King’s Way Christian has had just one athlete move on to play NCAA Division I football. Bailey Meek, who will enter his senior season in the fall, is well on his way to becoming the second.
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound three-star defensive lineman has been a hot name on the recruiting trail in recent months and now has 11 offers from Division I football programs — Idaho, Army, Eastern Washington, Montana State, Portland State, Northern Arizona, Fordham, Air Force, Dartmouth, Valparaiso and Lehigh.
“It’s just been a recognition for all the hard work I’ve put in,” Meek said on the 33rd episode of the Full Circle podcast. “It feels really good to be recognized for that.”
While it’s always been Meek’s dream to play college football, he had his doubts about going to a small school not known for its football would mean for his collegiate opportunities. Coach Brian Rodriguez and the coaching staff helped dissuade those fears.
“They made it clear in my mind … it doesn’t matter what school you go to, (colleges) come find you if you’re good,” Meek said.
Still, Meek never believed he’d receive the caliber of offers he’s gotten so far. It wasn’t until the defensive coordinator from Eastern Washington University came to the school earlier this spring when Meek finally realized his future in football was bright.
“I saw myself at that level, the Big Sky level,” Meek said. “Once Army and Air Force started coming, it was like ‘Wow, this is really taking off.’ ”
Aiding in the process has been Meek’s academic success. Ivy League schools like Dartmouth don’t come knocking at everybody’s doors. While education is an important part of Meek’s criteria when deciding his next step, his relationship with the coaching staff is the top priority, he said.
Meek will wait until he can tour some of the campuses and use his official visits — something he’s been unable to do because of the coronavirus pandemic — before making an ultimate decision. He said he’ll likely narrow his choices down to a final five before committing.
The Full Circle podcast is released biweekly on 360preps.com and SoundCloud and is available for download on Google, Apple and Spotify podcasts.
Note: This story has been corrected to list Bailey Meek as King’s Way Christian’s second Division I football player. Joshua Tully, a 2015 graduate, played for Liberty University.
