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Football

‘It’s Fullback University’

Glacier star Jake Rendina commits to Army

By 406mtsports.com
Jake Rendina of the Glacier Wolfpack outruns the Flathead Braves defense for a touchdown at the annual crosstown football game in Legends Stadium in Kalispell on Oct. 16, 2020. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

Looking up and down the Army football roster, it might make sense why Jake Rendina made the U.S. Military Academy his school of choice.

The Black Knights, famous for their triple-option scheme, have 22 running backs — and one fullback — on their roster. Eight of the running backs stand at least 5-feet, 11-inches, and weigh at least 225 pounds.

The Black Knights are second in the NCAA, behind only Air Force, in total rushing yards as a team with 3,313 total for a 301.2 per game clip and 11 players have carried the ball at least 20 times.

Sounds like a fullback’s dream school. And the choice by Rendina, a 6-foot, 238-pound wall of a football player and avid power lifter, makes more and more sense.

“I mean, it’s fullback university, dude,” Rendina said emphatically Wednesday. “Everybody there is 6-foot, 5-11, 245 pounds. They run the ball 95% of the game. So, that’s the whole football aspect of it, but, I mean, the schooling there, with that degree you are basically set for life. … There was pretty much no way to go wrong there in my mind.”

Rendina announced his commitment to Army Monday on Twitter, a week after the school had him in New York for an official visit. 

Army had been recruiting the Wolfpack star for a bit, having first made an offer just two months after his junior season last February. He rushed for 1,326 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior in 2020.

They stayed on him, even while others got into the mix. Air Force had him visit, as well as Montana State. The military schools were some of the first to offer him, with all three of Navy, Air Force and Army, giving offers to Rendina.

Rendina also had interest from other Treasure State schools, with Montana Tech and Carroll College sending him offers. He also had conversations with the Montana Grizzlies but, ultimately, it came down to Montana State, Navy and Army.

The choice between the Big Sky or the run-heavy, fullback-friendly Army and Navy was on the mind of Wolfpack head coach, and former UM quarterback, Grady Bennett during Rendina’s entire recruitment.

The Big Sky isn’t home to many running backs like Rendina. Most teams have quicker, less burley backs while Rendina may have been put into a position that didn’t quite fit his style.

“One of the things I worried about with Jake — he’s obviously a beast, he’s a great football player — for the Big Sky level, with the way offenses are, I didn’t know if he really fit,” Bennett said Wednesday. “Was he a running back at that level? I didn’t know. He’s got the football talent to, but does he fit an offensive system with his body type and his athleticism? … But the Military Academy is perfect. When they first started reaching out to us to recruit him I was like ‘Bingo, there you go man. You can go be a hand-in-the dirt dive back and be an All-American.’”

“Man, I’m proud of him,” Bennett added. “I think it’s the right decision. I think it fits perfectly for him.”

Rendina finished his high school career with 3,751 career rushing yards and 61 of his 62 career touchdowns came on the ground. His only touchdown that wasn’t a run was a reception TD against Kalispell Flathead in 2020. 

He led the Wolfpack to the Class AA semifinals and ran for 1,377 yards and 26 touchdowns this past season. 

Jake Rendina, football player for Glacier High School. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon