The Grove City College football team enters the 2025 season with plenty of familiar faces on defense and perhaps an equivalent number of new opportunities on offense. Overall, Grove City returns 10 starters, including eight from a defensive unit that ranked among the Division III leaders in several statistical categories in 2024.
DEFENSE
Grove City returns all three starters at linebacker, along with four defensive backs with extensive starting experience. Seniors
Ben Bladel (Coraopolis, Pa./Moon),
Caleb Brubaker (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) and
Jack Jollie (Jeannette, Pa./Penn-Trafford) comprise one of Division III's most decorated linebacking units and that three-man unit returns for its second year together.
A two-time All-American, Bladel owns Grove City's career records with 34 sacks and 59 tackles for loss. The 230-pounder has also forced a dozen fumbles in his three years as a starter.
Brubaker and Jollie return in the middle of Grove City's defense. Brubaker shared the team lead with five interceptions in 2024, his first season at the College. He led the Wolverines with 74 tackles while also forcing two fumbles and scoring two defensive touchdowns. Jollie enters his third season as a starting inside linebacker. He recorded 68 tackles last year after posting 91 hits as a sophomore.
Both Brubaker and Jollie earned Second Team All-Presidents' Athletic Conference following their junior season. Both men have been selected as team co-captains by their teammates.
Senior letterman
Brock Belmont (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown) will push for time, as will sophomore
Danny Franco (Mars, Pa./North Catholic).
Seniors
Boden Davidson (Scottsdale, Ariz./Scottsdale Christian) and
Ryan Montgomery (Harrisville, Pa./Slippery Rock) return to help lead an experienced secondary. Davidson earned All-Region honors at cornerback after intercepting five passes in 2024. A standout kick returner, Davidson is a three-year letterwinner who could move to safety this fall.
Montgomery is a two-year starter at free safety for the Wolverines. He earned Honorable Mention All-PAC in 2024 after starting 10 games. He will help lead an experienced group of safeties.
Senior
Keagan Fraser (Butler, Pa./Knoch), junior
Mike Equi (Jenkintown, Pa./Abington) and junior
Jase Herrick (Greenville, Pa./Greenville) have all played on special teams and as reserves throughout their careers. All three are expected to challenge for a starting spot in the defensive backfield this year.
Junior
Dominic DiNinno (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area) and sophomore
Noah Wheeler (McKinney, Texas/McKinney Christian) return as starting cornerbacks. Both recorded five pass breakups last season.
Senior special teams standout
Nick Heltzel (Johnstown, Pa./Conemaugh Valley), junior letterman
Levi Teets (Morgantown, W.Va./Trinity Christian) and junior
Johnny Ruggles (Austintown, Ohio/Fitch) are also battling for time at cornerback.
Up front, senior defensive end
Jordan Karczewski (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) returns to lead the Wolverines' three-man front. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Karczewski enters his third year as a starter and will lead a relatively inexperienced defensive line.
Junior
Dave Cowher (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon), sophomore
Caleb Kuhl (Winfield, W.Va./Winfield) and junior
Josiah Gornicz (Kempton, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) are among the returning veterans who are contending to start at nose tackle and at the other end post.
OFFENSE
Like the defensive line, Grove City returns one starter on the offensive line: senior All-Conference performer
Luke Jollie (Jeannette, Pa./Penn-Trafford). He enters his third season as a starter at right tackle.
Junior
Bobby Benton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) has played extensively as Grove City's sixth offensive lineman in certain personnel packages. He has played center, guard and tackle during his career and looks to secure a starting spot on the interior.
Senior
Nathan Trainer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton La Salle) will look to hold down a full-time starting spot after seeing action in each of his first three seasons. Trainer started at left tackle at the end of 2024, including the Wolverines' NCAA second round playoff game at Johns Hopkins. He has the inside track to start at left tackle in 2025.
Junior
Alex Winklevoss (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds) and sophomores
Jed Feldmeier (Troy, Pa./Troy),
Tyler Francis (Lexington, Ky./Sayre),
Gabe Hilty (Gibsonia, Pa./Kiski Prep) and
Zeke Swift (Washington, Pa./Bishop Canevin) are among the offensive line contenders. Junior
Ian Quinn (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell), a converted defensive lineman, will also challenge for time.
Grove City's other returning full-time offensive starter can be found on the outside, where junior wide receiver
Daniel Sullivan (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) returns for his third season as a starter. Sullivan caught 25 passes for 388 yards last year and will likely again be a top target in the passing game.
Seniors
Wyatt Barzak (Conneaut Lake, Pa./Cochranton) and
Derrick Lambert (Denver, Pa./Garden Spot) will also push for a spot in the starting lineup after lettering in 2024.
Junior
Seth McGroerty (Middletown, Del./Red Lion Christian) averaged 25.4 yards per catch on his nine receptions last year and is expected to contend for a starting assignment on the outside.
Several other men are in the mix to earn spots in Grove City's vertical passing game, including junior transfers
Breck Peacock (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Academy) and
Sam Penna (Johnstown, Pa./Richland).
Wolverine wide receivers will be on the receiving end from a first-time starting quarterback. Senior co-captain
Ethan Wiley (Mercer, Pa./Mercer) and junior
Sutton Ellis (Brunswick, Ga./Frederica Academy) are the two leading candidates among the returnees to take over behind center. Wiley threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns on 17-of-32 passing last year. Ellis saw action in five games, completing 5 of 7 attempts.
Seniors
Anthony Brunette (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) and
Ian Demeri (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) also return in the backfield. Brunette looks to take over the starting fullback position after playing extensively in each of his first three seasons. He joins Wiley as one of the Wolverines' offensive co-captains.
Demeri finished as Grove City's second-leading rusher in 2024 as he rambled for 511 yards and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and has accumulated 17 rushing touchdowns through his first three seasons.
Senior
Eli Jones (Liberty Township, Pa./Edgewood Township) ran for 150 yards last year while junior
Chase Rankin (Coventry Township, Ohio/Coventry) chipped in with 146 yards. Both men are in pursuit of greater roles in the running game this season. Seniors
Alec Raffa (Ashtabula, Ohio/Lakeside) and
Christian Royer (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) also return after seeing reserve duty in 2024.
Sophomore
Dustin Hottel (Damascus, Md./Damascus) has switched from linebacker to fullback and will look to join Brunette at that spot. Junior
Lucas Lohman (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) will also compete for the second fullback spot in Grove City's offense.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Sullivan doubled as Grove City's placekicker in 2024. He led the team with 89 points and could again handle those duties. Junior
Devon Thomas (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) will push Sullivan. Lambert returns as the long snapper. Davidson, DiNinno and Wheeler are among the candidates to return kickoffs and punts.
SCHEDULE
The Wolverines open the season September 6 at New York power Cortland. Grove City opens its home schedule the next Saturday against defending national runner-up Mount Union. Presidents' Athletic Conference play begins September 27 against visiting Washington & Jefferson.
