2017 GAS Memorial Countdown... 96 Days!!!!!!!!!

[Tribe4SF]

W&M

#96 not currently assigned. Incoming Freshman eligible to wear it.

Will Kiely
6'3" 265
Freshman
Defensive Line
Downingtown, PA
Downingtown East H.S.

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[SFA 93]

No #96 currently assigned.

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Bill Best - Run Game Coordinator (OL)

Alma Mater - Louisiana-Monroe (2001)

Experience - 4th Season at SFA

Bill Best is in his fourth season as part of the SFA staff, handling responsibility for the Lumberjacks’ offensive line while serving as the run game coordinator.

Under Best's guidance, SFA's offense averaged 438.1 yards per game in 2016, including 145.6 rushing yards per game. One of the areas hardest hit by injuries during the 2016 campaign, a number of linemen emerged at a number of positions, led by junior Josh Keith being named a second team All-SLC selection following the 2016 season.

In charge of one of the most experienced offensive lines in the nation in 2015, Best’s contingent came up big in crucial situations for the Lumberjacks. Senior Byron Williams ended the season as a second team All-Southland Conference selection following his preseason third team All-America honors by STATS FCS.

Following the season, a pair of Best’s linemen signed contracts with NFL franchises as Terran Vaughn signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Oakland Raiders while Williams received a rookie camp invitation from the Raiders. It brings Best’s total to 11 former players who have gone on to earn professional contracts following their collegiate days.

SFA’s offensive line proved to be a critical component for the Lumberjacks’ five-win improvement in 2014. Behind the veteran line, running back Gus Johnson rushed for 1,683 yards and 23 touchdowns, setting an SFA and Southland Conference single-season record, while quarterback Zach Conque earned the SLC’s Newcomer of the Year, led by junior Byron Williams earning first team All-SLC honors.

Best joins coach Conque in Nacogdoches after spending the previous two seasons as the offensive line coach for Central Arkansas and will serve as the `Jacks run game coordinator. Previously, Best spent seven seasons at West Texas A&M, beginning his career with the Buffs in 2006 as a graduate assistant before being elevated to associate head coach and offensive line coach in 2007.

He also spent one season as West Texas’ offensive coordinator (2012). Best spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Ranger College (2004-05) after beginning his coaching career spending four years working among the Louisiana high school ranks.

Best was an offensive lineman and long snapper at Millsaps College and Louisiana-Monroe, earning his degree from ULM in 2001 before attaining his masters from West Texas A&M in 2007.

Best and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of twins Hannah and Brady.

The Best File
Hometown: Rayville, La.
High School: Rayville
Colleges: Louisiana-Monroe (2001); West Texas A&M (2007)
Playing Experience: Offensive line starter and long snapper at Millsaps College and Louisiana-Monroe
Family: Jennifer (wife); twins Hannah and Brady

Coaching Experience
2014-Present: Stephen F. Austin • Run Game Coordinator (Offensive Line)
2012-13: Central Arkansas • Offensive line
2006-11: West Texas A&M • Associate head coach/offensive coordinator
2004-05: Ranger College • Offensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator
2002-03: Farmerville (La.) High School • Offensive coordinator
2001: Delhi (La.) High School • Offensive line

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[bonarae]

Harvard #96 not yet assigned; here is an incoming freshman eligible to wear it:


Doug Henze
Height: 6-2
Weight: 270
Year: Fr
Hometown: Hoover, Ala.
High School: Spain Park
Position: DT


Before Harvard
Three-year letterwinner and starter at defensive line for Spain Park … Named Alabama/Mississippi all-star senior year … Selected to All-Over the Mountain Team in 2016 … Earned 2016 Spain Park Defensive Point Production award … Two-year member of track & field team for shot put … Involved at Spain Park as Ambassador and Academic Letterman … Four-year winner of Spain Park Community Service award … National Honor Society member … Also a member of the Math Honor Society and Social Science Honor Society … Brother, Erik, plays soccer at University of Alabama at Birmingham.

[The Cats]

Western Carolina
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#96 Tahjai Watt
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Class: RS Senior
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
High School: North Mecklenburg HS
Height / Weight: 6-5 / 215
Position: DE

2015 (Redshirt Sophomore): Played in nine games as a reserve along the defensive line and on special teams ... Recorded 31 tackles including 13 solo stops and three tackles for loss ... Recorded tackles in each of the nine games in which he played ... Forced and recovered a fumble against Presbyterian (Oct. 2) ... Tallied half a sack against Mercer (Oct. 10) ... Posted a career-high seven tackles including three solo stops at Wofford (Oct. 17) ... Credited with one quarterback hurry and batted one pass down at the line of scrimmage ... Recorded five stops including three sacks in WCU's annual Spring Game. 2014 (Redshirt Freshman): Played in 10 games as a reserve along the WCU defensive line … Credited with four tackles including two solo stops … Made his collegiate debut in the home-opener against Brevard (Sept. 6) with his first career tackle coming at Furman (Sept. 27) … Converted to linebacker during 2015 spring drills … Playing for the Purple squad, recorded six tackles including two sacks in WCU’s annual Spring Game.

2013 (Freshman): Redshirted.

Prior to Western Carolina: Two-time All-I-Meck Conference selection who was a conference player of the year finalist as a senior ... Played both ways as a defensive end and a tight end on offense ... Also played power forward on the basketball court as a prep earning all-conference accolades.

Personal: Full name Tahjai Henri Watt ... Is the son of Todd Lynch and Constance Watt, both of whom played sports in college ... Has one sibling, Eric Lynch.

Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations

[UAalum72]

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#96 not currently assigned
MAZON WALKER


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Position: Defensive Lineman
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 279
Year: Incoming Freshman
Hometown: Huber Heights, OH
High School: Wayne HS


Defensive MVP, team captain and recorded 72 tackles, six QB sacks and three fumble recoveries as a senior, when he earned third-team All-State and first-team All-Conference and All-District honors.
Gattuso’s take: “Aggressive, physical kid. I’m not afraid of the 5-10, 5-11 defensive linemen. He was overlooked because of his height. He’ll be a nose guard for us. Very powerful and explosive.”

[ST_Lawson]

#96 for the Leathernecks this year is Fabian Harris. Harris is a R-Freshman Defensive Lineman from Gateway Tech STEM Academy in St. Louis, MO. He's a very recent addition (transferred in over the last couple of weeks), so we don't have any photos of him in his Leathernecks gear. He's 6'2" and 281 lbs.

Here's the only photo I could find of him, from HS:

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[Gangtackle11]

No player wears #96 on current roster.

SAM VENUTO
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Position:
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks









Entering his 23rd season as a member of the Wildcat coaching staff and 19th as the team’s Offensive Coordinator is Sam Venuto. The highly regarded Venuto is recognized as one of the top offensive coordinators in FCS Football. During the Venuto era, the Villanova offense routinely ranks high in both the CAA and NCAA in a number of offensive categories.In addition to handling the Offensive Coordinator duties, Venuto also coaches the Villanova quarterbacks and is responsible for recruiting Central Pennsylvania. During his first four seasons on the Main Line, Venuto coached the Villanova wide receivers.
Last season, Venuto guided redshirt freshman quarterback Zach Bednarczyk to CAA Co-Rookie of the Year honors. Bednarczyk started nine games a year ago and completed 122-of-210 (58.1%) for 1,396 yards and 10 touchdowns to go with a team-high 515 yards rushing and five scores.
During the 2014 season, Venuto led the Villanova offense to 37.7 points per game, 470.4 yards of total offense per game and 242.9 rushing yards per contest. The Wildcats led the CAA in scoring offense and rushing yards per game and were 8th in the country in rushing yards per game and 12th in points per game.
Under Venuto’s tutelage in 2014, junior quarterback John Roberson won the Walter Payton Award given to the top player in FCS Football, in addition to being the CAA and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year. Robertson becomes the fifth player to earn conference player of the year honors under Venuto’s guidance. In 13 games that year, Robertson completed 197-of-301 (65.4%) for 2,846 yards with 35 touchdowns and just three interceptions to go with 227 carries for 1,078 yards and 11 scores.
Venuto has now helped lead three different players to the Walter Payton Award. In 2001, running back Brian Westbrook earned the Walter Payton Award as he amassed 2,823 yards of all-purpose offense in Venuto’s offensive scheme. As the team’s receiver coach in 1997, Venuto guided wideout Brian Finneran to numerous awards including ECAC Offensive Player of the Year, Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year and the Walter Payton Award. Finneran tallied 96 receptions for a school-best 1,389 yards and a school-record 19 touchdowns as a senior en route to becoming the all-time leading receiver in Villanova school history.
In 2012, Venuto helped Robertson earn national recognition as he became just the fifth Wildcat in school history to rush for 1,000 yards when he ran for 1,021 yards and 14 scores. He also completed 152-of-253 for 1,965 yards and 14 touchdowns. For his efforts in 2012, Robertson won the Jerry Rice Award which is given to the top freshman in FCS Football. In addition, he earned the CAA and ECAC Offensive Rookie of the Year Awards and was a third team All-CAA honoree.
For his efforts in 2009, Venuto was named a finalist for the National Coordinator of the Year after his offense led the CAA in three different offensive categories, including scoring offense (30.8 ppg.), rushing offense (194.9 yards per game) and passing efficiency (149.9). During the 2009 campaign, Venuto led seven players to All-CAA distinction. The offensive headliners in 2009 were Matt Szczur who was named the CAA Offensive Player of the Year, and quarterback Chris Whitney who garnered first team All-Conference honors. With Robertson being a first team honoree in 2014, Venuto has now mentored four different signal callers to first team All-League distinction.
Venuto has a wealth of coaching experience. Before Villanova, he was the tight ends coach and the head junior varsity coach at Cornell University. From 1989-1993, Venuto was the passing game coordinator and receivers coach at Southern Illinois University. During the 1988 season, he was the assistant quarterbacks coach and receivers coach at the University of Illinois. Venuto spent three seasons (1985-87) as James Madison’s quarterbacks coach and one year (1984) as the linebackers coach at Colby College. His coaching career began in 1982, when he was the freshman offensive line and linebacker coach at his alma mater, the University of Delaware.
While at Delaware, Venuto was a linebacker for the Blue Hens and was a member of the 1979 National Championship team. Venuto owns a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education from Delaware and a Master’s Degree in Education from James Madison.
Venuto and his wife, Diane, reside in Collegeville, Pa. with their 20-year-old daughter Amanda, and 18-year-old son, Ricky. Amanda is currently a junior at the University of Delaware, while Ricky is a freshman quarterback at Muhlenberg College.

[mvemjsunpx]

Montana #96

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David Shaw - DT
Junior
6'5", 310 lbs.
FBS Transfer ('17) - Maryland
Spring Grove, PA
Spring Grove HS


'16 Stats (@ MD):

2 Tackles

[dewey]

Here is #96 for the 13 time National Champions the North Dakota State University Bison.

25120

#96 Greg Menard
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 238
Hometown: Lakeville, Minn.
High School: Lakeville North HS

* 2016 STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
* 2015 STATS FCS All-America Third Team
* 2015 All-MVFC First Team
* 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team
* 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District
* 2015 MVFC All-Academic First Team
* 2015 MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award
* 2014, 2015 MVFC Honor Roll

2015 SEASON (SOPHOMORE): Third team All-America pick by STATS...All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first team...Constantly disrupted the backfield...Ranked second in the league with 10.0 sacks and was credited with an additional 15 quarterback hurries...Started all 15 games at right defensive end...Finished with 48 tackles including 14.5 tackles for loss...Forced two fumbles and recovered two...Career-high nine tackles in the season-opener at Montana...Career-high 2.5 sacks in the win at South Dakota State...Logged 6.0 sacks in the first four conference games...CoSIDA Academic All-America first team and MVFC All-Academic first team...MVFC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and MVFC Honor Roll.

2014 SEASON (FRESHMAN): Had his redshirt pulled for Game 2 at Weber State and moved up the depth chart after an injury to starting defensive end Mike Hardie...Played in 14 of the final 15 games and made at least one tackle in 10 of those contests...Key fumble recovery on NDSU's own 15-yard line in a come-from-behind win at Western Illinois...Season-high five tackles at Missouri State...Recorded 3.0 sacks and was in on four total sacks over the last five games of the year...Made two tackles in the NCAA championship win over Illinois State...Named to the MVFC Honor Roll.

HIGH SCHOOL: First team Associated Press all-state performer for Lakeville North High School and head coach Brian Vossen...Three-year starter, who played defensive end, outside linebacker, running back and fullback during his career...Two-time all-South Suburban Conference selection...Named to the KARE 11, St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minneapolis Star Tribune all-metro teams...Lakeville North compiled a 29-6 record during his career, including three straight state playoff appearances and a pair of conference championships...The Panthers were the state runner-up his junior year...Set Panthers' single-season record with 14 sacks as a senior...Finished career with 178 tackles, 24 sacks and five TDs.

PERSONAL: Majoring in civil engineering...Born July 3, 1996...Son of Ronald and Heidi Menard...Has one brother, Antonio, and one sister, Dominique...Father competed collegiately for Iowa State.

Good luck with the upcoming season and in the classroom Greg.

Go Bison!

Dewey