SHU Football Adds 11 to Class of 2023
2/1/2023 7:46:00 PM | Football
Pioneers go heavy on defense.
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Building on a strong recruiting class signed during the December early period, the Sacred Heart University football team added 11 student-athletes on Wednesday. This brings the total number of signees to 26 for the fall of 2023.
"Our coaches did a great job of finding young men that are the right fit for our program, not just on the field, but everything that it means to be a SHU football player," head coach Mark Nofri said. "I really like the student-athletes that we have coming in for the fall. We have some needs to fill from graduation and these young men will be able to come in and compete for playing time."
As was the case in December, the majority of the signees (8) were on the defensive side of the ball. Five student-athletes are from Pennsylvania and four from New Jersey. For the first time since 2019 SHU has a player from Texas in cornerback Brian Hollins from Desoto.
The newest Pioneers are:
Janier Armstead
Hometown: Carneys Point, N.J.
High School: Penns Grove
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6-3
Weight: 235
About Armstead:
Ty Boland
Hometown: Tom's River, N.J.
High School: Toms River North
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
About Boland:
Amier Burdine
Hometown: Reading, Pa.
High School: Reading
Position: Safety
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
About Burdine:
Mike Deitelbaum
Hometown: Naugatuck, Conn.
High School: Naugatuck
Position: Linebacker
Height: 5-10
Weight: 200
About Deitelbaum:
Luke Hackett
Hometown: Fredrick, Md.
High School: DeMatha Catholic
Position: Linebacker
Height: 5-10
Weight: 205
About Hackett:
Brian Hollins
Hometown: Desoto, Texas
High School: Desoto
Position: Cornerback
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
About Hollins:
Ethan Hilliman
Hometown: Somerville, N.J.
Last School: Monroe JC
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6-3
Weight: 216
About Hilliman:
Ryan Palmieri
Hometown: Gibsonia, Pa.
High School: Pine-Richland
Position: Safety
Height: 5-10
Weight: 185
About Palmieri:
Drey Wilk
Hometown: Berwick, Pa.
High School: Berwick Area
Position: Safety
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190
About Wilk
Nicholas Yanchuk
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
High School: Bishop Feehan
Position: Running Back
Height: 5-11
Weight: 212
About Yanchuck
Pacen Ziegler
Hometown: Wyomissing
High School: Wyomissing, Pa.
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6-4
Weight: 275
About Ziegler
"Our coaches did a great job of finding young men that are the right fit for our program, not just on the field, but everything that it means to be a SHU football player," head coach Mark Nofri said. "I really like the student-athletes that we have coming in for the fall. We have some needs to fill from graduation and these young men will be able to come in and compete for playing time."
As was the case in December, the majority of the signees (8) were on the defensive side of the ball. Five student-athletes are from Pennsylvania and four from New Jersey. For the first time since 2019 SHU has a player from Texas in cornerback Brian Hollins from Desoto.
The newest Pioneers are:
Janier Armstead
Hometown: Carneys Point, N.J.
High School: Penns Grove
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6-3
Weight: 235
About Armstead:
- Earned First-Team All-Conference honors.
- Selected for the Winter Football Showcase.
- Recorded six sacks, 15 TFL and 54 total tackles.
- Won the SJG1 discuss title as a member of the PGHS track team.
Ty Boland
Hometown: Tom's River, N.J.
High School: Toms River North
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
About Boland:
- Named First-Team All-Ocean County.
- Also collected All-Shore and All-Division honors.
- Helped Toms River North to a state championship.
- Named team captain.
Amier Burdine
Hometown: Reading, Pa.
High School: Reading
Position: Safety
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
About Burdine:
- Named First-Team All-State.
- Member of the Lancaster-Lebanon All-Star team.
Mike Deitelbaum
Hometown: Naugatuck, Conn.
High School: Naugatuck
Position: Linebacker
Height: 5-10
Weight: 200
About Deitelbaum:
- Named All-State by the New Haven Register.
- Earned All-Connecticut honors.
- Selected to the CHSCA 2022 class LL/L All State team.
- Voted NVL Player of the Year.
- Also a member of the Naugatuck baseball team.
Luke Hackett
Hometown: Fredrick, Md.
High School: DeMatha Catholic
Position: Linebacker
Height: 5-10
Weight: 205
About Hackett:
- Two-time All-WCAC
- Honorable Mention All-Met.
- Co-captain
- Also a member of the National Honor Society.
Brian Hollins
Hometown: Desoto, Texas
High School: Desoto
Position: Cornerback
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175
About Hollins:
- Helped Desoto to a state championship his senior year.
- Ranked as one of the top cornerbacks in Texas by the Dallas Morning News.
- Produced 36 tackles and four pass break ups.
Ethan Hilliman
Hometown: Somerville, N.J.
Last School: Monroe JC
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6-3
Weight: 216
About Hilliman:
- Played in seven games at Monroe as a wide receiver and kick returner.
- Named a Top Player to Watch by NJ.com his senior year.
- Earned All-District honors.
- Also a member of the Somerville boys' basketball team.
Ryan Palmieri
Hometown: Gibsonia, Pa.
High School: Pine-Richland
Position: Safety
Height: 5-10
Weight: 185
About Palmieri:
- Voted Class 5A Player of the Year by the PA Football Writers.
- First-Team All-State.
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year.
- Helped Pine-Richland to a pair of 5A state titles as well as two WPIAL Championships.
- Named to KDKA Super & Class of 2022.
- Member of the 2022 Tremendous Twenty-Five list.
- Finished his senior year with 1,929 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns and also passed for 1,104 yards and 10 more scores.
Drey Wilk
Hometown: Berwick, Pa.
High School: Berwick Area
Position: Safety
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190
About Wilk
- Two-time All-State, All-District and All-Conference selection.
- Had 91 tackles, 45 solos, two sacks, and two interceptions his senior year.
- Brother Teagan plays football at East Carolina.
Nicholas Yanchuk
Hometown: North Attleboro, Mass.
High School: Bishop Feehan
Position: Running Back
Height: 5-11
Weight: 212
About Yanchuck
- Selected to the MHSFCA DII-All State Team.
- Named to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald Football All-Scholastic Teams.
- Sister Francesca plays soccer at Vanderbilt
Pacen Ziegler
Hometown: Wyomissing
High School: Wyomissing, Pa.
Position: Offensive Line
Height: 6-4
Weight: 275
About Ziegler
- Collected First-Team Class 3A All-State honors.
- Helped Wyomissing win the Section 4A title.
- Earned Lineman of the Week honors.
- Named All-Lancaster-Lebanon League .
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