BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Three Bradford High School seniors signed letters of intent to play football at Division III colleges during a March 7 signing ceremony in the school’s auditorium.
“I’m ready to embrace all the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” said Barron Walden, who’ll be going to Cincinnati’s Mount St. Joseph University.
Trevis Johnson and Michael Oliver both signed with the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio.
“It feels good going to the same college as a high-school teammate,” Johnson said.
Oliver said he and his teammates put in a lot of effort to put themselves in position to play at the next level.
“We’ve been rocking together hard,” Oliver said. “It just feels good. It’s all paying off — all the practice and all the hard work.”
Bradford now has had a total of nine seniors participate in three separate signing ceremonies this school year. Head Coach Jamie Rodgers said that speaks to just how good the football program has been, though he added it’s not because of him.
“It’s a blessing for us. Everybody wants to give me the credit when we win, and I’m the dumb one when we lose,” Rodgers said, “but the bottom line is this: We win football games because we’ve got talented players, and we’ve got really good assistant coaches.”
Still teammates, but now Purple Raiders
Johnson and Oliver will continue to suit up together, going from a strong high-school program to a strong NCAA Division III program. Mount Union was the national runner-up last season. The Purple Raiders have played for the national championship 15 out of the last 19 years and have won 13 titles.
“I just want to be a part of a good program that wins a lot,” Oliver said.
Oliver, who’ll be going to Mount Union as a receiver, said he was considering Valdosta State and Webber International, too.
“I just feel like (Mount Union is) where I belong,” he said.
Rodgers said Oliver’s size and strength will give him an advantage over a lot of defensive backs he’ll face.
“He should be able to block DBs really easily, and he’ll be able to go up and catch the one-on-one balls,” Rodgers said of the 6-0, 180-pound receiver.
Oliver caught 13 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns for the Tornadoes in 2024. He’ll get more opportunities to catch balls at Mount Union.
“With our offense, his touches in the pass game were limited,” Rodgers said. “A lot of times, it was the slot receivers getting most of the work, and most of the time we were able to run the ball efficiently and kill the clock and win football games.
“He’ll get a lot more touches at the next level. Those places are going to throw the ball more than we did. You’ll see him make a lot more plays, I think.”
In 2024, seven receivers caught passes for Mount Union, which attempted 387 passes. Four receivers caught 40 passes or more.
“They definitely spread the ball around a lot,” Oliver said.
Oliver said he needs to improve in catching the ball and running routes. He said once he does, “it’s over.”
“I’m going to turn it up a notch (at Mount Union),” he said.
Rodgers said Mount Union is getting the total package at receiver, referring to Oliver’s play when he wasn’t being targeted in the pass game.
“He blocked like crazy when we were in the run game,” Rodgers said.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Tornadoes had a versatile player in Johnson.
“He started off at safety in the spring,” Rodgers said. “Then, all of a sudden, he was out there at outside linebacker. Then, all of a sudden, he was a defensive end and everything in between.”
Johnson, who recorded 38 tackles and six sacks, caused two fumbled and recovered one fumble, thought his playing days were over with when Bradford’s season ended. However, he was contacted by Mount Union Linebackers Coach Dan Allen, who told Johnson he liked what he saw of him on video and wanted him to become a part of his program.
“It’s a dream come true,” Johnson said. “I’ve always wanted to do this ever since I was a little kid. I wanted to do it for my family — my uncles and my father. All of them had the chance, but unfortunately, they couldn’t do it.
“It’s a big achievement (for me).”
Johnson said he’ll probably play as a defensive back or at outside linebacker at Mount Union, but added that he’s willing to step in wherever the team needs him.
Rodgers said Johnson’s athleticism and 6-2 frame make him suited to what colleges are looking for in outside linebackers.
“Colleges are now asking outside linebackers to cover in the flats more than ever and even to turn and run verticals until a safety can get over there,” Rodgers said. “He can do all those things.”
Johnson believes he can get better in a lot of areas, saying, “There’s always an opportunity for improvement.” Rodgers said the key thing for Johnson in his mind is to add to his physical frame.
“It’s about weight gain,” Rodgers said. “His speed’s always going to be there. That’s God-given. Even at 10, 15, 20 pounds heavier, he’s still going to have that speed, and he’s a powerful kid already. He just needs to gain some weight, eat as much as he can and build a ton of muscle mass.”
When he thinks of what it’s going to feel like the first time he steps onto the field as a college player, Johnson said, “I would say I’ll be nervous, but I’m a dawg, and dawgs don’t get nervous.”
Nervous or not, the opportunity is what he and Oliver have hoped for.
“It’s going to feel good,” Oliver said. “It’s what I’ve been trying to get to since I first walked into high school.”
Walden is eager to join Lions program
Walden is still a BHS student, but he’s looking ahead to becoming a student-athlete at Mount St. Joseph and contributing to a Lions team that is coming off its third straight Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championship and third straight trip to the NCAA postseason.
“I’m starting to live out my dreams,” Walden said, adding, “I’m ready to go there and start playing as a freshman.”
Walden said choosing to go to Mount St. Joseph wasn’t a hard decision, based on his interactions with Defensive Line Coach Justin Taylor and what Mount St. Jospeh has to offer as a football program and as a school.
“They’re going to develop you as a player, and they want to develop you as a person,” Walden said. “I just feel like it’s a great fit for me.”
The 6-0, 255-pound nose guard/tackle was third in tackles for BHS last season with 52. Rodgers said Walden was “a key point of what we do inside,” adding that Walden played pretty much every down in the interior of the line since Rodgers’ arrival in 2022.
Rodgers said what made Walden so successful was his lateral speed. Now, Walden will have to work on getting even stronger because of his height.
“He’s already low to the ground, so being low is not a problem,” Rodgers said. “Now, it’s about strength. He’s got to be stronger than everybody he’s going against because they’re going to be longer probably.”
Rodgers said it’s a chance that doesn’t come around often for interior linemen who are Walden’s height.
“A lot of them don’t get an opportunity like this, so I want him to make the most of it and understand how important it is,” Rodgers said. “Most guys with his height don’t get the chance these days. That’s just the way it is. It’s been like that for the last 25 years, and it’s going to be that way for the next 25.
“He’s got the opportunity to change that and go on and do some things now. I’m super excited.”
Walden appears as if he’s ready to make the most of that opportunity, admitting that he needs to get bigger, stronger and faster and spend more time in the weight room.
In other words, he’s willing to do whatever is necessary to put him in the best position to get onto the field for the Lions.
“I feel like it’s going to be different,” Walden said, “but I’m ready. I’m ready to get there.”
