Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) may have halted on-field sporting activities, but it hasn’t stopped local standout high school athletes from announcing their plans for the next level.
That’s the case for a trio of rising senior football players — who verbally committed to play bigtime Division I FBS football, in the same midwestern state.
Steinbrenner High junior running back Deon Silas and Armwood junior cornerback Noah Biglow, a Wesley Chapel resident who previously played for Wiregrass Ranch High, have pledged to Iowa State University, a Big 12 program.
Meanwhile, Gaither High junior cornerback/receiver Jordan Oladokun announced he’s headed to the University of Iowa, a Big 10 school.
All three athletes are consensus three-star prospects, according to multiple online recruiting outlets.
The 5-foot-7, 170-pound Silas posted 2,058 all-purpose yards and 24 total touchdowns last season, an integral part of a Steinbrenner team that went 12-2 and reached the Class 8A state semifinals. If his commitment holds, Silas will join fellow Steinbrenner teammate Aidan Bitter, who signed with Iowa State in December and will be a college freshman this fall.
The 6-foot, 175-pound Biglow registered 20 tackles and six interceptions in his first season at Armwood, after transferring from Wiregrass Ranch. His older brother, Daniel Biglow, was a former standout at Wiregrass Ranch who helped the program to two straight playoff appearances in 2016 and 2017. The elder sibling signed to play Division I FBS football at Florida Atlantic University, but was forced to retire due to a rare cardiovascular condition.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Oladokun last season tallied 995 all-purpose yards and seven touchdowns, to go along with 20 tackles and two interceptions on defense, spurring Gaither to a 12-2 mark and the Class 6A state semifinals. He previously played at Academy at the Lakes his eighth grade and freshman seasons before transferring to Gaither in 2018, his sophomore year. Like Biglow, Oladokun has some college football bloodlines. His older brother, Chris Oladokun, was the starting quarterback at Division I FCS Samford University (Homewood, Alabama) last season, as a junior.
