National Signing Day brought the recruiting cycle to a close for Villanova Football this past Wednesday. 11 signees had committed to Villanova during December’s early signing period, and six more joined the class this past week.

Four offensive players and two defensive players rounded out the Class of 2023 for the Wildcats. These players are wide receivers Jaaron Hayek and Rayjoun Pringle, running back TD Ayo-Durojaiye, and offensive lineman Wyatt Hummel. The defensive players are defensive end Jack Stanton and linebacker Josh Slay.

Hayek is a 6’0 tall, 185-pound wide receiver from Wayne Hills High School in New Jersey. Hayek was named first team All-New Jersey by USA Today and the Freedom Division Player of the Year. He is also the school record holder in receiving yards, as well as ranking second in receptions and receiving TDs. In his senior season, He had 65 receptions for 1,161 yards, 40 carries for 427 yards, and 486 return yards for a total of 2,102 all-purpose yards along with 21 touchdowns.

Pringle is a 5’9” wide receiver from Hayfield Secondary School in Dumfries, Virginia. Pringle was first team all-conference and first team all-region selection, as well as being his team’s Offensive Player of the Year. In addition to playing wideout, Pringle played in the defensive backfield at both cornerback and safety during his four years on the gridiron for Hayfield.

Ayo-Durojaiye is a 5’11” tall, 190-pound running back from Damascus High School in Maryland. In his senior year, Ayo-Durojaiye was named first team all-county and rushed for 989 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, as well as racking up 139 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. He also had three interceptions on defense which led to three defensive touchdowns.

Hummel is an offensive lineman checking in at 6’6” and 278 pounds from Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, Texas. Hummel was a first-team All-District 9-6A selection and team captain, as well as a member of the Leadership Football Committee. Hummel enjoyed success off of the football as well as he competed in track & field and was the District 9-6A discus champion.

Stanton is a 6’2”, 226-pound defensive end from Alpharetta High School, in Georgia. He is a two-time all-region player and was named to the All-North Fulton Team his senior year. Stanton does a nice job of pursuing the ball carrier and has a great get-off off the snap, so Wildcat fans should look forward to eventually seeing him playing the edge on defense.

Slay is a 5’11”, 216-pound linebacker recruit. Slay is another Georgia product, from Douglassville High School. He is a three-time all-state, two-time all-county, two-time all-region player. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and excelled in the classroom as a two-time member of the all-academic team.

The Class of 2023 represents eight different states, including four Pennsylvania players and another five from New Jersey and Maryland. Villanova’s pipeline also extended to North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas to form the Class of 2023. In the accompanying press conference, head coach Mark Ferrante commented on his excitement for the class, stating, “We feel that this is a great recruiting class for Villanova Football.”