Waddle retools Valpo's roster with first recruiting class
FB: New staff hits the ground running with six transfers and 30 incoming freshmen
Andy Waddle pulled into the driveway of his old house in Ohio last Saturday and was greeted by a pair of elated children, an exuberant dog and a loving wife that was documenting the whole thing.
Valparaiso’s first-year football coach posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) of the joyous hug-filled reunion with the caption “When you haven’t seen your Favorite People for a Month!”
He followed that up with “Looking forward to getting them with me in Valpo.”
Waddle is also looking forward to getting another group of people with him to Valpo in the coming months and that group is a big reason why the former Marietta head coach hasn’t seen his family since the holidays.
Wednesday marks National Signing Day for college football programs all across the country and Waddle and his retooled coaching staff have been hard at work ever since he was introduced as Valparaiso’s 19th head coach on Dec. 9, 2024.
Waddle faced an uphill battle as scores of Valpo players hit the transfer portal following Landon Fox’s ouster. Several of those players didn’t even make it back to campus following the semester break, including Jake Russell (Central Michigan), Onye Nwosisi (Boston College), Sam Johnson (USC) and Gary Givens III (Northern Illinois).
Other players entered the portal, but came back into the fold after meeting with Waddle, including offensive lineman Niko Paic and receivers Chris Gundy and Ryan Ricketti.
There will likely still be plenty of movement in the coming months - there always is in Division I non-scholarship football - but with Wednesday’s signing day comes a foundation for which Waddle and his staff can build on moving forward. Coupled with as many as 75 returners, Valparaiso’s roster will swell with the addition of six transfers and 30 incoming freshmen.