Massillon grads playing NCAA college football in 2023


MASSILLON —  College football has returned, and the Massillon Tigers are well-represented.

In nine seasons as the Tigers head coach, Nate Moore has put 96 of his players on college football rosters — 26 of those former Tigers are on current rosters now.

With the first full week of college football kicking off this weekend, here is a list of notable Massillon alumni who are playing for college teams. 

Austin Brawley

Austin Brawley, Ohio

Ohio football is already underway. Brawley made his third career start at safety in the Bobcats’ loss at San Diego State last Saturday. The former Massillon star was productive as he finished eight total tackles and a fumble recovery. Brawley is a sophomore who saw playing time as a true freshman last season and expects to take a step forward in his second year as a Bobcat. Ohio plays Long Island at noon Saturday.

Caiden Woullard, Miami (OH)

Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is brought down by Miami (Ohio) defensive linemen Caiden Woullard (90) and Brian Ugwu, bottom, Sept. 3, 2022.

Woullard showed a ton of potential last year as a sophomore. In 12 of his 13 starts, Woullard produced  29 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, one forced fumble and three pass breakups. Woullard begins his junior season when the Redhawks play at the Miami Hurricanes at 7 p.m. Friday 

More:Video: Nate Moore, Dorian Pringle talk Massillon after football's dominant win over GlenOak

Kent State safety Dean Clark breaks up a pass to Miami's Mac Hippenhammer in a 2021 game.

Dean Clark, Fresno State

Before Clark suffered an Achilles injury in his final season at Kent State before the All-MAC safety transferred to Fresno State. He has two more years of eligibility left. The Bulldogs play at Purdue at noon Saturday.

Jayden Ballard, Ohio State

Jayden Ballard catches a pass during the 2023 Ohio State spring game.

Ohio State is a wide-receiver factory and has been for decades. While all eyes will be on Marvin Harrison Jr, Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming, it will be curious to see how Ballard finds his way into the mix. Ballard is a junior this year. As a sophomore, he appeared in all 13 games, seeing 102 offensive snaps and was highly involved on special teams. Ohio State opened the 2023 season on the road at Indiana at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. 

Incoming Freshmen

Ardell Banks, Kentucky

It will be interesting to see how many snaps Banks plays in his first year at Kentucky. The 6-foot-4 speedster committed to the Wildcats last December after his recruiting stock started to rise. Banks made All-Ohio in his final year at Massillon after leading the Tigers with 791 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Wildcats open the season at noon Saturday vs. Ball State.

Marcus Moore, Akron

Moore remained loyal to Akron throughout his final year in Massillon. He now steps in as a defensive tackle for the Zips. A three-star prospect, Moore recorded 48 tackles, including 17 solo stops and 2.5 sacks in his final two years in Massillon. Akron plays at Temple at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Freddie Lenix, Kent State

After signing with the Golden Flashes, Lenix will play cornerback as part of Kenni Burns’ first signing class. Lenix played both running back and defensive back back in Massillon. Kent State plays at Central Florida at 7 p.m. Thursday. 

Willtrell Hartson, Ohio State

Hartson is making himself comfortable in Ohio State’s system. After a historic career at Massillon, Hartson chose to walk on as a Buckeye. As Hartson continues to develop, he will learn from pro-ready OSU backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams.

Other lists of active college football players

  • Magnus Haines, Arkansas State
  • Luke Murphy, Kent State
  • Terrence Moore, Pittsburgh
  • Andrew Wilson-Lamp, West Virginia
  • Shane Rue, Ashland
  • Jumacius Portis, Central State
  • Martavien Johnson, Coffeyville CC
  • Cole Jones, Findlay
  • Ta’Jamere Nash, Findlay
  • Xavier Andrews, John Carroll
  • Eric Thurman, Marietta
  • Andrai Jones, Siena Heights
  • Robbie Page, Walsh
  • John Kouth, Walsh
  • Nate Watkins, Walsh
  • Nathan Depuy, Wittenberg
  • Nick Liebler, Wittenberg
  • Anthony Pedro, Wittenberg
  • Darien Williams, Wittenberg 

More:'They're solid everywhere': Massillon football quickly takes command in win over GlenOak



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