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Villanova football recruiting: Wildcats set for another strong class on National Signing Day

Andy Talley's final recruiting class is impressive.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday February 3rd is college football's National Signing Day. It's the first day that high school prospects can fax in their Letter of Intent and officially sign with their future school. In the FBS ranks, it's a day filled with last-minute switches that can change the landscape of the class, and sometimes, a program.

The FCS doesn't offer us the same drama as the FBS, but Villanova hasn't been immune to the unforeseen in years past, and has already lost offensive lineman Noel Brouse to UConn in the past month and lost defensive lineman Doug Costin to Miami (OH) on Friday.

Because they play things close to the vest, we likely won't know who may be coming back for a 5th year on campus until spring practice opens, but the 'Cats are definitely losing 11 players who have exhausted their eligibility, and likely more than that considering the large class they're bringing in.

Here's the breakdown of who the Wildcats already have committed heading in to Wednesday.

Name Position Height Weight Hometown High School
Jack Schetelich QB 6'2" 185 lbs. Cranford, N.J. Cranford
Justin Covington RB 5'11" 205 lbs. The Bronx, N.Y. Cardinal Hayes
Zac Kerxton WR 6'0" 180 lbs. Haymarket, Va. Battlefield
Changa Hodge WR 6'1" 185 lbs. East Stroudsburg, Pa. East Stroudsburg South
Josh McGrigg WR 5'8" 160 lbs. Alexandrix, Va. Mount Vernon
Peter Fallon OL 6'4" 280 lbs. Millis, Mass. Millis
Paul Grattan OL 6'3" 290 lbs. Pittsburgh, Pa. Mt. Lebanon
Patrick Lawler OL 6'6" 260 lbs. Braintree, Mass. Thayer Academy
MJ Dumas OL 6'5" 320 lbs. Indianapolis, Ind. Lawrence North
Nanakofi Appiah OL/DL 6'7" 255 lbs. Springdale, Md. Flowers
Jeff Wiley DL 6'4" 230 lbs. Pennington, N.J. Hopewell Valley Central
Aaron Seigle DL 6'2" 270 lbs. Harrisburg, Pa. Susquehanna Township
Keeling Hunter LB 6'0" 225 lbs. Nashville, Tenn. Franklin Road Academy
Korey Stevens DB 5'11" 175 lbs. Baltimore, Md. Gilman
Nowoola Awopetu DB 5'11" 185 lbs. Staten Island, N.Y. Port Richmond
Terrell Vassel DB 6'1" 175 lbs. Wayne, N.J. DePaul Catholic
Drew Kresge K/P 5'11" 200 lbs. Birdsboro, Pa. Boone

*Italics denotes a walk-on

The biggest thing that stands out is the balance. Villanova went heavy on the lines - always a good idea in the scholarship-challenged FCS - but they brought in at least one player at every position except for tight end (which could still end up being where Jeff Wiley plays).

It's another excellent class, and a great way for Andy Talley to go out while transitioning the program full-time to Mark Ferrante. That the Wildcats could announce a coaching change so close to signing day and actually gain momentum is a testament to the program's stability and the coaches.

Usually signing day brings 1-2 surprises as well, whether in the form of preferred walk-ons or last minute offers and commitments. Stay tuned!