STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The Stony Brook football program has announced the addition of multiple players to its 2026 roster through the transfer portal.
The incoming class includes wide receivers Seth Sweitzer, Jack Melore and D.J. Linkins, quarterback Aidan Leffler, running backs CJ Hester and Jeremiah Coney, offensive lineman Connor Van Tassell, defensive standouts Geno Calgaro, Reggie Darkah, Ryan Barrett, Lance Brydon, and Abraham Clinkscales, and specialists Patrick Cleary and long snapper Quinn Kelly.
Sweitzer transfers to Long Island from Merrimack, where the junior appeared in all 12 games and emerged as the team's top receiving threat. A Madison, Connecticut native, Sweitzer caught 31 passes for 403 yards and three touchdowns, while adding five rushes for 48 yards. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns, setting career highs in all three categories. In 2025, Sweitzer recorded a catch in nine of 11 games, highlighted by a 59-yard, one-touchdown performance at Kent State. He also posted a season-high 81 receiving yards against Saint Anselm and finished the year with at least 25 receiving yards in six straight games, including three performances of 50 yards or more.
A Long Island native from Smithtown West, Melore spent two seasons at Marist, appearing in 22 games. As a freshman in 2024, he caught 22 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns, highlighted by six receptions against St. Thomas and 67 yards at Davidson, scoring touchdowns in back-to-back weeks versus Dayton and Davidson. He appeared in all 12 games in 2025, recording 15 receptions for 125 yards. A standout at Smithtown West High School, Melore was named the National Football Foundation's Most Outstanding Wide Receiver in Suffolk County in 2023 after totaling 78 catches for 1,258 yards and 17 touchdowns, while setting Long Island career records for receptions and receiving yards.
Linkins is a wide receiver from District Heights, Maryland who played at ETSU and New Hampshire. In 2024, he started all 12 games for ETSU, recording 49 receptions for 631 yards and three touchdowns, highlighted by 106 yards and a score against Charleston Southern and seven catches for 90 yards at Southeast Missouri. He appeared in one game during the 2025 season opener versus Cumberland. As a sophomore at New Hampshire in 2023, Linkins totaled 31 catches for 413 yards and one touchdown, while his freshman season included a program-record five touchdown receptions. A St. John's College High School product, Linkins was a Cliff Patterson Award recipient and All-Metro selection.
Leffler is a quarterback from Indianapolis, Indiana, who joins the program after his time at Ball State. A Roncalli High School product, Leffler appeared in games across multiple seasons with the Cardinals, including action in 2025 against Purdue, Western Michigan, and Kent State, and in two games during the 2024 season at Miami (Fla.) and James Madison. He also spent time as a scout-team quarterback and gained positional versatility early in his career before redshirting in 2022. One of the most accomplished quarterbacks in Roncalli history, Leffler is the school's all-time leading passer, passing touchdown leader, and total offense record holder, throwing for over 4,000 career yards and 63 touchdowns while leading his team to a 25-game winning streak and a state championship.
Hester comes to Stony Brook with experience at Western Michigan, UMass, and Michigan. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Hester transferred to UMass in 2024 and rushed 119 times for 529 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. His season was highlighted by a 15-carry, 74-yard, one-touchdown performance against No. 10 Georgia, a 29-yard rush at Mississippi State, and 14 receptions for 58 yards at NIU. In 2023 at Western Michigan, Hester totaled 124 rushing yards and two touchdowns while playing under coach Cosh, before redshirting the 2025 season at Michigan. A standout at Wyoming (Ohio) High School, Hester rushed for more than 6,000 career yards, earned OPSWA Division IV Offensive Player of the Year honors, and was a finalist for Ohio's Mr. Football Award.
Coney is a 6-foot, 200-pound running back from Richmond, Virginia who played at Virginia Tech. He has averaged 5.8 yards per carry across 19 games over the past two seasons. In 2025, Coney appeared in seven games, recording eight carries for 47 yards and three receptions for 15 yards, highlighted by a season-high 25 rushing yards at Vanderbilt and 16 yards at South Carolina. During the 2024 season, he played in all 12 games and made one start, finishing with 32 rushing attempts for 179 yards, including a season-high 96 yards at Syracuse and 22 yards on five carries against Duke. As a freshman in 2023, Coney played in four games, rushing 10 times for 28 yards and adding one reception for two yards. A product of Hermitage High School, Coney was a four-year varsity running back, team captain, 2021 VHSL Class 5 All-State First Team selection, Region 5C Offensive Player of the Year, and finished his high school career with more than 4,200 rushing yards and 64 touchdowns.
Van Tassell, an offensive lineman from Purcellville, Pennsylvania, adds depth and experience to the offensive front after a productive career at Saint Francis. In 2025, he started 11 games and helped the team gain over 1,300 rushing yards, building on strong contributions from 2024 when he started or appeared in 10 of 11 games. Off the field, he earned NEC Academic Roll honors in 2023. A standout at Loudoun Valley High School under coach David Bishop, Van Tassell was a two-time First Team All-Conference and two-time Second Team All-Region selection.
Calgaro joins the Seawolves after two seasons at SFU, appearing in 22 games as a linebacker during his freshman and sophomore campaigns. He totaled 175 tackles, 18.0 tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. In 2025, Calgaro led the NEC in tackles per game (9.5), earned All-NEC First Team and CSC Academic All-District honors, and finished with a team-leading 105 tackles, including a career-high 15 tackles at Buffalo. He was named NEC Defensive Player of the Week and ranked among the national leaders in tackles per game. As a freshman in 2024, he earned FCS Football Central Freshman All-America honors after recording 70 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss.
Darkah, a Meriden, Connecticut native and Orville H. Platt High School product, appeared in 40 games over four seasons at Central Connecticut State. A consistent presence on the defensive line, he helped CCSU clinch back-to-back FCS playoff berths in 2024 and 2025, marking the first time in program history. Darkah finished his career with 67 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 11.0 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. In 2025, he posted career highs with 36 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and 6.0 tackles for loss. In 2024, he recorded 16 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and 4.0 tackles for loss. A standout in the classroom, Darkah was named to the 2024 NEC Commissioner's Honor Roll and NEC Academic Honor Roll and earned 2025 CSC Academic All-District honors.
A defensive back from Marietta, Georgia, Barrett joins the program after playing at ETSU. He appeared in all 12 games in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, posting a career-best 32 tackles in 2025 with 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, one interception, and one fumble recovery, while recording a season-high seven tackles against Tennessee. In 2024, he totaled 26 tackles, one tackle for loss, and two pass breakups, earning a start at safety against Samford. Prior to ETSU, Barrett was a member of Gardner-Webb's 2023 conference championship team and a two-time all-region selection at Kell High School.
Brydon is a linebacker from Cincinnati, Ohio, joining the program after playing at Morgan State. In 2025, he earned All-MEAC Second Team honors, appearing in all 12 games and recording 44 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a blocked field goal, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. As a sophomore in 2024, he was named to the MEAC All-Academic Team after totaling 24 tackles, including 16 solo stops, eight tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. A standout at Robert A. Taft High School, Brydon was a two-sport athlete, earned All Southwest Ohio and First Team All-CMAC honors, and helped lead his team to a regional semifinal, recording 11 tackles and a sack in a playoff win over McNicholas.
Clinkscales, an Atlanta, Georgia native, has appeared in 24 games over three seasons at Albany State along the defensive line. He helped lead the Golden Rams to the 2025 SIAC Championship and the Division II HBCU National Championship. In 2025, Clinkscales played in all 13 games, totaling 23 tackles (12 solo, 11 assisted), a career-high eight tackles for loss, and 5.0 sacks, while adding two pass deflections and a fumble recovery. He recorded at least 0.5 sacks in each of the first five games of the season. In 2024, he posted a career-high 33 tackles with 6.0 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. He redshirted in 2023 and prepped at Westlake High School, earning varsity letters and All-Conference honors.
Cleary arrives at Stony Brook from Judson University after making an immediate impact as a true freshman punter. A native of Australia, Cleary started all 11 games for Judson, recording 65 punts for 2,743 yards. He averaged 42.2 yards per punt with a long of 70 yards and placed 21 punts inside the 20-yard line. Cleary totaled five fair catches and three touchbacks, posted at least eight punts in three games, recorded two or more punts in every contest, and placed a punt inside the 20 in eight of the team's 11 games.
A long snapper from Chicago, Kelly joins the Seawolves following stints at Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois. He redshirted in 2023 at Eastern Michigan and appeared in the Eagles' double-overtime win over Jacksonville State in 2024, then did not see game action in 2025 at Northern Illinois, preserving three years of eligibility. A Chicago native, Kelly starred at St. Rita High School, earning 2022 Second Team All-CCL and Project Midwest Showcase All-Star honors while helping lead his teams to three undefeated conference seasons, including a 2021 7A state runner-up finish and a 2022 7A state semifinal appearance.
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