Preview of the 2024 Gannon football season

ERIE, Pennsylvania. – Eric Raeburn begins his fifth season as Gannon’s head coach in 2024 with high hopes in the midst of a rebuilding project. Raeburn took the helm during difficult times, weathering the pandemic in 2020 and ultimately building the Golden Knights into one of the top teams in the PSAC West.


Gannon enters the 2024 season projected to finish fourth in the Western Division behind Slippery Rock, Calif. (PA) and Indiana (PA). The Golden Knights were also picked fourth by prognosticators the past two years, but finished third last year and were PSAC West co-champions in 2022. That team finished the year with an overall record of 8-3, one win shy of the school record for wins.


Not only does Raeburn have to replace a number of key players from last year, including a nearly 1,000-yard runner and one of the team’s all-time best receivers, but he also has a new coaching staff. Tony Caljeanthe only holdover from 2023, was promoted to defensive coordinator, while Blake Stone returns as offensive coordinator after spending a year at Presbyterian.


Gannon will be looking to improve on last year’s finish (5-6), with a 5-2 record in league play good for third place. To do so, they will have to overcome a challenging early season schedule that includes two of the top teams in the PSAC East. Kutztown (12-3) reached the NCAA Division II semifinals, while East Stroudsburg (9-3) was also an NCAA playoff team.


The Golden Knights enter the season looking to end a two-game losing streak. They debut on Thursday, September 5, when they host Northwood. The Wolverines were also 5-6 a year ago, but come into the year on a three-game winning streak under new head coach Dustin Beurer.


An experienced offensive line wants to pave the way for Braxton Todd (Martinsburg, West Virginia/Martinsburg) and several other backs while keeping life safe in the pocket for quarterback Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Indiana/Brownsburg). Whitaker, a redshirt freshman, came off the bench to lead Gannon to last-second victories in his first two career games, but then sat out with an injury that ended the season.


The receiving corps was decimated due to graduations, with the exception of Donell “Tank” Mason. The junior, who is the 2022 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, has 66 receptions in two seasons. Raeburn used the transfer portal to Armani Bailey (Lincoln, Pennsylvania/Woodland Hills) And Michael Watkins III (Pompano Beach, Florida/American Heritage School) of Edinboro, together with Napoleon Harris (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy) from Notre Dame (Ohio). In addition, the All-MEC tight end James Faulkner (West Bloomfield Township, Michigan/West Bloomfield)also from Notre Dame (Ohio), and the passing game once again has numerous weapons.


As for the line of attack, Riley Noble (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) is a returning second-team All-PSAC West right tackle. The redshirt senior has started 34 games in his career, with Jake Vasko (Strongsville, Ohio/Benedictine) (16 starts) and Dylan Wilson (Garrettsville, Ohio/Garfield) (10 starts) also back. Versatile Eyvar Robles (Auburn, Washington/Auburn Riverside)a doctoral student, has started 15 games in his career.


The linebackers are likely to be the strength of a defensive unit that should now improve after allowing 24.5 points per game. Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont) And Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Oregon/Tigard) have started 46 games in their career, with Baker ranking second on the team with 65 tackles last year and McDonald ranking third with 61 stops.



Record 2023: 5-6

PSAC West Record 2023: 5-2, third place

Schedule 2024
Squad 2024
Final statistics 2023

PSAC Preseason Poll
Gannon was picked to finish fourth in the PSAC West preseason poll for the third year in a row. Two years ago, the Golden Knights surprised pundits by finishing tied for first place in the Western Division. Last year, they finished third, again beating their prediction.

Head coach:

Eric Raeburn(19-18, 5th year; 162-80 overall, 24th year)
Raeburn enters his 24th season as head coach after previous successes at Wabash, Coe and Savannah State. In his first four seasons, he has turned the Gannon program around and the Golden Knights have become a team to be reckoned with in the PSAC West. In 2022, Gannon became co-champions of the Western Division with a league record of 6-1 and an overall record of 8-3, just one win shy of the school record.



Important returnees:

OIL Riley Noble (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan): The redshirt senior was one of three Golden Knights on the offensive line to earn All-PSAC West honors a year ago. Noble started all 11 games at right tackle and has made 34 starts in his career. He was named to the All-PSAC West second team.

LB Hayden McDonald (Tigard, Oregon/Tigard): The redshirt senior, a former transfer from Valparaiso, started all 22 games in two seasons at Gannon. Last year he had 61 stops, which was good enough for third on the team with 10.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks.

LB Trey Baker (Kettering, Ohio/Kettering Fairmont): The redshirt senior enters his third season as a starter with 24 career starts. A year ago, he was the second-leading tackler with 65 tackles and led the team with 81 tackles in 2021.

WR Donell “Tank” Mason: Mason was named the 2022 PSAC West Freshman of the Year and had a strong sophomore season, leading the Golden Knights with 614 yards on 40 receptions. In two seasons, Mason has 66 receptions for 946 yards with 5 TDs.

QB Jayden Whitaker (Brownsburg, Indiana/Brownsburg): Whitaker, a true freshman in 2023, made his first appearance in game eight at Mercyhurst, leading the Golden Knights to a last-second 31-28 victory. A week later, in his first career start, he led a nine-play, 37-yard drive that ended with a 51-yard field goal by Eric Scarpino (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) as time ran out for a 16-15 win at Indiana (Pa.). Unfortunately, Whitaker suffered a season-ending injury the next week against California (Pa.). He finished the season completing 32 of 61 passes for 419 yards with 3 TDs and 3 INTs, along with 56 rushing yards and 2 TDs.

DL Charles Calhoun (Euclid, Ohio/St. Edward): Calhoun, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound redshirt junior, developed into a key member of the defensive line and is now the only returning player. He totaled 49 tackles, led the team with 13.5 TFL and ranked second in sacks with 6.5.

DB Ty Tiggs (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield): Tiggs looks to lead a rebuilt secondary. Tiggs, a graduate student, started the first five games at free safety before suffering a season-ending injury. He totaled 16 tackles and had 5 PBU.

New ones to keep an eye on:

WRs Armani Bailey (Lincoln, Pennsylvania/Woodland Hills), Michael Watkins III (Pompano Beach, Florida/American Heritage School) And Napoleon Harris (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy): Bailey and Watkins come to the Golden Knights after their time at Edinboro. The duo combined for 181 catches, 1,950 yards and 13 TDs. Harris played in 33 games at Notre Dame (Ohio) and had 58 catches for 820 yards and 4 TDs.



DL Sir Jerome Treadwell (Washington, DC/Archbishop Carroll): The defense suffered heavy losses along the defensive line and the secondary. The defensive front lost two All-PSAC West players and Treadwell is one of several freshmen expected to make a difference. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound redshirt junior played three seasons at Youngstown State.



Season opening:

Thursday, September 5, 7 p.m.: against Northwood at McConnell Family Stadium. The Golden Knights will host a blackout night and debut their new black jerseys. Northwood was recently ranked sixth in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference after finishing the 2023 season with three straight wins to reach an overall record of 5-6.