BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State football signed a class of 45 high school recruits from seven states on National Signing Day on Feb. 4. The class joins the Bulldogs program that recently secured its fourth NCAA Division II National Championship in five years.
The Bulldogs finished the most recent season with a 16-0 record and currently hold a 30-game winning streak. During the 2025 campaign, Ferris State set an all-time NCAA record by scoring 844 total points.
The Bulldogs maintained their focus on Michigan by signing 29 in-state recruits. One of those in-state athletes included star Ludington quarterback Cameron Gunsell, who led the Orioles to a 9-1 record this past season.
Gunsell’s father, Charlie, is a Bulldog football alum and served as Cameron’s head coach at Ludington until his recent retirement. In his senior year at Ludington, Cameron threw for 2,291 yards and 25 touchdowns, 1,423 rushing yards and 31 rushing touchdowns, and was an all-state honoree.
Beyond Michigan, the Bulldogs signed seven players from Florida, marking the 15th consecutive year the program has landed talent from that state. The remaining members of the class include three prospects from Arizona, two from Ga., two from Del., and one each from North Carolina and Ohio.
Annese has served as head coach since 2012 and recently became the first Division II coach to win four national championships. Under his leadership, the Bulldogs have established an 87.9% winning percentage with a 153-21 overall record.
Over the last seven seasons of on-field action, Ferris State has compiled a 93-seven record. The program has reached the national semifinals seven times in the past nine seasons and currently holds the nation’s longest streak of consecutive playoff appearances at 11 years. The Bulldogs won national titles in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.