Three King’s Fork seniors announced where they will be continuing their football careers at the collegiate level during a ceremony at the high school Wednesday afternoon.

Running back/linebacker T.J. Hinson will be a walk-on at Marshall. Two-way lineman George Riddick signed a scholarship offer from Norfolk State last week and two-way lineman John Marx has committed to Christopher Newport.

“We’re very proud of these young men,” said King’s Fork head coach Joe Jones. “They’ll quickly find out that a lot of hard work is ahead of them. They’ll find that out the first day they get there.”

“This comes from a lot of time and dedication they’ve put into this sport and it comes from what they’ve put into their academics. The academic side, that’s the key. You have to have that to go where you want to go,” Jones said.

“What drew me (to Marshall) was the campus. It’s just really nice. Everything felt right to it,” Hinson said.

Hinson got to make trips to a couple Thundering Herd games in Huntington, W.Va.

“The town really is all about football,” Hinson said.

“It means a lot to prove to a lot of people that a person my size can make it,” Hinson said about going into a Division 1-A team. Hinson played mostly at fullback on the offensive side and as an inside linebacker defensively, while listed at 6-foot and 210 pounds.

Hinson doesn’t know what side of the ball he’s likely to play on. Hinson is the first Bulldog football player to go to Marshall. Marshall was 5-7 overall and 4-4 in Conference USA last season.

Hinson wants to major in wildlife biology.

“Marshall has a very good science center also,” Hinson said.

Riddick joins the Spartans as they strive to build on back-to-back winning seasons and a third-place finish in the MEAC last season.

“Everything about it felt good. The program is up and coming,” Riddick said. “I want to be a part of a winning program. That was a big part of my decision.”

Being close to home wasn’t necessarily a goal for Riddick but it’s a good benefit of going to Norfolk State.

“It’s special because my parents and my younger brother will be able to see me play,” Riddick said.

The Spartans listed Riddick as an offensive lineman, at 6-foot-3, 285 pounds, in a release about their new recruiting class.

Riddick is planning on majoring in electrical engineering.

Marx said he was drawn to CNU while talking with the coaches, especially the Captains’ offensive line coach, and touring the campus a few weeks ago.

“It felt right for me. Everything about the school, the class size, the campus, it seems to be a good, easy environment to study in,” Marx said.

“I’m the first from my family to go to a four-year college,” Marx said. “My parents and grandparents are proud and happy for me, plus, to make it into a school like CNU.”

Marx wants to major in political science.

On the football field, seven USA South conference titles in CNU’s 10 years as a football program was part of the draw.

“They’ve built their program from the ground up. I want to be a part of that success and it’s just what makes it great,” Marx said.

CNU won the USA South last season with a 6-1 conference record before losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.