Jaden Weaver had some good reasons why he wanted to play football at Iowa State.
“My mom (Aisha Weaver) and uncle (John Martin) went to Iowa State and my godfather (Derrick Walker) played there,” Weaver said. “That was always my No. 1 choice.”
But Iowa State didn’t show the same love back until late in the game, thanks to a coaching change. New head coach Jimmy Rogers and his staff recruited Weaver and he made his decision with his family at in their living room on Feb. 3, the night before signing day.
Then the 6-3, 290-pound defensive lineman decommitted from South Dakota and signed with the Cyclones.
“I loved it over there, and it really felt like home,” Weaver said of South Dakota. “My best friend is going there, too. It was hard. It was a hard decision, and it was a hard phone call.
“But at the end of the day, I seized the opportunity.”
Sandburg’s senior class in Sheamus Murphy’s first year as coach produced six college players including Division I signees Weaver, offensive lineman Nick Barrett (Dayton), kicker Drew Drzonek (Illinois State) and cornerback Vincent Smith (West Virginia).
Drzonek is also a baseball player who helped the Hitters Upper Deck Black 17U team win the Prep Baseball Report National Championship last summer. He said football is his first love and he found gold with football and academics at the 2025 FCS national runner-up.
“It’s a big relief to finally be settled in to somewhere I wanted to go to,” he said. “It’s perfect for me because I am majoring in engineering and they are opening up a new engineering building.
“It will be a great fit for me.”
There were several notable signings on Feb. 4 in football and other sports from around the area.
At Mount Carmel, edge rusher Joey Quinn signed with Oklahoma State, while Southwest Regional Publishing Football Player of the Year Emmett Dowling, a quarterback, and linebacker teammate Dean Kemph are heading to FCS Bucknell.
Caravan baseball players heading to Division I colleges are Anthony Chavez (Illinois), Connor Elenteny (Notre Dame), TJ McQuillan (Wake Forest), Ian Tosi (Miami), Joey Ireland (Illinois) and Brady Holland (Georgetown).
At Nazareth, Landon Thome signed with Florida State for baseball while football receiver Trenton Walker is heading to FCS Murray State.
St. Rita linebacker Owen Lynch is heading to Drake and offensive lineman Eli Erkapic signed with Valparaiso.
At Brother Rice, linebacker Charlie Barkmeier signed with Dayton.
Lyons water polo player Wesley Musgrove is heading to Air Force.
St. Xavier lands 33
St. Xavier signed up 33 players for its football team on Feb. 4, including nine from the Southwest Regional Publishing area.
The local recruits are: defensive back Oscar Aguirre of Riverside-Brookfield); defensive lineman Nate Cole and offensive lineman Tim Merriweather of Richards); offensive lineman James Hillman of Lyons; receiver Eddie McClain of Nazareth; defensive back Austin Mrskos of Brother Rice; offensive lineman Jesse Paredes and defensive back Tadhg Walsh of Oak Lawn; and defensive back Beck Stukel of Sandburg.