Bridgewater, NJ – Freshman
Jaylen Bonelli of the Wagner College football team was named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Offensive Rookie of the Year, the league announced on Wednesday.
Bonelli becomes the second Seahawk and first Wagner wide receiver ever to win the award, joining all-time great quarterback Nick Doscher, who won the award in 2009.
Additionally, graduate student
John Gioia was named a First Team All-NEC selection, while seniors
Antonio Williams and
Junior Wily earned Second Team All-NEC honors.
Bonelli led Wagner with 40 receptions for 627 yards and four touchdowns throughout the season and picked up a league-leading four NEC Rookie of the Week honors, leading all freshmen in the circuit in every major receiving category. The Florida native had a breakout month of October with consecutive 100-yard performances against Saint Francis U and Central Connecticut followed by two spectacular touchdowns in the Seahawks' victory over Stonehill. Bonelli is the first Wagner rookie since Joe Kinard 2004 to rack up 100-plus receiving yards in a game.
One of four players in the NEC with 600 receiving yards, Bonelli's 40 receptions ranked third in the circuit.
A team captain, Gioia earns the first All-NEC honor of his career. Gioia led the Seahawks with 85 total tackles, good for third in the NEC. The graduate student finished his final season on Grymes Hill with 2.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and an interception in Wagner's road victory at Sacred Heart. A mainstay in opposing backfields, Gioia was involved in a tackle for loss in eight of Wagner's 11 games this season.
Transitioning to defensive back during the season, Wily was second on the team and fifth in the conference with 83 total tackles and led the Seahawks with three interceptions during the 2023 season. The Hawaii native and team captain earned NEC Player of the Week honors following his interception return for a touchdown in the Green and White's road victory at Sacred Heart.
Williams, one of Wagner's two captains on the offensive side of the ball, earns the first All-NEC honor of his career after starting all 11 games at left tackle for the Seahawks. A versatile athlete who can play all five positions along the offensive line, Williams was integral in the Seahawks' run game. With
Rickey Spruill and
Zachary Palmer-Smith, Wagner had two running backs with over 600 rushing yards for the first time since 2016, with Williams paving the way on the left side of the offensive line.
Duquesne's Jerry Schmidt was named the NEC Coach of the Year, while Merrimack's Donovan Wadley earned Offensive Player of the Year honors. LIU's Eric O'Neill took home Defensive Player of the Year honors, while Saint Francis U's Carter Glassmyer rounded out the major awards by winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.
