NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State head football coach Michael Vick announced the addition of 30 players to the Spartan football program on National Signing Day, bolstering talent across the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
 
"We are excited to welcome these 30 student-athletes to Norfolk State University," Vick said. "We believe that these young men will help build the foundation of Spartan football. I cannot wait to see what they will do in spring practice and during the fall season."

The first-year head coach's inaugural recruiting class is made up of 22 mid-year enrollees and eight high school seniors.
 
Vick and his coaching staff recruited the Commonwealth of Virginia heavily, adding 11 players from the state. The Spartans also brought in talent from nearby schools in the transfer portal, signing three Hampton student-athletes and one William & Mary product.
 
Several of the recruits earned all-conference accolades at their previous institutions. Linebacker Jaden Kelly received All-SWAC honors last season at Arkansas Pine-Bluff, recording 91 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.
 
One of the most exciting quarterbacks in NFL history, Vick brought one quarterback into the position room during this signing period: USF transfer Israel Carter. A former three-star recruit and No. 19 quarterback in the nation, Carter completed 11-of-14 passes with four touchdowns in two brief appearances last season.
 

2025 NORFOLK STATE FOOTBALL MID-YEAR SIGNEES
Caleb Turner	Safety	6-3	190	Virginia Beach, Va. / Eastern Michigan
Elijah Simley-Flores	Wide Receiver	6-1	170	Riverside, Calif. / Utah Tech
Drake Hatcher	Defensive Tackle	6-0	290	Austell, Ga. / Valdosta State
BJ Blake	Safety	6-2	205	New Castle, Del. / Louisiana Tech
DreSean Kendrick	Wide Receiver	5-9	190	Lynchburg, Va. / William & Mary
Kahlil Bradford	Defensive Tackle	6-3	290	Dallas, Texas / Florida Memorial
Major Dillard	Defensive Tackle	6-2	240	Washington D.C. / Chowan
Tormon Laprade	Defensive Back	5-10	190	Birmingham, Ala. / Florida Memorial
Keyonte Arrington	Offensive Tackle	6-7	265	Norfolk, Va. / Alabama A&M
Israel Carter	Quarterback	6-1	190	Corona, Calif. / South Florida
David Ojiegbe	Defensive End	6-3	245	Washington D.C. / Pittsburgh
Khalib Gilmore	Linebacker	6-3	241	Melbourne, Fla. / Syracuse
Stephon Hall	Safety	6-2	190	Pittsburgh, Pa. / Youngstown State
Jaden Kelly	Linebacker	6-1	223	Dallas, Texas / Arkansas Pine Bluff
Tyler Leinberger	Offensive Lineman	6-3	330	Richmond, Va. / Hampton
Guan Price II	Offensive Lineman	6-4	305	Fredericksburg, Va. / Hampton
Armand Vinson	Defensive Back	6-4	180	Ahoskie, N.C. / Hampton
Abe Williams	Wide Receiver	6-4	190	Midlothian, Va. / Hampton
RJ Evans	Defensive Tackle	6-1	285	High Point, N.C. / Mercer
Stemarion Edwards	Linebacker	6-0	220	Hollandale, Miss. / Alcorn State
Kymari Gray	Wide Receiver	6-2	185	Hampton, Va. / Hampton
Kahleef Jimmison	Defensive Back	5-10	186	Newport News, Va. / Delaware State
2025 NORFOLK STATE FOOTBALL SIGNING DAY ROSTER
Rashad Taylor	Linebacker	6-1	225	Fort Myers, Fla. / South Fort Myers HS
Winston Harris	Safety	6-2	225	Neptune Beach, Fla. / Fletcher HS
Zachary Manning	Running Back	6-0	180	Atlanta, Ga. / Druid Hills HS
Shamar Vick	Athlete	5-10	177	Roswell, Ga. / Roswell HS
Jaden Knowlton	Defensive Tackle	6-2	290	Atlanta, Ga. / Drew HS
Jack Smoot	Offensive Line	6-4	300	Gainesville, Va. / Gainesville HS
Romeir Smith	Wide Receiver	6-4	215	Hampton, Va. / Phoebus HS
Jaybran Degree	Offensive Tackle	6-6	280	Boydton, Va. / Mecklenburg County HS

Norfolk State's signees, listed in alphabetical order:

Mid-Year Enrollees
Keyonte Arrington [Norfolk, Va./Alabama A&M]
Offensive Tackle | 6-7 | 265
Made four appearances for the Bulldogs … Helped Alabama A&M secure a 4-1 home record … Ranked as a two star recruit out of high school … Led Lake Taylor to a 15-0 record his senior year and a No. 2 ranking in the state of Virginia.
 
BJ Blake [New Castle, Del. /Louisiana Tech]
Safety | 6-2 | 205
Played in five games … Recorded nine total tackles, including four solo stops … Tallied two solo stops in the game against Sam Houston State … Played one season for Garden City CC … Finished the season with 18 tackles, including 15 solo tackles.
 
Kahlil Bradford [Dallas, Texas/Florida Memorial]
Defensive Tackle | 6-3 | 290
Played nine games for Florida Memorial … Helped lead his team to a 6-3-1 record … Played offensive line, earning all-conference second team honors.
 
Israel Carter [Corona, Calif./South Florida]
Quarterback | 6-1 | 190
Saw action in four games last season … Completed six of eight passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns against Tulsa … Completed five of six passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns against Rice … Earned MVP honors at the Under Armor Next All-America Camp during high school … Recorded 1,863 yards and 23 passing touchdowns, adding 592 yards on the ground and 11 rushing touchdowns his senior year … Rated as a three-star recruit and the No. 19 quarterback in his class by ON3.
 
Major Dillard [Washington D.C./Chowan]
Defensive Tackle | 6-2 | 340
Played nine games last season … Recorded 20 total tackles (10 solo) … Racked up 2.5 tackles for a loss of three yards ... Had a season high six tackles at West Alabama … Also played 10 games on the offensive line his freshman season.

RJ Evans [High Point, N.C./Mercer]
Defensive Tackle | 6-1 | 285
Played in four games at Mercer … Recorded four tackles, including one tackle for a loss of six yards against Presbyterian … Spent the 2022 season at Arkansas-Pine Bluff where he recorded 32 tackles in 11 appearances … Named First Team All-PAC6 defensive lineman twice during high school.

Stemarion Edwards [Hollandale, Miss./Alcorn State]
Linebacker | 6-0 | 220
Played two seasons at Alcorn State … Made 11 appearances last season, recording 91 total tackles, three forced fumbles, and 2.5 sacks …. Notched four games in a row with at least 10 total tackles, including a season high 14 tackles at Southern … Finished his junior season with 62 total tackles.
 
Khalib Gilmore [Melbourne, Fla./Syracuse]
Linebacker | 6-3 | 241
Transferred to Syracuse after four seasons at West Florida … Appeared in 14 games across both schools, recording 23 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, one sack and a forced fumble … Three-year starter in high school … Recorded 38 tackles, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble.

Kymari Gray [Hampton, Va./Hampton]
Wide Receiver | 6-2 | 185
Played three seasons at Hampton, seeing action in all 12 games … Finished last year with 24 receptions for 228 yards and two touchdowns … Recorded four catches for a season high 52 yards against Howard … Scored touchdowns in back-to-back games against Elon and Villanova.
 
Drake Hatcher [Austell, Ga./Valdosta State]
Defensive Tackle | 6-0 | 290
Played in 12 games on the defensive line … Finished the season with 15 tackles and six solo stops … Had two TFL's, one forced fumble, and one hurry.
 
Stephon Hall [Pittsburgh, Pa./Youngstown State]
Safety | 6-2 | 190
Played in 11 games for the Penguins … Finished the season with 48 total tackles (32 solo) … Recorded a season high eight tackles at Southern Illinois … Had seven tackles with five solo stops against Indiana State … Recovered a fumble against Valparaiso … Ranked as Pennsylvania's No. 16 overall prospect by 247 sports in high school.

Kahleef Jimmison [Newport News, Va./Delaware State]
Defensive Back | 5-10 | 186
Appeared in 12 games last season … Recorded a total of 79 tackles (47 solo), leading the Hornets …. Also led the team with six tackles for loss … Had a season-high 12 tackles vs. Morgan State … Earned the leadership award in high school at the Football University Northern VA Camp in July 2016.
 
Jaden Kelly [Dallas, Texas/Arkansas Pine Bluff]
Linebacker | 6-1 | 223
Named to All-SWAC second team … Recorded 91 total tackles, 51 solo stops, and one fumble recovery in 10 games last year … Had 15 total tackles (13 solo) at Southern … Picked up nine tackles in back-to-back games against Prairie View and at Grambling.
 
DreSean Kendrick [Lynchburg, Va./William & Mary]
Wide Receiver | 5-9 | 190
Played previously for William & Mary … Finished last season with 16 receptions for 223 yards and two touchdowns …  Caught a pair of passes for 74 yards and a touchdown at Coastal Carolina … Recorded three catches for 26 yards and one touchdown against Hampton.
 
Tormon Laprade [Birmingham, Ala./Florida Memorial]
Defensive Back | 5-10 | 190
Appeared in eight games … Made 10 total tackles (3 solo) … Also recorded two pass deflections … Logged a season high two tackles in games against Edward Waters and Thomas.
 
Tyler Leinberger [Richmond, Va./Hampton]
Offensive Lineman | 6-3 | 330
Played in all 12 games for Hampton … Ranked as a two-star prospect out of high school … Started his career at UMass before transferring to Hampton.
 
David Ojiegbe [Washington D.C./Pittsburgh]
Defensive End | 6-3 | 245
Made a pair of appearances for Clemson during his freshman season … Played in three games during his redshirt freshman season for Pittsburgh … Recorded five total tackles … Produced a sack in the win against Syracuse.
 
Guan Price II [Fredericksburg, Va./Hampton]
Offensive Line | 6-4 | 305
Played 12 total games at Hampton across two seasons … Helped the Pirates earn the No. 1 rushing offense in the CAA his freshman year with 216 yards per game … Led his high school team to a 9-3 record his senior season.
 
Elijah Simley-Flores [Riverside, Calif./Utah Tech]
Wide Receiver | 6-1 | 170
Redshirted the season at Utah Tech … Played one season at Mt. San Jacinto College … Caught 52 passes for 746 yards and seven touchdowns … Named first team all-conference.
 
Caleb Turner [Virginia Beach, Va./Eastern Michigan]
Safety | 6-3 | 190
Three-star prospect by 247sports out of high school … Helped lead his team to a 12-1 senior season … Named first team all-region while recording 60 tackles, eight TFL's, five interceptions, three pass breakups, two touchdowns, and on sack as a senior … Redshirted the season at Eastern Michigan.
 
Armand Vinson [Ahoskie, N.C./Hampton]
Defensive Back | 6-4 | 180
Played wide receiver for the Pirates … Made 11 appearances during his junior season … Recorded a reception for four yards in a win against Richmond … Finished senior year of high school with 455 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
 
Abe Williams [Midlothian, Va./Hampton)
Wide Receiver | 6-4 | 190
Saw action in 10 games last season … Finished the year with two receptions for six yards … Played in nine games his redshirt freshman season … Recorded four receptions for 64 yards.
 
High School:
Jaybran Degree [Boydton, Va./Mecklenburg County HS]
Offensive Tackle | 6-6 | 280
Two sport athlete playing basketball and football … Selected to the second team All-Piedmont District as an offensive lineman … Helped lead the Phoenix lead the district in passing yards with 1,768 and 19 touchdowns.
 
Winston Harris [Neptune Beach, Fla./Fletcher HS]
Safety | 6-2 | 225
Played eight games his senior season … Recorded 39 tackles, including 34 solo stops … Averaged 4.9 tackles per game while finishing the year with two tackles for a loss … Recorded a season high eight tackles in the final game of his senior season.
 
Jaden Knowlton [Atlanta, Ga./Drew HS]
Defensive Tackle | 6-2 | 290
Played in ten games during senior season … Recorded 53 tackles, including 36 solo stops and 10 tackles for a loss … Logged season high eight tackles against NCHS.
 
Zachary Manning [Atlanta, Ga./Druid Hills HS]
Running Back | 6-0 | 180
Made nine appearances his senior year … Named to the Region 5 AAAA All-Region First Team … Recorded 1,011 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns … Averaged 112.3 yards per game … Also played the defensive side of the ball, recording 26 total tackles at corner.
 
Romeir Smith [Hampton, Va./Phoebus HS]
Wide Receiver | 6-4 | 215
Named First Team All-State, All-District, and All-Region as a senior … Had 33 receptions for 1,048 yards and 13 touchdowns his senior year … Averaged 31.76 yards per catch … Helped lead Phoebus to a fourth straight state championship as a senior.
 
Jack Smoot [Gainesville, Va./Gainesville HS]
Offensive Line | 6-4 | 300
Three-star recruit by 247Sports … Chose NSU over offers from Central Michigan, Morgan State, and North Carolina A&T … Made All-State First Team as a center his senior season … Earned All Region 6B First Team honors.
 
Rashad Taylor [Fort Myers, Fla./South Fort Myers HS]
Linebacker | 6-1 | 225
Recorded 147 total tackles his senior season (25 solo) … Averaged 14.7 tackles per game with 8.0 tackles for a loss … Finished his junior season with 101 total tackles, including 18 solo stops … Also had 28 tackles for a loss in his junior season.
 
Shamar Vick [Roswell, Ga./Roswell HS]
Athlete | 5-10 | 177
Saw action in 11 games during senior season … Recorded 43 total tackles, including 28 solo stops … Notched a season high seven tackles in a 42-32 win against Walton … Served as a kick returner, recording 149 yards … Posted a season high 48 kick return yards on a pair of attempts against Gainesville.