Morgan football sending plenty of young men to play for colleges

When a team has a level of success like the Morgan football program that has only lost 11 games out of its last 50, good things tend to happen to guys after they’ve taken their final snaps in high school. 

Such has been the case with several players who have stuck on college football rosters, said Morgan head coach Jared Barlow. 

“We have a pretty good contingent of players on college rosters this year,” said Coach Barlow. “We have Cole Keele at Utah State, Broox McGiven at Snow College, Ryder Lish at Snow College, Ryker Keele at Snow College, and hopefully Tanner Stanley at Snow College.” 

Now weighing in at 6-foot-3-inches and 300 pounds even – after taking a redshirt year at USU for the 2023 season—Keele may be ready for the big time. 

Lish had 10 tackles as a freshman defensive back at Snow last year, assisting on six. On Oct. 1, 2023, against Pacific Northwestern, Lish had his first and only interception of his collegiate career, returning it for four yards. 

That doesn’t include the three young men from this year that made college rosters. 

“Cooper McGiven at Southern Utah, Christian Nunez at Maricopa Jr. College [in Arizona], and Luke Olson at Idaho State,” recounted Coach Barlow. “It is awesome seeing all the hard work these young men put in, giving them an opportunity to play at the next level.” 

For McGiven who is versatile enough to play on both sides of the line for the Thunderbirds—having done so for the Trojans—there may be plenty more to come from him. 

The same can be said for Olson, who at 6-feet-6-inches is also just as capable of playing hard and competing for the son of Dan Hawkins at Idaho State—and will probably be in attendance on August 31 when the Trojans visit Holt Arena in Pocatello to battle Skyline [Idaho]. 

Nunez went from three catches and 64 yards receiving [and 1 TD] as a Morgan High junior to 20 for 294 and a touchdown as a senior; what’s to say he won’t make the most of his opportunity in the Valley of the Sun? 

For Coach Barlow, it’s a good feeling to know he has kids he’s coached who have been able to capitalize on such a unique and special opportunity. 

“It is not easy making a college roster and having so many from such a small school is awesome.  I am excited to see their growth as players and young men as they play at the next level.”