Six from the UP
MARQUETTE, Mich. – Head coach Shane Richardson has announced the addition of 34 new Wildcats to the Northern Michigan football team on National Signing Day 2025. The incoming group will join the Wildcats this fall and has representation from three Midwest states: 20 from Michigan, 12 from Wisconsin, and two from Illinois. The group also consists of six who played high school football in the U.P.
“We are absolutely thrilled to bring another full recruiting class in for 2025,” said Shane Richardson. “The commitment that these guys have made to believe in our community, campus, and the direction of our football program says a lot about who they are. Very proud of them and their families to see this process through and take this step to be a part of our program. Our coaches and current players deserve a lot of credit for consistently reflecting our values and culture that we’re building. We have a vision and are constantly improving by adding a group like this to what we already have. We are very excited to get these guys here and start working with them.”
The 2025 class of 34 consists of 24 players on offense, eight on defense, and two on special teams.
Breakdown on offense:
– 8 Wide Receivers
– 7 Offensive Linemen
– 6 Running Backs
– 2 Tight Ends
– 1 Quarterback
Breakdown on defense:
– 4 Defensive Linemen
– 3 Linebackers
– 1 Defensive Back
Breakdown on special teams:
– 2 kickers
Lachlin Acker | TE | 6’3 | 220 | Kenowa Hills
From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Acker’s honors at Kenowa Hills included All-State, All-Region, and two-time All-Conference selections. He also participated in hockey, baseball, and golf in high school.
Christopher Battley | WR | 6’0 | 200 | Portland
Battley played his high school football at Portland (MI), where he helped lead his team to three district titles and two regional championships. He also participated in track & field, holding three school records to go along with two First Team All-Conference honors. Battley will major in Special Education at NMU.
Wes Bennett | DT | 6’0 | 300 | DeTour
Bennett played his high school football at DeTour, where he earned All-State, All-Region, and All-U.P. recognition. He also participated in basketball, baseball, and track & field in high school. Bennett will major in Industrial Arts at Northern Michigan.
Sebastian Boyea | WR | 6’3 | 190 | Brighton
From Brighton, Michigan, Boyea is a two-time Division I All-State Honorable Mention, two-time First Team All-County, and two-time First Team All-Region member. He holds the county single game receiving record and was a team captain. Boyea will major in Special Education while at Northern.
Chastyn Cole | WR | 6’3 | 185 | Kenowa Hills
From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Cole was an All-Conference wideout at Kenowa Hills. Cole also played baseball in high school. He will major in Exercise Science at Northern.
Sam Corey | DL | 6’2 | 205 | Mason
Corey played his high school football at Mason (MI), where his accomplishments included three-time All-Conference, two-time All-Region, and All-State. He also played a pivotal role in his team winning four district and regional championships. Corey also participated in basketball and golf in high school. He will major in Business at NMU.
Bennett Deppeler | TE | 6’3 | 225 | Bay Port (WI)
From Green Bay, Wisconsin, Deppeler was a standout tight end for Bay Port High School. He was named an unanimous First Team All-Conference selection in 2023 and 2024, All-Region in 2023, and was a state champion his senior year. Deppeler will major in Accounting at NMU.
Nouha Diaite | OL | 6’2 | 255 | East Kentwood
From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Diaite played football while also participating in wrestling and track & field at East Kentwood High School.
Jordan Dodge | DE | 6’3 | 215 | Saranac
Dodge was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection at DL at Saranac High School. He also played basketball, baseball, and volleyball. Dodge will major in Construction Management at Northern Michigan.
Jack Dusseault | WR | 6’3 | 190 | Munising
A two-time First Team All-Conference selection at wide receiver while at Munising, Dusseault also participated in basketball, where he was a state champion. He will major in Business at Northern Michigan.
Casey Engle | LB | 6’2 | 205 | Lowell
Engle participated in football, wrestling, and golf at Lowell High School. In football, he was voted All-Conference, All-Region, and the Lowell Defensive MVP in 2024. Engle was also a three-time team state champion in wrestling while finishing in 3rd place for individual All-State honors. He will major in Business Marketing at Northern.
Ian Engstrom | WR | 5’9 | 170 | Negaunee
From nearby Negaunee, Engstrom was a First Team All-Conference, All-Region, and All-U.P. Special Mention at wide receiver for the Miners. He also played basketball and baseball at Negaunee. Engstrom will major in Construction Management at Northern.
Nicholas Gruesen | K | 6’1 | 175 | Notre Dame Academy (WI)
From Green Bay, Wisconsin, Gruesen was a two-time FRCC First Team All-Conference kicker. He also played a key role in the D3 Wisconsin Football State Championship team. Gruesen will major in Business Management.
Bryce Gullixon | RB | 5’9 | 170 | Kiel (WI)
From Kiel, Wisconsin, Gullixon holds his high school’s records for rushing yards (3,639) and touchdowns (50), while also holding the single season record in rushing yards (1,845). He was named First Team All-State, All-Region, Offensive Conference Player of the Year, and First Team All-Conference in 2024. As a junior in 2023, he also received a unanimous selection as a First Team All-Conference RB. He also participated in track & field and wrestling in high school.
Nick Hawker | LB | 5’9 | 190 | Bay Port (WI)
A standout linebacker at Bay Port High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Hawker was named the FRCC Linebacker of the Year his senior year. He is a two-time All-Region and All-Conference selection and was a member of the D1 Wisconsin State Championship team in 2024 while also serving as team captain. Hawker will major in Financial Management at Northern.
Brady Hilgart | QB | 6’3 | 190 | Grafton (WI)
Hilgart was named the Offensive Conference Player of the Year two times while a QB at Grafton. He was also a two-time All-State and three-time All-Conference selection. Hilgart guided Grafton to a state runner-up finish and three conference championships. He will major in Construction Management at Northern.
Jaylen Houston | ATH/LB | 5’9 | 199 | Eastern Kentucky University
Houston will join Northern as a transfer from Eastern Kentucky, where he played in 20 games over three seasons. Houston was an All-Region and All-Conference high school selection at Racine Lutheran in Wisconsin. He is pursuing his MBA at Northern Michigan.
Aaron Hughes | OL/DL | 6’4 | 250 | Gladstone
A UP native from Gladstone, Hughes was named First Team All-Conference and to the U.P. Dream Team. He also participated in basketball, cross country, and track & field and was named Academic All-State in each sport he played. Hughes will major in Construction Management at Northern.
Alex Jayne | ATH/RB | 5’11 | 187 | Iron Mountain
A native of the Upper Peninsula’s small town of Iron Mountain, Jayne was named Mr. Football in 2024, an award given to the best overall player in the UP. His accolades also include being named a unanimous First Team All-Conference linebacker as a junior and linebacker and running back as a senior. He earned the west PAC Iron Division Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 along with All-U.P. Dream Team honors. Additionally, he was voted to the All-State teams three times. Jayne also participated in basketball and track & field at Iron Mountain.
Lucas Koskey | RB | 5’10 | 175 | De Pere (WI)
From De Pere, Wisconsin, Koskey earned Second Team All-Conference accolades in 2024 and Honorable Mention the year prior. He was also named to the Academic All-State team. Koskey will major in Financial Management at NMU.
Emmett Langenfeld | K/P | 6’2 | 210 | Kiel (WI)
Langenfeld played his high school football at Kiel (WI), where he earned All-State Honorable Mention, All-Region, and First Team All-Conference accolades. He also played four years of soccer where he was a two-time team captain. Langenfeld will major in Finance at Northern.
Joseph Leibrandt | RB | 5’8 | 205 | Roosevelt University
From Union, Illinois, Leibrandt will be joining the Wildcats as a transfer from Roosevelt University. He played high school football at Marengo Community (IL), where he earned First Team All-Conference and All-Academic honors. He will major in Marketing at Northern.
Tommy Lutz | RB | 6’1 | 205 | Grafton (WI)
Lutz is Grafton’s all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns. He was a finalist for the top RB in Wisconsin and is a two-time First Team All-Conference along with earning a First Team All-State Honorable Mention. Lutz was named the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year and played a key role in a state championship runner-up finish in 2023. He will major in Exercise Science at NMU.
Diego “DJ” Maloney | OL | 6’2 | 250 | John Hersey (IL)
Maloney reached the state playoffs with John Hersey High School and was a two-time conference champion as well as an All-Conference Honorable Mention. He also participated in wrestling and track & field in high school. Maloney will major in Financial Management at NMU.
Kyle McGowan | WR | 6’6 | 210 | Cadillac
A star wide receiver at Cadillac, McGowan’s accolades include All-State, two-time All-Region, and two-time All-Conference. He also participated in basketball, baseball, and golf in high school. He will major in Finance at Northern Michigan.
Tyler Methner | OL | 6’3 | 265 | Mount Pleasant
Mether played his high school football at Mount Pleasant, where he earned All-Conference and All-Region recognition in 2024 along with All-Conference Academic and All-State Academic accolades in both 2023 and 2024. He was a team captain his senior year. Methner will major in Business at NMU.
Dakoda Miron | OL | 6’4 | 290 | Grand Rapids West Catholic
From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Miron was a 2022 state champion and also earned All-Region, All-Conference, and Dream Team recognition during his high school football career. He also participated in wrestling and track & field. Miron will major in Sports Medicine at Northern Michigan.
Miguel Ocampo | CB | 5’9 | 175 | Albion College
From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ocampo joins the Wildcats as a transfer from Albion College. He played high school football at Godwin Heights where he was an All-Conference honoree.
Trevor Siemen | OL | 6’2 | 250 | Romeo
Siemen played his high school football at Romeo, where he was named to the All-County All-East Team. He also participated in track & field. Siemen will major in Environmental Science at NMU.
Javon Stevenson | WR | 6’2 | 190 | Escanaba
A UP native out of Escanaba, Stevenson was a Second Team All-Conference and Special Mention All-U.P. honoree as a wideout. He also played basketball in high school.
Sawyer Torp | WR | 6’2 | 165 | Bay Port (WI)
From Green Bay, Wisconsin, Torp was named an All-Conference First Team selection in 2024 and Second Team All-Conference in 2023. He was a member of Bay Port’s D1 State Championship his senior season. Torp also participated in basketball and lacrosse in high school. He will major in General Business at Northern.
Tyler Van Sluys | RB | 5’9 | 185 | Grafton (WI)
From Grafton, Wisconsin, Van Sluys is a two-time First Team All-Conference honoree. He also served as a team captain his senior year. Van Sluys will major in Construction Management at Northern Michigan.
Jay Weiss | OL | 6’3 | 265 | Grandville
An offensive lineman at Grandville High School, Weiss was an Academic All-State member in football while also participating in powerlifting and track & field. He will major in Physics at Northern Michigan.
Cooper Williams | DL | 6’0 | 255 | Slinger (WI)
Williams played both sides of the trenches at Slinger High School. In 2024, he was named NSC First-Team on both the offensive and defensive lines. He was also named the NSC Defensive Player of the Year. Williams earned WFCA All-State honors as a DL and All-Region honors as an OL. He played a key role on the WIAA Division 2 Championship team as a senior. He will major in Finance or Business at NMU.
