Four Hough football players announce college decisions

On Thursday, four Hough High School football seniors gathered at the school to announce their respective college commitments. Jackson Heath committed to Army, Ethan Royal to Marshall, Sincere Daye to Campbell, and Nori White to James Madison.

Heath is a senior defender for the Huskies. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound safety said it was the culture at West Point that drove his decision.

“The culture of that school,” Heath told HighSchoolOT contributor Michael Mann Jr. “West Point, the culture there is insane. The brotherhood of the team there is unlike anything I’ve seen at any other program. Also, the after-college experience. Being able to set up your family financially, because that’s the biggest goal.”

• View and purchase photos from Hough football commitments (June 25, 2026)

Royal is rated as a 3-star senior quarterback by 247sports. The site ranks him as the No. 65 QB in the country. When asked why he picked Marshall, the 6-foot, 205-pound field general pointed to the environment of the Thundering Herd. 

“I’m originally from Clinton, North Carolina, so the area of Huntington [W.V.] felt like home,” Royal said.

Daye will be a senior defensive back for the Huskies after transfering from West Charlotte. The 6-foot, 180-pound athlete said he valued the family atmosphere of Campbell’s program.

“As soon as I stepped on campus, everybody was so excited to see me,” Daye said. “The players were very cool, it was just overall somewhere I see myself being for the next few years of my life.”

At 6-foot-5, 360-pounds, White is heralded as a 3-star senior prospect by 247sports. The interior offensive lineman said the determination of JMU’s staff on the recruiting trail is what ultimately led him to the Dukes.

“They were really pushing to get me there,” White said. “And when I got there, they laid out everything for me. [The recruiting pitch] was just to the top.”