Stonehill Secures 2026 OL Alex Deckert

Stonehill has put together a balanced 2026 class so far, but they’ve done their best work in the trenches. That’s only continuing with Central Valley, NY standout Alex Deckert. Familiarity goes a long way in recruiting, and Deckert had some of that with Stonehill before the recruiting process even began. We caught up with him to talk about his commitment to the Skyhawks.

“My O-Line Coach, Matt Taurill, played O-Line for Stonehill,” Deckert told us. That couldn’t have hurt Shovel Town’s chances, but it certainly wasn’t the only factor. His visit when Stonehill upended Long Island was also important. When he was on campus, it felt like the right place for him even before kickoff. “I had toured the campus earlier that day and felt right at home,” he said. By the time postgame came up, Deckert was ready to hear that he’d be welcome as a Skyhawk.

“I met with Coach Gardner after the win against LIU and we talked about the team and the future of program,” Deckert said. “And Coach told me that he thought I would be a great addition to the team.”

After the loss to Duquesne, Deckert wasn’t swayed by the tough loss. He made the decision to accept the offer.

“I called Coach Gardner last night and let him know how much I liked the campus, coaching, and the team, and that I wanted to be there for the next 4 years. Coach said he would be happy to have me.”

Coach Gardner obviously played a big role in landing the big man from New York, but this was a team effort from the Stonehill coaching staff to get their guy. Coach Dan Hebert (Offensive Coordinator) was his recruiter, but recruiting coordinator Nick Flores went to Parasmus Catholic High School where Deckert plays ball. That connection paid off for the Skyhawks in spades. Coach Dylan Berardelli, the Stonehill OL coach, was the final piece of the puzzle, spending time talking OL with Deckert.

Deckert is the 6th commit in 2026 for Stonehill so far and the 3rd who plays OL as one of their positions.