The Ohio State Club Football program celebrated its 10th year in 2019 with a national championship. 

Founded in 2009 by Joe Budgake, Marshal Carpenter and Jordan Fleischman, the Ohio State Club Football team has evolved tremendously from a 1-4 record in its inaugural season and has since accomplished two undefeated seasons, two division titles, 38 All-Americans and its 2019 NCFA National Championship. 

In order to celebrate its first decade of competitive football, the program has compiled a list of its best players from 2009-2019. First and Second All-Decade teams were selected based on a number of factors: 

• Career accomplishments (championships, All-America honors, captain, team officer, etc.)
• Stats
• Fan voting
• Overall ability and contributions to the program

Quarterbacks

First Team

Kellyn gerenstein (2018-19)

Without question the most dynamic quarterback in program history, Gerenstein exploded onto the scene in 2018. In just four games, he accounted for 15 touchdowns and 956 total yards, leading the Buckeyes to their first ever division title.

A year later, he broke nearly every passing record in team history, throwing for 1,401 yards and 17 touchdowns in eight games. He was named the 2019 NCFA Offensive Player of the Year as the Buckeyes won their first ever national title.

Overall, Gerenstein has accounted for 2,667 offensive yards and 42 total touchdowns in just 12 career games, making him an easy choice as the top signal caller in program history.

Second Team

James Grega, Jr. (2013)

Currently the head coach, Grega first joined the program as a player midway through the 2012 season before taking over as the starting quarterback in 2013.

He threw 10 touchdown passes in eight games in 2013, tying him for second-most touchdown passes in a single season in program history. He owns the team record for most pass completions in a single game (22) and the team went 5-1 in games where he threw at least one touchdown pass. He owns two of the eight 200+ yard single-game passing performances in program history.

He has been a coach in the program in some capacity every season since 2013 aside from 2016, when he coached at Westerville South High School.

Running Backs

First Team

Madu Eneli (2017, 2019)

The current program leader in rushing yards (1,070), Madu was elected a Second-Team NCFA All-American in both years he played for the team.

Madu set the program record for rushing yards in a season with 670 in six games in 2017. That number was good for second in the NCFA, and propelled Madu to a walk-on spot with the varsity Ohio State Football program in 2018.

Madu re-joined the club program in 2019 and picked up right where he left off, rushing for 401 yards and three scores, leading the Buckeyes to a national title. He owns the program’s top-two single season rushing records, the all-time rushing yards record and single-game record for rushing yards with 211 against Miami (OH) in 2017.

Second Team

Jeffie Johnson (2011, 2016)

Jeffie played his first collegiate season with the program in 2011 before transferring to Snow College in 2012. While no stats were kept in 2011, Jeffie played an integral role in leading the team to the first undefeated season in program history.

After walking on to the varsity Ohio State Football program in 2014 and winning a national championship, he returned to the club program for his final year of eligibility in 2016 and was named a Second-Team NCFA All-American after tallying 752 total offensive yards and eight touchdowns.

His most impressive game came in 2016 against UNC-Greensboro, when he recorded 239 receiving yards and four touchdowns, both of which still stand as program-records.

Tight End/Fullback

First Team

Adam Bardak (2016-19)

One of the most experienced players in program history, Adam is a multi-year starter and captain for the Buckeyes, playing both tight end and linebacker. His biggest impact has come on the offensive side of the ball, where he has started the last three seasons as a tight end.

Over his career he has collected 14 receptions for 203 yards and a touchdown, which came in the 2019 national title game win over Oakland. Defensively, he added a pick-6 in 2019 in a 37-8 win over Miami (OH) in the regular season finale.

He has served as the team president since the Spring of 2019, and has one year of eligibility remaining for the Buckeyes.

Second Team

Austin Garcia (2012-14)

Arguably one of the most physically gifted players to ever suit up for the Buckeyes, Austin was a staple on offense during his three years with the program. Like Bardak, he made an impact on both sides of the ball.

Austin’s most productive season came in 2013, when he scored in there straight games against Wright State, Miami (OH) and Oakland. He started every game he played at tight end during his three years with the program, making him a consistent threat during some of the early years of our team.

Wide Receivers

First Team

Geoff Green II (2019)

Another dominating physical presence, Geoff exploded onto the NCFA scene as a graduate student in 2019, breaking multiple program receiving records and helping the Buckeyes to the 2019 national title.

He led the NCFA in every major receiving category in 2019, catching 36 passes for 713 yards and eight touchdowns, all of which are team records. He scored in all but two games that season and caught at least three passes in every game. His 48-yard touchdown reception in the NCFA semifinals against Columbus State is arguably the biggest play in team history.

Geoff was named an NCFA First-Team All-American in 2019, in which he also recorded three 100+ yard receiving games, two of which came in the semifinal and national title games.

Chris Booker (2018)

A University of Dayton transfer, Chris played just five games for our program but perhaps had the best five-game stretch of any receiver in team history.

In his first game as a Buckeye, he scored all three touchdowns in a 24-4 win over SIUe, despite the game being classified as an exhibition by the NCFA. He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass, and a snagged a pick-6 on defense while also catching a 2-point conversion.

In four regular season games, he caught 14 passes for 371 yards and seven touchdowns, helping the Buckeyes to their first division title in team history. He was named an NCFA First-Team All-American in 2018 and went on to walk on to Ryan Day’s Ohio State Football team in 2019.

De’Shawn White (2017, 2019)

Perhaps the fastest player in team history, De’Shawn joined the team as a freshman in 2017 and immediately made an impact.

He caught 12 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown in three games in 2017 before being called up as a walk-on for the varsity Ohio State Football program. He spent the rest of 2017 and all of 2018 playing for Urban Meyer before returning to the club program in 2019.

Returning to the starting lineup in 2019, De’Shawn caught 22 passes for 352 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Buckeyes to the national title. He also returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score against Wright State, the longest touchdown in team history.

Second Team

Brian Purvis (2011-13)

A three-year member of the program, Brian was one of the more devoted players over his time with the team.

A kicker in high school, Brian became a reliable weapon for the Buckeye offense over the course of his college career. He finished second on the team in receptions in both 2012 and 2013 (stats not kept 2009-11) and his performance against Loyola (Chicago) in 2013 was prominently featured in The Other Eleven, a documentary about the 2013 team.

Against the Ramblers, Brian caught three passes, two of which went for touchdowns. Also handling the kicking duties, he knocked in four extra points and drilled a 40-yard field goal, which stands as the second-longest made field goal in team history. The Buckeyes won 31-6 after the game was called at halftime due to lightning.

Matt Baker (2013)

One of the best deep threats in program history, Matt made a big impact in his lone season with the Buckeyes.

He caught a game-winning touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter of a 19-12 victory over RMU-Peoria in the season opener and added a 32-yard touchdown reception a week later against George Mason. He led the team in receptions in 2013 and holds the team record for receptions in a single game with eight in a loss to Miami (OH).

Casey Scroggins (2019)

A true-freshman in 2019, Casey immediately established himself as one of the most tenacious and reliable receivers in the NCFA.

While also starting on defense as a corner, Scroggins collected 19 receptions for 270 and a touchdown in 2019 and joined Green as one of only two players to catch a pass in every single game during the championship season.

His best offensive performance came in the Mid-Atlantic Conference title game against Coppin State when he caught a game-high five passes for 66 yards. One week later, his 44-yard reception against Columbus State in the NCFA semifinals set up a field goal that would be a deciding factor in a 17-14 win over the Cougars.

Offensive Line

First Team

Andrew Francis (2011-13)

A three-year starter along the offensive front, Andrew is one of the most reliable and tough linemen in program history.

Elected a team captain in 2013, Andrew was also named an NCFA Second-Team All-American as a center, the first offensive lineman in program history to take home a national honor. His ability to lead both on and off the field, in addition to his talents as a player made him a shoe-in for this list.

WILLIAM MADLEY (2013-15)

A three-year starter, Will was perhaps the most reliable offensive lineman in team history. Playing both left tackle and center throughout his career, he remained one of the few constants during some down years with the program.

Will was a team captain, team officer and an NCFA Second-Team All-American in 2015. He finished his playing career with a Senior Day 30-0 shutout victory over UM-Flint.

Hamzah Masood (2016-18)

A Gannon University transfer, Hamzah was a force to be reckoned with the second he stepped on the field for the Buckeyes.

He blocked for the top-two running backs in program history at some point in his career and was part of the 2018 team that captured the first division title in program history. He is the only 3-time NCFA All-American lineman in team history, earning Second-Team honors in 2016 before collecting First-Team honors in 2017 and 2018.

Jordan Griffith-Simmon (2019)

A true-freshman in 2019, Jordan earned a starting spot at left tackle and never looked back.

In his first career college game, he went up against the would-be NCFA Defensive Player of the Year in Andrew Sebra, and didn’t allow a sack as the Buckeyes upset then-No. 1 Oakland, 41-7. He held Sebra sack-less again in the championship game, helping the Buckeyes to a 36-9 win over the Grizzlies.

He was named an NCFA First-Team All-American in his rookie year, the first freshman lineman in program history to do so.

Ryan Walsh (2018-19)

An iron-man across Ohio State’s offensive line, Ryan has never missed a game in his 13-games played as a Buckeye.

Starting every game at center from 2018-19, Walsh has anchored the offensive line of a team that has lost just once in his time as a Buckeye. Walsh was named a team captain before the start of the 2019 season and was later named an Academic All-American by the NCFA, just one of four Buckeyes in program history to earn that honor.

Second Team

Andrew Bialek (2011-13)

A team captain, team officer and three-year starter, Andrew proved to be one of the most integral players in the early years of the Ohio State Club Football program.

In addition to being a starter on one of the best offensive lines in team history in 2013, Andrew was also featured as one of the main interviewee’s in The Other Eleven. In his final play ever on a football field, he provided the lead block on a 75-yard touchdown run by Matt Taylor against Oakland in 2013.

Sean Harvey (2012-13)

Sean was a two-year starter during his two seasons with the team, and helped lead the way for Matt Taylor, one of the teams all-time leading rushers.

He was part of an offensive line that featured four All-Decade members on one team (2013), a squad that tied a then-program record with six wins.

Matthew Thiede (2013-16)

One of the staples on the Ohio State Club Football team over the years, Matt has made a significant impact on our program.

A three-year starter on the offensive line (2014-16), Matt was eventually elected a team captain and team officer. He also filled in along the defensive line when needed and helped the team rebound from a combined 6-7 record in 2014-15 to a 5-2 record in 2016.

After his playing career ended, Matt joined the coaching staff and helped the team win the 2019 national title as the team’s offensive and defensive line coach.

Michael Fenstermaker (2016-19)

A defensive end by trade, Mike was forced into playing offensive tackle for the majority of his career out of team necessity.

He spent the majority of the 2017 and 2018 seasons playing right tackle for the Buckeyes, helping the team win the first division title in team history in 2018. He started just one game at tackle in 2019, but his dominant efforts along Ohio State’s offensive front over the years helped the Buckeyes win some of the biggest games in the team’s history.

Dierre Blash (2018-19)

Another two-way star for the Buckeyes, Dierre has been a reliable contributor along the Ohio State offensive front.

Capable of playing any position along the offensive line, Dierre started games at both guard and tackle during his first two seasons as a Buckeye. One of the few players in team history to play in the NCFA postseason in back-to-back seasons, Dierre has missed just one start in his time at Ohio State, making him one of the more reliable linemen in team history.