2024 Football Season Preview - Saint Francis University Athletics (2024)

Football 8/27/2024 2:57:00 PM

LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University football gears up for the 2024 season to begin on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 12 p.m. at Dayton.

Offense
Nick Whitfield Jr.is set to lead the Red Flash offense at quarterback in the 2024 season. In five appearances last season he went 34-of-54 (63-percent) with 438 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. In his first collegiate start last season against Merrimack, he led Saint Francis to a 15-point comeback win that remains the largest for the program since a 17-point comeback on Sept. 15, 2012 at Morehead State. Adrian Mejia leads returning receivers in yards with 138, followed by Jayden Ivory's 118. Ivory scored a 71-yard touchdown from Whitfield Jr. in the comeback victory over Merrimack. Mason Imbt returns to anchor the offensive line after he scored four touchdowns last season lining up at tight end and goal line situations. The Red Flash backfield lost its top six rushers and looks to replace the production with multiple transfer additions.

Defense
The Red Flash defense is led by reigning First Team All-NEC selection Eddie Bierals, who tied the team lead last season with 3.0 sacks and was third with 5.5 tackles for loss. He has appeared in 32 of a possible 33 games during his career. Mercury Swaim looks to anchor the linebackers after he ranked third on the team last season with 48 total tackles (34 solo) and tied the team lead with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Pierre Royster tied Swaim with two forced fumbles and added 45 total tackles (28 solo). DaMario Crawford looks to step into a bigger role after he ended the 2023 season with a forced fumble and interception against Central Connecticut. The defense also featured Gavin Thomas on the defensive line – tied for the longest tenured member of the Red Flash.

Special Teams
Saint Francis returns punter Aidan Cirulli who averaged 39.2 yards per punt on 42 attempts. His career-long 62-yard punt last season at Robert Morris remains the furthest by a Red Flash player since Andrew Zecca's 72-yard punt on Nov. 3, 2018 vs. Bryant. Mac Plummer returns as the placekicker after he went 5-for-8 on field goal attempts and 33-for-35 on extra point attempts last season. Lucas Winters returns for his junior season as the program's long snapper. Crawford is Saint Francis' leading kickoff returner with 90 yards on four attempts last season. Aaron Tutino had the most punt returns last season with six and totaled 49 yards.

Transfers Added to 2024 Roster
Saint Francis added 11 transfer players ahead of the 2024 season: OL Ashtin Ancheta (Elizabeth City State), DL Zach Dantzlerward (Old Dominion), OL Joe Enick (Central Michigan), OL Brian Hannibal (Liberty), RB Markell Holman (Lackawanna), OL Guzzy Kayed (Emory & Henry), RB DeMarcus McElroy (Marshall), OLB Ike Okoye (Liberty), TE Efrain Quiles (Ursinus), DB Mekhi Rodgers (Hobart) and WR Gavin Thomson (UNLV/Pitt).

Thomson has the most Division I game experience with 18 appearances at Pitt from 2020-22. He totaled four receptions for 39 yards and contributed on special teams. Hannibal appeared in six games last season at Liberty during the Flames' 13-1 campaign. Holman recorded 52 carries for 340 yards and two touchdowns last season. Rodgers had 36 total tackles, three interceptions and 10 pass defends in 19 games at Hobart. Ancheta appeared in eight games across two seasons. 10 of the 11 transfers are listed on Saint Francis' depth chart. In total, Saint Francis has 18 transfer players on the 2024 roster.

Three Earn Preseason All-NEC Recognition
Imbt, Bierals and Swaim all earned recognition on the 2024 Preseason All-NEC Team. Imbt was selected on the offensive line after he is set to return to guard position in 2024. He scored four touchdowns last season as a hybrid player for the Red Flash offense – two rushing, one receiving and one fumble recovered in the end zone. Bierals was selected on the defensive line and was the only player on the list who earned All-NEC honors in 2023. Swaim was selected as a linebacker to round out the preseason recognition.

Saint Francis Selected Second in NEC Preseason Poll
The Red Flash were selected to finish second in the NEC Preseason Poll and earned one first-place vote. Duquesne was picked atop the standings with five first-place votes. Robert Morris, LIU (one first-place vote), Stonehill, Wagner and Central Connecticut followed Saint Francis in that order.

Schedule Features Two FBS Opponents
Saint Francis is scheduled to play two FBS opponents in the same season for the first time in program history. The Red Flash visit Kent State on Sept. 7 and Eastern Michigan on Sept. 21. Saint Francis played its first game against an FBS opponent on Sept. 3, 2021 in a 35-15 loss at Eastern Michigan. The Red Flash then took Akron to overtime in 2022 in a 30-23 loss. A 35-17 loss to Western Michigan last season marked the third FBS game for Saint Francis.

Saint Francis to Host Duquesne Exclusively on ESPN+
The Northeast Conference announced Saint Francis will host Duquesne on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 12 p.m. and will air exclusively on ESPN+. The game is one of two NEC football games to air exclusively to ESPN+ this season – Robert Morris vs. Mercyhurst is the second. Saint Francis and Duquesne have won each of the last two NEC titles and the Dukes hold a 5-4 advantage over the Red Flash since 2014. Seven of the nine games were settled by 10 points or less. Last season Saint Francis trailed 38-14 with 11:48 remaining in the game and had a near comeback in a 38-35 loss.

Craig Rejoins Staff as Defensive Coordinator
Jacob Craig rejoined the Saint Francis staff in February 2024 as the program's defensive coordinator. He was part of the Red Flash coaching staff working with the defensive line and outside linebackers from 2017-19. He spent the last two seasons at NCAA Division II member California (Pa.) as the special teams coordinator and defensive line coach. The Vulcans went 13-8 during his two seasons. The program ranked second in Division II in run defense with 57.7 yards against per game and were top 15 in sacks during both seasons. He spent the 2021 season at NCAA Division III member Saint Vincent. As a player, Craig walked on at Pitt in 2012 before he earned a scholarship in 2014 as a defensive signal caller. He spent the final two seasons of his career at Clarion University where he recorded 119 total tackles (56 solo).

Casey Joins Staff as Offensive Line Coach
Cullen Casey joined the Saint Francis staff in March 2024 as the offensive line coach. He spent the 2023 season at Wisconsin as a graduate assistant when the Badgers went 7-6 and earned a spot in the ReliaQuest Bowl against LSU. He spent the prior two seasons at Liberty as a graduate assistant and he signed five players during his stint. Liberty owned a 16-10 record as an FBS Independent during the 2021-22 seasons. He also held roles at Georgetown and Gonzaga College High School prior to Liberty. He helped develop Olu Fashanu, who went to Penn State and was selected No. 11 overall by the New York Jets in the 2024 NFL Draft. He attended Old Dominion, where he was a four-time Conference USA Honor Roll Student-Athlete.

Mercyhurst, Robert Morris Join NEC Football
Mercyhurst officially began its transition from Division II to Division I in the summer of 2024 and joined the NEC as a full-time member. Robert Morris rejoined the NEC as a football-only affiliate after the Colonials spent the 2023 season in the Big South-OVC and the 2020-22 seasons in the Big South. Robert Morris is immediately eligible for the NEC's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs. Mercyhurst starts its four-year transition before it becomes eligible for the FCS Playoffs. The Lakers will not count as a conference game in 2024 due to only scheduling four of the seven NEC opponents.

Follow along this season on X (@RedFlashFB), Instagram (@redflashfootball) and Facebook (@RedFlashFB).