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KINGSFORD -- The Twin Cities of Dickinson County have another Division I college recruit -- this time it's on the "Maize and Blue" side of Woodward Avenue. Kingsford tight end-wide receiver Zach Person announced his commitment to the University of Toledo on Sunday morning.
The soon-to-be senior will sign his National Letter of Intent in December to play tight end for the Mid-American Conference school.
Person was named to the all-class Dream Team by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters in the fall of 2020 at tight end/wide receiver. He was also named to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association All-State first team in Division 5, as well as to the Great Northern Conference first team at wide receiver.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Person recently ran a 4.65-second 40-yard dash at a recruiting visit workout at Michigan State. He was named to the Associated Press Division 5-6 all-state second team at wide receiver, as well as to the Detroit Free Press all-state second team, also at wide receiver.
Person made this statement on Twitter on Independence Day:
"I want to start out by thanking everyone who has helped me along the way. All of the coaching staffs and teammates in Wisconsin and at Kingsford, I cannot thank you enough for shaping me into who I am today. I especially want to thank Coach (Mark) Novara for the past year of my time at Kingsford and everything he has done for me. I want to thank my family for supporting me, but most importantly I want to thank my parents for everything they have done and for believing in me, and what I can do. Thank you coach (Mark) Staten and Coach (John) Candle for the opportunity, with that being said, I am 100% committed to the University of Toledo! #GOROCKETS."
Candle is the head coach of Toledo, while Staten is the tight ends/offensive tackles coach.
Candle, in five seasons as Toledo's head coach, has a 38-21 record with four bowl appearances. In addition, a record six Rockets have been selected in the NFL Draft since 2017, and Toledo has had the No. 1 recruiting class in the MAC in each of the past five years.
Toledo was MAC champion in 2017 under Candle, its first in 13 years.
"Their coaching staff and the fact that they have such a solid program, were the two main factors as to why I chose to commit to Toledo," stated Person in a phone interview on Monday. "It seemed like the right environment for me after spending time there. They emphasize being the best they can be and that's how I approach things as well."
The MAC gets national exposure with teams playing weeknight games on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on either ESPN or ESPN2. Person noted that fact wasn't necessarily a deal-breaker in his decision to choose Toledo, but it was enticing.
"We are beyond excited for Zach. His work ethic is second to none," said Kingsford head coach Mark Novara. "Although Zach has only been in Kingsford for one year, it feels like he's been here for his entire school career. That's a credit to both him and our team. Zach is an elite player but more importantly he is an all-around great kid."
Person also had Division I offers from New Mexico, Middle Tennessee State and Jacksonville State. Division II schools Grand Valley State and Northern Michigan made offers as well.
Atlantic Coast Conference schools North Carolina and Duke, along with American Athletic Conference and national power Cincinnati were three of the seven schools Person visited. Big 10 schools Michigan, Maryland and Michigan State were three others, as well as Toledo.