Jacob Earnest, a senior at Wadsworth High School, has committed to play Division I football at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a senior who plays as a middle linebacker for Wadsworth and has been playing football since his youth. With this commitment, Earnest will become the first Wadsworth football player to commit to an Ivy League school.
Earnest had attended a college combine where college coaches would come and scout out players who came to perform. The University of Pennsylvania coach was impressed with his performance throughout the combine, so they extended an offer to him to play for their football program.
Earnest liked the linebacker coach because the coach had shown a lot of interest in him, and it made Earnest feel like they really wanted him at the University of Pennsylvania.
“The linebacker coach was really down to earth, and he really related to me,” Earnest said. “He did things that made me feel like I was really wanted.”
Making sure that Earnest was maintaining good grades in the classroom was key to receiving this offer.
“Coach Todd has done a great job building me into a better person, and he was always pushing me to do better in the classroom,” Earnest said. “Without the academics, I would not be going there.”
Justin Todd, head coach of the Wadsworth football team, has seen Earnest’s growth through his high school career. Todd believes he is one of the most disciplined players he has ever had.
“His ability to look at the film, take what we put on the board, apply it to practice, and then translate that to the game is as good as anyone I have ever seen,” said Todd.

It is essential to note that the University of Pennsylvania does not offer athletic scholarships, so the package Earnest received from the college was based on his academic performance.
Earnest had gone to Todd to discuss this decision further. Todd not only thought the financial package was good for him, but also believed the school was a good fit for him.
“They were able to put together a financial package that most Ivy League people would die for,” said Todd. “When you think about the ability to play college football and get an Ivy League education, I can not think of a better landing spot for Jake.”
In college, Earnest plans to pursue an education in biology and then attend a physical therapy school to earn a doctorate in physical therapy.