D-I offer from Valparaiso was ultimate for Arizona College Prep OL Singh
This is No. 18 in a month-long series of profiles of Arizona high school seniors that signed with four-year colleges. Here's the full list (currently totaling 363) of players from within the state moving on to the next level.
SPOTLIGHT: 3/10/24
Arizona College Prep offensive lineman Karambir Singh received his first offer in May of last year during spring ball. Over the next nine months, a dozen more schools followed after he turned in a stellar season for the Knights.
The 6-3, 260-pound tackle received the last of those offers on Jan. 25 from Valparaiso University. The Beacons play in the Pioneer Football League (FCS). A couple weeks later, Singh announced his decision to attend Valpo on National Signing Day. Among the schools he selected Valparaiso over was Minot State (N. Dak.).
"Minot was probably the school that made the most effort to get me to go," Singh said in an e-mail interview. "They had a culture that I really liked and the players and environment there were really nice. Valparaiso did all that, but at a bigger scale. They made it feel like home and the culture there was amazing!"
Valparaiso is in Porter County in northwest Indiana, just 55 miles from Chicago. It has a population of 34,000 and is considered as part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The student population is just under 3,000 at the private Lutheran university.
Singh visited the campus and will be majoring in Business.
As anyone who follows football knows, life on the O-Line is nasty and hard. The chances for individual glory aren't there, but what you do (or don't do) can make the difference on Game Day. It's a feeling Singh likes.
"My favorite part of playing O-Line has to be the competitive nature that all my guys played with and how we pushed each other to be great," Singh said. "And just as high up there is parking the D-Line. That's the reward for the work we put in!"
Singh started out at Hamilton as a freshman before playing the next three years at Arizona College Prep. The Knights moved up to 4A in 2022 and made the playoffs. Last season, ACP went 7-3 in the regular season and returned to the postseason. The team was the No. 10 seed and had to make the trip northwest to play Lee Williams. ACP jumped on top 21-0 before halftime and hung on for a 21-14 victory on a chilly night in Kingman to give the school its first playoff victory (in its seventh season).
Head Coach Myron Blueford opened the program in 2017 and went 2-8 at the 2A level. Since then, the school has grown and now has its own field (instead of playing at junior high ones). Blueford stepped down from his position after the season and defensive coordinator Steven Vaught was promoted to replace him. Singh said his time at ACP has been amazing.
"The players and coaches have made it a time that I'm going to cherish all my life," Singh said. "The culture of the team was really welcoming when I got there and I have guys now that are like brothers to me."
To get ready for his senior year, it was about working hard both indoors and outside in the heat. The summer in Arizona can be a long one, but the training came one day at a time.
"I mainly focused on speed and strength," Singh said. "I trained in the weight room and on the field for speed increasing in intensity and with the time spent. Coach Vaught says the sweat equity you put in will pay off!"
Following the summer training, Singh went on to have a First Team All-4A Conference season for the Knights. He was also an Honorable Mention Sports360AZ All-Academic performer with a 3.76 weighted GPA.
On the field, Singh shows good athleticism for a lineman. He also exhibited leadership skills as a team captain. In addition to football, Singh is on the track & field team for a third season. He competes in the shot put and javelin throws.
Another first for ACP this year was the school's first D-I signees. Singh and defensive end Cayden Gibson (signed with the University of San Diego) with both be playing in the PFL.
The bulk of the offers Singh received were from smaller schools. The Valpo one in late January really got his attention because it checked off a personal achievement that was out there for a long time.
"When I first received (the offer from) Valparaiso, it was a really big moment for me," Singh said. "It's been my goal to go play D-I football since fifth grade and that allowed me to finally achieve it! When I got it, I knew it was home for me."
Singh and Highland linebacker Bertrand Berry II are the two Arizonans among the 30 players Valparaiso signed last month. The Beacons (3-8 in 2023) have won 14 conference games over the past four seasons, which is the most in a four-year period in their history in the league. San Diego doesn't appear on the '24 schedule, but Valpo will open PFL play on Sept. 28 at Morehead State (Ky.). Before that, Valparaiso visits Northern Iowa to kick things off on Aug. 31.
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