PRESS RELEASE

Northern State University head coach Mike Schmidt announced the addition of 12 transfer student-athletes to the Wolves football roster for the fall. The class includes Brock Bagozzi (Syracuse, New York), Trey Birdsong (Cabot, Ark.), Jacoby Boykins (Pearland, Texas), Adonis Davis Jr. (Blackville, S.C.), Andrew Ewald (Woodhaven, Mich.), Cordae Jones (Long Beach, Calif.), Tau Latu (East Palo Alto, Calif.), Quinton Mastropietro (Willow Glen, Calif.), Jayr Ramirez (Williams, Calif.), Leeyadaakhan Shaw (East Anchorage, Alaska), Davion Smith (Marin City, Calif.), and Kyle Thomas (Aliso Viejo, Calif.).

Sideline Sports Nation noted the group, including the mid-year additions announced in February, as the top transfer portal class in the state. In addition, Joe Petherbridge (Dresser, Wis.) and Cordel Rychlik (Aberdeen, S.D.) joined the Wolves following the national signing day in February and will enter as true freshman in the fall of 2025.

“I want to continue to reiterate the fact that we bring in transfers to enhance our roster,” said Schmidt. “These new players make our team better in a variety of ways. Some add depth to already solid positions and some will instantly compete for playing time. All of them, however, are tremendous teammates and people. We vet these players with extreme detail. We know they are great matches for our football program, Northern State, and Aberdeen. I really like the current position of our program. This group of transfer players adds to an already strong roster.”

Brock Bagozzi – Quarterback, 6-3, 210, Syracuse, New York / Solvay HS / Marist U / Missouri State

Brock Bagozzi is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback out of Syracuse, New York. He joins the Wolves after collegiate stops at Marist University and Missouri State. At Solvay High School, Bagozzi was a 2-time all-state honoree and finalist for the Central New York Player of the Year. He threw for 2,546 yards with 34 touchdowns in his senior season. At Marist, Bagozzi was a 3-time Pioneer Football League Player of the Week and All-Conference honoree. He tallied nearly 4,000 yards passing with 22 touchdowns. In his one season at Missouri State, Bagozzi appeared in four contests. He is the son of Jeff and Lisa Bagozzi.

Trey Birdsong – Wide Receiver, 5-9, 170, Cabot, Arkansas / Cabot HS / Cornell Co. / Illinois Co.

Trey Birdsong is a 5-foot-9, 170-pound wide receiver out of Cabot, Arkansas. As a prep, Birdsong earned 7A All-Conference accolades and CHS advanced to the semifinal round of the state tournament. In two seasons at Cornell, Birdsong earned Newcomer of the Year, all-conference first team honors, and was the Cornell Male Athlete of the Year. He accumulated over 2,000 yards receiving in two seasons with 15 touchdowns. Birdsong broke the school record in 2023 with 1,829 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns; the previous touchdown record dated back to 1968. He played the 2024 season at Illinois College, recording 801 yards receiving and ten touchdowns. Birdsong was named to the Midwest All-Conference team at IC. He is the son of Ira and April Birdsong.

Jacoby Boykins – Wide Receiver, 6-1, 195, Pearland, Texas / Lamar HS / Abilene Christian

Jacoby Boykins is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound wide receiver out of Pearland, Texas. Boykins opened his collegiate career at Alabama in 2021 and 2022. He played two seasons at ACU, appearing in three games in 2024. He is the son of Christopher Boykins.

 Adonis Davis Jr. – Linebacker, 6-1, 225, Blackville, S.C. / Blackville Hilda HS / South Carolina St.

Adonis Davis Jr. is a 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker out of Blackville Hilda High School and South Carolina State. As a prep, Davis was a 3-year starter for the Hawks, earning all-region, all-state, and CSRA Player of the Year honors. In three seasons at SCSU, he appeared in 13 games, recording 29 total tackles and one interception. He is the son of Keisha Jones and Adonis Davis Sr.

Andrew Ewald – Safety, 6-0, 190, Woodhaven, Mich. / Woodhaven HS / College of DuPage

Andrew Ewald is a 6-foot, 190-pound safety out of Woodhaven, Michigan. In his final high school season, Ewald tallied 48 tackles and six interceptions, earning All-Region first team accolades. At the College of DuPage he earned All-American and Academic All-American honors. DuPage won the NJCAA National Championship in the fall of 2024, going 11-1 on the year. He is the son of Ellen Vassallo and Ron Ewald.

Cordae Jones – Linebacker, 6-0, 220, Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Wilson / Long Beach City College

Cordae Jones is a 6-foot, 220-pound linebacker out of Long Beach, California. As a prep, Jones earned back-to-back All-Moore League honors. He recorded 76 tackles, including two sacks, and one forced fumble in his senior season. At LBCC, Jones was named the team MVP, notching 76 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for a loss, in 2024. He added one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass break-up. He is the son of Teniel Jones.

Tau Latu – Defensive Line, 6-0, 295, East Palo Alto, Calif. / Woodside HS / Foothill College

Tau Latu is a 6-foot, 295-pound defensive lineman out of East Palo Alto, California. As a Prep, Lati recorded 64 tackles, including 9.0 tackles for a loss and 2.0 sacks. He was named to the PAL All-League first team in 2019. At Foothills College, Latu lead the team and CCCAC in sacks with 8.5 in 2023. The Owls won the PAC7 and American Conference Championships that season, recording the first undefeated record in school history. He is the son of Cindy Dubon.

Quinton Mastropietro – Offensive Line, 6-3, 310, Willow Glen, Calif. / Mountain View HS / Reedley College

Quinton Mastropietro is a 6-foot-3, 310-pound offensive lineman out of Mountain View High School and Reedley College. As a prep, he was a 4-year starter and team captain, starting every high school contest in his career. Mastropietro was a 2-time all-league selection, All-Bay Area News Award winner, and a participant in the Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Game. He played two seasons at Reedley, starting every contest for the Tigers. He is the son of Charity Mastropietro.

Joe Petherbridge – Tight End, 6-3, 215, Dresser, Wis. / St. Croix Falls

Joe Petherbridge is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound tight end out of St. Croix Falls. A 2-year starter and team captain for the Saints, Petherbridge tallied 16 receptions and 294 yards in his final two seasons under the direction of head coach Grant Belisle. He was a 2-time all-conference selection at both the tight end and outside linebacker positions, and an all-region and all-state honoree as a senior. SCFHS reached the semifinal round of the state playoffs his junior season and won the Heart O’ North Conference Championship with an undefeated season in his senior campaign. He is the son of Mike and Julie Petherbridge.

 Jayr Ramirez – Running Back, 6-0, 205, Williams, Calif. / Williams HS / Sierra College

Jayr Ramirez is a 6-foot, 205-pound running back out of Williams, California. In four seasons at the high school level, Ramirez recorded 1,031 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns. He averaged 12.7 yards per carry and earned Mid Valley League MVP honors. At Sierra College in 2024, Ramirez tallied 980 yards rushing with eight touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He earned first team All-NorCal and SC won the Bowl Game Championship. He is the son of Evelin Garcia.

Cordel Rychlik – Defensive Back, 6-1, 190, Aberdeen, S.D. / Central HS

Cordel Rychlik is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound defensive back out of Central High School. He was a 3-year starter and team captain for the Golden Eagles under the direction of head coach Justin Briese. In his final two seasons, Rychlik recorded 105 tackles, six interceptions, including two for touchdowns, and four blocked punts. He was a 2-time all-state selection, an all-conference honoree, and the MVP of the 2025 South Dakota All-Star game. He is the son of Travis and Jessica Rychlik.

Leeyadaakhan Shaw – Defensive Line, 6-2, 285, East Anchorage, Alaska / Grandview / San Jose City College

Leeyadaakhan Shaw is a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive lineman out of East Anchorage, Alaska. Shaw’s Grandview High School team won both a state and national championship. At SJCC, Shaw recorded 47 tackles, including 14.0 tackles for a loss and 6.0 sacks. He earned National Player of the Week honors and San Jose won the NorCal Bowl. He is the son of Rochelle Adams.

Davion Smith – Linebacker, 6-1, 240, Marin City, Calif. / Archbishop Riordan / City College of San Francisco

Davion “DayDay” Smith is a 6-foot-1, 240-pound linebacker out of Marin City, California. As a prep, Smith was an All-NorCal and WCAL honorable mention selection in 2021. He tallied 152 tackles, including 22 tackles for a loss, in his final two seasons. At CCSF, Smith notched 88 tackles, including 20 tackles for a loss, and three forced fumbles. He is the son of Joe Dudley.

Kyle Thomas – Safety, 5-11, 190, Aliso Viejo, Calif. / Aliso Niguel / Saddleback Co. / Northern Arizona

Kyle Thomas is a 5-foor-11, 190-pound safety out of Aliso Viejo, California. As a prep, Thomas was a 2-time All-Sea View League selection and earned All-CIF and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2024. He recorded 156 career tackles with two interceptions, one pick-six, and one forced fumble. In two seasons at SC, Thomas recorded 55 tackles and 11 pass break-ups. He appeared in four contests at NAU.