100% COMMITTED💙💛🦘@coachbonifay @CoachZerk @_stebbinsfb @ZipsFB @BallCoachJoeMo @CoachGilbertson pic.twitter.com/StgmpJJfvy
— AD🙏🏽💙💛🦘 (@Adrian1of1N) June 25, 2022
“Since I was 6 years old, I knew that college football was what I wanted to do,” he wrote in a message posted to social media. “Now that I’m older, I understand that education is what I need. With an amazing opportunity in front of me, it’s too good to turn down.”
He thanked friends, family and others in the Riverside community before revealing his commitment to Akron.
The 6-1, 190-pounder caught 51 passes for 1,062 yards last season and scored 13 touchdowns. He had 12 tackles and forced a fumble on the other side of the ball as the Indians
Norton also returned two punts for touchdowns.
He is set to be the first Stebbins player to sign with an FBS team in nearly 10 years. The last was Jared Brumfield, a linebacker who signed with Ohio University in 2014.
Norton is the 14th local player to commit to an FBS school in the class of 2023.
Two days earlier, Fairfield athlete Jordan Jackson joined the group when he announced he will be a West Virginia Mountaineer.
“First I would like to thank God for giving me the talents and ability to play the sport that I love most and allowing me to showcase my talents at the next level,” Jackson wrote on social media.
He also thanked his family, coaches, teammates, mentors and trainer for helping him develop before revealing his choice.
“I am happy to announced that I will be committing to West Virginia University,” he concluded.
COMMITTED!! 🏔🔵🟡#TakeMeHome23 #TrustTheClimb pic.twitter.com/4x8Af8gUgJ
— Jordan Jackson (@jacksonjordannn) June 23, 2022
He will join his brother, Josiah, in Morgantown. They are both 247Sports Composite three-star recruits.
Josiah, a cornerback prospect, committed in March and is rated 11th among Ohio prospects while Jordan is No. 18.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Jordan Jackson ran for 973 yards and six touchdowns last season for the Indians while Josiah had 48 tackles and an interception.
In other recent recruiting news, a pair of talented play-makers made their final college lists known:
- Springfield senior Anthony Brown is down to (in alphabetical order) Cincinnati, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma and Penn State. Brown committed to Minnesota, where his brother is a receiver, last fall but reopened his commitment in February. A four-star prospect who earned honorable mention All-Ohio last season as he and the Wildcats won the GWOC and advanced to the Division I state championship game, Brown led the conference with 822 yards receiving. Brown is the No. 1 receiver prospect in Ohio after he averaged 14.2 yards per catch with seven touchdowns, and he is the top-rated local player who is not committed.
- Wayne senior R.J. Mukes also recently narrowed his college choices. The three-star prospect released a top seven of Youngstown State, Bowling Green, Akron, Columbia, Princeton, Toledo and Ball State. Mukes caught 21 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown last season for the Warriors.
- The young quarterback crop appears to be strong in the area. A pair of sophomore signal-callers reported receiving scholarship offers from Louisville — Tyrell Lewis of Wayne and Tavien St. Clair of Bellefontaine. Lewis also has offers from Akron, Eastern Kentucky and Massachusetts according to 247Sports while St. Clair also has offers from Iowa State, Pitt, Tennessee, Toledo and Central Michigan.
- Centerville junior quarterback Drake Wells visited Yale and was among many prospects to take part in a camp at Akron while Trotwood-Madison junior Tim Carpenter Jr. went to Miami University in Oxford last week after showing his stuff at Ohio State’s seven-on-seven tournament the week before. Carpenter is a three-star and the top-rated quarterback in the state per early 247Sports.
Had a great at Miami University today! @CoachKoehler pic.twitter.com/4hamoiUHJ8
— Timothy Carpenter (@timmm3x) June 26, 2022
- Junior defensive back Mike Smith of Trotwood-Madison was among the players in Columbus last week for Ohio State’s last one-day recruiting camp. He was also in Columbus with the rest of the Rams the previous week for a seven-on-seven tournament.
O state was fun, back to work it’s time to level up💯 @CoachTimWalton @taytay622 @CoachTreWB @CoachTreWB @CoachCamFB4 @TMRAMFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/MUkOJZ7lyi
— ✞ mike smith (@MikeDa3rd) June 21, 2022
- Stebbins junior offensive lineman Jake Wheelock camped at Ohio State early in the month, and last week he reported getting an offer from Toledo.
- Springfield defensive back Aaron Scott Jr. (class of ‘24) continued his big month by adding an offer from Oklahoma. The four-star prospect is the top local prospect in his class and started off the month by scoring an offer from Ohio State.
- And finally from the boys’ basketball world: Anthony McComb III, who played at Thurgood Marshall and Trotwood-Madison, signed with Bowling Green last week. He landed with the Falcons after a year at the Flyght Academy Prep school in Dayton.
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