North Penn’s Udinski verbally commits to VMI

TOWAMENCIN >> The cadet life at the Virginia Military Institute will be a completely different experience for Reece Udinski. But the North Penn senior is excited to try it.

After breaking the District 1 record for passing yards in a season in helping the Knights football team finish 14-1 and reach the PIAA 6A semifinals, Udinski announced Tuesday afternoon he has verbally committed to play the sport at VMI, a Football Championship Subdivision program that plays in the Southern Conference.

“It’s going to be brand new for me but it’s another reason why. I always like to challenge myself so this is obviously a really big challenge,” Udinski said. “Because the first year at VMI is extremely tough but I’m prepared for it and I know what I’m getting myself in to.”

Udinski — who was named to the Pennsylvania Football Writers All-State 6A team at QB — made his verbal to the Keydets last Saturday as he was making an unofficial visit to the school, which is located in Lexington, Virginia and is the country’s oldest state-supported military college.

“I was always interested in the school. Last week they offered me a full scholarship, so obviously that helps,” Udinski said. “And I went down and saw the school this weekend and I just really like it. The coaches were really nice. I just decided to pick there.”

Udinski said he also had interest from other FCS programs along with Division II PSAC schools. VMI began to show their interest in the NP quarterback at the end of his junior year.

“It was a lot of schools. I can’t even name like two other schools,” Udinski said. “I think VMI was always like a top option and the fact that they offered a full scholarship just make it even better plus it is Division I football. I just want to prove to myself and a lot of people what I can do.”

A three-sport athlete at North Penn – he also plays basketball and lacrosse – having the possibility to play lacrosse at the college level was another reason VMI stood out to Udinski.

“I talked to the coach about it, he said that the football team shares athletes with other sports, so I was really interested in also playing lacrosse there, which is another big thing,” he said.

Lacrosse was initially what Udinski thought he would play collegiately but in his upperclassmen years at North Penn – he transferred from Central Bucks West as a junior – he began to see his future on the gridiron.

“I was originally planning on playing lacrosse probably my freshman and sophomore year and then my junior and senior year I kind of changed my mind,’ he said. “I was like ‘You know what, I’m going to go with football.’ But if I have the opportunity to play both, that’s even better.”

As a senior in 2016, Udinski shattered the previous record for District 1 passing in a season – 3,300 by Downingtown East’s Pat Devlin in 2005 – as he finished with 4,119 and 39 touchdowns as the Knights won their first 14 games before falling to St. Joseph’s Prep in the 6A state semifinals.

Udinski averaged 274.6 yards passing per game and eclipsed 300 yards passing six times, including a season-best 444 yards in the 48-38 victory over Garnet Valley in the District 1 final, a win that gave North Penn its first district crown since 2011.

Udinski said he opted to just focus on playing during the fall and left his college decision until the end of the season.

“I had coaches saying come up and like see a game, visit, but I just put it all off for the end of the year because my senior year was what’s most important,” he said.

Virginia Military Academy finished 3-8 last season – 1-7 in the SoCon – under second-year head coach Scott Wachenheim, the Keydets’ three victories coming against Morehead State, Bucknell and East Tennessee State.

“Coach said that you can come in and start right away if you earn it,” Udinski said. “They are the only military school that runs a spread offense which of course I’m not going to go to Navy or something and run triple option so it fits my type.”