BROOKSVILLE- With spring football right around the corner starting on April 25th, one player that many in Hernando County will be watching for is rising junior running back Christian Cromer of Nature Coast.
It’s not hard to see why Cromer is one of the county’s top returning players this spring, as the tailback broke out on the scene in 2021 with one of the best seasons for any Tampa Bay Area back. Through 12 games as a sophomore, Cromer rushed for a county-high 1,955 yards and scored 21 touchdowns on the ground.
‘Running Back University’ as they call it over at Nature Coast Technical has been back up and rampant with the stock of Cromer going up and college recruiters taking a look at the bruising tailback. At 6-foot, 235 pounds coming downhill at linebackers, Cromer is a load to bring down for any high school defender and colleges are certainly taking notice.
The first major college to extend an offer out to Cromer is Army, who gave him an offer back on April 2nd. The offer from Army to play football figures to be the first of many when it comes down to Cromer’s recruitment. This spring could boost Cromer’s stock up as he looks to have himself another strong season in the fall.
A lot more of the offense will fall back on the shoulders of Cromer, as the Sharks will look to replace some pieces on the offensive side of the ball. One of those key pieces is the person handing off the ball to Cromer, as Ethan Fahey will be graduating this spring, leaving a vacancy at the quarterback position and is fully up for grabs. Jackson Hoyt looks to be the front runner when it comes to taking up Fahey’s vacated role.
Another player that will be sorely missed on the offensive side of the ball is all-everything Brady Nowlan, who had himself a huge 2021 season at linebacker and tight end. Nowlan racked up 118 tackles and also notched 462 yards receiving, both team-highs.
Now with players like Fahey and Nowlan out of the mix, the focus on Cromer being the focal point of the offense becomes more magnified, but the rising junior will be up to the challenge once Monday rolls around. Spring football is here and Cromer aims to pickup where he left off.
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.
