Ethen Knox left a lasting impact on District 10 high school football.
Formerly an Oil City standout, Knox reset the D-10 career rushing record in 2023 before capturing the Northwest Pennsylvania High School Sports Awards’ prestigious Boys Athlete of the Year honor in 2024.
Knox now hopes to leave a similar legacy at Mercyhurst University.
He’s one of nearly three dozen D-10 high school football alumni who will play for a collegiate program within Erie County this fall. Mercyhurst, set to launch its second Division I season, rosters eight former D-10 stars. Gannon and Edinboro feature plenty of their own.
Which locals should fans expect to see this season? What else is new?
Find that information plus preseason poll results, key dates and more below.
Local college football players
Players are listed alphabetically by school with year, position and high school team.
Mercyhurst – Camariyon Bridges (junior, defensive back, Cathedral Prep), Dylan Ellenberger (jr., offensive line, Seneca), Tay Hollingsworth (freshman, linebacker, Cathedral Prep), Ethen Knox (sophomore, running back, Oil City), Ryan Miller (jr., RB, Seneca), Garrett McGuire (so., punter, Mercyhurst Prep), Caden Pustelak (senior, OL, Cathedral Prep), Nick Williams (so., DB, Meadville)
Gannon – Matt Cannone (sr., wide receiver, Hickory), Daymar Dickerson (fr., tight end, McDowell), Simon Farrelly-Jackson (fr., kicker, Meadville), Carmelo McLaurin (redshirt-junior, DB, Cathedral Prep), RJ Roberts (r-fr., DB, Cathedral Prep), Eric Steinle (r-jr., WR, Northwestern), Matt Stenger (fr., LB, Harbor Creek), Bryce Wood (r-so., LB, McDowell)
Edinboro – Nykeem Abu-Zebiba (fr., WR, Iroquois), Jake Babo (so., LB, North East), Teige Berger (fr., General McLane), Logan Corner (fr., Saegertown), Marquawn Darnell (fr., Erie), Gavin Ennis (sr., WR, Harbor Creek), Ricky Gladden (r-so., WR, McDowell), Preston Gorton (so., WR, Cambridge Springs), Nick Pennucci (r-so., LB, Warren), Bryson Roberson (fr., LB, Sharon), Nyciere Smith (fr., Erie), Randy White (r-so., OL, McDowell), Ryan White (so., OL, McDowell), Tobias Vahey (fr., LB, Harbor Creek), Nick Vogan (r-so., DE, McDowell)
Preseason poll results
Mercyhurst ranked seventh among eight teams in the Northeast Conference’s 2025 preseason poll.
Central Connecticut received five of eight first-place votes while Duquesne earned two and Robert Morris received one. Stonehill, which Mercyhurst hosts Oct. 25, was the only team projected behind the Lakers.
Gannon ranked fourth and Edinboro sixth in the seven-team PSAC West preseason poll. Slippery Rock, a returning NCAA semifinalist, received the top spot and Indiana (Pa) was second.
Kutztown topped the East division poll.
Gannon was slotted fourth in the West for the fourth consecutive year. Edinboro and first-year head coach Matt Scott ranked ahead of only Clarion.
Key dates
Mercyhurst opens its season Aug. 28 for a 6 p.m. kickoff before hosting New Haven for its home and Northeast Conference opener Sept. 6 at noon.
Other home dates include Oct. 4, Oct. 18, Oct. 25 and Nov. 15. Homecoming
Gannon hosts Davenport at noon Aug. 30 and, after a week away, will welcome East Stroudsburg on Homecoming weekend Sept. 13. The Golden Knights will also play at home Oct. 4 (Slippery Rock), Oct. 11 (Clarion), Oct. 25 (Edinboro) and Nov. 8 (Cal U).
Edinboro opens Aug. 28 at East Stroudsburg and will play its first home game Sept. 13 versus Kutztown. The Fighting Scots also welcome Clarion (Sept. 27), Oct. 11 (Cal U), Oct. 18 (Fairmont State) and Nov. 8 (Slippery Rock).
Contact Jeff Uveino at [email protected]. Follow him on X @realjuveino.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: College football in Erie: Players, poll results for three area teams
