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Mount St. Joseph running back Nevone McCrimmon, who led the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference in rushing as a sophomore but was hampered by injuries last season, has committed orally to play football at Toledo.
McCrimmon chose the Rockets, a Football Bowl Subdivision program picked by the media to win the Mid-American Conference West Division, over offers from Wake Forest, Boston College, Connecticut and Monmouth.
"I picked Toledo because I want to build a new dynasty at Toledo. I wanted to be a little bit different," McCrimmon said of a program that has only three other players from Baltimore on the roster.
"When I went there, it stood out to me that I should be able to play. And also, I felt like I was a part of the family right away, so I think I'll fit right in with Toledo. They made me feel comfortable."
McCrimmon said his decision came down to Toledo and Connecticut. He visited both within the past month.
At Toledo, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds for Rockets coaches. He also plays defensive back for the Gaels, but Toledo, which had a 1,000-yard rusher on the team last season, recruited him as a running back.
"As long as a team runs the ball, I'm pretty comfortable with them," McCrimmon, laughing, said of a Rockets team that averaged 240 rushing yards a game last season and finished 7-5.
Two years ago, the 5-foot-11, 220-pound McCrimmon dominated the A Conference, rushing for 1,382 yards on 250 carries. He scored 10 rushing touchdowns.
Last season, he missed four games after suffering a pulled muscle in his hip and a concussion.
To Gaels coach Blake Henry, Toledo is a great fit for McCrimmon, who is 100 percent healthy and hoping to duplicate his sophomore-year production in the fall.
"He and I talked about it, and Toledo is a winning program with a good football tradition," Henry said. "They worked him out a couple weeks ago and he's their top running back recruit and I'm guessing one of their top recruits in his class."
Henry said that in addition to playing running back and cornerback, McCrimmon likely will return some kicks for the Gaels this season.
"I think he's got to be one of the best running backs in the state," Henry said. "He can run you over, make you miss. Very rarely gets caught from behind. He has great hands. He just turned 17, so he's young. Really, he should be a junior this year instead of a senior, so he's just scratching the surface as far as his ability."