As the University of Delaware continues to map its changing future, the forthcoming move to the Football Bowl Subdivision is reflected in the Blue Hens’ latest recruiting class and steady stream of incoming transfers.

Five more class of 2024 high school prospects signed a National Letter of Intent early Wednesday morning, confirming their acceptance of a Delaware football scholarship.

Four come from the Southeast – three from Florida and one from Georgia. Those are high school football hotbeds into which Delaware has periodically dipped in the past but now must devote increasingly significant attention.

That makes sense, with Delaware’s 2025 entrance to Conference USA putting it in a league centered in the southeast. A football player coming to Delaware can now count on possible games at opponents such as Florida International, Louisiana Tech or Texas-El Paso.

"It seems like our [coaches], when they came off the road, there was a different tenor in  the room when [the move to FBS] was talked about," Delaware coach Ryan Carty said Wednesday morning " … We are excited about it and I think people can feel that as well."

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It’s why one of those incoming freshmen de-committed from a Group of Five program, Central Michigan in the Mid-American Conference, and opted instead for FBS newcomer Delaware. Taking into account how his parents “have never missed a game” and want to continue that, Alex Nash said, played a part in that decision.

“I saw Delaware moved to Conference USA and I was hearing they were an up-and-coming program. I was like, ‘Man, I gotta check this out,’” said Nash, a defensive back who has had the nickname “Seat Belt” since breaking up a pass, standing over a receiver and mimicking that he was strapping on a seat belt in a game two years ago.

Nash decommitted from Central Michigan on Nov. 29 just after Delaware’s move to Conference USA became public. He was offered by the Blue Hens the next day and committed after a January visit.

“I took the visit and it was like ‘This is what they say it is’ and committed on the spot,” said Nash, adding he felt an immediate connection with coach Ryan Carty and special teams coordinator/safeties coach Art Link.

Wednesday’s signees join the eight high school seniors who inked a National Letter of Intent Dec. 20, with most committing before the Nov. 28 announcement of Delaware’s CUSA move. Delaware has also announced the addition of eight transfers since the calendar flipped to 2025, thereby giving the Blue Hens 21 new players so far.

"To us," Carty said, "it's about trying to find places that we think student-athletes will be talented enough to play for us and add value in character, being great kids, being great teammates and fit in up here where we are.

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"It's pretty exciting going into a conference where we’ll be the northernmost team in it and we have that little niche for ourselves and get a chance to go play in those areas a lot when we get into Conference USA."

The one player not from the Southeast, kicker Sklyer Sholder of Philadelphia powerhouse Saint Joseph's Prep, is an invited walk-on. But Delaware did include him in its list of signees, which it usually does not for walk-ons.

Local players accepting walk-on opportunities at Delaware included Appoquinimink running back Daniel McCononomy and Saint Mark's lineman Jake O'Donoghue and wideout/defensive back Logan Klein.

Delaware’s Feb. 7 signees

Matthew McKinley, 6-0, 185, WR, Gainesville, Fla./Hawthorne

Alex Nash, 6-0, 180, DB, St. Cloud, Fla./Harmony

Trace Scott, 6-4, 255, DL, Orlando, Fla./Timber Creek

Skyler Sholder, 5-10, 170, K, Voorhees, N.J./Saint Joseph’s Prep

Sean Wilson, 6-0, 175, WR, Alpharetta, Ga./Alpharetta

Incoming transfers

Josh Cupitt, 6-0, 175, P, Reading, Pa./Exeter Township/Towson – Cupitt was honorable mention All-CAA punter in 2023 after finishing first in the league and third in FCS with a 44.9-yard average. That included five punts for more than 50 yards with a career-best 60-yarder vs. Norfolk State. In 2022 he averaged 57.3 yards per kickoff with nine touchbacks. Appeared in just one game as a freshman in 2021 and has two years of eligibility.

Nate Evans, 6-0, 190, DB, Virginia Beach/Cox/North Carolina State – Evans played in six games, mostly on special teams, in three seasons with the Wolfpack. He has two years of eligibility.

Caleb Fauria, 6-5. 240, TE, Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan/Colorado – The son of former Super Bowl-winning Patriots tight end Christian Fauria played in 17 Colorado games the last three years. Fauria had three catches for 23 yards and also scored on a 2-point run in 2023 against Stanford. He has two years left.

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Blake Matthews, 6-2, 210, LB, Bremen, Ga./ Bremen/Troy – Matthews played in all 14 games for Troy in 2023, mainly on special times, and had four tackles and a fumble recovery. In addition to excelling on defense, Matthews was Bremen’s all-time leading receiver. He has three remaining seasons.

Max Patterson, 6-0, 185, WR, Arlington, Va. /Yorktown/Rutgers -- Patterson caught three passes in 25 games over three seasons at Rutgers. He’ll have two seasons at Delaware.

Q’yaeir Price, 6-2, 255, DL, Paterson, N.J./DePaul Catholic/Rutgers -- Appeared in four games as a true freshman in 2022, including some snaps at fullback, but saw no action in 2023. Pierce has three years left.

Jason Scott, 6-0, 185, DB, Laurel, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel/Boston College -- Scott appeared in 23 games, primarily on special teams, over four seasons at BC, making one tackle. He has two years left.

Connor Witthoft, 6-3, 250, TE, Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic/New Mexico – Witthoft played in 23 games with six starts for the Lobos, catching nine passes for 82 yards and a TD. His 2023 season was cut short by an injury and he has two years of eligibility left.

Hen scratch

Delaware announced Monday it will play at Virginia on Sept. 26, 2026, the first game between the two schools. That follows recently scheduled games against other Power Four conference foes at Wake Forest and at Colorado in the Blue Hens' debut 2025 FBS season. … Spring football practice starts March 9.

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: National Signing Day 2024: Delaware add recruits from Florida, Georgia