By Katherine Jamtgaard. CHARLESTON, S.C. — The App State volleyball team opened the 2025 campaign with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-15) sweep of Mercer at the College of Charleston Classic on Aug. 29. The victory marked head coach Chad Sutton’s first at the helm of the program. Additionally, the Mountaineers’ all-time record against the Bears remains unblemished and now stands at 5-0.

App State 3, Mercer 0

App State outpaced Mercer in all but one category, matching with the Bears with 46 digs apiece. The Mountaineers tallied 35 kills and 34 assists, while holding the Bears to 28 kills and 28 assists. The Black and Gold also recorded a team hitting percentage of .286 while holding the Bears to a mark of .046.

Sophomore Lou Johnson made eight kills on 10 attacks for a .800 hitting percentage. Senior Maya Winterhoff matched Johnson with eight kills of her own. In the assists category, redshirt senior Addison Heidemann made 31 of the Mountaineers’ 34 assists and is now 28 away from reaching 1,000 career assists. Sophomore MeMe Davis led the team in digs, registering 12, and was followed by junior Caroline Farthing, who made nine. Senior Ali Morris was the Mountaineers’ top blocker on the day with four, three of which were solo. Fellow senior Keionna Mackey served up three of the Mountaineers’ seven aces, which came consecutively in the third set.

App State came out strong in the first set, jumping to a 5-1 lead early, which featured a kill from redshirt sophomore Delanie Grevengoed and an ace from sophomore Bella Hutchens. Mercer managed to take an 11-10 edge, but a kill from Hutchens knotted the score at 11 all. A pair of 4-0 runs that featured kills from Johnson, Morris and Winterhoff as well as aces from Farthing and Davis, pushed the Black and Gold ahead, 19-14. Despite Mercer’s efforts, App State took the set 25-17, building off kills from Grevengoed, Winterhoff, and Hutchens.

The Mountaineers’ momentum carried into the second set as they established a hefty 12-3 lead, built on kills from Hutchens, Grevengoed, Johnson, and Winterhoff, as well as a Morris solo block and block by the duo of Johnson and Grevengoed. Mercer managed to narrow the deficit to 15-11, but the Mountaineers were quick to push ahead, 20-13 with a kill from Hutchens and a trio of kills from Johnson. Winterhoff slammed down a kill before going up for a block alongside Morris. Morris went up for a solo block, which Mackey followed up with her first kill of the match to bring the Mountaineers to set point (24-16). With an ace, Morris secured the second set for the Mountaineers, 25-16.

In the third set, Mercer pulled ahead 8-4 early before the Mountaineers found their footing with a 4-0 run, tying the score at 8-8. The Mountaineers gained an 11-9 edge after a kill from Winterhoff and a pair of Mercer errors. With a 5-0 run that featured three consecutive Mackey aces sandwiched by a pair of Johnson kills, App State pulled ahead, 17-11. Regaining momentum, the Black and Gold saw back-to-back kills from Grevengoed and Winterhoff, both assisted by Heidemann. A kill by Morris, assisted by junior Maria Contreras, brought the Mountaineers to set point (24-14). Contreras, assisted by Davis, scored set and match point (25-15).

Looking Ahead

Competition continues at the C of C Classic on Saturday as the Mountaineers take on host College of Charleston at 11 a.m. and Eastern Kentucky at 4:30 p.m. Saturday’s morning match against College of Charleston will be available to stream on FloCollege.

By David Rogers. WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (remote) — A slick-passing William & Mary women’s soccer team, along with its physically aggressive defense, upended visiting App State hopes of extending an unblemished, early season record. With goals in each half, The Tribe defeated the Mountainers, 2-0, in Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field, in front of more than 300 soccer fans.

App State mostly controlled possession for the first seven minutes of play on Aug. 24, but momentum shifted and The Tribe gained the upper hand by being first to the ball and executing deft, one- and two-touch passes to work the ball up the field, offensively, a model they executed for most of the match.

In the 54th minute, App State’s redshirt freshman goalkeeper, Anna Claire Jacobi, rushed out to smother a Tribe attack near the left front corner of the penalty box, but with Jacobi on the ground in what can only be described as a muddle involving Jacobi, W & M’s Molly Widderich and the Tribe’s Ivey Crain, the ball slipped out toward the center. An opportunistic Crain jumped out of the pile and used her speed to push the ball ahead. into space, and nudged it into the unprotected goal for the game’s first score.

Then, with just 15 minutes remaining in the second half, Tribe midfielder Lindsay Wilson corralled a pass from from the right side, dribbled left, and ripped a shot just inside the left post, mere fractions of an inch beyond the outstretched arms of a diving Jacobi, for William & Mary’s second and final goal of the day.

Many of William & Mary’s attack opportunities resulted in offsides calls. Much to the displeasure of a vocal group of fans in the grandstands, The Tribe was whistled for offsides nine times vs. just once by the Mountaineers.

According to LiveStats, App State controlled possession 69 percent of the time, vs. 31 percent by their hosts — but The Tribe simply did more with their opportunities, including holding a 13-10 advantage in shots.

Now 3-1 on the young season, App State will try to recover with another meeting against an ACC opponent, at Clemson on Sunday, Aug. 31. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

William & Mary improves to 1-2-1 with the win. They will travel to James Madison for an in-state rivalry game on Thursday, Aug. 28, with a 6 p.m. start time.

 

 

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Early goals in each half proved the difference for App State vs. Davidson women’s soccer on Aug. 21 at Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex. The lightning delayed contest resulted in a 2-0 win by the Mountaineers, taking them to 3-0 on the young season for the best start to a fall campaign since 1999.

Less than four minutes into the game, graduate forward Izzy Wood gathered the ball on the right side, then pushed a pass to the center, just outside the penalty box, where teammate Ellie Garrison was sprinting up the middle. Dashing with the ball between two Davidson defenders, Garrison slipped the ball between the goalkeeper Allie Moore’s legs and it skipped skipped along the turf and into the net for the game’s first goal.

The in-state adversaries battled evenly for the rest of the half, although the Wildcats had to be turned away several times by the Mountaineers’ stout defensive play. Davidson took eight shots in the first half, compared to just three by App State. In addition, the visitors held a 6-1 advantage in corner kick opportunities. They just couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities.

App State seemed to come out of halftime with a different agenda, including doing a better job of controlling possession and manufacturing more shot opportunities. They outshot the Wildcats, 9-6, in the second half. The intensified attack produced a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks.

One of the early second-half corner kick opportunities produced the Mountaineers’ second goal. From the right corner, forward Kyli Switalski looped a high corner kick toward the front of the goal, soaring over the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Grace Stair — curling under the crossbar, just inside the far left post for the Mountaineers second goal.

The rest of the half produced few meaningful counterattacks, with disruptive defensive play from both teams.

With the win, the Mountaineers move to 3-0, the best start to a season since 1999, and they have come against Western Carolina (the top-ranked team in the Southern Conference); University of Miami (Fla.), a member of the “Power Four” Atlantic Coast Conference; and Davidson, a strong competitor in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Before starting Sun Belt Conference play against Old Dominion on Sept. 13, in Norfolk, Va., the Mountaineers have four more non-conference matchups, beginning with William & Mary on the road, Aug. 24; at Clemson, another ACC opponent, a week later (Aug. 31); home against East Carolina (American Athletic Conference) on Sept. 4; then back on the road Sept. 7 for a test at Longwood (Farmville, Va.).

BOX SCORE

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — In the 79th minute of a scoreless match, Walker Bristow dribbled toward the top of the box and fed a through ball ahead to Ellie Garrison, who was taken down by a Miami defender on her way to the net. After replay review, the referees awarded Garrison a penalty kick.

The sophomore calmly stepped to the dot and buried a shot into the bottom-right corner of the net. Eleven minutes later, her Mountaineer teammates sprinted onto the field in jubilation, having posted a signature, 1-0 victory over the University of Miami Hurricanes — the Mountaineer program’s first win over a Power Five opponent since 2016.

“I’m so proud of our team, our players, just an absolute tough-as-nails performance,” head coach Aimee Haywood said after the game. “I’m over the moon about our players’ performance today.”

Four seasons ago, as Haywood embarked on her first year at App State, the Mountaineers were picked 13th out of 14 teams in the Sun Belt preseason poll. Her squad finished that season seventh in the league and followed with a program-best third-place finish in 2023. In 2024, the Mountaineers opened the campaign with a scoreless draw against NC State.

Sunday’s win was historic: the first in program history against an ACC opponent.

“This has definitely been a four-year build for us, and we’ve done it really intentionally, developing the players that we have here,” Haywood added. “I think it says a lot about the App State brand to get a team [like Miami] to come up here and play us.”

Quantity vs. Quality

Despite being outshot for the game, the Mountaineers had the higher quality scoring opportunities. In addition to the penalty-kick goal — Garrison’s third tally of the week — junior Olivia Simon narrowly missed a goal midway through the second half when her shot was saved by Miami goalkeeper Atlee Olofson and then deflected off the far post.

Defensively, the Mountaineers were stout. Goalkeeper Anna Claire Jacobi posted her first career shutout, registering six saves, highlighted by a diving effort with 18 minutes left to keep the contest scoreless.

Center backs Sydney Snowden and Maddie Williams kept App State organized in front of Jacobi, playing all 90 minutes.

Offensively, Garrison and Simon accounted for all five App State shots.

The Mountaineers are 2-0 for the first time since 2016 and look to continue their hot start Thursday when they host Davidson in Boone. First touch is set for 6 p.m., and the match will stream on ESPN+.

By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — Hunter Shaut has joined the App State Wrestling staff as an assistant coach.

Shaut (pronounced like shout) concluded his collegiate career at Buffalo in 2025, and the childhood education major earned Academic All-MAC recognition in each of his final two seasons. He won 43 matches during his career, posting 22 dual victories over his final three seasons and going 12-6 in MAC duals.

As a senior, he went 22-15 overall, placed fourth at the MAC Championships at 165 pounds and earned the team’s Academic Excellence Award.

A native of Mohawk, N.Y., Shaut went 53-4 as a high school senior and was the first two-time state champion in Central Valley Academy’s history.

By Matt Present. CULLOWHEE, N.C. – With just over a minute to play, Ellie Garrison raced to a loose ball in the box, swung her left leg and drilled the game-winning goal to complete a brace and lift App State to a 3-2 road victory over Western Carolina to open the season.

Garrison, who was named a Preseason All-Sun Belt selection and a National Midfielder to Watch by United Soccer Coaches also converted a first-half penalty kick to register her second career two-goal game.

In the first meeting between the long-time SoCon rivals since 2013, App State (1-0) opened the scoring in the tenth minute of play. Graduate student Izzi Wood raced down the right wing and delivered a pinpoint cross to Kyli Switalski, who scored the season’s first goal, bouncing the shot off a Catamount defender and into the back of the net. The redshirt sophomore finished with a team-high four shots in the contest.

Despite App State carrying a 2-0 lead into halftime, Western Carolina battled back to tie the match in the second half, scoring on a pair of penalty kicks, one in the 50th minute and another in the 74th minute of play.

Garrison’s game-winning goal came with 69 seconds to play. Anna Claire Jacobi began the play with a goal kick. Garrison, from midfield, headed the ball to Switalski on the left wing. The redshirt sophomore from High Point, N.C., dribbled into the Catamount end and crossed the ball into the box where Wood was waiting. A Western Carolina defender slide-tackled the ball away from Wood, but Garrison was able to win the footrace — and win the game for App State.

The Mountaineers showcased their depth in the season opener, with six Mountaineers making their collegiate debuts. Jacobi, a redshirt freshman, started as the Mountaineer goalkeeper, while true freshman Maddie Williams played all 90 minutes starting at center back.

App State will open its home season on Sunday when the Mountaineers welcome the Miami Hurricanes to Boone for the first ever meeting between the two programs. Kickoff from The Valley is set for 1 p.m. and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

BOX SCORE

By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — App State alumnus John Michael Cole, who served as a team captain in Boone and has helped direct multiple schools to NCAA Championships appearances as a collegiate coach, has been named the head coach of the Mountaineers’ men’s golf program, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin announced Thursday.

“We’re excited to welcome John Michael and his wife, Emery, back to App State,” Gillin said. “John Michael is a proven winner. He’s an alum who bleeds black and gold. We look forward to his leadership of our men’s golf team.”

The 33-year-old Cole spent the 2024-25 season as a Sun Belt Conference head coach at Georgia State, which posted four top-five tournament finishes and climbed to a 10th-place league finish after placing 14th at the 2024 Sun Belt Championship a season before he arrived.

He helped lead VCU to the Atlantic 10 Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional as a Rams assistant in 2024 after being the head coach at Division II Fayetteville State for five seasons, leading his hometown school in southeastern North Carolina to NCAA Championships berths in two of his final three seasons and earning an HBCU National Coach of the Year honor in 2023.

As a collegiate player, Cole won five tournaments and was named the CIAA Player of the Year as a Fayetteville State freshman before transferring to App State for his final three seasons (fall 2011-spring 2014). He contributed a final-round 68 to a first-place team finish at the 2011 Hummingbird Intercollegiate, then had multiple top-10 finishes as a Mountaineer and played on three professional tours, winning the 2015 Crow Creek Invitational on the Coastal Players Tour.

He is an Appalachian State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in recreation and park management, plus a minor in communication.

“I want to thank Chancellor Heather Norris, Director of Athletics Doug Gillin, Senior Associate Athletics Director Sarah Strickland and many others for giving me this opportunity,” Cole said. “Once I began this journey of collegiate coaching nine years ago, I knew I wanted to find my way back to Boone and be the head men’s golf coach at Appalachian State University. There is a different standard and expectation of winning while representing the block A, and I can’t wait to bring that winning culture to App State Men’s Golf.”

Cole began his coaching career in his early 20s as the first head coach of the men’s and women’s golf teams at Fayetteville Technical Community College in 2016, building both programs from scratch. He earned NJCAA Region X Coach of the Year accolades in 2017 and led the Trojans to a victory at the 2018 NJCAA Region X Championship to clinch a berth in the NJCAA DII National Championship tournament.

Cole was named Fayetteville State’s head coach later that year, and he promptly led the Broncos to a runner-up finish at the 2019 CIAA Championship, the program’s best showing in seven years. The Broncos returned to the NCAA Championships thanks to a fourth-place NCAA Regional finish in 2021, and Fayetteville State won its first CIAA title since 2012 during the 2023 season, when a second CIAA Coach of the Year award preceded a second-place NCAA Regional finish and another NCAA Championships berth.

Caden Hodges was an honorable mention All-American during Cole’s time at Fayetteville State, while five of his players earned All-CIAA honors and two were named to the Ping All-Region Team.

After moving on to VCU to work with head coach Andy Walker, the Rams recorded the lowest single-round total in school history on the final day of the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional en route to an eighth-place showing, the program’s best regional finish in more than 20 years.

In his first season as a Division I head coach, Cole helped lead Georgia State to a second-place finish in the Panthers’ third fall tournament, highlighted by a third-place individual finish. They were in seventh place entering the final round of the 2025 Sun Belt Championship.

Cole attended Cape Fear High School in Fayetteville and is married to Emery Sherrill Cole.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Andy Walker, VCU head coach during the 2023-24 season and current Eastern Michigan head coach:

“Definitely one of the best hires this summer. John Michael’s rapid rise up the college coaching ranks comes from his work ethic and how he connects with his players. I know he’s excited to get back to his alma mater. The Sun Belt Conference now has a new contender.”

Steve Conley, head coach at Fayetteville’s Methodist University (15 national titles in 38 years)

“John Michael has a passion for coaching, the game of golf and for App State. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be successful there.”

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — ‘Tis the season of annual optimism on every FBS-level campus in College Football Land. After an offseason of transfer portal openings and freshman recruiting commitments, rosters are now set, even if depth charts are still uncertain.

Whether speaking at a school-specific or conference-organized “Media Day,” players and coaches are enthusiastically optimistic about the fresh start a new season offers. They have a chance to win a conference championship. Some have loftier ambitions, like the expanded College Football Playoffs or even a national championship.

Truth is, however, college football has evolved as a topsy-turvy marketplace of massive roster turnover from one year to the next, creating a lot of questions about which guys fit and which ones don’t in each individual school’s game plans. Have they done enough in this still evolving marketplace to put a quality “product” on the field?

At Appalachian State, the normal questions are magnified by a whole new coaching regime — but the optimism and expectations are enhanced, too, because of the NFL and major college coaching pedigrees brought to Kidd Brewer Stadium — not just that of head coach Dowell Loggains, but his staff of coordinators and assistants, too.

They are not chasing NIL money. They are chasing opportunity.

According to numbers compiled by App State Athletics, Loggains and his staff combine for 60 years of NFL coaching experience and 142 years of college coaching experience, including several major college stops. It gives an App State football fan pause to see members of the Mountaineer staff with coaching stops that include the Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, and New England Patriots.

Read further and there are college names like Penn State, Arkansas, South Carolina, Clemson, Ole Miss, Maryland, Missouri, Texas, Washington, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech, among others.

Collectively, that is a rich coaching pedigree for a mid-major football staff, especially when you see the number of offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators along with position coaches. These are guys who have coached the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Marvin Harrison, Jameis Winston, Spencer Rattler and a host of other big names in the football world. Most of the coaches played college ball, some even played in the NFL.

More than ever, college football is a growing marketplace.

In this age of NIL and revenue sharing, a mid-major school like App State (without the deep pockets of an Alabama, Ohio State, USC, Michigan and the like) has to find other ways to compete. They can’t fill their rosters by buying talent, so they must look for other ways to put a talented team, their “product,” on the field. Part of App State’s effective strategy may well prove to be the opportunity to play under the supervision of coaches with extensive NFL and major college experience.

“Our recruiting has been pretty smooth,” said Loggains during his Media Day press conference, “because App State Football has a strong brand.”

Loggains applauded his staff’s efforts to recruit both through the transfer portal and incoming freshman commitments.

“I’m excited about the future,” he said. Later, he noted, “In recruiting, we don’t promise spots. We promise opportunity (to compete for a role)… In practices, we are trying to create as many reps as we can for every player so that our evaluation can be more accurate.”

By transferring to App State — beyond the opportunity for a great education — the appeal for a student athlete is the hope for more playing time, to show what they can do and put it on tape for evaluators to see. And then there’s the bonus: They are still playing at the FBS level. For those redshirt seniors with aspirations to play at the next level, the season ahead represents important opportunity.

Loggains confirmed as much when he said, “It’s guys looking for opportunities. They are not chasing NIL money or other things. They are simply asking, ‘Where can I go to get good tape? Where can I go to have an opportunity to advance my potential career in the National Football League? Where can I go to have a (realistic) chance to start, to play?’ For whatever reason, they are not happy with their current circumstance.”

More than ever, college football is a growing marketplace. The player-sourced demand is for opportunity and that is what Loggains and his staff are selling. Adding all of the NFL and major college coaching talent only serves to enhance the “product” being sold.

Dissecting the Transfer Roster

In reviewing the App State roster, we have divided the transfers into three categories. The potential “marquee” contributors include the highly regarded student athletes initially recruited to play at a Power 4 school, but who haven’t seen a lot of playing time in their years at the big name school either because of competition at the position, injury, or perceived scheme fit once they arrived.

A second group are those from Power 4 schools who transferred to App State in an earlier year and have chosen to continue playing for the Mountaineers and, more than likely, to earn their degree(s) from the school.

In the third group are the players transferring to App state and “moving up” from a smaller school to a higher level of competition, usually after having success at one or more of the junior college, NAIA, NCAA Division II or FCS levels. In some cases, they are making a same-level transfer, i.e. from another Sun Belt Conference member institution or another Group of Five conference school. Perhaps unhappy with their current circumstance, as Loggains put it, or maybe they just like what they heard is happening at The Rock.

App State Players Leaving a Power 4 Program to Ostensibly Get More Playing Time and Better Visibility for the Next Level (NFL, CFL, UFL, Arena)

• Davion Dozier, wide receiver, transferred to App State this year from Arkansas with three years of eligibility remaining. A 4-star prospect coming out of high school in Moody, Ala.
• Izayah Cummings, tight end, a 6-year redshirt senior. One season of eligibility after stops at Kentucky (2020-23) and Louisville (2024). A 6A Kentucky Football Coaches Association “Player of the Year” in high school.
• AJ Swann, quarterback, transfer to App State this year after playing for LSU in 2024. Started college career at Vanderbilt. A former 4-star recruit out of Cherokee HS in white, Ga.
• Emory Floyd, defensive back, transferred in this year from South Carolina (2022-24), with two seasons of eligibility. FAST: ran 100 meters in 10.86 and 200 meters at 21.33. Out of Hillgrove HS in Marietta, Ga., ranked as 44th best prospect in state and 35th-best safety in nation by 247 Sports.
• Rashod Dubinion, running back, senior transfer threes seasons at Arkansas. Highly rated RB coming out of Cedar Grove HS in Ellenwood, Ga., including a state championship as a senior. Told High Country Sports: “Since I was 5 years old, I have been a part of winning teams. I am here to be part of a winner.”
• Dylan Hasz, defensive back, junior transfer this year from Arkansas (2023-24) with two years of eligibility remaining. Consensus (247, ESPN, On3) 3-star prospect out of Bixby HS, Bixby, Okla.
• Brayshawn Littlejohn, linebacker, redshirt sophomore with three seasons of eligibility after transferring from Missouri. Helped Gaffney (S.C.) High School to undefeated record as a junior and named to 5A all-state team as a senior.
• Jackson Grier, wide receiver, transferring into App State as a redshirt sophomore from Boise State with three years of eligibility remaining. From Fort Lauderdale, Fla., helped St. Thomas Aquinas HS to third straight 7A state title in 2021.
• JJ Kohl, quarterback, transfer from Iowa State (2023-24) with three years of eligibility remaining. At 6-7, 245, a 4-star rated prospect out of Ankeny, Iowa. Ranked a “top 10” QB by ESPN and Rivals. No. 12 QB prospect in the nation by 247 Sports Composite.
• Khalifa Keith, running back, redshirt sophomore transferring in this year from Tennessee. Highly rated RB out of Parker HS in Birmingham, Ala.
• Ja’Den McBurrows, defensive back, redshirt senior from Michigan (2021-24), with one year of eligibility remaining. Coming out of St. Thomas Aquinas HS in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., rated the No. 36 cornerback prospect in the nation.
• Ronnie Porter, linebacker, redshirt senior transfer from South Carolina (2021-24), one season of eligibility remaining. The Richland County “Player of the Year” his senior year in high school at Heathwood Hall Episcopal, in Columbia, S.C., playing linebacker and running back.
• Cam Fleming, defensive back, redshirt sophomore transfer from Virginia Tech (2023-24), with three seasons of eligibility remaining. In high school, first team All-State as a junior and senior playing for Trinity Episcopal, North Chesterfield, Va. Ranked by ESPN as No. 52 cornerback prospect in nation and No. 12 prospect in Virginia.
• Brooks Yurachek, linebacker, redshirt sophomore transfer this year from Arkansas (2024) and, previously, Wake Forest (2023). Three seasons of eligibility remaining. In high school, earned all-state honors playing for Fayetteville (Ark.) HS. Oldest brother joined App State’s staff as offensive assistant in December 2024.
• Ian Ratliff, punter, redshirt sophomore from University of Texas. Played high school ball for Atascocita HS in Humble, Texas.
• Rondo Porter, defensive lineman, redshirt junior from South Carolina (2024) with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Earlier stints at Lenoir-Rhyne (2022) and Newberry (2023). Played high school ball for Heathwood Hall Episcopal (Columbia, S.C.), where he was a 2-time recipient of SCISA “Defensive Player of the Year” award.
• Jackson Briley, defensive lineman, redshirt freshman transfer from Wake Forest. In high school for Wake Forest HS (N.C.), selected for the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl and four-time academic all-conference selection.
• Moritz Schmoranzer, offensive lineman, redshirt freshman transfer from Pitt (2024) with four seasons of eligibility remaining. Originally from Langenfeld, Germany, played high school ball for North Cross, Va. and rated one of state’s top 25 overall prospects by all recruiting outlets (ESPN, On3, 247Sports and Rivals).
• Trent Ramsey, offensive lineman, redshirt junior transfer from Cal (after earning his undergraduate degree) with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Out of Carrollwood Day (Palm Harbor, Fla.), rated a 4-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN coming out of high school.
• Lance Williams, offensive lineman, redshirt sophomore transfer this year from Virginia Tech, with three seasons of eligibility remaining. For Alcoa (Tenn.) High School, helped team to four straight TSSAA 3A state championships, including as team captain and team MVP as senior.

Transfers into App State Before This Year

• Shawn Collins, defensive lineman, came from Rutgers where he played for three seasons before transferring to App State for the 2023 season. 6th year redshirt senior.
• Myles Farmer, defensive back, transferred into App State for the 2024 season (injury-shortened) after starting at Nebraska (2019-22), then to Syracuse (2023). One year of eligibility as redshirt senior. Highly ranked, nationally, coming out of Westlake HS in Atlanta.
• William Fowles, wide receiver, transferred to App State in 2024 after freshman year at Louisville. A 4-star prospect coming out of Dade Christian HS in Hialeah, Fla.
• Elijah Mc-Cantos, defensive back, redshirt junior transfer to App State from Illinois (2022-23) before the 2024 season. Appeared in all 11 games for the Mountaineers in 2024, starting two. Coming out of Edison HS in Little Haiti, Fla., ranked by Rivals as the No. 45 cornerback in the nation.
• Thomas Davis, defensive lineman, played for App State the last two years after two seasons at Miami. Consensus (247, ESPN, Rivals) 3-star prospect out of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga.
• Jackson Moore, kicker, played for App State in 2024 after transferring from Kentucky. Redshirt sophomore. In high school at Marvin Ridge (Waxhaw, N.C.), named first team all-state by HighSchoolOT.com.
• Nick Campbell, defensive lineman, played for App State in 2024 after transferring from NC State (2022-23). Two seasons of eligibility remaining. Ranked No. 49 defensive lineman nationally by 247Sports out of Lake Minneola HS in Clermont, Fla.
• Griffin Scroggs, offensive lineman, transferred to App State for 2023 and 2024 seasons after true freshman year in 2022 with Georgia’s national championship team. Played high school ball at Grayson (Ga.). Named to 247Sports All-America team and helped team win 7A state championship in 2020.
• Luke Burgess, offensive lineman, three seasons of eligibility remaining after transferring to App State before the 2024 season as a redshirt freshman from Louisville. Played high school ball at New Palestine, Ind., named first team all-state.

Transfers to App State after Playing in Smaller or other Mid-Major Schools

• Jaelin Willis, linebacker, senior, transfer this year to App State after starring at an NAIA school, Keiser (2021-23) and then transferring to a NCAA Division II school in Lenoir-Rhyne (2024). Played high school ball for Bishop Verot in Fort Myers, Fla., earning first team all-area honors and the team’s defensive MVP three years in a row.
• Joseph Bakhole, defensive lineman, redshirt senior who played with Chattanooga (2024, ULM (2023) and Coffeyville Community College (2020-22). High school all-state and all conference performer at Charlotte’s Myers Park.
• Sam Mbake, wide receiver, redshirt junior transfer this year from Kilgore College, although played at Arkansas in 2022 and 2023. Rated No. 1 wide receiver recruit for 2025 at the junior college level by 247Sports. Played high school ball for North Cobb HS, in Atlanta and was No. 25 overall prospect in the state of Georgia.
• Dylan Manuel, defensive lineman, sophomore transfer this year to App State from Charleston Southern. Senior year in high school, helped lead Stockbridge HS (Georgia) to state championship appearance.
• Billy Wiles, quarterback, transferred to App State in 2024 from Southern Miss (2023), but was part of Clemson’s program in 2021 and 2022. In high school, led Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) to state title in spring of 2021 (season moved from fall 2020 to spring 2021 because of COVID-19).
• Jaden Barnes, wide receiver, junior transfer from Austin Peay with two seasons of eligibility remaining. Helped Langston Hughes HS (McDonough, Ga.) to 6A state championship. Also a member of Langston Hughes’ state champion 4×200-meter relay team and silver medalist in 4×100.
• Cristian Conyer, defensive back, junior transfer this year from Coastal Carolina (2024) with two seasons of eligibility remaining, after first year at Tennessee (2023). In high school (South Warren, Bowling Green, Ky.), 5A state championship as a junior. Consensus “top 6” player in state of Kentucky by all recruiting services. Decorated sprinter in track.
• Ahmad Robinson, defensive back, redshirt junior transfer from Prairie View A&M (2024), redshirted at Arkansas State as true freshman in 2022. In high school, named “Super 30” top prospect by St. Louis Post-Dispatch, after competing with East St. Louis HS.
• Gabe Simpkins, long snapper, redshirt sophomore from UNC-Pembroke with three years of eligibility remaining. Was at App State for 2024, but did not play. Named all-conference in high school at Leesville Road HS (Raleigh, N.C.).
• Aiden Benton, defensive lineman, redshirt sophomore transfer to App State this year after redshirt freshman year at (junior college) Georgia Military College (2024). Redshirted at West Georgia in 2023. In high school (Lovejoy HS, Hampton, Ga.), earned 6A all-state team honors (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia HS Football Daily, and Recruit Georgia).
• Joshua Acord, tight end, redshirt junior transferring this year from Southern Utah (2022-24). All state selection in high school (Northridge HS, North Salt Lake, Utah).
• Jared Gibble, tight end, redshirt senior transfer from Campbell to App State in 2024. Played high school ball at Oak Grove HS (Winston-Salem). Ranked as No. 65 overall player in North Carolina by 247Sports.
• Shamar Jackson, offensive lineman, redshirt senior transferring in from New Mexico State (2023-24) after two seasons at Iowa Western Community College (2021-22). Iowa Western was JC national champs in 2022. Played tight end, defensive end, outside linebacker at Loris HS (Loris, S.C.).
• Michael Marotta, offensive lineman, redshirt senior, transferred to App State for 2024 season from Valdosta State, where he started a center with a team that reached NCAA Division II quarterfinals. High school ball at Nature Coast Tech, Spring Hill, Fla., named a North Florida All-Star.
• Will Flowers, offensive lineman, redshirt senior transfer who played four seasons at East Tennessee State (2020-23) before transferring to Valdosta State (2024). At NCAA Division II level, named first team All-American from AP, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp and D2 Conference Commissioners Association in 2024. Played football and baseball for LaGrange HS, LaGrange, Ga.
• Tyriq Poindexter, offensive lineman, redshirt senior from VMI (2021-24). One season of eligibility remaining. All SoCon first team honors in 2024. Played offensive and defensive lines at William Fleming HS in Roanoke, Va.
• Malik Berry, defensive lineman, senior transfer this year from Pittsburgh State (2023-24), after earlier playing at Butler Community College (2020-22). Played high school ball in Lawrence, Kansas-based Lawrence Free State HS, where he was a two-time 5A all state performer.
• Saint Farrior, defensive lineman, as redshirt sophomore, has three years of eligibility remaining after member of Hampton University team in 2023-24. Played high school ball for Hillside HS in Durham.
• Kevin Abrams-Verwayne, defensive lineman, transferred to App State for 2022 season after playing for Garden City Community College (2021). For App State, has appeared in 20 games with seven starts. Graduated from Marietta HS, Marietta, Ga.

By Matt Present. GREENSBORO, N.C. – App State Baseball head coach Kermit Smith has been named a recipient of the American Baseball Coaches Association’s Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award.

The honor is presented to individuals who embody the association’s Code of Ethics. The ABCA believes that the highest calling of a baseball coach is to teach life’s lessons and model the character traits of honesty, integrity, respect and personal responsibility.

“Kermit Smith epitomizes what a leader of young people should look like,” App State Director of Athletics Doug Gillin said. “He is dedicated to the holistic development of student-athletes — academically, socially and competitively. Every day, he gives his all for Appalachian State University. A man of exemplary character, we are honored for him to represent App State as the recipient of such a prestigious award.”

Smith will be honored in January at the 2026 ABCA Convention in Columbus, Ohio.

Kermit epitomizes what a leader of young people should look like.

The award was named in honor of Dave Keilitz in 2017. A former Central Michigan head coach and athletics director, Keilitz is a member of the ABCA Hall of Fame and the ABCA Board of Directors. He served as the ABCA’s Executive Director from 1994-2014.

“I am very humbled with this incredible honor,” Smith said. “I have matured in this industry and admired coaches like Dave Keilitz, Keith Madison, Rusty Stroupe, and others who strive to develop the whole student-athlete. For my name to be mentioned among them is surreal.

“Thank you to the individuals that nominated and supported me in the selection process. This is a great representation of so many people that have impacted me over two and a half decades, spanning three institutions, countless administrators, players, and assistants.”

Across his nine seasons in Boone, Smith has become widely admired for the family atmosphere he has created around the App State Baseball program and the way in which he has immersed himself in the High Country community.

On the field, Smith led the Mountaineers to back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, marking the first time since 2012-2013 that an App State team accomplished that feat.

“Kermit Smith is a phenomenal coach, but more importantly, he’s a phenomenal man,” App State Baseball alum Luke Drumheller said. “He values integrity, honesty, hard work and family. From the time I stepped on campus, I knew that he would be someone I looked up to.”

A coach will impact more young people in one year than the average person does in a lifetime.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Smith worked with team leaders to organize multiple clean-up and rebuilding efforts. He went on to partner with UNC Asheville to play a fall contest in which all game revenue was donated directly to each school’s hurricane relief fund.

Smith also has been honored by the App State Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which presented him with the Influence Award in April of 2024.

“In the preamble of the ABCA code of ethics, it speaks of being caretakers of our game, our families, our communities and our nation,” Smith said. “No one holds a higher responsibility to emulate what this looks like than the coach. Reverend Billy Graham once said, ‘A coach will impact more young people in one year than the average person does in a lifetime.’ This has been something that has impacted the way I speak, act and treat others throughout my 25 years in this profession. Rebecca and I have always looked at this as our mission field. Without the support of Rebecca, Maddox, Beckett and Georgia Grace, I would not be able to lead authentically.

“I am fortunate to work at a university that allows me to lead the way that I do. Chancellor Norris, Doug Gillin and Jonathan Reeder share in the vision to develop the entire student-athlete, not solely the athlete.”

Since arriving in Boone in 2016, Smith has coached 11 All-Sun Belt players, including Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year Banks Tolley in 2024, and two Freshmen of the Year, including Austin St. Laurent, who was later selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 14th round of the 2024 draft. Smith has also developed an All-American, four Freshman All-Americans, two all-region players and eight Major League Baseball draft picks.

A native of Arcadia, Fla., Smith played his college ball at Pfeiffer before going on to serve as the head coach of Belmont Abbey (2001-2009) and Lander (2009-2016), leading his teams to three combined appearances in the Division II College World Series. Smith was inducted into the Lander Athletics Hall of Fame in December 2021.