Notes: Foothill’s Jordan Blakely earns admission to Air Force
Foothill senior Jordan Blakely was overjoyed when the Air Force Academy presented him with a scholarship offer in the spring, only to discover that a composite score of 16 on the ACT admittance exam wasn’t good enough to grant his admission.
“I don’t think he took it very seriously at first,” Foothill coach Marty Redmond said with a grin.
So Blakely traded the football cleats for the books and cooped himself inside a classroom three hours a day to study, study and study — and to solidify the future he always had hoped to have.
Blakely retested in June and scored a 31 on the 36-point test, all but guaranteeing admission to Air Force and the continuance of his football career. The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound two-way star got his offer in March, validating almost 10 years of craftsmanship and an unbreakable sense of self-confidence that’s helped him become one of the state’s best players.
He wanted to play Division I football.
He’s going to play Division I football.
“That’s the ultimate dream,” he said. “Always in life.”
It materialized, more specifically, in the fifth grade. That’s when Blakely started playing football and practicing to exhaustion.
Once, twice, sometimes three times a day.
“Trying to get better,” he said. “Athletics, ladders, conditioning. Working on routes. … Everything basically.”
Blakely debuted on Foothill’s varsity as a 10th-grader in 2016, playing sparingly behind older and more experienced teammates. He matured through the program, added mass to his limber frame and recorded 395 receiving yards, four touchdowns, 54 tackles and three interceptions as one of the area’s top all-around athletes.
“He’s always open in my eyes,” Falcons quarterback Koy Riggin said. “He’s definitely worked hard over the summer. … He’s such a great athlete, and when you put those two things together, he definitely stands out from the rest.”
And collegiate programs began to notice.
Blakely received his offer and visited the school in June after his second crack at the ACT. The 15-point improvement triggered a commitment in July and ended his recruitment before his senior season, potentially discouraging other suitors from offering.
But he doesn’t care.
He’s going to play for a coaching staff that believes in his talents and backs his bravado. He believes he’s the best wide receiver and safety in Las Vegas.
Folks at Foothill won’t disagree.
“He’s just a scatterbrain sometimes. We tease him all the time, but he’s a great kid,” Redmond said. “He’s going to Air Force Academy for a reason. … We’re just lucky to have him here.”
Gorman commitments
Bishop Gorman senior defensive linemen Falcon Kaumatule (Utah) and Treven Ma’ae (Oregon) used Twitter to announce commitments last week. The commitments are nonbinding and won’t be official until they sign national letters of intent. The early football signing period begins Dec. 21.
Findlay Prep gets four-star guard
Four-star senior shooting guard P.J. Fuller has transferred to Findlay Prep and will play this season for new coach Rodney Haddix. The 6-foot-4-inch Fuller, a Seattle native ranked No. 67 by ESPN, has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Washington and UNLV, among others.
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.