IUP Football has announced more than two dozen players who have committed to play for coach Paul Tortorella, joining five mid-year transfers to restock a team that lost a very large group of seniors. Included among the new recruits is record-setting quarterback Ryan Messina, a 6-4, 226 pounder considered among the top QBs in Pennsylvania. He was the WPIAL Triple-A Offensive Player of the Year last season, throwing for 2,188 yards and 24 touchdowns, and running for 852 yards and 12 more TDs.
In addition to the high school stars who are coming to IUP, the Crimson Hawks have also signed Mason Maggs, a 6-2, 226 pound quarterback transfer from Ohio State who walked on to the Buckeyes and spent four seasons there. He has one confirmed year of eligibility remaining and may get another on application for a medical redshirt.
Quarterback Roman Blanks comes from the IMG Academy in Florida, where he was ineligible to play last season after previously playing for St. Thomas Aquinas in New Jersey.
6-2, 288-pound former Penn-Trafford star Joe Enick transfers to IUP from St. Francis after starting his college career at Central Michigan. He’s a former Bill Fralic Award winner.
Former Bishop Guilfoyle star Karson Kiesewetter is a Penn State transfer. He’s a safety and a former winner of the Pennsylvania Class A Player of the Year.
Jason Roberts is a transfer from Stony Brook who both kicks and punts.
Additional recruits could still join the Crimson Hawks.
THE OFFICIAL LIST OF IUP RECRUITS:
Kenny Akintoye
DE | 6-1, 224 | York, Pa | Southwestern High School
– Varsity Team Captain – Defensive Line, All-County Finalist
– Top YIAA Defensive Line Selection
– Distinguished Honor Roll
– Member of Future Business Leaders of America & FBLA State Qualifier
Ankeem Benson
DL | 6-1, 255 | Trainer, Pa. | Chichester
– 3 All Delco Valley
– 1x Eastern PA
– 1x All State
Gavin Easter
DB | 5-10, 156 | Erie, Pa. | Cathedral Preparatory School
– Football All District
– Football All-Region Defense
– Football All-Region Offense
– Randy E. Faipler Leadership Award
– Track All State
– Track State Qualifier
– Track All-Region
– Track All District
– 3x Tri Athlete
Austin Harr
OL | 6-3, 295 | Hollidaysburg, Pa. | Hollidaysburg
– Captain of the Football Team
– Offensive MVP
– First Team All-Conference
– Altoona Mirror All-Star
Highlights
Ryan Messina
QB | 6-4 226 | Elizabeth, Pa. | Elizabeth Forward
– 3x 1st Team All-Conference Player
– 2025 Offensive Player of the Year
– 2x Conference Champion
Dwayne Morgan
DB | 6-0, 179 | York, Pa. | Central York
– 1st Team All State
– 2x 1st Team All County
Jayden Rosenberger
OL | 6-2 294 | Leechburg, Pa. | Leechburg Area
– 2x All Conference Linemen
– 2x All Valley OL
Rakhi Seville
RB | 5-9, 174 | Harrisburg, Pa | Susquehanna Township
– 1st Team All-Conference RB
– 4 Year Varsity letter men
– 1x Conference Champ
Jovian Smith
TE | 6-1, 189 | Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
– 3 Year Varsity Starter & Letterman for Football
– 3 Year Basketball Letterman
Highlights
Lukas Stead
TE | 6-4, 234 | Wilkinsburg, Pa. | Taylor Alderdice
– 1x Team All Section Baseball
– 3x All City League TE
– 1x 1st Team All City Basketball
– Basketball City League Player of the year 2024-2025
Jayden Ware
WR | 5-11, 165 | Exeter Township, Pa. | Exeter Township
– 1st Team All-State 5A (DB)
– 1st Team Offense (WR and KR) Lancaster-Lebanon Section 2
– 1st Team Defense (DB) Lancaster-Lebanon Section 2
– DB of the Year in Lancaster-Lebanon Section 2.
Grady Whartnaby
DE | 6-4, 230 | Upper Chichester, Pa. | Chichester
– 7th in the Class Academically
– 1st Team All Del-Val 2024 & 2025
– 2nd Team All Del-Co TE & DE 2025
– Captain
Marcus Burkley Jr.
LB | 5-11, 201 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Shady Side Academy
-Team Captain
– 3x All Conference
– Sotak Award Recipient
– 200 Tackles, 37 TFLS, 5 FF, 22.5 Sacks, 3 Fumble Recoveries, and 1 Blocked Punt
Nathan Carothers
DL | 6-2, 323 | Carlisle, Pa. | Carlisle
– Most Improved 2023
– Defensive MVP 2024
– Team MVP 2024
– All Conference DT 2024
– Danny Ziegler Award 2025
Trevor Lee
DL | 6-0 289 | York, Pa. | York High
– 1st Team All County
– Team Captain
– Honor Roll Student
Highlights
Ethan Rhodes
LB | 5-11, 200 | Hollidaysburg, Pa. | Hollidaysburg
– Presidents award for maintain GPA over 3.8
– 3 Year Varsity Letterman
– Defensive Player of the Year
– Part of three consecutive undefeated seasons
Highlights
Jayden Shaffer
DE | 6-1, 233 | New Castle, Pa. | New Castle
-Parkway Conference Player of the Year
-Bill Fralic Award Winner
-Four-Year Starter
Carter Strayer
DL | 6-4, 245 | Mount Pleasant, Pa. | Mount Pleasant
– 1st Team & 2nd Team All-Conference
– Varsity Team Captain
– Received Schools best football player scholarship award, called Anto Scholarship
Connor Todd
TE | 6-2, 220 | Laplata, Md. | St Mary’s Ryken High School
– 2x WCAC Metro division Champion
– 3x All Conference TE
– 3 Year Varsity Captain
– National Honors Society Member
Daimear Coad
WR | 5-11, 170 | State College, PA. | State College Area
– 1st Team All-Conference
– 2nd Team All State
Preston Rathway
K | 6-10, 155 | Bell Vernon, Pa. | Bell Vernon Area
– First team all-conference punter 2024 2025
– First team all-conference kicker 2025
– State champion
– WPIAL Champion
– Longest field goal in Belle Vernon History (49yards)
– Ranked 16th in the 
– 5-star punter
– 4.5-star kicker
– multi-year starter
Mason Cook
LB | 6-2, 200 | New Castle, Pa. | New Castle
– 4 Year Honor Roll Student
– 2x Section Champs for Football
– 2x First Team All-Conference LB
Kai Jones
LB | 5-10, 224 | Huntingtown, Md. | DeMatha Catholic
– 1x Team ALL WCAC
– 2x Back-to-Back WCAC Champion
– Co-captain
-3 Year Varsity Player
