Anderson's Correll gets Under Armour All-American jersey, will sign with Notre Dame

ANDERSON TWP. -The Anderson High School gym was stacked and packed Wednesday as Under Armour and American Family Insurance came to town to present Redskins offensive lineman Zeke Correll with his Under Armour All-American jersey.

The four-star recruit will first lead Anderson into the Division II regional final with Winton Woods Friday at Lakota West, but will eventually play in the Under Armour All-American Bowl in Orlando Jan. 3.

Some coaches and family will be with him at Camping World Stadium that night, but the rest of the world can watch on ESPN2. Numerous NFL players have been Under Armour All-Americans, including AJ Green of the Bengals.

"It's a big deal for me, especially since it's a hundred of the best high school players in the country," Correll said of the Under Armour game. "That means a lot to me personally. It's a testimony to work I put in as well as the work other people put in on me and the influence that I've had from God, my family and (my) community."

Correll is the youngest of nine children and has had siblings who played college ball at Kentucky and Malone College. He's currently listed at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds and is one of the top offensive line prospects in America. Not only does he play big, he also dreams big.

"I actually had a dream when I think I was in fifth grade," Correll explained. "I got drafted second overall and I got mad because I wasn't first. That's obviously a dream but I'm working as hard as I can every day. College football was one of my dreams since I was 5 years old. I'm at that point and now it's time to move on and get there."

Recruited by many, Correll settled on Notre Dame in June. In doing so, he bypassed several official visits offered by some of college football's elite. In the end, his mother may have known best. Seeing the gold helmets take the field in South Bend, Indiana sold Lisa Correll.

"She's all about the colors," Correll said. "She's like, 'I don't know if I like that color or not,' Notre Dame, she's always talking about how she loves the golden helmets. That was the only offer that I got, that when I got the offer my Mom started crying. I felt like we got touched by God and I knew in my heart that was the right offer for me eventually."

With Correll anchoring the Redskins line, Anderson has made three straight OHSAA playoff appearances under coach Evan Dreyer. This season marks their first trip to a regional final since 2009. Anderson was Division II state champion in 2007 under Jeff Giesting and state runner-up in 2008 when Dreyer was an assistant.

"I think people have always said that I throw the ball way too much, but this has changed me," Dreyer said of Correll's presence on the line. "What our O-line has done this year has changed the way I think about football and the line of scrimmage game. Zeke Correll has definitely been a game-changer for us and a program-changer."

Correll officially signs with Notre Dame during college football's early-signing period next month. He hopes to attend whatever bowl game winds up inviting the Irish.