Ga. 33 Antonio Butts Jr. 6-1, 215, R-Fr., Savannah, Ga.
SAM 4 Donovan Watkins 5-11, 180, Jr., Winnsboro, S.C. 32 Kai Reyes 5-11, 190, R-Fr., Jacksonville, Fla.
CB 7 Carmelo O’neal 6-4, 200, So., Atlanta, Ga. 29 Evan Taylor 6-2, 190, R-Fr., Charlotte, N.C.
S 17 Kaleb Hutchinson 6-0, 185, R-Jr., Augusta, Ga. 13 Juwan Johnson 5-11, 195, Sr., Savannah, Ga.
S 12 Tommy Bliss 5-11, 195, R-Jr., Richmond Hill, Ga. 22 Carter Kermott 5-11, 180, R-Fr., Carlsbad, Calif.
CB 8 KJ Thomas 5-11, 180, Fr., Conyers, Ga.
3 Myles Weston 5-11, 175, R-Jr., Port Charlotte, Fla.
SAMFORD SPECIALISTS
Pos. No. Name Ht., Wt., Yr., Hometown
P 32 Noah Jones 6-0, 180, Gr., Whigham, Ga.
26 Jake Garner 6-0, 195, Fr., Pelham, Ala.
PK 26 Jake Garner 6-0, 195, Fr., Pelham, Ala.
51 Jacob Gettman 6-0, 160, Fr., Daytona Beach, Fla.
LS 61 Alex Applefield 5-10, 208, Gr., Dothan, Ala.
56 Aidan Barr 6-0, 205, Jr., West Palm Beach, Fla.
H 59 Will Thorley 6-3, 215, Jr., Torquay, Australia
32 Noah Jones 6-0, 180, Gr., Whigham, Ga.
PR 0 CJ Evans 5-8, 180, Gr., Mobile, Ala.
13 Calvin Jones 5-10, 185, Sr., Forest City, N.C.
KR 0 CJ Evans 5-8, 180, Gr., Mobile, Ala.
7 Jaden Gibson 6-0, 179, So., Rabun County, Ga.
2025 MERCER BEARS FOOTBALL
Mercer BEARS vs. Samford BULLDOGS
October 4, 2025 l Five Star Stadium l Macon, Ga.
u The 22nd-ranked Mercer Bears resumes the home portion of their regular season schedule today when it takes on league nemesis Samford at 4 p.m. inside Five Star Stadium in Macon. The game will be broadcasted live by ESPN+ with Frank Malloy and Phil Cox handling the duties in the booth.
u Samford returned just four starters (1 offense, 3 defense) from last season’s 4-7 squad that registered a 3-4 (5th) mark in Southern Conference play ... Among the returners for Samford are a trio of preseason All-SoCon standouts, including first team defensive lineman Conroy Cunningham ... Quincy Crittendon (QB) and Jaden Mosley (LB) also graced the preseason all-conference list ... The Bulldogs boast FCS’s 8th-best passing offense (296.8 yards/game) and 44th-best total offense (376.6 yards/game allowed) ... Samford has turned the ball over 16 times through its first five games, while also allowing nearly 300 yards (299.6) per game through the air.
u Samford in 16-14-1 all-time in a series with Mercer that dates all the way back to the 1907 season when both teams competed as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) and later as members of the Dixie Conference ... Fifteen of the first 16 matchups in the series were played in Macon ... Samford has captured seven of the 11 Southern Conference matchups in the series ... Seven of those contests were decided by seven or fewer points ... The squads have combined to register 49 or more points in each of the last seven meetings, including 90 or more points in two of the last three meetings.
u Samford scored a quartet of touchdowns in the game’s first 6-1/2 minutes and never looked back as the Bulldogs snapped visiting and then-No. 7 Mercer’s school record six-game win streak with a 55-35 victory over the Bears on Oct. 19, 2024 at Pete Hanna Stadium ... The result snapped Mercer’s seven-game win streak against Southern Conference competition, while also snapping Mercer’s six-game win streak in regular season road games.
u A win over Samford today would give the Bears just their second 4-0 start in league play in the modern era of the program, and the first since the 2022 club won its first four SoCon outings ... Mercer has, twice before (2021, 2024), won its first three Southern Conference outings ... Samford prevented the Bears from a 4-0 start to SoCon play last season with a 55-35 win in Birmingham, Ala. ... Mercer won its first three SoCon contests in 2021 before dropping the fourth against VMI at home ... The Bears began the 2018 season with a 3-1 conference record, but dropped their second league matchup of the season against The Citadel at home.
u Mercer is now 51-21 (.708) all-time in Five Star Stadium following its Week 3 win over Wofford, including a 24-5 (.828) clip since the 2019 campaign ... The Bears have turned in at least four wins inside their home stadium in each of the last five seasons, and have now captured 18 of their last 21 home games following the triumph over the Terriers ... Mercer has won eight-straight games against SoCon foes in Five Star Stadium, and boasts a 19-3 clip against league foes since the end of the 2019 campaign ... The Bears are 29-17 all-time against SoCon opponents in Macon.
Junior CJ Miller was named the Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after rushing for 172 yards and two touchdowns at East Tennessee State. He also had four catches for 41 yards.
u Mercer will ride a seven-game win streak against Southern Conference teams into today’s game against Samford ... The last league loss for the Bears came in the form of a 55-35 loss at Samford that marked the first loss of the season for MU in 2024 ... MU has now captured 16 of its last 18 games against SoCon opponents dating back to a 38-3 win over VMI on Sept. 30, 2023 ... The Bears are 8-1 at home across that stretch and 8-1 away from Macon.
u Standout performances in Week 4 and 5 wins at The Citadel and East Tennessee State, respectively, led to a
combined four weekly awards from the Southern Conference ... Sophomore linebacker Julian Fox was lauded as SoCon Defensive Player of the Week after posting nine tackles and his first career interception at The Citadel ... Junior CJ Miller was named the league’s offensive player of the week after rushing for 172 yards and two touchdowns at ETSU ... Junior kicker Reice Griffith picked up his second and third career SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week awards after connecting on all six kick attempts - including a school record-tying 51yard field goal - at The Citadel, and then going 6-for-6, including a 49-yard field goal, against the Buccaneers ... He also registered four touchbacks apiece as MU’s kickoff specialist in both games.
u A career night at East Tennessee State in Week 5 transitioned into a big national spotlight for CJ Miller who was named the Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week on September 29 ... Miller established new career bests for rushing attempts (29), rushing yards (172) and rushing touchdowns (2), as well as career highs for both receptions (4) and receiving yards (41) ... The performance showcased the 8th-highest single game rushing yards total in program history, while Miller’s 29 rushing attempts ranks third all-time in program annals ... It was the most carries by a Mercer running back since Tyray Devezin ran for 168 yards on 29 carries in a 38-33 loss at ETSU on Nov. 16, 2019 ... Miller is just the second player in program history to earn Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week laurels, and the first since Ty James raked in the honor on Aug. 30, 2022.
u The Orange & Black is 25-23 (.521) over the last decade in the calendar’s 10th month, but the program has logged 13 of those victories since 2020 ... Mercer has won 13 of its last 17 October matchups, including an 8-2 clip at Five Star Stadium across that span ... The Bears have also captured seven of their last nine road outings in October.
Known as the “Peach Capital of the World”, Peach County is home to the world famous Lane Southern Orchards who has been growing Georgia’s finest peaches and pecans on its sprawling 11,000-acre orchards since 1908.
2025 MERCER BEARS FOOTBALL
MERCER/SAMFORD SERIES
DATE LOCATION RESULT
11/2/1907
11/26/1908
10/23/1909
11/24/1910
Macon W, 11-6
Macon W, 45-0
Macon L, 6-5
Macon W, 28-0
11/30/1911 Macon W, 29-0
10/12/1912 Birmingham, Ala. W, 36-0
10/30/1915
10/21/1916
Macon W, 14-7
Macon L, 26-7
10/16/1920 Macon L, 33-13
10/25/1924 Macon W, 14-5
10/23/1926 Macon W, 3-0
10/22/1927 Macon L, 14-0
10/13/1928 Macon L, 15-7
10/19/1929 Macon W, 7-2
10/1/1932 Macon W, 21-6
10/16/1936 Macon T, 0-0
10/9/1937 Birmingham, Ala. L, 7-0
11/16/1939 Albany, Ga. L, 7-3
11/15/1940 Macon L, 14-6
11/20/1941 Birmingham, Ala. L, 27-6
10/4/2014 Birmingham, Ala. L, 21-18
11/21/2015 Macon L, 47-21
11/12/2016 Birmingham, Ala. L, 24-19
11/4/2017 Macon L, 20-3
11/15/2018 Birmingham, Ala. W, 30-24
11/2/2019 Macon W, 36-33
4/17/2020 Birmingham, Ala. L, 44-20
10/2/2021 Macon W, 45-42
11/19/2022 Birmingham, Ala. L, 50-44 (2ot)
11/11/2023 Macon W, 28-21
10/19/2024 Birmingham, Ala. L, 55-35
(3-1, 3-0 SoCon)
MERCER BEARS
Head Coach: Mike Jacobs (Ohio State, 2001)
Record at Mercer: 14-4 (.778), 2nd year
Overall Record: 88-21 (.807), 10th year
Aug. 23 vs. #7 UC Davis No Contest
Aug. 30 PRESBYTERIAN L, 15-10
Sept. 6 BYE
Sept. 13 * WOFFORD W, 22-21
Sept. 20 * at The Citadel W, 38-0
Sept. 27 * at East Tennessee State W, 38-34
Oct. 4 * SAMFORD
Oct. 11 at Princeton
Oct. 18 BYE
Oct. 25 * VMI
Nov. 1 * at Furman
Nov. 8 * at Western Carolina
Nov. 15 * CHATTANOOGA
Nov. 22 at Auburn
* = Southern Conference (SoCon) game 2025
SAMFORD BULLDOGS
(0-5, 0-3 SoCon)
Head Coach: Chris Hatcher (Valdosta State, 1994) Record at Samford: 61-55 (.529), 11th year Overall Record: 182-112 (.619), 26th year
Aug. 28 WEST GEORGIA L, 34-3 Sept. 6 * THE CITADEL L, 40-13
Oct. 4 * at #22 Mercer 4 p.m.
Oct. 11 BYE
Oct. 18
Junior Tommy Bliss recorded his first career interception in Saturday’s win at East Tennessee State, while also recovering a fumble early in the third quarter.
MERCER NUMERICAL ROSTER
# NAME POS. HT. WT. CL. HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL
0 Andrew Zock DL 6-2 250 So. Citra, Fla./Hawthorne HS
1 Dan Hicks DL 6-5 265 R-Sr. Lansdale, Pa./West Chester)
1 DJ Smith QB 6-2 200 Sr. Greenwood, Miss./Jones College
2 Adonis McDaniel WR 5-10 170 Jr. Columbia, S.C./Ridge View HS
3 Apollos Cook TE 6-3 210 R-So. Lexington, S.C./Duke
3 Myles Weston CB 5-11 175 R-Jr. Port Charlotte, Fla./Venice HS
4 Autavius Ison RB 5-11 190 Jr. Atlanta, Ga./Charleston Southern
4 Donovan Watkins S 5-11 180 Jr. Winnsboro, S.C./Fairfield Central HS
5 Javarius George WR 5-10 170 R-Fr. Dallas, Ga./North Paulding HS
5 Mike Polke S 6-0 190 Fr. Toombs County, Ga./Toombs County HS
6 Kims Pierre CB 6-0 180 Fr. Ocoee, Fla./Ocoee HS
7 Kendall Harris WR 6-1 200 R-So. Concord, N.C./Cox Mill HS
7 Carmelo O’neal S 6-4 200 So. Atlanta, Ga./Westlake HS
8 KJ Thomas CB 5-11 180 Fr. Conyers, Ga./Hebron Christian Academy
9 Jayvyn Fraziars S 6-2 200 Fr. Dunnellon, Fla./Dunnellon HS
9 Brayden Smith WR 5-10 185 Jr. Macon, Ga./Tattnall Square Academy
10 Julian Fox LB 6-1 220 R-So. Cordele, Ga./Crisp County HS
11 Braden Atkinson QB 6-1 215 Fr. Rolesville, N.C./Rolesville HS
11 Aiden Holewski DL 6-3 240 Fr. New Port Richey, Fla./Gulf HS
12 Tommy Bliss S 5-11 195 R-Jr. Richmond Hill, Ga./Richmond Hill HS
12 Jake Wilson QB 6-2 200 R-Fr. Trophy Club, Texas/Purdue
13 Juwan Johnson S 5-11 195 Sr. Savannah, Ga./Calvary Day School
13 Braylon Stewart WR 6-0 185 Fr. Raleigh, N.C./Middle Creek HS
14 Ethan McDowell DL 6-2 245 R-So. Newnan, Ga./Miami (Ohio)
14 Malik Simmons TE 6-4 230 R-Sr. Bedford Heights, Ohio/Lenoir-Rhyne
15 Kobe McInnis DL 6-2 245 Fr. Marietta, Ga./Wheeler HS
16 Jake Maxwell QB 6-3 195 R-Fr. Bonaire, Ga./Veterans HS
16 Christian Davis S 5-10 190 R-Jr. Tuscaloosa, Ala./Army)
17 Kaleb Hutchinson S 6-0 185 R-Jr. Augusta, Ga./Coastal Carolina)
17 Trenton Jones WR 5-10 170 Fr. Hastings, Fla./St. Augustine HS
18 Adjatay Dabbs WR 6-0 170 R-So. Greeneville, Tenn./Greeneville HS
18 Justin Ferguson CB 6-0 180 Fr. Winston-Salem, N.C./West Forsyth HS
19 John McConnell P 6-3 190 R-Sr. Morgantown, W.Va./Marshall)
19 JP Pickles QB 6-1 215 R-Fr. Tallahassee, Fla./UTEP
20 Carlos Benjamin RB 5-8 175 Fr. Prichard, Ala./Vigor HS
20 Ryan McNally S 5-9 170 R-Fr. Winder, Ga./Winder-Barrow HS
21 Fabian Scott CB 6-3 185 Jr. Miami, Fla./Florida Atlantic
22 Carter Kermott S 5-11 180 R-Fr. Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon HS
22 CJ Miller RB 5-11 230 R-Jr. Gadsden, Ala./Gadsden City HS
23 Sam Connell CB 6-0 165 R-Fr. Augusta, Ga./ Augusta Prep
23 Travion Solomon WR 6-1 190 R-Jr. Macon, Ga./Northeast HS
24 Roman Douthit CB 5-10 155 R-Fr. Atlanta, Ga./Lakeside HS
25 Tyrell Coard RB 6-0 205 Jr. Charlotte, N.C./Cox Mill HS
25 Buck Cooper CB 6-0 180 R-Sr. Savannah, Ga./Georgia State
26 Tucker Mix CB 5-10 165 R-Jr. Gray, Ga./Jones County HS
27 Micah Bell RB 5-10 205 R-Jr. McDonough, Ga./Charlotte
28 Rafael Little LB 6-1 215 Fr. Seneca, S.C./Seneca HS
29 Evan Taylor CB 6-2 190 R-Fr. Charlotte, N.C./Nebraska
30 Brayden Dudley DL 6-2 255 R-Sr. Buford, Ga. /West Virginia
31 Markus Meincke P 6-7 220 So. Hamburg, Germany/UAB
32 Kai Reyes CB 5-11 190 R-Fr. Jacksonville, Fla./Fletcher HS
33 Antonio Butts Jr. LB 6-1 215 R-Fr. Savannah, Ga./Effingham County HS
34 Mac Bradley LB 6-2 235 Fr. Bogart, Ga./Prince Avenue HS
35 Cole Allbaugh K 5-9 175 Fr. Tallahassee, Fla./Florida State University HS
36 Bryce Addison K 5-9 175 R-Jr. Saint Augustine, Fla./Pedro Menendez HS
39 Billy Martin RB 5-8 175 R-Fr. Kite, Ga./David Emanuel Academy
46 Isaac Prince LB 6-0 215 R-Jr. Snellville, Ga./Shiloh HS
48 Mic Wasson LB 6-3 215 Sr. Glennville, Ga./Pinewood Christian Academy
49 Max Allen LS 6-4 205 Fr. Holly Springs, N.C./Holly Springs HS
50 Darrian King OL 6-3 295 R-Sr. Oak Grove, Miss./Samford
51 Drew Clare LB 6-2 225 R-Jr. Alpharetta, Ga./Denmark HS
52 Wyatt Hester LB 6-0 190 R-Fr. Newberry, Fla./Newberry HS
53 Justin Gilbert DL 6-3 245 R-Sr. Dallas, Ga./Savannah State
54 Justin Brett OL 5-11 265 R-Jr. Sandersville, Ga./Washington County HS
55 Ean Johnson-Kelley DL 6-1 270 Fr. Bradenton, Fla./Manatee HS
56 Jaiden Hamilton LS 6-2 215 Jr. Carrollton, Ga./Carrollton HS
57 Tyler Murray OL 6-2 285 So. Altavista, Va./Liberty Christian Academy
58 Tyler Murray OL 6-5 300 R-So. San Antonio, Texas/Texas Tech
60 Gavin Marks OL 6-3 305 Fr. Wendell, N.C./Rolesville HS
63 Jamari Freeman OL 6-4 300 R-Jr. Fairburn, Ga./Tennessee State
64 Garrett Weisgerber OL 6-2 280 Fr. Lithia, Fla./Carrollwood Day School
66 Denver Degonia OL 6-1 245 Fr. Harris County, Ga./Harris County HS
67 Pierson Sears OL 6-1 255 R-Fr. Canton, Ga./Creekview HS
69 Blake Martin OL 6-4 300 R-Sr. Sawmills, N.C./Coastal Carolina
70 Xavier Jennings OL 6-2 305 Gr. Shelby, N.C./Lenoir-Rhyne
72 Michael Horton OL 6-4 280 R-Fr. Macon, Ga./Westside HS
HT. WT. CL. HOMETOWN/PREVIOUS SCHOOL
73 Kurt Armstrong OL 6-4 325 R-Fr. Baker, Fla./Baker HS
74 Amarii Atchison OL 6-8 300 R-So. Douglasville, Ga./Alexander HS
75 Kelan Washington OL 6-3 290 Fr. DeFuniak Springs, Fla./Walton HS
76 William Cotney OL 6-1 260 R-So. Ocala, Fla./West Port HS
77 Luke Schultz OL 6-7 295 R-Fr. Birmingham, Ala./Briarwood Christian HS
80 Ty Doughty WR 5-9 180 Fr. Madison, Ala./James Clemens HS
82 Cole Shaw WR 6-2 195 So. Thomasville, Ga./Thomasville HS
83 Camauri Simmons WR 5-10 160 So. Hardeeville, S.C./Navy Prep
84 Zachary Lowe WR 5-8 170 R-Fr. Apex, N.C./Apex HS
85 Sawyer Burt TE 6-5 250 R-Jr. Fort Payne, Ala./Fort Payne HS
86 Samuel Albee TE 6-5 235 Jr. Dunwoody, Ga./Fellowship Christian School
87 Cooper Berry TE 6-2 235 Fr. Buford, Ga./Buford HS
88 Ty Everson TE 6-3 235 Jr. Blackshear, Ga./Navy Prep
89 Ian Garcia P 6-0 210 R-Jr. Windermere, Fla./Foundation Academy
90 Tucker Wilson DL 5-11 230 R-Jr. Springfield, Ga./Effingham County HS
91 Jordan Swain DL 6-3 290 R-Sr. Brunswick, Ga./Glynn Academy
92 Sully Croker K 6-0 180 R-So. Auburn, Ga./Providence Christian Academy
93 Reice Griffith K 5-11 170 Jr. Pace, Fla./Pace HS
94 Marius Landsfeld DL 6-4 270 R-So. Brühl, Germany/Liberty
95 Delano Marcelus DL 6-2 275 R-Sr. Columbus, Ga./West Liberty
96 Myles Dixon DL 6-3 290 Fr. Holly Hill, S.C./Newton (Ga.) HS
97 Kody Arnold P 5-10 175 Jr. Brunswick, Ga./Glynn Academy
98 Ke’Vion Wellington DL 6-3 280 R-So. Indianapolis, Ind./Austin Peay
99 Caden Camese DL 6-1 285 R-Jr. Bellevue, Neb./Bellevue West HS
Head Coach: Mike Jacobs, 2nd Season (Ohio State, 2001)
Associate Head Coach/Linebackers: Shawn Chaffee (College of Wooster, 2013)
Defensive Coordinator/Safeties: Jahmal Brown (Bowling Green State, 2010)
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks: Anthony Soto (UC Davis, 2012)
Recruiting Coordinator/Running Backs: Fred Jones (Tusculum, 2013)
Special Teams Coordinator: Matt Ulrich (Winona State, 2012)
Wide Receivers: Devin Figaro (Louisiana Lafayette, 2014)
Defensive Line: Jimmy Long (Lenoir-Rhyne, 2014)
Tight Ends: Shaedon Meadors (Appalachian State, 2017)
Offensive Line: Brian Folkerts (Washburn, 2018)
Defensive Backs: Christopher Vega (Delaware Valley, 2014)
Offensive Analyst: Richie Lankford (West Georgia, 2025)
Defensive Analyst: Ezekiel Combs (Lakeland, 2021)
Director of Football Operations: Bennett Houston (North Greenville, 2015)
Coordinator of On-Campus Recruiting: Kayla Vick (Mercer, 2023)
Director of Football Equipment: Sam Scobie (West Florida, 2024)
Operations Assistant: Austin Aldridge (Mercer, 2024)
SAMFORD NUMERICAL ROSTER
# NAME POS. HT. WT. CL. HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL
0 C.J. Evans RB 5-8 180 Gr. Mobile, Ala. / Tennessee State
1 Ryan Oliver QB 6-2 200 Fr. Lake Oswego, Ore. / Lakeridge HS
1 Dee Newsome CB 6-3 170 So. Tuscumbia, Ala. / Jacksonville State
2 Quincy Crittendon QB 5-11 200 Sr. Decatur, Ala./Austin HS
2 Jalik Yancey CB 5-11 180 Sr. Marietta, Ga. / Northeast Mississippi CC
3 Caidan Maddux CB 5-11 185 Fr. Nashville, Tenn. / Bell Academy
3 Nahil Perkins CB 6-0 178 Gr. Douglasville, Ga. / Fordham
4 Preston Bird WR 5-10 170 So. Bonaire, Ga. / Veterans HS
5 Jaden Mosley LB 6-2 230 Sr. Mobile, Ala. / Hutchinson CC
6 Ben Levine WR 5-8 165 So. Houston, Texas / Second Baptist HS
6 Jalen Nelson S 6-1 191 Jr. Flowood, Miss. / Northwest Rankin HS
7 Jaden Gibson WR 6-0 179 So. Rabun County, Ga. / Virginia
8 Luke Wattenbarger S 6-0 195 Jr. Bakersfield, Calif. / Bakersfield College
9 LaShon Young S 5-11 175 So. Sweet Water, Ala. / Miles College
10 Haden Klees QB 6-1 185 Fr. Crawfordville, Fla. / Wakulla County HS
11 Rayf Vinson WR 6-1 195 Sr. Madison, Miss. / Ole Miss
12 Charlie Gilliam QB 6-3 200 So. McDonough, Ga. / Wake Forest
12 Christian Roberts TE 6-1 200 Jr. Addison, Ala. / Addison HS
13 Calvin Jones WR 5-10 185 Sr. Forest City, N.C. / Western Carolina
14 Jackson Beatty WR 5-11 175 Fr. Mountain Brook, Ala. / Mountain Brook HS
14 KeShawn Washington S 6-2 200 Gr. Homestead, Fla. / Murray State
15 Clay Burdeshaw S 6-2 185 So. Homewood, Ala. / Homewood HS
15 Brady Stober QB 6-0 185 Fr. Hickory, N.C. / Hickory HS
16 Dylon Henderson CB 5-10 175 Fr. Atlanta, Ga. / Hapeville Charter School
16 Jake Bobo QB 6-0 200 Fr. Bogart, Ga. / Prince Avenue Christian
17 James McGinn QB 6-1 185 Fr. Windermere, Fla. / First Academy
17 Amari Wansley S 6-0 183 Sr. Buford, Ga. / Murray State
18 Torrey Ward WR 6-3 195 Fr. Helena, Ala. / Helena HS
19 Trey Lenhardt S 6-1 201 Fr. Bogart, Ga. / Appalachian State
20 Termaine Turner Jr. CB 5-9 182 So. Lakeland, Fla. / North Dakota State
21 Malik Thornton CB 6-0 172 Sr. Eatonton, Ga. / Cumberlands
21 Ethan Fisher K 5-7 142 Fr. Tallahassee, Fla. / North Florida Christian HS
22 Ken Cherry RB 5-11 202 So. Huntsville, Ala. / Madison Academy
22 Mason Bryant DB 5-9 185 Fr. Nashville, Tenn. / Father Ryan HS
23 Tucker Weber CB 5-10 185 Fr. Brentwood Tenn. / Brentwood HS
23 David Theado TE 6-3 221 Fr. Tampa, Fla. / Tampa Catholic HS
24 Brody Tolbert DB 6-1 180 Fr. Bogart, Ga. / Prince Avenue Christian
25 Jadon Loving WR 5-10 160 Fr. Trussville, Ala. / Hewitt-Trussville HS
25 William Pruitt S 6-2 185 Fr. Atlanta, Ga. / Marist School
26 Colton Pace WR 5-9 183 Fr. Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood HS
26 Jake Garner K 6-0 195 Fr. Pelham, Ala. / Pelham HS
27 Gumbo Gaskins CB 6-1 194 Jr. Jonesboro, Ga. / Vanderbilt
28 Grant Hidalgo TE 6-5 243 Jr. Orlando, Fla. / Auburn
29 Cam Bland RB 5-11 178 Fr. Suwanee, Ga. / Lambert HS
30 Carson Sloan LB 6-2 225 Fr. Blackshear, Ga. / Pierce County HS
30 Cooper Greer WR 6-1 190 Fr. Rainbow City, Ala. / Westbrook Christian HS
31 Maddox McKim LB 6-4 225 Fr. Brentwood, Tenn. / Brentwood HS
32 Noah Jones P 6-0 180 Gr. Whigham, Ga. / Georgia
33 Teddy Davenport WR 5-10 175 Sr. Alpharetta, Ga. / UAB
34 Mailk Gaither LB 6-2 230 Gr. Stockbridge, Ga. / Alcorn State
34 Logan Abbott WR 5-7 183 Fr. Columbia, Tenn. / Zion Christian Academy
35 Deuce Caldwell II DE 6-0 270 Sr. Mauldin, S.C. / North Carolina
36 Ty Ippolito K 5-10 165 So. Windermere, Fla. / South Florida
37 Jack Schwing WR 5-8 160 So. Metairie, La. / Southern Mississippi
38 Emerson Russell RB 5-6 160 Fr. Chelsea, Ala. / Chelsea HS
39 Gavin Morris LB 6-1 225 Jr. Cumming, Ga. / South Forsyth HS
39 Ryan Skinner RB 6-1 208 So. Cullman, Ala. / The Citadel
40 Jordan Whitley DE 6-2 215 Fr. Spring, Tex/Legacy School
41 Jake Haynes LB 6-2 225 Fr. Hartselle, Ala. / Hartselle HS
42 Caulen Dunn LB 6-0 225 Jr. Olive Branch, Miss. / Northwest Mississippi CC
42 Quinten Hall WR 6-4 175 So. Gallatin, Tenn. / Station Camp HS
44 Corey Warren DT 6-0 265 Jr. Hoover, Ala. / Georgia State
44 Carter Pace RB 5-8 185 Fr. Brentwood, Tenn. / Ravenwood HS
45 Cannon Pigg TE 6-4 235 Fr. Florence, Ala. / Mars Hill Bible School
46 Andrew Jordan DE 6-3 235 Jr. Concord, N.C. / Golden West College
47 Daniel Valdes WR 6-2 194 Fr. Franklin, Tenn. / Franklin Christian Academy
48 Jacob Johnson LB 6-2 230 So. Covington, La. / Southern Mississippi
49 Vance Nicklaus TE 6-5 240 Sr. Duluth, Ga. / Florida State
51 Jacob Gettman K 6-0 193 Fr. Daytona Beach, Fla. / Mainland HS
52 Wesley Graham OL 6-3 300 Fr. Smiths Station, Ala. / Glenwood HS
53 Kaden McKeown LS 6-0 195 Fr. Mableton, Ga. / Whitefield Academy
55 Isaac Chapa
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57
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60 Hank Weber DT 6-3 280 So. Franklin, Tenn. / Wisconsin
61 Alex Applefield LS 5-10 208 Gr. Dothan, Ala. / Houston Academy
62 Parker Peacock OL 6-4 290 Fr. Dover, Fla. / Lakeland Christian School
64 Noah Watts OL 6-1 295 Jr. Alabaster, Ala. / Thompson HS
65 Kaleb May OL 6-4 270 So. McCalla, Ala. / Kennesaw State
67 Nate Carter DL 6-1 250 Fr. Cleveland, Tenn. / Cleveland HS
68 Asher Harrelson OL 6-5 285 Fr. LaGrange, Ga. / Troup County HS
69 Russell Watts DL 6-2 213 Fr. Lake Wales, Fla. / Lake Wales HS
70 Crosby Mullins OL 6-4 305 Jr. Mendenhall, Miss. / Miss. Gulf Coast CC
71 Carson Donovan OL 6-2 295 Fr. Calera, Ala./Evangel Christian
72 Joshua Lovett OL 6-0 270 Jr. Knoxville, Tenn. / Birmingham-Southern
73 Justin Perritt OL 6-2 300 Sr. Covington, La. / Northlake Christian School
74 Tyler Douthit OL 6-4 280 So. Woodstock, Ga. / Woodstock HS
75 Charlie Rickell OL 6-4 252 Jr. Dunwoody, Ga. / Birmingham-Southern
76 Michael Snow OL 6-5 295 Fr. Pell City, Ala. / Pell City HS
77 Kaleb Pearley OL 6-5 320 So. New Orleans, La. / S.E. Missouri State
78 Duncan Johnson III OL 6-5 275 So. Augusta, Ga. / Aquinas HS
83 Hudson Krauklis WR 6-4 188 Fr. Elkhorn, Wisc. / Elkhorn Area HS
84 Sam Pickett III WR 6-0 180 Fr. Jasper, Tenn. / Marion County HS
85 Nicholas Bookman WR 5-9 160 Fr. Suwanee, Ga. / North Gwinnett HS
86 Nick Crayton WR 6-3 215 Fr. Decatur, Ala. / Austin HS
87 Brice Whitley WR 5-10 180 Fr. Macon, Ga. / ACE
88 Donovan Grayson DE 6-3 240 So. Stafford, Va. / West Virginia
89 Landon Beck TE 6-5 220 Fr. Guntersville, Ala. / Douglas HS
90 Conroy Cunningham IIDE 6-3 260 Gr. Melbourne, Fla. / Bethune-Cookman
91 Romello Cooper DL 6-3 228 Fr. Chelsea, Ala. / Chelsea HS
92 Kelton Crisp DL 6-2 225 Fr. Gallatin, Tenn. / Station Camp HS
93 J.D. Methvin DL 6-5 255 Jr. Starkville, Miss. / Itawamba CC
94 Joseph Shannon DL 6-2 275 Jr. Kankakee, Ill. / Iowa Central CC
95 Maxton Woodward DL 6-2 305 Sr. Philadelphia, Miss. / Holmes CC
96 Ben Darnell OL 6-4 310 Fr. Chattanooga, Tenn. / The Baylor School
97 Jackson Bussey DL 6-3 240 Fr. Norcross, Ga. / Appalachian State
99 Tyler Durant DL 6-3 270 Fr. Daphne, Ala. / Daphne HS
Head Coach: Chris Hatcher (26th Season)
Associate Head Coach/Offensive Line: Shawn Bostick
Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator: Ricky Turner
Defensive Coordinator: Scot Sloan
Running Backs : KD Humphries
Defensive Line: Darien Moody
Tight Ends: Peter Renkoski
Cornerbacks: Chazmon Scales
Defensive Ends: Blake Catlett
Linebackers: Cal King
Special Teams Coordinator: Tyler Zielenske
Quarterbacks: Thomas Morton
There’s Opportunity Here.
Opportunity is a seed that grows possibilities. At Cadence, we believe that opportunity is all around us in every community we serve, just waiting to be embraced.
Seize the moment and discover what’s possible.