As Brady Anderson watched the Army-Navy game with his family in Minnesota, the thought of playing in college football’s most storied rivalry became more clear.
Anderson, who had watched the game with his father once or twice in the past, found himself rooting for Army “like crazy.”
“After they won and seeing all the love the players and other cadets showed each other and how much pride went into the game and how important that win was, it was something I definitely wanted to be a part of,” Anderson said.
Army wide receivers coach Aaron Smith flew into Minnesota for a home visit with Anderson the day after (Sunday). Smith made his recruiting pitch and asked Anderson if he had any questions.
“I told him, ‘All my questions had been answered and that I want to commit right now,'” said Anderson, a senior wide receiver from Edina High School.
Anderson is the first Minnesota commit of Army’s 2023 class. Army offered Anderson in mid-November after tight end coach and Midwest recruiter Matt Drinkall reached out and coach Jeff Monken called with an offer a few days later.
Georgia State and Arkansas State had offered Anderson. He also visited Indiana and Wisconsin. Anderson took a visit to West Point on Dec. 2 and left impressed.
“The facilities and the campus itself and all the love the coaches showed me made me really excited about Army,” said Anderson, who had 1,052 combined rushing/receiving yards, nine touchdowns, 40 tackles and an interception as a senior. Anderson switched off from wide receiver to running back depending on Edina’s opponent. “I left thinking that this could really be the place I want to play.”
Watching the intensity of the Army-Navy game increased Anderson’s desire to play for Army. The pride of players stood out. Anderson has military service in his family – his grandfather in the Air Force and uncle in the Army.
“I loved seeing how much passion each player had to represent their school and branch against each other,” said the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Anderson, who averaged 10.9 yards per carry and caught 33 passes in 2022. “Then after the game seeing how much it meant to the whole school and the country, it made me realize how much I want to play in that game.”
“I would just like to let Army fans know that in everything I do I give 110 percent and for the next five years, I’m going to give everything I have to this program and help us win. And, I know my fellow commits will too. This class is going to be something different.”
2023 Army commits (65)
LB-S Ali Abdul-Hakeem, 6-foot, 205, Riverdale (Ga.) HS: First offer – Army. Other offers – Miami (Fla.)
RB Chad Alexander, 5-10, 170, Archer HS, Lawrenceville, Ga.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Rice, Western Kentucky. Attended Army-Navy game.
DB Phineas Allen, 5-10, 180, Rockledge (Fla.) HS: Other offers – Navy, Florida Atlantic, Central Michigan, UMass
K Carlos Alvarado, 5-9, 155, Tomball (Texas) HS: First offer – Army
DB Brady Anderson, 6-2, 200, Edina (Minn.) HS: Other offers – Arkansas State, Georgia State. Army visit – Dec. 2
QB Kendell Anderson, 6-3, 181, Montgomery Blair HS, Silver Spring, Md.: Other offers – Navy. Threw for 2,277 yards and 21 touchdowns as junior. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
WR-CB Malcolm Anderson, 5-10, 185, Andress HS, El Paso, Texas: Other offers – Navy, Texas State, New Mexico State
RB Myles Arterberry, 5-9, 185, Klein (Texas) HS: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Texas State. Army visit – April 16. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
T Jacob Benjamin, 6-5, 265, Cherokee Bluff HS, Flowery Branch, Ga.: First offer – Army. Other offers – Air Force
CB Isaiah Birl, 6-1, 185, Walnut Hills HS, Cincinnati, Ohio: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, Akron, Miami (Ohio), Toledo
TE-DE Brayden Bockler, 6-4, 240, San Juan Hills HS, Ladera Ranch, Calif.: Other offers – San Jose State
RB Ty Brown-Stauffer, 5-10, 200, Danville (Pa.): Army visit – June 23
DE Nick Buchys, 6-3, 240, Neshaminy HS, Langhorne, Pa.: First offer – Army. Army visit – April 14
WR-DB Jackson Burnett, 5-11, 180, Bishop Kenny HS, Jacksonville, Fla.: First offer – Navy. Army visit – April 12
TE Aidan Casuccio, 6-4, 225, The Hun School, Princeton, N.J.
LB Ray Coney, 6-3, 210, Fairfield (Ohio) HS] Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Bowling Green
RB BJ Curry, 5-9, 195, Magnolia (Ark.) HS: Other offers – Air Force, North Texas, Middle Tennessee State. Rushed for 2,164 yards and 29 touchdowns, caught TD pass as senior.
RB Travion Dickens, 5-10, 180, Prescott (Ark.) HS: First offer – Army. Defensive MVP at Army All-Academic camp in June.
DE Sean Donovan, 6-2, 230, Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Conn.: First offer – Army
TE Brian Dyer, 6-5, 210, Plano (Texas) East HS: Other offers – Arkansas State
WR Brody Eaton, 6-5, 225, Conestoga HS, Berwyn, Pa.
OL Cole Evans, 6-2, 300, Archbishop Wood HS, Warminster, Pa.: Other offers – Temple. Army visit – April 22.
RB Brennan Fisher, 5-11, 190, Pennridge HS, Perkasie, Pa.: Army visit – April 9. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
DL Eric Gardner, 6-2, 240, Archbishop Wood HS, Warminster, Pa.: Other offers – Penn State, Texas A&M, Northwestern, Cincinnati, Boston College, West Virginia, Maryland, Syracuse, Temple, Liberty, Bowling Green, Charlotte, UMass. Army visit – April 22.
DL Matt Gemma, 6-3, 280, Delbarton School, Morristown, N.J.: Other offers – Navy, Temple, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Kent State, Rice. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
DL Caleb Graham, 6-2, 255, Maryville (Tenn.) HS: First offer – Army. Other offers –Navy.
DB Justin Green, 6-1, 175, Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, Ohio: First offer – Army. Other offers – Air Force, Bowling Green. Army visit – April 15.
S Carlos Griffin, 5-11, 180, Saguaro HS, Scottsdale, Ariz.: Other offers – Syracuse
CB LJ Hall, 5-10, 170, Ware County HS, Waycross, Ga.
CB Jaxon Hammond, 5-11, 160, Christian Brothers HS, Memphis, Tenn.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Memphis, Marshall, Buffalo, Bowling Green, Arkansas State, UConn. Army visit – April 14
OL Andrew Hardwick, 6-3, 260, Boyle County HS, Danville, Ky.: Other offers – Navy. Army visit – April 2
K Jake Hulstein, 6-2, 207, Cedar Falls (Iowa) HS
OT Joseph Johnson, 6-5, 231, Glacier Peak HS, Snohomish, Wash.: First FBS offer – Army
QB Justin Johnson, 6-foot, 185, Archer HS, Lawrenceville, Ga.: Army visit – July 29
DB Matt Joines, 6-2, 170, East Forsyth, Kernersville, N.C.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force
DE Aiden Jones, 6-3, 225, Covington Catholic HS, Park Hills, Ky.: Army visit – March 26
FB Greigh Joseph, 6-1, 200, Starr’s Mill HS, Fayetteville, Ga.: First offer – Army
DL Patrick Kendall, 6-5, 270, Cathedral HS, Indianapolis, Ind.: Other offers – Navy. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova)
OT Tyler Klambara, 6-4, 300, Springfield (Pa.) HS: Also offered by Army track. Other offers – Navy. Preferred walk-on – Temple
WR Job Kralik, 6-foot, 165, Eatonville (Wash.) HS
DE-LB Peyton Ledford, 6-3, 240, Franklin County HS, Frankfort (Ky.): First offer – Army. Army visit – April 16, Oct. 1 (Georgia State game)
S Jake Lindsey, 5-11, 190, Camden County HS, Kingsland, Ga.: First offer – Army. Second offer – Air Force. Third offer – Navy
OL Christopher Luna, 6-3, 275, Tampa (Fla.) Catholic HS: First offer – Army. Army visit – April 22
DB Logan Mackey, 6-foot, 198, C.E. King HS, Houston, Texas
LB Javeon Miller, 6-1, 215, Creekside HS, Fairburn, Ga.: Other offers – Marshall, Toledo, Arkansas State, Charlotte, Middle Tennessee State
LB Ben Morrow, 6-2, 225, Satellite HS, Satellite Beach, Fla.: Army visit – April 9
LB-S Kharles Ngansi, 6-3, 200, Oakland Mills HS, Columbia, Md.: Other offers – Akron. Army game visit – Sept. 17 (Villanova) (COMMITTED, July 1)
DL Mack O’Halloran, 6-4, 235, Downers Grove (Ill.) South HS: Other offers – UAB, Central Michigan. Preferred walk on – Wisconsin
LB Sam Oppenheimer, 6-1, 215, Johns Creek (Ga.) HS: Other offers – Air Force, Eastern Michigan. Attended Army-Navy game.
QB Hayden Oviatt, 6-1, 200, Wamego (Kansas) HS: Other offers – Kansas, Colorado State, New Mexico State
FB Jordan Owens, East Coast Prep, Great Barrington, Mass.: Scored 10 touchdowns in two and half games his senior season at Maine-Endwell (N.Y.) before season-ending injury.
S Anton Pierce, 6-3, 202, Mills University HS, Little Rock, Ark.: Other offers – Arkansas. Army visit – April 16.
TE Parker Poloskey, 6-4, 225, Olympic Heights HS, Boca Raton, Fla.: Army visit – July 29
DE-LB Zane Poulter, 6-3, 215, Chico Hills (Calif.) HS: First offer – Army. Other offers – Air Force
LS Drew Prieto, 6-foot, 210, Marist School, Atlanta, Ga.: Army visit – April 22
RB-LB Kyon Simonson, 6-1, 200, Hillside (N.J.) HS: Other offers – UMass. Army visit – April 9
QB Will Smiley, 6-foot, 167, Bay HS, Panama City, Fla.
RB Carson Smith, 6-1, 220, Middletown (Md.) HS
OL Broden Sobolewski, 6-2, 260, St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: Army visit – April 22.
TE Nollenn Tabaska, 6-7, 230, Brookfield (Wisc.) East HS: Other offers – Central Michigan
CB Ish Taylor, 5-10, 175, Frisco (Texas) HS
LB Khaled Waliagha, 5-11, 205, Franklinton (La.) HS: 2021 stats – 123 tackles
QB Ethan Washington, 6-3, 190, North Gwinnett HS, Suwanee, Ga.: Other offers – Air Force, Georgia State, Miami (Ohio), Charlotte, UMass. Threw for 1,573 yards and 12 TDs, rushed for four TDs as junior. Has missed senior year with knee injury.
RB Bill Young, 5-10, 180, St. Andrew’s School, Boca Raton, Fla.: Other offers – Navy, Air Force, Central Michigan, UMass. Army visit – April 22
LB Sam Zagame, 6-2, 220, Foundation Academy, Winter Garden, Fla.
Commits by state (22 states) – Georgia (11), Florida (9), Pennsylvania (7); Texas (6), Arkansas (3), Maryland (3); New Jersey (3), Ohio (3); Kentucky (2), California (2), Tennessee (2); Washington (2), Arizona, Connecticut; Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas; Louisiana; Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Wisconsin
Offered by Navy: 17
Offered by Air Force: 14
Offered by Navy and Air Force: 8
