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The call to service was overwhelming.
San Marcos High School linebacker Elijah Bechtel and Army-Navy Academy do-everything player Nehemiah Brunson Jr. chose to play college football for Army. The idea of playing for a service academy was front of mind on Wednesday, when the two announced they will play for the Black Knights.
Bechtel and Brunson were two of more than two dozen San Diegans to commit to schools at the start of the early signing period.
“The history at West Point, the architecture of the buildings, the Hudson River were overwhelming,” said Bechtel, who transferred to San Marcos from La Verne Damien for his senior season. “I want to serve my country. When I visited West Point, the coaching staff was phenomenal. I could feel the culture of the Black Knights.”
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Bechtel finished the season with 96 tackles and five sacks. He also had 12 catches for 196 yards and a pair of touchdowns as a tight end.
Brunson had 875 passing yards, 614 rushing yards, 521 receiving yards and 212 yards on kick returns this season for Army-Navy, a team coached by his father. He also had 58 tackles and three interceptions.
“Picking a college isn’t easy,” Brunson said. “But once I visited West Point, talked to the coaches and players, I felt the camaraderie everyone talks about. So it was an easy decision.”
Carlsbad High School offensive linemen Kai Jacobowitz (Duke) and Andrew Langer (Eastern Washington) were part of a unit that allowed just two sacks all season.
“We took a lot of pride in that,” Jacobowitz said. “Our job was to protect our quarterback, and we did that.”
Carlsbad tight end Caden Easter chose Johns Hopkins, one of the top academic schools in the country. Kicker Tyler Prasuhn is headed to Washington.
San Jose State got two of San Diego’s top players — wide receiver Jace Nix of San Marcos and running back Sir Autry from Hoover.
Autry had 201 carries for 1,703 yards and 24 touchdowns. Nix had 51 catches for 963 yards and 14 TDs.
Lincoln High School quarterback Akili Smith Jr. made it official on Wednesday, signing with his father’s alma mater of Oregon. His teammate, running back Aden Jackson, chose UC Davis. More Hornets are expected to sign with schools soon. Granite Hills running back Max Turner, who has 1,600 yards and 29 TDs, is headed to Utah Tech.
The Army duo, Bechtel and Brunson, have more than just a service academy in college. Both want to pursue medicine, with Bechtel focusing on pre-med and Brunson pursuing a future as a sports doctor.
A commitment to a service academy lasts for 10 years — four years in college and six years after. Bechtel said “the pull to serve was greater than the time commitment.”
“And once the 10 years are up, you’ve gone through college with no debt,” he said. “You can stay in and have a career in the military. But if you choose to leave, you’ll always be a graduate of the United States Military Academy and have that on your résumé.”
Bechtel hopes to play as a freshman at Army. Brunson, who weighs just 160 pounds, will attend the United States Military Academy Prep School first.
“It’s an extra year of a free education,” he said. “Plus, I’ll get to play football, gain some weight and learn what it takes to be successful at West Point.”
As for the time demands?
“The 10-year commitment doesn’t bother me,” Brunson said. “I got a nice taste of military life here at Army-Navy. … This is a college prep school. I believe I have a background that will set me up for life.”
San Diego-area football players sign
A list of the San Diego-area high school football players who signed with colleges Wednesday or reconfirmed their commitments to college programs.:
Position;Name; Pos.;High School;College
RB;Sir Autry; Hoover;San Jose State
LB;Elijah Bechtel;San Marcos; Army
WR; Ian Browne;Bishop’s;Brown
WR; Nehemiah Brunson Jr.; Army-Navy;Army
WR; Braylon Cardwell; Mount Miguel;San Diego State
OL; Zach Dorros; La Jolla Country Day;Pomona Pitzer
DL; Sidney Dupuy; Cathedral Catholic;San Diego State
TE; Caden Easter; Carlsbad;Johns Hopkins
DE; Luke Givens; La Jolla Country Day;UC Davis
LB; Isaac Grassi; La Jolla Country Day;Tufts
DL; Diezel Hernandez; Cathedral Catholic;USD
RB; Aden Jackson; Lincoln;UC Davis
OL; Kai Jacobowitz; Carlsbad;Duke
OL; Liam Kline; Mission Hills;Northern Arizona
OL; Andrew Langer; Carlsbad;Eastern Washington
LB; Xavier Leatherman; Army-Navy;Boise State
Edge; Jared Martin; Central Union;TCU
WR; Jase Nix; San Marcos;San Jose State
OL/DL; Declan O’Donovan;Bishop’s;U. of Chicago
DE; Julius Patton; La Jolla Country Day;Columbia
K; Tyler Prasuhn; Carlsbad;Washington
DB; Zane Reed; Francis Parker;Southern Utah
DB; Caleb Reese; San Marcos;Sacramento State
QB; Akili Smith Jr.;Lincoln;Oregon
OL; Jett Thomas; Point Loma;San Diego State
RB; Max Turner; Granite Hills;Utah Tech
Originally Published:
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