LOCK HAVEN- National signing day is a major event for football programs across the country and the same rings true for Lock Haven football. Off the back of another five-win season and with a looming coaching change on the horizon, there was some concern on how Lock Haven would perform on signing day. 

It got off to a great start, as on Wednesday, Bald Eagle Area stars Wyatt Spackman and Carson Nagle both officially committed to Lock Haven.

Nagle has been the apple of the Bald Eagle’s eye since he announced his intent to attend the University all the way back in August. Nagle had serious offers on the table from FCS schools like Bucknell, Lehigh, and even FBS schools like James Maddison. Meanwhile Spackman had been looked at by FCS Saint Francis University.

To keep these local kids not only close to home, but also away from major college programs is a huge victory for Lock Haven. But that wouldn’t be the only win they had, as they managed to complete their class with some great talent. 

Spackman and Nagle will join their former teammates Alex Lefebvre and Kaden Burns on the LHU roster, as well as countless other names from around the Central PA area. When asked about the importance of recruiting that local talent, Lock Haven coach and recruiting coordinator Nick Voorhees wasn’t shy on just how important it is. 

“It takes a village to do something special here.” Voorhees said, “The more local guys you get, the more the community starts to wrap themselves around what we are doing and supporting us. It’s been a huge mission for us since we got here to understand the landscape and build the relationships back with those local coaches and families.”

“It is a huge goal of ours to keep the local kids home,” Lock Haven coach Joe Battaglia added. “We don’t want them going hours away, we want to get the best kids from the local area.”

In the transfer portal Lock Haven brought in four new players, LB Kuhron Walker from Southern Connecticut University, WR Deion King from West Virginia Wesleyan College, WR Jake Roberts from Concord University, and Edge Rusher LucRichard Rameau from West Virginia State College. 

Bringing in two receivers from the portal does not come as much of a surprise, as the Bald Eagles are set to lose almost all of their top pass catchers from last season, so they desperately needed to bring in some veteran talent. And Rameau is a great name to watch as well, as he used to play Division I ball at Army and Campbell colleges.

Those who follow Lock Haven football may be surprised at the small number of transfers, as in the recent years the Bald Eagles have been known to bring in upwards of 15-20 players in the portal, but this small number certainly won’t be the final one. Lock Haven likes to evaluate their in house talent up to their annual Spring Game, then if they find a weak spot address it in the spring transfer window.

Don’t be surprised if the total transfer number reaches into the double digits in the coming months.

From the high school ranks Lock Haven brought in 21 total players, 13 of them from Pennsylvania, three from both Maryland and New Jersey, and one each from West Virginia and Delaware.

“Just speaking of the conference we are in (PSAC), a majority of the teams are in Pennsylvania, and we are recruiting against each other for the same prospects,” coach Voorhees said when asked about how important it is to get top talent from Pennsylvania. “Winning those Pennsylvania battles is huge. The more local guys you get the more the community supports what we are doing and boosts us up. That has been a huge mission for us since we got here.”

Other recruits include Mount Carmel defensive back Chase Balichik, Williams Valley defensive lineman Bradyden Crisswell, Roman Catholic wide receiver Tayden Mines, Elizabethtown offensive lineman Greyson Seaman, Coatesville wide receiver Jay Von Tucker-Scott, Sharon defensive lineman Brodie Miller, Wilkes-Barre offensive lineman James Gryskewicz, South Western long snapper Mason Currey, Freedom linebacker Jayden Macon, Bald Eagle Area quarterback Carson Nagle, Bald Eagle Area linebacker Wyatt Spackman, Muncy offensive lineman Kenny Hampe, East Stroudsburg defensive back Charles Capers Jr., Archbishop Spalding offensive lineman Blake Wanless, Mount St. Joseph offensive lineman Yamonte Shird, Don Bosco Prep defensive lineman Jayden Drakeford, Eastside linebacker Calvin Johnson Jr., Paul VI linebacker Elijah Wilson, Polytech defensive lineman Thomas Reynolds and Jefferson running back Tay’Shaun Roper.

Of these recruits some big time name’s stand out, maybe most of which is West Virginia’s star back Roper who was nothing but dominant his final year as Jefferson High School, racking up 1,404 rushing yards and 22 total TD’s. He was also named first-team all-state.

Roper deciding on Lock Haven over the PSAC school actually in West Virginia (Shepherd) is a very telling statement on where he believes Lock Haven football is going. 

Another big signing was Eastside High’s linebacker Johnson Jr. He formerly had offers from major FBS programs like Pittsburgh and Maryland, but unfortunately he suffered a lower body injury in his final year of high school that set him back. Despite this, Lock Haven fully believed in the talent Johnson displayed, saying they are confident he will be ready by the start of the season. 

This isn’t the first time that Lock Haven nailed recruits who had other major offers, as just last season they landed WR Durell Ceaser, who had an offer from Akron and a preferred walk-on from Penn State. 

Overall with 25-plus recruits so far, and more certainly on the way in the coming months, this is a large class that is very talented. But in totality, this class is maybe their most impressive over the last few seasons considering all that has gone on. Bataglia, Voorhees, and the entire Lock Haven staff did an incredible job not only recruiting talent, but keeping it during the current power shift.

While many in this current class likely won’t see the field until 2026, don’t be surprised to see some of these names next season making major impacts on what is shaping up to be a big year for Lock Haven football.