Merrillville senior Cameron Jordan is ready to become a monster unto himself.
For two seasons, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound running back formed a dynamic duo with Jac’Quarious Johnson, sharing backfield duties along the lines of Jordan as 1B to Johnson’s 1A.
But Johnson has graduated, and the spotlight should shine even brighter on Jordan this season.
“Obviously, we lose JQ, so more is going to be expected from Cameron, still catching the ball out of the backfield but also back to his true running back role,” Merrillville coach Brad Seiss said.
“It’s not like we don’t know what he can do. We’ve seen what he can do, and we’re looking forward to that.”
Looking back, Jordan and the Pirates put together a memorable season in 2025. They won their sixth regional title in seven seasons and broke through to reach the Class 5A state championship game. That was their first state final since they won the 3A title in 1976.
Jordan tied the team record with 67 catches, matching BJ Jenkins‘ total in 2012, for 857 yards and eight touchdowns. He also ran for 890 yards and 10 TDs.
The record is significant to Jordan.
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“That means a lot,” he said. “I love Merrillville, so me just implanting my name into records, people in the time ahead being able to see that and look at that, it’s special.”
Jordan impressed senior quarterback Michael Hill.
“He’s just amazing,” Hill said. “Any time anything goes wrong, I can count on him to be open, just get him the ball, let him make plays. Cam’s a really good running back, receiver. Whatever you want to call him, he’s going to make plays.
“Really, I believe he’s a Division I guy who really goes under the radar a lot, and I think a lot of colleges should be knocking on his door. I just feel like he’s the best running back in the state, hands down. I don’t think anybody’s better than him.”
Jordan has evolved as a pass catcher. As a sophomore, he had eight receptions for 84 yards and a TD to go along with 1,095 yards and 17 TDs on the ground.
“Cameron’s had two really good seasons, two really different seasons for him,” Seiss said. “Sophomore year, he was more of a running back. Then last year, he was more of a dual-threat mode, with us getting him the ball as a receiver out of the backfield, doing a lot of different stuff.
“At this time last year, I think everybody kind of assumed with Cameron and JQ coming back, ‘Oh, Merrillville’s going to be a running team.’ We kind of knew what we had in our back pocket with Michael and his ability as a quarterback and some of the receivers that we had. So first and foremost, after a couple of games, we realized Cameron wasn’t on the field enough, kind of having him and JQ split the running back responsibilities. So we kind of moved him into the slot and did some two-back sets to be able to have him be on the field the whole time.”
As Jordan heads into his final high school season, he said he has gained about 15 pounds. He’s physically and mentally prepared to shoulder a heavier load.
“I stayed in the weight room, got stronger,” Jordan said. “I should be able to break some more tackles. I think I’ve also gotten better making the first guy miss.
“I think a lot of times these past two years, I was getting tackled on first contact, not making a move on somebody. So I think I’m doing great with that now.”
Jordan also had a great track season in the spring. He was part of the Pirates’ 400-meter relay team that qualified for the state meet, clocking a school-record time. He also made regionals in the 200.
Jordan hopes the Pirates, who reclassified to Class 6A this season for the first time since 2021, can continue to enjoy success at a high level.
“Football is football,” he said. “I don’t think the A’s matter. It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s just playing football, working hard, just being true to ourselves.
“I’m not worried about this team. What we did last year, people might think, ‘They’re going to stop working hard. They’re going to think they’re just going to do the same thing.’ But we have our own identity. We’re hungry. We’re working hard to do better and just be as good as we can.”
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Jordan figures to be a central part of that process.
“Any time you shift over from one season to the next, obviously you have a lot of guys you have to replace, and then you have other guys you can lean on based on what they’ve done as underclassmen, and that’s obviously the case with Cameron,” Seiss said.
“When you’re moving on to the next season, you need good leadership, especially from the guys who have produced for us in the past, and Cameron’s had a really good summer. He’s working really hard, working hard in the running aspect of the conditioning we’ve done. He’s been a leader in that. We’re just excited for him to have a big senior season.”