Jacolby Criswell will bring competitive spirit from Morrilton to UNC
MORRILTON, Ark. (BVM) — Jacolby Criswell competes at the highest level, and when he is on the football field, his opponents are aware of his abilities.
“He’s one of the best quarterbacks I’ve seen — a great dual-threat quarterback,” Morrilton head football coach Cody McNabb said. “When he is on the field, he has the necessary tools to go out there and take the game over with his arm or his feet. He reminds me of Russell Wilson when he’s out there.”
Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 225 pounds, Criswell passed for 2,869 yards and 27 touchdowns his senior season at Morrilton High School. Not only was he effective using his arm, but Criswell scrambled for 24 touchdowns and 1,282 yards as well.
As a junior and senior, Criswell led the Devil Dogs to back-to-back state semifinal appearances. They averaged 41.5 points but came up short against the eventual state champions Little Rock Christian (2018) and Pulaski Academy (2019).
“During his junior year, he only played five games after hurting his knee,” McNabb stated. “He wants to go out there, compete, and he gives so much effort that sometimes you had to hold him back so he wouldn’t hurt it again.”
Along with his performance on the field, Criswell has devoted his time and efforts to his community. He helped his local church and volunteered his time to help local youth reading projects and youth football programs.
But it has not always been easy for Criswell. When he was entering junior high, he realized he needed to make a change. That change began when he moved in with one of his football coaches, Zach Watson.
“I actually got to know the boys through his older brother Tory,” Watson said. “Tory was a quarterback in our system as an eighth and ninth-grader. I was taking Tory to practice, and Colby had to get to practice too. I got to know the boys better by doing that.”
Although they did not officially adopt Jacolby and his older brother, Tory, the Criswell boys became part of the Watson family.
“I call him my son, and he calls me dad,” Watson said. “He’s a great brother to my daughters, my 4-month-old son, and he still Facetimes his brother. They both are great brothers, students, and football players.
“I give a lot of credit to my wife. She really did not know the boys at the time, but after a couple of nights with us, she said, ‘If this needs to be the permanent thing it can.’ It speaks to the boys’ character, and it shows how respectful they are. Our daughters were 1 and 3 at the time, and the boys have been great brothers.”
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Ranked No. 2 in the state of Arkansas, Criswell was heavily recruited his senior year. An all-state, all-conference selection, and an Elite 11 quarterback finalist, Criswell showed he was a top prospect that could play at the next level.
With the full support of his family, Criswell signed his national letter of intent to play football at the University of North Carolina in the ACC. He is just one of the many freshmen around the country looking to compete in their first year of college football.
As the lone quarterback in the Tar Heels’ 2020 recruiting class, he provides depth at the position. With Sam Howell returning as the starter, Criswell likely will not see the field this season. But that will not hold him back. He is a fierce competitor at everything he does.
“Jacolby is a competitor no matter what it is,” Watson stated. “If it’s on the football field, the classroom, or playing board games with my girls, who he competes against, he is going to try and win.”
