With the official signing day during winter break on Dec. 20, six varsity football players signed certificates in front of coaches, teammates, friends and family on Dec. 14 to celebrate their commitment to their chosen college teams. 

All six players are committed to Division 1 programs, headlined by senior defensive back Jaydan Hardy who will play for the Sooners at the University of Oklahoma.

“I want to thank my teammates,” Hardy said. “Thank you to all of you who took time to develop me. Same thing with my family and every other coach on this staff for supporting me, keeping me locked in and keeping my mind and body ready for the next step in my life.”

Senior offensive guard Xavion “Xiggy” Davis and senior quarterback Ethan Terrell were the only players honored Thursday who are headed to the same program, both committed to Jackson State University. The two have been teammates since seventh grade when Davis first moved to Texas. 

“I feel like you’ll see both of us get on the field freshman year,” Terrell said. “Especially sharing a room with someone you’ve been with basically half of your life and your whole career is a blessing. I have someone I’m familiar with, and it’ll be good to have that company in college.” 

Senior cornerback Tony-Louis Nkuba is the second highest rated recruit behind Hardy and is committed to Arizona State University. He finished his high school career with nine interceptions, seven coming during his breakout junior season. 

“I chose Arizona State because I feel like it is the best spot for me to go play early,” Nkuba said. “I feel valued, and I want to be a freshman All-American and do great things.”

Nkuba has set the same standard for his teammates, stating he wouldn’t be surprised if “multiple dudes get freshman honors.” 

“I just know what type of dudes we are because we’ve been working with each other since freshman year,” Nkuba said. “It’s the same [players] who met up on varsity, and I feel like we can make it far.”

The other two players honored are senior running back Viron Ellison, committed to the University of Tulsa, and senior linebacker Mark Cooper who will attend Texas A&M Commerce. Ellison was the team’s leading rusher in 2022 and 2023, finishing his varsity career with 31 touchdown runs. Cooper, meanwhile, was one of the team’s top tacklers in his two seasons on varsity and had a fumble recovery for a touchdown against Hebron.

Head football coach Michael Odle began the ceremony with a speech giving thanks to everyone involved with the team and school. Before passing the microphone along to the players, he gave them a final message:

“We’re excited to be here and share this moment with you,” Odle said. “Those four years went by quickly. Our relationships are just beginning, and I’m always going to be just a phone call away.”