The 2023 Valparaiso University football roster has continued to take shape as 25 student-athletes were added to the incoming recruiting class this week. The class, which also features eight early signees who were introduced in December, will join the program for the 2023-24 academic and athletic year.

“We feel like we’ve been able to bring in really good people and really good football players in this recruiting class,” Valpo head coach Landon Fox said. “We identified student-athletes who are a good fit for our program who will be able to come in and make positive contributions.”

Gavin Houser, Athlete, 6-0, 180, Elkhart, Ind. (Elkhart)

Intends to study business engineering... Son of Glen and Christina... Has an older sister, Courtney, and a younger brother, Tristen... Four-year varsity letter winner... All-conference and all-area honoree... Team captain as a senior... Totaled 53 tackles, 11 TFL, five sacks, two interceptions, one pass breakup and one forced fumble... Had 94 carries for 610 yards and 12 touchdowns... Also played baseball in 2019-2020... Hobbies include hunting, fishing, shopping, listening to music and lifting... Member of the honor roll.

Fox on Houser: “Gavin is a very explosive athlete. In high school, he was a major contributor on both sides of the ball. We are really impressed by his versatility.”

Ezekiel Zeff, DL, 6-3, 300, Sacramento, Calif. (IMG Academy)

Plans to study education... Son of Aaron and Sarah Zeff... Has a younger brother, Lazarus, and a younger sister, Lily... Four-year varsity letter winner... Had a sack and three tackles for loss during a 2022 game at Berkeley Prep... Team captain in 2022... Hobbies include lifting, coaching and animals... Lived in the Middle East for a year.

Fox on Zeff: “Ezekiel is a big, powerful defensive lineman with great gap control. He has the physical tools to be able to hold up inside and can push the pocket as well.”

Brandon Martin, DL 6-0, 220, Cincinnati, Ohio (Moeller)

Plans to study business... Son of Victoria and EJ Mann... Has a younger sister, Makayla... Three-year varsity letter winner... Two-time all-conference honoree, team Defensive Lineman of the Year, First Team all-district performer and first team all-Ohio honoree.... Helped his team to a 13-2 record... Led the league in sacks and set a Moeller High School record... Had 3.5 sacks in a game against Lakota West... Hobbies include video games... Member of the honor roll.

Fox on Martin: “Brandon is a very explosive edge rusher. He set a school record for sacks at a very good school and has the ability to win with speed off the edge. He can transition that power and create matchup problems for offensive tackles. He does a great job of creating negative yardage plays.”

Noah Kline, OL, 6-5, 300, Loveland, Ohio (Loveland)

Plans to pursue an engineering degree... Son of Kristel and Brian Kline... Has a younger brother, Luke... Three-year varsity letter winner... Helped his team to its first playoff appearance since 2013... Second team all-conference and second team all-district pick... Also competed in track & field (shot put and discus) as a junior and senior... Team captain in both football and track & field during his senior season... Hobbies include fishing, traveling, volunteering, playing recreational basketball and being outdoors... His extended family is so large that at one point had some relative – either distant or close – who lived in every state except for Maine... Earned academic all-conference honors for four straight years, posted a 4.3 GPA on a four-point scale and was a two-year member of National Honor Society.

Coach Fox on Kline: “Noah is a big guy who has the ability to cover up defenders in the running game. He’s very intelligent both on and off the field. He’ll bring size to the offensive line.”

Marty O’Keeffe, WR, 6-2, 190, Orland Park, Ill. (Brother Rice)

Son of Dave and Carol O’Keefe... Has a brother, David, and three sisters – Shannon, Sheila and Claudia... Three-year varsity letter winner... Was a team captain his senior season... Had three receptions for 127 yards in one half of a game against Marian Catholic his junior year... Played basketball as a freshman, baseball as a freshman and sophomore and track & field as a junior and senior... Hobbies include tubing, lifting, playing basketball and listening to music... Likes to shark fish... Member of the honor roll and dean’s list.

Coach Fox on O’Keeffe: “Marty is a big, strong wide receiver with good hands. He’s played multiple positions for his team in a really good league in Chicago. His sister went to Valpo so he’s familiar with the school.”

Bennett McCormick, WR, 6-3, 190, Delafield, Wis. (Catholic Memorial)

Intends to major in business... Son of Tammie Miller and Tom McCormick... Has three brothers – TJ, Joey and Xavier – and two sisters, Kati and Allison... Sister Kati Adam played rugby for Milwaukee and was an All-American... Cousin Nikhil Nayar was a quarterback at Idaho from 2018-2021, paternal grandfather Thomas McCormick signed to play football at Wisconsin when they had a freshman football team before he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies but instead left to join the Korean War... Four-year varsity letter winner... Had 38 receptions for 583 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior... Received all-region, all-country and all-conference awards... Three-time undefeated conference champion... Two-time state champion, one-time state finalist... Favorite football memory is the Division 4 State Championship game in Madison, when it was brutally cold and snowing like crazy. He had six receptions, 85 yards and a touchdown in the game against Columbus... Four-year varsity basketball player and team leader in scoring and assists. Had an offer to play Division-I college basketball... Basketball team captain... Avid golfer... Started his athletic career as a gymnast until he grew taller than his instructor by age 8 and was told to pick another sport... Dean’s list as a junior and senior.

Fox on McCormick: “Bennett is an intriguing prospect. He had interest from Division-I basketball schools before deciding to focus on football. He has a great ability to catch 50/50 balls. His length is a big part of that, and he’s someone who can create matchup problems.”

Chase Lowary, LB, 6-1, 205, San Diego, Calif. (Point Loma)

Plans to major in kinesiology... Son of Michael and Susan Lowary... Has two younger sisters, Sydney and Lauren... Three-year varsity letter winner... First team-all league honoree... Named league defensive player of the year... San Diego Two-Way Player of the Year... Jimmy Howard Semper Fi Award... Helped his team to a 10-3 record... Had 147 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns and 24 tackles in a game against Patrick Henry during his junior season... Also competed in baseball (freshman), track & field (junior) and lacrosse (junior) during high school... Two-year captain on the gridiron... Enjoys surfing, hiking and baking... Can do the wave with his eyebrows... National Football Foundation Scholar Leader Athlete Award... Won his school’s Scholar-Athlete Award in 2021.

Coach Fox on Lowary: “Chase is an old-school linebacker. He does a good job of tracking the ball carrier from sideline to sideline. He has also played running back, so he understands it from the other side of the ball. He’s good at the point of contact in terms of tackling.”

Johnny Bebie, DB, 5-10, 190, Rocky River, Ohio (Rocky River)

Plans to major in business marketing... Son of Anthony and Kerry Bebie... Has three brothers – Owen, Tommy and Michael – and one sister, Mary... Brother Tommy plays football at Wake Forest, cousin Nolan Spicer plays soccer at Notre Dame and brother Owen plays football at Otterbein... Four-year varsity letter winner... Has earned All-Ohio honors, three-time all-conference honoree and two-time all-district choice... 19 carries for 313 yards and three touchdowns vs. Lakewood... Also competed in wrestling as a freshman and sophomore... Team captain in both football and wrestling... Enjoys playing video games in his spare time... NFL quarterback Colt McCoy came to his house and took him and his brothers to school in first grade.

Coach Fox on Bebie: “We saw Johnny at our camp. He is a guy who has coverage skills and runs well. He has the ability to play a few different positions in the back end of our defense.”

Micah Mackay, WR, 6-2, 200, Zionsville, Ind. (Lutheran)

Majoring in mechanical engineering... Son of Marcus and Jena Mackay... Has three brothers – Malachi, Matthias and Marc... Four-year varsity letter winner... Has numerous relatives who have competed in collegiate athletics... 2019 1A IHSAA state runner-up, 2021 1A junior all-state and academic all-state, 2021 all-conference and academic all-conference, 2021 1A IHSAA state champion, 2022 Top 50 All-State, 2022 academic all-state, 2022 all-conference and academic all-conference, 2022 Blake Ress Mental Attitude Award winner, 2022 state champion, 2022 school Christian Leadership Award... Had 217 receiving yards on 14 catches including two touchdowns in a game against Triton Central... Also played three years of basketball and four years of baseball... Team captain on the gridiron as a senior... Hobbies include hunting, fishing and video games... Has played the violin and trombone for eight years... Honor roll all four years and member of National Honor Society.

Coach Fox on Mackay: “Micah is a big receiver who has the ability to win contested catches up over the top of the opponent. We’re excited about using his size and strength to create matchups in the running game. His ability to block will be a huge plus as well. He understands how to win and is a great student. He and his family are great fits for our institution.”

Max Samuel, DB, 6-1, 205, Edina, Minn. (Edina)
Plans to major in psychology... Son of Mathias and Jennifer Samuel... Has a younger brother, Caleb, and a younger sister, Anna... Uncle played football at North Dakota State... Three-year varsity letter winner... First team all-district honoree... Led the team with 76 tackles as a senior.... Also had 12 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup during his senior campaign... Also competed in basketball and track & field... Hobbies include hanging out with friends, playing video games and lifting weights... Started playing football his freshman year of high school... Honor roll member.

Coach Fox on Samuel: “Max was easy to evaluate because you see him do a lot of things that you would ask him to do by looking at his film. He plays with length and has the ability to defend the run and pass. He’s athletic enough to be able to cover people.”

Michael Martin, QB, 6-1, 200, Los Angeles, Calif. (Maranatha)

Intends to study engineering... Son of Alex and Patty Martin... Has two brothers, David and Marcus, and two sisters, Aria and Jessica... Brother Marcus plays at Southwest Minnesota State... Three-year varsity letter winner... All-CIF, league MVP and Team MVP while helping the team to an 11-1-1 record... Had 378 total yards (285 passing, 93 rushing) and four touchdowns in a 2022 quarterfinal playoff game vs. Jurupa Valley... Also competed in one season of track & field... 2022 football team captain... Hobbies include spending time with loved ones, watching movies, skiing and going on YouTube... Loves pasta... Honor roll member with a GPA above 3.0 all four years.

Coach Fox on Martin: “Michael is a dual-threat quarterback who can be productive in the passing game and the running game. In terms of productiveness, he has the ability to do it both through the air and on his feet. He’s still a pass-first guy, but he can also take off and make things happen. We also like his work ethic.”

Gus Wenning, LB, 6-1, 225, Cross Plains, Wis. (Middleton)

Plans to major in exercise science... Son of Karen and John Wenning... Has a younger brother, Oliver and a younger sister, Kate... Three-year varsity letter winner... Conference Defensive Player of the Year, conference Middle Linebacker of the Year, first-team all-conference, all-region team, team’s Most Dedicated Award and AP All-State Honorable Mention... Had 13 tackles, four TFL and three sacks in just three quarters played in the final game of the 2022 regular season against East High School... Played lacrosse from fifth grade to his senior year of high school... Team captain as a senior, receiving 95 percent of the team’s vote... Enjoys being outside, lifting, team bonding and pickup basketball... Played USA Football... 2022 honor roll while earning football academic honors award and academic all-state.

Coach Fox on Wenning: “Gus is an old-school linebacker, a tackle-to-tackle guy. He has some position versatility. He’s very physical at the point of attack.”

James Langen, DL, 6-3, 235, Lowell, Ind. (Lowell)

Intends to study exercise science... Son of Jimmy and Shannon Langen... Has a brother, Michael, and a sister, Victoria... Brother Michael (football), sister Victoria (golf) and father Jimmy (baseball) all competed in collegiate athletics...  Four-year varsity letter winner... Second Team all-conference as a junior... First team all-conference and second team all-area as a senior... Team captain during his senior season... Had two sacks and a forced fumble against Munster during his senior season in 2022... Also competed in three years of baseball... Enjoys working out, playing guitar and hanging out with friends/family... President of his school’s Leadership Club... 2022 academic all-state... Honor roll for all four years.

Coach Fox on Langen: “James is a local guy who we’re excited about. The Lowell program is known for its toughness, and he exhibits that in his play. He has the ability to play on both sides of the ball, o-line and d-line. He is a high-motor guy who plays hard.”

Jake Russell, OL, 6-3, 280, Glen Ridge, N.J. (Glen Ridge)

Plans to major in engineering... Son of Todd and Kimberly Russell... Has one sister, Kasey... Three-year varsity letter winner... Earned first team all-conference as a junior and senior... Also garnered first team all-county, Group 1 all-state third team offense, SFC Steve DiGregorio Young Man of the Year Award, Peter Anderson Lineman of the Year Award and Pride of the Ridge Award as a senior... Team captain as a senior... Competed in three years of wrestling... Hobbies include fishing, camping, gaming, hanging out with friends, cooking, watching football and playing with his black Labrador... Was born in Chicago and lived there until he was 4 years old, when his family moved to the New York City area... Member of National Honor Society... High Honor Roll throughout high school.

Coach Fox on Russell: “Jake has good size for his position. He has the ability to be good at the point of attack. He has the ability to climb to the second level with the use of his feet.”

Michael Comber, OL, 6-5, 275, Verona, Wis. (Verona Area)

Plans to pursue a premed degree... Son of Tammy and Dave Comber... Has a younger sister, Jaclyn... Father Dave played basketball and baseball at Lawrence University.... Two-year varsity letter winner... All-conference honoree... Helped his team to an 8-2 record... Played with the flu during a homecoming game against a rival and helped his team to a game-winning score on the final drive... Also competed in varsity basketball and baseball... Hobbies include lifting, golfing and hanging out with friends... Started golfing when he was 3 and can drive the ball 325 yards... Member of National Honor Society.

Coach Fox on Comber: “Michael has a high ceiling and has only played football for two years. He shows athletic ability as well as physical abilities. He was primarily a baseball and basketball guy before switching to football.”

Nicolas Lendino, DB, 6-1, 180, Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley)

Plans to study integrated business and engineering... Son of Debbie and Joseph Lendino... Has two brothers, Brian and Zac, and a sister, Madeline... Four-year varsity letter winner... All-area first team, all-conference first team, all-state honorable mention and Most Influential Player award... Helped his team to an 8-3 record and conference championship... Team captain... In a 2022 game against Oswego, had six pass breakups, nine targets, no catches allowed, no yards allowed and five tackles... Has also played high school basketball... Team captain in both football and basketball as a senior... Hobbies include working out, playing competitive sports, hanging out with friends and watching movies... 7v7 national champion with the Midwest Boom.

Coach Fox on Lendino: “Nicolas is a good all-around athlete. He plays multiple sports. We had the opportunity to see him at camp live and in person. He has the ability to play corner or safety and has really good ball skills.”

Mark Johnson, DB, 5-8, 185, Nashville, Tenn. (Lipscomb)

Son of LaTanya and Mark Johnson... Has an older brother, Marteicus Reed, and three older sisters – Sidney Johnson, Maya Johnson and Nicole Perry... Father Mark played football at Vanderbilt from 1986-91... Four-year varsity letter winner... Second team all-region and first team all-metro choice... Helped his team to a 14-0 record... Had 65 tackles (32 solos), 5.5 TFL, 28 pass breakups and one interception... Team captain as a senior... Played three years of high school baseball... Hobbies include golf, video games and basketball.

Coach Fox on Johnson: “Mark is a guy we’re excited about because he’s a winner. He led his team to tremendous success and he is a physical guy who can play multiple roles at corner, safety or nickel. He has really good feet and he’s not afraid to tackle.”

Austin Lambert, DL, 6-4, 240, Delaware, Ohio (Olentangy Berlin)

Plans to major in finance... Son of Brad and Alicia Lambert... Has a younger sister, Lauren... Two-year varsity letter winner... Helped his team to an 8-4 record... All-conference, all-district and all-county honoree... Had four tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception against Thomas Worthington... Also competed in wrestling and track & field... Hobbies include weightlifting... Played rugby... Member of National Honor Society... 12-time all-academic honoree... Honor roll every quarter of high school.

Coach Fox on Lambert: “Austin is a long athlete who has the ability to play on either side of the ball, o-line or d-line. He is a good athlete and also a wrestler. He understands how to play with leverage. He will play with a lot of effort up front and is good at the point of contact.”

Logan Petrie, DL, 6-0, 250, Tampa, Fla. (Brebeuf Jesuit)

Intends to study biology... Son of Amy and Geoff Petrie... Has two brothers, Brendan and Cameron... Cameron played football at Miami (OH) from 2016-2018... Amy competed in track & field at Emory University in 1992-93... Three-year varsity letter winner... All-county honorable mention, all-conference honorable mention, third in the conference in TFLs, voted a squad leader by his peers... 2021 state runner-up... Set a school record in the bench press as a junior... No. 2 in school history in overall strength (bench + squat + clean total)... 2022 football season stats include 10.5 TFLs, four sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries... In a 2022 game vs. Guerin Catholic, had eight tackles, two TFLs, a sack and two QB hurries... Also competed in three years of track & field and one year of wrestling... Hobbies include weightlifting, music, random fun facts and animal science... Taught himself bass guitar and knows piano from childhood lessons.

Coach Fox on Petrie: “Logan is an explosive defensive lineman with a great ability to use his lower body. He has great hip explosiveness. We had the opportunity to see him at camp and he was a very good person.”

Nate Meyer, OL, 6-2, 280, Kettering, Ohio (Kettering Fairmont)

Plans to study sports management... Son of Greg and Jenny Meyer... Has an older sister, Kati... Grandfather Robert Wilker played baseball at Bowling Green, cousin Jesse Meyer plays football at Cincinnati, uncle Ken Meyer played football at Findlay, uncle Roger Meyer played football at Findlay and cousin Grant Meyer played baseball at Notre Dame College... Three-year varsity letter winner... Helped his team to a 7-3 record as a senior... Beat the No. 1 ranked team that made it all the way to state and had multiple pancakes in that game... Competed in three years of wrestling and two of track & field... Hobbies include fishing, working out, boating and playing basketball... Is left-handed... Transferred from a small Division 4 high school to a large Division 1 high school his senior year... 2022 scholar-athlete honoree.

Coach Fox on Meyer: “Nate is an athletic guy who plays with good leverage at the point of attack. He comes from a good program where they’ve done a really nice job of taking the program to the next level. We’re excited that he can do some of those things here.”

Isaiah Fowler, DL, 6-1, 280, Gary, Ind. (Chesterton)

Plans on majoring in communication... Son of Lisa and William Fowler... Has a brother, Marquise, and two sisters, J’oni and Tierra... Four-year varsity letter winner... Two-time all-state, two-time all-conference and two-time all-area selection... Team captain as a senior... Had 12 total tackles, four TFL, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his game against Portage as a junior... In the last game of his career, he had 10 tackles, two TFLs and a pass breakup against eventual state champion Valparaiso.... Threw shot and discus in track & field for all four years of high school... Played basketball as a freshman and as a junior... Hobbies include playing Madden.

Coach Fox on Fowler: “Isaiah is a local guy who we’re excited about in terms of having interest in local players. That helps your program whenever you can generate interest from the community because they know the names. Isaiah played on both sides of the ball, and we see him as a defensive lineman. He does a really good job with the use of his hands at the point of attack. He’s another guy who will play hard; he’s a high-motor player.”

Caron Tyler, QB, 5-10, 180, Temecula, Calif. (Chaparral)

Son of Amanda Hicks and Aaron Tyler... Has an older brother, Greg Tucker, and two older sisters – Dynasty Batts and Yerneatha Tyler... Four-year varsity letter winner... Team MVP, two-time first team all-league choice, all-CIF first team, all-state... Had 228 passing yards, 220 rushing yards and six total TDs in a game against Murrieta Valley... Team captain as a junior and senior... Also competed in track & field during his junior and senior years... Enjoys working out, fashion, video games and music... All-Academic First Team, owns a GPA over 3.5.

Coach Fox on Tyler: “Caron is a dual-threat quarterback from California. He threw for over 1,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards. He has good athletic ability and a good pocket presence to go along with the ability to deliver the ball on time and with great accuracy.”

Brendan Mcilvenna, OL, 6-4, 210, Carmel, Ind. (Guerin Catholic)

Plans to study finance... Son of Beth and Patrick Mcilvenna... Has three brothers – Ryan, Matthew and Brady, and one sister – Caitlyn... Cousin Colleen Mcilvenna played three years of soccer at Holy Cross... Three-year varsity letter winner... Earned all-conference honorable mention... Also competed in track & field as a sophomore... Is the middle of five siblings... Hobbies include working out and watching sports... Honor roll member throughout high school.

Coach Fox on Mcilvenna: “Brendan has really good size and a good frame with the ability to move his feet. I believe he has the ability to play multiple positions up front. We focused on bringing in some instate recruits and were able to do that successfully.”

Austin Brown, LB, 6-1, 210, Lemont, Ill. (Lemont)

Intends to major in business... Son of James and Kimberlee Brown... Has two brothers, James and Liam... Three-year varsity letter winner... Led his team to a 12-1 record as a senior, falling in the semifinals by three points to eventual state champion East St. Louis... All-conference honorable mention... Recorded double-digit tackles against Richards and Quincy... Team captain as a senior... Also competed in track & field as a junior... Hobbies include lifting, cooking and being with friends and family... Member of the honor roll... Says he makes the best pasta.

Coach Fox on Brown: “Austin is a guy who we get excited about because of the excitement he has for our program. He’s a guy who wants to be here, which means a lot to us. He has the physical tools to be a good linebacker at our level.”

Carson Shrader, RB, 6-1, 200, Brighton, Mich. (Brighton)

Plans to major in business... Son of Bryan and Juliet Shrader... Has a brother, Mason, and a sister, Grace... Brother is a wrestler at Central Michigan... Two-year varsity letter winner... Helped his team to an 8-2 record... Earned all-region, all-conference and prep red zone all-state... Had 170 rushing yards, 70 receiving yards and 14 carries in a 2022 game at the Big House vs. Dearborn Fordson... Played hockey from third grade to 10^th grade and again as a senior... Hobbies include fishing, pickle ball and basketball... Starts almost every morning with a cold plunge of 32 degrees.

Coach Fox on Shrader: “Carson is an every-down back who adds size and strength to our running back room.”