Nansemond-Suffolk Academy senior Jared Morse made the verbal commitment this fall to continue his play on the gridiron at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa.

“He did all the things necessary to put himself in a position where colleges wanted to take a look at him,” Saints head coach Lew Johnston said.

Multiple schools had expressed interest in the 6-foot-4-inch, 200-pound defensive back/wide receiver, including James Madison University, the College of William & Mary and Virginia Military Institute. Morse said Bucknell, a school in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, was the one that was really pushing for him, though.

“That really appealed to me,” he said of the school’s enthusiasm for him.

His commitment was the culmination of a journey that took place over a surprisingly short period of time.

“It all started my sophomore year,” Morse said. “Coach Johnston approached me and asked me if I wanted to play college football.”

Morse had only started playing the sport as a freshman, and participating at the college level was not something he had ever considered.

“As I recall, the look on his face was kind of funny that day,” Johnston said.

But the coach explained why he asked Morse.

“I’m looking at this kid who’s 6 foot 4, 6 foot 5 and runs well, and I knew he was a good student,” Johnston said. “I’m thinking this kid has all the intangibles that colleges are looking for.”

Scouts from Bucknell watched film from Morse’s junior season at NSA and liked what they saw, but Johnston pointed to Morse’s excellence in another sport that really set him apart.

“I think all of it just hinges on what he did in track last spring,” Johnston said.

He won the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools outdoor track championship for the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.73 seconds.

In a prior meet, he posted a time of 10.94 seconds, ranked at the time by Milestat.com as No. 1 in the state among private schools in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association. The field of runners included Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School senior wide receiver Jamil Kamara, regarded as one of the top high school receivers in the country.

At Bucknell, Morse sees the possibility of getting playing time early on and has been told he will be utilized as a strong safety.

Johnston may also be putting in a word to Bucknell coaches about Morse’s offensive skills after his performance in the state semifinal.

“I was just so pleased with how he caught he ball at (The) Potomac (School),” Johnston said.

Morse plans to compete again in track this year.