February 4, 2026

‘Another outstanding class’: Ferris State football welcomes 45 high school standouts on National Signing Day

Ferris State University football has released its list of prep standouts on National Signing Day, with an impressive class of 45 student-athletes from across seven states joining the four-time NCAA Division II National Champion program.

The Bulldogs continued their stronghold in Michigan with 29 in-state standouts in the class of 2026. The team also continued a highly successful pipeline from the Mitten to the Sunshine State, with seven signees from Florida. The Bulldogs added three talented prospects from Arizona, two from Georgia and Delaware, and one from North Carolina and Ohio.

The stellar class is filled with all-state standouts who led their respective teams to championship success and comes on the heels of recent classes that have ranked among the country's best in NCAA DII.

"We're thrilled that so many standouts want to come to Ferris State and be part of something special," said head coach Tony Annese, who guided Ferris State to its fourth title in five years. "This is another outstanding class highlighted by many of the top prospects in Michigan. In addition, we've been able to land talented recruits from other parts of the country who are excited to be part of a championship program."

The Bulldogs have won their last 30 games in a row and compiled a 16-0 overall record this past fall to become one of the only teams in the modern era of college football to accomplish a perfect 16-0 record in one season. Ferris State has competed in the NCAA DII playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons, which is a nation-leading record.

Ferris State also won a second consecutive GLIAC Championship and set an all-time NCAA record with 844 total points in 2025, as Annese became the first DII coach ever to win four national championships.

A large majority of this year’s incoming players also received significant NCAA DI interest or scholarship offers. The class is again projected to be one of the country's best and features a huge dose of players with outstanding experience.

Twenty-three of those players are expected to play on the offensive side of the ball along with 17 projected on the defensive side - in addition to a specialist - and four others projected either as an athlete at multiple positions.

The Bulldogs again landed many of the state's best players far and wide, with players coming from schools in West Michigan, as far east as ‘the thumb’ of Michigan, and even the Upper Peninsula.

"We've landed a group of standouts that have the talent and ability to become great players and outstanding student-athletes at Ferris State," Annese said. "We're thrilled to have these young men become Bulldogs and believe they have the personality and attitude to help continue our championship tradition."

The full list of recruits can be found here.