Wisconsin's Cade Yacamelli among former Westmoreland County stars to watch in Division I, II football

Wisconsin running backs coach Devon Spalding trumpeted the praises of Cade Yacamelli during training camp, saying the former Penn-Trafford star had the ability to “take charge of the room.”

Wisconsin opens the season Aug. 28 against Miami (Ohio), and Yacamelli could end up taking charge of the Badgers’ backfield as well.

There are three players in the team’s running back room, including Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes said the Badgers would start off using all three ball carriers because they all deserve playing time.

The by-committee approach could mean more or less carries for Yacamelli, who powered Penn-Trafford to WPIAL and PIAA 5A championships in 2021.

Yacamelli, with his 4.40-second 40-yard dash speed, ran for 274 yards and two touchdowns last season as a sophomore.

He has two years of eligibility left following his redshirt season in 2022 and is averaging 6.4 yards per carry in his 69 career rush attempts.

Dupree was the No. 2 back last year and ran for 317 yards on 79 totes, whereas Jones played in three games as a freshman, tallying 88 yards on 16 carries.

“I know for an absolute fact — whoever’s on the field — that every running back and everybody on offense is going to be behind that tailback that’s in the game,” Spalding told TheNortwestern.com.

Yacamelli isn’t the only NCAA Division I player from Westmoreland County to watch this season:

• Delaware grad lineman Fintan Brose (Hempfield) is primed to make a push for a spot in the NFL in his final college season.

Brose (6-foot-2, 302 pounds) only played in four games last season after making the All-Coastal Athletic Association third team two years in a row. He has 26 starts in his career.

He made the East-West Shrine Bowl 1,000 list and was named to the Athlon Sports Preseason Conference USA third team — Delaware is moving to Conference USA this season.

• Penn State sophomore Quinton Martin (Belle Vernon) is looking to make a greater contribution in the Nittany Lions backfield after playing in six games as a freshman. He ran for 32 yards on 13 carries and had three receptions.

Logan Cunningham (Belle Vernon) is a redshirt junior receiver for the Nittany Lions, and freshman Alex Tatsch (Latrobe) enters his first season as a linebacker.

• Freshman John Wetzel (Latrobe) was a late addition to the Pitt roster after he decommitted from Marshall. He is listed as a linebacker.

Caden Smith (Franklin Regional) is a redshirt junior looking to make an impact. He joined the Panthers in 2022 as a training camp walk-on.

Smith played in one game last season.

• Conlan Greene (Penn-Trafford) begins his junior season at Temple, but he won’t be playing defense. Greene (6-4, 285) is the Owls’ long snapper.

Greene was recruited as a defensive lineman and appeared in all 12 games as freshman but played mostly special teams last season.

He has 21 career tackles, 12 solo, and a sack.

• Freshman Braden Laux (Belle Vernon) is a tight end at Eastern Michigan.

• Junior tight ends Nate Chiarizio (Franklin Regional) and Daniel Tarabrella (Penn-Trafford) will look for greater roles in the offense at Duquesne. Tarabrella had three catches last season and played in 11 games.

• Robert Morris has sophomore linebacker Jackson Hutter (Mt. Pleasant) and freshman tight end Mac Bresnahan (Franklin Regional).

• Joey Castle (Norwin) is a junior punter at Akron.

• Redshirt freshman defensive back Jackson Pons (Norwin) is back at Miami (Ohio).

• Luke Denny (Norwin) is a sophomore defensive back at Lehigh.

• Sophomore offensive lineman Max Leven (Franklin Regional), a 6-7, 280-pounder, is back for Tennessee Tech.

• Amari Mack (Greensburg Central Catholic), a redshirt sophomore, plays defensive back at Maine.

• At The Citadel, grad student Matt Metrosky (Greensburg Central Catholic) is an offensive lineman. Metrosky played at Pitt for four years as a training camp walk-on.

• Declan Ochendowski (Penn-Trafford) returns as a senior defensive lineman at Cornell. Last season, he made seven tackles in seven games.

• At Bucknell, senior Daniel Sierk (Hempfield) returns to the defensive line. He had four tackles in eight games as a junior.

• Zach Tomosovich (Penn-Trafford) is a freshman offensive lineman (6-5, 327) at Army.

• Offensive lineman Joe Enick (Penn-Trafford) is a redshirt sophomore at Saint Francis. Enick (6-2, 288) transferred from Central Michigan.

• Mercyhurst features several local players, including grad defensive end Jonah King (Mt. Pleasant), senior linebacker Danny Dlugos (Greensburg Central Catholic), junior linebacker Eli Binakonsky (Hempfield), redshirt freshman defensive back Brennan Moore (Kiski Area), sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Gonzalez (Kiski Area) and freshman offensive lineman Colin Bruno (Norwin).

Division II players to watch (PSAC)

• Aidan Allison, Fr., DB, Millersville (Hempfield)

• Evan Archer, Fr. DL, Clarion (Norwin)

• Jackson Barton, Jr., OL, Seton Hill (Hempfield)

• Da’sjon Craggette, R-Fr., RB, Cal, Pa. (Southmoreland)

• Kole Doppelheuer, Fr., DB, Cal, Pa., (Belle Vernon)

• Zayaan Ferron, Fr., DB, Clarion (Valley)

• Raidon Kuroda, Fr., LB, Seton Hill (Yough)

• Austin Kerns, Fr., LB, Cal, Pa. (Franklin Regional)

• Brennan Knight, So., TE, Cal, Pa. (Hempfield)

• Landon Kucic, Fr., LB, Cal, Pa. (Kiski Area)

• Mark Mazarek, R-Sr., OL, Clarion, (Greensburg Central Catholic)

• Carmen Metcalfe, R-Fr., DB, Slippery Rock (Penn-Trafford)

• Tim Myers, Fr., DL, Seton Hill (Latrobe)

• Justin Novotney, R-Jr., K, Gannon (Hempfield)

• Elliot Premus, Fr., LB, Slippery Rock (Southmoreland)

• Cody Rubrecht, Jr., WR, Seton Hill (Greensburg Salem)

• Noah Sanders, Fr., WR, Seton Hill (Jeannette)

• Ethan Shaw, R-Fr., OL, IUP (Hempfield)

• Ethan Shawley, Fr., LB, Slippery Rock (Southmoreland)

• Hayden Teska, R-Jr., QB, Seton Hill (Greensburg Salem)

• Aidan Thornton, Fr., DB, Seton Hill, (Yough)

• Ahmad Ward, So., RB, Seton Hill (Derry)

• Devin Whitlock, R-So., WR, IUP (Belle Vernon)

• Ja’Tawn Williams, R-Fr., WR, Clarion (Latrobe)

• Jacob Young, R-Jr., OL, Clarion (Norwin)