Ferrante high on Coatesville star duo of Ortega, Bryant
Villanova coach Mark Ferrante had the opportunity to see Coatesville quarterback Ricky Ortega and wide receiver Dapree Bryant live twice, once last season and again this year.
He came away impressed both times.
And it wasn’t just the video-game-like offensive numbers the dynamic duo put up over their four-year careers that caught Ferrante’s eye.
Ortega and Bryant highlight a recruiting class of 13 players who signed with the Wildcats Wednesday, the first day of the three-day early signing period that ends Friday.
“He’s dynamic,” Ferrante said of Ortega. “He’s a winner and he’s a competitor. … He was a little banged up, but he didn’t miss much time. He fought through it. He’s a fierce competitor, and that’s the type of mindset you want in a quarterback.”
Ferrante had equally high praise for Bryant.
“Dapree Bryant is a multifaceted-type guy,” Ferrante said. “I’m sure he’ll help us in the return game and the receiving game, and he’s gifted and talented enough to line up in the backfield.”
Also signing Wednesday were tight end Mitchell Bothwell (All Saints Episcopal School in Texas); offensive linemen Temitpe Ajirotutu (Eagle Academy, N.Y.) and Jake Picard (Bishop Hendricken, R.I.); linebackers Tim Ferguson (Damascus, Md.) and Jared Nelson (Palmerton, N.J.); defensive linemen Jake Green (North Schuylkill, Pa.) and Obinna Nwobodo (Delco Christian); and defensive backs Tyrell Mims (Martin Luther King,
Phila.), Ethan Potter (Caravel Academy, Del.), John Rhodan (Elkton, Md.) and Ty Trinh (Calvert Hall, Md.).
Overall, Ferrante is hoping to bring in 17 players in the Class of 2024, with another signing day in February.
“We were able to spread our wings a little bit and get to Rhode Island and Texas, so the Villanova name and Villanova brand still proves to be far reaching,” Ferrante said. “And we feel we filled our areas of need. We were pretty heavy in the secondary, which is what we needed.”
Ortega, Bryan and Bothwell are the class of the class.
Ortega finished his career with 10,200 passing yards, third-most in Pennsylvania history, according to the Daily Local News. He threw 129 touchdown passes, second in state history, against just 19 interceptions. He was the first quarterback in PA history to pass for 2,000 yards in four consecutive seasons. He also ran for 2,993 yards and 45 scores and caught two touchdown passes.
Bryant set Ches-Mont League records for receptions (194), receiving yards
(3,708) and receiving touchdowns (54). He also ran for
826 yards and 12 scores. The pair combined to lead the Red Raiders to a 47-8 record and three District 1 Class 6A championships.
“Their numbers are impressive,” Ferrante said. “They’ve played a lot of football. They’ve had a lot of success. They know how to win. They’re just dynamic football players. They’re very skilled at the positions that they play . ...
“Ricky is just a winner, a coach’s son. His dad coached him, which always excites you because he grew up around the game. He’s been playing varsity football since the ninth grade. They have a ton of experience under their belts with a lot of success.”
How much they contribute early remains to be seen. The Wildcats have 20 starters back from a team that went 9-4 and reached the FCS playoffs, including quarterback Daniel Smith and his top three pass catchers in receivers Changa Hodge and Jaaron Hayek and tight end Todd Summers.
But several true freshmen made major contributions last year, namely Hayek and running backs DeeWil Barlee
(Episcopal Academy AllDelco) and TD Ayo-Durojaiye. Defensive backs Elijah Solomon, Jalen Goodman (Lower Merion) and Elijah Glover also were on the two-deep depth chart and saw significant action in their first year. So it’s not unusual for a freshmen to earn a big role.
“History has proven that someone in this freshman class, or even multiple players in this freshmen class, are going to be on the field go us next season,” Ferrante said.