ATHENS — The Ohio Bobcats announced 12 mid-year additions to its roster on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Bobcats signed Trent Allen and Tigana Cisse to the offensive line. They added two tight ends Beau Blankenship and Jake Bruno. The final offensive signee was wide receiver Coleman Owen.
On defense, CJ Doggette and Ben McNaboe were added to the defensive line. The lone linebacker signed was Blake Leake. The final signees on defense were cornerback Jacob Proche and safety Dustin Johnson.
Long snapper Colby Garfield and kicker Jacob Lewis were also added to round out the class.
The 2024 signing class boasts 31 athletes, including those who signed during the early signing period.
TRENT ALLEN OL | 6-3 | 290 | Windemere, Fla. | Davenport
Prior to Ohio: Named First-Team All-GLIAC honoree his sophomore year at Davenport… Earned honorable mention as a freshman… Appeared in 19 games over two seasons and helped the offense record record-breaking numbers…. Attended Bishop Moore High School Personal: Son of Anne and Mark Allen... Majored in business management at Davenport.
BEAU BLANKENSHIP TE | 6-3 | 227 | Hillsboro, Ohio | Marshall
Prior to Ohio: Transferred from Marshall… played in one game, registering a tackle against Georgia State… Attended Paint Valley (Ohio) High School.
JAKE BRUNO TE | 6-6 | 243 | Amherst, New York | Saint Francis
Prior to Ohio: Recorded 132 yards and two touchdowns on 10 receptions during the 2023 season for Saint Francis… Scored his first career touchdown on November 4 against Long Island... In 2022, he appeared in 12 games and recorded three catches for 29 yards… Made his collegiate debut against Akron in September of that season.
TIGANA CISSE OL | 6-3 | 285 | Oakland, Calif. | Idaho
Prior to Ohio: Played in 11 games for Idaho in 2023... Also played in six games as a true freshman in 2022… Helped lead McClymonds to a state championship… First-Team All-League and First-Team All-Bay Area honoree. Personal: He studied kinesiology while at Idaho and is the son of Massingbe Siaka.
CJ DOGGETTE DL | 6-2 | 286 | Pickerington, Ohio | Cincinnati
Prior to Ohio: Spent previous two seasons at Cincinnati (2022-23)… A consensus three-star recruit who ranked among the Top 30 players in Ohio... Finished with 72 tackles, five sacks and an interception during his senior season at Pickerington Central...Named to the 2021 Ohio Prep Sportswriters Division I All-Ohio First Team... A semifinalist for Scorestream's Top Defensive Player in Ohio award...All-OCC Buckeye First Team.
COLBY GARFIELD LS | 6-1 | 229 | Clemmons, N.C. | East Carolina
Prior to Ohio: Appeared in 11 games for East Carolina in the 2022 and 2023 seasons… Previously played at Charlotte, where he made four appearances in the 2021 season… Earned Conference-USA All-Freshman Team honors after playing in five of the 49ers six games in the 2020 season… In high school, was named Five-Star Rubio Long Snapper... Ranked No. 1 in North Carolina and 15th nationally ... Runner-up in state championship game.
DUSTIN JOHNSON S | 6-1 | 191 | Denver, Co. | Northern Colorado
Prior to Ohio: Appeared in 11 games for Northern Colorado in 2023… Finished the season with a team-high 85 tackles… Over the course of three seasons, Johnson recorded 151 tackles and two interceptions for Northern Colorado… Spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons at Colorado… Two-time all-league honoree for Cherry Creek High School. Personal: Son of Jeffrey and Sandi Johnson and studied Sociology at Northern Colorado.
BLAKE LEAKE LB | 6-1 | 215 | Culpeper, Va. | Bucknell
Prior to Ohio: Spent previous four seasons at Bucknell, serving as a team captain in his senior season… Over Bucknell career played in 31 games, collecting 208 total tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, eight pass deflections, and one touchdown on an interception return in 2021… Senior year named recipient of the Theodore S. Ratkus Leadership Award for character, courage and commitment to team play…Lettered in football at Eastern View High School playing on both sides of the ball… Lead team to four-straight district titles and a 2018 regional win… 2018 all-state first team wide receiver and defensive back … two-time all-region wide receiver and defensive back… two-time all-district first team wide receiver and defensive back… also lettered in basketball, helping Eastern View win a district title as a freshman … two-time all-district honoree and honorable mention all-region selection. Personal: Son of Daren and Sharon Leake with an older brother Brett
JACOB LEWIS K | 6-2 | 207 | Delaware, Ohio | Minnesota | Ball State
Prior to Ohio: Spent previous two seasons at Minnesota (2022-23), after playing for Ball State (2020-21)… At Ball State appeared in 19 games, scoring 45 total points on 12 for 16 field goal attempts… Served as team's primary kickoff specialist… Career long of 51 yards… Converted a 22-yard field goal in a 2020 MAC Championship victory over Buffalo… In high school, earned two letters at Olentangy Berlin High School… Named first team all-conference and second-team all-state as a Senior… Hit 15 of 22 field goals throughout career… Ohio High School Athletic Association Scholar Athlete in 2021. Personal: Son of Richard and Laura Lewis
BEN MCNABOE DL | 6-3 | 245 | Rogers, Minn. | North Dakota/Minnesota
Prior to Ohio: Spent two seasons at Minnesota (2019-20) before transferring to North Dakota .. Appeared in 22 games over two seasons at North Dakota ... Averaged 1.1 tackles per loss and 0.59 sacks per game as a junior ... Led UND in sacks with 6.5 as a junior ... Named Second-Team All-MVFC as a junior ... Also named Second Team MVFC All-Academic honors ... Named to MVFC All-Newcomer Team as a sophomore ... Academic All-Big Ten in 2020 Personal: Son of Tim McNaboe and Cheri Erstad ... Has one brother (Jacob) and one sister (Elliott).
COLEMAN OWEN WR | 5-11 | 175 | Gilbert, Ariz. | Northern Arizona
Prior to Ohio: Spent last five seasons with Northern Arizona, appearing in 39 total games… Scored 18 touchdowns over NAU career, with one coming on an 85-yard punt return in 2023… Named 2023 second team all-Big Sky, 2022 second team all-Big Sky, 2022 Phil Steele all-Big Sky, 2021 Phil Steele Freshman All-American and all-Big Sky fourth team… Had a career-high 196 receiving yards in a game in 2022 against Montana State… Named 2022-23 NAU Top-Scholar Athlete... Big Sky All-Academic selection in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
JACOB PROCHE CB | 5-9 | 191 | Dallas, Texas | Coastal Carolina
Prior to Ohio: Played in three games for Coastal Carolina in 2023, where he recorded three tackles… In 2022, he played in all 13 games and started two at cornerback, recording 31 tackles that season, including 23 solo stops… Started his career at Coffeyville Community College… Graduated from Red Oak High School where he was a 2017 first-team all-district selection.
Comments