Among the 22 student-athletes, the group is almost evenly split with 12 on offense and 10 on defense. Eight hail from the state of Ohio, followed by four from Illinois. The group continues to build upon the rebuilding project under second-year head coach Scot Loeffler. BGSU has won 12 Mid-American Conference championships and most recently played in the MAC Championship game in three straight years from 2013-15, winning in both 2013 and 2015.
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JALEN BURTON | DB | 5-10 | 184 | Waukegan, Ill. | Carmel Catholic High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Carmel Catholic HS for Jason McKie • Team captain • 2019 Team Most Valuable Player • 2019 all-conference selection • Also lettered in basketball Personal: • Full name is Jalen Amari Rashad Burton • Born Oct. 31, 2002 • Son of Rio Burton and Jamese Scott • Two brothers, Syone Usma and Austin Scott, and a sister, Morgan Scott • Plans to study architecture and environmental design
DREW GUNTHER | QB | 6-3 | 220 | Chester Springs, Pa. | Malvern Prep HS | Syracuse Previous: • Transfer from Syracuse, redshirting in 2019 • ACC Honor Roll selection • Earned four varsity letters at Malvern Prep High School (2015-18), under head coach Dave Gueriera during his final two seasons • Team captain as a senior in 2018 • Malvern Prep went 11-0 as a senior and 34-9 over his four years • First team all-league, all-city and all-Southeastern PA in 2018 • Malvern Prep’s all-time leading passer in yards, touchdowns and wins • Threw for 4,936 yards with 54 touchdowns and a 22-3 record as a starter Personal: • Full name is Drew William Gunther • Born March 30, 2001 • Son of Fred and Michele Gunther • Two brothers, Chase and Blake, and a sister, Brooke • Plans to study business management
ROCCO HICKS | OL | 6-4 | 240 | Overland Park, Kan. | Blue Valley West High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Blue Valley West, playing for head coach Josh Koerkenmeier • Team captain • Class 6A first team all-state as a senior • First team All-Blue Valley in both 2019 and 2020 • Second team All-EKL in 2019 Personal: • Full name is Rocco Justin Hicks • Born July 7, 2003 • Son of Eric and Erica Hicks • Father played in the NFL and ranks fifth in Kansas City Chiefs history in quarterback sacks • One sister, Shayla • Plans to study marketing
DAWSON HILDEBRAND | OL | 6-3 | 345 | Pleasant Hill, Ohio | Troy High School: • Played at Troy High School for coach Dan Gress after attending Newton High School previously • Miami Valley League honorable mention all-conference • Played on both the offensive and defensive line at Troy, registering 31 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble • Also blocked a field goal and a punt • As an offensive lineman, helped pave the way for Troy to rush for 2,381 yards during an 8-3 season • Also lettered in basketball and track & field • As a sophomore, placed fifth in the state in the shot put and was also a state qualifier in discus • Also received interest from Iowa State Personal: • Full name is Dawson Jacob Hildebrand • Born June 3, 2002 Breakdown By Position QB: 1 RB: 2 WR: 2 TE: 2 OL: 4 DL: 4 LB: 2 DB: 4 ATH: 1 Breakdown By State Ohio: 8 Illinois: 4 Florida: 2 Kentucky: 2 Pennsylvania: 2 Indiana: 1 Michigan: 1 Kansas: 1 Missouri: 1 • Son of Ken and Lisa Hildebrand • Mother played volleyball at Slippery Rock • One sister, Madison • Plans to major in business with a desire to become a commercial director
CASHIUS HOWELL | DL | 6-4 | 220 | Kansas City, Mo. | Rockhurst High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Rockhurst High School, playing for coach Kelly Donohoe • Team captain • Program went 10-3 as a sophomore, 9-4 as a junior and 5-3 as a senior • Recorded more than 150 tackles to go with 21 sacks, five rushing touchdowns and a pair of passing TDs during his career • His 14 sacks as a junior rank second in school history and set the school record with six sacks in one game • First team Academic All-State • Also lettered in basketball • Received offers from Arkansas State, Wyoming and a handful of Mid-American Conference schools
JAMAL JOHNSON | ATH | 5-10 | 188 | Frankfort, Ill. | Lincoln-Way East High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Lincoln-Way East, playing for head coach Rob Zvonar • Team captain • 2019 IHSA Class 8A state champions with a 14-0 record • As a junior, posted 637 yards rushing despite playing behind a pair of backs • Topped 100 yards twice in the playoffs after an injury provided him more opportunities to carry the football, giving him a spotlight to shine • Senior season postponed to the spring • Also had an offer from Eastern Michigan, as well as Southeast Missouri State and Western Illinois
TAE’SHAUN JOHNSON | WR | 5-11 | 195 | Toledo, Ohio | Central Catholic High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Toledo Central Catholic High School, under coach Greg Dempsey • Team captain • Team went 31-3 over three seasons, including 6-1 in 2020 as a senior • Posted 28 receptions for 473 yards and four touchdowns as a senior • Had 63 catches for 1,219 yards and 15 touchdowns during his career • Added eight rushes for 63 yards • Two-time First Team All-TRAC and All-District • 2019 second team all-state player and 2020 honorable mention all-state • 2020 All-Blade Team • Also lettered in basketball • Had offers from Army, Cincinnati and most of the Mid-American Conference
WILLIE JONES | DB | 6-2 | 173 | Chicago, Ill. | Wendell Phillips Academy High School: • Earned four varsity letters playing at Wendell Phillips Academy for coaches Troy McAllister and Michael Larson • Team went 13-2 as a senior • Recorded 23 tackles and four interceptions • Had offers from most of the MAC, including Toledo, Ball State, Central Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan
DIERRE KELLY | DL | 6-2 | 250 | Gary, Ind. | Merrillville High School: • Played for head coach Brad Seiss at Merrillville High School as a senior, after transferring from Morton High School • Team captain in 2019 • Merrillville went 12-2 and advanced to semistate • Recorded 42 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, an interception and 26 quarterback hurries as a senior • Team went a combined 20-3 as a sophomore and junior, posting a total of 69 tackles, 6 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 12 quarterback hurries over those two seasons • Honorable mention Class 4A all-state as a junior • Named all-conference as both a sophomore and junior • Named to the 2019 Indiana Preps Sports Network Underclassmen Top 22 • Had offers from the majority of the Mid-American Conference
MATT KORDAS | DB | 6-1 | 190 | Frankfort, Ill. | Lincoln-Way East High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Lincoln-Way East, playing for head coach Rob Zvonar • 2019 IHSA Class 8A state champions with a 14-0 record • Posted 83 tackles, 6 interceptions, 9 tackles for loss and 15 pass break-ups in 2019 • First team all-conference, first team Joliet Herald, and 22nd Media first team All-Area • Senior season postponed to the spring • Had offers from Army, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Ohio among others
JAYLEN LAWSON | LB | 6-0 | 215 | Lexington, Ky. | Lafayette High School: • Played at Lafayette High School under head coach Eric Shaw • Graduated in 2019 but delayed enrollment at Bowling Green • As a junior, led the state in tackles with 134 • Also lettered in track and field
JAEDYN MCKINSTRY | TE | 6-5 | 210 | Fremont, Ohio | St. John’s Jesuit High School: • Earned three varsity letters at St. John’s Jesuit under head coach Larry McDaniel • Had 20 catches for 314 yards, averaging 15.7 yards per catch, during an abbreviated six-game schedule as a senior • Helped St. John’s Jesuit to a 4-2 record in 2020 • Named Second Team All-Three Rivers Athletic Conference in 2020 • Earned district honorable mention as a senior • Also lettered in basketball
NICK MOSLEY | RB | 5-10 | 200 | Pickerington, Ohio | Pickerington Central High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Pickerington Central, playing for head coach Jay Sharrett • Team captain • Team went 36-5 in three years, including 11-1 as a senior • Won the state title as a junior and was state runner-up in 2020 • Division I Third Team All-Ohio • First Team All-Ohio Capital Conference and First Team all-district • Also lettered in baseball • Had offers from Akron, Ball State and Western Michigan
DIEGO NERI | LB | 6-2 | 225 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Cincinnati Northwest High School: • Earned four varsity letters at Cincinnati Northwest High School under coach Damien Johnson • Team captain • Three-time first team all-conference linebacker and also named second team all-conference as a freshman • Defensive Player of the Year in the Southwest Ohio Conference • Fox19 Penn State Athlete of the Month • Also lettered in basketball and track & field • Had offers from Air Force, Liberty, Navy and most of the Mid-American Conference
NATE PABST | DL | 6-5 | 255 | Springdale, Ohio | Archbishop Moeller High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Archbishop Moeller High School, under head coach Mark Elder • Team captain • Archbishop Moeller earned first playoff victory in six years in 2020 • First Team All-Greater Catholic League in both 2019 and 2020 • Second Team All-Southwest Ohio Conference as a senior after earning honorable mention in 2019 • Also competed in club rugby • Had offers from Akron, Ball State, Kent State and Miami
ALEX PADGETT | OL | 6-6 | 320 | Avon Lake, Ohio | Avon Lake High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Avon Lake High School, under coach Matt Kostelnik • Team captain • 2020 First Team All-State after being named Second Team All-State in 2019 • 2020 Southwestern Conference Lineman of the Year and first team all-conference • 2020 Lorain County Football Coaches Association Offensive Lombardi Award Winner • Cornerstone of a team that averaged 214.6 rushing yards and 361.8 yards per game, going 8-2 and reaching the Division II, Region 6 Championship game • Also had offers from Liberty and a handful of Mid-American Conference schools
JAISON PATTERSON | RB | 6-0 | 205 | Jacksonville, Fla. | Edward H. White High School: • Earned four varsity letters at Edward H. White High School, for coach Lawrence Johnson • Two-year team captain • Had more than 1,400 rushing yards and 10 TDs as a senior in just nine games • Rushed for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career • Rushed for 221 yards in the Northeast Florida play-in playoff game • First Team All-Gateway Conference • Team Most Valuable Player • Also lettered in baseball, wrestling and basketball • Had offers from Illinois, Liberty, Georgia State and Troy
ZACH RUSSELL | TE | 6-3 | 230 | East Point, Ky. | Johnson Central High School: • Earned four letters at Johnson Central High School • Team captain • Team is currently 11-0 and in the state semifinals to be played Dec. 11, following a 15-0 state championship season in 2019 • Also went 13-2 in 2018 and 12-3 in 2017, earning state runner-up honors both seasons • Has six catches for 72 yards as a senior after posting 14 catches for 246 yards a year ago • Had 12 catches for 217 yards over his first two seasons as a freshman and sophomore • All-Area player in 2018, 2019 and 2020 • Also lettered in basketball and wrestling • Had offers from Army, Coastal Carolina, and a handful of Mid-American Conference schools
JULIUS SIMS JR. | DB | 6-1 | 195 | Muskegon, Mich. | Muskegon High School: • Earned three varsity letters at Muskegon High School • Team captain • Two-time all-conference player • Two-time All-Area • Named to the MLive Defensive Dream Team for the Muskegon Area in 2019 • Had 81 tackles (32 solo), 12.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 10 pass break-ups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 2019 • Will join former high school teammates Billie Roberts and Jordan Porter at BGSU • Also lettered in basketball • Had an offer from Cincinnati, as well as a handful of Mid-American Conference programs
JAYLEN SMITH | WR | 6-1 | 183 | Jacksonville, Fla. | Mandarin High School: • Played four years at Mandarin High School • 2018 state champion • 2019 Offensive Team Most Valuable Player • Had offers from FIU and South Alabama, among others
CHASE WHATTON | DL | 6-4 | 240 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Elizabeth Forward HS High School: • Earned four varsity letters at Elizabeth Forward High School under head coach Mike Collodi • Team captain as a junior and senior • Team went 30-9 over four years, including 8-1 in 2020 • Team was WPIAL runner-up and conference champion, posting an undefeated regular season in 2020 • As a senior, had five touchdowns before moving to defensive tackle midway through the season, gathering 48 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and three forced fumbles • Had 11 total touchdowns (nine receiving) as a junior, adding 69 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and five forced fumbles • In 2020, named Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Pittsburgh Post Gazette Fab22, First Team All-Conference, the Finest 30, and All-State • In 2019, named Big East Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-State at DE, First Team All-Conference, and MVI Finest 30 • Also lettered in basketball and track & field, qualifying for the state championship in the javelin • 2020 National Honor Society qualifier • Also had offers from Air Force, Army, Navy and most of the Mid-American Conference
CADE ZIMMERLY | OL | 6-1 | 265 | Perrysburg, Ohio | Perrysburg High School: • Four-year letter winner at Perrysburg High School, playing for former BGSU Falcon Matt Kregel • Team captain • Team went 16-5 in final two seasons, including 8-2 as a senior in 2020 • Three-time first team All-Northern Lakes League tackle on the offensive line • Co-Player of the Year in the NLL as a senior, Toledo Blade Player of the Year, Northwest Ohio Lineman of the Year • As a junior, named honorable mention All-State • Posted 62 tackles and two sacks as a senior, totaling 184 tackles and seven sacks during his career • Also lettered in lacrosse