VILLANOVA, Pa.—The beginning of the 2024 incoming class to Villanova Football was announced by head coach Mark Ferrante on Wednesday afternoon. Ferrante revealed 14 scholastic players who have signed their National Letters of Intent and committed to enroll at Villanova for the Fall 2024 semester. The group of 14 signees spans eight states and features seven defensive players as well as six offensive players and one specialist.
 
Ferrante and the Wildcats coaching staff have laid a foundation for consistent success on the recruiting trail by combining a national outlook with the ability to keep top talent close to home for their collegiate careers. That trend remains true with the start of the 2024 recruiting class which features three in-state players from Pennsylvania and representation across the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. The signees announced on Wednesday include three scholastic players from New Jersey as well as two each from Maryland and Virginia. Villanova signed one incoming player from California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New  York.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, the Wildcats signed running back David Avit (MD – Winston Churchill High School); wide receiver Brandon Binkowski (VA – Battlefield High School); wide receiver Chris Colby (MA – Pingree School); offensive lineman Ryan Cregan (NJ – Delbarton High School); quarterback Dylan Mills (CA – San Clemente High School); and offensive lineman Dhamir Wesley (PA – Penn Manor High School).
 
The defensive signees are defensive lineman Ratu Delano Navoti (NY – Xavier High School); defensive back Newton Essiem (MD – Frederick High School); defensive back Anthony Hawkins (MD – Choate Rosemary Hall [CT]); defensive lineman AJ Koukou (PA – Episcopal Academy); defensive lineman Ugo Nwotite (NJ – St. Augustine Prep); defensive back Jamie Tyson (NJ – Mainland Regional High School); and linebacker Langston White (VA – Brentsville High School).
 
Villanova also signed kicker Luke Myers (PA – Allentown Central Catholic).
 
In choosing to continue their football careers at Villanova, this group of signees is joining a Wildcats program that has won two CAA Football titles in the last three years. Villanova went 10-3 during the 2023 season and was the CAA automatic bid to the FCS playoffs where the Wildcats were the #8 overall seed and reached the quarterfinal round. It was the third postseason appearance in the last five seasons for Villanova, which had 12 players earn all-conference honors for the 2023 season. Villanova has had at least four all-conference honorees in 27 of the last 28 years and was one of three CAA schools to have at least a dozen players earn All-CAA accolades this season.
 
Below, in alphabetical order, are capsules of each of the Wildcats signees for the Class of 2028.
 
David Avit (Running Back / Winston Churchill High School / MD / 6-0 / 220
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As a senior this season Avit rushed for a school-record 2,487 yards and 30 touchdowns at Winston Churchill High School. He added 10 receptions for 169 yards and finished the season with 35 total touchdowns and more than 3,000 all-purpose yards. Avit was named the 2023 MD 4A Offensive Player of the Year and the Montgomery County Offensive Player of the Year. He is a two-time first team All-4A selection and a two-time all-county selection. During his scholastic career, Avit set his school's career record with 3,841 rushing yards.
 
Brandon Binkowski (Wide Receiver / Battlefield High School / VA / 6-3 / 205
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A first team all-region performer as both a wide receiver and a linebacker, Binkowski was also an all-state selection at linebacker and a team captain at Battlefield High School this season. He recorded 50 catches for 900 yards and 13 touchdowns during the 2023 season to go along with six sacks and two interceptions on defense. Binkowski surpassed 100 catches during his scholastic career while tallying more than 2,000 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns. He is a two-sport standout who also played basketball.
 
Chris Colby (Wide Receiver / Pingree School / MA / 6-3 / 210
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During his scholastic career at the Pingree School, Colby amassed 2,599 receiving yards while making 143 receptions and scoring 35 touchdowns. Those numbers include 45 catches for 581 yards and nine scores in his final high school season. Colby was an offensive first team All-Prep selection in Massachusetts and the league Defensive Player of the Year as a safety. He was a first team All-NEPSAC honoree as a wide receiver.
 
Ryan Cregan (Offensive Lineman / Delbarton High School / NJ / 6-6 / 290)
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A three-year starter as a scholastic player, Cregan started all 35 games he played for Delbarton High School. He was named a first team all-conference selection to go along with earning all-county, all-area and all-state accolades.
 
Ratu Delano Navoti (Defensive Lineman / Xavier High School / NY / 6-3 / 265)
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A multi-sport scholastic athlete at Xavier High School, Delano Navoti was a football standout and a city champion both indoors and outdoors in the shot put and the discus.
 
Newton Essiem (Defensive Back / Frederick High School / MD / 5-11 / 175)
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Essiem wrapped up his high school football career by being named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. His career totals include 112 tackles to go along with nine interceptions and three forced fumbles. Essiem amassed 1,199 all-purpose yards for Frederick High School and was a champion in track & field as part of his school's 4x100 meter relay team.
 
Anthony Hawkins (Defensive Back / Choate Rosemary Hall / CT / 6-3 / 170)
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A native of Maryland, Hawkins completed a postgraduate year at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut where he was a first team All-Founders selection as a safety and a second team All-NEPSAC pick for the 2023 season. He totaled 31 tackles and nine pass breakups on the year. Hawkins previously was a scholastic standout in Maryland where he was a first team all-state, first team All-Met and first team all-county selection in 2022. He added Washington second team All-Met honors while amassing 40 tackles, including five tackles for loss and one sack. He also totaled a forced fumble and a blocked field goal while scoring four touchdowns – three on interception returns and one on a punt return.

AJ Koukou (Defensive Lineman / Episcopal Academy / PA / 6-1 / 275)
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One of the local products to sign with Villanova this season, Koukou was a two-time first team all-league pick and a first team all-county selection at nearby Episcopal Academy. His efforts during the 2023 season included 75 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks. A multi-sport standout, Koukou was also his school's track & field team captain and a first team all-league honoree as a thrower. He was a top-five performer in the state in the shot put and threw for over 55 feet.
 
Dylan Mills (Quarterback / San Clemente High School / CA / 6-2 / 210)
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Mills was a team captain for San Clemente High School and was selected as the league MVP as well as being a first team all-league performer. His stats included 1,750 total yards and 19 touchdowns.
 
Luke Myers (Kicker / Allentown Central Catholic / PA / 5-10 / 165)
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An in-state product who was a three-sport standout in high school, Myers holds school records at Allentown Central Catholic with a 51-yard field goal and a single-season best of eight field goals made. He was a first team al-conference kicker and punter during his scholastic career and made game-winning field goals from 51 yards and 49 yards. He tallied 34 touchbacks and during the 2023 season was a Kohl's Kicking Week 3 National Player of the Week. Myers was a four-year letterwinner who also played basketball and soccer.
 
Ugo Nwotite (Defensive Lineman / St. Augustine Prep / NJ / 6-5 / 215)
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Nwotite was a first team all-conference performer as a defensive lineman at St. Augustine Prep in New Jersey. A talented and versatile athlete, he has previously played basketball, soccer and baseball in addition to competing as a swimmer during his career.
 
Jamie Tyson (Defensive Back / Mainland Regional High School / NJ / 6-2 / 185)
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As a scholastic senior in 2023, Tyson tallied a state-best 12 interceptions and returned four of those picks for touchdowns while totaling 31 tackles and two tackles for loss at Mainland Regional High School in New Jersey. He also had 26 receptions for 562 yards and 11 touchdowns for the 2023 season. Tyson helped lead his team to a New Jersey Group 4 championship and he was named a first team all-state selection as a defensive back as well as being the NJ Football Defensive Player of the Year. During the 2022 season Tyson's stats included 30 tackles, four interceptions and one pick-six to go along with 16 receptions for 404 yards and seven scores.
 
Dhamir Wesley (Offensive Lineman / Penn Manor High School / PA / 6-5 / 280)
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Wesley was a two-time first team honoree as both a defensive lineman and a tight end during his scholastic career at Penn Manor High School. He was a two-sport standout who also played basketball and was an honorable mention all-star.
 
Langston White (Linebacker / Brentsville High School / VA / 6-2 / 210)
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As a senior in 2023, White had 93 total tackles while recording seven sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles for Brentsville High School. He was a two-time first team all-state selection as a linebacker and was twice named both the district and region Defensive Player of the Year. White was a three-time first team all-district and all-region linebacker in addition to being an all-district performer in track & field in the 400 meters.