Third-year Northwestern State football coach Blaine McCorkle announced Thursday the addition of 21 transfers and one high school signee in a class loaded with talent and experience coming primarily from the FBS ranks.
Two of the transfers are local products – kicker Payne Williams III, a St. Mary’s standout coming home from Colorado State, and offensive lineman Joseph Cryer, who graduated from Natchitoches Central and has transferred from McNeese. A third new Demon with local ties is Trinity Valley Community College transfer receiver Jake Peveto, son of former Demons’ head coach Bradley Dale Peveto.
Northwestern picked up a bevy of talented transfers on the defensive side of the ball plus some key additions on offense and special teams as part of its transfer class.
“I am very excited about this group of young men we are bringing into our program,” McCorkle said. “I want to thank our staff. They worked extremely hard to identify what we needed and find the right people to either fill those holes or bolster the roster.
“We have had the philosophy to replace graduating seniors with high school talent and portal guys with portal guys. Last fall we said goodbye to 12 seniors on senior day, and we signed 12 high school players so we hit that mark exactly. We had 13 go into the portal and we replaced them with 21 very solid football players so we definitely bettered ourselves there.”
Others joining the NSU roster for the upcoming 2026 season are Jamal Cooper Jr. (Dartmouth), Bryston Dixon (Jones College), Donovan Dozier (Liberty), Blaine Duncan (Gannon Univ.), Blake Fann (North Texas), Mikel Hines (ULM), Harold Lawson (Tulane), Tyrone McDuffie III (UTEP), MarJayvious Moss (Navarro), Kamron Norwood (Southeastern), Geoffrey Ojeh (UTPB), Jason Otah (East Texas A&M), Brandon Ross (Saddleback College), Diego Sanchez (Arkansas Tech), Kameron Thomas (Arkansas State), Zach Wilcke (Charlotte), Jace Williams (Tulsa), and Tywon Wray Jr. (South Alabama).
The lone high school addition was JR Dockery II from Memphis, Tenn. He joins the class of 11 other signees from the December high school class.
NSU picked up 10 transfers from FBS schools, four from fellow FCS programs, four junior college transfers and two from Division II programs.
“We had the second lowest number of players go into the portal of anyone in the conference and that is very encouraging,” McCorkle said. “That tells us our still extremely young team is buying into what we are doing, they believe and see the future and want to stay and be a part of it.
“This is the strongest the roster has been by a long way since we arrived on campus. We will still be very young, with only 13 seniors, and go through spring practice with 32 sophomores and 17 redshirt freshmen. This team is growing up, and it is fun to watch. I’m really excited to get to spring practice and see what the new additions look like and see the ever-changing bodies (strength and conditioning) Coach (Jason) Smelser and his staff are building.”
Here are bios on the three new Demons with local connections:
Joseph Cryer – OL – 6-3 – 320 – R-So. – Leesville, La. – Natchitoches Central – LSU – Southern Miss – McNeese
Prior to NSU
Enrolled early at LSU in the spring of 2024 before transferring to Southern Mississippi for the 2024 season…played in four games during his freshman season at Southern Miss, preserving a redshirt…spent the 2025 season at McNeese seeing action in nine games.
High School
One of the top offensive line prospects in Louisiana in 2023, rated No. 28 overall in the state and No. 68 nationally in the On3 composite…three-star recruit by all recruiting services…ranked as the No. 18 prospect in Louisiana by ESPN…won LHSAA Division III non-select state championship in 2022 with Many…finished his prep career at NatchitochesCentral…helped the Chiefs rush for 5.4 yards per carry and 341.8 yards of total offense per game…earned Second-Team 5A All-State in 2023.
Personal
Son of Cheri and Bo Cryer…has five siblings, brothers, Jordan, Morgan, Tyler and Landon, and sister, Caitlyn…general studies major with a concentration in kinesiology…wants to go into coaching.
Jake Peveto – WR – 6-0 – 184 – R-So. – Baton Rouge, La. – College Station HS – SMU – Trinity Valley CC
Prior to NSU
Named SWJCFC Second-Team All-Conference in his lone season at Trinity Valley…led the team in receptions and yards in 2025 with 41 grabs for 392 yards and three touchdowns…averaged 9.6 yards per catch on the season…had back-to-back games with eiaght receptions for 70+ yards…made four or more catches in each of the first six games he played…appeared in one game during his true freshman season at SMU, preserving a redshirt.
High School
Three-sport athlete in football, basketball and track & field…amassed more than 1,200 yards during his senior season on the gridiron earning a second-team all-district selection.
Personal
Son of Melissa and Bradley Dale Peveto…has one sister, Payton…father served as NSU football head coach for four seasons from 2009-12 after serving as its defensive coordinator from 1996-98 under the legendary Sam Goodwin. Bradley Dale was the special teams coach on LSU’s 2007 National Championship team…Jake is a general studies major that wants to get into real estate.
Payne Williams III – K – 5-10 – 180 – R-So. – Natchitoches, La. – St. Mary’s – Colorado State
Prior to NSU
Spent two seasons at Colorado State receiving preserving a redshirt as a freshman in 2024 and did not see game action in 2025.
High School
Three-sport athlete at St. Mary’s in baseball, basketball and football…two-time all-state kicker and all-state punter…all-district as a punter and kicker five times…kicked school record 53-yard field goal … all-state in baseball.
Personal
Son of Bridget and Joseph Payne Williams Jr. … has two siblings, brother, Blanchard and sister, Aubrey…majoring in history…plans to attend law school.
