By ISAAC BOURNE | The Arkadelphian

Five Arkadelphia High School students put pen to paper Tuesday, Feb. 7, committing to multiple local universities.

Arkadelphia football inked three players: offensive tackle Nigel Robinson, defensive tackle Max Wilson, and quarterback Donovan Whitten all signed for the program headed by head coach Trey Schucker. Robinson signed with local university, Ouachita Baptist University, while Wilson inked with Henderson State University, and Whitten heads to Fayetteville, signing with the University of Arkansas.

Emelia Ericksson joins Robinson at OBU, signing there to run cross-country with the Tigers, while Haedyn Taylor inked with Southern Arkansas University to cheer for the Muleriders.

Robinson did not hold back when asked about the feeling of finally signing, “It feels amazing, seeing all the teammates that I play with. I hope one day they can have an experience like this.”

Wilson was similarly excited, “I feel great, and we have all worked together throughout the offseason and played all of these games together and played really well together. It’s just great to see us all grow up and go to college.”

The Badgers went undefeated on the season in 2022 before suffering a 28-31 loss to Harding Academy in the 4A playoffs. Whitten manned the offense, playing at quarterback for the team.

Whitten, who will instead be playing linebacker for the Razorbacks, spoke on the position switch. “I think I’ll be able to make the transition. I’ve played it before, and I feel comfortable in the position, so I think I’ll be all right.”

Ericksson finished second in the state at the 4A Girls 5000 meter run in this year’s state cross-country championships with a time of 20:00.21. Coach Jonathan Klein cited her intense work ethic as the reason for her success: “No matter what weather it is, Emelia will always run 30, 40, or even 50 miles per week.”

All five students were joined by friends and family as they signed to become a part of these programs.