National Signing Day: Big Central football players make it official where they’ll play in college

Wednesday begins the Early Signing period for football players across the country to sign their National Letter of Intent. They can sign on the dotted line now through Friday, or can wait for the Spring period. Here is a team-by-team look at who signed were, with information submitted by their coaches and/or announced on social media.

This list will be updated throughout the day, as we get information from coaches, players, social media and other media reports. Please check back often for additions as they come in.

Colonia: Jaeden Jones – the Central Jersey Sports Radio Offensive Player of the Year – signed on with Monmouth. In his second season as a QB – after having never played the position before – he rished for 1,454 yards and 22 touchdowns, second best in the Big Central. One of the league’s most electrifying players, he also threw for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. Now that he’s signed, it’s right back to playing hoops, where he’s the point guard for the Patriots’ basketball team.

Hillside: Diego Rodriguez, a two-way lineman for the Comets – will be attending the University of Connecticut.

Montgomery: Matt D’Avino – who may have had the most receptions in the state over the last two years, according to his head coach, Zoran Milich – signed on with Lehigh. He caught 67 passes this year for 1,501 yards – that’s 15.7 yards per catch – and had 16 touchdowns. He’s grabbed 122 passes the last two seasons.

Ridge: Chris Oliver, an offensive lineman/tight end, will be playing for Bucknell. The 6-3, 240-pounder played mostly defense for the Red Devils this season, logging 61 tackles, 42 solo, nine TFLs, seven sacks – with 13 in his two years playing varsity for Andy West – and also had a forced fumble.

Plainfield: Josue Cordoba – Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Two Way Player of the Year for 2023, signed on with Kent State Wednesday. ”He’ll catch a 60-yard bomb on one end, and come back and catch a pick-six on the other,” says his coach, James Williams. He caught 60 passes this year for 1,234 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing for two. On defense: five interceptions, three for touchdowns.

St. Thomas Aquinas: Christian Magliacano – the 2023 CJSR Defensive Player of the Year – made it official he’ll be going to Colgate. ”Arguably the best linebacker in the state,” says his head coach Tarig Holman, he recorded 162 tackles this year at linebacker, 32 TFLs, three forced fumbles, two interceptions, one for a touchdown, and two blocked kicks.

Summit: Tyler Kessell singed to play football at Dartmouth. He totalled 133 tackles at linebacker this season, with 15 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

Watchung Hills: Big quarterback Aleks Sitkowski – the younger brother of Art, who starred at Old Bridge and played at Rutgers – signed on with Colgate. After moving from Piscataway to Warren, Sitkowski threw for 1,696 yards and 17 touchdowns for Watchung Hills, while also running it over 100 times for 609 yard and another 13 touchdowns. Head coach Rich Suebert says Sitkowksi turned his traditional run-first offense into a “high octane” passing attack. Sitkowski was an Honorable Mention CJSR Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.

Westfield: Linebacker Chris Rosetti put pen to paper to play for Brown University. He was tops with 124 tackles for the Blue Devils this year, four tackles for loss, and 1 1/2 sacks. He also had a QB hurry and a fumble recovery.

Woodbridge: The winner of Central Jersey Sports Radio’s “Record Setter of the Year” award, A.J. Bosch signed with Bucknell. He graduates as No. 1 all-time in Barrons annals with career receptions (134), career touchdown catches (27) and career rushing touchdowns (12) by a receiver. He also finished with 2,842 career rushing yards, No. 2 in the Woodbridge record books: