Meet the 12 NCAA Division I college football signees from Long Island
Josiah Brown, Malverne senior, signs his commitment to play college football at Penn State on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. Credit: James Escher
Some of Long Island's top high school football seniors are taking their games to the next level — literally.
Notable names from across the Long Island football scene put pen to paper on Wednesday's National Signing Day to officially mark their commitment to Division I programs, signing with schools ranging from perennial powerhouses such as Penn State to hometown teams such as Stony Brook.
Meet the 12 players who signed with FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) or FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) programs.
Josiah Brown, WR, Malverne: Penn State (FBS)
Brown had 529 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns in just six games as a senior in 2023. The Malverne senior suffered a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in October and has since said his recovery is going smoothly. Brown is New York’s second-ranked player in the class of 2024, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
“My family was always glowing about [Penn State]," Brown said. "Playing in the Big Ten in front of 107,000 fans and with a great coaching staff, I felt like I fit there.”
Korey Duff, Jr., WR, St. Anthony’s: Rutgers (FBS)
Winner of Newsday’s fourth annual Rich Reichert Award, Duff has been among the best football players in the CHSFL for some time. He finished his high school career with 132 receptions for 2,695 yards and 26 receiving touchdowns. Duff is the No. 260 player nationally and New York’s top player in the class of 2024, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
“He’s definitely going to go down as one of the all-time greats that we’ve had here, and we’ve had quite a few over the past, really, just in the 2000s alone,” coach Joe Minucci said. “Between the Alex Fletchers, Matt Hahns, the Rob Welshes, the Scott Vallones — he puts himself right in that conversation being one of those top guys. And he just deserves everything that he’s gotten, and he’s certainly going to echo through the hallways here for the next few years until somehow, we find the next KJ Duff.”
Alex Menghi, TE, St. Anthony’s: Stony Brook (FCS)
Menghi has had his eyes set on Stony Brook since the summer. The St. Anthony’s senior is currently rehabbing from a torn ACL that he suffered in the team’s third game of the season.
“I’m happy for him, he’s worked tremendously hard just to earn what he did and to finally put pen to paper and be done, ready to move onto college football,” Minucci said. “He deserves it.”
TJ Bacon, WR, Long Island Lutheran: Yale (FCS)
Bacon said he chose Yale in part to the positive culture that he saw and experienced, which reminded him of his times with LuHi’s football program. Coach Chris Reno described him as an irreplaceable player, with the wide receiver now set to cross the Long Island Sound into New Haven, Connecticut.
“To me, family is a big thing to me, because I need others around me supporting me, and I need a good support system so I feel like I can succeed,” Bacon said. “Yale, with how good academically they are and how good at football they are, it’s a great place for me."
Rodney Mills, DE, Long Island Lutheran: LIU (FCS)
Mills only spent one season at LuHi, but quickly rose to become a captain and defensive star. Coach Chris Reno complimented Mills’ positive reinforcement as a leader on the team, calling him “the type of guy who lifts all boats around him.”
“It’s something I always wanted to do, but I’ve never really pictured myself stepping in the shoes until now,” Mills said of playing Division I football. “My coaches at LIU and LuHi believed in me through and through. Even my coaches at Baldwin at my former school, I wouldn’t be here without any of them or my parents, my support system.”
Long Island Lutheran seniors T.J. Bacon, left, and Rodney Mills pose for a portrait at the high school after signing their letters on intent to play NCAA football at their respective colleges on Wednesday. Credit: James Escher
Ethan Appolon, DE, Harborfields: Wagner (FCS)
Appolon stands at 6-4, 240 pounds and will soon be making plays for Wagner. He credited his commitment to the “hard-working” culture the program has while noting his ability to pursue a degree in either business or sports management at the school.
“I’m looking forward to meeting my new teammates and going out there, trying to win,” Appolon said. “Winning, most importantly.”
Ethan Appolon of Harborfields. Credit: James Escher
Anthony DiMenna, OL, Sachem North: New Hampshire (FCS)
DiMenna said he chose New Hampshire partially due to the campus and also due to the school’s environmental science program. DiMenna said while he always wanted to play college football — consistently training year-round — he was still surprised he reached this goal compared to where he was.
“I never thought I’d be at this level,” DiMenna said. “The people around me pushed me to get better.”
Anthony DiMenna of Sachem North. Credit: James Escher
Bobby Galindo, OL, South Side: Colgate (FCS)
From training in backyards due to the pandemic to doing offensive line workouts in gyms, Galindo has been a steady constant for South Side. The senior has intended to sign with Colgate since the summer when the team’s offensive line coach contacted him about bringing him for a camp visit.
“I’ve been loyal to this for so long, but it feels great for it to be officially official,” Galindo said. “I wanted to be the first one to post it.”
Bobby Galindo of South Side. Credit: James Escher
Caden Lesiewicz, K/P, Floyd: Cornell (FCS)
Lesiewicz provided Floyd with 38 points as a kicker this year. Originally a soccer player, Lesiewicz said he discovered his football talent in eighth grade when he hit a 45-yard field goal on a field with his dad.
“When I was up [at Cornell] on my visit, everyone was like a family,” Lesiewicz said, adding that it reminded him of Floyd. “They all help and take care of each other. The freshmen aren’t separate from seniors, it’s just like a family atmosphere.”
Caden Lesiewicz of Floyd. Credit: James Escher
Lance Maiberg, K/P, St. John the Baptist: LIU (FCS)
Maiberg won a CHSFL title with St. John the Baptist this season and also won Special Teams Player of the Year in the CHSFL. Coach Phillip Alba noted Maiberg’s ability to pin opposing offenses all year long, including in the finals against Moore Catholic. Maiberg joined St. John the Baptist two years ago after punter RJ Kocan graduated and joined West Virginia’s football program.
“Lance told us he was going to come, and we were thrilled,” Alba said. “He had a good year last year, and then this year he improved and his leg got even stronger.”
Nick Rinaldi, OL, Chaminade: Davidson (FCS)
Rinaldi played purely on the offensive line at Chaminade. Kevin Dolan, who coached Chaminade in 2023, called him “one of the top five players I've ever coached.” Amidst a down season for the Flyers, Dolan complimented Rinaldi’s leadership both on and off the field.
“Not only is he a highly skilled operator on the field with his abilities as an offensive lineman, he’s also one of the strongest football players I think I’ve ever coached in my life,” Dolan said. “That’s 35 years of high school football. . . . That’s who Nick is, he takes pride in everything he does.”
Michael Seeger, OL/DL, Lindenhurst: Wagner (FCS)
Seeger continues a strong lineage of Lindenhurst football players at the D-I level. Coach Nick Lombardo said he could see Seeger playing even more competitive football in the years to come if the senior continues to improve.
“His size is for real. He’s a little bit over 6-5 at over 300 pounds,” Lombardo said. “We knew he had an opportunity to become something special. When he came up as a 10th grader, we just hoped he’d put in the time and do the things he needed to to reach the level he’s now reached.”
With Ben Dickson and Matt Lindsay
