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State College athlete AJ Fry makes early pledge to Old Dominion

Tagged under: District 6, News, Recruiting

| June 24, 2026

Seventeen D1 offers. New Hampshire, Maine, Fordham, Air Force, Navy, UMass and more.  500+ receiving yards and 2 tds. 43 tackles. Seven interceptions. That’s what Head Coach Ricky Rahne and the ODU program overcame and is getting with this All State player from State College. He’s been recruited by college coaches at several different positions. AJ stands at a very large 6’2”/205 lbs. His versatility makes him an exception player for the Little Lions.

“AJ is a phenomenal football player and young man. He is a long athlete who is a force on both sides of the ball. As a defensive player, he is rangy, physical and reactive. He is athletic enough to play safety and physical enough to play in the box as a linebacker. His position versatility is a huge asset. As a junior, he was directly involved with creating 12 turnovers” says Little Lions Head Coach Matt Lintal.

On the offensive side, he is a game changing wide receiver. He high points the ball extremely well and has phenomenal ball skills. He is a tremendous route runner whose physically and speed at the end of his breaks consistently creates separation. With added speed and size from last season, coupled with a dominant lacrosse season, we are very anxious to watch him on Friday Nights this Fall”.

12:1

He made his announcement on X last week:

Lintal says “We are very excited about his commitment to play at ODU. He gets to join two other State High Football Alumni in Ian Brandt (Punter) and Stevie Guthoff (Director of Player Personnel). He was extremely comfortable with the ODU coaching staff and especially Coach Rahne”.

We asked him about his commitment and more about AJ the person/player:

PFN: Why did you choose to commit to ODU before your Sr season?

After visiting and talking with several schools, it just felt like the right time and place.

PFN: Who was your biggest influence there, who recruited you?

Coach Kevin Smith the outside linebacker coach influenced me the most. He was also the person who mainly recruited me.

PFN: What are they getting in player like you?

I’m very versatile and can play many positions on offense or defense. I have a high sports IQ and a feel for the game. I enjoy the grind and everyday work that it takes to be an athlete.

PFN: What was the recruiting process like for you?

Starting my sophomore year I started putting my highlights on twitter and sending weekly emails and DMs to several coaches at several levels. I also started attending camps at schools that I was interested in learning more about. It really took off for me my junior year when I received mid Penn and all state honors. From there it was all about building relationships and communicating with the coaches who were showing interest in me. My high school coach, Matt Lintal, was also very helpful throughout the process by communicating with schools I was interested in and helping me navigate the process.

PFN: What position were you recruited for?

I’ve been recruited by different schools for 3 different positions: wide receiver, safety, and/or linebacker.

PFN: Do you know what you’d like to study?

I’m mostly interested in a career involving health sciences.

PFN: What role did your parents play in your decision?

My parents were around and involved in every step of the process whether it was a camp, visit, etc. They gave me helpful feedback often and helped me weigh the pros and cons of each school.

PFN: What do you think is the most exciting thing about the program?

I really enjoyed building relationships with the staff, getting to see the players and program first hand at practices, and I feel like they are an up and coming program that is ready to consistently contend for the Sun Belt championship.

PFN: What are you most looking forward to while playing for them?

Coach Seiler has built an elite defense at ODU, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that unit and helping the team win Sun Belt championships.

PFN: Tell everyone out there in the football world something they’d never know about you until you told them:

I’m a big fan of the Rocky and Creed movie series and I like to box and do MMA with my dad.

PFN: Who is the person who most influenced you in your football career?

My Pop Pop coached at Penn State and he has been my biggest fan and critic throughout my career.

Why do you play football?

I have loved playing many sports, but I really like how football requires team effort on every play and the brotherhood and culture that comes with that.

What would you do to improve the recruiting process?

I would try to somehow change the visit schedule and live and dead periods to help multi sport athletes. There were schools I couldn’t visit at times because of conflicts I had while playing baseball, basketball, or lacrosse.

PFN: What is it you’d like all your high school teammates and fans to know about your decision that you might have a hard time saying in person?

The end part of the process was really hard. I had built relationships with many coaches along the way , and there were other schools and programs that I really genuinely liked and could see myself playing for, but I had to have hard conversations with them and end those relationships once I committed.

What are your goals for this coming season?

Personally I just want to get better every single day. A team goal of mine is to win the state championship.

Tell everyone why you think football is good for a community

Football brings communities together and gets them behind a common goal. Friday nights under the lights are special for players and community members alike.

what is your favorite pregame ritual? 

I like to listen to music to clear my head and focus pregame.

Music of choice:

Tyler Childers

What is your favorite vacation destination?

My family often visits Virginia because my aunt lives there. That’s another reason that made ODU the place for me!

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