TOLEDO, Ohio – University of Toledo Head Football Coach Jason Candle announced the addition of defensive end Samuel Toniolo from Avon, Ohio to the Rockets' 2025 recruiting class on Wednesday, giving them at total of 19 signees for next year's squad.
 
Toledo's recruiting class is ranked No. 1 in the Mid-American Conference by both 247Sports and Rivals. 247Sports lists all of Toledo's signees as three-star recruits. Toledo previously inked 18 signees to the program on the first day of the early signing period on Dec. 4. 
 
Toledo has landed the No. 1 recruiting class in the MAC in each of the past two seasons and seven times since Candle assumed the reins as the Rockets' head coach in December of 2015. 
 
The Rockets stayed close to home for a significant portion of their recruiting class, bringing in 14 players from Ohio and Michigan. UT also added two players from Pennsylvania, and one each from Illinois, Texas and Florida.
 
In addition, Toledo has added 16 student-athletes from the transfer portal.
 
"I'm excited about our class," said Candle, who is entering his 10th season as Toledo's head coach. "Obviously in recruiting you want to do a great job of self-evaluating where your program is at, where are holes and where are the needs that need to be filled. The times are changing in college football so how you do that in today's world is a little bit different than it was before. I thought we added some really good pieces in the (transfer) portal that will fill needs with veteran players right now. We also signed some really good high school players that in time will hopefully develop into players who can help our program."
 
The following is look at Toledo's signing class of 2025: 
 
Maddox Arnold | LB | 6-2 | 225 | Cincinnati, Ohio (Elder) 
Maddox Arnold is ranked as the No. 43 inside linebacker in the country by ESPN as well as the No. 42 player in Ohio's class of 2025 by 247Sports. He is listed as a three-star recruit by both ESPN and 247Sports. Arnold picked up numerous awards including all-state honorable mention, first-team all-Southwest Ohio, first-team all-Tri-State and first team all-conference as a junior, and a preseason all-state nod as a senior. He was second in the league last season with 87 tackles and tied for first in the league with three sacks. He also earned Academic All-America honors.
 
John Baker IV | DE | 6-5 | 220 | Clinton Township, Mich. (Detroit Cass Technical) 
John Baker IV is listed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN. ESPN ranks him as the No. 24 defensive lineman in the state of Michigan, while 247Sports lists him as the No. 30 player in the state. Baker was a two-time Detroit Free Press All-City selection and was named all-state in his senior year with 90 tackles. As a senior, he led the Detroit Public School League in sacks, tackles for loss and QB hurries. He won three conference titles and the 2024 state championship with Cass Technical as well. Baker also competes in the shot put, ranking in the top 10 in school history. 
 
Jordin Farrow | DL | 6-3 | 292 | Inkster, Mich. (River Rouge) 
Jordin Farrow is a three-star defensive lineman who ranks as the No. 30 player in the state of Michigan by ESPN and No. 33 according to 247Sports. Farrow was named second-team preseason all-state defense by Sports Illustrated this season. He also ran track in high school.  
 
Kamren Flowers | WR | 6-0 | 170 | Detroit, Mich. (West Bloomfield) 
Kamren Flowers is a four-star recruit and the No. 2 wide receiver in the state of Michigan, according to ESPN. He is listed as a three-star recruit and the No. 15 player in the state by 247Sports. Flowers earned first-team all-region honors and was named to the OAA Dream Team. He also ran track, running a sub-11.00 as a sophomore and won regional championships as part of the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams. 
 
Raphael Greene-Nyarko | OT | 6-6 | 340 | Cincinnati, Ohio (Winton Woods) 
Raphael Greene-Nyarko is a three-star recruit who played on the offensive line at Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati. He is listed as the No. 70 player in the state by 247Sports. Green-Nyarko was an honor roll student and plans to major in journalism at UT.  
 
Tyler Hackenbracht | S | 6-2 | 210 | Massillon, Ohio (Washington) 
Tyler Hackenbracht is listed as a three-star recruit by both ESPN and 247Sports. He earned All-Stark County honors from both WHBC and the Canton Repository. A team captain at Massillon Washington high School, Hackenbracht earned the SBLive/SI National High School Boys Athlete of the Week honor. He also earned Honorable Mention All-Ohio honors. Massillon Washington was the 2023 OHSAA Division VI state champion, winning its first title in program history to complete a 16-0 season. 
  
DJ Kelly | DB | 6-1 | 185 | Allentown, Pa. (Baltimore St. Frances Academy) 
DJ Kelly is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports and ESPN. An honor roll student at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Md., Kelly played wide receiver and cornerback, and also ran track.
 
Omar Mims | WR | 6-0 | 165 | East St. Louis, Ill. (Cahokia)
Omar Mims is listed as a three-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports. He received First-Team All-South Seven Conference and IHSFCA Honorable Mention All-State honors as a senior. Mims also runs track, winning the IHSAA Class 3A State Championship in the 200M with a time of 21.4 and garnering a runner-up 100M finish of 10.5 in 2023.
 
Walter Moses | QB | 6-4 | 190 | Perry, Ohio (Perry) 
Walter Moses won an OHSAA Division 5 state championship at Perry High School, where he threw for nearly 7,500 passing yards and totaled 89 touchdowns. A three-star recruit, Moses was recognized as all-state and all-district honoree three times and was the conference player of the year. He also played basketball in high school. 
 
Jayden Price | DB | 6-3 | 185 | Seven Fields, Pa. (Seneca Valley) 
Jayden Price is a two-time WPIAL First-Team All-Conference selection, as picked by BIG 56 Sports News. He is listed as a three-star recruit by ESPN and 247Sports. Price also ran track in high school.
 
Noah Sanders | RB | 5-11 | 170 | Franklin, Mich. (Birmingham Groves)
Noah Sanders is a three-star recruit and was ranked the No. 37 senior in the state of Michigan by ESPN. He is the son of former Detroit Lion and NFL Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. His older brothers, Barry Jr. and Nick are both collegiate athletes, as Barry Jr. was a running back at Stanford and Nick plays basketball at Michigan State. He rushed for 700 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior. This season, he led Groves High School to a 12-1 record and an appearance in the state semifinals. He had 924 yards and 12 TDs on just 107 carries heading into the semifinal game. Sanders also runs track, qualifying for the state meet last spring in the 100.
 
Shawn Simeon | RB | 5-10 | 180 | Naples, Fla. (Naples) 
Shawn Simeon rushed for 2,040 yards as a junior and set single-game school records with 387 rushing yards and seven touchdowns during the playoffs. A three-star recruit, Simeon intends to major in business management at Toledo. 
 
Isiah Switzer | OL | 6-6 | 285 | Cleveland, Ohio (Glenville) 
A three-star recruit, Isaiah Switzer played on the offensive line for Ted Ginn Sr. at Glenville High School. The Cleveland native plans to major in business at Toledo. 
 
Samuel Toniolo | DE | 6-4 | 245 | Avon, Ohio (Avon) 
Samuel Toniolo is a native of Brazil who earned All-Ohio honors at defensive end while helping lead Avon High School to the Division II state championship title. He recorded 29 tackles, six sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 18 QB hurries as a senior. He three letters each in football, basketball and track & field.
 
Ryder Treadway | WR | 6-3 | 193 | Frisco, Texas (Wakeland) 
A three-star recruit, Ryder Treadway was a Texas 5A-1 first-team all-district wide receiver in both his junior and senior seasons. He eclipsed 70 receptions and 1,000 yards both seasons and totaled 29 TDs. He holds school single-season receiving yards and receiving TD records. Treadway has won three letters each in football, basketball and track & field, and one in soccer. He also received Academic All-State selections in football and basketball.  
 
Bryant Weatherspoon, Jr. | DE | 6-3 | 250 | Detroit, Mich. (Harper Woods) 
Bryant Weatherspoon, Jr is a three-star recruit who played on the defensive line at Harper Woods High School. Weatherspoon helped lead Harper Woods to a state championship in 2023. He is the No. 36 player in the state of Michigan, according to 247Sports. He plans to major in kinesiology at Toledo. 
 
Kadale Williams | RB | 6-1 | 180 | Jackson, Mich. (Lumen Christi)
Kadale Williams won the state championship three times with Lumen Christi. In 2024, he helped the school win its MHSAA-record 14th state title. Williams broke Michigan's state title game record with 314 rushing yards and tied another with five touchdowns as a senior. He is a three-star recruit, according to ESPN and 247Sports. 
 
Cade Wilhelmi | OL | 6-5 | 290 | Berkley, Mich. (Detroit Country Day) 
Cade Wilhelmi was an MHSFCA All-Region selection in his junior season. A three-star recruit, 247 Sports ranked him the #120 interior offensive lineman in the country and the #29 overall player in the state of Michigan. Wilhelmi is a four-year varsity letterman in football, has earned three letters each in basketball and baseball, and is a team captain for all three sports. Both of his parents and his brother competed collegiately across four different sports at Grand Valley State. 
 
Ameer Yasin | OL | 6-5 | 305 | Tallmadge, Ohio (Tallmadge) 
A three-star recruit, Ameer Yasin was a four-year letterman at Tallmadge High School and also earned a letter in track & field. As a junior, he was named honorable mention all-Ohio and first-team All-District, while also taking first-team All-Northeast Ohio as a senior. Yasin has also earned all-suburban selections in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.  
 
 
The following is look at the transfer students who have enrolled at Toledo: 
 
Anthony Boswell | OL | 6-2 | 293 | Fr. (R) | Indianapolis, Ind.-Ben Davis (Purdue) 
Anthony Boswell is a transfer from Purdue, where he did not see action in 2024, thus maintaining his freshman eligibility. He was a two-time all-conference and all-county selection on the offensive line at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis, helping his team win a state championship in his senior year.
 
Kenji Christian | RB | 6-2 | 207 | Sr. | Birmingham, Ala.-Pinson Valley (Virginia Tech/North Carolina A&T) 
Running back Kenji Christian comes to Toledo after two seasons at North Carolina A&T. He originally playing at Virginia Tech but did not see any action for the Hokies. Christian rushed for 256 yards in three games for the Aggies in an injury-shortened 2024 season, averaging 8.8 yards per carry. In 2023, he led NCA&T with 718 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yard per carry.
 
Avery Dunn | DL | 6-4 | 250 | Sr. | Shaker Heights, Ohio-Shaker Heights (Michigan State) 
Avery Dunn played on the defensive line at Michigan State from 2020-24, earning letters in 2022 and 2023. He had 28 tackles and 3.0 sacks in nine games 2002, and 12 tackles and three QB hurries in 10 games in 2023. He played in only game in 2024 due to injuries.
 
Robert Hammond | PK | 6-1 | 165 | So. | West Palm Beach, Fla.-Cardinal Gibbons (Florida Atlantic)
Robert Hammond joins the Rockets following two seasons as a placekicker at Florida Atlantic.
 
Jonathan Harder | OL | 6-4 | 330 | Jr. | Delaware, Ohio-Olentangy Berlin (Cincinnati)
Jonathan Harder played three seasons on the offensive line at Cincinnati. After redshirting in 2022, he played in all 12 games as a reserve in 2023, earning CSC Academic All-District honors. He also played in all 12 games this past season.
 
Louce Julien | DE | 6-2 | 260 | Sr. | Orange, N.J.-Orange (UMass)
Defensive end Louce Julien comes to Toledo following four seasons at UMass. He totaled 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2024. As a sophomore in 2023, he had 19 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss.
 
Langston Long | LB | 6-3 | 225 | Sr. | Woodbridge, Va.-Christ School (Virginia/South Florida)
Langston Long comes to Toledo after playing in eight games in his one season at South Florida. He previously played three seasons at Virginia where he was the starting strong safety in the 2023 opener before a foot injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He played in eight games for the Cavaliers in 2022, starting in six. He had 44 tackles in 2022, including a career-best 13 stops vs. Illinois. He also appeared in eight games as a true freshman in 2021.
 
Christian Medlock | OL | 6-5 | 304 | So. | Homewood, Ill.-Homewood-Flossmoor | Northern Illinois
Christian Medlock played two seasons on the offensive line at Northern Illinois. He earned first-team all-conference in his senior season at Homewood-Flossmoor High School.
 
Braedyn Moore | DB | 6-2 | 204 | So. | Hamilton, Ohio-Stephen T. Badin | Wisconsin
Braedyn Moore played two seasons as a safety at Wisconsin. He played in seven games last season, garnering two tackles and recovering one fumble. He also played four games on special teams as a true freshman in 2023.
 
Terrence Moore | OL | 6-5 | 305 | Sr. | Massillon, Ohio | Massillon Washington (Pittsburgh)
Offensive lineman Terrence Moore comes to Toledo after playing four seasons at Pittsburgh. He played in 40 games in his career, including 10 as a starter. He started in nine of 12 games as a sophomore in 2023, and had one start last season. Moore was a CSC Academic All-District honoree in 2023.
 
Jacob Peterson | TE | 6-4 | 250 | Sr. | Spring Grove, Ill. | Richmond Burton (Holy Cross)
Jacob Peterson played four seasons as a tight end at Holy Cross. He caught 34 passes for 502 yards and six touchdowns in 2024, setting career highs in all three categories.
 
Sean Persson | TE | 6-6 | 235 | So. | Glendora, Calif. | Maple Mountain (Citrus CC)
Tight end Sean Persson played one season at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif., where he led the Owls in receiving with 26 receptions for 364 yards and six touchdowns. He also averaged 15.0 yards on two rushing attempts and even punted twice.
 
Trayvon Rudolph | WR | 5-10 | 187 | Sr. | Crete, Ill. | Crete-Monee (Northern Illinois)
Wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph caught 151 passes for 2,032 yards and 10 touchdowns in four seasons at Northern Illinois. He snagged 49 passes for 877 yards and seven TDs in 2021, and added 51 receptions for 531 yards in 2023. He had 37 catches for 392 yards last season.
 
Amare Snowden | CB | 6-4 | 210 | So. | Roseville, Mich.-Roseville (Wisconsin)
Amare Snowden, who played two seasons at cornerback at Wisconsin, will also play baseball as a pitcher for the Rockets beginning in 2026. He was a four-star recruit in football coming out of Roseville (Mich.) High School, where he earned first-team all-state honors and made the Detroit Free Press Dream Team. In baseball, he hit .400 as a senior and was one of the top-ranked pitchers in the state.
 
Chip Trayanum | RB | 5-11 | 227 | Sr. | Akron, Ohio-Archbishop Hoban (Arizona State/Ohio State/Kentucky)
Running back DeaMonte "Chip" Trayanum began at Arizona State before playing two seasons at Ohio State and one year at Kentucky. As a freshman at ASU in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Trayanum was the Sun Devils' second-leading rusher with 290 yards and four TDs on 49 carries in just four games. In 2021, he rushed for 401 yards on 78 attempts in nine games, including a career-high 89 yards vs. Washington State. He transferred to Ohio State in 2022, where he ran for 92 yards, including 83 vs. Michigan, and added 13 tackles as a linebacker. In 2023, he was OSU's second-leading rusher with 373 yards and three touchdowns on 85 attempts. He had an injury-shortened 2024 season at Kentucky, rushing for 101 yards on 19 attempts in just three contests.
 
Andrew Wilson-Lamp | S | 6-3 | 186 | Jr. | Massillon, Ohio-Washington (West Virginia/East Carolina)
A safety, Andrew Wilson-Lamp had 23 tackles and one interception at East Carolina last season. Prior to that, he played three seasons at West Virginia, appearing in 26 games.