Sayre School football studs Cole Pennington and Jackson Marshall commit to Thundering Herd
LEXINGTON, Ky. (BVM) – On early national signing day, the Sayre School Spartans football program made history as its first Division I commit officially signed his National Letter of Intent and two seniors signed to go to the next level. The two seniors, quarterback Cole Pennington and wide receiver Jackson Marshall, signed to join the Marshall Thundering Herd program, building the connection between the two teams.
On National Signing Day, Sayre quarterback Cole Pennington signed his National Letter of Intent to play Division-1 college football at Marshall U. Sayre teammate Jackson Marshall also signed as a preferred walk-on with Marshall. #sayreschool #spartanstrong #spartanproud pic.twitter.com/iglDHWmmeN
— Sayre Spartans (@sayrespartans) December 15, 2021
Pennington’s signing came as no surprise. The quarterback committed to the Thundering Herd back in June and, although he has stated it hasn’t had an impact on his decision, his father and Sayre School head coach Chad Pennington is one of the most legendary Thundering Herd football alumni of all time as a school Hall of Famer and current member of the University’s Board of Governors.
The QB is a strong addition to the program as he is rated a three-star prospect by ESPN.com and 247Sports.com and is rated as the No. 10 player and No. 12 player in the state by the two recruiting sites, respectively. During his two seasons starting for Sayre, who started their varsity program in 2019 again after having it shut down since 1977, Cole led the Spartans to a 16-4 record and threw for over 4,000 yards and scored 56 total touchdowns with a 70% completion percentage.
Thundering Herd head coach Charles Huff said of Cole: “[He] has all the makeup of being not only a great QB, but also a great leader. How he carries himself on a daily basis and the standard he has set for himself is something truly remarkable. I know his family and support system have done a great job raising him.”
“Words cannot express how proud we are of Cole,” Chad Pennington said in a school press release. “It has been a blessing to watch him develop on the field but most importantly as a young man. We look forward to watching him take the next step as a student-athlete and pursue his dream of playing college football.”
Congrats @c_pennington10 !! Mom and Dad are so proud of you! This is not a path to follow; it’s a new trail to blaze. Go Be You!! @HerdFB @lexsayrefb pic.twitter.com/19ZNB8SNuO
— Chad Pennington (@ChadPennington) December 15, 2021
The big surprise of the day came from Cole’s teammate Marshall who signed to become a preferred walk-on with the Herd, following his quarterback to the Division I West Virginia program. While he is not rated on any of the major recruiting sites, it is clear the Herd are getting a strong athlete in Marshall. During his two seasons with the Spartans, Marshall led the team in scoring back-to-back seasons, totaling 212 points, while he caught 109 passes for over 1,200 yards with 20 touchdown receptions and rushed for over 600 yards, including 13 rushing touchdowns.
Committed & Signed 💚✍️ @HerdFB @CoachHuff @CoachMO_MU @Legg62 @ChadPennington @TGurley81 @lexsayrefb @sayrespartans @ky_recruits pic.twitter.com/KUWR3NWMZs
— Jackson Marshall (@jacksonmars8) December 15, 2021
Marshall had an interest in Marshall throughout his senior season, in no small part due to his connection with Cole. The program even had Marshall for a visit in October to gauge his interest. Marshall chose the Herd over other offers including Akron, Columbia and Davidson
Thank you @HerdFB for the amazing visit today! There is something special happening in Huntington. Go Herd!! 🟢⚪️ @DougChapman @CoachHuff @CoachMO_MU @Legg62 pic.twitter.com/bNewZ00fcv
— Jackson Marshall (@jacksonmars8) October 31, 2021
During their senior campaigns, the Pennington-Marshall connection was at its best. Cole would throw for 1,906 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions with 220 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. Of his 20 TD passes, 14 would go to Marshall who racked up 716 receiving yards on a team-high 65 receptions while also rushing for 293 yards and five touchdowns. Both were also keys to the defense as Marshall led the Spartans with 76 tackles, including a team-high six for a loss, two sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery while Cole had the third-most tackles with 52, four interceptions and recovered a fumble.
With both Cole and Marshall in the fold, the Herd received one of the best connections in the Commonwealth. The two will look to forge their own paths in Marshall lore, as their Spartans coach once did. As two of Kentucky’s best, it would not be a surprise to see this combination pay off for the Thundering Herd for years to come.
