Today was the day to sign on the dotted line for college scholarships.
December 19th was National ‘Early’ Signing Day, a chance for student athletes to sign their national letters of intent for football scholarships ahead of the large national signing day in February.
Headed out: @PRHS_Football teammates @EvansTy18 and @AidanCullen78 singing their NLIs on #NationalSigningDay.
Evans to @PackFootball
Cullen to @CSUFootball @CHSAA #copreps @KOAA pic.twitter.com/yKjSQqF41m— Grant Meech (@KOAAGrant) December 19, 2018
Kain Medrano of Pueblo East, Alijah Bates of Doherty and teammates Aidan Cullen and Ty Evans of Palmer Ridge all put pen to paper and set their course in a new direction.
“100 percent it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulder and now I can just focus on getting better and being the best player i can be,” Evans said, clad in a brand new grey North Carolina State hoodie. “I know it means a lot to my family and to the people with Palmer Ridge football, the whole program.”
Third time was the charm for Evans. He pulled his verbal commitment from The University of Arkansas two eyars ago after then head coach Bret Bielema was fired. Following the firing of Mike MacIntyre in Boulder, Evans changed his course again, finding his new home with the Wolfpack.
“You do have to go to a school because of the people around you,” Evans said. “You can get an education anywhere but it’s the people there that make it special and the people that make you want to be a better person.”
Evans graduated early from Palmer Ridge and has already enrolled in classes. He begins his college life in two weeks and he’s still struggling with doing his own laundry.
Aidan Cullen is staying closer to home at Colorado State as the 6’5″ 250 lbs lineman joins Mike Bobo’s team in Fort Collins. He loved the recruiting process but said he’s so glad it’s all over with.
“At the end of the day being able to sign with Ty, it puts a good sense of finality on the whole thing,” Cullen said. “Being able to take that next step and be in state where all my family and friends can come visit me, be around and come visit, tailgate and all that fun stuff – it’s a pretty good feeling know I’ll be going to CSU!”
Headed to Westwood: @east_eagles11 Kain Medrano signs his NLI with @UCLAFootball on #NationalSigningDay pic.twitter.com/Elf0ek5fzQ
— Grant Meech (@KOAAGrant) December 19, 2018
Kain Medrano is trading in his black and gold for blue and gold and a lot more warmer days ahead at UCLA.
The Pueblo East all-star was a verbal commit over the summer but couldn’t wait to sign his scholarship early and start thinking about playing for the Bruins.
“this letter – this day – just everything about today is amazing,” Medrano said, in a brand new UCLA hoodie. “I’m officially a Bruin and that just feels so good and so warming that I definitely know where I’m going now.
Arizona State is getting a native son back in Alijah Bates. And maybe the rest of his family.
The Doherty lineman becomes the first Spartan to sign a scholarship with a Power 5 school in 13 years (Lamarr Houston was the last one, signing with the University of Texas) and he did it wearing his dad’s old Sun Devil jersey, complete with the Holiday Bowl patch on the right shoulder.
Headed out: @PRHS_Football teammates @EvansTy18 and @AidanCullen78 singing their NLIs on #NationalSigningDay.
Evans to @PackFootball
Cullen to @CSUFootball @CHSAA #copreps @KOAA pic.twitter.com/yKjSQqF41m— Grant Meech (@KOAAGrant) December 19, 2018
Bates’ parents met and played sports at ASU so the decision to join Herm Edwards football program was pretty easy.
“Before ASU offered, I was set on going to Wyoming, actually, but once that ASU offer came…. it’s been a dream of mine to play there since I was little,” he said. “Since the offer came, it was ASU 100 percent. It’s something I’ve always dreamed about so it’s pretty exciting.”
