CONWAY, S.C. – New Coastal Carolina head coach
Tim Beck and his staff kicked off its 2023 recruiting class on Wednesday, Dec. 21, by adding six student-athletes to the 2023 roster on the first day of the early signing period.
Four of the signees will enroll for the spring semester in January 2023 and will participate in spring practice with the Chanticleers.
Of the first-day members of the 2023 class, all six are on the defensive side of the ball.
Below is information on each of the early signees:
Wyatt Gedeon – 6-1 * 235 * LB * Avon Lake, Ohio / St. Edward High School
- Rated a three-star recruit at linebacker for the Class of 2023 by 247Sports and On3
- Ranked as a two-star recruit at linebacker for the Class of 2023 by Rivals
- Rated the No. 39-best prospect in the state of Ohio for the Class of 2023 by On3
- Ranked as the No. 53-best prospect in the state of Ohio for the Class of 2023 by 247Sports
- Lined up at linebacker and on the defensive edge for St. Edward High School and head coach Tom Lombardo
- Tabbed a 2022 High School Football All-American by Stadium Talk
- Named the 2022 Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) All-Ohio Division I Player of the Year his senior year
- Picked first-team All-Ohio honors his senior year in 2022
- Garnered third-team All-Ohio honors as a junior in 2021
- Guided St. Edward to back-to-back state championship titles in 2021 and 2022
- Helped his St. Edward's team win the 2022 OHSAA Division I state championship title and finish the year at 15-1 overall
- Finished his senior season with 125 tackles, 20.0 sacks, 32 tackles-for-loss, four pass breakups, three forced fumbles, three blocked punts, and three blocked field goals
- Totaled 106 tackles, 12.0 sacks, and 24.0 tackles-for-loss his junior season
- Chose Coastal Carolina over Air Force, Army, Akron, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Charlotte, Marshall, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Navy, Ohio, Old Dominion, Toledo, UMass, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Austin Peay, Cornell, Dartmouth, Fordham, Furman, Illinois State, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Robert Morris, and UT Martin
- Plans to enroll at Coastal in January 2023
Spencer Kishbaugh – 6-3 * 210 * LB * Berwick, Pa. / Berwick Area High School
- Rated a two-star recruit at linebacker for the Class of 2023 by Rivals
- Three-year letterwinner in football at Berwick Area High for head coaches Carmen DeFrancesco and Mike Bennett
- Lined up at outside linebacker and wide receiver at Berwick
- Was named to the 2022 first-team Wyoming Valley Conference (WVC) All-Star team for both defense (linebacker) and offense (wide receiver) his senior year
- Named to the 2021 Pennsylvania Football News Coaches Select Class 4A All-State first team as a junior
- A two-time Times Leader All-WVC Division I first-team selection (2021 and 2022)
- Also a two-time All-District 2 honoree at linebacker
- Recorded 85 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss, 3.0 sacks, and one interception
- Totaled 94 tackles, 25.0 tackles-for-loss, 9.0 sacks, and three interceptions during his junior year
- He also caught 20 passes for 371 yards and five touchdowns on offense in 2021
- Also an amateur boxer
- Chose Coastal Carolina over Air Force, Army, Kent State, LIU Post, Monmouth, and San Diego
Derrick Maxey III – 5-11 * 180 * DB * Atlanta, Ga. / Hapeville Charter Career Academy
- Rated a three-star recruit at safety for the Class of 2023 by 247Sports and Rivals
- Rated a three-star recruit as an athlete for the Class of 2023 by On3
- Ranked as a three-star recruit at cornerback for the Class of 2023 by ESPN
- Rated the 110th-best prospect in the state of Georgia for the Class of 2023 by ESPN
- Lined up at cornerback and wide receiver at Hapeville Charter Career Academy for head coach Winston Gordon
- Named to the 2022 Dekalb County School District (DCSD) All-Region 6-4A second team
- Was a team captain his senior season for the Hornets
- Totaled 32 tackles, including 21 solo stops, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, and two interceptions on defense his senior year
- Recorded 24 receptions for 368 yards and carried the ball four times for 42 yards on offense during his senior year
- Returned four punts for 69 yards on special teams in 2022 as a senior
- Father played football for the Georgia Cardinals in the Amateur to Professional Development Football League (APDFL)
- Chose Coastal Carolina over Georgia, Oregon, Colorado, Florida State, Kansas, Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Buffalo, Florida A&M, FAU, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, and UCF
- Plans to enroll at Coastal in January 2023
Dairo Melendez Jr. – 6-0 * 280 * DL * Miami Fla. / Immaculata-La Salle High School
- Ranked as a three-star recruit along the defensive line for the Class of 2023 by 247Sports, ESPN, and On3
- Rated as a three-star recruit at defensive tackle for the Class of 2023 by Rivals
- Lined up at both defensive tackle and defensive end for Miami Immaculata-La Salle High School and head coach Helder Valle
- Was a three-year starter for the Royal Lions
- Named one of the top defensive linemen in 2023 by Florida Varsity Rivals and by The Crib South Florida
- Finished his four-year high school career with 180 tackles, including 105 solo stops, 36.5 tackles-for-loss, 11.5 sacks, and 23 quarterback hurries
- Recorded 53 total tackles, 10.0 tackles-for-loss, and 3.0 sacks over 10 games his senior year
- Tabbed the MaxPreps Defensive Player of the Game in the win over Somerset Academy (Oct. 8, 2021)
- Totaled 63 tackles and 4.0 sacks in his junior year in helping lead the Royal Lions to a perfect 10-0 regular season and advance to the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 4A playoffs
- Also letters in track & field where he was a district qualifier as a junior in both the shot put and discus
- Chose Coastal Carolina over Syracuse, Akron, Buffalo, FIU, South Alabama, South Dakota, Alabama A&M, Illinois State, and Bryant
Matt Scicchitano – 6-4 * 280 * DL * Mount Carmel, Pa. / Mount Carmel Area High School
- Ranked as a three-star recruit along the defensive line for the Class of 2023 by 247Sports and On3
- Also ranked as a three-star recruit at defensive tackle for the Class of 2023 by Rivals and ESPN
- Rated the No. 28-best prospect for the Class of 2023 in the state of Pennsylvania by 247Sports and ESPN
- Tabbed the No. 29-best prospect for the Class of 2023 in the state of Pennsylvania by On3
- Lettered for four years in football at Mount Carmel Area High School under head coach John Darrah
- A two-time Heartland Athletic Conference League All-Star Division 3 first-team as a tight end and defensive lineman (2021 and 2022)
- Named to the 2021 Pennsylvania Football News Coaches All-State football team his junior year, earning first-team honors at defensive line
- Named to the WNEP 16 Dream Team, the All-Northeast Showcase Selection, and the EPA Football second team at defensive line in 2021
- Tabbed a Press-Enterprise All-Star, News-Item All-Star, and Dailey Item All-Star
- A three-time MaxPreps Defensive Player of the Week honoree his senior year
- Guided his team to a 12-1 overall record and 7-0 conference record in 2022 as a senior
- Recorded 66 tackles, 17.0 tackles-for-loss, 6.5 sacks, and 12 quarterback hurries on defense his senior year
- Hauled in 10 receptions for 174 yards and four touchdowns as a tight end during his senior season
- Led the Red Tornadoes with 6.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, and nine quarterback hurries on defense during his junior year, while adding 46 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, and one pass breakup
- Tallied three touchdown catches and averaged 7.2 receiving yards per game on offense as a junior
- Was a member of the basketball team at Mount Carmel
- Also lettered in track & field, placing fifth at the PIAA State Championships in the discus throw his junior year
- Named to the Distinguished Honor Roll
- Chose Coastal Carolina over Syracuse, Temple, Army, Navy, James Madison, Old Dominion, Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent State, LIU Post, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Columbia, Harvard, Holy Cross, and Rhode Island
- Plans to enroll at Coastal in January 2023
Laurence Sullivan Jr. – 5-10 * 185 * DB * Vicksburg, Miss. / Vicksburg High School (East Mississippi Community College)
- Three years of eligibility remaining
- Plans to enroll in January 2023
Prior to Coastal Carolina
2022 (Sophomore) at East Mississippi Community College
- Was named to the JCGridiron CB Watch List for the 2022 season
- Named to the 2022 All-MACCC North Division second team on defense
- Played in all 11 games for the Lions and head coach Buddy Stephens
- Led the Lions to a national NJCAA Division I ranking as high as No. 5 on the year
- Helped lead the Lions to an 8-3 overall record and win the program's eighth Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) Championship
- Recorded 55 tackles and four interceptions on the year, including returning one for a touchdown, and seven pass breakups
- Had eight tackles and returned an interception for 51 yards in a loss at Jones College (Sept. 8)
- Picked up a season-high nine tackles and a pass breakup in the win over Holmes Community College (Sept. 15)
- Finished with seven tackles and returned an interception 58 yards for a touchdown in a loss at home to Northwest Mississippi Community College (Sept. 29)
- Totaled five tackles in wins over Copiah-Lincoln Community College (Sept. 1), Coahoma Community College (Oct. 6), and Itawamba Community College (Oct. 22)
- Recorded an interception at Northeast Mississippi Community College (Oct. 13) and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Nov. 5)
- Had a season-high two pass breakups versus Copiah-Lincoln and Itawamba
2021 (Freshman) at East Mississippi Community College
- Saw action in 10 games on the season as a true freshman
- Played primarily on special teams as well as on defense
- Helped the Lions go 9-1 and a No. 1 NJCAA Division I national ranking on the season with the lone loss coming in the 2021 MACCC Football semifinals game
- Was a member of the 2021 MACCC North Division championship team
- Totaled 19 tackles on the year, including 10 in conference play
- Also had one forced fumble and two pass breakups on the season
- Finished the season with a season-high five tackles and a pass breakup versus Hinds Community College (Nov. 6)
- Had three tackles and a pass breakup in a road win at Itawamba Community College (Oct. 28)
- Picked up two tackles and forced a fumble in a blowout win at Mississippi Delta Community College (Sept. 16)
High School
- Lettered at Vicksburg High School for head coach Todd McDaniel
- Was a two-way standout, lining up at running back and defensive back
- Finished his senior season with 641 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on offense in 2020
- Also had 18 tackles and one interception as a shutdown cornerback on defense his senior year
For complete coverage of CCU football, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalFootball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @goccusports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.
