2024 Gannon football team photo

Football Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon 2024 Football Season Preview: Golden Knights open on Sept. 5 at home

Coach Erik Raeburn's team was picked as the No. 4 team in the PSAC West preseason poll

ERIE, Pa. – Erik Raeburn enters his fifth season as Gannon's head coach in 2024 with high hopes amid a rebuilding job. Raeburn took over during trying times, navigating the pandemic in 2020 and eventually building the Golden Knights into one of the top teams in the PSAC West.
 
Gannon enters the 2024 campaign picked to finish fourth in the Western Division behind Slippery Rock, California (Pa.) and Indiana (Pa.). The Golden Knights were also chosen fourth by the prognosticators the last two years but came in third a year ago and in 2022 finished as PSAC West co-champions. That squad ended the year at 8-3 overall, one win shy of the school record for victories.
 
Not only must Raeburn replace a number of key performers from a year ago, including a near 1,000-yard rusher and one of the team's top all-time leading receivers, but he has a new-look coaching staff. Tony Caljean, the lone holdover from 2023, was elevated to defensive coordinator while Blake Stone returns as the offensive coordinator after spending a year at Presbyterian.
 
Gannon looks to improve on last year's 5-6 finish, with the 5-2 record in league play good for third place. To do so they must navigate a demanding early-season schedule that features two of the powerhouses in the PSAC East. Kutztown (12-3) reached the NCAA Division II semifinals while East Stroudsburg (9-3) was also an NCAA playoff team.
 
The Golden Knights enter the campaign seeking to snap a two-game losing streak. They debut on Thursday, September 5, hosting Northwood. The Wolverines were also 5-6 a year ago but come in riding a three-game winning streak under second-year head coach Dustin Beurer.
 
An experienced offensive line looks to pave the way for Braxton Todd (Martinsburg, W. Va./Martinsburg) and several other backs while making life safe in the pocket for quarterback Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg). Whitaker, a redshirt freshman, came off the bench to lead Gannon to last-second victories in his first two career games but then went down with a season-ending injury.
 
The receiving corps was depleted due to graduation, save for Donell "Tank" Mason. The 2022 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, now a junior, has 66 receptions in two seasons.  Raeburn dipped into the transfer portal to bring in Armani Bailey (Lincoln, Pa./Woodland Hills) and Michael Watkins III (Pompano Beach, Fla./American Heritage School) of Edinboro, along with Napoleon Harris (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy) of Notre Dame (Ohio). Add in All-MEC tight end James Faulkner (West Bloomfield Township, Mich./West Bloomfield), also from Notre Dame (Ohio), and the passing game once again has plenty of weapons.
 
As for the offensive line, Riley Noble (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) is a returning second team All-PSAC West performer at right tackle. The redshirt senior has started 34 games in his career, with Jake Vasko (Strongsville, Ohio/Benedictine) (16 starts) and Dylan Wilson (Garrettsville, Ohio/Garfield) (10 starts) also back. Versatile Eyvar Robles (Auburn, Wash./Auburn Riverside), a graduate student, has started 15 games in his career.
 
The linebacking corps figures to be the strength of a defensive unit that looks to improve after allowing 24.5 ppg. Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) and Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Ore./Tigard) have started 46 career games, with Baker finishing second on the team with 65 tackles a year ago and McDonald tied for third with 61 stops.  
 
2023 record: 5-6
2023 PSAC West record: 5-2, third place

2024 Schedule
2024 Roster
2023 Final Statistics 

PSAC Preseason Poll
Gannon was picked to finish fourth in the PSAC West preseason poll for the third straight year. Two years ago, the Golden Knights surprised the experts, finishing in a tie for first place in the Western Division. Last year they finished third, again exceeding their predicted finish.





Head Coach:
Erik Raeburn, (19-18, 5th year; 162-80 overall, 24th year)
Raeburn begins his 24th season as a head coach after previously enjoying success at Wabash, Coe and Savannah State. He has turned the Gannon program around in his first four seasons as the Golden Knights have become a team to be reckoned with in the PSAC West. In 2022, Gannon finished as the Western Division co-champions with a 6-1 league record and 8-3 overall, one win shy of the school record.
 
Key Returnees:
OL Riley Noble (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan): the redshirt senior was one of three Golden Knights along the offensive line to earn All-PSAC West accolades a year ago. Noble started all 11 games at right tackle and has 34 career starts. He was a second team All-PSAC West honoree.

LB Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Ore./Tigard): a former transfer from Valparaiso, the redshirt senior has started all 22 games in two seasons at Gannon. He had 61 stops a year ago, good for third on the team, with 10.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks.

LB Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont): the redshirt senior enters his third season as a starter, with 24 career starts. He was the second-leading tackler a year ago with 65 tackles and led the team in tackles in 2021 with 81.

WR Donell "Tank" Mason: Mason was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year in 2022 and enjoyed a strong sophomore campaign. He led the Golden Knights with 614 yards receiving on 40 receptions. In two seasons Mason has 66 receptions for 946 yards with 5 TDs.

QB Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg): a true freshman in 2023, Whitaker saw his first action in game number eight at Mercyhurst and led the Golden Knights to a last-second 31-28 win. A week later in his first career start he directed a nine-play, 37-yard drive culminated by a 51-yard field goal by Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) as time expired for a 16-15 win at Indiana (Pa.). Unfortunately, Whitaker suffered a season-ending injury against California (Pa.) the next week. He ended the season completing 32-of-61 passes for 419 yards with 3 TDs and 3 INTs, adding 56 yards rushing and 2 TDs.

DL Charles Calhoun (Euclid, Ohio/St. Edward): a 6-foot-2, 245-pound redshirt junior, Calhoun emerged as a key member of the defensive line and is now the lone returnee. He totaled 49 tackles while leading the team with 13.5 TFL and ranking second in sacks with 6.5.

DB Ty Tiggs (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield): Tiggs looks to lead a rebuilt secondary. A graduate student, Tiggs started the first five games at free safety before going down with a season-ending injury. He totaled 16 tackles and had 5 PBU.

Newcomers to Watch:
WRs Armani Bailey (Lincoln, Pa./Woodland Hills), Michael Watkins III (Pompano Beach, Fla./American Heritage School) and Napoleon Harris (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy): Bailey and Watkins join the Golden Knights after playing at Edinboro. The duo combined for 181 receptions, 1,950 yards and 13 TDs. Harris played in 33 games at Notre Dame (Ohio) and accumulated 58 receptions for 820 yards and 4 TDs.
 
DL Sir Jerome Treadwell (Washington, D.C./Archbishop Carroll): the defense suffered heavy losses along the defensive line and secondary. The defensive front lost a pair of All-PSAC West performers and Treadwell is one of several newcomers expected to make a difference. The 6-foot-2, 242-pound redshirt junior played three seasons at Youngstown State. 
 
Season Opener:
Thursday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m.: vs. Northwood at McConnell Family Stadium. The Golden Knights are holding a Blackout Night while debuting new black jerseys. Northwood was recently picked to finish sixth in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference after ending the 2023 season with three straight wins to finish at 5-6 overall.
 
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Players Mentioned

Eric Scarpino

#94 Eric Scarpino

PK
5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
Mechanical Engineering
Trey Baker

#50 Trey Baker

LB
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
Charles Calhoun

#7 Charles Calhoun

DL
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Donell Mason

#82 Donell Mason

WR
5' 10"
Junior
Hayden McDonald

#4 Hayden McDonald

LB
6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
Riley Noble

#56 Riley Noble

OL
6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
Accounting
Eyvar Robles

#55 Eyvar Robles

OL
6' 3"
Graduate Student
Sport Management and Marketing
Ty Tiggs

#2 Ty Tiggs

DB
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Braxton Todd

#28 Braxton Todd

RB
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Business
Jake Vasko

#66 Jake Vasko

OL
6' 3"
Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

Eric Scarpino

#94 Eric Scarpino

5' 9"
Redshirt Senior
Mechanical Engineering
PK
Trey Baker

#50 Trey Baker

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
LB
Charles Calhoun

#7 Charles Calhoun

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
DL
Donell Mason

#82 Donell Mason

5' 10"
Junior
WR
Hayden McDonald

#4 Hayden McDonald

6' 2"
Redshirt Senior
LB
Riley Noble

#56 Riley Noble

6' 5"
Redshirt Senior
Accounting
OL
Eyvar Robles

#55 Eyvar Robles

6' 3"
Graduate Student
Sport Management and Marketing
OL
Ty Tiggs

#2 Ty Tiggs

6' 0"
Graduate Student
DB
Braxton Todd

#28 Braxton Todd

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Business
RB
Jake Vasko

#66 Jake Vasko

6' 3"
Redshirt Junior
OL