Men's Soccer Inks 12-Member Signing Class

MACON – Head Coach Brad Ruzzo and the Mercer men's soccer program announced the signing of 12 recruits on Wednesday's National Signing Day. The class consists of six defenders, four midfielders, a forward and a goalkeeper. All 12 recruits hail from the state of Georgia.

Timi Awe
Defender | East Paulding High School | Southern Soccer Academy Swarm – MLS Next | Marietta, Ga.
Timi Awe comes to Mercer from Marietta, Ga. and East Paulding High School. Awe plays his club soccer with Southern Soccer Academy Swarm in MLS Next, a youth soccer league managed, organized and controlled by Major League Soccer. Awe has helped the club qualify for the U21 USL Academy and win a USL Academy Region championship.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Awe - "Timi is a versatile outside back that can get up and down the field. His ability to deliver quality crosses from advanced or deeper positions will give variety to the attack."

Ethan Buffone
Defender | Houston County High School | Legion FC | Warner Robins, Ga.
Ethan Buffone arrives in Macon from nearby Warner Robins, Ga., and Houston County High School. An elite-level athlete, Buffone will play both soccer and baseball for the Bears. Buffone plays his club soccer with Legion FC.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Buffone - "Ethan is an imposing defender that is extremely hard to beat. His ability to defend 1v1 and his physicality will bring an aggressiveness to the back line. He is a big threat from attacking set pieces."

Turner Jones
Defender | Eagles Landing Christian Academy | Concorde Fire Soccer Club | Atlanta, Ga.
Turner Jones comes to Macon from Atlanta and Eagles Landing Christian Academy, where he has been the team captain for two years. Jones plays his club soccer with Concorde Fire Soccer Club and has helped the club to four ECNL national playoff appearances and two conference championships. A three-time team captain for the club, Jones has twice earned ECNL All-Conference First Team honors and has also been selected to the All-Region Team.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Jones - "Turner is a defender with high-level athleticism. He reads the game well and can defend well in space 1v1 which lends itself well to the college game. His physical presence will be a big addition to the defensive group."

Eli Bannister
Defender | Sandy Creek High School | Concorde Fire Soccer Club | Fayetteville, Ga.
Eli Bannister treks to Macon from Fayetteville, Ga. and Sandy Creek High School. A prolific scorer, Bannister netted 28 goals and added eight assists as a junior. Bannister led Sandy Creek to Elite 8 appearances in the state playoffs in 2023 and 2024 and is a three-time All-Region and two-time DiVarsity All-Star selection. Playing club soccer with Concorde Fire Soccer Club, Bannister scored six goals and added eight assists last season. He has helped the club to three ECNL national playoff appearances and a conference championship.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Bannister - "Eli is a versatile defender that can play centrally or in wide areas. His engine lends him the ability to get up and down the field repeatedly and attack from deeper positions, something we're excited to bring to the 2025 group."

Manza Masamuna
Midfielder | Discovery High School | Gwinnett Soccer Academy | Lawrenceville, Ga.
Manza Masamuna joins the Mercer men's soccer program from Lawrenceville, Ga. and Discovery High School. Masamuna is coming off of a huge 2024 high school season in which he helped Discovery to a Region championship and an appearance in the Final Four round of the state playoffs. Masamuna scored six goals and added five assists to earn First Team All-Region honors. Playing his club soccer with Gwinnett Soccer Academy, Masamuna has helped the club to two conference championships and two appearances in nationals and was an All-Conference First Team selection in 2023-24.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Masamuna - "Manza is a tenacious central midfield player that breaks up play, plays simple and leads by example. His ability to get on the ball and connect with his teammates will help us progress the ball."

Colton Ellison
Midfielder | Hillgrove High School | Southern Soccer Academy Swarm – MLS Next | Marietta, Ga.
Colton Ellison, hailing from Marietta, Ga., arrives in Macon from Hillgrove High School, where he helped the team to Region championships in 2022 and 2023. Ellison plays his club soccer for Southern Soccer Academy Swarm in the MLS Next and USL Academy. While playing for the club, Ellison has won USL Region and USL Academy League championships.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Ellison – "Colton is a central midfield player that plays with tremendous energy and covers large amounts of ground for the team. Colton can impact the attack by playing a final pass or scoring a goal in a crucial moment."

Ryan Burns
Defender | Kell High School | NASA TopHat | Kennesaw, Ga.
Ryan Burns comes to Mercer from Kennesaw, Ga and Kell High School. Burns scored six goals and tallied 15 assists for Kell in 2024 and was named All-County and First Team All-Region. Burns was also a First Team All-Region and All-State Second Team pick in 2023 and was selected to the DiVarsity High School All-Star Game. Playing club soccer with NASA TopHat, Burns is a five-year team captain and has led the team to an appearance in the Round of 16, two appearances in the Final 8 and an appearance in the Group Stage in the ECNL national playoffs. The team won the ECNL Conference championship in 2022 and finished the 2022-23 season ranked fifth nationally.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Burns – "Ryan is a left-footed center back with good size and ability with the ball. These are hard to find. He's a competitive athlete and he will provide high standards to the program every single session & game."

Michael Roth
Goalkeeper | Blessed Trinity Catholic High School | United Futbol Academy/NASA TopHat | Marietta, Ga.
Michael Roth joins the Mercer men's soccer program from Marietta, Ga. and Blessed Trinity Catholic High School. A team captain for Blessed Trinity Catholic, Roth was an All-State Honorable Mention selection in 2024 and helped the team to a state playoff semifinal appearance in 2023. Roth played club soccer with NASA TopHat from 2019-24, leading the team to four ECNL national playoff appearances and a Top 2 ranking in ECNL Southeast the last three seasons. In 2024, Roth conceded the fewest goals in the ECNL Southeast conference.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Roth: "Michael is a strong athletic goalkeeper that commands his box with his presence. A strong player with the ball at his feet, we're excited to have Michael join our goalkeeping corps."

Connor Blake
Forward | Mill Creek High School | United Futbol Academy | Dacula, Ga.
Connor Blake arrives in Macon from Dacula, Ga. and Mill Creek High School. A standout for Mill Creek, Blake led the team to a 7A Region championship in 2023. Blake played his club soccer with United Futbol Academy in the ECNL and helped the team to playoff appearances in every year that he spent with the club.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Blake - "Connor is a left footed attacker with electric speed & footwork. His ability to attack 1v1 in tight areas or in space will create big chances to score for this group. He will be an exciting attacking piece for years to come."

Ethan Manzella
Midfielder | Kell High School | NASA TopHat | Kennesaw, Ga.
Ethan Manzella comes to Mercer from Kennesaw, Ga. and Kell High School. A two-time First Team All-State selection, Manzella has scored 21 goals and added eight assists over his career at Kell. Manzella was a First Team All-Region pick in 2024 and was named a GACA All Star and 5A Student Athlete of the Year in 2023. Playing club soccer with NASA TopHat, Manzella was a 2024 All-Conference First Team pick in 2024. He helped the club to ECNL Southeast Conference and ECNL Club championships in 2022.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Manzella - "Ethan is a very talented attacking player. He is a very good 1v1 attacker that can unlock an oppositions defense. He contributed goals and assists throughout his youth career and we look forward to having him part of the attack for years to come."

Will Taylor
Midfielder | Collins Hill High School | Gwinnett Soccer Academy | Lawrenceville, Ga.
Will Taylor joins the Mercer men's soccer program from Lawrenceville, Ga. and Collins Hill High School. A prolific scorer at Collins Hill, Taylor was named Region Forward of the Year, First Team All-Region and All-County after scoring 16 goals and tallying nine assists, helping the team to a Region championship. Taylor plays his club soccer with Gwinnett Soccer Academy and was a Southeast All-Conference player in 2021-22, scoring 10 goals to go along with 10 assists.

Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Taylor – "Will is an incredibly talented player with ability in the attacking third to create and score. He plays with personality that is fun to be around and watch."

Tolu Adeyemi
Defender | Grayson High School | NASA TopHat | Grayson, Ga.
Tolu Adeyemi arrives in Macon from Grayson, Ga. and Grayson High School. An accomplished performer for Grayson High School, Adeyemi is a three-time First Team All-Region selection and a two-time member of the All-State team. Adeyemi helped the team to a Region championship and was named Region Player of the Year and Attacker of the Year. He plays his club soccer with NASA TopHat and has twice been named ECNL First Team All-Conference as well as an ECNL All-American. Adeyemi has helped the club to three quarterfinal appearances.

From Head Coach Brad Ruzzo on Adeyemi - "Tolu is a versatile player that can quickly turn defense into attack. He is a strong 1v1 defender and excellent passer of the ball. His leadership will add great value to the group."

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