Bears Add A Dozen Student-Athletes To 2024 Roster

MACON - With the August 29 season opener against Presbyterian starting to come into view on the horizon, the Mercer football program has added to its 2024 roster by welcoming a dozen additions to campus.

The list of new Bears joining the team for summer workouts features eight Division I scholarship transfers, as well as a pair of NCAA Division II all-Americans. Mercer found depth in six different areas including three each on the offensive line and at wide receivers, two defensive linemen and defensive backs, one running back and a punter.

The 2024 transfer class – which also includes a trio of January additions in Ian Hover (OL, Texas State), Lonnie Ratliff IV (QB, Holmes CC) and D.J. Smith (QB, Jones JC) – has been listed fourth among NCAA Division I-FCS's Top Transfer Portal Classes by ATHLINKD.net.

Reserved-seat tickets for the 6-game home slate can be purchased for as little as $75, and ensure MU fans a seat in the Southern Conference's most electric environment. Tickets can be purchased online at MercerBears.com/Tickets, or by calling the Mercer Athletics Ticket Office at (478) 952-1740.

MU has adjusted pricing in some sections of the stadium to accommodate a sixth game and assist our season ticket holders in purchasing premier seat locations. Access to game day parking in the BEAR PLUS lots will continue to be based on giving levels to the Mercer Athletic Foundation. For more information about the BEAR PLUS program, e-mail maf@mercer.edu or call (478) 301-4003.

Cook, who redshirted as a first-year player at Duke last season, was a consensus 3-star recruit out of Airport High School in Lexington, S.C., where he was a two-time all-state selection for his coach and father, former Youngstown State return specialist Andre Cook. The younger Cook compiled 1,991 yards and 18 touchdowns across his final two prep campaigns, including 1,412 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.

A product of Buford, Ga., and Mill Creek High School, Dudley spent the last three seasons at Big 12 powerhouse West Virginia and saw action in four games across his career with the Mountaineers. Dudley was listed as the nation's 65th-best strong-side defensive end by 247Sports as a prep senior in 2020 and was an all-county selection for coach Josh Lovelady and the Hawks.

Evans played two seasons at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, before transferring to Arkansas Pine Bluff prior to the 2022 campaign. He played in all 11 games as a first-year player for the Golden Lions, registering 32 tackles and a trio of quarterback hurries, before transferring again, this time to Towson where he sat out the 2023 campaign with an injury. He was also an all-state and two-time all-conference honoree for High Point Christian Academy in North Carolina.

A 3-star recruit coming out of Westside High School in Augusta, Ga., Hutchinson redshirted as a freshman at Coastal Carolina in 2022 and spent last season on the sidelines for the Chanticleers as well. A two-way threat as a prep standout, he raked in all-state and area player of the year honors as a senior after amassing nearly 60 tackles in the secondary for the Patriots, while also amassing nearly 700 all-purpose yards on offense and special teams.

Jennings logged 41 starts at left tackle for Lenoir-Rhyne from 2020-23, and picked up all-America honors from Don Hansen following a junior campaign in which he led the way for an L-R offense that racked up more than 35 points and 150 rushing yards an outing. A two-time All-South Atlantic Conference selection as well, Lenoir-Rhyne registered 200 or more rushing yards 19 times with Jennings on the offensive front.

An all-state, all-district and all-conference honoree at St. Francis DeSales High School in Toledo, Ohio, Johnson has spent the last three seasons as a part of an impressive offensive front at Youngstown State. He has played in 15 games for the Penguins over the last two seasons, including a stint at tackle against Ohio State in which he graded out close to 80 percent. He did not allow a sack in 30 snaps as a redshirt freshman for YSU.

McConnell has played a key role in the success of Marshall's special teams unit, averaging 40.9 yards on 132 punts over the last two seasons, while also pinning opponents inside their own 20-yard line 42 times. McConnell picked up All-Sun Belt Conference accolades last season while boasting NCAA FBS's 40th-best punting average (42.8 yards/punt), including six kicks of 50 or more yards. He averaged 48.9 yards on eight punts against James Madison, including a 74-yard boot in the first quarter.

A native of Kissimmee, Fla., McGee ran for nearly 4,600 yards and 46 touchdowns across four seasons at Lenoir-Rhyne, while also averaging nearly 6.0 yards per carry in the process. He finished with 511 yards amid a pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign for the Bears, and then burst onto the national scene in 2021 when he picked up all-America accolades from three different organizations after amassing 1,669 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on 248 carries. He also logged 100 or more rushing yards in 23 games over his career in Hickory, N.C.

McNair originally signed with Mid-American Conference power Ohio out of high school, and made his collegiate debut against Northwestern as a redshirt freshman in 2021. He has played in 20 games (eight starts) for Southern over the last two seasons, while seeing action in 723 total snaps at either right or left tackle for the Baton Rouge, La.-based squad. He did not allow a sack in 13 outings for the Jaguars.

A product of Winston-Salem, N.C., Parsons hauled in 122 catches for 1,688 yards and 14 touchdowns at Lenoir-Rhyne over the last three seasons, including a sophomore campaign in which he led the Bears with 41 receptions and 668 receiving yards. Parsons logged time in 31 games across his storied career in Hickory, N.C., and picked up all-region and All-South Atlantic Conference nods after that standout sophomore campaign. He registered 2,056 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior at West Stokes High School in North Carolina.

A consensus 3-star recruit out of Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Ga., Pless picked up all-region nods following each of his last three prep seasons before inking a National Letter of Intent with Big 10 foe Minnesota where he has played each of the last four campaigns, including a redshirt season in 2021. He registered seven interceptions across his last two seasons on the high school gridiron, while also tallying 15 pass break-ups.

Tobias played in 21 games and caught 43 passes for 844 yards and 10 touchdowns in two seasons at Chowan before transferring to UNC Pembroke last season. As one of the leading deep threats for the Braves, the Concord, N.C., native hauled in a career-best 29 passes for 482 yards and seven scores, while also logging multiple receptions in eight outings. He was showcased in a career day against Glenville State after catching six passes for 146 yards and three touchdowns.

2024 MERCER FOOTBALL JUNE ADDITIONS
No.	Name	Pos.	Cl.	Hometown	Previous School
2	Apollos Cook	WR	R-Fr.	Lexington, S.C.	Duke
30	Brayden Dudley	DL	R-So.	Buford, Ga.	West Virginia
95	RJ Evans	DL	Gr.	High Point, N.C.	Towson
17	Kaleb Hutchinson	DB	R-So.	Augusta, Ga.	Coastal Carolina
70	Xavier Jennings	OL	Gr.	Shelby, N.C.	Lenoir-Rhyne
55	EJ Johnson	OL	Jr.	Toledo, Ohio	Youngstown State
19	John McConnell	P	R-Jr.	Morgantown, W.Va.	Marshall
3	Dwayne McGee	RB	Sr.	Kissimmee, Fla.	Lenoir-Rhyne
75	Bryce McNair	OL	Gr.	Deerfield Beach, Fla.	Southern
13	Kelin Parsons	WR	Sr.	Winston-Salem, N.C.	Lenoir-Rhyne
21	Victor Pless	DB	Gr.	Kennesaw, Ga.	Minnesota
17	Malik Tobias	WR	Gr.	Concord, N.C.	UNC Pembroke

Bears Add A Dozen Student-Athletes To 2024 Roster

Players Mentioned

Apollos Cook

Brayden Dudley

RJ Evans

Ian Hover

Kaleb Hutchinson

Xavier Jennings

EJ Johnson

John McConnell

Dwayne McGee

Kelin Parsons

Victor Pless

Lonnie Ratliff IV

DJ Smith

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