18 players and coaches with ties to Elmira-Corning to follow in college football in 2023

The Elmira-Corning region's deep connection with college football includes 1961 Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis from Elmira Free Academy, Penn State All-American and national champion Pete Curkendall from Southside, Maryland All-Atlantic Coast Conference receiver Guilian Gary from Horseheads and a boatload more.

It's a tie that continues to grow. Look for significant contributions from athletes who are from the region, or who have significant ties to the Elmira-Corning area, during the 2023 college football season.

This 18-person list includes two former Southside players who have more than 80 years of combined coaching experience, the sons of an NFL Hall of Famer and Elmira native, along with a Division III player who had one of the top rushing days in college football last season.

More: Gold medal only part of reward for Elmira-area trio in trip to United World Games

Max Freeman, Alfred University

Max Freeman, a junior running back at Alfred University, had the third-highest single-game rushing performance in Alfred University history last season when he carried 33 times for 274 yards and two touchdowns in the Saxons' 31-23 victory over Kalamazoo.

A clutch 80-yard touchdown run one play after Kalamazoo closed within eight points highlighted the performance of the former Corning-Painted Post all-state player.

Freeman finished the 2022 season with 931 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 222 attempts. He was named All-Empire 8 first team after earning third-team all-conference honors in 2021.

Season opener: 7 p.m. Sept. 1 vs. Hobart College.

Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, Colorado

The move of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders to head coach at the University of Colorado also brought the transfers of sons Shedeur and Shilo.

Along with having Prime Time as their dad, the Sanders' brothers mom is Elmira native Pilar Sanders, known as Pilar Biggers during her days at Elmira Free Academy. She graduated from EFA in 1992 and was married to Deion from 1999 to 2013.

While at EFA, Biggers was an all-star cheerleader who also contributed to the staff of Sneakers, a student-written section that appeared in the Star-Gazette.

Shedeur is the projected starting quarterback for the Buffaloes and last year at Jackson State completed 344 of 488 passes for 40 touchdowns and 3,752 yards in leading the team to a 12-1 record.

Shilo, a safety, had an interception and 20 tackles in seven games last year at Jackson State.

Season opener: Noon Sept. 2 at TCU (FOX).

Gary Cramer, Alabama

Horseheads High graduate Gary Cramer has played a significant role for the University of Alabama athletic department as Life Coach, a position he has held since 2003. Cramer, who graduated Horseheads in 1980, is director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Alabama.

Earlier this year, Cramer was inducted into the Alabama "A" Club for his contributions. He has been part of six national titles at Alabama under head coach Nick Saban.

Season opener: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2 vs. Middle Tennessee (SEC Network).

Kevin Callahan, Monmouth

The list of Monmouth University football coaches begins and ends with Elmira native Kevin Callahan, the only head coach for the program since he got it off the ground in 1993.

Callahan, who played for the legendary Tom Hurley at Elmira Southside, brings a 178-135 record into the 2023 season. He has coached seven conference championship teams and three times his teams have appeared in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Callahan, a 2018 inductee into the Chemung County Sports Hall of Fame, has been coaching since he was a graduate assistant at the University of Albany from 1977 to 1979. Sixteen Monmouth players have made NFL rosters, including wide receivers Chris Hogan and Miles Austin.

Season opener: 6 p.m. Sept. 2 at Florida Atlantic (ESPN+).

Jim Gush, University of Incarnate Word

Gush has been a fixture in college football coaching circles since he directed the defensive backs at the University of Albany in 1983. In January, he was named defensive coordinator at the University of Incarnate Word, a Division I Football Championship Subdivision program in San Antonio, Texas.

Before the move to San Antonio, Gush was linebackers coach and then co-defensive coordinator at North Texas, where longtime friend and coaching partner Phil Bennett was defensive coordinator. Gush was defensive coordinator at McNeese State in 2019.

Gush has had coaching stints at the likes of Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State and Southern Methodist University. As head coach, he guided Garden City Community College in Kansas to a 29-7 record over three seasons.

Like Callahan, Gush also played for Hurley at Southside.

Season opener: 9 p.m. Sept. 2 at University of Texas at El Paso.

Joe Ott and Lucas Zawko, St. Lawrence University

Division III's St. Lawrence University has a roster that includes former Corning Hawks standouts Joe Ott and Lucas Zawko.

Zawko, a linebacker, was an all-state pick at Corning who was co-winner of the Joel Stephens 5C Award after his senior season in 2021.

Ott, a junior tight end, caught 18 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns last season for St. Lawrence, which posted a 4-6 record. That included a 63-yard touchdown catch in a 30-19 win over Norwich.

Season opener: Noon Sept. 2 at Endicott College.

More: Meet the 2023 Elite Spring All-Star Corning-Elmira high school teams

Sam Palmesano, Buffalo State

Palmesano, a defensive end, is a freshman member of the football program at Buffalo State.

As a two-way player, Palmesano played a significant role in Corning capturing back-to-back Section 4 Class AA titles his junior and senior years.

Season opener: 7 p.m. Aug. 31 vs. SUNY Brockport.

Logan Booker, Sacred Heart

Booker's credentials as a freshman at Sacred Heart University include third-team Class AA all-state recognition last season at Corning, where he helped the Hawks repeat as Section 4 champ.

Booker rushed for 1,088 yards, his second straight 1,000-yard season, and scored 15 touchdowns. He also had 44 tackles and an interception on defense.

He is slated as a defensive back at Sacred Heart.

Season opener: 6 p.m. Sept. 2 vs. Lafayette College.

Trey Drake, North Dakota State

Drake, an all-state quarterback at Jamestown High School, has extensive family in the Elmira area. His mom, the former Karen Burge, was a standout basketball player at Southside High School.

He is a freshman quarterback at North Dakota State, which went 14-1 last season and lost to South Dakota State in the Division I FCS national championship game.

Drake passed for 6,158 yards and 72 touchdowns while at Jamestown. He also earned all-state basketball honors and joined Jamestown in competing in the Josh Palmer Fund Clarion Classic at Elmira High School.

Season opener: 3:30 p.m. Sept. 2 vs. Eastern Washington (ESPN+).

Brody Jacobs, West Chester

Brody Jacobs makes the transition from Horseheads to Division II West Chester this season. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Jacobs is part of West Chester's offensive line.

The Golden Rams are coming off a 7-4 season.

Season opener: 1 p.m. Sept. 2 at Bentley University.

Alex McKerrow, Keystone College

After starting on the offensive and defensive lines for Section 4 Class AA runner-up Elmira High, Alex McKerrow has crossed the Pennsylvania border to play for Division III Keystone College.

McKerrow won the Elmira Kiwanis Club's Dick Senko Male Athlete of the Year Award in June, which goes to the top male athlete from the Elmira region.

Four at St. John Fisher

Division III St. John Fisher's roster includes four area graduates.

Junior defensive back Justin Rodriguez, who followed in the footsteps of older brother Jason to Division III St. John Fisher, had 23 tackles, two interceptions and three pass break-ups last season for the Cardinals. As a freshman, the Corning-Painted Post grad had four interceptions, returning one for a 35-yard touchdown.

Elmira High School grad Tyler Marks, a two-way standout with the Express, is a sophomore linebacker.

Two Horseheads alums also play for the Cardinals. Junior running back Jarrett O'Connell saw action in five games last season and Ben Massengale is a sophomore kicker/punter.

St. John Fisher posted a 4-6 record last season.

Season opener: 1 p.m. Sept. 2 at Marietta College (Ohio).

Keyden Snow, University of Rochester

Former Corning-Painted Post standout Keyden Snow returns for his junior season at linebacker at the University of Rochester after starting all 10 games last season for the Yellowjackets.

Snow tied for sixth on the team with 45 tackles, including 14 solo stops, and earned all-academic honors. He also had a sack, forced fumble and two pass break-ups, highlighted by seven tackles against SUNY Brockport. As a freshman in 2021, Snow had 23 tackles.

Season opener: noon Sept. 2 vs. Utica University.

Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today

This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: People to follow in college football with ties to Elmira-Corning area