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By Skip Weaver, Staff Writer Updated 1:08 AM Tuesday, February 2, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — Middletown High School senior Rashad Frazier is headed to the Big Ten. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound defensive end gave a verbal commitment Monday, Feb. 1, to continue his football career at Purdue University.

“I was really attracted by the academics,” said Frazier, who plans to be a business major. “My mom came down from Maine, and it was the only visit she went on with me. She thought the coaches were all good people that would take care of me and I just felt like I fit in.”

Frazier chose the Boilermakers over Wisconsin, West Virginia and Michigan State, among others.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Middletown football coach Jason Krause said. “Each kid handles the process differently, and for someone who didn’t have the advantage of going through the junior year process and really having this all thrust upon him in the last month and a half, I thought he handled it very well. He made his decision on the whole package — the campus, the atmosphere, academics and football.”

Frazier and seven of his teammates will gather at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning — the first day of the early signing period — in the high school media center for a signing ceremony.

Among them will be Jerry Gates, who committed to Bowling Green last week.

“Bowling Green did a great job of pursuing Jerry,” Krause said. “He made huge strides academically to make himself a qualifier and when a lot of other schools held off, BG didn’t. They stayed with him because they had faith in him.”

In just his first year of high school football, Frazier recorded 40 tackles and five sacks. He was named to the Greater Miami Conference first team and the Division I Southwest District second team.

Gates compiled more than 1,000 all-purpose yards as a senior. He rushed 17 times for 281 yards and four touchdowns, caught 14 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown, returned 12 punts for 234 yards and a touchdown, had 10 kickoff returns for 328 yards and two touchdowns, and picked off six passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns. He was a first-team selection in the GMC, All-District and All-Ohio.

Signing Day

What: A special ceremony for the first day of the early signing period for football

When: 9 a.m. Wednesday

Where: Middletown High School media center

Who: There are eight football players scheduled to sign their letters of intent. They are: Antonio Banks (Indiana), Sam Current (Western Illinois), Rashad Frazier (Purdue), Jerry Gates (Bowling Green), Nick McKnight (Bowling Green), Eric Redding (St. Joseph’s College), Caleb Watkins (Bowling Green) and Kevin Watts (Youngstown State).

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