VILLANOVA, Pa.—Head coach Mark Ferrante joined Steve Pinone in a Nova Nation All-Access special on Wednesday afternoon to announce the first group of signees for the Villanova Football Class of 2025. Ferrante revealed 11 signees who will join the Wildcats for the 2021 season, including seven players on offense and four on defense. The Signing Day special premiered live on Facebook at 4pm on Wednesday and the archive can be seen by clicking on the Signing Day special link.
 
"I am really thankful to the efforts our staff put in during these challenging times," Ferrante said of the recruiting process. The way we have had to go about recruiting, it's all been virtual, but we did learn some things that we'll carry forward. Some of these guys we haven't seen in person and they haven't met us in person yet, but we did a lot more Zoom calls and had the opportunity to get in front of the families a little bit more than maybe in years past. I believe we have a really good class coming in and we're excited to get them on campus this fall."
 
Ferrante and his staff continue to attract a high level of talent from across the country, with the 11 signees announced on Wednesday coming from seven different states. Four members of the incoming recruiting class come from Pennsylvania (three) and Maryland (one), and they will be the latest Mid-Atlantic players who chose to play their college football close to home. The signing class also features three scholastic players from the Northeast (two from Connecticut, one from Massachusetts) as well as two players from the Southeast (one from Florida and one from Georgia) and two players from Texas.
 
"There are some guys coming in locally and we also have some guys coming in from a distance, from Atlanta and Texas," Ferrante said. "Villanova's national reputation allows us to hit some of those far reaching areas, but we always try to recruit Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. We want to start local and build our team from within with the local area and those neighboring states."
 
The seven offensive players announced on Wednesday afternoon include Erik Bockisch (OL - Salisbury, Conn.); Ethan Carr (WR - Harrison City, Pa.); Ian Erickson (OL - Atlanta, Ga.); Antonio Johnson (TE - Fort Lauderdale, Fla.); Daniel Lopes (WR - Cheshire, Conn.); Irene Ngabonziza (WR - Fort Worth, Texas); and Stephane Voltaire (OL - Marion, Mass.).
 
The four defensive players are Bryce Ganious (DL - Houston, Texas); Chantz Harley (DB - Bethesda, Md.); Shane Hartzell (LB - Perkasie, Pa.); and Christian Sapp (DB - East Stroudsburg, Pa.).
 
"Some of these guys had the opportunity to have their full seasons and play for state championships this fall," Ferrante said. "There are going to be some players of the year in their leagues in this class and I'm sure some all-state players are going to come out of this group as well. A lot of them are also captains. When you recruit a class, a lot of guys come from that pedigree. So this group, they'll get here and we're excited about having them."
 
In choosing to continue their football careers at Villanova, the signing class is joining a highly successful FCS program which has made 13 postseason appearances and won six conference championships over the years. The Wildcats went 9-4 during the 2019 season and were ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation during the year. It was the seventh straight season that Villanova was ranked in the top-10 of the national polls at some point during the regular season and the team advanced to the FCS playoffs. Villanova was ranked No. 8 nationally in a 2020 preseason poll released by Athlon Sports.
 
Below are capsules of each of the Wildcats signees for the Class of 2025.


ERIK BOCKISCH
Offensive Line
6-4 / 290
Salisbury, Conn.
Salisbury School
 
Offensive Coordinator Chris Boden on Bockisch: "He is a tough, physical and hard-nosed kid who we project as an offensive guard, offensive center. Erik has a lot of quick twitch for an offensive lineman. We are very happy to get him. We think he's going to provide depth on the offensive line right from the start and we think he has a chance to be a really good player for us."
 
Career Honors: Team captain as a senior … Earned first team All-NEPSAC accolades as an offensive lineman.
 
ETHAN CARR
Wide Receiver
6-2 / 205
Harrison City, Pa.
Penn-Trafford High School
 
Offensive Coordinator Chris Boden on Carr: "Ethan is very athletic. He's just a football player who you can put anywhere on the field and he's going to have success. His junior year he played a lot more wide receiver and this year they played him at quarterback; he has played defense as well. For the Villanova fans, he reminded us a lot of [sophomore wide receiver] Jaaron Hayek and his film in high school as a guy who was the best player on the field so they're going to put him in every position to win. The one thing that stood about is how explosive Ethan is as a kick returner. When he gets going, many guys don't catch him. We use our receivers in a lot of different ways so I think Ethan is going to fit in really well with us."
 
Career Honors: Earned first team all-conference honors as a quarterback his senior year after previously being a first team all-state and first team all-conference wide receiver as a junior … Totaled 54 career touchdowns, including 20 passing, 18 rushing, 12 receiving, three kickoff returns and one interception return … Also had 3,286 total yards from scrimmage: passed for 1,262 yards, tallied 1,209 rushing yards and had 815 receiving yards.
 
IAN ERICKSON
Offensive Line
6-6 / 320
Atlanta, Ga.
Marist School
 
Offensive Coordinator Chris Boden on Erickson: "Ian comes from an exceptionally good high school football program. He has a big body, strong body, and he's physical. He projects as more of a right tackle, but there is really the world of potential for Ian. He comes from an option offense so he's advanced as a run blocker, and from the pass protection side of it he's going to continue to get better at it. We project him turning into a starter at some point."
 
Career Honors: Helped his team to a 32-5 record in games he started … Named a Georgia Athletic Coaching Association All-Star … National Merit Scholar.
 
BRYCE GANIOUS
Defensive Line
6-2 / 270
Houston, Texas
Second Baptist High School
 
Defensive Coordinator Ola Adams on Ganious: "The first time I saw Bryce's tape I just smiled. I like to get excited about prospects that we're recruiting and that we're taking a look at. Bryce is awesome. He is a very physical player and a great defensive lineman. What I like about him is that he plays offensive line as well and you get to see how physical and nasty he is. He just plays hard and he can be a very versatile player on the defensive line. He is high energy, and his personality is second to none."
 
Career Honors: Six-time all-state honoree, including three times on the first team as a defensive lineman and three times on the second team as an offensive lineman … Three-time first team all-district performer on both offense and defense … Named the district Defensive Player of the Year as a junior … Earned first team All-VYPE Private School acclaim as a defensive lineman … Recognized by the Houston Touchdown Club and was a finalist for the Houston Touchdown Club Ironman of the Year.
 
CHANTZ HARLEY
Defensive Back
6-1 / 175
Bethesda, Md.
Landon High School
 
Defensive Coordinator Ola Adams on Harley: "We are very excited about his position versatility. He can play corner and safety, he can play wide receiver, running back and be a kick returner. Chantz is a physical blocker and a physical runner. In years past we have wanted guys with great size and length that can play multiple positions. We feel really good about what Chantz can bring to our program and I always get excited when guys play other sports as well. Chantz has a strong lacrosse background and we feel like we're getting a talented, well-rounded player."
 
Career Honors: First team all-conference defensive back … Team captain … Named a Nike National All-Star for lacrosse.
 
SHANE HARTZELL
Linebacker
6-0 / 225
Perkasie, Pa.
Pennridge High School
 
Defensive Coordinator Ola Adams on Hartzell: "Shane is one of the first linebackers we started looking at this recruiting season. His junior season got cut short due to injury so he only has about four games of film. We knew that we wanted him, we were on him early for that reason and it worked out for us. Shane is a solid linebacker that we expect to come in here and potentially contribute just because of his style of play. He's ready-made, plays down hill, has great size and strength to him, and he can carry the ball as well. A lot of guys can't do what Shane can do as far as the athleticism of linebackers."
 
Career Honors: Selected as the All-Area Player of the Year and a first team all-area selection as a senior … Earned second team all-state honors as a junior … Three-time first team all-conference pick at linebacker and was second team all-conference as a running back.
 
ANTONIO JOHNSON
Tight End
6-4 / 255
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
St. Thomas Aquinas High School
 
Offensive Coordinator Chris Boden on Johnson: "Antonio comes from one of the best, if not the best, high school programs in the nation. He started at tight end and played basketball for the school as well. I recruited him and Coach Fletcher our tight ends coach recruited him too. We are very excited about Antonio. He's big, he's physical and he's a great route runner. He can catch the ball, and when he blocks he's a physical blocker and also an athletic blocker. We are ecstatic that we got him."
 
Career Honors: Nominee for UnderArmour All-America honors … Helped his team win a high school national championship and a Florida Class 7A state title as a junior in 2019.
  
DANIEL LOPES
Wide Receiver
6-2 / 190
Cheshire, Conn.
Cheshire Academy
 
Offensive Coordinator Chris Boden on Lopes: "Daniel is an explosive receiver with really great hands. We really like him, and the two things that stood out are that he can catch the jump-up balls and when he caught the ball he's extremely explosive with his athletic movements. There are clips of him catching a slant and then spinning out of a tackle twice and still getting up the field. He's a guy that I think is going to help us more on the outside, but really with our receivers they play all over the place. Daniel is a long, athletic kid who we think has the tools to be a special player."
 
Career Honors: Career totals include 50 receptions for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns … Named a Catholic Conference All-Star … Previously attended Catholic Memorial (Mass.) High School
 
IRENE NGABONZIZA
Wide Receiver
5-10 / 180
Fort Worth, Texas
Nolan Catholic High School
 
Offensive Coordinator Chris Boden on Ngabonziza: "They had him playing everywhere in high school and we loved his film. They were just trying to get the ball in his hands. He's still playing for the state championship right now in Texas, so he's on a great team and comes from a winning program. We are very excited about how Irene is going to fit in to what we do offensively. I can't wait to get him here."
 
Career Honors: Named an adidas Freshman All-American and went on to be a VYPE first team all-state wide receiver … Two-time first team all-state and all-district performer … Career stats include 1,400 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.
 
CHRISTIAN SAPP
Defensive Back
6-0 / 190
East Stroudsburg, Pa.
East Stroudsburg South
 
Defensive Coordinator Ola Adams on Sapp: "If we can stay local and get really talented players we always want to do that. Christian is another player that is very versatile and can play multiple positions. He is an elite wide receiver; he could play wide receiver here. That excites me because he is a natural safety. He is very physical on the back end. He has great ball skills and a lot of range because he is very long and physical. The person that Christian is excites me the most. He is a high-character, low-maintenance player. I believe you win with low-maintenance players that work really hard and have talent."
 
Career Honors: Earned a total of five first team all-conference honors, including three as a wide receiver and two as a defensive back … Named the Pocono Record Player of the Year and as a senior was the FNF Player of the Year … WNEP 16 Dream Team selection … Holds school records for career receptions and receiving yards.
 
STEPHANE VOLTAIRE
Offensive Line
6-5 / 280
Marion, Mass.
Tabor Academy
 
Offensive Coordinator Chris Boden on Voltaire: "Stephane is like a piece of clay according to our offensive line coach. He is a lacrosse player and his first year of playing high school football was last year, his junior year. He didn't get to have a season this year so he has only played that one year of high school football. He has the size and ability, and he is extremely mobile. Stephane is a kid that we think has huge upside just based on his one year of football and still trying to figure out the position. After one year we love him. He's a scholarship kid and I think the ceiling is very high for him."