2026 Football Preview: Salisbury

Head Coach: Kevin DiZenzo

2025 Record: 2-9

Assistant Coaches

Nicholas Trask, Joseph Gnall, Leon Kukura, Brock Kovacs, Jonah Miller, Vince Wimberley, Andrew Nemeh, Arnaldo Lopez, Tom Spinner, Brad Brinker, Jason Marcante

Key Starters Lost

• Jamanni Cruz — WR
• Jacob Watson — RB/LB
• Jadan Claudio — DE/TE
• Samuel Krauss — OL/DL
• Elijah Garriga — C/LB
• Griffin Lakics — OL/DL
• Jeremiah Bell — DB/WR
• Dominic Natosi — DB/RB
• Jude Fitzgerald — K

Offensive Starters Returning

• Keaton Frye — Senior — QB — 6’1″, 185 lbs.
• Alexander “AJ” Moren — Senior — WR — 5’11”, 180 lbs.
• Grayson Gnall — Junior — OT — 6’2″, 270 lbs.
• Jadiel Gonzalez — Junior — WR — 5’8″, 145 lbs.
• Elijah Rodas — Sophomore — RB — 5’9″, 160 lbs.
• Iovani Lopez — Sophomore — QB — 5’11”, 155 lbs.

Defensive Starters Returning

• Grayson Gnall — Junior — DL/LB — 6’2″, 270 lbs.
• Alexander “AJ” Moren — Senior — FS — 5’11”, 180 lbs.
• Jadiel Gonzalez — Junior — DB — 5’8″, 145 lbs.
• Damon Heard — Junior — DB — 5’10”, 150 lbs.
• Isaac Gross — Junior — DL — 5’9″, 175 lbs.
• Joshia Cubera — Sophomore — LB — 5’8″, 150 lbs.

Special Teams Starters Returning

• Keaton Frye — P
• Alexander “AJ” Moren — KR/PR
• Damon Heard — KR/PR

Key Newcomers

• Gabe Gnall — Junior — OL/DL — 5’10”, 210 lbs.
• Nathan Young — Senior — OL/DL — 6’0″, 260 lbs.
• Jazavier Oquendo — Junior — RB/LB — 5’8″, 170 lbs.
• Kivon Price-Perry — Sophomore — WR/LB — 5’11”, 160 lbs.
• Aiden Daney — Junior — TE/LB — 5’10”, 165 lbs.
• Logan Ramirez — Junior — WR/DB — 5’11”, 170 lbs.
• Tallon Liggitt — Freshman — OL/DL — 5’9″, 250 lbs.

Returning Player Statistics / Players to Watch

Keaton Frye, QB, Sr. — Accounted for more than 1,000 yards of total offense in 2025 despite having his season cut short due to injury. Averaged more than seven yards per carry.

Alexander “AJ” Moren, WR/FS, Sr. — Has recorded 11 interceptions over the past two seasons and caught four touchdown passes in 2025.

Grayson Gnall, OL/DL/LB, Jr. — A three-year starter entering his junior season after earning a starting role as a freshman.

Jadiel Gonzalez, WR/DB, Jr. — Two-way returning starter who also saw varsity action as a freshman.

2026 Offensive Outlook

Senior QB Keaton Frye returns to lead our offense after accounting for more than 1,000 yards of total offense before an injury cut his junior season short. Keaton averaged over seven yards per carry last year and has continued to develop as a passer throughout the offseason. We also have experience behind him in sophomore Iovani Lopez, who was forced into action and started games at quarterback following Keaton’s injury last season.

We will be a younger group overall, particularly along the offensive line, where junior Grayson Gnall is our lone returning starter. Nathan Young, Jadrian Morcelo, Gabe Gnall, Tallon Liggitt and Xavier Tua are among the players competing to fill those roles up front.

Our backfield should feature a combination of Jazavier Oquendo, Elijah Rodas and Isaac Gross. At receiver, we feel we have the potential to develop good depth around returning starters AJ Moren and Jadiel Gonzalez. Kivon Price-Perry, Logan Ramirez, Damon Heard, Ethan White, Demetrius Heard and Henry Pina are all players we expect to contribute.

There is plenty of youth in this group, so how quickly we mature and find our rhythm will be important. If we can do that early, we believe this offense has the potential to develop into a dangerous unit.

2026 Defensive Outlook

Defensively, we will lean on veterans Grayson Gnall, AJ Moren and Jadiel Gonzalez to help lead a young group. All three have significant varsity experience and will be important in helping bring along a number of players who will be taking on larger roles this season.

Our linebacker group will feature Joshia Cubera, Elijah Rodas, Aiden Daney, Ezekiel Rodas, Kivon Price-Perry and Colin Fejes. Up front, we expect to use a rotation of several linemen, led by returning starter Isaac Gross.

Much like our offense, we are young and excited about a number of players who will experience Friday night football in significant roles for the first time this fall. Throughout the offseason, our emphasis has been on playing fast, physical and assignment-sound defense. Our success will depend on how quickly our younger players adjust to varsity football and how consistently we can play with those three qualities.

2026 Special Teams Outlook

We will have two new kickers this season in freshman Nick Lazaridis and sophomore Kaiden Conrad. Both have impressed us throughout the summer and will have opportunities to contribute immediately.

Keaton Frye returns with experience at punter, while AJ Moren and Damon Heard both have experience in the return game. Beyond those veterans, we will look to a number of our younger athletes to establish roles and make their mark on special teams this season.