Jacob Donohue is attempting to recapture part of his old self.
The Grayslake North junior quarterback lost almost 25 pounds late last summer due to illness. He had hoped to gain the majority of the weight back, but he encountered another problem: He was in constant motion, juggling football, basketball and baseball.
The 5-foot-11 Donohue, who weighs 160 pounds, said his weight dropped to 150. His goal is to get between 170 and 175 by the start of next football season. He weighed 130 as a freshman.
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“I’ve been slowly gaining weight back,” he said. “I’ve always been underweight. I know I have to put on weight to get to play at the next level. It was hard to gain it back because in basketball season all you do is run up and down the court.”
Donohue, who threw seven touchdown passes in a win against Round Lake in March 2021, said he’s working toward his goal of playing college football in other ways too. He plans to visit Drake and Illinois Wesleyan this spring after making recent visits to Augustana and Illinois State.
Donohue said his lack of size doesn’t deter his aggressiveness in football, his favorite sport.
“I like being in charge of the game, from my input on plays and being a leader,” Donohue said. “I’m not afraid to get hit. It comes with the job, I guess. My game plan is to gain some weight, grind it out and have a good senior season and get a couple more colleges to look at me.”
Grayslake North coach Corey Atwell said Donohue is a rare quarterback willing to take hits in the pocket to extend plays, citing physical games against Wauconda and Grayslake Central as examples.
“He will stand in the pocket until the last second to make the throw,” Atwell said. “He will get whacked, but he’s a tough kid. I’ve coached a lot of kids, but not too many will take a shot to the face. You’ve got to be crazy to play quarterback in my offense.
“He took a lot of shots against Wauconda but made some great throws. Grayslake Central was blitzing the house.”
Atwell added that Donohue would be a good pickup for a college program.
“Jacob just needs more time to put on weight,” Atwell said. “It will all come together for him. He’s a smart kid and makes some great throws. When he’s able to go full time in football, that’s when he will really take off. If somebody takes a chance on him, he will be a player. He’s got a lot of tools.”
Cello included: David Freedman is planning to bring extra equipment to college.
Libertyville’s 6-foot-3, 265-pound senior offensive lineman announced his commitment to Case Western Reserve on March 2.
Now he just has to find room for his cello.
Freedman started playing the cello in third grade and tackle football in fifth grade.
“I’m feeling pretty good about the whole college commitment process,” he said. “It’s a stress looking for colleges, so this is a huge weight off my shoulders. Case Western Reserve, for me, had a great balance between football and academics. They’re very flexible and work around your academic schedule.
“I also thought orchestra wasn’t going to happen in college. Case Western Reserve was the only school that will allow me to play. It won’t be to a big extent, maybe two times a week.”
Freedman made two visits to the university in Cleveland.
“I might rent a cello at school, but I might have to rent a van to hold this baby,” he said. “It’s a little different than all my other luggage. I was not looking to play the cello in college because recruiting is not an easy thing. But it’s definitely cool that I can, and playing football is my dream coming true. This is a great opportunity.”
Tidbits: Warren junior defensive back Jailen Duffie received his 11th offer on Thursday, this one coming from North Dakota State. … Grayslake North senior Jason Smith committed to play lacrosse at North Central College on Tuesday.
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.