Avon football: Quarterback Nolan Good commits to Kent State

Avon quarterback Nolan Good throws downfield during the second quarter against Avon Lake on Friday Oct 20

Avon has a long list of Division I college football players, and quarterback Nolan Good has officially joined the party.

On May 29, the Division II first-team All-Ohioan announced on X that he committed to play at Kent State University.

“It’s always been my dream to play football at the next level,” he said. “Now that I am able to do that and have the stress of the recruiting process out of the way, I can just enjoy (my senior season).”

Even with Avon’s recent success, the 2023 team broke the program’s single-season wins record with 14. The Eagles went undefeated all the way to the Division II state semifinals, where it lost to Akron Hoban, 17-14.

Behind center, Good played a pivotal role in balancing Avon’s run-pass offensive style. He completed 62% of his passes for 2,100 yards and threw 21 touchdown passes to three interceptions.

“I am excited for Nolan,” Avon Coach Mike Elder said. “He has certainly put in a lot of hard work. He is certainly in my opinion the best quarterback in all of Ohio.”

Good once started as a defensive back his sophomore year. He transformed his athleticism to become a dual-threat quarterback who rushed for 518 yards and scored 10 touchdowns.

“(Good) did a great job leading last year,” Elder said. “He was new to the (quarterback) position and started as a sophomore at cornerback. That shows what kind of athlete he is. … I think going into this year, he is going to be a lot more confident. He has seen it and understands it. He will breathe that confidence into his teammates, which can only benefit us.”

According to Good, he was once seen as an afterthought for football recruitment. That was until Kent State scouts noticed his breakout performance against Glenville, the two-time Division IV state champion.

In that Week 3 matchup, he completed 19 of 24 passes for 251 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Good also rushed for 90 yards on the ground, as Avon won, 24-16.

“One thing that I really took into consideration was that Kent State was the only school that offered me that had seen me play a real football game in person. They came to the Glenville game and I was pretty sure they were there to probably watch (Glenville players). My name was not really out there yet, as a player,” he said. “After that game, I played pretty good, (Kent State offensive coordinator Mark Carney) started texting me. He invited me to campus for a game day visit. I took that opportunity.”

Good was offered on his game day visit.

In its Division II, Region 6 semifinal game against Olmsted Falls, Good sustained a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year.

The offensive line and the running back spots mostly had seniors in 2023. But his top three targets, Matt Maxey, Cole Kepner and Grant Barr will return for 2024.

Maxey was a Division II first-team All-Ohioan alongside Good. He caught 74 passes for 1,126 yards and nine touchdown receptions. Cole Kepner is a track and field state qualifying sprinter in the 100, 200 and the 4×200-meter relay. Barr caught 28 passes for 534 yards and six touchdowns.

“The beauty of our program and what Coach Elder has built is that every single year, we can lose the best player in the country. We might not have one guy, but three guys that step up. …” Good said. “We are always finding ways to replace talent. That is what makes us a good program, rather than a good team. We focus on developing the younger guys through (junior varsity).”

Good is also plays basketball in the winter.

“(Kent State) is going to get a kid that wants to be the best. (Good) works exceptionally hard. He can take constructive criticism,” Elder said. “He doesn’t see it as a negative. He sees it as a way to grow, learn and get better. He know that there is still room to improve. You do not have to tell him that. He is always looking for it.”