Westmoreland County standouts dot D-1 college football rosters this fall

Gianni Rizzo and Trent Holler are close friends and always have supported one another in sports despite going to different high schools.

The pair has something more in common on the eve of another college football season.

Both are set to play a grad season at the Division I level, Rizzo at Duquesne, Holler at Memphis.

Rizzo, a linebacker and Norwin graduate who began his college career at Youngstown State, has had two productive seasons at Duquesne.

Last year, he was a second-team All-Northeast Conference linebacker who led the Dukes with 10 tackles for loss. He started all 12 games and made 68 tackles, finishing the season with three straight double-digit tackle games.

Holler, an offensive lineman out of Latrobe, played the last two seasons at Marshall and saw time in 23 games. The 6-foot-2, 311-pounder began his path through college football at East Carolina.

Other Division I players from Westmoreland County include:

• Marcus Barnes is a Jeannette product who is primed for a strong senior season. Barnes, a safety at William & Mary, was nominated for the East-West Shrine Bowl. Last season, he made 54 tackles and grabbed an interception. He is an All-Coastal Athletic Associaton preseason honorable mention.

• Quarterback Jack Salopek is set to play the final two years of his college career at Elon after transferring from Western Michigan. Salopek, a Norwin grad, spent four years at his former school. Last season, he started seven games and passed for 1,287 yards and seven touchdowns.

• Another grad student to keep an eye on is Fintan Brose, an offensive lineman at Delaware. The Hempfield alum was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association preseason team. Brose (6-2, 304) was a third-team all-conference pick a year ago.

• Albany lineman Scotty Houseman (Yough) and Delaware receiver Declan O’Brien (Norwin) are two more local grad players. O’Brien, a transfer, is making the jump from Division III where he was a record-breaking pass catcher at Allegheny.

Houseman (6-3, 321) played only four games last year because of an injury after starting all 11 games in 2022.

• Cade Yacamelli (Penn-Trafford), a redshirt sophomore running back at Wisconsin, played in nine games and made one start last season and earned his first letter. The start came in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

• Sophomore Conlan Greene (Penn-Trafford) was one of two true freshmen to play all 12 games last season at Temple. A defensive lineman, he had six tackles against Navy.

• Anthony Johnson moved to Ohio after his time at Jeannette but circled back to Western Pennsylania and will play his fifth college season at Pitt. A defensive lineman, Johnson (6-3, 300) transferred out of Youngstown State, where he played three seasons, and considered Illinois and Mississippi State before signing with the Panthers. Johnson made 25 tackles and had five sacks last season.

• A number of local players will suit up for Mercyhurst, which is now a Division I program after leaving the PSAC.

Dillon Ferretti (Hempfield), Jonas King (Mt. Pleasant), Danny Dlugos (Greensburg Central Catholic), Eli Binakonsky (Hempfield), Peyton Molter (Jeannette) and Aaron Bowen (Norwin) are among the area’s WPIAL representation on the roster.