Pirates' Mikey Young heading to Harvard

PERKINS TWP. — Mikey Young knew this was a life-changing opportunity. He couldn't pass it up. The Perkins rising senior committed his college football future to Harvard University, announcing his plans in a social media post Friday afternoon. "When I told my grandma I got an offer from them, she broke down crying," Young told the Register ahead of his announcement. "I want to change my family's streak of bad luck. Not just change my life, but set up my kids and grandkids down the line." Young, who plans to study business administration with a minor in finance, would be the first college graduate in his immediate family. "Coming from my upbringing, my family, through our bloodline, we never had a lot," Young said. "I know my grandma grew up with dirt floors. So when Ivy schools came, it was like, whoa." Young had lots of options. In all, 22 NCAA Division I schools offered him a scholarship or the equivalent roster promise, since Ivy League schools can't give athletic scholarships. Through other aid, Young will be fully covered at Harvard. His offer list included almost the entire Ivy League, with the likes of Yale, Penn, Dartmouth, Cornell and Columbia. The majority of the MAC offered, too, including Ohio, Bowling Green, Akron and Toledo. Army and Navy both were part of the offer list, as well. In the end, Harvard was Harvard. "When you get an opportunity to get a degree like that where it's gonna open any door you want for the rest of your life, that's something you've gotta jump on," Perkins coach Jalen Santoro said. "He realizes that. It's what Harvard presents as far as the degree he's gonna get. He's gonna be able to do what he wants where he wants to." Young, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound linebacker, has proven his athleticism and intelligence on the field at Perkins, where he's been a key defensive contributor since his freshman season. The Pirates allow Young to roam and take on more responsibilities than almost any high school defensive player, and for good reason. "We're able to do things with him that you wouldn't be able to do with most normal high school kids," Santoro said. "Not only because he's an athlete, but because of how smart he is. Last year, we challenged him to create scouting reports for the team going into the following week, and he had a scouting report that would be almost identical to what a coach's would be. He's a very smart kid, and it speaks volumes to where he's going." As a junior, Young made 87 tackles and was honorable mention All-Ohio. His ability is such that multiple opposing schemes featured entire game plans centered around moving the ball to the opposite side of the field from where Young lined up on a given snap. Young said Harvard's defensive playbook is thick, but the Crimson have the players to handle it. "Their defensive coaches were all good guys with lots of experience," Young said. "Their defensive coordinator is a graduate from there, so I know he's true to their system and everything." Young will be one of multiple Perkins Class of 2025 standouts who will play Division I football. Braylon Collier has committed to Michigan State, and Weston Sturzinger and Isaac Bunts will all have the opportunity, if they so choose. "It's a brotherhood," Collier said. "We talked about it freshman year, how cool would it be to sign on the same day in the gym together? It's really just a dream come true. It's surreal." Young never could have imagined he'd be heading to one of the most prestigious schools in the country, but academics have always been of high value to him and his family. "I've been gifted academically, which is a blessing," Young said. "My mom and dad are both smart. When I was younger, it was a bragging rights thing. I wanted to turn in the paper first and get all As on the tests. I started to learn early on that these grades are really important. Obviously before I had the offers, I needed to find a way to pay for college. I always tried to stay diligent with my work." Young spent much of the early part of the recruiting process visiting schools with Collier and Sturzinger. Throughout, they've been able to bounce their recruiting triumphs and struggles off one another. "It's definitely been an awesome journey, especially having teammates in the same situation," Young said. "The past couple months have been a blast." At Harvard, Young's head coach will be Andrew Aurich. This fall will be his first season after coming over from Rutgers, where he was tight ends coach. The defensive coordinator is Scott Larkee, in his 19th season at his alma mater. The Crimson play at Harvard Stadium, which is U-shaped with an open end beyond the north end zone. "The stadium looks like something from Rome, like the Coliseum. It was sweet," Young said. That'll all soon be home for Young, who previously planned to announce his choice in the last week of June but moved it up because he knew where he was meant to be. "There's so much history there," he said. "It sets me up so much for life past football. As long as I hold up my end of the bargain, I don't think I could fail."