A Littleton quarterback is gearing up for his final season of high school football, but he has already decided which college he wants to play for despite the offers still coming his way. 

Blake Palladino of Dakota Ridge High School had a busy offseason. Not only was he preparing himself for his senior campaign on the field, he was sorting through options that would determine his future. After visits to several Division I programs over the past year, including Wyoming, Colorado, Hawaii, North Dakota State, and Pittsburgh, Palladino officially committed to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. 

“It’s an opportunity for me to play football at a really high level in my home state,” Palladino said. “I also have relatives that played up there. My uncle won a national championship with them in the 2000s. My other uncle played baseball up there.” 

Palladino’s junior season was his best one yet. According to MaxPreps, the 6-foot-3 quarterback for the Eagles threw for 15 touchdowns and 1,392 yards, while adding 608 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. That’s an even 2,000 all-purpose yards.

His boost in rushing this season was by design, said Coach Ron Woitalewicz of Dakota Ridge. It keeps the defense on its toes and allows the Hawks to do more on offense, making it one of Palladino’s best weapons, and one that was relatively untapped until his junior season. 

Prior to last year, Palladino had only rushed for a career 273 yards; not even half of his 608 last fall. It became a point of emphasis for the team early into last season. 

“After the first couple games, we started letting him carry the football more, and he’s really good at running the ball,” Woitalewicz said. “I think that made him an overall better quarterback because then, all of a sudden, that dimension of the game where teams had to account for him in the run game really opened things for him being able to throw the football.”

Having a guy like Palladino lead by example in the locker room and leverage that success into Division I college offers does a lot for the program, Woitalewicz said. And, he’s only played for Dakota Ridge for one season. 

As a senior, Palladino will be a team captain, as voted by his teammates. Not only has he helped put Dakota Ridge on the must-watch list in the upcoming season, his success inspires other players to strive for similar mountaintops, Woitalewicz said. 

But what quality of Palladino’s will translate best when he gets to UNC? 

“I think the biggest thing is he’s really a competitor,” Woitalewicz said. “His desire to learn and be coached and want to play is something that I think is going to be a huge attribute for him going on to the next level … He’s always on time, doesn’t miss. He’s 100-percent bought in. I think this has taken some of the pressure off of him. Now he can just line up, play football, not worry about all that stuff and enjoy his senior year.” 

The Eagles’ first game of the season is on Aug. 25 against Pueblo West. I sat down with Blake Palladino to discuss his goals for his final year and beyond.

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So you want to stay in your home state, play at a high level, and you have family ties at UNC. But why commit now? Ahead of your senior season, why not buy yourself some time for more potential offers? 

It’s a really big deal for me to play for my state. Plus I think [UNC Head Coach Ed Lamb] and the staff are building something special up there. I think that it was important for me to know where I’m going to go. I’m very confident with Northern Colorado. I’ve been to a lot of places, and I really feel like UNC is a good fit for me. It’s always been a school that I’ve wanted to go to. I really do think it’s a good fit. 

What are you looking forward to trying to accomplish or polish up before making the Division I jump?

A state championship. That's my goal and everyone on my team’s goal right now. We have a serious opportunity this year and we have a really talented group of guys. It’s nice to be committed because I can just focus on the high school season right now. I’m also going to play a little bit of linebacker, too. That’s going to be exciting to grow and get better at. And there’s always parts of my game at quarterback I can get better at, too. 

Who are some quarterbacks you try to emulate or model your game after, if any?

I like to be myself and play my own game. But if I had to pick out a quarterback that I would say I play like, I would say Baker Mayfield. I’ve always been a Baker Mayfield fan ever since he was at Oklahoma. 

You used your legs a lot more this past season. Do you like being that dual-threat, or do you only run when you have to? Do you expect to run more going forward?

I do. I do enjoy it. I feel like it opens a lot more up for the offense. And you know, it’s fun to score.

The Netflix show ‘Quarterback’ is all the rage right now. What’s perhaps the hardest aspect of actually being a quarterback?

I would say individual week game-planning, because you don’t run the same plays against every team every week. New adjustments every week are sometimes difficult. You just have to keep your head in it. 

Is it surreal to be a Division I athlete, or did you expect to be here? 

I feel like I’ve been working for it my whole life. It’s going to be a new challenge and there’s going to be new obstacles in my way, but I feel like I’ve been working hard enough to get past them and I’m just really excited to take that next step. But my senior year is first, and that’s what is most important right now.