Dec. 20 was a big day for the University of St. Thomas football program. At the conclusion of their third NCAA Division I season, the Tommies announced their 2024 signing class that afternoon. The class includes 20 football players from seven states, head coach Glenn Caruso announced.
“St. Thomas football is proud and excited to see our next generation of Tommies join our family,” said Caruso. “Our coaching staff did an amazing job scouring the region to find the right type of student-athlete as we continue to move our program forward.”
The 2024 St. Thomas football recruit class includes nine defensive and 10 offensive players and one special teams kicker/punter, making it one of the most complete classes in the Division I era. It additionally showcases some of the top talent from the Midwest region, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, along with players from Kansas, Arizona and Nebraska.
“Even though we know the strength of a class will always come into focus years down the road, it always starts the same way: with great people who are serious about pursuing excellence in both their education and football career and passionate about how they can achieve and balance both of those here at St. Thomas,” commented Caruso. “Although today is just the beginning of the early signing period, these 20 players provide the university with a great foundation as we continue to recruit and form the Class of 2024."
St. Thomas put the FCS and Pioneer Football League (PFL) on notice when it made the jump to Division I in 2021. In three seasons, the Tommies have compiled an overall record of 25-7 with a 21-3 mark in PFL play. The team’s 21 conference wins are the most in the PFL in that three-year span, and St. Thomas owns a .875 win percentage against conference opponents. In addition to their play on the field, the Tommies have racked up multiple awards for their performance in the classroom, boasting nine Academic All-Conference and Academic All-District award winners the past two seasons. Additionally, St. Thomas saw 19 student-athletes named to the Hampshire Academic list following the 2022 season.
