Fall 2023 Signing Ceremony

Shembekar Auditorium in the new Antinori Center for the Arts hosted one of the biggest college signing ceremonies in Jesuit annals this week.

A total of 13 student-athletes in four sports from Jesuit High School's Class of 2024 signed with the college of their choice Wednesday (Nov. 8) at an early morning ceremony with family, friends, and coaches in attendance.

Jesuit president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. and athletic director Terry Rupp '84 first addressed the signees, encouraging them to be grateful for their opportunities, complete their senior year with excellence, and then take what they've learned at Jesuit with them to college, living their lives as 'Men for Others.'

The 13 seniors who signed Wednesday are:

BASEBALL
McCall Biemiller – University of Florida
Will Burke – Florida Southern College
Jack Clark – High Point University
Aden Knowles – North Carolina State
Zane Pestalozzi – Campbell University
D.J. Pirela – Florida Gulf Coast University
Noah Sheffield – Florida State University
Dean Spoto – Belmont University
Jackson Thomas – Georgetown University

WRESTLING
Brandon Cody – Colorado School of Mines
Roman Lermer – U.S. Air Force Academy 

LACROSSE
Lleyton Hall – Iona College

SWIMMING
Aidan Clements – Auburn University

The nine baseball players give Jesuit baseball nearly 50 over the past seven seasons, with more likely to come from the Class of 2024 at subsequent signing ceremonies this school year. The nine have been part of a great run of success for the program under head coach Miguel Menendez. In 2021, Jesuit was ranked in the Top 10 nationally most of the season and finished 26-3; in 2022, the Tigers captured the program's 6th State title and 2nd under Menendez with a record-setting run through the playoffs; and last season Jesuit was nationally ranked all season and reached the State title game before succumbing in extra innings and finishing 27-5. Sheffield is the 4th Jesuit player in three years to sign with FSU, following John Abraham '23, Jamie Arnold '22 and Ryan Denison '22. Knowles was the 2023 Saladino Tournament MVP last season and the 813Preps.com Pitcher of the Year.

Lermer and Cody are stalwarts in the powerhouse Jesuit wrestling program, which earned State titles in 2020 and 2022. Lermer has earned individual State titles that past two years, and he is the 2nd Jesuit wrestler in three years to sign with a military academy, following Braden Basile '22, who wrestles at Army West Point. Cody was State runner-up at 152 pounds last spring. He and Lermer both will be attending college in Colorado.

Hall has been a scoring machine for the ascending Jesuit lacrosse program, helping the Tigers achieve back-to-back Region titles in 2022 and 2023. Hall has notched 119 goals in his prep career, leading the Tigers to new heights with team-bests of 35 goals in 2022 and 53 in 2023.   

Clements has been a standout in the pool for the dominant Jesuit swimming program. In 2020 he helped the Tigers earn their 3rd State Championship; in 2021 he claimed an individual State title and took part in two State Championship-winning relays; and this year he has led the Tigers to their 27th consecutive District title and 15th straight Region title, sweeping 1st place in all four of his events at Region. The Tigers compete in the State Meet on Saturday. Clements joins an Auburn men's swimming program that has won 18 SEC titles.

This is the first of four signing ceremonies at Jesuit this school year, occurring on the first day of the NCAA's fall signing period. The winter and spring signing ceremonies will take place in February and April, respectively, plus the football-only signing date on Dec. 20. Each year, some 25-30 Jesuit student-athletes sign Letters of Intent to participate in college athletics.

Please view below photos from Wednesday's ceremony, and click here for video of the ceremony.