Six Preferred Walk-Ons Join Wildcats

DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire football program announced Tuesday the addition of six preferred walk-ons who will join the incoming Class of 2020.

"We did a really good job adding local talent and bringing some 'Cats to the Granite State from areas that have been really good to us in the past in Pennsylvania and New Jersey," said associate head coach/QB coach Ricky Santos, who served as interim head coach during the recruiting period.

Watch: Coach Santos discusses UNH's preferred walk-ons

Here is a closer look at the six preferred walk-ons, who represent recruited, non-scholarship players:

Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown	Last School
Kenny Fazio	WR/S	6-3	195	Oakland, N.J.	Indian Hills
Nate Gould	WR/S	6-1	185	Upton, Mass.	Nipmuc Regional
Justin Jameson	RB/LB	5-10	205	Gardner, Mass.	Philips Exeter
Giovanni Marrone	LB	6-1	210	Fitchburg, Mass.	Fitchburg
Blaize Scarcelle	WR	6-0	195	Royersford, Pa.	Spring-Ford Area
Gavin Urda	Ath.	5-11	160	Milford, N.H.	Milford

Kenny Fazio is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound wide receiver/safety from Indian Hills High School in Oakland, N.J. As a senior captain, Fazio racked up 82 receptions for 1,779 yards and nine touchdowns en route to earning all-state honors. His uncle, David Van Loon, played for the Wildcats and graduated in 1994.

What Coach Santos Says
"Kenny is a versatile athlete who could be an impact player on either side of the ball. He has good route-running ability on offense and plays downhill at the safety position on defense. He offers position flexibility and can help us at multiple positions. He will be a great addition to the UNH family."

Nate Gould is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver out of Nipmuc Regional High School in Upton, Mass. The senior captain missed much of the 2019 season due to injury. As a junior, he tallied 669 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns to earn Dual Valley Conference All-Star, District All-Star and All-State Second Team honors. A two-sport standout, Gould served as captain for the Nipmuc basketball team and was a two-time Dual Valley Conference Winter All-Star on the hardwood.

What Coach Santos Says
"Nate comes from a small school in Massachusetts but plays with a big heart. He is very good with the ball in his hands and makes plays from the receiver position. He has the talent to make people miss in space, and his run-after-catch ability is unique. He will be a great addition for coach Ferzoco and the wideout crew."

Justin Jameson is a 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back/linebacker from Gardner, Mass. Following a record-breaking career at Oakmont Regional High School in Ashburnham, Mass., Jameson completed a post-graduate season at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H. As a two-time captain at Oakmont, he set school records in rushing yards and touchdowns. In his senior season, he totaled more than 2,200 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. In 2019, he was selected All-New England First Team at linebacker for Phillips Exeter.

What Coach Santos Says
"Justin is terrific two-way player. At running back, he has the ability to make people miss and beat you with speed. On defense, he is all over the field and is a physical tackler. He will be playing our strike position, which is an outside linebacker/hybrid safety, and will be a great addition to our defense."

Giovanni Marrone is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker from Fitchburg High School in Fitchburg, Mass. The senior collected 120 tackles, 18 TFLs and two sacks for a Fitchburg team that earned the No. 1 seed in last fall's Division 4 playoffs. Marrone was named the Division 4 and Mid-Watch B League Defensive MVP and led a defense that held opponents to 13.5 points per game. Marrone was also a standout on Fitchburg's track & field team.

What Coach Santos Says
"Giovanni is a tackling machine who makes plays all over the field. He moves well laterally, and his ability to diagnose a play and attack the ball is fun to watch. He will be playing linebacker for the 'dark shirt' defense and will bring more toughness to an already rugged LB group."

Blaize Scarcelle is a 6-foot, 195-pound WR from Spring-Ford Area High School in Royersford, Pa. Scarcelle capped a stellar career with 44 receptions for 720 yards and seven touchdowns and added 16 tackles on defense. Scarcelle helped lead Spring-Ford to an undefeated (5-0) Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC) record and 8-3 overall mark. He was named to the All-PAC Second Team, was selected to play in the prestigious Blue-Grey All-American Bowl (Tampa, Fla.) and received the PAC's David L. Freed Award as the athlete who displays such qualities such as dedication, continuous self-improvement, team success over individual statistics, self-discipline, coachability, loyalty and unquestioning faith.

What Coach Santos Says
"Blaize is a playmaker who can high-point the ball and play above the rim. We are very excited about his explosiveness and his ability to catch the ball away from his body. He will play wide receiver in our offense and add talent to an already dynamic group."

Gavin Urda is a 5-foot-11, 160-pound athlete from Milford High School in Milford, N.H. As one of the top players in the Granite State, Urda led Milford to the Division II South championship. The option quarterback rushed for 1,104 yards and 19 TDs and also started at safety. Urda is a two-time D-II All-State honoree was tabbed to play in this summer's CHaD East-West All-Star Game at Wildcat Stadium.

What Coach Santos Says
"Gavin is a Granite State baller that will be joining the Wildcat family. He was a triple-option QB who was a threat to score every time he touched the ball. He shows the ability to have an impact on both sides of the ball. His fluidity and lateral movement allow him to play multiple positions for our team."

Last season with Santos as interim head coach, the Wildcats posted a 6-5 record, including a perfect 5-0 at Wildcat Stadium, to mark the team's 15^thwinning season in the last 16 years. The 'Cats defeated two ranked two teams and capped the season by beating Maine to reclaim the Brice-Cowell Musket. Head coach Sean McDonnell has returned for his 21^stseason as head coach in 2020.

All spring semester events at UNH -including spring football- have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation. The UNH Athletics Box Office is closed indefinitely, but season tickets for the 2020 UNH football season are on sale now by CLICKING HERE or by calling 603-862-1763.

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Six Preferred Walk-Ons Join Wildcats

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