NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State head football coach Dawson Odums closed out the 2024 recruiting class with 16 student-athletes signing their national letters of intent on Wednesday and Thursday to continue their athletic and educational careers at NSU.
 
The latest batch of newcomers bumps Norfolk State's 2024 class to 27 student-athletes, with 11 players putting pen to paper during the Dec. 20 signing period.
 
"Closing out the 2024 class with a great mixture of transfers and high school talent! It was a great to sign some really good high school football players in the state of Virginia," Odums said. "Our mid-year guys have arrived and are off to a great start. We have added to our depth at key positions. With much of our 2024 roster returning, we are excited about this offseason and what the future holds for Spartan football. 1-0 every day!"
 
Norfolk State beat out several FBS programs for multiple prospects in the 2024 class, headlined by the signing of Green Run wide receiver Tasean Young-Stieff and NJCAA Division III Defensive Player of the Year Martell Williams. Young-Stieff received offers from the likes of Penn State, Virginia Tech, Virginia, and Maryland before making his decision to attend NSU.
 
Norfolk State loaded up on local talent on Wednesday, signing eight student-athletes from the Hampton Roads region. The Spartans picked up six out-of-state additions, coming from Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina.
 
While the initial signing day saw Norfolk State bolster its roster with offensive playmakers, the Spartans added 10 newcomers on the defensive side of the ball this time around. Wednesday's wave was made up of four defensive linemen, four defensive backs, two offensive lineman, two linebackers, two wide receivers, one tight end, and one running back.
 

2024 NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL SIGNING DAY ROSTER
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown / Previous School
Dontay Adams	TE	6-6	210	Chesapeake, Va. / Great Bridge HS
Jayvon Baliard	DL	6-1	295	Hollywood, Fla. / McArthur HS
Vinson Berry	QB	6-3	200	Fairburn, Ga. / Creekside HS
Kaevon Blanding	DB	5-11	175	Suffolk, Va. / King's Fork HS
Lavontay Bond	DB	6-0	165	Norfolk, Va. / Maury HS
Avir Johnson	DL	6-3	235	Virginia Beach, Va. / Landstown HS
Shane Kelley	WR	5-11	170	Fairburn, Ga. / Creekside HS
Aiden Lorsong	OL	6-3	285	Chesapeake, Va. / Western Branch HS
La'tavion Lowe	RB	5-10	195	Chesterfield, Va. / LC Bird HS
Amir Mateo	DB	6-1	170	Fredericksburg, Va. / River Bend HS
Sofiyan Oumarou	DB	6-1	175	Greensboro, N.C. / Dudley HS
Roman Soriano	OL	6-3	300	Suffolk, Va. /  Nansemond River HS
Martell Williams	LB	5-11	220	Hillside, Ill. / Rochester Comm. & Tech College
Taesean Young-Stieff	WR	5-11	160	Virginia Beach, Va. / Green Run HS
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY MID-YEAR SIGNEES
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown / Previous School
Krion Benjamin	RB	5-11	210	Laurel, Miss. / East Mississippi CC
Jahee Blake	WR	6-5	220	Lynchburg, Va. / Tennessee State
Malcolm Britt	LB	6-0	223	Chespeake, Va. / Old Dominion
Bryson Hurst	OL	6-6	320	Gautier, Miss. / Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
Eric Ivory Jr.	DB	6-0	188	Vienna, Ga. / Southeast Missouri State
Jacquez Jones	WR	5-11	175	Orlando, Fla. / Lane College
Robert Kendrick	ATH	5-8	152	King's Mountain, N.C. / King's Mountain HS
Carlos Martin	WR	5-9	151	Laurel, Miss. / Copiah-Lincoln CC
Marcus Mauney	DL	6-2	270	Gastonia, N.C. / Yale
Tayshaun Porter	WR	6-0	190	Newport News, Va. / Virginia State
Dawson Rivers	DL	6-2	280	Tucker, Ga. / Georgia Military College
DeVon Tott	QB	6-2	183	Mandeville, La. / Copiah-Lincoln CC
Alvin Williams	DL	6-4	235	Ellenwood, Ga. / East Mississippi CC

Norfolk State's newcomers, listed alphabetically:
 
Dontay Adams [Chesapeake, Va. / Great Bridge HS]
Tight End | 6-6 | 210
 
Caught five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown as a senior … Standout basketball player as well.
 
Jayvon Beliard [Hollywood, Fla. / McArthur HS]
Defensive Line | 6-1 | 295
 
Played both sides of the ball … Recorded 25 tackles as a senior, including four sacks and 15 tackles for loss … Tallied seven pancakes as an offensive lineman.

Kiron Benjamin [Laurel, Miss. / East Missisippi CC]
Running Back | 5-11 | 210
 
Named to All-MACCC second team ... Averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season ... Rushed for 695 yards and seven touchdowns ... Caught a 48-yard touchdown pass against Mississippi Delta CC as a freshman ... Led EMCC to national championship game, finishing with a 10-3 overall record ... Registered 107 yards on the ground in the team's NJCAA semifinal victory.
 
Kaevon Blanding [Suffolk, Va. / King's Fork HS]
Defensive Back | 5-11 | 175
 
Earned several FBS offers, including Virginia, Old Dominion, and Liberty … Led King's Fork to 11-1 overall record as a senior, going 9-0 in region play … Sealed win over Oscar Smith with fourth quarter interception … Rated as the No. 19 recruit in the Hampton Roads area by the Virginian-Pilot … Younger brother of former Bayside and Virginia star Quin Blanding.
 
Lavontay Bond [Norfolk, Va. / Maury HS]
Defensive Back | 6-0 | 165
 
Ranked as the No. 23 recruit in the Hampton Roads area by the Virginian-Pilot … Received offers from Temple, Ohio, and Coastal Carolina … Helped lead Maury to 15-0 undefeated season as a senior, defeating Stone Bridge 45-34 in the Class 5A State Championship game.
 
Malcolm Britt [Chesapeake, Va. / Old Dominion]
Linebacker | 6-0 | 223
 
Played in six games for Old Dominion last year, primarily on special teams … Selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in 2022 … Rated as a three-star recruit out of high school by 247 sports, the No. 38 recruit in Virginia … Named the 6A State Defensive Player of the Year …. Helped lead Oscar Smith to a 13-2 record and berth in the state championship game, earning All-Tidewater honors.
 
Avir Johnson [Virginia Beach, Va. / Landstown HS]
Defensive Line | 6-3 | 235
 
Honor roll student … Second team All-Beach District selection … Played both sides of the ball, defensive line and tight end … Also competed on the track & field team.
 
Aiden Lorsong [Chesapeake, Va. / Western Branch HS]
Offensive Line | 6-3 | 285
 
Helped lead Western Branch to 11-3 season in 2022 and a 10-3 record in 2021 … Ranked No. 31 recruit in the Hampton Roads region by the Virginian-Pilot.
 
Amir Mateo [Fredericksburg, Va. / River Bend HS]
Defensive Back | 6-1 | 170
 
Selected to the All-Commonwealth District first team by InsideNova … Recorded 63 tackles, including 42 solo stops as a senior … Picked off six passes, adding four pass breakups … Played both sides of the ball, amassing 853 receiving yards and 273 yards on the ground as a senior … Caught 12 touchdown passes and rushed for another four scores.
 
Marcus Mauney [Gastonia, N.C. / Yale]
Defensive Line | 6-2 | 270
 
Competed in three seasons for Yale … Tallied seven tackles, including two solo stops, during the 2023 campaign … Coming out of high school, ranked as the No. 109 prospect in North Carolina.
 
Sofiyan Oumarou [Greensboro, N.C. / Dudley HS]
Defensive Back | 6-1 | 175
 
All-State honorable mention … Named Free Lance-Star Player of the Week after recording an offensive, defensive, and special teams touchdown in the same game … Returned an interception for a touchdown in Dudley's 46-34 playoff victory over Crest in the NCHSAA 3A West semifinal … Also competed on the track team, helping the 4x100 relay team take first place at the NCHSAA 3A state championship meet.
 
Tayshaun Porter [Newport News, Va. / Virginia State]
Wide Receiver | 6-0 | 190
 
Played in eight games for Virginia State last season, registering 14 receptions for 203 yards and three touchdowns … Hauled in two passes for 15 yards against Norfolk State … Previously attended Howard, receiving MEAC All-Academic Team honors during the 2021 spring and fall semesters.
 
Roman Soriano [Suffolk, Va. /. Nansemond River HS]
Offensive Line | 6-3 | 300
 
All-Region first team selection … Named to the All-Suffolk First Team by the Suffolk News-Herald … Helped lead Nansemond to 9-3 record as a senior, going 8-4 the year prior.
 
Alvin Williams [Ellenwood, Ga. / East Mississippi CC]
Defensive Line | 6-4 | 235
 
Rated as a three-star recruit by 247 sports, ranked as the No. 8 edge rusher in JUCO by the website … Played for East Mississippi Community College after spending two years at Colorado … Totaled 39.0 tackles last year, including 14 solo stops, with 7.5 sacks for 33 yards
 
Martell Williams [Hillside, Ill. / Rochester Community & Tech College]
Linebacker | 5-11 | 175
 
Named NJCAA Division III Football Defensive Player of the Year … All-MCAC selection … Led the nation with 24.5 tackles for loss ... Totaled 105 tackles, including 56 solo stops and 9.0 sacks, forcing four fumbles and recording an interception … Recorded nine sacks ... Led Yellowjackets to NJCAA Division III national championship game … Recorded seven tackles in title game ... 
 
Tasean Young-Stieff [Virginia Beach, Va. / Green Run HS]
Wide Receiver | 5-11 | 160
 
Rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and the No. 24 wide receiver in Virginia … Earned over 17 FBS offers, including Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh … First team all-region selection as both a wide receiver and punt returner … Led Green Run to 12-1 overall record as a senior and 13-1 record the year prior … Caught a 65-yard touchdown pass on second play from scrimmage of Class 5 Region A title game.