Wash High’s Reed commits to play football at Miami (Ohio)
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
For a player that has provided plenty of fireworks on the football field over the last couple years, making a college commitment on the Fourth of July seemed fitting for Wash High’s Tristan Reed.
He just had to wait for the right school to come along.
When Miami (Ohio) gave Reed a scholarship offer in June that part of the equation was complete.
The Prexies’ dual-threat quarterback announced his decision to commit to Miami (Ohio) Friday, on Independence Day.
While Reed posted the announcement on social media, committing on a holiday was the perfect time, because it gave him a chance to tell his family and friends in person.
“For me I wanted to make it a day to remember with my family and friends,” Reed said. “I could let everybody know what was going on with my future. My mom and dad already knew, but my grandmas and everyone else in my family found out on the Fourth of July.”
Reed will be the starting quarterback again at Washington this fall, but will play wide receiver at the next level.
Reed accounted for over 1,200 yards of offense last season as a junior, including 812 passing with nine touchdowns. He ran for 10 touchdowns.
With a 6-foot-4 frame, Reed projects as a big target as a wide receiver and worked out at the position at the college camps he attended.
In the early going, he received offers from smaller Division I schools like Robert Morris, Duquesne and Towson and Division II schools IUP and Fairmont State.
He was hoping to get some offers from bigger schools and Miami (Ohio) came along to make the potential dream of playing at an FBS school a reality.
The RedHawks play in the Mid-American Conference.
“Nothing toward those other schools at all…it’s all love, because they were the ones that opened the gate to be where I am right now, but I know my talents and I know I’m a top ball player,” Reed said. “I feel as if I can play at that level and it was something that I wanted to wait on.”
Miami (Ohio) entered the picture after Reed had a strong day at the Pitt summer camp on June 1.
The RedHawks extended an offer that day.
“(Miami (Ohio) receivers) coach (Andy) Cruse came down to see me at Pitt,” Reed said. “I got the offer there and we kept close communication from there.”
Reed took an official visit to Miami (Ohio) a couple weeks after the offer was extended.
The visit helped solidify that the RedHawks were the team he wanted to play for in college.
“The people down there make the environment a great place to be at,” Reed said. “Really it just felt like home.”
With his college commitment behind him, Reed is now focused on helping Wash High have a bounce back season after a rare down year in 2024.
The Prexies finished 6-5 overall and fifth in the Class 2A Century Conference. They lost to Steel Valley, 49-28, in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.
Wash High made the Class 2A semifinals the year before and Reed is aiming to help return the Prexies to the traditional power they’ve been before leaving for college.
“I’m definitely going to give it my all,” Reed said. “We want the whole team to buy-in, so we can get a ring. With it being my senior year, I definitely don’t want to go out like we did last year.”