KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan football program and head coach Lance Taylor have announced the addition of 23 student-athletes to the Bronco Brotherhood as a part of National Signing Day on Wednesday.
The class is broken down into 11 recruits on offense: one quarterback, one running back, two tight ends, five wide receivers and three linemen; 11 recruits on defense: four linebackers, three linemen, two safeties and two cornerbacks. The Broncos also added a kicker. Five of the 23 come from junior colleges, while Western Michigan picked up recruits from 12 different states.
Max Baker | DE | 6-4, 250 lbs | Detroit, Mich./Detroit Edison High School
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Helped Detroit Edison to a Regional Final in 2025
- Named a 2025 Great Lakes Region DL Names to Know by MaxPreps
- Named a MHSFCA Division 6 First Team All-State selection in 2024 and 2025
Coach Taylor on Max Baker – "Max was originally committed to Northern Illinois but decided to flip his commitment to the Broncos. His size and athletic ability will bring great versatility to our defensive line room and allow him to contribute on the edge and in the interior."
Gavin Beachner | OL | 6-6, 310 lbs | Carl Junction, Mo./Carl Junction High School
- Rated a 3-star recruit by 247 Sports
- Two-time First Team All-Conference selection, named Second Team All-State
- Two-sport athlete that excelled in track and field and football
Coach Taylor on Beachner – "Gavin has had a really good senior season, and we quickly got on him, recruited and got him to campus for our game against Central Michigan. We are excited about his size and length and have him join the Bronco Brotherhood."
Justyce Betts | LB | 5-11, 220 lbs | Kansas City, Kan./Butler Community College
- Rated a 3-star JUCO recruit by ESPN
- Played in 10 games in 2025, making 96 total tackles with 10.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
- Helped Bishop Miege High School to a Kansas 4A State Championship in 2022.
Coach Taylor on Betts – "Justyce will be continuing the Butler Community College linebacker pipeline here in Kalamazoo, following our signing of Gabe Welch last year. He has great feel for the game and has had great production this year. We hope to see him continue his dominance in the Brown & Gold next season."
Angelo Chapman | WR | 5-11, 160 lbs | Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Helped Ochard Lake St. Mary's to a Division II State Championship in 2024
- Two-sport athlete that was also an All-State hurdler
Coach Taylor on Chapman – "We saw Angelo work out in the Summer at a camp and saw how special a player he is. He also had a great Senior year and shows how hard he has worked to get where he is."
Trevon Collard | S | 6-0, 170 lbs | St. Louis, Mo./De Smet
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Had 53 tackles as a senior, helping De Smet to the district semifinals
- Named a Top 40 Missouri High School DB to Watch
- Two-time Second Team All-MCC selection
Coach Taylor on Collard – "Coming to us from Missouri powerhouse De Smet, Trevon lets his play on the field do all the talking. His athleticism, instincts, and all-business mindset are just a few of the things we love about Trevon. We can't wait to see what he will do in a Bronco uniform."
Jaxson Dosh | QB | 6-0, 190 lbs | Davison, Mich./Davison High School
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Named Preseason Top 50 player in Michigan by the Detroit Free Press in 2025 ... named a 2025 Great Lakes Region Top QB by MaxPresps.com ... also earned All-Conference, All-Region and All-State honors
- Combined for over 3,000 passing yards, 800 rushing yards and 64 total touchdowns in 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Coach Taylor on Dosh – "Jaxson is a great addition to our quarterback room. We have been recruiting him for a long time. He came to camp here, going into his junior year, and has been on campus a ton. Jaxson has the leadership abilities you want with and need in that position, can throw the ball, and make plays with his legs"
Kordell Gouldsby | WR | Tulsa, Okla/Hutchinson Community College
- Rated a 3-star JUCO prospect by On3
- Played WR, RB and returned kicks and punts for Hutchinson, and was named the NJCAA Championship MVP after totaling 158 total return yards, including a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown.
- Helped Bixby High School to four state championships as a running back and kick/punt returner.
Coach Taylor on Gouldsby – "Kordell can change games as a returner and also help us in the wide receiver room. He comes from a loaded Junior College team at Hutchinson Community College. We are excited to have him be a part of the Bronco Family and for him to be able to make plays for us."
Teegan Haines | LB | 6-3, 210 lbs | McPherson, Kan./Hutchinson Community College
- Consensus 3-star JUCO prospect
- Recorded 46 tackles in 2024 with Garden City Community College
- Led Hutchinson with 70 total tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2025.
Coach Taylor on Haines – "Teegan comes to us from the Jayhawk Conference & National powerhouse Hutchinson Community College. Having spent a year each as a starting linebacker at Garden City and Hutchinson, Teegan brings elite length, experience, and winning culture to the Broncos."
Haper Hughes | WR | 5-11, 185 lbs | Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead High School
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Helped Arrowhead to a Division I State Championship in 2025
- Racked up over 1,200 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in his high school career
- Multi-sport athlete that excelled in track and field as a sprinter, winning a National Championship as a part of Arrowhead's 4x100 meter relay team.
Coach Taylor on Hughes – "Harper brings some speed to our wide receiver room, winning the National Championship at the High School level in the 4x100M Relay. Has the ability to play in the slot or outside with his size and can hurt you with his speed."
Philip "Tre" Johnson | CB | 6-3, 160 lbs | Columbus, Ohio/Harvest Prep
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Played WR, CB and returned kicks for Harvest Prep, making an impact in all three facets.
- Two-sport athlete, also competed in track and field
Coach Tayler on Johnson – "Impressing on both sides of the ball, Tre chose the Broncos over offers from Ohio State, Miami (OH), Buffalo, & more. His unique combination of length, athleticism, and natural catching ability will allow him to contribute in all three phases."
Elijah Lucas | WR | 6-2, 210 lbs | St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Had 42 catches for 838 yards and 5 touchdowns as a senior and 32 catches for 482 yards and 2 touchdowns as a junior.
- Helped Cardinal Ritter to the Class 5 State Semifinals
Coach Taylor on Lucas – "Elijah is a bigger body that can make plays at the wide receiver position, can play outside, and go up and make some impressive catches, and does a nice job high-pointing the football."
Breck Mallory | LB | 6-2, 210 lbs | Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Named to the IndyStar 2025 Super Team
- Recorded 285 tackles in his career at Lawrence North, including 146 during his senior season ... also has eight career sacks and 43 career tackles for loss.
Coach Taylor on Mallory – "Breck plays the brand of football we want to play on defense here at Western Michigan. We love him because you can expect Breck to play every rep with his hair on fire. His effort combined with his size and natural football instincts will make him an excellent Bronco."
Jermar McCarter | LB | 6-1, 210 lbs | Starksville, Miss./Copiah-Lincoln CC/Hinds CC
- Consensus 3-star JUCO recruit
- Racked up 60 total tackles in 9 games, also making 12.0 tackles for loss
- Named First Team All-MACCC
Coach Taylor on McCarter – "Jermar brings elite length and versatility to the linebacker room. After a productive true freshman season at Copiah-Lincoln, he transferred to Hinds where he earned First Team All-Conference honors this past season. We're excited to see what he can do in a Bronco uniform."
Brodon Moore | CB | 5-9, 165 lbs | Lakewood, Ohio/St. Edwards
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Helped St. Edwards to the Division I State Semifinals in 2025
- Recorded over 75 career tackles, four sacks and one interception, while also returning kicks
- Two-sport athlete that excelled in track and field as a sprinter
Coach Taylor on Moore - A proven winner at Cleveland powerhouse St. Edward, Brodon brings a combination of elite speed and physicality to the Broncos. Winning his region and qualifying for the state meet in the 200 meter dash this past track season, Brodon will have no issue adapting to the speed of the college game."
Munachimdainanma Ezra Newman-Nwodika | OL | 6'3, 250 lbs | Indianapolis, Ind./Pike High School
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Played OL, TE and DL at Pike High School
- Earned All-Conference and All-County honors, also earning Scholar Athlete honors
Coach Taylor on Newman-Nwodika – "We saw Muna work out live during the Spring Evaluation period, and we were impressed by how he performed during the workout. We are excited to have him as a part of our offensive line unit."
Camari Patterson | S | 5-10, 190 lbs | Orchard Lake, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Helped Orchard Lake St. Mary's to back-to-back State Championships
- Ranked the 41st best recruit in the state of Michigan by 247 Spots
- Named All-Conference and All-Region
Coach Taylor on Patterson – "Camari was one of our first defensive commits of the cycle and immediately established himself as a leader of the class. As a captain of his team and two-time state champion, we expect Camari to bring a combination of great football talent and excellent leadership to the locker room."
Angelo Pugliano | DL | 6-1, 285 lbs | Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Catholic Central
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- First Team All-State selection
- Helped Catholic Central to a WPIAL Class 6a Championship and a runner-up finish in the PIAA.
Coach Taylor on Pugliano – "We got to see Angelo work out at one of our camps over the summer and he really impressed us. Hailing from Pennsylvania powerhouse Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Angelo will bring elite leadership, work ethic, and a winning standard to Kalamazoo."
Ryan Rocheleau | TE | 6-4, 225 lbs | Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion High School
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Ranked 34th best recruit in Michigan by 247 Sports
- Posted 501 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns in 7 games as a senior
- Earned All-Conference and All-Region honors
- Two-sport athlete that also starred in basketball
Coach Taylor on Rocheleau – "Ryan is a big, physical tight end who can also help us in the passing attack. The way our offense uses tight ends, he'll fit right in and will be great to have on campus as a Bronco."
Chris Stewart | DE | 6-3, 230 lbs | Andrews, S.C./Andrews High School
- Had 93 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks as a junior
- Earned SCFCA First Team All-State honors, along with All-Region
- South Carolina Region 6-AA Defensive Player of the Year
- Posted 84 tackles, 22.0 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks as senior
Coach Taylor on Stewart – "Chris brings great pass rush ability and physicality to our defensive ends room. His impressive length, natural athletic ability, and elite effort will all allow him to be a great player in this league."
Enese Tonga | TE | 6-3, 255 lbs | Kahuku, Hawaii/Garden City Community College
- Physical, blocking tight end
- Averaged 11.3 yards per catch
Coach Taylor on Tonga – "Enese is a big, physical player who is going to help us in the run game. Has spent two seasons at the Junior College level. His character and how he plays the game stands out and he is a high motor, high effort player and everything we look for in a tight end."
Donovan Triplett | RB | 5-7, 195 lbs | Walled Lake, Mich./Walled Lake Western
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Walled Lake Western High School's all-time leading rusher with 5,300 career yards and 74 rushing touchdowns, breaking the record previously held by Darius Taylor (current Minnesota Gophers RB).
- First Team All-State, All-Region and All-Conference selections
- Finalist for 2025 Michigan High School Football Player of the Year
Coach Taylor on Triplett – "Donovan has been highly productive at the high school level, becoming the all-time leading rusher in school history at Walled Lake Western. Donovan is a high-character kid who has impressed me every time I talk to him. He holds himself to high standards and is a workhorse."
Ryan Westrich | OL | 6-6, 260 lbs | Bonduel, Wis./Bonduel High School
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- All-State as a tight end and honorable mention as a defensive end
- State All-Tournament selection in basketball, scoring over 1,000 care points.
- Three-time All-State in shot put
Coach Taylor on Westrich - We are excited to add Ryan to our offensive line room. He has experience playing tight end in high school and will be a great versatile offensive lineman addition. We are excited to have him a part of the Bronco Family.
Zak Zeman | K | 6-0, 170 lbs | Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy
- Consensus 3-star recruit
- Helped Loyola Academy to Illinois State Championships in 2024 and 2023
