Randall Nauden is driven to succeed in academics as much as football.
Nauden rushed for 1,400 yards this fall, the third-highest, single-season total at Brother Rice High School of Chicago while earning a 4.23 grade-point average.
After his initial recruitment by Army assistant Matt Drinkall in the spring, Nauden researched West Point more and more. Nauden discovered that the academy could fulfill his lifelong dream of playing Division I football as well as his academic drive. West Point had study opportunities in finance, a love for Nauden.
Nauden’s Army football offer was presented by Drinkall in early November. Nauden visited West Point Tuesday (Dec. 12). The visit didn’t disappoint. Nauden, an Illinois state scholar, committed to Army Saturday.
“Army football is great,” said Nauden, who is 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds. “Coach (Jeff) Monken is building a program that will be very special these upcoming years. My visit to West Point was great. I loved the campus and the facilities. The coaches and recruiting staff were nothing short of amazing.
“I wanted to go into finance and build a career out of that and Army gives me the opportunity to do that.”
Nauden, who received his first FBS offer from Navy, scored 15 rushing touchdowns this season. He will sign his certificate of commitment to Army this week. A catcher, Nauden has decided to forego his senior season in baseball, a sport that has played his entire life, to focus on college football.
“I’m very excited to sign with Army,” Nauden said. “It’s been a dream of mine to play Division I and now it’s coming true.”
Here’s an updated Army 2024 commit list ahead of Signing Day Wednesday:
2024 commits (79)
S Jermaine Agee, 5-11, 180, Glenville HS, Cleveland, Ohio: Other offers – Temple, Buffalo, Akron, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Kent State, Ohio, Marshall, UMass. Army official visit – June 22-25
RB-S Marley Alapati, 6-foot, 205, Junipero Serra HS, San Mateo, Calif.: Other offers – UNLV
EDGE Jayden Antonelli, 6-4, 210, Nixa (Mo.) HS
RB Dylan Armentrout, 5-9, 192, Bloom-Carroll HS, Carroll, Ohio: Other offers – Navy, Air Force (first offer)
TE Grayson Baker, 6-7, 242, Wachsett HS, Holden, Mass.: Other offers – Air Force.
LB AJ Barbat, 6-2, 220, Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy: Other offers – Navy, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Charlotte, UNLV
TE Conall Brannan, 6-5, 236, Gonzaga College HS, Washington, D.C.: First offer – Army. Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Marshall, Charlotte, Central Michigan
DL Ben Britton, 6-3, 275, Oceanside Collegiate Academy, Mount Pleasant, S.C.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Liberty, James Madison, East Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Toledo, Old Dominion
OL Chris Broberg, 6-7, 310, LaSalle Institute HS, Troy, N.Y.: First offer – Army
DE-LB Will Brockmeier, 6-4, 215, Gulf Coast HS, Naples, Fla.: First offer – Army
DL Kyler Brunan, 6-4, 270, Traverse City (Mich.) West HS: Other offers – Central Michigan
EDGE Artemis Bryant,6-2, 240, Carmel (Ind.) HS: Other offers – Air Force, Miami (Ohio)
DL Jadon Bumbaugh, 6-3, 285, Gonzaga College HS, Washington, D.C.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, West Virginia, Liberty, Marshall, Toledo, Kent State
P Peyton Butts, 6-foot, 195, Guerin Catholic HS, Noblesville, Ind.
DB Gabriel Cash, 6-2, 195, Coral Springs (Fla.) HS: First offer – Air Force. Second offer – Army. Third offer – Navy
OL Everett Champlin, 6-4, 285, The Woodlands (Texas) HS: Other offers – Air Force, Texas State. Army visit – Spring game. Home visit – Drew Thatcher
DL Jacob Cotterill, 6-4, 245, Summerville (S.C.) HS
DL Noah Daniels, 6-4, 240, Winter Park (Fla.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Tulane, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Arkansas State
DB Jamire Davis, 6-1, 176, St. Joseph HS, Kenosha, Wisc.: Army visit – Nov. 11 (Holy Cross)
QB Mikal Davis, 6-foot, 200, Imhotep Charter HS, Philadelphia, Pa.: First offer – Army
WR Anthony Diaz, 5-10, 170, East HS, Rochester, N.Y.: Other offers – Buffalo. Army visit – April 15.
QB Ashton Dickens, 6-1, 195, Lockhart (Texas) HS: First offer – Army. Career high school stats – 4,628 rushing yards, 59 touchdowns, 3,983 passing yards, 32 touchdowns
OL Owen Draves, 6-5, 255, Mount Dora (Fla.) Christian Academy: Other offers – Air Force
TE Abram Edwards, 6-5, 212, Winfield-Mount Union HS, Winfield, Iowa
WR Maddax Fayard, 5-10, 190, Niceville (Fla.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Middle Tennessee State
TE-DE Jake Furtney, 6-5, 245, St. Charles (Ill.) North HS: Other offers – Air Force, Northern Illinois, Akron, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ohio
OL Braeden Helmkamp, 6-5, 270, Trinity Area HS, Washington, Pa.
TE Bryce Jaworski, 6-4, 245, Wausau (Wisc.) West HS: Other offers – Air Force, Ohio
K-P Dawson Jones, Marvin Ridge HS, Waxhaw, N.C.
DB Jaylen Jones, 6-foot, 190, Hamilton HS, Queen Creek, Ariz.: Other offers – Indiana, Louisville, Western Kentucky, UNLV. Father, Herana-Daze spent six seasons in the NFL and led the Bengals in special teams tacklers in 2006 and 2007.
RB Jack Kayser, 5-8, 175, Westlake HS, Austin Texas: 2022 stats – 1,555 rushing yards, 27 TDs. First offer – Air Force. Other offers – Navy
QB Luke Knight, 5-10, 180, Wiregrass Ranch HS, Merritt Island, Fla.: Other offers – Navy, Toledo
RB Randall Lauden, 5-11, 200, Brother Rice HS, Chicago, Ill.: Other offers – Navy
WR Cooper Leonard, 6-3, 180, Fossil Ridge HS, Keller, Texas: First offer – Army. Second offer – Air Force
WR Matthias Lighten, 6-1, 180, Moore Catholic HS, Staten Island, N.Y.: Other offers – Toledo, Buffalo, Temple, Bowling Green, UMass. Plainfield, N.J. resident.
OL William Mack, 6-5, 280, Smithson Valley HS, Spring Branch, Texas
WR Davion Malloy, 6-foot, 180, Goose Creek (S.C.) HS
OL Josh Manecke, 6-7, 270, Downers Grove (Ill.) South HS: Other offers – Air Force, Ball State, Eastern Michigan
QB Harrison Mass, 5-11, 165, Cypress Springs HS, Cypress, Texas: First offer – Air Force. Second offer – Navy. Third offer – Army.
RB Evan McCracken, 5-9, 180, Richland HS, Johnstown, Pa.: First offer – Army. Other offers – Navy. Preferred walk-on offer – West Virginia
LB Nick McGlynn, 6-1, 215, St. Joseph’s Prep, Philadelphia, Pa.: First offer – Army. Other offers – Navy
DE Liam McKenna, 6-4, 230, Elder HS, Cincinnati, Ohio: Other offers – Air Force, Pittsburgh, Ball State
OL-DL Greg Meidl, 6-4, 250, Mankato (Minn.) West HS
WR Josh Milhollin, 5-11, 165, Fellowship Christian School, Roswell, Ga.: Other offers – Navy, Georgia Southern
QB Evan Minjarez, 6-1, 192, Eastwood HS, El Paso, Texas: First FBS offer – Army
S Ryland Mitchell, 6-1, 175, Summerville (S.C.) HS: Other offers – Navy
LB Joshua Modupe, 6-2, 215, Fernandina Beach (Fla.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force. Army visit – July 31.
DB Daylan Moore, 5-10, 175, Calvary Christian HS, Clearwater, Fla.: Other offers – Charlotte
WR Nolan Munroe, 6-3, 180, Bishop Moore HS, Orlando, Fla.: First offer – Army. Second offer – Navy. Other offers – Air Force. Class of 2024 wide receiver MVP at Army camp in June.
OL Dalton Noble, 6-5, 250, Jefferson HS, Boulder, Montana
DB Daniel Ogordi, 6-foot, 1901, Atholton HS, Columbia, Md.
DB Jed Olotu-Judah, 6-1, 187, Katy (Texas) HS: Other offers – Texas State, Marshall
QB Harrison Orr, 6-2, 210, Fort Walton Beach (Fla.) HS: First offer – Army
LB Kevin Pollock, 6-foot, 200, Vero Beach (Fla.) HS: Other offers – Liberty
DB JT Poynton, 6-2, 185, Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort, Ill.: Other offers – Air Force
DB Julian Porter, 6-1, 177, Bartram Trail HS, Jacksonville, Fla.: First offer – Army
WR Brian Ray, 6-1, 200, Folsom (Calif.) HS: Army visit – June 9
LB Amir Robinson, 6-foot, 195, BEST Academy HS, Atlanta, Ga.: Other offers – Appalachian State, Akron, Liberty, Eastern Michigan
WR Justin Ruffin, 5-9, 160, Christian Academy, Louisville, Ky.: Other offers – Air Force, Louisville, South Florida, Appalachian State, James Madison
LB Xavier Ryan, 6-1, 210, Houston County HS, Warner Robins, Ga.
OL Tim Savchuk, 6-4, 280, Oswego (Ill.) East HS: Other offers – Ball State
K Joey Scardina, Rock Bridge HS, Columbia, Mo.
WR Aden Self, 6-foot,195, The Woodlands (Texas) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force
OL Brady Stephenson, 6-5, 290, Lockhart (Texas) HS: Other offers – Air Force
WR Willy Suarez, 5-10, 185, Jesuit HS, Tampa, Fla.: Army visit – Boston College (Oct. 7)
LB-TE Luke Sutphen, 6-3, 220, Hun School, Princeton, N.J.: Other offers – Navy.
QB Zach Taylor, 6-4, 160, Yoakum (Texas) HS
WR-DB David Thom-Rogers, 6-3, 170, Montclair (N.J.) HS: Other offers – Syracuse.
RB Trey Tremba, 5-11, 195, Parkland HS, Allentown, Pa.: Underclassman RB MVP at Army’s June 2022 camp. Army Game Day visit – UConn (Nov.19). Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Temple
OL-DL Zach Tomosovich, 6-5, 320, Penn-Trafford HS, Harrison City, Pa.: Other offers – Temple, James Madison, Toledo, Miami (Ohio), Akron, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, UMass
QB Nehemiah Vann, 6-foot, 190, Seven Rivers Christian School, Lecanto, Fla.: Former Florida preferred, walk-on commit. Will play post-grad season at Fork Union Military Academy. Threw 60 touchdowns with only five interceptions his junior and senior seasons at Seven Rivers.
TE Ryan Vanscoy, 6-4, 230, American Heritage HS, Delray Beach, Fla.: Other offers – Navy
RB Jayden Walker, 5-10, 180, McKinney (Texas) HS: First offer – Navy. Second offer – Air Force. Third offer – Army
LB Elijah Walton, 6-1, 200, Harlan HS, San Antonio, Texas: First offer – Army.
LB Jackson Weingart, 6-1, 210, Cathedral HS, Indianapolis, Ind.
LB-S Andrew Wiggins, 6-2, 187, Oswego (Ill.) East HS : First offer – Air Force. Second offer – Army.
LB Jonathon Williams, 6-foot, 225, Mohave HS, Bullhead City, Ariz.: Other offers – Air Force, UNLV
CB Kendrick Williams, 6-2, 180, Joppatowne HS, Joppa, Md.: Other offers – Navy
LB LeJon Williams, 6-2, 210, Escambia HS, Pensacola, Fla.: Other offers – Florida Atlantic
LB Kai Woolfolk, 6-foot, 207, Mason (Ohio) HS: First offer – Army
Decommits
LB Kabriel Anderson-Dale, 5-11, 225, Harker Heights (Texas) HS: Other offers – North Texas, Texas State, Arkansas State
DB Jaylen Archibald, 6-1, 185, Frisco (Texas) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Kent State
QB Jordan Bell, 6-3, 185, Munford (Tenn.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Virginia, Memphis, East Carolina
TE Jack Kelly, 6-4, 240, North Oconee HS, Bogart, Ga.: Preferred walk on – Georgia. Other offers – Navy, Georgia State, Liberty, Florida Atlantic, UAB, Buffalo (COMMITTED to Appalachian State)
TE Jeffson Locke, 6-4, 235, Dalton (Ga.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force. Army visit – April 1.
RB Trey Morris, 5-11, 195, Cypress Falls HS, Houston, Texas: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Utah State, Louisiana-Monroe
OL Tyler Murray, 6-5, 280, Brandeis HS, San Antonio, Texas: Other offers – Texas Tech. (COMMITTED to Texas Tech)
Offered by Navy: 23
Offered by Air Force: 26
Offered by Navy and Air Force: 12
State breakdown (23 plus District of Columbia) – Florida (16), Texas (13), Illinois (6), Pennsylvania (6), Ohio (4), South Carolina (4), Georgia (3), Indiana (3), New York (3), Arizona (2), California (2), District of Columbia (2), Maryland (2), New Jersey (2), Wisconsin (2), Iowa (1), Kentucky (1), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1), Missouri (1), North Carolina (1), Massachusetts (1), Montana (1),Tennessee (1)
