Merced College football duo will be teammates again at New York school after signing
Ryan Kraft and Arnold Djanie took very different paths to Merced College.
Kraft graduated from Bret Harte High School and transferred to Merced College after the Cabrillo College football program shut down. Djanie grew up in Ghana, moved to Florida for his senior year at Coconut Creek High School, and came to Merced College to play football.
Kraft’s and Djanie’s football journey will continue together after both Blue Devils football players signed national letters of intent to accept full-ride scholarships to Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y.
Kraft signed his national letter of intent at Merced College on Wednesday morning, and Djanie signed his back in Florida.
“It was really cool,” Kraft said. “It means a lot coming from a small school (Bret Harte). I think we’ve had anybody sign for football in a long time.”
Djanie was also excited to make his college choice official.
“I come from humble beginnings,” he said. “I was in Africa two years ago. I came to the United States to play basketball. I tried out for football, and it’s worked out. Within a year of playing football, I’m signing with a D1 school. I hope it inspires a lot of people.”
Djanie followed one of his cousins to Florida. He won a state championship playing basketball at Coconut Creek High but fell in love with football once he started playing.
Djanie decided to continue playing football and decided the junior college route would be the best fit for him. It would give him more time to learn the game and develop.
A former Merced College player Jabari Moore, who lived in Florida, told him about Merced College and put him in contact with Blue Devils defensive coordinator Justin Pinasco.
Djanie recorded 43 tackles and led the team with eight sacks as a freshman defensive end this fall.
“You could tell right away he was a good looking kid,” said Merced College coach Bob Casey. “He’s looked the part. He was so raw as a football player. He improved as the game made more sense. He has huge upside.”
Djanie, who plans to major in international business, says he’s learned so much from his time in Merced.
“Merced was amazing,” Djanie said. “It helped me focus on academics, and I took care of that. The football program was amazing. The coaches put me in the best position to be the best player I could be. They took care of me. I’m going to miss that place.”
Kraft graduated from Bret Harte in 2019 and had a couple of offers out of high school, but felt he could do better if he went the junior college route.
He started at Cabrillo College but had to find a new home when the Cabrillo football program was suspended for two years for sanctions following rules violations that involved players receiving “impermissible benefits.”
Kraft transferred to Merced College and said having the 2020 season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic actually helped him.
“After the Cabrillo program shut down, I was lost,” Kraft said. “I didn’t know where I would go. The COVID year actually helped me out. It let me spend an extra year in the system at Merced College. I got there in October of last year. I’m not sure I would have been able to play last year. It allowed me to get into the school, learn the system and create friendships with teammates.”
Kraft became a leader for the Blue Devils as the starting quarterback.
The sophomore passed for 2,013 yards and 17 touchdowns this season to go along with 354 rushing yards and four more scores.
“I went the Juco route because I was betting on myself,” said Kraft, who plans to major in anthropology. “I had a few small offers out of high school. I believed in myself, and it paid off.”
Both players recently made their official visits to Wagner College.
“It was probably as much culture shock as you can get,” Casey said of Kraft, who grew up in Murphys and visited New York for the first time.
“Visiting Wagner College, New York City and Staten Island was like nothing I’ve ever seen before or experienced before,” Kraft said. “I loved it. It’s a great place to be.”
Both are happy to be making this next step with a friend and teammate.
“Arnold has such a great story, and he’s an awesome guy,” Kraft said. “I’m happy everything worked out for him. It doesn’t hurt going to a school with a friend already.”
“I’m going to Wagner, and I already have a brother,” Djanie added. “That’s a good thing for me.”
